Halloween Stuffed Peppers

Happy Halloween! Here's an easy dinner idea to celebrate, Halloween stuffed bell peppers. I would have preferred to make these with orange bell peppers to be more fitting, but the green peppers looked best at the store. You could use this same idea but change up the filling. I've seen people fill them with spaghetti and then the jack o'lantern faces have noodles coming out of them. Enjoy, and have a fun and safe Halloween!

Ingredients:
1 box prepared Zatarain's dirty rice mix* (you'll need a pound of ground beef and some water to make it)
bell peppers (you'll need as many as you have people to serve)
shredded cheese, optional

Preparation:
While the dirty rice is cooking, prep your peppers. Slice of the tops and scoop out all the seed and membranes from the pepper. Carve a jack o'lantern face into side of the pepper with a paring knife. If you like your peppers nice and crunchy you don't need to boil them. If you like them more tender you're going to want to boil them for just 3-4 minutes. I don't stress about cooking the tops because we don't eat the tops. Fill your prepared peppers with some dirty rice mix. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of cooking add some shredded cheese to the tops and finish baking. Serve warm and enjoy your festive dinner!


*We love Zatarain's mixes in our house. Our two favorites are the dirty rice mix and the yellow rice mix. I always have them on hand. The dirty rice is such a great go-to meal when you have limited time or aren't really in the mood to cook.

Chicken Alfredo Roll Ups with Homemade Alfredo Sauce

Here is a great comfort food recipe from Sarah!

This is a play on lasagna roll ups... which we love and have often!!! This recipe comes from Mmm Cafe.

Chicken Alfredo Roll Ups

9 lasagna noodles
2 1/2 cups Alfredo sauce
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
Oregano
Garlic salt
3 cups shredded Mozzarella, or cheese of your choice

Spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick spray and pour 1/2 cup Alfredo sauce, or just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Boil 8-10 cups water in a large pan, cook lasagna noodles until all dente.
Drain and rinse the noodles with cold water to prevent them from sticking to each other. Then lay out each noodle individually and blot dry with a paper towel.
Spread about 2 Tbs. Alfredo sauce over each noodle. Sprinkle oregano and garlic salt on top of sauce. Take 1/9 of the shredded chicken and spread it out evenly over each noodle. Add approx. 3 Tbs. Cheese. To roll up, start at one end and roll the noodle over the toppings. You will need to life the noodle a little to prevent squishing out the inside ingredients while rolling.
Place the roll-ups in the pan, one by one, seam side down so they don't come undone. Once they are all in the pan, pour the remaining Alfredo sauce over the top. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted on top.
Serves 3, 3 roll-ups each.


Homemade Garlic Alfredo Sauce

1/2 cup butter
2 oz. Cream cheese
2 cups heavy cream (or substitute half and half)
2 tsp. Garlic powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp.dried oregano
2/3 cup parmesan cheese

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add fresh minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the cream and whisk to smooth and melted. Whisk in the heavy cream. Season with the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and whisk frequently until sauce thickens, around 15 minutes. Stir in the cheese and when melted, remove from heat and serve.
Makes 2 1/2 cups.


This picture comes from Mmm Cafe.

California Chicken Marinade

So I've been feeling a bit under the weather this week, and that always messes up my menu plans. But it's hard to cook when you are super queasy. I wanted a quick, simple chicken dinner one night. I went to one of my favorite blogs, Mel's Kitchen Cafe and looked through her chicken dishes. This one caught my eye because it was easy and I had the ingredients on hand. I cut way down on the amount of sugar in the dish. Nate and I aren't huge fans of sweet meat, and I was using a low-sodium soy sauce, so I wouldn't need as much sugar to balance out the salt. I'm posting our version, which tastes so good, but you can see her original version here. Again, this is a great tasting, super easy chicken dish. Can you really ever have to many of those in your repertoire? Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted and then cooled
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. dry mustard
1-2 lbs. chicken (I used breasts, but tenderloins would be really great)

Preparation:
Combine all the ingredients, whisk so they are well incorporated. You don't want to add hot butter because it will curdle and separate, so make sure it cools for a bit after you melt it. My butter was cool and it still separated a bit, but the taste was still great. Marinate you chicken for 4-8 hours. Then cook it up and dish it up! On Mel's blog, she broils her chicken, but I baked mine and it would also be awesome grilled.

Sloppy Joe Jack O'Lanterns

Halloween is so close! Nate is a big fan of Halloween and I love getting to decorate and make festive food. Last night's dinner was no exception. It's a simple idea that makes dinner much more fun, and they tasted great too! I saw the idea over at Plain Chicken but I changed up the filling for our preferences. These would also be fun with a taco meat filling or some simple pizza ingredients (sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni). Try this for a fun dinner before trick-or-treating!

Ingredients:
sloppy joe meat (I used this recipe and we used about 2/3 of it)
8 count tube of refrigerated biscuits, the layered kind (I used Pillsbury)
shredded cheddar cheese, optional

Preparation:
Separate each biscuit into two layers. Flatten each layer into a circle. Lay out half the circle onto a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Spoon sloppy joe filling in the center of the circles on the baking sheet. Also add some shredded cheese if you like. Use a sharp paring knife and cut out jack o'lantern faces on the remaining circles. Using the scraps from the face cut outs make stems for your pumpkins. Place a stem on each sloppy joe circle then top with a jack o'lantern face. Carefully pinch and seal up all the sides. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-16 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with a nice green salad and enjoy!

2 Ingredient Chicken Marinade

We are always on the lookout for easy weeknight dishes. Especially ones with chicken. We really enjoy these savory chicken wings and I figured I could use the same ingredients for an easy marinade. Seriously, it's so easy and tasted awesome. I also think this would be a great marinade for pork chops. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 cup Italian dressing (I used Kraft's fat free zesty Italian)
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce

Preparation:
Whisk together dressing and soy sauce and pour over chicken. I made a pound and a half of chicken and it was the perfect amount of marinade. Let marinate for 4-6 hours in the fridge and then cook! It's that easy!

I always marinate in a gallon sized ziploc bag. I put the bag in a large dish in case there are any leaks. Tons easier!





I shared this over at Work It Wednesday.

Nate's Super Manly Mexican Dip

Okay, so I promise I cook more than Mexican food. For some reason all my posts so far this month have been Mexican food! I've got several new recipes that I'm trying this week, so I hope to have a little variety coming! We decided to have an at-home date night last night. If Nate had his way we'd have Mexican food every date night. I decided to indulge him and try a new style of Mexican shredded beef, Chile Colorado. I used the beef in a dip and it was total calorie filled comfort food. Nate could not have been happier, which makes me super happy. This is a really hearty and filling dip, we ate it as our main course. So if you're looking for a man-pleasing, perfect for football season dip, this is it!

Ingredients:
about a pound of shredded beef, I used chile colorado , but you could also make this shredded Mexican beef, or you could always just do some seasoned ground beef
1 can (16 oz.) refried beans
1 Tbsp. taco seasoning
1 - 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
Optional- sliced olives, diced green onions, pico de gallo, etc. (I think these would be awesome on top, but I left it plain for Nate)

Preparation:
Lightly spray a glass 8x8" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. In a bowl mix together the refried beans and taco seasoning. Spread the bean mixture into the bottom of the baking dish. Top the beans with the beef. The chile colorado is super good in this dish because it is nice and saucy. Then top with shredded cheese. Cover and bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Then uncover and bake another ten or until cheese is nice and melty. Serve hot with your favorite tortilla chips and enjoy!

Chile Colorado (Slow Cooker)

Nate went crazy for this beef! He was in heaven last night. This beef is so easy too. Ten minutes of prep work and then you let the crock pot do the rest, oh and your house will smell amazing all day. I saw this idea over at Plain Chicken. She used the beef in smothered burritos which look super tasty. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 lbs. beef stew meat
1/2 cup of tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. Knorr's Caldo de Tomate* (the kind I found came in cubes, so I used one cube)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3 Tbsp. chili powder
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth

Preparation:
Make the enchilada sauce. In a medium sauce pan, whisk together tomato sauce, Caldo de Tomate, garlic powder, chili powder, flour and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Place stew meat in 6-quart slow cooker. Cover with enchilada sauce. Cook on low for 8 hours. Then shred your meat and return to the crock pot. Use the meat for your favorite dish. It would be perfect in burritos or enchiladas. You can also use the sauce over the top with some shredded cheese and have an awesome smothered burrito.

*This is a chicken/tomato base. I found it at Winco in the Latin section.

Taco Roll Ups

Okay, I've got another simple and fun variation on taco night for you. I've been meaning to make these forever! I wish I hadn't taken so long to make these. Nate was super excited to have these, so he totally volunteered to cook the whole recipe with me. I love cooking together, I love cooking and it makes me feel so valued and loved when Nate wants to share in that hobby with me. Nate is a really good cook too, he pretends he can't cook, but he knows more than he lets on! So back to the recipe, I saw this idea over at Kaitlin in the Kitchen. It's so easy and I love the nice crispness the outside of the tortillas get and the warm gooey inside. Try this next time it's taco night.

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 small yellow onion, diced
1 packet taco seasoning plus the water it requires
(okay, the above ingredients are how I always make my taco meat, you don't have to do it this way, you just need a pound of your favorite taco meat)
soft taco sized flour tortillas (I believe we used 9 or 10)
shredded cheese (there's no set amount, just make it however cheesy you want)
butter or vegetable oil

Preparation:
Prepare your taco meat. I start browning and crumbling my ground beef, and halfway through cooking I toss in the diced green pepper and onion. Just as it finishes browning add the taco seasoning packet and the water it requires (I usually add a little less water than the packet says). Now it's time to assemble the roll ups. I made mine on a giant cutting board so I had room for all my roll ups and so that the mess was easy to clean up, or you could throw a sheet of tinfoil or parchment paper down. First, lay a tortilla down and then sprinkle some cheese right down the middle of the tortilla. Then scoop some of the taco meat on top of the cheese. Next sprinkle some more cheese on top of the meat. You need cheese on top and bottom so that the meat has something to stick to and won't fall out when you're done. Fold up the tortilla, fold one side in and then the other, then place seam side down so it stays together. Repeat this with all your tortillas and filling. Warm a large saute pan or griddle pan (I cooked at a heat just a bit warmer than medium) with a small amount of butter or vegetable oil so your roll ups brown nicely and don't stick. Once the pan is warm, place roll ups in the pan seam side down (as many as will fit) and grill for a few minutes or until the tortillas get to be a nice golden brown color. Then flip and do the same thing for the other side. I wish I had a nice big electric pancake griddle, then I could have cooked them all at once! Serve hot with your favorite taco toppings! Enjoy!

Mexican Lasagna

Okay, this is another recipe is a twist on one from my Grandma Olson. I liked her idea, but not necessarily the ingredients, so I made it the way I liked it. This is one of Nate's favorite dinners. It's so easy to make and I like that he gets some vegetables in him!

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning and the water it requires(Nate likes the Taco Bell brand)
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 small yellow onion, diced
1 can black beans, rinsed well and drained
1/2 cup frozen corn
flour tortillas (you could absolutely use corn tortillas, Nate prefers flour)
1 cup enchilada sauce or taco sauce
1 - 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese

Preparation:
Brown ground beef and season with taco seasoning as per seasoning packet directions. Halfway through cooking the beef, add diced green pepper and onion. Once beef is finished cooking, add the black beans and corn. You don't need to thaw or cook the corn first, it'll cook in the oven.

In an 8x8" baking dish spread some of the sauce into the bottom and then layer a tortilla on top. The tortillas we like fit perfectly into the 8x8" pan. Then spread a thin layer of sauce on top of the tortilla. Layer on some meat mixture and some cheese. Reserve a little cheese for the end of baking. Place a tortilla on next, followed by a thin layer of sauce,then repeat. You can make as many layers as you'd like. I usually just do two layers. I also don't use all the meat mixture. You should end up with a tortilla on top covered with some sauce. Cover with parchment paper and then with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese and return to oven. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese is all melted. Let stand for 5 minutes and then dig in! This is a super hearty dinner, so I just serve it with a simple green salad. Enjoy!

*Okay, don't feel pressured to use all the meat mixture! With all the veggies added to the meat, it goes really far. I generally use about 2/3 of the meat mixture. Leftovers of the meat mixture are really good with some tortilla chips or in a tortilla, or for taco salad. Also, I think this would be really good if you used shredded chicken instead of beef.

I had originally posted this recipe back in late 2010. Nate and I have tweaked it a bit over the years and I finally took a picture of it, so I felt it warranted a re-post.


I shared this recipe over at Mandy's Recipe Box and Chef In Training.

Dulce de Leche Brownies

Anything caramel related is a hit in our house. Nate could just eat caramel by the spoonful. I saw the idea for these brownies over at Let's Dish, but I just simplified it by using a box brownie mix. This recipe is super simple and makes your kitchen smell divine. Fall is officially here and I feel like I should be baking almost daily! Now we just need some crisp cold weather!

Ingredients:
your favorite brownie box mix (plus the eggs, oil, water it requires) or you could use your favorite homemade brownie recipe
1 cup dulce de leche (usually found in the Latin aisle of the store)

Preparation:
Line an 8x8" baking dish with tin foil and spray with cooking spray. Pour in half of your brownie mixture, and spread out evenly. Dollop half the dulce de leche on top of the brownie mixture in several small drops. Take a knife and swirl the dulce de leche. Pour on the other half of the brownie mix and smooth with a spatula. Put on the remaining dulce de leche in small dollops, and swirl again. Bake according to brownie mix directions. Mine called for a 350 degree oven and it took a little over 40 minutes to bake. Allow to cool a bit, slice and serve!

Stuffed Garlic Bread

This was such a hit! This may be the only way Nate wants garlic bread anymore. It is seriously so good. Total comfort food. You could totally add some diced pepperoni, green peppers, onions, or olives and make it a meal and just serve a green salad with it. I know we'll be making this time and time again.

Ingredients:
1 loaf of french bread
butter, melted
garlic bread seasoning
freshly shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation:
Using a sharp bread knife cut diagonal slices into the bread. Don't cut all the way through. Once you've finished going one direction, cut diagonally the other direction. Again, don't cut all the way through the bread. Wrap bottom of the bread with tin foil and place on a baking dish. Use a pastry brush and brush butter in all the crevices of the bread. Then sprinkle with garlic bread seasoning, and finally with some cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-12 minutes or until cheese is nice and melted. Enjoy warm!

Picture Updated 01/03/13

I shared this recipe over at Six Sisters' Stuff, Weekend Potluck, and Farm Girl Friday.

Amazing Potato Rolls/Spudnuts

Here's a dough recipe from Katie that can be made either into rolls or into donuts. It's definitely a keeper recipe, she's been making it since Zak was a baby. Katie says the potatoes in the roll keep the rolls soft and moist so that left overs are nearly as yummy as hot out of the oven! I know bread is such comfort food and so I don't think there can ever be enough bread and roll recipes in your repertoire.


Dissolve in 1/2 c. lukewarm water... 3 pkg. yeast
In a separate bowl, mix 2 min..........1 c. hot water
1 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
2 c. mashed potatoes (or instant reconstituted)
1 T. salt
Add....................................3 c. water (potato water is good)
yeast from above
6 eggs
1 1/2 c. dry milk
If you are making donuts then add....1 t. nutmeg
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. lemon rind
And finally add................................14 cups of flour (or enough flour until it cleans the sides of the bowl)

Knead 5 minutes until smooth. Place in lightly greased/oiled bowl and turn to grease top. Allow to raise until double in bulk. (About an hour)
Make sure to cover with damp towel. Punch dough down and roll out into desired shape. Bake at 350 for approx 10 minutes until golden brown.

If you are making spudnuts: Roll out to 1/2" thickness on lightly floured surface and cut with lightly floured doughnut cutter. Place on lightly
greased pan until double in bulk (approx. 30 minutes). Fry in 375 degree oil about 1 minute per side. Drain on paper towel. Glaze while still
warm. Drain on cooling racks with wax paper beneath. Makes approx. 120 spudnuts.

Frankly, I have never made these into doughnuts because the rolls are so delicious! I use this recipe for my ham and cheese roll ups. That is because the left overs are also very tasty the next day! It is also very excellent for cinnamon rolls. Enjoy!

Asian Marinated Steak

I love Asian food and my husband Nate loves steak and so this was a hit with both of us! It is definitely still warm enough to grill and we're taking full advantage! Everything tastes better on the grill. This marinade recipe is a combination of a lot of our favorite Asian flavors. We marinated the steaks for an hour and the flavor was just right. I also think this would taste great on some nice thick cut pork chops.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. steak
1/2 cup low-sodium soy
1/2 cup pear juice (I just simply buy one little 4 oz. bottle from the baby section of the store)
1 heaping tsp. sriracha hot sauce (more if you like lots of heat, you can find this in the Asian section of most any grocery store)
1/2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1-2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. granulated ginger
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. pepper (we love Lawry's seasoned pepper)
1/2 tsp. dried onion
2 cloves minced garlic

Preparation:
Whisk together all the marinade ingredients, making sure they are well combined. Pour over steaks. I like to use a gallon sized ziploc bag for my marinades. Fill 'em up and then set them in a dish or bowl in case of leaks, and you're set! Let marinate in the fridge for 1 hour and then grill to your desired doneness. Let steaks rest for 5 minutes then serve and enjoy! These would be great served with some fried rice and spicy broccoli, or sliced and serve over a salad. Enjoy!




This was recipe was part of a guest post I did over at Lovely Little Snippets.

Guest Posting

Hey, just wanted to let everyone know that we will be guest posting over at Lovely Little Snippets tomorrow. I'm sharing a super tasty recipe that you'll really enjoy. So be sure and stop by!

Pizza Bread

Sooo amazing! This was absolutely divine. I'm so glad I have another batch of pizza dough in the freezer. I'm definitely going to have to make this again soon. It's so easy to make too. I'll probably have this be one of the meals Nate makes for me after my foot surgery next week. You can use whatever fillings you'd like, and the dough get's this nice crust on the outside and is soft on the inside, so good! I tried grating my own whole milk mozzarella, and it was so good, I don't know if I can use the pre-shredded stuff again. Make this asap, you'll love it!

Ingredients:
1 ball amazing pizza dough
melted butter
garlic bread seasoning
freshly shredded whole milk mozzarella
pizza toppings of your choice (I added green pepper, onion, Hormel's turkey pepperoni our favorite!, and Canadian bacon)

Preparation:
Roll pizza dough out into a rectangle. You don't want it to be too thick or you'll have trouble getting the middle cooked. Brush a really light coat of melted butter over the dough and then sprinkle garlic bread seasoning over the top. Add your mozzarella cheese, then your pizza toppings. Carefully roll up the dough lengthwise, making sure your toppings stay inside. Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil and spray with non-stick spray. Transfer your pizza bread onto the middle of the cookie sheet. I find it's easiest to make the pizza bread on a cutting board and then I can easily roll it onto the cookie sheet. Brush a small amount of butter over the top of the bread and sprinkle with some garlic bread seasoning. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a nice golden brown. Slice and serve hot with our favorite pizza sauce for dipping!

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cupcakes

I'm sure you're all aware by now of my husband's love for all things cinnamon-sugar. Well, Nate also loves breakfast cereal. So this recipe was a fun combination of those two. I saw the idea over at Mormon Mavens in the Kitchen. These were easy to make and they made my kitchen smell heavenly while they cooked! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Cake-
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 box vanilla cake mix (not white cake mix)
3/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (I highly recommend McCormick's Saigon cinnamon)
1/3 cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, crushed

Frosting-
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, crushed into a fine powder


Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake tins with liners. In a large bowl, gently combine eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla. Mix in sour cream. Add cake mix and cinnamon and mix until smooth. Stir in 1/3 cup crushed cereal. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with cupcake batter and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until edges are a light golden brown or an inserted toothpick comes out clean. For the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add Cinnamon Toast Crunch powder. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Adjust the consistency using milk if it is too thick. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and top with a Cinnamon Toast Crunch square.

Hot Ham Dips

Nate says this is one of his new favorite sandwiches. I'd say it's a keeper recipe then! They were warm and comforting, and enjoyed while he watched the Green Bay vs. Bears game. I do think these make good football food. I saw this idea over at Plain Chicken, and I served them on homemade pretzel buns. You could easily serve these on some nice rolls or slider buns. Try these for your next football party. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
melted butter
pretzel buns, split (or you could use rolls)
shredded cheddar cheese
sliced ham
1 can (14.5 oz.) beef broth
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Preparation:
Place rolls on a baking sheet and brush cut sides with butter. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil 3-4 in. from the heat for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is thoroughly melted.
In a large saucepan, combine beef broth and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Place ham into broth. Heat ham for 30-60 seconds, until warm. Using tongs, place ham on rolls. Serve immediately with remaining broth for dipping.

Pretzel Rolls

I've been wanting to make these rolls forever! I love soft pretzels, love them! That was one of the conditions of us buying season tickets to BYU football. I told Nate that he would need to buy me a soft pretzel at every game. These rolls are so good. I really enjoyed them. I found the recipe at My Life as a Mrs. I followed the recipe exactly and had great success. I made mine bun size to use for sandwiches, but if you wanted to serve them as rolls, just shape them smaller. I hope you enjoy her recipe as much as I did!

Ingredients:
1 ½ cup warm water (110°F)
1 package active dry yeast (not instant rise yeast)
2 teaspoons sugar
4-½ cups unbleached all-purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted Butter, melted
¼ cups baking soda
1 whole egg, lightly beaten
Pretzel Salt, for sprinkling (I only had kosher salt, but I'm definitely going to be buying some pretzel salt!)

Preparation:
In the bowl of your stand mixer (fitted with the dough hook attachment), add the water, yeast, and sugar. Stir and let rest 5-10 minutes until foamy (mine didn't look all that foamy but still turned out).
Add the flour, salt, and melted butter and mix using the dough hook until combined well. Cover with a plastic wrap (or a towel) and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk (again, mine didn't look like it rose all that much, but turned out amazingly). Punch the dough down and turn it onto a lightly floured clean surface.
Line 1 large sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. Cut the dough into 8 pieces (4 1/2 - 5 ounces each). To shape the dough "take a piece of dough and start forming a round, smooth ball by pulling the sides to the center and pinching to seal. Place, pinched side down, on a counter and lightly cupping your hand around the dough ball, rotate your hand in small circles lightly rolling the ball around the palm of your hand."
Place the ball on the prepared baking sheet pinched seam side down, with at least 1” between each roll. I like to stagger mine: 2 rolls side by side, then one down one row but between the two in the top row... Then 2 more side by side, followed by one down a row but between the 2 in the top row... etc (this will fit all 8 on one cookie sheet). Cover with a towel and allow to rest in a warm place for 30 minutes until they rise & double (mine didn't rise a whole lot).
Preheat oven to 425°F and place oven rack in the middle position. In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts of water to a low boil. Remove from heat and slowly add the baking soda (I dumped mine in and it boiled up and overflowed all over my stove - lesson learned! hah) place back on heat and lower to a simmer.
Place 2-3 of the rolls at a time into the poaching liquid, seam side down. Poach for 30 seconds and then carefully turn the roll over and poach for another 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon to the same prepared sheet pan, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining rolls.
Using a pastry brush, brush each roll with the beaten egg, making sure to coat all sides completely & then prinkle each roll with a little pretzel salt. Using a sharp straight edged knife, cut a slash (or 2) -or- an “X” shape in the top of each roll. Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot!

Baked Tacos

Nate loved these! He was seriously complimenting me all throughout dinner. These instantly became a family favorite for us. Nate says he can't eat regular tacos ever again. I am so pleased these lived up to expectations. I've had this idea from Lynn's Kitchen saved for months. I honestly don't know why I didn't try them sooner! They were a hit for our family and I'm sure you'll enjoy them too.

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 can fat free refried beans
4 oz. tomato sauce
1 envelope + 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning (Nate likes the Taco Bell brand)
1/3 cup water
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
shredded cheese
taco shells (I used the stand and stuff kind)
toppings of your choice, salsa, shredded lettuce, sour cream, etc.

Preparation:
In a large skillet brown and crumble ground beef, halfway through cooking add the diced pepper and onion. Once beef is cooked add the envelope of taco seasoning and water. Reduce heat to medium and allow water to and seasoning to be absorbed. Then add the beans, tomato sauce, and 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning. Mix thoroughly. Once mixture is well combined and heated through, spoon into taco shells. I used 10 of the stand and stuff shells and had some beef mixture left over. Place filled taco shells in a 9x13" baking dish. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until shells are warm and cheese is melted. Serve immediately with toppings of your choice. Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Bites

Football season is here! That means it's time to break out the new appetizer and finger food recipes I've been wanting to try. My husband is a big fan of buffalo chicken and I've got lots of buffalo recipes saved for him. I saw this recipe over at Sweet Pea's Kitchen. Nate loved these! After his second bite he told me that it was a keeper recipe for sure! Love when I hit a home run! Enjoy.

Ingredients:
3 cups cooked and finely shredded chicken (I made it easy and used a rotisserie chicken from Costco)
1/4 - 1/2 cup hot sauce (to taste)
3 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened (I used fat free)
1 3/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3-4 cups corn flakes, crushed

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350˚F. In a large bowl, combine chicken, cream cheese and hot sauce, cheddar cheese and green onions. Place flour in one bowl, eggs in another, and corn flakes in another. Using a cookie scoop, scoop out some chicken mixture, roll into a ball then dip in flour, then egg, and then corn flakes. Place the finished bites on a tin foil lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken mixture. My size cookie scoop made just over 35 buffalo chicken bites. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serve with some extra hot sauce and ranch dressing. Enjoy!

Instructions for freezing:
If freezing place the dipped and uncooked chicken balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze for 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a freezer bag and store in the freezer until ready. When ready to bake, place the frozen chicken balls on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350˚F for 25 to 30 minutes, until crispy and golden brown.





I shared this over at The Chicken Chick.

Spaghetti Salad

Since I tried pasta salad for the first time this summer, I've made a couple different variations. I enjoy pasta salad as long as there isn't too much dressing on it. So if you need to, go ahead and add more Italian dressing to this dish, I won't be offended. Nate and I are headed to a family function and I thought this would be a good little dish to bring along. I am really pleased with the flavors. I first saw the idea over at Miss Information and just adapted it for our tastes. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
16 oz. angel hair pasta
6 oz. fat free Italian dressing (again, add more if you like a really strong dressing taste)
McCormick Salad Supreme seasoning to taste (I think I added 1/2 Tbsp.)
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1/2 can of diced tomatoes (or you can use fresh, I just don't like raw tomatoes)
1 small can of sliced olives
olive oil

Preparation:
Boil pasta until al dente. Rinse noodles with cold water and drizzle with a tiny amount of olive oil, toss well. Your noodles should be cool. Mix pepper, onion, olives, noodles, Italian dressing, and salad seasoning. Taste as you go, and add more seasoning and dressing as needed. Add tomatoes in last and gently mix those in. Refrigerate salad until serving.

German Chocolate Cake Cookies

Sorry for being so absentee lately! I had foot surgery and then was out of town for a week. Things should be getting back to normal now though. I made these cookies for our trip with Nate's family. Several of them love German chocolate cake and so I figured these cookies would be a hit. Everyone really enjoyed them. I found this recipe over at Crumbs and Chaos. I used a cookie scoop to portion these out and I ended up with nearly 6 dozen small cookies.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix until well combined. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Stir until everything is fully incorporated. Mix in chocolate chips, pecans and coconut. Put tablespoon sized balls of dough on cookie sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Crock Pot Sante Fe Chicken

This recipe comes from Alisha. She said it was super good and fast and easy to make. This recipe and photo comes from Chef In Training, which is an awesome recipe blog, be sure and check it out. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds chicken
1 (14.4 oz) can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
1 (15 oz) can black beans
8 oz frozen corn
1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
1 (14.4 oz) can chicken broth
3 scallions chopped
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot. Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning. Serve over rice.

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

These are so good, and so easy to make! Honestly, I'd rather make donuts than cookies for Nate. They are just so quick and easy! Cinnamon sugar is one of Nate's favorite dessert flavors, he loves cinnamon rolls, churros, etc. I knew these would be a hit with him. I saw this idea over at Crumbs and Chaos, the same site where I found these cookies 'n cream donuts. If you're looking for an easy dessert, give these a try!

Ingredients:
Donuts-
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Topping-
1 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon


Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously spray a donut pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.
In a small bowl, beat together buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and melted butter until well combined.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well until combined.
Fill your donut pan 3/4 full and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the donuts spring back when touched. Allow to cool slightly before removing from the pan.
To make topping, mix together the sugars and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Dunk one side of each donut in melted butter to completely coat and the swirl around in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat.

Baked Turkey Tenderloin

So good! We LOVE turkey at our house. It is my personal favorite, and this recipe is an awesome way to prepare turkey. I've never made a turkey tenderloin, but it was so fast and so easy. We'll definitely be doing this again and again. For you local folks, I got my turkey tenderloins at Harmon's. This was a really easy Sunday dinner that we made with some yellow rice and green beans. Can't beat that! The rub comes from Weber's Real Grilling book, I totally recommend this book, everything we've made out of it has been amazing. Their rubs are fantastic!

Ingredients:
2 (0.5 lb.) turkey tenderloins
olive oil
4 tsp. onion powder
4 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
Mix together all the seasonings. I keep mine in a small tupperware container, then you can use the leftovers in other poultry dishes too. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on both sides of the turkey tenderloins, and then sprinkle some of the rub on both sides of the turkey. Place tenderloins in a prepared baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!




I shared this recipe over at Mandy's Recipe Box and Chef in Training.

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