Birds' Nests

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, for greasing the muffin pan
• 6 ounces (1/2 bag) of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 6 ounces (1/2 bag) of butterscotch chips
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 6 ounces (1/2 of a large bag) of chow mein noodles
• 36 mini Cadbury eggs

Instructions

1. Generously grease the wells of a muffin pan with the butter (this will help later when you are taking out the chilled nests).

2. In a large microwave-proof bowl, heat the chocolate and butterscotch chips in 30 second intervals until thoroughly melted, stirring after each increment.**It only took me two 30-second intervals.

3. Once melted, add the peanut butter to the chocolate/butterscotch mixture, mixing well until smooth and completely combined.

4. Carefully add the chow mein noodles, stirring with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, until completely coated.

5. Using a large spoon, mold the mixture into the wells of your muffin tin, indenting the tops slightly with the back of the spoon.

6.  Chill the nests until hardened, about 1 hour or so.

7.  Once chilled, gently remove the nests from the muffin tin.***I used a butter knife as a lever to pop them out-this seemed to work.

8.  Place three eggs (or colored jelly beans!) on the tops of each nest.

Servings: 12

Recipe: www.thecurvycarrot.com

Jelly Bean Easter Bark

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) white choc. chips
• 2 teaspoons vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup WONKA® SweeTARTS® Jelly Beans,divided

LINE baking sheet with wax paper.

MICROWAVE morsels and vegetable shortening in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 1 minute; STIR. Morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted. Stir in 1/4 cup SweeTarts Jelly Beans.

SPREAD mixture to 1/4-inch thickness on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup SweeTarts Jelly Beans. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes or until firm. Break into pieces. Store in airtight container at room temperature. 

Recipe: www.verybestbaking.com

One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 tbs. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 onion, diced
• 8 ounces ground beef
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 3/4 cup canned white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. cumin
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 10 ounces elbow pasta
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tbs. chopped fresh parsley leaves

Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion and ground beef, and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks.

Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, beans, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a simmer and stir in pasta. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 13-15 minutes.

Remove from heat. Top with cheese and cover until melted, about 2 minutes.

Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

Recipe: http://damndelicious.net/2014/03/15/one-pot-chili-mac-cheese/

Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf

Ingredients:

For the Loaf:
1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed

For the Lemon Syrup:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar
For the Lemon Glaze:
1 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides of one 9 x 5-inch loaf pans; dust with flour, tapping out excess.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing loaf to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.
While the loaf is cooling, make the lemon syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir together the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside.
Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the warm loaf. Brush the top and sides of the loaf with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cake cool completely.
To make the lemon glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable. Add up to another tablespoon of lemon juice if the mixture is too stiff. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of each loaf and let it drip down the sides. Let the lemon glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.

Recipe Notes:
This recipe will also yield about 12 standard muffins or 36 miniature muffins, baking time adjusted.
It could be doubled and baked in a well-greased and floured bundt pan, baking time adjusted.
This recipe could also be baked in an 8-inch square or 9-inch round, to create a thin cake (approx. 1 1/2 inches tall), baking time adjusted.

Baked Fudge

Ingredients

2 whole eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons (heaping) cocoa
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 stick butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Beat the eggs until light in color. Beat in the sugar until just combined. Add the cocoa, flour, melted butter
and vanilla extract. Mix gently until well combined.
Pour the batter into 4 large ramekins. Set the ramekins into a larger pan halfway full of water.
Bake until the upper crust is crispy and the rest of the batter is firm but not set, 40 to 50 minutes. If you pull it out of the oven and have second thoughts, stick it back in for 10 more minutes.
Serve with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Recipe: www.thepioneerwoman.com

Serves: 4 (double recipe if using an 8x8 pan instead of ramekins and adjust baking time accordingly)

Frito Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 pkg. taco seasoning
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 can cresent roll dough
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 3 cups crushed corn chips
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1/2 stick melted butter

Instructions:

1. cook ground beef and add taco seasoning and water
2. simmer 5 mins
3. add crescent roll dough to greased 9" pie pan
4. press triangles into pie dish with points toward the center
5. press seams together to seal
6. press 1 1/2 cups of the crushed corn chips on the crescent crust
7. spoon ground beef over chips evenly
8. mix sour cream with salsa
9. spread sour cream mixture over meat
10. cover with the shredded cheese
11. top with remaining crushed corn chips
12. top corn chips with melted butter
13. bake at 400 degrees for approx 20 mins (until crust is brown)

Recipe: http://centslessdeals.com/2013/05/frito-pie-recipe.html/

Cheesy Chipotle Chicken and Rice

• 1 cup uncooked rice
• 2 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder (or adjust to desired spiciness) 
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 3/4 cup corn (frozen or canned)
• 1 2/3 cup cooked chicken (shredded)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 onion (yellow or red)
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• About a cup Mexican cheese or Colby-Jack  cheese
• About 1/2 cup Sour Cream
• Cilantro 

Combine the Rice, chicken stock, paprika, chipotle powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and one tablespoon of the butter. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for twenty minutes. Add the remaining butter, beans, corn, chicken, garlic, onion, and red bell pepper and turn the heat to medium high. Stir constantly until the onions are tender enough for your taste. You can stir in the cheese and sour cream or just use it as a garnish. Top with cilantro if desired.

Recipe: http://www.yammiesnoshery.com/