So the Super Bowl is this weekend, and we don't really have any big plans this year. I've found that as I get older I like two things less and less- fish and football. Not sure why on the fish. I attribute the football to my lifetime love of the Chicago Bears. Why in the world I have to like teams that constantly lose is beyond me. I think maybe I'm just tired of watching my favorite team lose so I've developed an aversion to the entire sport. Whatever the reason, I'm not really into football this year. I will however, make an effort to watch the Super Bowl. Mostly for the fun appetizers that I get to make and the commercials. This recipe will ABSOLUTELY be on the menu. It can best be described as "cheesy warm deliciousness!!"
You bake this dip inside the loaf of bread. Such a great idea! The first time I tried it, it became one of my favorite all time dip recipes. It really is that good. If you haven't yet finalized your Super Bowl menu, add this one to the list. Its a crowd pleaser.
~Wendy
Cheesy Bread Dip
Recipe Type: Appetizer Dip
Author: Wendy
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 15
Ingredients
8 oz sour cream
8 oz cream cheese
16 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
4 oz chopped green chiles
1 c. chopped ham
1/2 lb. chopped bacon
1 round or oblong bread loaf, hollowed out
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix first six ingredients together, put into the hollowed bread loaf.
I LOVE THESE!!! Love, love, love them! I found this recipe on Pinterest one day when I was looking for heavy appetizers or "finger foods" for a party I was having. They come from a website called Plain Chicken. I'm not sure why I haven't thought of this before. Put ham and shredded cheese inside biscuit dough- before you bake it!! I'm trying to use as many exclamation points and italics and bold fonts as possible to help convey how excited I am about these little biscuit sandwiches. They would be perfect for a party, a baby shower or even the Superbowl. These reheat very well if you put them back in the oven for 3-5 minutes.
A few tips. Definitely take the time to shred the swiss cheese, it just tastes better. I made my own honey mustard but you can use store bought of course. You absolutely HAVE TO drizzle the honey on top at the end. It may sound weird but it was so good! Print this recipe out and put it aside for Superbowl Sunday. Everyone will love it!
~Wendy
Ham and Cheese Biscuits
Author: Plain Chicken
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 10
Ingredients
1 can Grands Jr Butter Tasting Biscuits (10 count)
1/2 lb deli ham, shaved
1 c. shredded swiss cheese
1/4 c. honey mustard dressing
1 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp honey
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400.
Lightly spray a 9-inch pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
Separate each biscuits into two layers. Spread each layer with honey mustard and top with swiss cheese.
Place half of the biscuits, cheese side up, in the bottom of prepared pan. Top with ham. Top ham with remaining biscuits, cheese side down.
Brush biscuit tops with melted butter.
Bake 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.
Heat honey in microwave for 20 seconds. Brush biscuit tops with warm honey. Serve immediately.
I'm definitely the baker in my family. I love to bake pies, cookies, coffee cakes, whatever... and I love to experiment with different recipes. This year when I was trying to come up with a pie to make for Thanksgiving my pregnant little sister pulled out a few pie recipes that had caught her eye. When she gave me this one, I'll admit I thought she was crazy. Maple Peanut Butter pie? For Thanksgiving? It didn't sound good to me...at all. But she is my little sister, and she is pregnant (with some crazy taste buds right now). So of course I made it. It made me feel better that the recipe had won 2nd place in a Taste of Home pie contest. How bad could it be?
When I started assembling the ingredients I started to change my mind. Peanut butter, cream cheese, whipped cream, maple flavoring, hot fudge....yum!! The pie is served cold and can be made in advance. I made mine the day before and froze it until the hour before it was served. It came out perfectly. Warning though- its very very rich!! So delicious! I meant to post this one before Christmas, as it would be a great dessert for any holiday party. I just ran out of time. It really doesn't matter though- if you love peanut butter, this is the pie for you, no matter the time of year. My little sister was very happy and my 5 year old declared this pie to be his favorite ever. :)
~Wendy
Maple Peanut Butter Pie
Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: Taste of Home
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Ingredients
1-1/2 c. crushed cream-filled maple sandwich cookies (about 12 cookies)
1/4 c. chocolate-covered peanuts, coarsely chopped
Instructions
In a small bowl, mix crushed cookies and butter. Press onto bottom and up sides of an ungreased 9-in. pie plate. Freeze 5 minutes.
In a microwave, warm fudge topping 5-10 seconds or until spreadable; spread over bottom and up sides of crust.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter and flavoring until blended. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar; fold in whipped topping.
Spoon into crust, spreading evenly. Refrigerate 4 hours or until set.
In a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add syrup; beat until stiff peaks form.
Serve with pie; top with peanuts.
Notes
I found the maple flavored cookies at Aldi. I used maple extract for the maple flavoring which is easy to find in any backing section with a decent selection of extracts. I chose not to add syrup to the whipped cream. I felt like that would be a little too much maple for me- however I leave that up to you!
Here's a great way to take what's typically an afterthought to one of the star attractions of any holiday meal. How pretty is this bread? For the last few Thanksgivings I've been in charge of the bread/rolls and butter. I've spent most of my time experimenting with the butter (and actually found a great honey butter recipe). This year I spotted this unique bread recipe in a Food Network magazine and decided to try it. I was a little skeptical. Usually when something looks this pretty in a magazine its a total disaster in my kitchen. This one actually worked out.
I'm not a huge fan of olive oil. I don't love the taste, I don't dip my bread in it at Italian restaurants and I rarely cook in olive oil unless it calls for small amounts. I made this bread twice on Thanksgiving day and for my 2nd attempt I lowered the olive oil content and drizzled the finished product with melted butter. Much better. :)
Its very easy and can be adapted to your tastes. I chose to roll the dough in almonds, sesame seeds, parsley and cheddar cheese. You could easily use basil, parmesan, pecans, poppyseeds, etc... there are so many options! Its great for a holiday party and perfect for Christmas. Hope you like it!
~Wendy
Bread Ring
Recipe Type: Bread
Author: Adapted from Food Network Magazine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 10
Ingredients
2 cans refrigerated breadstick dough
1/2 c olive oil
1/4 c butter, melted
1/2 c each of chosen toppings (sliced almonds, shredded cheddar cheese, sesame seeds, chopped parsley)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Brush a tube pan with olive oil and set aside.
Put each topping in a separate ziploc bag.
Form the breadstick dough into small balls, put them all into a large bowl. Pour the olive oil into the bowl and gently stir the dough balls until evenly coated with olive oil.
Divide the balls up between the ziploc bags. Drop them into the chosen bag and shake until covered with the topping.
Remove from the bag and press into the tube pan, alternating dough balls and toppings.
Bake until golden, 30-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with the melted butter.
Let cool for 4-5 minutes and remove from the pan. Serve on a platter for best presentation!
When I first discovered food blogs I inevitably stumbled upon The Pioneer Woman's blog. If you've been online researching recipes for any amount of time you've very likely been there yourself, she's hard to avoid. Ill admit that at first I found her blog a little busy and very annoying. Seriously? Who has time to home-school their kids, be a great photographer, an amazing cook and gardener AND blog about it all? That person has to be ridiculously annoying. So I moved on. A little petty I know, but I have my own self worth issues, I don't need to compare myself to Martha Stewart of the Central Plains.
Anyway, fast forward a few years. I went to a neighborhood bunco night and the host had made this AMAZING olive bread. Sorry for you olive haters. No way around it with this recipe. This stuff was SO good it almost made me forget about the snickers salad and Portillos chocolate cake she had for dessert. When I asked for the recipe she shared that it came from the Pioneer Woman's cookbook. Oh Damn! That crazy lady again? She was all over the place!
Whatever... this stuff was SO good I didn't care who made it, I just needed the recipe! I borrowed the cookbook from a friend and started looking through it. It was one of those cookbooks that actually reads like a biography, and it was GREAT. I know, I hate to admit when I'm wrong. Turns out the Pioneer Woman actually has a name (Ree Drummond) and an amazingly interesting story. So like her kabillion other followers, I'm now hooked. I love her. She is awesome and has since taken over the Neely's #1 spot in my Food Network loving heart. Long story I know- but seriously this stuff is SO SO GOOD. Make it for Thanksgiving as an app, or a holiday party, or on a Sunday afternoon, or as a side for an Italian main course. Or do as Ree suggests and make the topping and spread it on crackers (tried that too, SO GOOD!) I actually add kalamata olives to the recipe and find it gives it even more flavor. Just cut back a little on the green and black ones. I hope you love it as much as I do!
~Wendy
Olive Cheese Bread
Recipe Type: Appetizer
Author: The Pioneer Woman
Ingredients
One 6-ounce can black olives, drained
One 6-ounce jar pimiento-stuffed green olives, drained
2 stalks green onions
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup mayonnaise
12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 loaf crusty French bread, sliced lengthwise
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Roughly chop both the black olives and pimiento-stuffed green olives. Slice the green onions into thin pieces.
Combine the butter, mayonnaise, cheese, olives and green onions in a mixing bowl. Stir together until thoroughly combined.
Spread the mixture onto the French bread. Bake until the cheese is melted and browning, 20 to 25 minutes.
Notes
The mixture can also be refrigerated (up to 2 days) and used as a dip. Great with crackers!
I debated posting this recipe today. It doesn't seem timely for the season to me...more like a spring/summer recipe? But Erin texted me a few days ago asking for the recipe and made it for dinner so I thought, why not? It still tastes delicious every season and it's a great, easy dinner for this busy time of year with homework, sports, scouts, parties and the like filling up the calendar.
My mom got this recipe from a friend of hers and made it for my sister's wedding shower 15 years ago. When I asked her to send me the recipe, she took a pic of her 15 year-old recipe card and emailed it to me and it literally did say "The Best Chicken Salad EVER" on the top of the card so I stuck with the title. :)
It was a huge hit then and when I made it recently and Erin and her mom tried it, it was a huge hit again. If you use a rotisserie chicken, it really is silly easy to throw together.
~Leah
The Best Chicken Salad Ever
Recipe Type: Main
Author: Leah
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
1 (20 oz) can pineapple tidbits in 100% juice
1 c mayonnaise
1 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 c celery, thinly sliced
2 green onions, thinly sliced (use ALL of the onion...including the green)
1/8 tsp salt
1 whole rotisserie chicken OR 5-6 chicken breasts, cooked
small (about 2.5 oz) bag slivered almonds
small pat of butter
1/2-3/4 c raisins, optional
green grapes, lettuce, pineapple for serving, optional
Instructions
Remove all the skin from your chicken and carve and cut into chunks. (great way to cut chicken breasts here...she starts on the breast at 4:36 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys7dyV97FXw). Set aside.
Put a small amount of butter (tsp?) in a small saute pan and brown the almonds over low to medium heat. Set aside.
Combine 3-4 Tbsp of the juice from the canned pineapple, mayonnaise, mustard, curry, and salt. Set aside.
Mix chicken, celery, onion, almonds and raisins (optional) in a medium to large bowl.
Add dressing and blend well.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Serve with pineapple and/or grapes over lettuce or with lettuce on a bun (sinfully delicious on a croissant).
If you are like most homes with small children in residence, spaghetti is a popular menu item. It's quick, easy, and photo ops abound. Who doesn't have a collection of pictures of toddlers with upside-down bowls on their heads?
In an effort to change up our pasta routine, I tried out this recipe, found through the wonderful world of Pinterest. I loved the "make ahead" nature of this dish and the ability to throw it together with ingredients on hand. The original recipe calls for ground beef, but I have used turkey Italian sausage (which was very good), and chopped up turkey pepperoni (which was delicious and the clear winner). My kids love it and it's earned a permanent spot in our meal rotation. Enjoy!
~Erin
Creamy Baked Spaghetti
Author: Erin (adapted from Plain Chicken)
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
12 oz spaghetti
1 28 oz. jar of your favorite prepared pasta sauce
1 lb cooked, drained Italian sausage OR 1 c. of roughly chopped pepperoni
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced
8 oz. cream cheese, softened and cubed
1/2 c. parmesan cheese, grated
1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
Stir your choice of meat into pasta sauce.
Prepare spaghetti noodles according to package directions. Drain cooking water and return hot pasta to pot. Immediately stir cream cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic in to pasta until noodles are coated.
Lightly spray a 9x13 pan. Spread a small amount of sauce mixture on bottom of pan. Spread spaghetti in pan, then top with sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.
Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes, until bubbly.
Notes
Save yourself a lot of frustration and make sure your cream cheese is thoroughly softened and cut into small chunks before stirring into noodles. Even after following these steps myself, I was a little surprised how "melt resistant" my full fat cream cheese could be. Putting the lid on the pot and letting it sit for a few minutes usually helps. Definitely avoid using a fat free cream cheese as it's melting capabilities are severely limited. :)
If you're like me, the idea of a healthy chocolate chip cookie sounds like an oxymoron. AND moronic. Really...if I want a chocolate chip cookie, I'm more likely PMSing and just want something sweet more than I care about if it's good for me or not! BUT, I have to say, these fit the bill as far as fulfilling a need for sweets and being healthy to boot (or at least healthy as far as cookie standards go).
I found this recipe in Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious cookbook when my kids were toddlers. I remember being so excited to get the cookbook and then feeling like a complete failure as a mother because I hadn't been setting aside my Sundays to steam and puree enough fruits and vegetables to choke a horse. I personally found that most of the recipes were just way too labor intensive for the little time I had to prepare food while caring for a one and a half year old and a newborn. So I didn't chop, steam, puree, and freeze avocado, beets, broccoli, butternut squash, carrots, cauliflower, peas, red peppers, spinach, sweet potatoes, zucchini, summer squash, apples, bananas, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cantaloupe, cherries, and pineapple in popsicle molds. Report me to DCFS. ;)
Don't get me wrong, if you were (or are) a mom (or dad) who purees vegetables and fruits and sneaks them into food on a regular basis, I think you're awesome and amazing and I'm completely jealous. I just found I had a hard time finding the time to be able to do it...let alone shower.
Anyway, back to these cookies. As I looked through the recipes and found one after the other requiring some sort of premade puree, I practically jumped with glee when I came upon this one. No puree! The sneaky ingredient comes from a can! And its a DESSERT! I was all in.
I made them for the first time to bring to a playgroup get together at my dear friend, Liz's house and I will never forget the look on my (then new) dear friend Erin's face when I told her that there were chickpeas -- yes, chickpeas...whole beans...not pureed -- in the cookies. As I'm sure she has written on here before...Erin hates beans. I did not know this at the time so her reaction was a little comical. She was VERY hesitant to try them but, God love her, she did! And I remember her and I pulling and picking them apart trying to find the beans. You cannot find them! It's like magic! Maybe it's because these "cookies" actually have more of a soft, cake-like texture than a traditional cookie.
Give them a try...I DARE you to find a bean in there once they're baked. And the kids all loved them...then and now.
~Leah
Sneaky Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: Leah (adapted from Jessica Seinfeld)
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Soft, cake-like chocolate chip cookies with protein!
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray (or a silpat)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup trans-fat free soft tub buttery spread (I used Smart Balance)
2 egg whites
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas (or garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
2 cups (12 oz.) milk chocolate chips
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. kosher or sea salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray OR line with a silpat.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar and spread on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the egg whites and vanilla then the chickpeas and chocolate chips (you may want to lower the speed a little so chickpeas aren't flying all over your kitchen). Add the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt and mix on low speed until a thick dough forms.
Drop the dough by the tablespoon (or standard cookie scoop) onto the baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart (these don't spread much). Bake until golden brown and just set; 11 to 13 minutes. Do NOT overbake. Transfer to a rack to cool.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days
Recipe yields 3-4 dozen cookies depending on your scoop size.
Every September I end up with buckets of apples at my house. My mother-in-law has an apple tree that luckily produces TONS of apples and she's great at sharing! At some point in my life I acquired one of those peeler-corer thingies. Thank the Lord. It still takes forever but I know it saves me so much time. Over the last two weeks I've spent no less than 2 hours peeling and coring apples, no joke. I currently have 2 apple crisps, 2 apple pies, several pints of applesauce and a few bags of apple pie filling in my freezer!
So when I had another milk crate of apples delivered the other day I knew apple pie, sauce and crisp was out of the question. This week we've switched to apple muffins and an AWESOME caramel apple cake. Today isn't my turn to post, but I had to share this apple muffin recipe. These are so moist and yummy! And considering the possibility that some of you may have a boat-load of apples at your house too... it seemed like great timing. They were a big hit in my family.
Stay tuned. Next week I'll give you the Caramel Apple Cake recipe. Its one of those poke-holes-in-the-cake recipes and pour caramel into them. Delicious.
~Wendy
Apple Crumb Muffins
Recipe Type: Breakfast
Author: Wendy
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
Ingredients
2 c. flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
½ c. butter (at room temperature)
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cup chopped apples
Crumble Topping
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. flour
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp butter
Frosting
1/4 c. powdered sugar
2-3 Tbsp milk
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375
Line a muffin tray with 12 muffin papers, and fill each one with a spoonful of brown sugar to hold it down and to create a bit of crust by patting down with your finger.
In a medium sized bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a larger bowl cream together the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla, stir in apples. Once they are mixed in, slowly mix in flour, small portions at a time.
In a separate small bowl, mix the 1/3 cup of brown sugar, 1 Tlb of flour, ¼ tsp of cinnamon, and 1 Tlb of butter. Mix together until it starts to create small balls of sand like crumbs. Set crumb topping aside.
Fill each muffin cup about ¾ of the way with muffin batter, and then sprinkle each with 1 tsp of crumble mix
Once all are loaded, place in oven, and set for 18 minutes (at the half way point turn the muffins around in the oven).
While the muffins are cooking, make the icing by pouring a little bit of milk at a time into your powdered sugar, until you reach the consistency that you desire.
When muffins are done, remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes, and then drizzle icing on, serve.
If you ask my mother-in-law Shirlene, she'll tell you she's not a great cook. I however respectfully disagree. She's one of those people who have found a few recipes that are really good and sticks with them. That doesn't make you a bad cook, it makes you a smart one! I on the other hand, am an ADD cook. I can't ever focus on one thing and try new recipes all the time. The problem with my method is that there are LOTS of epic fails! This recipe comes from my mother-in-laws consistently awesome arsenal, with only a few small changes. Interestingly enough the changes weren't made by me- they were made by my husband. Considering the last meal my husband made me was pork chops, french fries & rice (whoa carbs) I was SUPER impressed!
I LOVE these BBQs. Before I tasted them I was solidly on the Manwich train. Its probably the only type of sloppy joe I'd ever eaten. After I tried this version I've not made any other recipe. These are very sweet so your kids will love them. You can double, triple or quadruple this recipe and throw it in a crock pot for a party. My wonderful mother-in-law will make a batch of the meat for me and I'll freeze it for later meals. Put it on your weeknight menu for the fall and be sure to thank her!
~Wendy
BBQ Beef Sandwiches
Recipe Type: Dinner
Author: Wendy (from Shirlene Peterson)
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 c. ketchup
2/3 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp chili powder
Instructions
Brown the ground beef (or ground turkey) in a skillet over medium high heat until slightly cooked but still pink, 2-3 minutes. Add in the celery and onion, continue cooking until the meat is cooked through
Drain any grease
Add the ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and chili powder to the skillet and turn the heat down to medium-low, stir until fully combined
Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently letting the flavors combine.
I'm never moving again. Someone please remind me I said that.
We are finally settled in our new house but the work just won't quit. Not only do the stack of boxes in the corner need some attention, but so does the over-flowing basket of laundry my family still insists on accumulating.
However, we are slowly working our way towards our new normal. School started last week too, so I hope that my 2 hours of solitude each day (while baby sleeps) will prove productive. As you can imagine, my cooking has suffered immensely during these past few weeks of unpacking. I'm anxious to get settled in my new kitchen and start trying some of the recipes that have been piling up on my Pinterest boards.
This recipe has been a staple in my meal rotation. My mom cut it out of the Chicago Tribune at least 10 years ago. I love it because 1, it's super easy. And 2, because it's just a little different in terms of flavor. But of course, not so "out there" as to repel my children. They love this dish. It also lends itself to a little sneaking-in-of-the-veggies, as some shredded zucchini would definitely go undetected. If you've never bought chili sauce, you'll find it in the general vicinity of ketchup and usually right next to the shrimp cocktail sauce at the grocery store. As a whole the dish is relatively mild, so I often use the spicier version of turkey Italian sausage. If mild is what you are after, then plain ground beef or turkey would be great too. Enjoy!
~Erin
Sausage and Macaroni Dinner
Author: Erin
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
1 lb. ground Italian sausage
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 c. dry macaroni noodles (about 8 oz.)
2 c. water
1 c. evaporated milk
1 c. chili sauce
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
In a large skillet, combine sausage, pepper, and onion. Cook over medium-high heat, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon. When meat is no longer pink drain any excess liquid.
Add water and macaroni noodles to meat mixture and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, cover pan, and cook for 14-16 minutes until pasta is tender.
Remove pan from heat and stir in evaporated milk and chili sauce.
Sprinkle with cheese and cover. Let stand for 5 minutes or so until cheese has melted.
I just hit the one year anniversary of the day I left "Corporate America" to stay home with my little munchkins. What a year it has been! Trading in meetings, hotel stays and business dinners for potty training, play dates, and peanut butter & jelly three times a day has been an adjustment. I've been so grateful for the time I've gotten to spend with my kids, but it has not always been easy. This stay-at-home-mom business is tough!! One of the biggest lessons learned is that other stay-at-home-moms really do help you keep your sanity!
I've been blessed to meet some GREAT moms in my new community. Our daily/weekly play dates not only give me a chance to talk about something other than Team Umizoomi, they also remind me that I'm not the only one who struggles with kids who won't listen, who always seem to do the EXACT opposite of what you say, who melt down no matter how many warnings they get that its almost time to leave the park. They make me feel almost normal! And I love, love, love them for that. Last year when we moved to a new town, I decided to join an online moms group. One of the first moms I met had newly moved to Illinois from Canada with her family. Over the past year we've had a lot of play dates and every time she brings a dish to share I recipe stalk her. I swear, everything Bridget makes is AWESOME. She brought these cinnamon rolls to several of the groups get-togethers before I asked for the recipe. Not because they weren't awesome, only because I can't drool over every recipe- it would get a little weird. Sorry Bridget! :)
These are DELICIOUS and relatively FAST and have CREAM CHEESE FROSTING! That's really all I should have written. What else do you need to know? They're great for a group get together or for your family. You could easily freeze half of them for serving later. Or eat them all at once...like I would do! Thank you Bridget for the recipe! Wait til you guys get her chocolate chip cookie recipe...SO good....
~Wendy
Cinnamon Rolls
Recipe Type: Breakfast
Author: Wendy
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
Ingredients
3/4 c milk
1/4 c margarine, softened
3 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 pckg instant yeast
1/4 c white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c water
1 egg
1 c brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 c margarine, softened
Cream Cheese Frosting
4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in margarine; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.
In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 1/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt; mix well. Add water, egg and the milk mixture; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition.
When the dough has just pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.
Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, softened margarine.
Roll out dough into a 12x9 inch rectangle. Spread dough with margarine/sugar mixture.
Roll up dough and pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 equal size rolls and place cut side up in 9x13 greased pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through the center.
For the frosting-
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract. Spread on the cinnamon rolls once cooled to slightly-warm.
I did not like avocado until I was in my 20s. Which, if you know me today, seems insane since I eat at least 3-4 a week. I think I had had some once or twice when I was little and didn't like it and proceeded to never try it again -- well, not NEVER obviously, but not for a very very long time. Even when I'd be at some great Mexican joint with girlfriends sipping (mutiple-ish) margaritas and there was what was purported to be unbelievable guacamole, I would say, "I don't like avocado" and I'd be met with that wide-eyed, open-mouthed gape every. single. time.
And so the love affair began. With my husband too. ;)
I watched Rachel Ray make this on "30 Minute Meals" years ago and thought "I've gotta try that!" (being a new avocado worshipper and all) and I've never stopped making it. It is so delicious and I love that I can have "guacamole" without the chips sometimes!
~Leah
Guacamole Salad
Recipe Type: Salad
Author: Leah (from Rachel Ray)
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
2 medium avocados, pitted and sliced
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 English (seedless) cucumber, chopped
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, chopped
A few drops hot sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
Arrange vegetables on platter. Mix lemon and garlic, hot sauce and salt. Stream in extra-virgin olive oil while whisking dressing. Pour lemon dressing over the salad and serve.
I promise we'll get back to giving you some great dinner recipes soon, but I have to share one more dessert! I have to get this one in there before the summer passes us by. My son starts Kindergarten next week. Doesn't August 14th sound too early for school to start? It does to me. It means summer is almost over, which seems CRAZY. It just started!! Here in Chicago-land the weather is likely to only stay warm for another few weeks. So if you have another BBQ, potluck or family party- try baking and taking this cake. The recipe originally came from Southern Living- a place I typically find can do no wrong.
Its a pound cake...by definition its a heavy cake, but the lime taste in the cake and in the glaze make it taste light. Because the cake itself is heavy, you can get away with serving small slices so this recipe can feed a crowd. Its called a "Key Lime" cake, but I never buy key limes, I just use regular limes- either will work. The last time I made it I ended up cutting half of the cake up into chunks, wrapping them in plastic wrap and then putting them in freezer bags in the freezer. When I wanted to serve them I thawed them in the refrigerator and made a fresh glaze. They tasted great!
I hope you get a chance to give it a try!
~Wendy
Key Lime Pound Cake
Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: Wendy- Adapted from Southern Living
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12-16
Ingredients
1 c butter, softened
1/2 c shortening
2 c sugar
6 large eggs
3 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 c milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lime zest
1/4 c fresh lime juice
Key Lime Glaze
1 c powdered sugar
3 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325°.
Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla, lime zest, and lime juice.
Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch (12-cup) tube pan.
Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack
Prepare Key Lime Glaze by combining the three ingredients and stirring until smooth, and immediately brush over top and sides of cake. Cool completely (about 1 hour).
I love salads. LOVE them. In fact, one of my favorite things to order at Portillo's (if you do not live in Illinois, Arizona, Indiana, or California, I am so, SO sorry that you may not have any idea what Portillo's is -- and if you plan to visit Chicago, plan on stopping there) is their chopped salad (minus the pasta). This is saying something as it's on the menu alongside one of the best burgers that exists, cheese fries, Chicago-style hot dogs and the like. But being someone who pretty much always watches carbs, (I even watch them as they go into my mouth when I just MUST have that one cookie...or the peanut butter m&m's at the movies...or the cold, dried out, half of the soft pretzel that my daughter didn't finish at the pool) I like that I can have a really really tasty, filling, not-feeling-deprived-at-all salad while the rest of my family gorges on their beef and cheddar croissants, burgers, and onion rings (bastards).
This salad has been tops on my list for YEARS. Bear with me as you read through the ingredients as it's one of those recipes that has evolved with me over the past decade. I started out making it exactly as I had found it on allrecipes in all of it's obnoxiously sweet glory and have modified it a little bit every time I've made it. I now replace the sugar with splenda or stevia and added feta cheese somewhere along the way. I've always meant to try grilling some chicken to put on top but haven't gotten there yet -- let me know if you do!
~Leah
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Recipe Type: Salad
Author: Leah (adapted from allrecipes)
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
1/4 cup splenda or stevia (or white sugar)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (or distilled white vinegar)
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp minced onion
10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup candied pecans, walnuts, almonds (you may toast them if you'd like), or any favorite nut toasted or candied
1/4 cup feta cheese
Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, splenda or stevia (or sugar), olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover, and chill for one hour.
In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, almonds, and cheese. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Even with all of this goofy weather we've been having around here (6 inches in 24 hours?! Snow this morning?!) I've officially been in "summer mode" when it comes to recipes/cooking lately. I'm always excited to get back to recipes I haven't made in a few months when we go from summer to fall and winter to spring. When we first started discussing doing this blog last fall, I had a lot of recipes in mind that I wanted to use but many of them weren't fall/winter appropriate so I'm very excited that we're getting to begin to share a new season of recipes.
I'm kicking off my spring/summer recipes with this Taco Bean Dip. It's so easy and great to bring to summer parties. I like to serve it with tortilla chips, or Fritos, or veggies...or all three! If you have some leftover (like I did after our photo shoot), it's great to turn into a nacho platter or use as all of your toppings for tacos for dinner (thanks for that idea, Erin!)
~Leah
Taco Bean Layer Dip
Recipe Type: Appetizer
Author: Leah
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients
2 cans bean dip
2-3 soft avocados
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup mayo
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1/2 c green onions, diced
1/2 c tomatoes, diced
1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
Mash the avocados in a small bowl and stir in the lemon juice. Set aside.
Mix the mayo, sour cream, and taco seasoning in a small bowl. Set aside.
Layer all of the ingredients, starting with the bean dip spread on the bottom, follow with the mashed avocado, olives, sour cream/taco mixture, onions, tomatoes, and ending with the cheese in an 8x11.5 (2 inch deep) baking dish or other dish or serving platter of similar proportions.
Here's a quick and easy one for you. Pizza mixed with pasta = everyone will love it! I'd never thought of adding pepperoni to pasta before but the first time I tried it I was sold. The flavor is a really great mix. The fun part of this dish is that you can add whatever favorite pizza toppings your family likes -- spinach, sausage, pepperoni, green peppers, Canadian bacon, really anything would work. When I make this for dinner I often make two casseroles at a time, throw one in the freezer and save myself tons of time sometime later in the month. The whole wheat pasta and mostly-vegetables ingredient list also makes this a lot healthier than ordering a pizza!
~Wendy
Pizza Pasta Bake
Recipe Type: Dinner
Author: Wendy
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
A healthy, cheesy family dinner that works well for potlucks and make-ahead freezer meals!
Ingredients
1 box whole wheat rigatoni pasta
1 c. sliced mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 jar spaghetti sauce, any flavor
1 c. chunky mild salsa
1 c. pepperoni, chopped
2 turkey Italian sausages, casings removed
3 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile in a dutch oven or big pot cook the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Before the sausage is fully cooked through (about 1/2 way done), add mushrooms, onion, and green pepper and cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and the vegetables have softened, drain any remaining grease.
Drain pasta, add to the meat mixture.
Stir in the pasta sauce, salsa and pepperoni.
Grease a 13 x 9 in. baking dish.
Divide the pasta mixture in two and put 1/2 at the bottom of the greased pan. Cover with 1/2 of the mozzarella and 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese. Top with the remaining pasta mixture and then the remaining cheeses.
Cover with tin foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and return to oven and bake 10 more minutes until cheese is melted/browned.
Notes
Should you want to freeze this dish for another time, just cover with foil and keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you're ready to bake it, remove from the freezer and put directly in the hot oven. Bake for 30 minutes, remove foil and back for another 10 minutes until the top cheese is golden brown.
In my mind, some dishes are definitely "special occasion" dishes. All sorts of factors can make a dish qualify under such category, but I would say the two main ones in my mind are that it's either A. difficult or time-consuming to prepare or B. is so:
rich
decadent
sweet
buttery
fatty
bad for you
all of the above
that I can only allow myself to make it on a special occasion or I'd weigh 5,000 pounds and need to get an angioplasty bi-weekly.
This definitely falls under "special occasion" cooking...not for the difficulty (it's actually quite easy) but for the pure, decadent, moan-inducing richness it embodies.
Did I just say moan-inducing? About spinach?
I did. And I mean it.
You will seriously get asked for this recipe and/or to bring it to special dinners. And DO NOT shy away from it if you don't like creamed spinach. I am one of those odd people that prefer spinach WITHOUT the cream and such and like it very simply dressed with just a bit of butter and salt (maybe a little garlic). But this dish...I could eat the whole pan (and then have to go for that angioplasty). ~Leah
(Note: this calls for buying frozen spinach, but then using it THAWED so give yourself time)
Spinach Gratin
Recipe Type: Side
Author: Leah (adapted from Barefoot Contessa)
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Creamy on the inside, browned cheesy and melty on the outside, decadent spinach dish.
Ingredients
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
2 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups milk
About 3 pounds frozen, chopped spinach, defrosted (5 10-oz packages)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese (you can usually find it already grated at larger grocery stores)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed saute pan (needs to be large enough to eventually fit all of your ingredients in) over medium heat.
Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the flour and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Add the cream and milk and cook until thickened.
Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach and add the spinach to the sauce. Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and mix well. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.
Spray a baking dish with some nonstick spray. Transfer the mixture to the dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and the Gruyere on top. Bake for 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve immediately.
Notes
You can make this dish a few days ahead of time and then just bake it when you're ready to serve. Adjust the baking time if it's cold, though or get it to room temperature before baking.
While it does look beautiful outside with all of the snow we had fall on us today, inside our house it was a different story. My little munchkin was not in the best of moods (that's putting it VERRRY nicely) and she also woke me up early on the day I decided I was going back to my strict, low-carb, low-cal way of life which made mommy not in the best of moods either. (Not to mention I'm at that wonderful week where I want to eat everything in sight -- you ladies know what I'm talkin' about -- maybe not the best planning on my part). So....today...rough.
I am proud to say that I did make it through today eating very well (I know the day's not completely over yet, but I think I'm good) but looking at the awesome photo Erin took of my yummy beef on delicious, soft bread and those potato chips is NOT helping matters! :)
This is one of those recipes that has been around my whole life. I have NO IDEA where it originally came from, all I know is it's darn good! It definitely has a kick to it so you can be the judge as far as if it's "kid appropriate" or not. It's too spicy for my 7 year old who does tolerate some heat, but my nieces and nephew who are 9, 10, and 13 gobble it up.
~Leah
Peppered Beef
Recipe Type: Dinner
Author: Leah
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
1 3-4 lb. chuck roast
1/2 tsp.- 1 tsp. each of garlic salt and oregano
1 12-16 oz. jar sliced pepperoncini peppers
1 can beer
1 can beef consomme
Provolone or mozzarella cheese (optional)
buns/rolls
Instructions
Place the roast in crock pot. Sprinkle each side with garlic salt and oregano (to your taste).
Drain jar of peppers and pour peppers, beer, and consomme over roast.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high 4-6.
Remove beef from crock pot and trim off any fat and shred the meat. Return meat to crock and stir into juices.
Serve on rolls with provolone or mozzarella cheese.
Notes
The original recipe does NOT call for draining the juice from the peppers. I would recommend draining the first time you make it and then going from there. Also, the recipe as written here is actually halved so if you want to make more for a bigger crowd, it doubles well. If you do want to make this for a get together but don't want to have to shred the meat during the event, you can make it the day before and refrigerate then simply return it to the crock pot or oven to reheat. If you do refrigerate it, you will probably see some hardened fat at the top. It is up to you if you want to leave that in or spoon it out before reheating to reduce some fat and calories. This can also be made in the oven. Simply put everything in a big pot with a lid and cook at 350 for 4 hours.
I've said it before and I'll say it again -- and I'm sure every year for the rest of my life because I can admittedly be annoying that way -- I will NEVER understand why the Super Bowl game starts so late in the evening on a Sunday! Now (and hopefully we don't lose readers from what I'm about to say) I could really care LESS about football. There I said it...take away my "American citizen" card but it just is what it is. I did enjoy going to games in high school and college and even a Bears game here or there, but I've never enjoyed sitting and watching on tv.
Ok, all that being said, I DO enjoy hanging out with friends and eating a ton of food so it irks me to no end that the game is when it is! Why can't it be moved earlier? Or to Saturday? Or (considering the way this country is with this game) declared a national holiday and have off on Monday? I feel like there are a lot of families who kind of get the shaft unless they a. host, b. have older or no kids, c. don't mind missing bedtime on a school night (which is pretty much a cardinal sin in my mind -- I know, I might need to loosen up a little bit).
So, for those of you who are hosting a Super Bowl party, or are signed up to bring something to a Super Bowl party, or are like me and will be hanging out at home (umm, I guess that covers everyone unless you're going to dinner and a movie or something), this is a great, easy recipe. I originally had it at one of my afore-posted-about sister-in-law's get togethers and immediately asked for the recipe. I've made it more than a few times for dinner and I cannot say enough about feeling like some domestic goddess when dinner is "made" at 9 am (I may have mentioned this before -- or maybe not -- or maybe it was Erin -- anyway I'm too lazy to go back and read all of our posts right now but I think I'm safe to say that on this blog, dinner in the slow cooker in the morning = domestic goddess). Enjoy! ~Leah
Crock Pot Beef Sliders
Recipe Type: Dinner
Author: Leah
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
3-4 lb sirloin tip roast
1 pkg instant onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 beef bullion cubes (I like to use the low sodium)
1 cup water
Hawaiian bread buns (the small ones)
Kraft horseradish sauce (optional)
Instructions
Place the meat in crock pot.
Mix all the ingredients up through the water and pour over the meat.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours then shred with forks in the crock and stir with the juice.
Keep crock on warm for serving.
Serve on rolls and top with horseradish sauce (optional).
