Bean Dip
-1 can Original Rotel
-1 bag (2 cups-ish) shredded Velveeta Queso Blanco Cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix beans and rotel together in an oven safe bowl. **If you're like me and don't like the chunks in the rotel, blend it up before mixing it with the beans** Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake for at about 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. The cheese doesn't have to be melted all the way, if you're okay with stirring it into the bean dip. It doesn't look as cool when you serve it, but it still tastes great!
Cinnamon n Sugar Chips
-Spray Butter
-Cinnamon/sugar mix, or whatever spices you decide to use
Preheat oven to 425. Spray a tortilla with the spray butter until it's covered. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture. Cut into small pieces, about 1 inch by 1 inch or a little bigger. Bake on a baking sheet or a stone (my preference) for about 10-12 minutes or until edges are slightly browned and chips are crispy.
Crunchy Peanut Butter Bites
-1/2 c. Crisp Rice Cereal
-1 c. Fiber One 80 Calorie Cereal, Honey Squares
-1 T. Ground Flax Seed
-1 t. cinnamon
-2 T. chopped almonds
-2/3- 3/4 c. peanut butter
-1/2 T. honey
Crush Fiber One cereal until it is in small crumbs. Do the same with the almonds. Combine both cereals, flax, cinnamon, and almonds together in a bowl. Add in peanut butter. Start with about 2/3 cup. You want it to be just enough to moisten all the dry ingredients. Add a little more if needed. Stir in honey. Squeeze "dough" into about 1.5 inch balls. Store in refrigerator. Makes 15 bites.
Crunchy Peanut Butter Bites
-1 c. Fiber One 80 Calorie Cereal, Honey Squares
-1 T. Ground Flax Seed
-1 t. cinnamon
-2 T. chopped almonds
-2/3- 3/4 c. peanut butter
-1/2 T. honey
Crush Fiber One cereal until it is in small crumbs. Do the same with the almonds. Combine both cereals, flax, cinnamon, and almonds together in a bowl. Add in peanut butter. Start with about 2/3 cup. You want it to be just enough to moisten all the dry ingredients. Add a little more if needed. Stir in honey. Squeeze "dough" into about 1.5 inch balls. Store in refrigerator. Makes 15 bites.
Diced Apples
-2 T. PB2
Dice apples into about 1 inch chunks. Place 1 T. PB2 in a ziploc sandwich bag. Put diced apples in bag. Sprinkle with remaining PB2. Shake in bag. EAT! :)
*This is kind of like dipping your apples in peanut butter but even easier and much healthier. I like that you can do it ahead of time and just take the bag with you wherever!
Energy Bites
-1/2 c. natural chunky peanut butter
-1 T. honey
Crush cereal in a ziploc bag to break it up a little. Mix cereal, peanut butter, and honey in a small bowl. I used my hands and just sort of squeezed it all together. Divide mix into 8 portions. Squeeze each portion into a compact ball. Store in refrigerator. Makes 8 bites.
Granola Bars
-1/3 c. brown sugar
-1/3 c. honey
-1 t. vanilla extract
-2 c. instant oats
-1 c. crispy rice cereal
-1/4 c. almonds
-1/4 c. mini chocolate chips, divided
Combine butter, brown sugar, and honey in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low(2 or 3 on your stove dial) heat until butter is melted. Turn up to medium-high(8 or 9) heat. Meanwhile, put almonds in a bag and crush into small pieces. Mix oats, cereal, crushed almonds, and half (2 T.) of chocolate chips in a large bowl. Stir butter/sugar mixture, scraping bottom and sides well. Allow to come to a boil. Turn heat down to medium(4 or 5) and simmer for two minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over dry mixture. Mix well until all dry mixture is coated with liquid. Pour into a greased 9X13 pan. Press firmly into pan. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. Let sit for at least 2 hours before cutting. I stored mine in snack size ziploc bags individually so they would be easy to grab on the run. Makes 12 bars.
Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce
-8 apples; peeled, cored, and chopped
-1 1/2 c. water
-1/2 c. white sugar
-1 t. cinnamon
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan. Cover and cook about 20 minutes over medium heat or until apples are tender and only a little liquid remains. Cool completely. Pour into a food processor or blender. Pulse until desired consistency. *You can leave the cinnamon out if that's not your thing! **Golden Delicious apples work well for this
Honeyed Fiber Stacks
-1/2 c. Old Fashioned Oats
-3 T. Honey
-2 T. PB2
-1 t. water
-1 t. regular peanut butter
-1 T. chocolate chips (optional)
Mix the cereal and the oats in a mixing bowl together. In a small dish, mix the PB2 and the honey. If it's not mixing well, add the water. Pour over cereal mixture and stir together. Stir in the regular peanut butter (this makes the cereal stay together better). Line a plate with wax paper. Scoop the mixture out onto wax paper in 8 equal portions. You may have to mold them together a little bit. You can either leave them like that, or you can incorporate the chocolate! If using the chocolate, put the chips in a small ziploc bag and melt for 20 seconds in the microwave. Smoosh together. If not melted yet, do another 10 seconds until melted. Cut the corner (a TINY corner) off of the bag. Squeeze the bag to drizzle chocolate over the stacks. Store in the refrigerator.
*If making these with regular peanut butter instead of PB2, use 2 T. total peanut butter. Mix it with the honey (no water added) before combining it with the cereal and oats. This simplifies it, but adds calories.
Kale Chips
-1 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-Sea Salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Tear off all the leafy part of the kale and put it into a bowl. Try not to get the stem part in there, otherwise it will be kinda chewy. Mix in 1 tablespoon of the EVOO and stir to coat all of the kale. Spread it onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Lightly sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for about 10 minutes or until kale is crunchy. You can eat it right away or store it in a ziploc bag. I've eaten it several days later, and it stays crispy!! *If you don't want to make the whole bundle, do about a third and use closer to 1 teaspoon of EVOO.* You can also sprinkle other spices on it for different flavors. I've done cayenne pepper to give it some kick, and it was pretty good!
-1 egg, beaten
-1/3 cup of Italian Bread Crumbs
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut each piece of string cheese into 4 pieces (in half, each half in half again). Have the beaten egg in one dish and the bread crumbs in another. Dip each piece of cheese in the egg first and then the bread crumbs. Repeat on each one. Roll em around good to get them all covered in deliciousness! Bake on a cookie sheet or a stone (my preference) for about 12-15 minutes. Voila! They're ready to eat! They're extra good if you dip them in spaghetti sauce or marinara.Mustard Sauce
-1/3 c. milk
-1 1/2 T. mustard
-2/3 c. sour cream
Stir soup mix and milk together in a small sauce pan. Let sit 10 minutes to dissolve completely. Stir in mustard and sour cream. Heat over low to medium heat until hot. We ate this served over steak. I'd recommend trying it on several things though! Hamburgers would be delicious too :)
Salsa
-1/4 c. chopped onion
-2 cans Rotel
-4 cloves garlic
-1 medium Jalapeno
-1/2 c. Cilantro
-1/2 of 1 Lime, juiced
-1/2 t. Salt-1/4 t. Sugar
-1/4 t. ground cumin
Put all ingredients in a food processor or big blender and pulse until desired smoothness. Austin likes his a little chunkier so I pulse it just a little and then take about half of it out. Then, I go to blending town until it's pretty much smooth. This is a great base recipe. You can tweak it a little if you like a certain flavor to be a little louder or quieter, like the cilantro or salt for example. Yum!
-2 T. extra virgin olive oil
-1 t. each- sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, chili seasoning (or paprika or chili powder)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain, rinse, and towel dry chickpeas. Mix EVOO with spices in a bowl. Add chickpeas and stir to coat. Lay a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Spread seasoned chickpeas on parchment. Bake 20 minutes. Shake pan to turn peas. Bake another 20 minutes. Enjoy!!
Spicy Pretzels
-2 teaspoons garlic powder
-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
-2/3 cup canola oil
-1 bag pretzels
Combine the ranch packet, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper in a large Ziploc bag. Add the oil and "smoosh" it around until the seasonings are dissolved. Dump in the pretzels and shake to coat them all. Shake the bag every 30 minutes or so to make sure all the pretzels are getting covered. Wait at least 2 hours to eat em so they have time to soak up the flavors!
Breads/Muffins
Apple Cinnamon Muffins
-1 1/4 c. flour
-1/2 c. brown sugar
-1/3 c. white sugar
-1/2 t. salt
-2 t. baking powder
-1 t. cinnamon
-1/2 c. oil or applesauce (feel extra Martha Stewart by using homemade applesauce from above!)
-1 egg
-1/3 c. milk
-1 apple; peeled, cored, and chopped- I chop mine pretty thin because I don't love big chunks of stuff
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with muffin liners. Stir all dry ingredients in a bowl,
including sugars. Add oil/applesauce and milk; mix well. Beat in egg. Fold in apples. The batter will be thicker than what you may be used to- that's normal! Sometimes I have to add just a splash more of milk if everything isn't combined well. Use a cookie dough scoop to fill muffin cups about 2/3 full. You can pour the batter in, of course, but a cookie scoop makes your life easier. Bake 16-18 minutes.
*Honeycrisp or Gala apples work well for this
Banana Flax Muffins
-1 large banana
-1/2 c. light applesauce or a little single serve applesauce cup
-1/2 c. Splenda (or Apriva, kroger brand)
-1 egg
-1/3 c. milk
-1/2 c. whole wheat flour
-1/3 c. all purpose white flour
-1 c. quick oats
-1/2 c. milled flax seed
-3/4 t. baking soda
-1 t. baking powder
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with non stick cooking spray. Beat banana and applesauce with a mixer until banana is no longer in chunks. Add in sugar, egg, and milk. Mix well. Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add to wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Scoop into muffin tin (using a cookie dough scoop is the easiest). Bake for 15 minutes. These muffins won't rise a ton. Touch the top of one gently to check to see if it's done. If it springs back, it's done. Let them cool just a couple minutes. Then, remove muffins from the tin to a cooling rack. You can eat these muffins plain. You can spread a little peanut butter on the tops while they're still warm. I also tried mixing a little fat free Cool Whip with a little PB2 and put that on the top. I liked them best with the Cool Whip/PB2 topping!
Blueberry Banana Pancakes
-1 c. Krusteaz Pancake Mix
-2/3 c. water
-1/2 c. blueberries, pureed
-1/2 banana, pureed
-1/2 c. ground flax seed
-1 t. vanilla extract
Mix pancake mix and water together first. Puree blueberries and banana in a food processor. You can use a blender too, but it may not become as smooth. Or, you can leave the blueberries and banana chunkier if you prefer them that way in your pancakes. Add blueberry-banana puree, flax, and vanilla to pancake mixture. Mix well. Cook on a griddle or in a skillet over medium heat. You can eat these plain, but they're also really good with a thin layer of peanut butter on them!
Cheesy Surprise Biscuits
-1 package Flaky Layers Biscuits (I used Great Value brand, and they were great)
-2 T. butter, melted
-1/2 t. garlic powder
-cheddar cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Divide each biscuit in half. They don't have to be perfectly in half- just pull them apart into two pieces! Mix melted butter and garlic powder together in a little dish. Brush half of the biscuits with melted butter. Sprinkle each buttered piece with a little cheddar cheese. Put the non-buttered halves on top of the buttery/cheesy halves. Brush the tops with the melted butter. Bake on a baking sheet for about 12 minutes, or until the bottoms of the biscuits are golden brown.
Cinnamon Pull Aparts
-1 can refrigerated cinnamon rolls
-Butter
-Cream cheese
-Brown sugar
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place about a 1/2 T. butter in each of 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle with a little brown sugar. Put a little bit (about a 1/2 T.) of cream cheese on top of brown sugar. Cut each cinnamon roll into 6 pieces (in half, then in thirds). Place 4 pieces of cinnamon roll in each muffin cup. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until tops are golden. Immediately dump muffin tin upside down onto a platter or cookie sheet. Drizzle with icing from cinnamon roll package.
Doughnuts
-2 T. Crisco
-3/4 c. sugar
-2 eggs, beaten
-3/4 c. milk
-3 1/2 c. flour
-1 t. salt
-5 t. baking powder
-1 t. cinnamon
-1/2 t. nutmeg
Cream shortening and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs, beat well. Add milk and mix. Sift dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add to creamed mixture. Roll out on a floured surface to about 1/2-3/4 inch thickness. Cut with a doughnut cutter, or a circle cookie cutter. Use a smaller circle to make the center cut out. SAVE THE LITTLE CENTER CIRCLES FOR DOUGHNUT HOLES! yay! Fry in 375 degree oil. Or, heat oil on the stove at about 5-6 and then fry them until lightly golden. Remove with tongs and let sit on paper towels. The paper towels will help absorb extra oils. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture, or put a glaze on top of them in whatever flavor you like.
Banana Flax Muffins
-1/2 c. light applesauce or a little single serve applesauce cup
-1/2 c. Splenda (or Apriva, kroger brand)
-1 egg
-1/3 c. milk
-1/2 c. whole wheat flour
-1/3 c. all purpose white flour
-1 c. quick oats
-1/2 c. milled flax seed
-3/4 t. baking soda
-1 t. baking powder
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with non stick cooking spray. Beat banana and applesauce with a mixer until banana is no longer in chunks. Add in sugar, egg, and milk. Mix well. Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add to wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Scoop into muffin tin (using a cookie dough scoop is the easiest). Bake for 15 minutes. These muffins won't rise a ton. Touch the top of one gently to check to see if it's done. If it springs back, it's done. Let them cool just a couple minutes. Then, remove muffins from the tin to a cooling rack. You can eat these muffins plain. You can spread a little peanut butter on the tops while they're still warm. I also tried mixing a little fat free Cool Whip with a little PB2 and put that on the top. I liked them best with the Cool Whip/PB2 topping!
Blueberry Banana Pancakes
-2/3 c. water
-1/2 c. blueberries, pureed
-1/2 banana, pureed
-1/2 c. ground flax seed
-1 t. vanilla extract
Mix pancake mix and water together first. Puree blueberries and banana in a food processor. You can use a blender too, but it may not become as smooth. Or, you can leave the blueberries and banana chunkier if you prefer them that way in your pancakes. Add blueberry-banana puree, flax, and vanilla to pancake mixture. Mix well. Cook on a griddle or in a skillet over medium heat. You can eat these plain, but they're also really good with a thin layer of peanut butter on them!
Cheesy Surprise Biscuits
-2 T. butter, melted
-1/2 t. garlic powder
-cheddar cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Divide each biscuit in half. They don't have to be perfectly in half- just pull them apart into two pieces! Mix melted butter and garlic powder together in a little dish. Brush half of the biscuits with melted butter. Sprinkle each buttered piece with a little cheddar cheese. Put the non-buttered halves on top of the buttery/cheesy halves. Brush the tops with the melted butter. Bake on a baking sheet for about 12 minutes, or until the bottoms of the biscuits are golden brown.
Cinnamon Pull Aparts
-Butter
-Cream cheese
-Brown sugar
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place about a 1/2 T. butter in each of 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle with a little brown sugar. Put a little bit (about a 1/2 T.) of cream cheese on top of brown sugar. Cut each cinnamon roll into 6 pieces (in half, then in thirds). Place 4 pieces of cinnamon roll in each muffin cup. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until tops are golden. Immediately dump muffin tin upside down onto a platter or cookie sheet. Drizzle with icing from cinnamon roll package.
Doughnuts
-2 T. Crisco
-3/4 c. sugar
-2 eggs, beaten
-3/4 c. milk
-3 1/2 c. flour
-1 t. salt
-5 t. baking powder
-1 t. cinnamon
-1/2 t. nutmeg
Cream shortening and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs, beat well. Add milk and mix. Sift dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add to creamed mixture. Roll out on a floured surface to about 1/2-3/4 inch thickness. Cut with a doughnut cutter, or a circle cookie cutter. Use a smaller circle to make the center cut out. SAVE THE LITTLE CENTER CIRCLES FOR DOUGHNUT HOLES! yay! Fry in 375 degree oil. Or, heat oil on the stove at about 5-6 and then fry them until lightly golden. Remove with tongs and let sit on paper towels. The paper towels will help absorb extra oils. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture, or put a glaze on top of them in whatever flavor you like.
Main Dishes
Beef Dips
-1 packet Au Jus Gravy Mix
-1 envelope Onion Soup Mix
-1 can beef broth
-Whichever bread and cheese you prefer. I used Deli Sub Rolls and Sargento Provolone Mozzarella Slices
Put the roast in the crock pot. Mix the Au Jus, Onion Soup, and Beef Broth together. Pour over roast. Cook on low for at least 8 hours. Take the roast out of the crock pot to shred it/cut it. I like to strain the juice from the crock pot because I don't like onion chunks. If you like onions, leave them in there :) Shred or cut all the meat up and put it back in the juice. I turn my crock pot to "keep warm" at this point. If yours doesn't have that setting, keep it on low. Let it sit in there for at least another 30 minutes. Cut the rolls in half lengthwise. I use spray butter, but you can use whatever butter you want on them. Put the halves on a baking sheet in the oven and set to "broil" low to toast them. This usually takes at least 5 minutes, but keep a close eye on them so they don't burn. However, if you do burn them a little, here's a little trick! Use a sharp paring knife to scrape off the burnt stuff. Works like a charm. Scoop out some of the meat and put it on one half of the roll. Top it with a piece of cheese (I tear a piece in half to make it fit better). Put the halves with meat on them back in the oven to let the cheese melt. It will only take a minute or two. Then top it with the other half! You can use some of the juice from the crock pot if you'd like to dip your sandwich. Just a little heads up- the sandwiches are pretty moist without dipping!
Breakfast Burritos
-1 lb. pork sausage
-8 pieces bacon
-8 eggs, plus a little milk and salt and pepper
-1 c. cheddar cheese
You'll want to cook everything before combining them together. I bake my bacon on a stone in the oven at 400 degrees for about 25-30 minutes. While the bacon is cooking, get the sausage going in a skillet. Chop it up so it will be in crumbles. Cook until no longer pink. Strain off grease. Put in a mixing bowl. Don't rinse skillet. Crack all eggs in a separate bowl. Whisk together. Add a splash of milk and a dash of salt and pepper and whisk again (this is optional)! Pour into the skillet. Cook eggs until they're no longer runny. Add scrambled eggs to the sausage. Crumble bacon (or cut with kitchen shears!) into mixing bowl. Mix all together. Add in cheese and stir again. Spoon mixture evenly into each tortilla. Wrap up (long side, both ends, roll up). Wrap well in plastic wrap. Put all burritos in a labeled, large ziploc bag. Freeze. Put a burrito in the fridge the night before you want to eat it to defrost a little. We've found that works better for when you heat them. Then just heat in the microwave for 1:30-2:00 or until center is hot. *Of course, you can eat these the day you make them instead of freezing them! **To make these healthier, use turkey sausage, turkey bacon, egg whites, reduced fat tortillas, and reduced fat cheese. Or, slim them down by using less... less cheese, less bacon...you get the point.
Butterfinger flavored Protein Shake-less than 300 calories!
-1 scoop Chocolate Protein Powder
-1 T. PB2
-1 t. sugar free fat free instant butterscotch pudding mix
-1/2 t. Davinci Sugar Free Caramel Syrup
-1 T. milled Flax Seed
-1/3 c. ice
Combine all ingredients in a blender (big or personal size) until well mixed.
*You can use 2 scoops of protein powder if you need to. I make this in the evenings, therefore I don't feel I need as much protein compared to during the day.
Cheesy Chicken and Rice
-1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
-2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed or shredded
-3/4 c. shredded cheese (cheddar, casserole, fiesta, colby jack, pretty much whatever you want/have)
-salt/ pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry rice and soup together in an 11X7 or 8X8 pan. Stir in EVOO. Spread rice around pan evenly. Sprinkle salt and pepper on rice (you probably won't want much salt, just a sprinkle-ish). Put pieces of chicken on top of rice mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 15 minutes.
ChenChelseas
-3 T. taco seasoning
-3 T. water
-1/3 c. sour cream
-won ton wrappers
-taco sauce
-mexican style cheese (or whatever you like on tacos...)
-you can also add any additional taco-type toppings you like
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Place won ton wrappers in a muffin tin. The easiest way is to just place the wrapper above the muffin cup and press down in the center and the wrapper should fold in there right. How many you need will depend on how full you fill them. It'll probably be around 18-24. Once you have a muffin tin full, bake in the oven for about 12-15 minutes or until the won tons are golden and crispy. (My first batch I didn't bake long enough, so they were a little soft on the bottoms = not good. Make sure they're crispy!) While the won tons are baking, brown your hamburger. Rinse off any grease there is. Add taco seasoning and water. Simmer for a few minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir in sour cream. Place about a tablespoon of the meat into each cooled won ton wrapper. Put about a teaspoon of taco sauce on top of the meat. Then, sprinkle a little cheese on top. Put back in the oven for about 5-8 minutes or until the cheese is melted. **If you are using any additional toppings, put them under the cheese. Traditionally, lettuce would also go on a taco, but I didn't want to put lettuce on them and then have it be soggy and nasty. I guess if you're dying for lettuce, you could top it with lettuce right before serving. Also, the won tons keep really well. So, you can bake the won tons ahead of time if you want. Just store them in an airtight container. If you bake too many, just keep them in the airtight container and freeze them until you're ready for them again.
Chicken Marinade
-Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
Mix in equal portions. Amounts depend on how many pieces of chicken you are marinating. Let chicken marinate for at least 6 hours. Grill.
Chicken Spaghetti
-3 cooked chicken breasts
-1 can cream of chicken soup
-1/2 c. sour cream
-8 oz. velveeta cheese
-1/3 c. reserved pasta water or juice from cooking chicken breasts
-1 c. shredded cheese (use cheddar, colby jack, or casserole style)
-salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil noodles according to package directions. While noodles are boiling, cut chicken breasts into bite sized chunks. Set aside. Cut 8 oz. of velveeta into small chunks. Place in a sauce pan, along with sour cream and cream of chicken soup. Heat over medium heat. Once the mixture starts melting, stir every couple of minutes to prevent from burning on the bottom. Once noodles are done, scoop a measuring cup into the water to obtain the "reserved pasta water", and set aside. Strain noodles. Stir cheese sauce again. Pour noodles into a 9X13 pan. Once cheese sauce is completely melted, stir in pasta/chicken water. Stir in chicken chunks. Pour mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle with salt and pepper ( we go pretty generously on the pepper, but light on the salt. Then, I just allow people to salt their own dish if they want more). Top with shredded cheese. Put in the oven and bake for just about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and everything is heated through. ***Read my post about this recipe (June 10, 2012) for helpful tips!
Chili Cheese Burgers
-Freddy's Seasoning, or the seasoning of your choice
-shredded cheddar cheese
-sour cream
-chili (my recipe found on this page- http://mrsbakersbites.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html. I had some that I had previously made and then froze)
-hamburger buns
Crumble beef in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with seasoning. Mix well. Divide into 6 equal pieces. Mold into balls and then flatten into discs. Put some cheese on top of HALF of the beef pieces. Just do a little pile. Place meat with no cheese on top of meat with cheese. Carefully pick up and smoosh together to seal the edges so the cheese won't leak out. Grill until desired doneness. While hamburgers are on the grill, spoon some sour cream into a small ziploc bag. Spoon some chili into a separate ziploc bag. Butter insides on the buns and toast, if desired. I decided to smash my chili in the bag a little bit to get rid of some of the bigger chunks of meat and beans. Heat the chili in the microwave for about 15 seconds, if it's cold. As soon as burgers are done, sprinkle some cheddar cheese on top of them to let it start melting on there. Cut small tips off of the bag of sour cream and the bag of chili. Place burger on top of bun. Squeeze out a pile of chili on top of the burger. Squeeze desired amount of sour cream on top of chili. Put the top bun on. Warning: these little fellas are messy, but amazing! Makes 3.
Creamy Pesto Chicken Breasts
-1 Egg
-Philadelphia Cooking Creme- Creamy Pesto
-Italian Bread Crumbs
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pound out chicken breasts so they're 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. I put mine in a ziploc bag, seal all the air out, and then pound it with the flat side of a meat tenderizer. Beat egg in a small dish; set aside. Pour bread crumbs into a shallow dish; set aside. Spoon about a tablespoon of the Creamy Pesto onto each chicken breast. Spread it around, but not all the way to the edges. Roll up as best as you can. Stick toothpicks in to secure ends of chicken. Brush bottom of each piece of chicken with beaten egg. Lay chicken, brushed side down, into the bread crumbs. Brush tops and sides of chicken with egg. Roll chicken in bread crumbs. Bake on a baking stone (my fave) or baking sheet for 35-45 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Cooking time will vary depending on how thin you make your chicken breasts.
Doritos Casserole
-1 can Rotel
-Nacho Cheese Doritos
-1/2 can Cream of Chicken Soup
-1 T. taco seasoning
-2 T. sour cream
-3/4 c. mexican style cheese or casserole style cheese
Put chicken breasts in a crock pot (they can be frozen- mine almost always are). Pour can of Rotel over them. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. Reserve liquid in crock pot. Shred cooked chicken and place in a bowl. Pour 1/2 cup of reserved Rotel liquid into the bowl of chicken. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir soup, taco seasoning, and sour cream into the chicken. Cover the bottom of a 9X9 pan with Doritos. Pour chicken mixture over the chips. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and everything is heated through. Top with crushed Doritos right before serving.
*Serves about 3. I'd recommend doubling the ingredients and using a 9X13 pan if you're wanting left overs, or if you're feeding 5 or so people.
**You could also use ground beef instead of chicken
EASY Chili
-1 lb. ground beef
-1 28 oz. can tomato sauce
-2 15 oz. cans Chili Beans (with the sauce)
-1/2 pkg. Williams Chili Seasoning (the package is for 2 lbs. of meat, so use about half of it)
Brown hamburger. Drain off grease, if any. Add rest of ingredients and stir. Let simmer for 15 minutes, covered. Let sit on low for another 10 minutes. Serve with cheese, crackers, cinnamon rolls, carrots, sour cream, hot sauce... whatever you like with your chili!
***This freezes well too!
Enchiladas
This is the least technical recipe...
-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 1 lb ground beef- pick which meat you want
-1 can Rotel, if using chicken
-6-8 Tortillas
-2 cans Red Enchilada Sauce
-2 "plops" sour cream, probably somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 cup
-1 bag Queso Quesadilla Shredded Cheese
-1/2-ish bag Mexican Style Cheese
-Taco Seasoning, Garlic Powder, Pepper
I cook my chicken in the crock pot for usually about 4 hours. You can bake it if that's what you wanna do though. So anyway, I blend up a can of Rotel (for my annoyance of chunks) and pour it over the chicken breasts in the crock pot. Cook on low for about 4 hours. When it's finished, take each breast out and shred it with 2 forks-easiest way. Set the chicken in a mixing bowl after it's shredded. Add a little of the Rotel liquid to the chicken, maybe 1/2 a cup... See, I told you this recipe wasn't technical... If using ground beef, just brown the hamburger and drain the grease off. Add 1 can Enchilada Sauce and sour cream. Mix that all together. Sprinkle in a little Taco Seasoning, garlic powder, and pepper. Add some Mexican style cheese. Spoon chicken mixture into tortillas and wrap them up (long side, ends, roll to seal). Place wrapped tortillas in a 9X13 pan. Pour the other can of Enchilada Sauce on top. Sprinkle with Queso Quesadilla Cheese. Bake at 375 for about 15-20 minutes or until cheese on top is melted!
**These are pretty cheesy. Cheesy = awesome. However, if you want to make them a little healthier, just cut back on the cheese amounts, use fat free sour cream, 98% fat free tortillas, reduced fat cheese, etc.. I do this sometimes and they still taste good. How many enchiladas you do just depends on how much filling you put in each one.
Fettuccine Alfredo
-1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream
-1 stick of Butter (not margarine!)
-8 ounces shredded Parmesan Cheese*
-2 or 3 (3, because I kinda sorta love garlic) garlic cloves, minced (you can use about a teaspoon of garlic powder instead if ya want)
-salt and pepper to taste
-pinch of nutmeg
-1 package of fettuccine noodles
-fresh, chopped parsley (for garnish, optional)
Put the stick of butter and the minced garlic in a large pot over medium heat. Keep moving the butter around to make sure the garlic doesn't burn! When the butter is completely melted, allow the garlic and butter to simmer for just a minute or two. Add in the heavy cream and whisk together. (This is usually a good time to get your pasta boiling! Make according to directions on the package or box.) Bring to a boil. Add cheese and reduce heat to low. Keep stirring to make sure the cheese melts evenly and doesn't burn on the bottom of the pot. This is where you need to have a little patience. It will take just a little bit to get the cheese melted and the sauce thickened. Once cheese is melted, season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. I usually add a pretty good amount of pepper, but we love our pepper here :) Once pasta is done, you can add the noodles to the pot of sauce if you want them combined, or you can just spoon sauce over your pasta!
If you will be using chicken or shrimp, you have two options. You can mix it into the sauce or serve it on top of the noodles. Serving it separate is a good idea if you have people with different tastes in your family.
*I think the best Parmesan cheese for this recipe is the wedge of it that you actually shred yourself. You can use whatever kind you want, but I think the wedge just melts and tastes best.
Hamburger Cream Cheese Noodle Stuff
-1 box (16 oz) pasta
-1 8 oz package cream cheese
-1/2 c. Italian style cheese
-1/4 c. heavy whipping cream or milk
-salt and pepper to taste
Boil pasta until done. Brown hamburger. Drain noodles and return to pot. Add hamburger, cream cheese, and Italian style cheese to hot pasta. Stir until cheeses are melted. Add in cream or milk and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. *I use cream or milk, depending on what I have. My husband likes it with cream best, but there's not a big difference. I've also used mozzarella cheese instead of Italian style- it's good either way!
Hobo Dinners
-1 c. baby carrots
-6 petite red potatoes (these are the tiny ones!)
-2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-2 T. (about 1/2 pkg.) Brown Gravy Mix
-salt, pepper
-aluminum foil
Tear 2 pieces of foil about a foot long. Rinse potatoes and cut in half. Mix in a bowl with carrots. Add EVOO and toss to coat. Add in brown gravy mix. Stir. Divide carrot/potato mixture between the two pieces of foil. Pour onto the center of each piece- SHINY SIDE UP! Break apart ground beef in same bowl carrots and potatoes were in. Add a little salt and pepper (you know how salty and peppery you like your food...the gravy mix will add a little salt, so hold back a little). Roll hamburger into 8 little "meatballs"- about 1 inch or so. Put 4 meatballs on top of each carrot/potato pile. Bring 4 corners of foil piece together in the center. Smash down a little so there's no holes. Cook on a 400 degree grill or in a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes. Check the tenderness of the carrots at about 30 minutes to see how much longer they need to cook. (The carrots will take longest to cook.) Open the foil packages and shake them a little to coat the meat in the "gravy". Salt, pepper, ketchup.. whatever you like on top of this!
Italian Crusted Chicken
-1/2 c.Italian Bread crumbs
-a spoonful of Fat free Sour Cream
-1 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast(s)
-seasoning of your choice, I used Lawry's Seasoning Salt and Pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you are using a large chicken breast, cut it in half. Rinse each half and pat dry with a paper towel. Mix the cheese, bread crumbs, and seasonings together in a shallow dish. Rub the chicken with the sour cream until it's covered. Then roll it in the bread crumb mixture until it's pretty heavily coated. I did all of this with my hands and it was much easier than trying to use forks and spoons or whatever else you want to try and use. Bake on a stone or a baking sheet for about 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. This recipe is incredibly easy to convert into more servings, so don't be afraid of the "1 chicken breast" listed in the ingredients :)
Meatloaf
-1 egg
-1/4 c. milk
-1/4 c. ketchup
-splash of Liquid Smoke
-1/4. barbecue sauce (I use KC Masterpiece)
-1/2 t. garlic powder
-1/2 t. pepper
-1/8 t. Lawry's Seasoning Salt
-1/2 c. to 3/4 c. bread crumbs (You can use whatever type you like. My favorite to use is Kellogg's Corn Flake Crumbs, but I also like Italian Bread Crumbs.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the egg like crazy in a mixing bowl. Add milk, ketchup, barbecue sauce, and liquid smoke. Mix well. Add in garlic powder, pepper, and seasoning salt, and stir. Mix in ground beef. I use my Pampered Chef Mix N' Chop (best thing ever) to make sure the sauce is thoroughly mixed into the beef. You can use a fork, too. I know some people mix their meatloaf with their electric mixer with the beater blade attached. So, suit your own fancy. Add in 1/2 c. of breadcrumbs, and mix well. If the mixture is in one big blob at this point, you don't need to add more breadcrumbs. If it's still falling apart a little, add in another 1/4 c. of the breadcrumbs. Spray whatever pan you are using with a non-stick cooking spray, unless you're using stoneware! Dump the meatloaf in the pan, and spread it out so it's pretty even. I bake mine in an 11X7 pan for about 35-40 minutes. If you use a loaf pan, you'll need to increase baking time. If you use a muffin tin, your baking time will be closer to 25 minutes. The reason I use a cake pan is because our faaaaaavorite part of a meatloaf is the ends, where it gets a little crisper. So, using a cake pan allows more crispy edges!
Mexican Chicken
-1 can Rotel
-4 oz. Velveeta Queso Blanco
-taco seasoning
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Puree rotel.You don't necessarily have to puree the Rotel, but I don't like chunks, so I do. It also seems to make a better "sauce" when it is pureed. Reserve 1/4 c. if you are going to make my Mexican Rice too! Pour half of Rotel in a baking dish. Cut Velveeta into 8 squares (in half vertically and horizontally, then flip on the side and in half again). Lay 4 squares in the dish, in the Rotel. Rinse chicken breasts. Lay each breast on top of 2 squares of cheese. Sprinkle with taco seasoning- don't be shy. Pour the rest of the Rotel on top. Lay the rest of the cheese on top. I cut mine into smaller pieces, but you don't have to. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until chicken is done and no longer pink. After you dish out the chicken, stir what's left in the dish. Spoon a little bit of the sauce over your chicken if you want! This recipe is for 2 people. If you're needing to make it for more, increase your cheese. You can probably get by with one can of Rotel for about 5 chicken breasts. You will just have less sauce, which is okay because there is quite a bit when you're only making this for 2!
Mexican Rice
-2 c. Brown Instant Rice
-2 single servings of frozen corn, or 1 small can of corn
-1/2 can Black Beans
-1 t. Taco Seasoning
-2 oz. Velveeta Queso Blanco, cut into chunks
Make rice according to box directions. If you are using the frozen corn that you steam in the bag, make according to package directions. If you are using canned corn, rinse and strain. Rinse and strain black beans, as well. When rice is done, add in all ingredients. Mix well. Keep on low heat to melt cheese and keep warm. If you made the Mexican Chicken to go with this, you can use a little of the sauce to add into this if you want it "saucier". If you didn't make the chicken but still want a little more sauce, just add a little more pureed Rotel.
Pizza Grilled Cheese
-Spray Butter (or spreadable butter)
-Pepperoni
-Italian Style Cheese or Mozzarella Cheese
Spray one side of each piece of bread with spray butter until evenly coated. Lay one piece of bread, butter side down, on a skillet or griddle. Turn skillet or griddle on to medium heat. Place 5 or 6 pepperonis on bread. Sprinkle to cover with cheese. Lay another 5 or 6 pepperonis on top of cheese. Top with other piece of bread. Let cook until golden on first side. Be careful flipping in case all cheese isn't melted yet. Cook until second side is golden.
Queso Enchiladas
-1 can cream of chicken soup
-1 can red enchilada sauce
-1/2 c. shredded Pepperjack cheese
-2 T. or half of a packet of taco seasoning
-10 oz. Queso Blanco Velveeta cheese
-1/2 c. sour cream
-splash of milk
-6 burrito size tortillas
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown hamburger and drain grease, if any. Stir in cream of chicken soup, enchilada sauce, taco seasoning, and pepperjack cheese. Spoon evenly into each tortilla. Roll up (long side, ends, roll). These are meaty little things, by the way! Place in a 9X13 pan. Cut velveeta into chunks and put in a medium sauce pan, along with the sour cream. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once cheese is just about melted, add a little milk to make it just a little thinner. Pour cheese sauce over tortillas. Bake for about 10 minutes. At this point, you're not really cooking anything- It's just to let the cheese sauce seep into all the cracks and for all the flavors to really come together. Enjoy this lip smackin' cheesiness!
Roasted Rosemary Potatoes
-1 c. sliced red potatoes-1/2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-1/2 lemon
-Crushed Rosemary
-garlic powder, salt, pepper- to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse potatoes and slice thinly. Toss with EVOO in a small bowl. Dump out onto a stone or baking sheet. Squeeze lemon evenly on potatoes. Sprinkle with rosemary. Lightly season with garlic. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with desired amount of salt and pepper.
Scrambled Cheeseburgers
-4 slices American cheese
-1/2 c. ketchup
-1 teaspoon(ish) mustard
-buns
-any additional hamburger toppings you'd like
Brown hamburger. Drain grease, if any. Tear (or cut, if you want to be fancy) up the slices of cheese into a little bit smaller pieces and put in the skillet with the hamburger. Turn burner to low (2 or 3 on the dial). Stir so cheese is evenly distributed and can melt. Stir in ketchup and mustard once cheese is melted. Keep mixture on low for about 5-10 minutes to let everything heat up together. Spoon onto buns. Top with any other toppings you would like. *These are even better if you toast the buns! Put a little spray butter or butter spread on the middles. Sprinkle with a little garlic salt. Broil on LOW until they're golden on the edges*
Skinny Chicken Burrito
-3/4 c.- 1 c. grilled chicken, cut up
-1/4 c. salsa
-1/4 c. shredded Mexican Style Cheese
I used half of a left over grilled chicken breast for this. The amount you use depends on how much filling you like in your burritos. I would suggest bulking it up for the simple fact that it IS chicken! Spread chicken onto tortilla. Spoon half of cheese and half of salsa on top of chicken. Roll up. Spread remaining salsa on top and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Heat in microwave for 1 minute.
Spaghetti and Meatballs
-1/4 c. barbecue sauce
-1/4 c. ketchup
-1 egg
-2/3 c. Italian Bread Crumbs
-1/4 t. garlic powder
-1/4 t. pepper
-1 jar spaghetti sauce
-1 pkg. spaghetti noodles
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat egg in a mixing bowl. Add in barbecue sauce, ketchup, garlic powder, and pepper. Mix well. Now add in hamburger and stir until all the meat is broken up and combined with the wet mixture. Mix in bread crumbs. Pour a little bit of sauce in the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish, just until the bottom is covered. Roll beef into 1-2 inch balls, depending on how big you like your meatballs. Place meatballs in the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, get a pot of water on the stove to boil for the spaghetti noodles. Boil until noodles are done, according to package directions. Take pan out of the oven and flip meatballs to coat the other side with sauce. Bake for another 10 minutes or until done (meatballs are no longer pink). While meatballs are finishing up, strain water off of noodles. Heat remaining sauce in the microwave or on the stove. Serve (noodles on a plate, spoon sauce, top with meatballs).
Spaghetti Pie
-2 c. spaghetti sauce (use your own or use a pre-made one.. I love Ragu Traditional.)
-1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
-1/4 c. parmesan cheese, shredded
-pie crust- try my homemade one! It's easy peasy. I made it over a lunch hour one day. You can also use a refrigerated crust though if you're incredibly pressed for time.
Brown hamburger in a large skillet. While hamburger is cooking, start rolling out your pie crust. How you roll out your crust depends on how you plan on baking it. If you want to make one big pie (in a pie plate or regular springform pan), divide dough in half and roll out onto a floured surface. If you want to make individual pies, use smaller portions to roll out at a time. I used about a half cup of dough at a time. I baked mine in mini springform pans. So, roll your dough out according to how you're going to make your pie(s). Spray your pans with some non-stick cooking spray. Put pie crust in pans. Use your hands to press the dough on the bottoms and sides. Perfection not required. If you have grease in your hamburger skillet, drain it off. Add spaghetti sauce and cheeses. Stir until all combined. Fill crusts with meat mixture. There were 4 pans in the set of mini springform pans I bought, so that's how many I made. They were pretty full with the meat divided evenly. Cover with another crust, or however you prefer. I tried 2 different ways, just for fun. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30-40 minutes or until top crust is lightly golden.
Steak Fajitas
-2 T. taco seasoning
-1 T. garlic powder
-1 t. cayenne pepper
-1/2 t. ground cumin
-4 T. lime juice
-1 t. liquid smoke
-2 c. instant rice
-1/2 red bell pepper
-1/2 of an onion
-toppings of your choice- taco sauce, salsa, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, etc.
-tortillas
Mix taco seasoning, garlic, cayenne, and cumin together in a small dish. Combine lime juice and liquid smoke in a separate dish. Evenly distribute lime juice mix onto thawed steaks. Sprinkle seasonings on each side of each steak. Cover, or keep in a large ziploc bag. Marinate in the fridge for 3-4 hours. After meat has marinated, cut it into thin strips and place in a cold skillet. Cut up veggies into pieces about the same size as the steak pieces. Place in skillet as well. You shouldn't need to add any additional liquids since the steak soaked up all that lime juice and liquid smoke. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until steak and veggies reach your desired doneness (not a word, but ya know what I mean). While the meat and veggies are cooking, make the rice. This is optional of course. Actually, you can use whatever veggies you want also. Make rice according to box directions. Once everything is done, you can combine steak, veggies, and rice to make life a little easier when serving. Spoon desired amount into a tortilla. Top with cheese, sour cream, salsa, etc. Wrap up and eat! I like to put mine in the microwave for about 20 seconds just to heat everything together.
Steak Marinade
-1/2 c. A-1 Steak Marinade
-1 t. garlic powder
-1 t. ground black pepper
-1 T. brown sugar
-1/2 t. liquid smoke
-Lawry's Seasoning Salt
Sprinkle both sides of the steak with the Seasoning Salt. Mix all other ingredients together in a bowl. Pour marinade over steaks in a shallow dish. You can also put the steaks in a large ziploc bag in the marinade, if you don't have a dish that will accommodate the steaks. Let marinate for at least a day in the fridge. I've marinated them for about 3 days before and they had sooo much flavor! Then just grill as desired.
Stuffed Peppers
-1/2 c. instant rice
-1/2 c. water
-1 c. spaghetti sauce
-1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
-parmesan cheese, for topping
-3 bell peppers, green and/or red
-garlic, salt, pepper- to taste
This recipe can easily be doubled if you are making these for many people as a meal. It can also be served as an appetizer! Brown your ground beef in a medium sauce pan (sauce pan is nice for when you add in the rest of the ingredients). While it's cooking, cut your peppers. You don't have to do this, but it makes them easier to cook/serve/eat. I cut them in half length wise (like little pepper boats). Remove the stems. I use a paring knife to do this. It also gets the seeds out at the same time. Rinse them out and set them aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. After your hamburger is cooked, drain grease, if any. Add rice and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the water is gone. Stir in sauce. Season with garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in mozzarella cheese. Spoon mixture into peppers. Place peppers in a baking dish. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the edges of the peppers start to curl in a little. There will still be just a slight crispness to the peppers at this point. If you like them to be completely soft, bake for another 10 minutes. *I use brown rice instead of white rice in these. You could also substitute ground turkey for the beef if you'd like.
Tater Tot Casserole
-1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
-1 can green beans
-salt, pepper, or other seasoning
-frozen tater tots
-shredded cheddar cheese, colby jack cheese, or fiesta style...whatever you want/have
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown hamburger. Drain off grease, if any. Mix in soup. Season to taste. Pour into a greased 9X13 pan. Strain green beans and pour on top of meat mixture. Sprinkle with cheese until evenly covered (as much or little as you like). Cover with tater tots. Sprinkle with seasoning. Bake for about 30 minutes or until tater tots are crisp and done.
Turkey Pesto Wrap
-Turkey lunch meat (or you could use leftover turkey from a smoked turkey or something like that)
-Pesto (I use Classico Traditional Basil Pesto in a jar)
-Mozzarella cheese
-Spray butter
Spread about a a tablespoon of pesto on one side of the tortilla. Lay however much turkey you want down the middle-ish of the tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Or, if you are using sliced cheese, cut the piece in half and lay each half on top of the turkey. Wrap your tortilla up (long side, ends, roll up). Spray each side with butter. Toast in a skillet over medium heat. Do each side for a couple of minutes or until golden brown. Then eat it up :)
Desserts
Apple Crisp
-1 c. flour
-2 c. Old Fashioned Oats (not quick oats)
-1 1/2 t. cinnamon
-1/2 t. nutmeg
-1 1/2 c. brown sugar
-3 sticks butter, softened
-2 quarts (8 cups) apples; peeled, cored, and chopped or sliced
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Cut in butter. You can use a fork if you want to do that. A pastry blender doesn't work well because of the oats, FYI! I think it's easiest and fastest to just use your hands. Put the butter in the bowl and start squeezing it into the oat mixture. BUT don't go overboard and make this like dough! You WANT it to be kind of crumbly. Pat half of this mixture into a 9X13 pan. Pour all apples on top of that. Cover with remaining crumb mixture. Don't pat the top though- just drop it by little spoon fulls on the apples. Bake for 45-50 minutes. This stuff is great right out of the oven. Put a scoop of vanilla ice cream over it. Plop some Cool Whip on top of it. Or, do like I do and eat it just as it is!
*Honeycrisp or Gala apples work well for this
Autumn Cake Dip
-1 box Spice Cake Mix
-1 container (about 2 cups) Cool Whip (I used fat free)
-1 cup plain non fat yogurt
-1 t. maple extract
Mix cake mix and yogurt together first with a spoon. Add in cool whip. Stir in maple. Serve with cinnamon graham crackers!
Autumn Cake Dip
-1 box Spice Cake Mix
-1 container (about 2 cups) Cool Whip (I used fat free)
-1 cup plain non fat yogurt
-1 t. maple extract
Mix cake mix and yogurt together first with a spoon. Add in cool whip. Stir in maple. Serve with cinnamon graham crackers!
Best Vanilla Frosting
-3 c. powdered sugar
-2 sticks butter, softened
-1 1/2 t. vanilla
-1-2 T. heavy whipping cream
Beat sugar and butter until it comes together. Then, whisk for 3 minutes until it gets really light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Whisk for another minute. Add the cream a little at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
Brownie Delight
-1 Box Brownie Mix, plus ingredients listed on box
-1 7 oz. jar Marshmallow Creme
-3 c. Rice Krispies cereal
-1 c. chocolate chips
-1 c. butterscotch chips
-1/2 c. peanut butter
Bake brownies as directed on the box in a 9X13 pan. Let cool at least 1 hour. Spread marshmallow creme on top. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in a microwave safe bowl. Melt according to package directions. Add peanut butter and mix well. Stir in Rice Krispies. Spread on top of marshmallow creme. Refrigerate until set.
Cake Batter Dip
-1 box White Cake Mix or Funfetti Cake mix if you want sprinkles :)
-1 small container (about 2 cups) Cool Whip (I used fat free)
-1 c. plain non fat yogurt
-1 t. clear vanilla extract
Mix cake mix and yogurt together with a spoon. Add in cool whip. Stir in vanilla. Serve with animals crackers, vanilla wafers, graham crackers, fruit, etc.
Cake Mix Cookies
-1 box cake mix, any flavor
-1/2 c. oil
-2 eggs
Mix all ingredients together. Drop onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-11 minutes.
-1 1/2 c. brown sugar
-1 stick butter
-2 eggs
-1 t. vanilla extract
-1 c. flour
-1/2 c. cocoa
-1/2 T. baking soda
-1/4 t. salt
-2/3 c. sour cream
-2/3 c. boiling water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream sugar and butter together. Add eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix to combine. Combine all dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add alternately to the sugar mixture with the sour cream, each in 2 additions. Stir in the boiling water slowly until blended. Pour into a greased pan. Check the cake at about 25 minutes. Softly touch the center- if it springs back, it's done. If not, continue baking and check every 5 minutes or until done.
*With this size of recipe, you can get a 9X13 pan, 2 8X8 pans, a sheet pan, etc. Baking time will vary depending on pan.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake for One
-1/2 t. vanilla extract
-3 T. brown sugar
-1/4 c. flour
-1 T. butter, softened
-sprinkle of cinnamon (optional!)
-3 T. milk chocolate chips, or 2 T. milk chocolate chips with 1 T. peanut butter chips (you can do whatever chips you want, really!)
Beat egg in a mug. Mix in vanilla and brown sugar. Stir in flour and butter (and cinnamon, if you're using it). Fold in chips. Microwave 2 minutes. It'll be really hot at first so I'd let it cool a little bit before eating. ORRRRR, put a scoop of ice cream on top of it.
Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
-1 1/3 c. white sugar
-2/3 c. brown sugar
-2 eggs
-2 t. vanilla extract
-2 c. flour
-3/4 c. cocoa
-pinch of cinnamon
-1 t. salt
-1 t. baking soda
-1 c. peanut butter chips
-3/4 c. white chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well. Stir the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add to creamed mixture and mix until combined. Fold in chips. Bake for about 9 or 10 minutes. Let cool a few minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack. (They will look like they aren't quite done yet, but they are! They firm up as they cool!)
Double Chocolate Pudding Cups
-1 small box Fat Free, Sugar Free White Chocolate Instant Pudding
-3 1/2 c. milk, divided
-1 c. Fat Free Cool Whip
-Chopped Pecans, for topping
-Won Ton Wrappers or Waffle Bowls/Cones
Make chocolate pudding according to box directions, using 2 cups of the milk. Cover and refrigerate. Mix white chocolate pudding with 1 1/2 c. milk and beat for a couple minutes until smooth. Cover and refrigerate. If using Won Ton Wrappers, place a square in each of 12 muffin cups. Push down in the middles to make a "bowl". Bake at 275 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden and crisp. Allow to cool. Place pecans on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven for about 5-7 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit on the baking sheet until you're ready to use them. Remove both puddings from the fridge. Fold cool whip into the white chocolate pudding with a rubber spatula. You can spoon about a tablespoon of each pudding into a won ton "cup" at this point. Top with pecans. **If you want to make them swirled like mine: Tear a piece of plastic wrap off the roll about a foot long. Spoon about half of the chocolate pudding into the center of it. Fold in half and roll up the long way. Tie a knot in one side. Repeat with the white chocolate pudding. Snip the untied end off so there's about an inch or so left. Cut about 2 inches off the end of a piping bag. Place both "bags" of pudding in the piping bag evenly. Squeeze the piping bag in a circular motion into the won ton "cup" or waffle bowl, and it will come out swirled! Top with toasted pecans.
Key Lime Pie
-1 c. Graham Cracker Crumbs
-3 T. white sugar
-6 T. melted butter
-3 eggs
-1/2 c. key lime juice
-1 can sweetened condensed milk
-pinch of salt
-pinch of cream of tartar
-Cool Whip, for garnish
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix crumbs with sugar. Mix in melted butter. Press into a 9" pie plate (bottom and sides). Bake for 5 minutes and then let cool. Separate 2 of the eggs. Place egg whites in the bowl of a mixer, and egg yolks in another bowl. To the yolks, add the remaining whole egg, key lime juice, and sweetened condensed milk. Mix until smooth. To the egg whites, add cream of tartar and salt. Beat until small peaks form. Fold this mixture into the other mixture. Pour into crust. Bake 15-20 minutes or until the center is set (when you touch the middle, it doesn't collapse or jiggle much). Let cool at room temperature completely. Then, freeze for 4 hours. When ready to serve, take out of the freezer and dip the bottom of the pie plate into a pan of hot water. That will make cutting and serving much easier. Garnish with cool whip and/or lime slices, if desired.
*You HAVE to use key limes for this! Key limes are much more concentrated. If you use regular limes, you'll end up having to use too many to get a strong enough flavor and then it will be too runny.*
Mint Frosting
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| On a Chocolate Cupcake! |
-3 c. powdered sugar
-2 sticks butter, softened
-2 t. Mint Extract
-1-2 T. heavy whipping cream
-1 drop green food coloring
Beat sugar and butter until it comes together. Then, whisk for 3 minutes until it gets really light and fluffy. Add mint and food coloring. Whisk for another minute. Add the cream a little at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
Molasses Cookies (soft)
-1 T. plus 1 t. ginger
-2 t. baking soda
-1/2 t. salt
-1 1/2 t. cinnamon
-1 t. cloves
-1 1/2 c. butter (3 sticks)
-1 c. sugar
-1 c. brown sugar
-2 eggs
-2 T. water
-1/2 c. molasses
Sift all dry ingredients together. Cream butter and sugars together in a mixer. Beat in eggs. Mix in water and molasses. Scrape down the sides to make sure everything is mixed well. Add dry mixture to creamed mixture slowly. Refrigerate dough in bowl for 1 hour. I refrigerate the dough to make it easier to roll into balls. After the dough is chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in white sugar. Bake on a cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes or until the tops crack. Let cool a minute before moving to a wire rack to cool. *I've made the dough a few days ahead as a time saver, and it worked out great. I put the dough in a large ziploc bag and sealed out all the air. So just make sure that the dough is properly sealed if it's going to be sitting in the fridge longer than an hour.
No Bake Cookies
-2 c. sugar
-1/2 t. salt
-1/4 c. cocoa powder
-1/2 stick butter
-1/2 c. milk
-2 c. quick oats
-3/4 c. peanut butter
-1 t. vanilla extract
Mix sugar, salt, and cocoa in a large pot. Add milk, stir until dry ingredients are dissolved. Add in butter. Turn burner on to medium heat. Let butter melt while continuing to stir. Turn heat up once butter is melted. Bring to a boil. Boil for one minute and 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Add in oats last. Drop onto wax paper by spoon fulls.
Oreo Truffles
-1 pkg Oreos (original, not double stuffed)
-1 8 oz pkg Cream Cheese
-Chocolate or Vanilla Almond Bark
-Place oreos in a food processor. Process until all oreos are have been turned into fine crumbs. Add block of cream cheese and pulse until cream cheese is completely mixed in (it will be a delicious blob of oreo goodness at this point). Refrigerate the mixture for about 30 minutes. Refrigerating will simply make it easier to roll into balls. Then roll the "dough" into about 1 inch balls. When you're about half way through, pop the ones you've rolled in the freezer to harden up a little while you finish the rest. After you finish the rest of the oreo mix, take the balls that have been in the freezer out, and put the other balls in. Melt half of a package of almond bark at a time in a microwave safe bowl. Once melted, dips the oreo balls in the bark. I usually just plop a couple in at a time and then use a fork to get them out (slide fork underneath ball and tap on the side of the bowl to get rid of excess). Place on wax paper to set up. Repeat with the other half of oreo balls. You can just leave them like they are at this point, or you can use the opposite kind of almond bark to drizzle the truffles and make them look extra pretty! You can also use candy melts instead of almond bark, if that's what you prefer. This is just how I do them! **For Mint Oreo Truffles, add about a teaspoon of mint extract to the "blob", and then just pulse until the mint is mixed in. They're pretty tasty that way too**
-These should be stored in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese. I think they taste best when they've sat out for about 30 minutes though (after refrigeration)!
Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream
-1 T. PB2 (Regular peanut butter would work fine too. PB2 just keeps it a little more on the healthy side)
Peel bananas. Cut into about 1/2" chunks. Lay on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Unwrap and place banana chunks in a food processor. Add PB2 or peanut butter. Blend until smooth. Makes 2 servings... or 1 giant bowl of ice cream.
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
-2 t. baking soda
-1/2 t. salt
-2 sticks butter, room temp
-1 c. peanut butter
-1 c. sugar
-2/3 c. brown sugar
-1 t. vanilla extract
-2 egg
-1 c. Old Fashioned oats (not quick oats)
-2 c. chocolate chips (use whatever kind you like-dark, milk, semi sweet)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, oats, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of a mixer (or a bowl you can use a hand mixer in), beat the butter and sugars together until creamy. Add peanut butter and beat until smooth. Add vanilla and eggs and beat until combined. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips. Using a medium cookie dough scoop, drop onto a baking stone or cookie sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes. Let cool just a couple minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Makes 50-55 cookies. Divide recipe in half if you don't want that many.
-1 c. powdered sugar
-1 c. peanut butter
-5 T. butter, softened
-3/4 t. vanilla extract
-1/4 t. salt
-up to 1/3 c. heavy whipping cream
Put all ingredients, except cream, in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until all ingredients have come together. Whisk for 2 minutes. If you want a thicker frosting like consistency, add just a small splash of cream and whisk another minute. If you want a thinner filling like consistency add 1/3 c. of cream and whisk another minute until light and smooth.
Pie Crust
-3 c. flour
-1 1/4 c. crisco
-1 egg
-6 T. cold water
-1 T. vinegar
-1/8 t. salt
Mix flour and crisco together with fork until it has come together in coarse crumbles. Make a well in the middle. To do this, use your hands and scoot the flour mixture to the sides of the bowl, leaving a hole in the middle (so it will be funnel shaped). Beat egg in the hole. Add water, vinegar, and salt. Beat together. Some of the flour mix will probably start falling in there- that's okay! Then, mix all together until just combined. Don't overmix. Overmixing can cause it to be tough.
-Makes 2 crusts
Pina Colada Cupcakes
-3 egg whites
-1/4 c. canola oil
-3/4 c. pineapple juice
-1/2 c. Malibu Coconut Rum
-1 1/2 T. Coconut Extract
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat egg whites with oil, juice, and rum. Mix in cake mix. Stir in coconut extract. Fill 24 paper lined muffin cups with batter. Bake for about 16-19 minutes or until the top of the cupcake springs back when lightly touched. Let cool completely before frosting.
Frosting-
-1 can Duncan Hines Frosting Creations Frosting Starter
-1 T. Cream of Coconut
-1 T. Coconut Extract
Combine all ingredients together and mix well. Frost cupcakes. Top with rinsed and dried maraschino cherries and a paper parasol/umbrella thingy for an extra island-y feel!
Pumpkin Pie Puppy Chow
-1/3. c. powdered sugar
-2 t. pumpkin pie spice
-2 c. Crispex cereal
-1 c. white chocolate chips
-1 T. Canola Oil
Shake cake mix, powdered sugar, and pumpkin pie spice together in a large ziploc bag to make the coating. In a microwave safe bowl, stir white chocolate chips and oil together until the chips are coated. Microwave for 45 seconds. Stir. Melt another 15 seconds, if needed. Pour cereal into bowl. Stir to coat cereal in chocolate. Dump cereal into bag of coating. Shake to coat the cereal. You can eat it right away, but the longer it sits, the stronger pumpkin flavor it will have!
Puppy Chow
-1 12 oz. bag Milk Chocolate Chips
-1 c. peanut butter
-1 stick margarine, cut into 6 chunks
-1 box Crispex cereal
-powdered sugar, for coating
Melt chocolate chips, peanut butter, and margarine in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute. Meanwhile, pour entire box of cereal in a large mixing bowl. Stir peanut butter mixture. Microwave another 45 seconds or until melted. Stir again. Pour over cereal, and mix well. Put 2 cups powdered sugar into each of 2 large ziploc bags. Pour half of cereal mixture into each bag. Seal and shake well to coat all the cereal.
Reese's Wannabes
-1 c. Peanut Butter
-1/4 c. (half stick) melted butter
-2 c. Powdered Sugar
-1-2 T. milk
-pinch of salt
-Chocolate Almond Bark
Mix peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar in a mixer until well combined. Add a little of the milk to moisten it. Sprinkle in a little salt. The easiest thing to do is roll the dough into about 1 inch balls. Once you do half the dough, put the balls in the freezer on a piece of wax paper. Do the same with the other half. You can also do shapes if you want. For that, dump the dough onto a piece of wax paper. Flatten it out until it's about 3/4 of an inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut your shapes out, or freehand with a paring knife. Put in the freezer to harden up a little. Once the balls or shapes have been in the freezer for at least 10 minutes, they are ready to dip. Melt almond bark according to package directions. Dip the balls or shapes in the chocolate and turn to coat them. Use a fork to lift them out. Bounce the fork off the edge of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. Let dry on wax paper. I store these in the refrigerator, but like to have them sit out for about 20 minutes before eating.
-1 c. Peanut Butter
-1/4 c. (half stick) melted butter
-2 c. Powdered Sugar
-1-2 T. milk
-pinch of salt
-Chocolate Almond Bark
Mix peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar in a mixer until well combined. Add a little of the milk to moisten it. Sprinkle in a little salt. The easiest thing to do is roll the dough into about 1 inch balls. Once you do half the dough, put the balls in the freezer on a piece of wax paper. Do the same with the other half. You can also do shapes if you want. For that, dump the dough onto a piece of wax paper. Flatten it out until it's about 3/4 of an inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut your shapes out, or freehand with a paring knife. Put in the freezer to harden up a little. Once the balls or shapes have been in the freezer for at least 10 minutes, they are ready to dip. Melt almond bark according to package directions. Dip the balls or shapes in the chocolate and turn to coat them. Use a fork to lift them out. Bounce the fork off the edge of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. Let dry on wax paper. I store these in the refrigerator, but like to have them sit out for about 20 minutes before eating.
Rocky Road Bars
-2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
-2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
-1 teaspoon salt
-½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
-1 ½ cups packed dark brown sugar
-3 eggs
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1 cup mini marshmallows
-1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
-1 cup white chocolate chips
-1 cup butterscotch chips
-1 cup caramel bits
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9X13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of mixer, beat butter and brown sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined. Mix in flour mixture. Fold in half of each of the marshmallows, chips, and caramel bits. Spread batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining marshmallows, chips, and bits on top. Bake about 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let sit at least an hour before cutting; or, refrigerate for 30 minutes and then cut. Store at room temp.
-2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
-2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
-1 teaspoon salt
-½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
-1 ½ cups packed dark brown sugar
-3 eggs
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1 cup mini marshmallows
-1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
-1 cup white chocolate chips
-1 cup butterscotch chips
-1 cup caramel bits
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9X13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of mixer, beat butter and brown sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined. Mix in flour mixture. Fold in half of each of the marshmallows, chips, and caramel bits. Spread batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining marshmallows, chips, and bits on top. Bake about 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let sit at least an hour before cutting; or, refrigerate for 30 minutes and then cut. Store at room temp.
Scotcharoos
-1 c. sugar
-1 c. peanut butter
-6 c. Rice Krispies Cereal
-3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
-3/4 c. butterscotch chips
Spray a 9X13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Combine corn syrup and sugar in a large pot on the stove. Bring to a boil. As soon as mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter. Add in cereal. Stir just until mixed. Dump into pan. Lightly spread out. Don't push hard onto the cereal, otherwise the bars will be too compact and hard. Mix chocolate chips and butterscotch chips together. Melt either on the stove or in the microwave. Start with one minute. Stir. Melt in 10 second increments, stirring well each time, until chips are melted. If melting on the stove, stir constantly over medium heat until chips are melted. Immediately pour over cereal. Spread until chocolate is even. Wait until chocolate is firm to cut/serve. Store at room temperature.
Skinny Ice Cream Sandwiches
-Fat Free Cool Whip
How much of these two ingredients depends on how many sandwiches you want to make. Break graham cracker sheets in half (so they're squares). Spoon a couple tablespoons of cool whip onto half of the squares. Top with other halves. Freeze in a container for a couple hours. Eat 'em up!
White Cake
-2 c. sugar
-3 1/4 c. all purpose flour
-1 t. salt
-3 t. baking powder
-1 1/2 c. cold water
-1 t. vanilla extract
-3/4 t. almond extract
-4 egg whites
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. (It'll look like white foam...this takes a while, be patient) While egg whites are going, mix flour, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl; set aside. Mix vanilla and almond extracts in with water. Once egg whites are beaten stiff, pour them into a separate bowl. Beat sugar and butter in the mixer now until light. Add half of water to sugar mixture and mix. It will be kind of lumpy looking- no worries, you're doing it right. Add half of flour mixture and mix- see? Now it's looking like normal cake batter! Add water, mix again. Add rest of flour mixture, mix well. Take bowl out of mixer. Pour egg whites into the bowl. Fold in with a rubber spatula until incorporated. Pour into greased and floured (and/or parchment lined) pans. Bake until top springs back when lightly touched. I bake this cake in 2 8X8 square pans and they take about 37 minutes. Slide a knife around the edges and invert onto a cooling rack after they've been out of the oven about 10 minutes.
Whopper Cake
-3/4 c. Chocolate Malted Milk powder
-1 c. water
-1/2 c. oil
-3 eggs
Topping-
-1 tub Cool Whip
-3/4 c. Chocolate Malted Milk powder
-1 1/2 c. crushed Whoppers
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix water, oil, and eggs together in a bowl. Add in cake mix and malted milk. Stir until combined. Pour into a greased 9X13 pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the middle of the cake springs back when lightly touched. Allow to cool completely. Once cooled, stir Cool Whip and the remaining malted milk together. Spread on top of cake. Sprinkle with crushed whoppers. Refrigerate until ready to serve and refrigerate left overs.
*JUST AN FYI- the whoppers on top will become soft once the cake has been in the fridge. They get kind of caramely like. It's good, but if you like the crunch of whoppers, wait to top the cake until you're ready to serve. Or, top it with half the whoppers immediately and the other half right before serving. It's good no matter what, so don't worry! :)
Drinks
Every Occasion Punch
-1 package Kool-aid (choose whichever color/flavor suits your event best)
-1 2 liter Sprite or 7up, chilled
-1 64 oz. bottle White Grape Juice, chilled
-1/2 c. white sugar
-8 scoops vanilla ice cream
Mix everything, except the ice cream, in a punch bowl. Continue stirring until all the sugar is dissolved. Drop in the scoops of ice cream and just let them float. They will start to melt, creating a really cool color effect! You can also just mix the ice cream in if you want to lighten the color of the punch. If you happen to taste test it before the ice cream, it won't seem quite sweet enough. The ice cream adds quite a bit of sweetness to it, so don't add more sugar until you've added the ice cream!
Ocean Drop
-1 shot of Malibu Coconut Rum
-1 shot of UV Blue
-3 shots of Sprite
Mix all together, and pour over ice.
Summertime Sedation
-1/4 c. Vodka
-1/2 c. Amaretto
-1/2 c. Peach Schnapps
-1 c. Malibu Coconut Rum
-1/4 c. Midori Melon liqueur
-1 c. Orange Juice
-1 c. Pineapple Juice
-2 c. Cranberry Juice
Mix everything together in a pitcher!! This has a lot of alcohol in it, but the juice tends to overpower the taste! To make just a couple drinks, just change the cup measurement to a shot - 1/2 cup = 1/2 shot.
Watermelon Popsicles
-2 shots Peach Schnapps
-1 1/2 shots Strawberry Vodka
Puree watermelon until it is completely liquid. Mix in alcohol. Pour into popsicle molds. Freeze. After about an hour, remove the lids and use a knife to stir them again because the alcohol will settle to the bottom. I didn't do this the first time, and it made it difficult to even eat the popsicle. We ended up crushing them in a bowl and eat them with a spoon :-)
*You can leave out the alcohol and just make plain watermelon popsicles too! Or add another fruit!
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