The Best Potatoes Au Gratin

 

Original recipe came from thepioneerwoman.com

I changed it up just a tad.

 

2 tablespoons of softened butter

4 large russet potatoes, well washed and diced

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons flour

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup finely grated cheddar cheese

3 green onions, thinly sliced

crumbled cooked bacon, if desired

(You could add cubed ham to make this a main dish.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 9x13 casserole pan with the softened butter. Toss diced potatoes in pan, set aside.

Combine milk and cream in medium bowl. Whisk in the flour, garlic, salt and pepper until smooth. Pour over diced potatoes. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 20 minutes more. Sprinkle with cheese and bacon and return it to the oven for 5 minutes. Top with green onions and serve it nice and hot. So good!

Beef Enchilada Stack

1-2 lbs lean ground beef
1 chopped onion
1 medium green bell pepper chopped
1-1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 oz package taco seasoning mix
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes in sauce, undrained (seasoned ones are good)
1 (20 oz) can red enchilada sauce
12 corn tortillas (6 inch)
4 cups shredded cheese (16 oz)
1 cup sour cream
sliced green onions

Heat oven to 350 F. Spray 9x13 glass pan with cooking spray. In a separate frying pan, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until thoroughly cooked. Drain. Stir in bell pepper, corn, taco seasoning mix, tomatoes and enchilada sauce. Heat to boiling, remove from heat. (If you like your bell peppers softer, put them in with the onions and beef) (If you like it spicy, use 2 taco seasoning mixes)

Spread about 1/4 of beef mixture in thin layer in glass pan. Top with 6 tortillas, overlapping. Spread 1/4 of beef mixture on tortillas. Add a layer of 1/2 of the cheese. Add 1/4 of beef mixture on cheese. Place on remaining tortillas. Spoon on remaining beef mixture. Spread on remaining cheese.

Bake about 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Top each serving with sour cream and green onions.

I got this recipe from bettycrocker.com. I doubled it and tweaked it slightly, it was originally made in a 9 inch square pan. My family loved it and is already asking me to make it again!!

Marinated Tomato Salad

I love this summery salad! I love to eat it with a sprinkle of feta cheese. I also loved it with a scoop of brown rice mixed in for a fantastic, light lunch. It would also be great served on toasted baguettes.

 

 

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

a pinch of black pepper

3 whole green onions, sliced

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/8 teaspoon ground thyme

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1-2 lbs sliced tomatoes

feta cheese, if desired

Whisk together all ingredients except for tomatoes and feta in a glass bowl. Add tomatoes, cover and refrigerate for 24ish hours. Serve with feta on top.
 Easy peasy! 

S'more Cups

The best thing about these little delights, was making them with my kids. It's a fun recipe for S'mores if you don't have a campfire handy!

The original recipe is from Pampered Chef, but when we made them we didn't use all of their fancy tools & whatnot. It was still super easy.

 7 whole graham crackers (1 cup finely crushed)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
6 tbsp butter, melted
4 bars milk chocolate candy, divided (I used Wilton's melting chocolates because I had a bag I wanted to use up & it worked great)
12 large marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place graham crackers into a large resealable plastic bag. Finely crush into crumbs using a rolling pin. Combine graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and butter in small bowl, stir until mixed well. Distribute crumb mixture evenly into each cup of a 24 cup mini-muffin pan. Press crumbs to form shallow cups. Bake 4-5 minutes or until edges are bubbling. Meanwhile, break two of the candy bars into rectangles. Remove pan from oven; place one rectangle into each cup. (Or 2 Wilton's melting chocolates. Also be careful of the hot pan.)

Cut marshmallows in half crosswise using scissors dipped in cold water. Place one marshmallow half, cut-side down, into each cup. Return to oven 2-3 minutes or until marshmallows are just slightly softened. Remove from oven.

Now the Pampered Chef recipe says to let the cups cool then take the remaining chocolate, melt it in a bowl & dip the top of the marshmallow in it. But as you can see I did not do this. It was so much more fun & easier for my boys just to plop a piece of chocolate on the top of the marshmallow as soon as it came out of the oven. It melted a little bit & then cooled & it worked out perfectly! After they've cooled, run a butter knife around the edges of them & they pop right out of the pan!

Crunchy Breadsticks with poppy seeds

These breadsticks are so amazing!

They're the crunchy kind.

We love them so much that we can't stop making them.

And the best part is that they're so easy!

Recipe from:

The Homemade Pantry:101 foods you can stop buying and start making

ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

2/3 cup warm water (100-110 degrees)

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the counter

1 1/2 teaspooons salt

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for greasing the bowl

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Combine sugar and yeast with warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add 1 1/4 cups of the flour, salt and olive oil. Mix for 5 minutes on medium speed using the paddle attachment.

Dust counter with remainging 3/4 cup flour. Turn dough out onto the counter and knead the additional flour into the dough for 3-4 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and has lost most of its stickiness. (I'm not a kneader, so I switched out the paddle for the dough hook and let my mixer do all the work) Put dough into a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to double in size. About 1 to 2 hours. I set my bowl in my super warm garage and it only takes an hour.

Punch down the dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured counter again. Sprinkle the seeds on the dough and knead them in for about a minute or two. Cover dough with plastic and let rest for 5 minutes.

Divide dough in half, then half again, and again until you have 32 roughly equal pieces. Let rest while you prepare your pans. Spray them lightly with cooking spray or line them with parchament paper. Take each ball and roll it like a snake, stretching a little as you go, until you have an 8-ish inch breadstick and no more than 1/2 inch in diameter. Lay on tray leaving 2 inches between each stick. Let rest uncovered for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until slightly golden. Let cool for crispier breadsticks.

Cheesecake made by Hayd

I love the library, I love cooking, and I love hanging out in the kitchen with my kids. So, I was more than happy when Hayden picked out this book from our library today. We came home and he found a cheesecake recipe that he was dying to try. I was busy chopping veggies and tossing them into the crock pot for our chili dinner. So, he got right to work, pulling out ingredients, checking the recipe about a million times to make sure he was doing everything just right. He was even super patient with his little sister who was determined to pour every ingredient in the bowl. Well, long story short, Hayden was super proud of this delicious dessert. My favorite part is the cinnamon in the crust....heaven! I also love how thin it is. I'm a big fan of dessert, but I'm not a fan of tons of leftovers that sit in the fridge begging to be eaten. This makes eight perfect sized portions.

crust:

5 tablespoons butter, slightly melted

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 tablespoon sugar

cheesecake:

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

topping:

1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling

(We didn't have any in the pantry, but we do have a ton of apricot freezer jam and a few ripe blackberries from the garden. So, Hayd decided that would make for a great topping and he was so right. I think cherry pie filling would take away from that cinnamon crust and thin layer of cheesecake that I love so much.)

To make the crust, stir together all your crust ingredients and press into the bottom of a spring-form pan. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla. Mix on low speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add eggs. Mix on high for 3 minutes, scraping down sides. Pour over your prepared crust. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes or until set. Turn off oven and crack door open. Leave cake in the oven for 10 minutes. Refrigerate at least an hour before adding your topping and serving.  

Cheese Crackers

I found a new cookbook that I think I'm going to need to own soon. It's going on my Christmas wish list. It's called The Homemade Pantry:101 foods you can stop buying and start making.

Here is one of the recipes we've tried. They're a grown-up version of Cheez-it crackers and are so crunchy and addictive, ask Tyler.

Cheese Crackers

Makes 40-50 crackers

3 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for the counter

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups finely grated cheddar cheese (6 ounces)

2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

3/4 cup water

ice cube

Combine the cold butter, flour, dry mustard, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed with the paddle attachment until the mixture is crumbly and the butter starts to integrate into the mixture, about 30 seconds. Add the cheese and mix again on low speed for a few seconds.

In a liquid measuring cup, combine 3/4 cup water, the vinegar and an ice cube and let sit for a moment to get nice and cold. Add 6 tablespoons of the vinegar mixture to the dough and mix on medium speed for 20 seconds. Continue adding liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough clings in a ball to the beater. (I only needed one extra tablespoon of liquid for a total of 7 tablespoons) Mix the dough for an additional 30 seconds. Don't over mix! Mound dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Remove the dough from the fridge and let sit 15 minutes before you are ready to roll it out. Preheat oven to 325 and grease 2 baking sheets. Turn dough out onto a little floured counter, press into a flat disc, and roll with a rolling pin until the dough is 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Use a pizza wheel to cut dough into 2-inch squares (I went a little smaller). Transfer to baking sheet leaving a 1-inch space between crackers. Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Turn off oven, but leave pans in the oven for one hour as it cools. (I left them in for only 20 minutes because they continued browning too much for my liking.) They can be stored in an airtight container for 5-7 days.....ours only lasted on the counter for maybe 6 hours before they were all consumed. :)

Strawberries and Cream Pudding Pops

I've been looking for a treat to have that is not 98% sugar or high fructose corn syrup to have with this pregnancy (because I seem to be craving desserts all of the time!). I found this little gem in one of my favorite cookbooks, Our Best Bites.12 medium strawberries (about 1-3/4 to 2 cups of roughly chopped berries)

2-3 tablespoons of sugar

1 (1-ounce) box sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix

6 ounces vanilla yogurt (I used strawberry yogurt because that is what I had in the fridge & it worked great)

1 cup milk

-Remove stems from berries and pulse with 2 tablespoons sugar in a food processor until completely smooth. Taste and add more sugar if needed. You should have just over a cup of puree. Set aside.

-In a blender combine pudding mix, yogurt, and milk and blend until combined. Layer or swirl the pudding mixture with the strawberry mixture in popsicle molds anf freeze until solid.

They were delicious and my kids absolutely loved them! Another thing that is great about them is that they don't melt as fast as ice cream or popsicles so they aren't as messy!

Parmesan Chicken Bake

I have tried a bunch of Chicken Parmesan recipes, but have not found one that I like because my the breading on my chicken always gets soggy and gross with the marinara sauce and cheese on top. So when I saw this recipe on pinterest I thought, 'Ingenious! Just don't bread your chicken and bake it instead with croutons on top!' The result was amazing! The croutons were crispy on top and softer on the bottom and it was delicious! And bonus, it was so easy to make.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic

crushed hot red pepper flakes, to taste (I did not use very much)

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used 12 chicken tenderloins and it worked great)

2 cups marinara sauce

1/4 cup chopped basil

8 oz. mozzarella, shredded

4 oz. Parmesan, grated

1 (5-oz) package garlic croutons

Put the olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Layer chicken on the top. Pour the marinara sauce on top and spread around. Sprinkle with the basil. Layer half of the mozzerella cheese and parmesan cheese on top of the marinara. Layer the croutons on top of the cheese. Finish off with the rest of the mozzerella and parmesan cheese on the top. Cook uncovered at 350 degrees for 35 minutes (if you use larger chicken breasts, you may need to do a little bit longer.)

Here is the link to the original recipe, he has a video if you want to watch him make it. I followed it pretty much exactly. YUM YUM! http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2008/02/end-of-chicken-parmesan-as-you-know-it.html

Apricot Glazed Pork Chops

I love food!
I especially love good food.
This one hit the spot with it's sweet sauce.

Here's what you'll need:
4 7-ounce boneless pork chops (I cut three of Costco's chops in half lengthwise and had plenty for our family)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used olive)
1/2 cup apricot nectar (I didn't have any so I put my jarred apricots (drained well) in a blender - I know, it's not the same thing, but it was perfect)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced (I used two)
1/3 cup apricot preserves

Sprinkle both sides of pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add pork to skillet. Cook until browned, about 4-5 minutes per side. Combine nectar, soy sauce, garlic and preserves in a small bowl; mix well. Pour over pork, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until pork is cooked, about 15-20 minutes. Serve hot over mashed potatoes or rice.

Note: There was so much yummy sauce left over, so I reduced it over high heat for 5-10 minutes to thicken it up a bit. It was delicious poured over our potatoes.

Cranberry Salsa

1 bag fresh cranberries

1/2 medium red bell pepper

1/2 medium red onion

3 tablespoons jarred jalapenos

1 medium granny smith apple, cored
3 tablespoons cilantro

Place above ingredients in a food processor, blend until finely chopped. (I don't own a food processor, so I just used my chopper.) Place in a bowl and add the following:

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons lime juice

1/3 cup apple juice

Stir it all up, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.

Once you try this it'll become a Christmas tradition.

It's even great on turkey enchiladas.

Chocolate with a hint of Caramel Cream Pie

1 9 inch pie crust, baked according to the directions on the package
5 large marshmallows
4 (1.55 ounce) Hershey's Air Delights Candy Bars
2 (1.6 ounce) Caramelo's Candy Bars
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 can aerosol whipped topping

1. In a microwavable bowl, combine marshmallows, chocolate bars and 1/3 cup cream. Microwave on high, stirring occasionally, until everything is melted and smooth.

2. In a medium bowl, whip remaining cream & vanilla until it is light and fluffy. Fold into chocolate mixture. Spread entire mixture into pie crust; cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or overnight. Spray whip cream on top when serving. Its a little rich but so yummy!!!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Hooray for cold weather so we can enjoy delicious soups! And let me tell ya, this is one delicious soup! And it is so easy! I got this recipe from my good friend Launi over on her food blog - www.notafoodsnob.blogspot.com. I had leftovers of this soup for breakfast it is that good! (And I have wierd pregnancy cravings.)

2-3 chicken breasts (leftover rotisserie chicken works great!)
2 cups chicken broth
1 can red enchilada sauce (mild, medium or hot depending on how spicy you want it. I always use mild & it's perfect for us!)
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. taco seasoning
1 small can diced green chilies
1 tbls. dried onion or 1/4 to 1/2 chopped onion
1 cup cheddar or jack cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Tortilla chips or strips

-Cook chicken in medium saucepan & shred. Add broth, enchilada sauce, onions, chilies & spices. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes until the onion rehydrates. Stir in cheese & sour cream until melted & incorporated. Add corn & beans & warm through. Serve with tortilla chips or strips.

I usually like to eat this with tortilla chips & scoop up the soup like a spoon with them. But then I discovered these multi-colored tortilla strips at the store & they are divine on top! Perfect cold weather meal!

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

I've been so excited for the cooler temperatures so that I can pull out all the pumpkin recipes I've been dying to try. This is one I've seen all over Pinterest. The original recipe comes from a cookbook called, Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms. It is fantastic!

Serves 12ish

For the cake:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
15 oz can pure pumpkin
3 large eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Streusel topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup walnuts, chopped (I used pecans)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until well blended. Add the pumpkin and eggs, mix thoroughly. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Mix until combined. Divide the batter between the two prepared pans.
Prepare the topping: In a small bowl combine the flour, sugars, cinnamon, melted butter and your nut of choice. Sprinkle over your batter in both pans. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes or so before serving. Feel free to make a glaze for the top. It's not really necessary, but it sure does look prettier that way.

So good!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

A little slice of Heaven! The cake is super moist, frosting is perfectly creamy, and ganache is out of this world. A perfect cake to celebrate Hayden's eight birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAYD!Recipe from SmittenKitchen
It makes a 3 layer cake, but I made one layer special for Tyler with no peanut butter frosting.

For the cake:
2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of three 8-inch round cake pans, set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add in the oil and sour cream and whisk well. Slowly whisk in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. You will have some strong arms.....
Divide batter into the three prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let them cool completely. These cakes are super moist and soft. I froze them for 30 minutes or so before I frosted them.

Peanut Butter Frosting:
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temp.
1 stick of real butter, at room temp.
5 cups confectioners' sugar
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter

With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add in the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

To frost the cake, place about 2/3 cup of frosting between each layer and then spread the remaining frosting on the top and sides. I did a really thin coat first, froze it for 10 minutes then did a second layer with the remaining frosting. Place it in the refrigerator while you make the ganache.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache:
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Stir together the chocolate chips, peanut butter and syrup. Microwave the cream just until bubbly, about 1 1/2 minutes. Quickly pour it over the chocolate chips and immediately cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let sit for 5 minutes. Stir vigorously to combine. Pour over your chilled cake. Let drip over the sides of the cake. My drips turned out kinda ugly, so I ended up spreading it evenly around the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.