Braided Spaghetti Bread

Ingredients

1. 1 Loaf Rhodes™ Bread Dough or 12 Rhodes™ Dinner Rolls, thawed to room temperature (I have also used PW's pizza crust recipe and it turned out great)
2. 6 ounces spaghetti, cooked
3. 1 cup thick spaghetti sauce
4. 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
5. 1 egg white, beaten
6. Parmesan cheese
7. parsley flakes

Instructions

Cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain and let cool slightly. Remove wrap from dough. Place spaghetti lengthwise in a 4-inch strip down center of dough. Top with sauce and cheese cubes. Make cuts 1 1/2-inches apart on long sides of dough to within 1/2-inch of filling. Begin braid by folding top and bottom strips toward filling. Then braid strips left over right, right over left. Finish by pulling last strip over and tucking under braid. Lift braid with both hands and place on a large, sprayed baking sheet. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley. Bake at 350°F 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly and slice to serve.

Spray counter lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Roll loaf or combined dinner rolls into a 12x16-inch rectangle. 

Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 10-15 minutes. 

Recipe: http://www.rhodesbread.com/blog/blog/braided-spaghetti-bread

Graham Cracker Toffee Crunch

I stumbled upon this recipe while on Pinterest and realized I had every ingredient on hand, so I thought, why not? This is so easy and so delicious. I'm embarrassed to admit that half the pan is already gone! Although, I did have some help :)

Ingredients

• 14 - 16 graham cracker sheets

• 1 cup butter

• ¾ cup brown sugar

• 2 cups milk chocolate chips (1 bag)

• 1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 15x10x1 inch cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper lightly sprayed with non stick cooking spray.
• Break graham crackers into quarters and cover the cookie sheet in a single layer.
• In a saucepan combine the butter and brown sugar and stir over medium heat. Bring to a boil stirring constantly for about 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and pour evenly the graham crackers. You may need to spread mixture evenly over graham crackers with a spoon. Bake for 7 minutes at 350.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the baked toffee and let them melt for a few minutes. Then spread the melted chocolate evenly over the toffee.
• Sprinkled with chopped nuts on top of the melted chocolate.
• Cool completely (put in fridge to set up faster) and then break apart and store in airtight container.

Recipe: http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2014/12/graham-cracker-toffee-crunch-recipe.html

Sugar Cookies

I was looking for a different recipe that would be better for cut-out cookies. This one worked out great!

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon milk

Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 
Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Serve as is or ice as desired. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.

Recipe: Alton Brown

Swedish Meatballs

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1/2 cup Panko*
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
FOR THE GRAVY
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups beef broth
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
• In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, Panko, egg yolks, allspice, nutmeg and cooked onion; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until well combined. Roll the mixture into 1 1/4-to-1 1/2-inch meatballs, forming about 24 meatballs.
• Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Add meatballs, in batches, and cook until all sides are browned, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
• To make the gravy, melt butter in the skillet. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in beef broth and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in sour cream; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Stir in meatballs and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through and thickened, about 8-10 minutes.
• Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

Recipe: http://damndelicious.net

Chicken Tortilla Stack

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 5 9-inch flour tortillas
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 2 1/2 cups shredded chicken
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced, for serving
• 1 roma tomato, diced, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray.
• Heal olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Working one at a time, add tortilla and cook until crisp and lightly browned, about 1-2 minutes per side, flipping only once.
• Place 1 tortilla on the bottom of the springform pan. Spread 2-3 tablespoons sour cream evenly over the top, followed by chicken, sharp cheddar, Pepper Jack and mozzarella. Repeat with 3 more layers; top with remaining tortilla, sour cream and cheeses.
• Place into oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheeses have melted and the stack is heated through.
• Cut into wedges and serve immediately, garnished with avocado and tomato, if desired.

Recipe: http://damndelicious.net via Pinterest

Restaurant Style Spanish Rice

Ingredients

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups chicken broth

Directions:

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with salt and cumin.
Stir in onions and cook until tender. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Recipe: http://mytastebuddies.blogspot.com via Pinterest

Chili Seasoning II

Ingredients:  

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
• 1 tablespoon dried, minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons of mix per 1 lb. of meat

add diced tomatoes, chili/black/kidney beans

www.allrecipes.com

Basic Vinegar Sauce

Used as a marinade after pork butt has finished smoking and is resting

Ingredients:

1 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup hot sauce (we used Frank's)

1 tbs salt

1 tbs coarsely ground black pepper

1 1/2 tbs red pepper flakes

1/4 cup sugar

In a stockpot over medium heat, combine the vinegar, ketchup, and hot sauce. Stir together. Pour in all the remaining ingredients and stir to dissolve. Do not boil.

When the spices are thoroughly dissolved, take the pot off the heat, funnel the sauce in a bottle. The sauce will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 year.

Smoke your pork shoulder to about 180 for 6 hours, put it in an aluminum pan, add a cup of vinegar sauce over the top, cover the pan with aluminum foil cook it to 205 internal temperature in oven at 275 for 2 hours. Turn off oven and let it rest 1 hour. Shred meat and mix meat with sauce in pan.

Recipe: Myron Mixon

Apple Injected Smoked Pork

marinade injection for smoking a pork butt, with some modifications

Ingredients:

2 cups apple juice
2 tablespoons Rub seasoning (plow boys)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup lemon juice
Dash Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 (6 to 8-pound) pork butt

In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the marinade.

Put the pork into a casserole dish. Fill a syringe with the marinade and inject 3/4 of the way into the pork. Inject the meat in several places with the marinade. Pour the remaining marinade over the meat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 12 hours, so flavors can permeate.

Preheat a grill to 275 degrees F, using indirect heat and applewood chips (we used hickory)

Recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/apple-injected-smoked-pork-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Buffalo Chicken Burgers

A friend of mine introduced me to this recipe knowing that this is right up our alley! I will be honest..we substituted venison for chicken burger though. We followed everything else exactly as the recipe stated and it was delicious! Either way, you won't be disappointed!

Ingredients

• Chicken Burger:
• 1 lb of ground chicken
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 cloves of garlic, pressed
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
• Salt
• Fresh crackednd  pepper
• 1 tsp minced fresh dill weed
• 1 tsp minced fresh parsley
• 2 tbs oil for cooking
• Sandwich:
• Burger buns
• Chicken Burgers
• Buffalo sauce
• Ranch Dressing
• Blue cheese crumbles
• Tomato slices
• Chopped green onion
• Sliced Mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Chicken Burgers:
2. Preheat the pan and the oil on medium heat. Combine the ingredients for the chicken burgers in a mixing bowl and mix well. Scoop out the meat mixture (as big as you want the burgers) and form patties with your hands. Cook the chicken burgers, on medium heat, for about 10 minutes of each side.
3. When the chicken burgers are fully cooked, pour some buffalo sauce in the pan and and cook the burgers in the sauce for about a minute on each side.
4. To assemble the sandwiches: spread some ranch dressing on the bottom bun, add some blue cheese crumbles and tomato slices. Add the buffalo chicken burger and top it off with some green onion and Mozzarella cheese slices.

Recipe: http://www.willcookforsmiles.com/2013/07/buffalo-chicken-burger.html

Zucchini Bread

Last year, my mother-in-law introduced me to this recipe.  It is so good!  With all the garden goodies we have been picking, I am using all my leftover zucchini to make multiple loaves and freeze them.

Ingredients
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup water
2 cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes.


Recipe: Paula Deen

Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

This turned out great and was a perfect summer meal.  I'm not sure the pepper was necessary though, since it added quite a zing to the sauce.  Next time I will omit it.  I also served this on pretzel buns instead of hamburger bun...huge hit!

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup caesar dressing
• 1/2 cup parmesan, shredded
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• Romaine leaves
• Hamburger buns

Arrange chicken breasts in abase of slow cooker. Pour 1/2 cup water into basin and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred with two forks. Drain water. Return chicken to basin and stir in caesar dressing, parmesan, parsley, and pepper.

Serves 3-4

Recipe: http://rachelschultz.com/2013/05/09/slow-cooker-chicken-caesar-sandwiches/

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

I think I've finally found an icing recipe that I like!  I feel like I have been on this mission for a long time.  I made cupcakes last night for our Bunco group and this icing was a huge hit.  Mission accomplished!

Ingredients:

• 5 1/2 tbsp butter
• 5 1/2 cups powdered sugar (I used C&H brand...come to realize brand makes a difference in flavor)
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 8 oz. low-fat cream cheese

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat all ingredients (gradually adding sugar in the bowl) on high speed until light and fluffy, at least three minutes.

Pipe onto cupcakes using a pastry bag with a large round tip.

Recipe: http://www.getsweetsmart.com/vanilla-bean-cupcakes-with-vanilla-cream-cheese-frosting/

Gooseberry Pie

• We have a family heirloom gooseberry bush in our backyard which honestly, I had never thought to do anything with.  I didn't grow up with gooseberries so I wasn't sure what they tasted like and therefore had no idea when they were ripe. After inspecting our bush one day with all the green berries ripening, my husband inspired me to look up this recipe. Apparently, gooseberry pie can be made in a variety of ways but this is the "tart" version (meaning the berries are green). From the feedback I received, it turned out pretty good!

Ingredients:

• 2 pie crusts (I used my recipe)
• 4 cups fresh or frozen gooseberries
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon light cream or milk
• Sugar (about 2 teaspoons)

Directions

1. Prepare pie pastry. Roll out half of the pastry to a 12-inch circle. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim pastry even with rim of pie plate. Set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine berries, and 1 tablespoon water. Cook over medium-low heat until the berries "pop," stirring occasionally.
3. Combine the 1-1/2 cups sugar, the flour, and nutmeg; add to the gooseberries in the saucepan. Cook and stir until mixture just begins to bubble.
4. Spread mixture in the pastry-lined pie plate. Roll out remaining pastry. Cut slits to allow steam to escape. Place remaining pastry on filling; trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold top pastry under bottom pastry. Crimp edge as desired. Brush top crust with cream or milk; sprinkle with a little sugar. Cover the edge of the pie with foil.
5. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil. Bake about 20 minutes more or until top is golden. Cool. Makes 8 servings.

Recipe: http://www.midwestliving.com/recipe/pies/gooseberry-pie/

Pie Crust

2 cups flour

1 cup cold butter, cut into cubes

1/2 cup ice cold water

1 tsp salt 

Blend flour, butter and salt together using a pastry blender until it resembles cornmeal.

Add ice water stirring until all water is gone. Divide in half. Refrigerate for 30 mins. Roll one half on floured surface for bottom crust. Use the other half for top crust, or freeze to use later if you only need one crust.

Recipe: ALBC Women

Traditional Chicken Salad

This recipe reminds me of the delicious chicken salad sandwich I had a few times at the Mockingbird Cafe in Warsaw! I love the various textures with grapes, pecans, and celery.
Note: I seasoned my chicken with salt & pepper and realized, after the fact, that I should have tasted the mixture prior to adding additional salt and pepper into the recipe. It was a little over-salted, but no complaints from the husband so it wasn't terrible :) I ended up adding more sour cream to balance out the salt, but I will remember this next time around!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tbs. chopped fresh tarragon (I used 2 tsp. dried)
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 3 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 2 cups halved red grapes
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped toasted

Croissants
Green leaf lettuce

In a large bowl, stirl together mayonnaise and next 5 ingredients. Add chicken and next 3 ingredients, stirring to combine. Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. Serve on croissants with lettuce, if desired.

Makes 7 cups

Recipe: Cooking with Paula Deen, March/April 2014 issue

One Pan Mexican Quinoa

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapenos, minced
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and jalapeno, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stir in quinoa, vegetable broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Stir in avocado, lime juice and cilantro.
• Serve immediately.

Recipe: http://damndelicious.net

Creamy Spinach Tomato Tortellini

This was a huge hit.  Flavoring was perfect! I've had a hard time finding an alfredo recipe that I like, but after trying this one, I think I may have finally found it! It was creamy, yet with the addition of the spinach and tomatoes, didn't seem as heavy as some others I have tried.  Definitely a keeper.

The only modification that my husband, the carnivore, would add is grilled chicken.  But in my opinion, it's great just as it is!

Ingredients

• 1 bag regular sized Barilla three cheese tortellini (8 oz) or 16 oz fresh tortellini in the refrigerated section of your grocery store
• 2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon onion flakes
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Begin by boiling your tortellini noodles until they are al dente (aka ready). Follow the directions on the bag for boiling time.
2. While the tortellini is boiling, chop the spinach roughly.
3. Heat a large skillet using medium heat and put the two teaspoons of minced garlic into it. Sautee it briefly until fragrant, about thirty seconds or so.
4. Add into the skillet the petite diced tomatoes (undrained), spinach, salt, pepper, dried basil, and onion flakes.
5. Cook and stir over medium high heat until the mixture begins to bubble.
6. In another bowl, combine the flour and half-and-half. Whisk until fairly smooth.
7. Add the creamy mixture into the the skillet along with the parmesan cheese.
8. Heat through and reduce the heat to medium low and continue to stir and cook until it thickens, about 5 minutes.
9. Add the drained tortellini and mix together gently.

Recipe: www.bombshellbling.com

Baked Chicken and Spinach Flautas

These were fabulous! I had never boiled chicken in beer and seasoned after shredding, but this may be my new method when cooking Mexican food.  Very tasty! I had a bit more chicken left over so will remember to add more cheese and spinach/jalapeno mix to the recipe next time to make a few more flautas.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs (about 4)- (I used chicken breasts)
• 16 ounces Beer (or chicken broth)
• 2 cups Water
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 teaspoon ground Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1 Jalapeno Pepper, minced
• 3 cups Baby Spinach, chopped
• 5 burrito-size Flour Tortillas (9 inches)
• 6 ounces Queso Quesadilla or other melting cheese, shredded- (I couldn't find this cheese, so I used pepper jack)
• 1 teaspoon Olive Oil, or cooking spray
• Salsa (and sour cream), for serving

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 450*F.
2. Put the chicken thighs in a deep sided saute pan and cover with the beer and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the liquid and shred it. Mix together the chicken and seasonings.
3. Pour out all but ¼ cup of the cooking liquid. Add the jalapeno and spinach and cook over low heat until for 2-3 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted.
4. Cut the tortillas in half. Spoon 1/10th of the chicken (about 1 tablespoon) along the long edge of a tortilla. Repeat with the spinach and cheese. Roll the tortilla up, starting with the straight edge. Place seam-side down on an oiled baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
5. Brush the flautas with olive oil or spray with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn them over and bake for until 10 minutes, or until crispy. Serve with salsa.

Recipe: www.healthy-delicious.com