Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad

I feel like I've been a little late to the kale bandwagon, party, bruhaha, whatever you want to call it. The benefits of this powerhouse veggie are hard to ignore, no matter if you're a veggie lover or not.

• Source of ALA (alpha-linoleic acid) which is actually a FAT...in a LEAF. But it's a GOOD fat.


• More iron per calorie than beef.


• More vitamin A than any other leafy green (206% recommended daily vitamin)


• More calcium per calorie than milk


• And according to Shape.com, "many of its top health-promoting compounds are rendered more effective when you eat the stuff in combination with another food. Pair kale with fats like avocado, olive oil, or even parmesan to make fat-soluble carotenoids more available to the body. And acid from lemon juice helps make kale's iron more bioavailable as well."

After reading that last part, I've decided that this recipe from Bon Appétit is pretty tough to beat in the good-for-you department. Add some protein by the way of some grilled chicken and it may just be the most healthy thing you can eat on the planet.

Oh, and it's actually really delicious too!

~Leah

Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad

Recipe Type: Salad

Author: Leah (from Bon Apetit)

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 2 mins

Total time: 17 mins

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice


• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard


• 1 Tbsp minced shallot


• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated


• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning


• Freshly ground black pepper


• 2 large bunches of Tuscan kale (about 1 1/2 pounds total), center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced


• 12 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed, finely grated or shredded in food processor or with a knife OR bag of shredded brussels sprouts (usually around 10 oz)


• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided


• 1/3 cup almonds with skins, coarsely chopped


• 1 cup finely grated Pecorino

Instructions

1. Combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl. Stir to blend; set aside to let flavors meld. Mix thinly sliced kale and shredded brussels sprouts in a large bowl.


2. Measure 1/2 cup oil into a cup. Spoon 1 tablespoon oil from cup into a small skillet; heat oil over medium-high heat. Add almonds to skillet and stir frequently until golden brown in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer nuts to a paper towel–lined plate. Sprinkle almonds lightly with salt.


3. Slowly whisk remaining olive oil in cup into lemon-juice mixture. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.


4. Add dressing and cheese to kale mixture; toss to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Garnish with almonds.

Notes

Dressing, kale mixture, and toasted almonds can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover dressing and kale mixture separately and chill. Cover almonds and let stand at room temperature.[br][br]FYI, Kale is so hearty that this is one of the very few salads that the leftovers can be saved and aren't a gross mushfest the next day...or two! Bonus![br][br]Shape.com also mentions that "According to the Environmental Working Group, kale is one of the most likely crops to have residual pesticides. The organization recommends choosing organic kale (or growing it yourself!)."

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Garden Pasta Salad

HOT this week. Icky, humid hotness. The kind of hot that makes me want to bar the doors and pretend "outside" doesn't exist for awhile. Try telling that to a 20 month old.

If you know me, you know I don't do hot well. Even making our way to the pool is challenging this week. Is it bad that I'm crabby 5 minutes into the mission?

Picture me laden like a pack mule and herding three arguing children across steaming, black asphalt. Oh, and we're hurrying too. For some unknown reason, there are exactly 6 chairs in the shade for the 8,000 people who will show up on hot summer days. If you aren't first in line when the pool opens, you're frying all afternoon. After everyone is slathered with sun screen and goggles are adjusted, I have about 9 (sweaty) minutes of peace until they wander back wondering what I brought to eat.

And the cycle continues for about 5 hours...until we have to go home cause we ran out of snacks.

Needless to say, I don't feel like cooking when we get home. So ideally I have something like this already prepped in the fridge. It's light and refreshing, not to mention delicious. AND has enough vegetables to cancel out the "fruit snack frenzy" of 3:00 that afternoon. Don't be afraid of the mayo...the yogurt totally cuts the heaviness of it. Black olives will work in a pinch, but the kalamata ones are so worth the extra cost. The veggies in the recipe are a place to start. I often use whatever I have on hand.

Enjoy. And stay cool.

~Erin

Garden Pasta Salad

Author: Erin (adapted from eatingwell.com)

Prep time: 15 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Dressing


• 1/3 c. mayonnaise


• 1/3 c. plain yogurt


• 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil


• 1 T. red-wine vinegar, or lemon juice


• 1 clove garlic, minced


• 1/8 tsp. salt


• Ground pepper, to taste


• Salad


• 2 c. cooked rotini noodles


• 1 c. cherry or grape tomatoes, halved


• 1 c. diced (any color) bell pepper


• 1 c. grated carrots


• 1/2 c. chopped scallions


• 1/2 c. chopped kalamata olives


• 1/3 c. slivered fresh basil

Instructions

1. Whisk together dressing ingredients.


2. Toss cooked pasta, vegetables, and dressing together.


3. Serve, or cover and refrigerate.

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Summer Quiche

As I've mentioned before I'm a big fan of breakfast for dinner. Unfortunately my husband is not. The only two things I can get away with are frittatas and quiche. In the summer (when I'm never in the mood for anything heavy at dinner) I sneak quiche onto the menu at least once a month. I usually throw whatever veggies I have at the time into them. This one I actually planned ahead! The zucchini, tomatoes and basil are a great combination. I served this alongside a chicken salad for dinner and felt plenty full. My husband ate the leftovers for breakfast the next two mornings, so I guess he liked it too! :)



Save yourself time and use a premade crust, or be an over-achiever and make your own, either will work. The only unique part of this quiche is that you don't add the tomato and zucchini until half way through the baking time. If you add them earlier they will sink to the bottom. The taste will likely be the same but it won't be as pretty!

~Wendy

Summer Quiche

Author: Wendy

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 55 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 9-inch pie crust


• 6 whole eggs


• 1/2 c. milk


• 1/2 c. half and half


• 1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese


• 1/2 c. sliced zucchini


• 1 Roma tomato, sliced


• 1-2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped


• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


2. Press your pie crust into a pie pan, set aside.


3. In a large bowl beat the 6 eggs until fluffy, add in the milk and half & half. Stir until combined.


4. Add in the cheese and salt and pepper and stir.


5. Pour the egg mixture into the pie crust. Bake for 20 minutes.


6. Remove the quiche from the oven. Top the quiche with the sliced zucchini, tomato and basil.


7. Put the quiche back into the oven for another 20-30 minutes until set and cooked through.


8. Let cool for 10 minutes and serve.

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Pineapple Coconut Rum Slush

Memorial Day weekend is upon us and I have a perfect, easy drink recipe for you! I have no idea from where it originated (except for from my mother-in-law) but whoever came up with it is a genius! I love trying out different and/or special drinks when I'm having company over, but sometimes I end up having to buy like 5 different kinds of alcohol and spending as much on them as I did on the food! Plus, it can really stink to have to be reading the recipe, measuring, reading again, mixing, reading again...ugh! This is one you could put your 5-year-old in charge of. Well, not mine of course because that's just not right -- she spills every liquid she can find and then that would be such a waste of a great drink! ;)
With just four -- that's right -- FOUR simple, you-can-find-all-of-them-in-your-local-grocery-store ingredients, it's an easy drink to add to your party without much fuss.

~Leah

Pineapple Coconut Rum Slush

Recipe Type: Beverage

Author: Leah

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 12 hours

Total time: 12 hours 5 mins

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients

• 1 (46 oz) can pineapple juice


• 1 (15 oz) can cream of coconut


• Rum


• Lemon-lime soda


• optional garnishes


• Fresh pineapple


• Maraschino cherries


• Lime


• Oranges

Instructions

1. Pour all of the pineapple juice and cream of coconut in a medium to large mixing bowl and stir. Fill the can from the cream of coconut with rum and add that to the pineapple/coconut mixture and stir well.


2. Cover the bowl and freeze overnight, stirring very few hours (don't set your alarm or anything! :)) to create a slush.


3. When ready to serve, scoop the slush to fill whatever cup you're using 1/2 to 3/4 full and pour lemon-lime soda over the top to fill the glass.


4. Place the unused slush back in the freezer for refills.

Notes

Cream of coconut can usually be found near ethnic foods...Thai, Hispanic...if you can't find it, just ask...it's most likely your store carries it and you just haven't seen it before! It's best to make this the day before a party to give it ample time to freeze. I usually try to make it before lunchtime the day before so I can get some stirs in throughout the day before I go to bed. Then I get up, give it another stir, and voila!

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Thai Quinoa Chicken

I'm fairly new to the quinoa world and when I came across this recipe on Pinterest from How Sweet It Is, I knew I would have to try it. The list of ingredients just sounded so flavorful and delicious that I figured it would be really tasty for a "healthy dish." Don't get me wrong, I know there are plenty of good-for-you dishes that are super yummy, but I've also experienced my share of bland misses. This one was far from a miss! It was sooooo good! My hubby and I couldn't get enough! He kept saying, "This is so good. Man, this is good. You need to make this again!" And I have! It's a little heavy on the cilantro which is a major plus in my book, but if you only somewhat like cilantro or just tolerate it (like my guy), you may want to cut it back a little bit.

~Leah

 

Thai Quinoa Chicken

Recipe Type: Dinner or side

Author: Leah (from How Sweet It Is)

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed


• 1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded


• 1/3 cup chopped carrots


• 1/3 cup shelled edamame


• 1/3 cup chopped green onions


• 1/4 cup chopped peanuts


• 1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro


• 1 cup chicken broth (optional)


• Sauce


• 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce


• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar


• 1 tablespoon canned coconut milk


• 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar


• 1 teaspoon creamy peanut butter (it mixes in easier if it's melted)


• 1 garlic clove


• 1/2 lime, juice


• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions

1. Prepare quinoa according to directions. This is where the optional chicken broth comes in. You can use water but I prefer to use the broth.


2. While quinoa is cooking, combine all of the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and whisk well to combine.


3. Once quinoa has absorbed all of the liquid, stir in the sauce and toss well to coat.


4. Add in chicken, carrots, edamame and green onions, stirring to combine. Taste and season with a little salt and pepper if needed. Toss in half of the peanuts and cilantro, then serve in a large bowl, topped with remaining peanuts and cilantro.

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Avocado Ranch Chicken Enchiladas

I promise you won't need Cinco de Mayo as a reason to make these awesome enchiladas. But if you are looking for a way to celebrate that won't require showing an ID, look no further. Plus, getting up the next morning will be a lot more pleasant.

I'll eat avocados in any way, shape, or form and they drew me to this recipe in the first place. The addition of the ranch dip is mine and happened quite by accident. Mostly because I was being distracted by a small child (or three)  in the grocery store and also because I apparently can't read. Anyway, all said and done I'm glad I bought veggie dip instead of sour cream because it was delicious.

Moral of the story? Ranch = Awesome.

And since grocery store mishaps are kind of a thing with me, I confess that I accidentally bought cheddar instead of jack cheese for the enchiladas in the picture above. Cheddar was good, but I definitely prefer the melty-ness of monteray jack.

Avocado Ranch Chicken Enchiladas

Author: Erin (adapted from The Novice Chef)

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 5-6

Ingredients

• Sauce


• 1 T butter


• 4 oz. can green chilis, drained


• 2 garlic cloves, minced


• 1 T flour


• 1 cup chicken broth


• 1 tsp. cumin


• 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper


• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro


• 1 cup medium salsa verde


• 1/2 cup sour cream based, ranch flavored veggie dip


• Enchiladas


• 3 c. chopped cooked chicken breasts (3-4 breasts)


• 2 c. shredded monteray jack cheese


• 1 small onion, chopped


• 3 avocados, peeled and chopped


• 8-10 flour tortillas

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375.


2. Melt butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Saute green chilis and garlic for 1 minute.


3. Sprinkle in flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.


4. Whisk chicken broth, cumin, and pepper into pan. Allow mixture to come to a boil, then remove from heat.


5. Stir in cilantro, salsa verde, and ranch veggie dip.


6. In a separate bowl, gently toss together chopped chicken, onion, 1 cup of jack cheese, and avocado.


7. Grease a 9x13 pan and spread 3/4 cup of sauce in the bottom.


8. Divide chicken mixture between tortillas, roll, and place seam side down in pan.


9. Pour sauce over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbling. Serve immediately.

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Strawberry Margarita Pie

What a perfect day to be sharing a delicious, frozen dessert. We hit 80 today and it was beautiful outside!

I'm sharing this recipe now because it is perfect for a Cinco De Mayo celebration...but it's also perfect for any reason. I found it years ago on one of those Pillsbury goofy little cookbooks that you see at the grocery store checkout. I know a lot of you out there have tried the infamous strawberry jello-pretzel crust dessert and this is similar, but a little more tart...and deliciously frozen and cold on a hot summer day. As long as you give yourself enough time for freezing, it's easy enough to whip up even for a weeknight.

~Leah

Strawberry Margarita Pie

Recipe Type: Dessert

Author: Leah (from Pillsbury "Menus to Celebrate Spring")

Prep time: 25 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 10

Ingredients

• CRUST


• 1 1/4 c crushed pretzels


• 1/4 c sugar


• 1/2 c butter, melted


• FILLING


• 1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk


• 1/2 c frozen concentrated margarita mix, THAWED


• 1 (10-16 oz) pkg frozen strawberries in syrup, THAWED


• 1 c whipping cream, whipped


• Optional


• 1 c whipping cream


• 1 tsp vanilla


• 2 Tbsp sugar

Instructions

1. In small bowl, combine all crust ingredients; mix well. Press firmly in bottom of ungreased 8 or 9 inch springform pan. Refrigerate while preparing filling.


2. In large bowl, combine condensed milk and margarita mix; beat until smooth. Add strawberries; beat at low speed until well blended. Fold in whipped cream. Pour into crust-lined pan. Freeze at least 3 hours or until firm.


3. ***Optional***


4. Place a metal mixing bowl and metal whisk into the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.


5. Place the sugar into the mixing bowl and add the whipping cream. Whisk on high just until the cream reaches stiff peaks.


6. Scoop dollops onto the pie or pipe with a pastry bag and large tip or with a ziplock with a hole cut out of the corner.


7. You can do this before or after freezing.

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Sugar-free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

If you're anything like me, the minute you see "sugar-free" you assume the food will be bland, tasteless or have some strange fake-sugar aftertaste. Well push those thoughts aside for this recipe. These cookies taste just as good as a sugar filled version, I swear. During my no-sugar Lent period, I experimented with dozens of recipes trying to find one dessert that still tasted like a dessert. I think I tried every single peanut butter/oatmeal/banana "healthy" recipe on Pinterest. Side note -- don't bother, they all taste the same. One day I decided I would just pull up some recipes for cookies and make the adjustments myself. Lo and behold, we had a winner! I made these one day and decided to be nice to my husband and kids and make them alongside some regular chocolate chip cookies. Just because I made the commitment to sugar-free didn't mean they had to suffer the whole time with me. (Although my husband did end up eating a bunch of yucky ice cream experiments) :)

The weird thing was that Jason ended up eating all of these cookies instead of the regular ones! And if anyone knows cookies, its Jason. I wouldn't exactly call these "healthy" cookies. The recipe still calls for a decent amount of butter. It is a relatively "clean" recipe though, meaning 90% of the ingredients are natural and not heavily processed. So that's a win! Give them a try. If you have kids, or even if you don't, its nice to have a few sweet recipes that aren't loaded with refined sugar.

Sugar-free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Author: Wendy

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 12 mins

Total time: 42 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. butter, softened


• 1/2 c. honey


• 1 large egg


• 1 tsp vanilla extract


• 3/4 c. all-purpose or whole wheat flour


• 1/2 tsp baking soda


• 1 tsp ground cinnamon


• 1/4 tsp table salt


• 1 1/2 c. rolled oats


• 3/4 c. raisins


• 1/2 c. walnuts, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and honey until combined. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.


2. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Stir this into the butter/honey mixture.


3. Stir in the oats, raisins and walnuts, if using them.


4. Put the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill. Remove the dough from the fridge/freezer and heat the oven to 350 degrees.


5. While the oven is heating, scoop the dough in heaping teaspoonfuls onto a parchment-paper lined baking sheet. If you don't have parchment paper, just spray with non-stick spray. Press each cookie down slightly with the back of your teaspoon.


6. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes.


7. Take them out when they are golden brown at the edges but still a little undercooked-looking on top. Let them sit on the hot baking sheet for five minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool.

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Bread Dippin' Cilantro Salsa

Here I go again with another recipe whose main ingredient people either tend to love or hate. I happen to love cilantro but I know plenty of people who don't care for it as much. I found this recipe many many years ago in a magazine and tore it out, but of course, it does not say anywhere on the half sheet what magazine it is -- I'm sure it was Good Housekeeping or Better Homes and Gardens or something along those lines. The recipe was in the magazine as a result of a reader writing in about it after having had it at East Bay Crab and Grille in Egg Harbor, New Jersey. I'm not quite sure why it's called "salsa" because it resembles a good oil bread dip more than a true salsa, but the former journalist in me is thinking it was simply a way to not use the word "dip" twice in the recipe title. Bread Dippin' Cilantro Dip would have been a no-no in the editorial world! :)

I first made it years ago for a get-together I was hosting for my mother-in-law's birthday because she LOVES cilantro. I remember wondering if I should make it since no one else in the family (besides her and me) are very fond of it. I decided that it was for HER birthday and that she'd probably love it so the rest of them could just not eat it.

Turns out, everybody liked it! Even the cilantro haters! I have no idea why because it is mostly all cilantro but I guess that fresh lemon juice, and olive oil and hint of a kick from the hot sauce are enough to change it for people's palates. And, seriously, you could put practically anything on fresh, warm, bread and people would like it.

~Leah

Bread Dippin' Cilantro Salsa

Recipe Type: Appetizer

Author: Leah (from East Bay Crab and Grille)

Prep time: 15 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 large bunch (about 4 oz) cilantro, tough stems trimmed


• 2 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces


• 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar or malt vinegar


• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice


• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil


• 1 tsp. hot pepper sauce


• 1/8 tsp. salt


• 2 Tbsp. water


• 1 loaf French or Italian bread, warmed

Instructions

1. Rinse cilantro. Drain, but do not spin dry. In food processor with knife blade attachment, pulse cilantro and green onions until coarsely chopped. Transfer mixture to small bowl.


2. Stir in vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, hot pepper sauce, salt, and water. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.


3. Serve with warmed, sliced bread.

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Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli

I don't believe in a slower cooker season. What's not to like about dinner cooking away all afternoon, no matter what the weather? Even as the Spring warms (ever so sloooooooowly) I still aim to use mine at least once a week. It's perfect for the days we are running to ballet, karate, and soccer right around the dinner hour. Cause really, if I hadn't planned a head, what would be the chances of serving up a home cooked meal when I walk in the house with 3 STARVING kids at 5:45?

Note....STARVING is their word, not mine. And it's always accompanied by bodies that can no longer support their own weight and a chorus of whine.

This recipe caught my eye immediately in an America's Test Kitchen cookbook. I changed a couple things around and adapted to our tastes, but it still delivers on the melty, cheesy goodness I know and love. And the bonus? It's a melty, cheesy broccoli vehicle.

~Erin

 

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Brocoli

Author: Erin (adapted from America's Test Kitchen)

Prep time: 20 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 3 T. vegetable oil


• 2 onions, minced


• 4 garlic cloves, minced


• 1 tsp. dried oregano


• 3 T. flour


• 1 c. chicken broth


• 1/2 c. heavy cream


• 1 tsp. dried mustard


• 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs


• salt and pepper


• 2 c. rice, cooked


• 1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded


• 1/2 c. parmesan cheese, grated


• 12 oz. broccoli florets, fresh or frozen (see note)

Instructions

1. Heat 2 T. of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and oregano and cook until onions are softened.


2. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.


3. Whisk in chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits, until no lumps remain. Pour mixture into slow cooker.


4. Stir in heavy cream and dried mustard into slow cooker.


5. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, add to slow cooker, turning to coat. Cook 4-6 hours on low.


6. Break up chicken into bite size pieces with a wooden spoon. Stir in cooked rice, cheddar, parmesan, and 1 tsp. salt.


7. Cook broccoli in microwave until tender. Gently fold into casserole in slow cooker. Serve.

Notes

To avoid a broccoli and rice mush, cook them separately instead of with the chicken in the slow cooker. I use "steam in bag" frozen broccoli (12-ish ounces), and pre-cooked brown rice. A frozen rice is often available right along side the frozen veggies in the grocery store. Follow the directions for each on the bag and add them (cooked and hot!) to your chicken. Other options are leftover rice from a previous meal, and fresh broccoli steamed on the stove top. Watch your chicken cooking time as well. I find that chicken can be done long before a recipe says, depending on your slow cooker. If you use chicken breasts instead of thighs, be aware they take less time to cook through.

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Caramel Marshmallow Bars

I have a love affair with caramel.

I honestly think I could live without my husband chocolate before I could do without caramel (just kidding honey!). Give me a box of 100 assorted chocolates and I can pick out the one that is just a plain ol' chocolate covered caramel 9 times out of 10. My sister makes these UH-MAZING homemade caramels at Christmas time and gives them as gifts and I have taken to not letting anyone else in my family have any...nice spirit of sharing, right?! I find myself wondering about a person (even my 7-year-old son) if they choose the hot fudge sundae at McDonald's over the hot caramel.  They do not even COMPARE in my mind! I have recently become obsessed with the salted caramel pudding that's available at California Pizza Kitchen right now. If you have one within an hour of your house (or maybe even two), get in your car. Now. It is that worth it. If you don't, stay tuned because I am determined to either replicate the recipe or at least come up with something similar that could compare.

When Wendy had her cookie exchange this past December, I made these apple cider caramel cookies but I somehow vastly overestimated how many of the Kraft caramels I would need to buy.  I was looking at my 2 1/2 bags of caramels in my cabinet wondering what the heck I was going to do with them barring making a LOT of caramel apples or just giving them to Erin who LOVES them.  Being the good friend that I am, I decided to spare Erin's waistline and just try to find a recipe that called for them and sounded good (and then feed her THOSE). I must say this is one of those times that I stumbled upon a recipe and hit the darn jackpot! I found it on the Kraft website (of all places -- duh) and only changed the recipe the teeniest bit by adding more caramel (of course) and a little bit of salt.
~Leah

Caramel Marshmallow Bars

Recipe Type: Dessert

Author: Leah (adapted from Kraft)

Prep time: 25 mins

Cook time: 14 mins

Total time: 39 mins

Serves: 15-20

Pecan shortbread crust topped with caramel, marshmallows, and chocolate.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened


• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar


• 1 1/2 cups flour


• 1/2 cup chopped pecans


• 1/4 tsp. salt


• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs


• 35 Kraft caramels


• 2 1/2 Tbsp. water


• 1 cup mini marshmallows


• 2 squares Baker's semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Process the pecans in food processor until very fine...like sand. Set aside.


2. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add flour, pecans, salt and cracker crumbs; mix well. Remove 1/4 cup of the crumb mixture; set aside. Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of greased 9-inch square baking pan. Bake 18 min. or until lightly browned.


3. Melt caramels with water in heavy saucepan on low heat, stirring frequently until caramels are completely melted and mixture is well blended. Pour over crust. Sprinkle with reserved 1/4 cup crumb mixture, the marshmallows and chopped chocolate.


4. Bake an additional 12 min. and then broil for another 1 to 2 minutes, keeping a close eye, until marshmallows are lightly browned. Cool. Cut into 20-24 bars to serve.

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