Bayou Brownies

This recipe (or something very similar) is floating around the Internet masquerading under like five different names.  I picked the Bayou Brownie name mostly because I'm a fan of alliteration.

These brownies don't actually contain any chocolate.  But, don't worry, they won't disappoint!  I think they're called "brownies" merely because of the texture.  In fact, you could probably call these Bayou Blondies, but then there would be six names for a single dessert, and six names would be totally over the top.

Anyway, these brownies are ridiculously easy to make.  They do bake at a low temperature for a relatively long period of time, but very little is required to get them in the oven.  And, you probably have all of the ingredients hanging around in your kitchen, so you might as well make them anyway.  These were so good that I made them and took them to work twice in the same week.  Make these.  You'll be happy you did.

Source: kevin {&} Amanda

Ingredients:
1 Box Moist Yellow Cake Mix
3 Eggs
8 Oz Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 Cup Butter, melted
4 Cups Powdered Sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick spray. 

2.  Combine the cake mix (only the powdered cake mix -- do not prepare), melted butter, and one egg. 

3. Press the cake mix into the bottom of the pan. 

4. Mix the cream cheese, 2 eggs, and powdered sugar until it is smooth. 

5. Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the cake mix crust. 

6.  Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the top is a very light golden brown. 

7.  Allow to cool completely before cutting. 

Enjoy!!

Snickerdoodle Blondies

I have a thing for blondies.  It's recently acquired.  I don't think I had ever eaten a blondie before I tried this recipe.  Now, I'm hooked.  I've pinned so many blondie recipes, it's ridiculous.  I've made 3 batches of blondies in the last week alone.  So, get ready for lots of blondie posts! 

These blondies are my favorite of all the blondie recipes I've made so far.  I've made them several times for events and always get rave reviews.  I think every time I've made them, at least one person has asked for the recipe.  They are the perfect amount of cinamony deliciousness.  They are dense and very sweet, but the cinnamon cuts the sweetness so that it's not overpowering.  I love cinnamon flavored desserts in the fall and winter months, so I doubt I'll make these ones again until next fall, but they'll definitely be part of the fall/winter rotation.  They can be served as a dessert, but I also think they would make a great addition to a nice brunch.

These bars are very moist and keep well for about a week if stored in an airtight container.

Adapted from: Recipe Girl

What you need:
2 2/3 cups All Purpose Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 heaping teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar
1 tsp Salt
2 cups Dark Brown Sugar, packed
1 cup Unsalted Butter, at room temperature 
2 Eggs
1 tbsp Vanilla Extract 
10 oz Cinnamon Chips

For the topping:
2 tbsp White Sugar
2 tsp Cinnamon
Pinch of Nutmeg

What you  do:

1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick spray. 

2.  In a medium sized bowl, stir together Flour, Baking Powder, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cream of Tartar, and Salt.  Set to the side. 

3.  In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar.  Don't skimp on time here.  I let my Kitchenaid mixer cream the butter and brown sugar for about 5 minutes. 

4.  To the large bowl add the eggs, one at a time. 

5.  To the large bowl ad the vanilla.  Mix until smooth. 

6.  Mix the dry ingredients in to the wet ingredients. 

7.  Stir in the cinnamon chips.  (The batter will be very thick.  Stirring in the chips requires some work, but make sure you mix them in well.)

8. Transfer the dough to the 9 x 13 pan and use your hands to pat the dough down flat and evenly.

9.  Combine the Sugar, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg for the topping.  Sprinkle evenly on top of the dough.

10.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the surface of the blondies spring back when touched.  (I undercook mine by about a minute, just because I prefer the texture that way). 

11.  Let the blondies cool completely before cutting. 

Enjoy!

Healthy Italian Wonderpot

This recipe is a quick, super easy meal that is healthy and affordable.  I was leery of the recipe before making it because it seemed too healthy to actually taste good.  There was no reason to be leery -- this was delicious!  This is the first time I cooked with turkey sausage.  I have always thought healthy = lack of flavor.  While the turkey sausage did not have as much flavor as pork sausage, it was still very tasty and was a nice addition to the dish.  Also, you can see two different types of pasta noodles in the picture -- I had less fettuccine at home than I thought, so I added some angel hair pasta to make up the difference.  Next time I make this dish, I will make it with whole wheat pasta to make it even healthier. 

Adapted from: Budget Bytes


What you need:
1 lb Ground Turkey Sausage
4 cups Chicken Broth
2 tbsp Olive Oil
12 oz Fettuccine Noodles, broken in half 
8 oz Frozen Chopped Spinach
28 oz Diced Tomatoes (undrained)
1 Medium Onion, sliced
4 Cloves Garlic, sliced
1/2 tbsp Dried Basil
1/2 tbsp Dried Oregano
1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 tsp Crushed Red Peper
Feta Cheese for topping

What you do:

1.  Brown the Turkey Sausage.  Set aside. 

2.  Place the Chicken Broth, Fettuccine, Canned Tomatoes, Olive Oil, Frozen Spinach, Sliced Onion, Sliced Garlic, Basil, Oregano, Red Pepper Flakes, and Crushed Red Pepper in a large pot.  Make sure everything is submerged under the liquid and place a lid on top of the pot.

3.  Bring the contents of the pot to boil on high heat.  Remove lid and reduce heat to medium.  Allow the pot to boil for 8 minutes.  Add turkey sausage.  Continue boiling for 2-7 more minutes, or until the pasta is cooked.  Stir the pot about once every 3 minutes while it is cooking.

4.  Serve with crumbled feta cheese on top.  

Peanut Butter Dream Buttercream Frosting

Peanut Butter Dream Buttercream Frosting

This is the lightest, most delicious frosting I've ever made (or tasted).  It's so light it feels like a whipped frosting.  It's simple to make and looks delicious when it's piped on to cupcakes.  This recipe makes enough frosting to generously frost 24 cupcakes, with a little extra to eat with a spoon later. ;-)

Slightly adapted from: Cake Central

What you need:
1 Cup Butter, softened to room temperature
1 Cup Creamy Peanut butter
3 Cups Powdered Sugar
3 Tsp Vanilla Extract
3 Tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream
A Pinch of Salt

What you do:
1.  Cream the butter and peanut butter together until light and fluffy.  Don't skimp on time here.  I let my stand mixer cream the butter and peanut butter for about 7 minutes. 

2.  Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time.  Make sure all of the sugar is incorporated before adding the next cup. 

3.  Add the vanilla extract and mix well. 

4.  Add the whipping cream and mix well. 

5.  Add the salt and mix well. 

6.  Frost your favorite cupcakes. 

Enjoy!

P.S.  I haven't tried this yet, but I think this frosting could be used as a cupcake filling or even as a sweet dip if y'all are feeling adventurous. 

Oven Roasted Sausage and Vegetables

We had a cold front come through that made it feel like Fall around here for a few days.  I've had this recipe pinned for a while and the cool weather inspired me to give it a shot.  It's a simple recipe that is easy to make, easy to clean up, and tastes great!  The picture doesn't do it justice, but all of the different colors from all of the vegetables made it very pretty to look at well.  If you use turkey or chicken sausage, it would be incredible healthy.  This is also one of those rare recipes that even tastes really good the next day.  Maybe even better than when I originally made it.  Which was good, because as I made it, it made two 9x13 pans of food.  You might want to cut the recipe down . . . 

I served mine this with corn casserole and it was a nice pairing.  I was a bit timid about the banana peppers as I was afraid they would make the dish too spicy, but it really turned out fairly mild and the banana peppers were not at all overwhelming.

Adapted From:  Lilasapron

What you need:
28 oz precooked Sausage (I used polish sausage)
2 Lbs New Potatoes
1 Small Jar Sliced Banana Peppers, drained
1-2 Bell Peppers (I used one green and one orange)
1 Large Onion (I used white)
8 oz Mushrooms
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt, Pepper and Other Seasonings to taste

What you do:
1.  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

2.  Slice the sausage, peppers, potatoes, onion, and mushrooms and toss them into a large bowl. 

3. Drizzle the sausage and veggies with olive oil.  Toss until the sausage and veggies are evenly coated in olive oil. 

4.  Add salt, pepper and other seasonings and toss again until the seasonings are evenly distributed.  I added some garlic powder and Lawry's Seasoned Salt.

5.  Place the peppers and vegetables in a 9x13 baking pan (or two, depending on how much you've made).  Cover the pans with foil and bake for about 45 minutes.  Remove foil and continue baking for 5-10 more minutes, or until the potatoes are fully cooked. 

Enjoy!

Healthy Tomato Pasta

A long time ago I bought this book.  Like, probably 6 or 7 years ago.  I went through and tabbed lots of recipes that I wanted to try.  And I'm pretty sure I had not tried any of them until last week.  I wanted pasta for dinner, but now that it's getting hot, I wanted a lighter pasta dish.  So, loosely following a recipe in this book, I created a healthy, light pasta dish that is filling.  Bonus -- it is quick and easy to make!

Adapted from: 500 Best Healthy Recipes by Lynn Roblin

What you need:

12 Ounces Rotini Noodles (I used wheat)

1 1/2 Tsp Olive Oil 

2 Tsp Minced Garlic

1 Small Onion, chopped

2 Medium Tomatoes, chopped

8 Ounces Crumbled Feta Cheese

1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Basil

1/4 Shredded Parmesan Cheese

1/2 Cup Black Olives

What you do:

1.  Cook Rotini Noodles according to the instructions on the box.  

2.  When the pasta has approximately 5 minutes left to cook, heat the olive oil in a skillet on the stove.  Add the garlic and onions and saute for about 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly. 

3.  Drain and rinse the pasta. 

4.  Combine the pasta and the onions and tomatoes.  Add the feta and parmesan and stir well.  

5.  Top with chopped fresh basil and black olives. 

Enjoy!

Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

   

  Right after the holidays, I picked up a box of this cupcake mix on clearance.  When I eventually made them, I wasn't all that impressed.  They didn't really remind me of hot chocolate at all.  It was basically a chocolate cupcake with a marshmallow glaze.  I know, I know -- I can't expect perfect from a boxed mix.  Of course, I considered this a challenge, though, and decided I had to come up with my own hot chocolate cupcake recipe.  The result was pretty impressive, if I do say so myself.  The cupcakes really taste just like a mug of hot chocolate and the marshmallow frosting is light and fluffy and dreamy.

     I usually take all the food that you see on here to work to be eaten, but I don't usually toot my own horn.  I just set it out and let it be eaten.  But let me tell you, when I made these and took them to work, I tooted my horn all over the whole building.  Seriously. I sent out e-mail blasts telling everyone how amazing my cupcakes were.  And they came.  And they ate them.  And they all agreed.  So, try them.  They're delicious.  

What you need for the cupcakes:
1 Chocolate Cake Mix
1 Cup Sour Cream
4 Eggs
3/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Cup Water
1 Box of Chocolate Pudding Mix 
12 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
6 Individual Hot Chocolate Packets

What to do for the cupcakes:
1.  Preheat the oven according to the directions on the box of the chocolate cake mix. 

2.  Line cupcake tins with cupcake liners. 

3.  Put everything in a bowl and mix well. 

4.  Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full and bake according to the directions on the box of the cake mix. 

What you need for the icing:
1 stick Butter, softened
1 jar Marshmallow Fluff (7 oz)
2 cups Confectioners Sugar
A Pinch of Salt 
1 tsp Vanilla 


Here's what you do to make the icing:
1.  Beat butter on high speed until light and fluffy. 

2.  Add marshmallow fluff and continue to beat until incorporated. 

3.  Add sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat on high for 5-6 minutes, scraping down the bowl.

I piped the marshmallow frosting on top of the cupcakes to make them pretty.  I also found that if you toss these in the microwave for about 15 seconds, they're even more delicious when they're just a little warm.

Enjoy! 

Snickerdoodle Bread

I never knew I had a thing for Snickerdoodles until I made these Snickerdoodle Cupcakes.  And then, I had to try every Snickerdoodle recipe I found after that.  Some of them have been not so great.  Others have been okay.  And then ones like this one turned out fabulous.  So I share it.  I also have a recipe for Snickerdoodle Blondies that I should be sharing soon. 

This is a sweet bread that I think can serve as a snack, a dessert, or breakfast.  It is delicious and super moist.  And, of course, it's easy to make.  Give a shot, you'll like it, I promise!

Slightly Adapted from:  Creations by Kara

What you need:
1 cup Butter at room temperature
2 cups Sugar
3 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla 
3/4 cup Sour Cream
2 1/2 cups AP Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 bag of Cinnamon Chips
Cinnamon and Sugar Mixture for Topping (I don't have specifics here -- I just winged it.  Combine the cinnamon and sugar to taste)

What you do:
1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

2.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add in eggs, vanilla and sour cream. 

3.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

4.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients (or vice versa) and mix until fully combined. 

5.  Add the cinnamon chips and mix until chips are fully integrated. 

6.  Divide your batter among 4 mini loaf pans. 

7.  Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture on top of the loaves. 

8.  Bake for about 35 minutes or until the loaves are a nice golden brown. 

9.  Allow the loaves to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and allow to finish cooling on cooling racks. 

I have made these in muffin form as well and they were just as delicious, but a little easier to divvy up at work.  Instead of putting your batter into 4 mini loaf pans, put it into lined muffin tins and sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar topping on top of each muffin.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown.  

Enjoy!

Valentine Day Cupcakes

I tried to make these cupcakes for Valentine's Day, but the hearts that I made were too big, so when I cut into the cupcakes, there was just a big red blob.  I was pretty disappointed, but still had a ton of french vanilla cake batter and about a million little cake hearts, so I had to figure something out.  This is what I came up with.  They're adorable, right?  Right.  And, they're pretty easy to make!

The cupcakes are french vanilla and I added maraschino cherry frosting in honor of Valentine's Day.  The hearts are just tiny little heart cakes, made out of the same batter as the cupcakes.  

You could easily adapt this for any holiday or occasion  so long as you have a cookie cutter that suits what you're making them for.   

First, make the hearts and cupcakes. 

What you need for the cake:
1 French Vanilla Box Cake Mix
1 Box of Powdered Vanilla Pudding
1 Cup Sour Cream
1 Cup Water
3/4 Cup Oil 
4 Eggs

What you do make the cupcakes and hearts:
1.  Mix all the ingredients together for the cake.  Separate about 1/3 of the batter into a separate bowl. 

2.  Using food coloring, tint the smaller portion of the batter to the color you desire. 

3.  Pour the tinted food coloring onto a sheet cake pan and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the cake is done. 

4.  Set the sheet cake aside to cool.  Meanwhile, using the remaining batter, make cupcakes, baking according to the directions on the cake mix box. 

5.  Once the sheet cake has cooled, using a small heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many hearts as you can from the sheet cake.  Remove the hearts from the pan and discard the scrap sheet cake. (I "discarded" the scrap sheet cake by eating it.  Don't judge.)


Second, make the icing. 

I slightly adapted my icing recipe from Glorious Treats.  

What you need for the icing:
2 Sticks of Butter at room temperature
4 Cups Powdered Sugar
6 Tbsp Maraschino Cherry Juice
1/2 Cup finely chopped Maraschino Cherries
A pinch of salt

What you do to make the icing:
1.  Beat the butter until smooth. 

2.  Add 1 cup of powdered sugar.  Beat until fully incorporated.  Repeat with a second cup of powdered sugar. 

3.  Add 1 Tbsp of maraschino cherry juice.  Beat until fully incorporated.  Repeat until you have added all 6 Tbsps of maraschino cherry juice. 

4.  Add 1 cup of powdered sugar.  Beat until fully incorporated.  Repeat with a second cup of powdered sugar. 

5.  Add the chopped cherries and a pinch of salt.  Beat to fully incorporate. 

6. You may add food coloring to tint your frosting if you would like.  I added a little bit of red to make my frosting a bit more pink that it was naturally.

Third, assemble the cupcakes. 

To assemble the cupcakes, pipe a bit of frosting on top of each cupcake.  Then, insert a toothpick into the bottom (pointed) end of one heart.  Feed the toothpick into the heart until it is about half-way in.  Push the exposed part of the toothpick into the top of the cupcake.  Your heart should now be "sitting" on top of each cupcake (no toothpick should be exposed).  Repeat until all cupcakes are assembled. 

Enjoy!

Honey Corn Bread

This is the first time I made homemade corn bread.  I wanted to make it to go along with the Gumbo I was making.  I knew the gumbo was going to be spicy, so I thought the sweetness of a honey corn bread would nicely offset the spice of the gumbo.  When it's finished, the corn bread has just the slightest hint of honey.  The original recipe  says that it is similar to corn bread served at Tippin's restaurants.  I've never had Tippin's corn bread, so I don't know.  

I ended up eating this with the Gumbo, but I also added some peanut butter and honey and had it for a dessert a time or two.  And, I substituted this corn bread for pancakes or toast for at least one Sunday breakfast.  This recipe ended up being a lot more versatile than I would have initially imagined.  

Source: Dine & Dish

What you need:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 cups AP Flour
2 cups Cornmeal (I used yellow)
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Kosher Salt
4 Large Eggs
2 cups Milk
3/4 cup Honey  

What you do:

1.  Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick spray. 

2.  Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

3.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, 1/2 cup of honey, and 1/2 cup of butter. 

4.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. 

5.  Poor into prepared baking dish and bake for about 25 minutes.  Remove from the oven when the cornbread turns a nice golden brown. 

6.  While the bread is baking, combine the remaining 1/4 cup of butter with the remaining 1/4 cup of honey.

7.  Immediately after you remove the corn bread from the oven, brush the honey/butter mixture over the top of the bread.  Allow the bread to cool completely before cutting. 

Enjoy!

Crock-Pot Gumbo

I had homemade gumbo once a few years back and fell in love with it.  I've bought store-made gumbo since then and it just hasn't quite stood up.  So, I decided to give making gumbo a shot myself.  I'm not sure why, but I was very intimidated by the idea, thinking it was surely going to be quite complicated.  Turns out, it wasn't.  And, for bonus points, I made mine in my crock-pot so it's totally a set it and forget it gumbo which makes it doubly easy. 

I will warn you, though, that this recipe is quite spicy.  If you are shy about spicy food, I suggest you cut down the cayenne pepper a bit.  If it's too dull for you in the end, toss in a bit more cayenne pepper to spice it up.  I served my gumbo with homemade honey corn bread, which was a bit sweet and complimented the spicy gumbo very well.  Yum!

Adapted from: Cats and Casseroles

What you need:

1 lb. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast

14 oz Andouille Sausage

28 oz Can of Diced Tomatoes (undrained)

1 Large Onion

1 Large Green Bell Pepper

1 Cup Chopped Celery

2-3 Cups of Chicken Broth

2 Tsp Dried Oregano

2 Tsp Dried Parsley

2+ Tsp Cajun Seasoning

2+ Tsp Cumin

1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper

2 Chicken Bullion Cubes

A Touch of Kosher Salt

1 Cup Cooked White Rice

What you do:

1.  Chop the onion, bell pepper and celery into large chunks.  Place in crock-pot.

2.  Add the tomatoes, 1 cup of chicken broth, oregano, parsley, 2 tsp Cajun seasoning, 2 tsp cumin, cayenne pepper, and chicken bullion cubes to the crock pot. 

3.  Season both sides of your chicken as you would like.  I used a bit of kosher salt, Cajun seasoning, and cumin.  Wrap the chicken in foil.  Place the foil-wrapped chicken on top of everything that is in the crock-pot. 

4.  Put the lid on your crock-pot and cook for 3-4 hours on low heat or 7-8 hours on high heat.  Cooking time will vary depending on your crock-pot. 

5.  After the cooking time has elapsed, remove the foil-wrapped chicken from the crock-pot.  USE TONGS!  It's hot in there, folks. 

6.  Set the chicken to the side to cool for a couple of minutes.  Meanwhile, add an additional 1-2 cups of chicken broth to the crock-pot if you would like for your gumbo to have more liquid. 

7.  Thinly slice the sausage and add it to the crock-pot. 

8.  Unwrap the chicken and shred it using a fork and knife.  Add it to the crock-pot. 

9.  Let the contents of the crock-pot continue to cook while you make the white rice according to the instructions on the package.  

10.  Serve the gumbo by putting some gumbo in a bowl and then adding a bit of rice to each serving. 

Enjoy!

**Tip**  If you add the white rice to the gumbo, the rice will absorb a lot of the liquid if you store leftovers.  That's why I tell you to make it separately and add a bit as you serve it.  Be sure to store the rice separately as well and your gumbo will remain moist. 

**Tip** Cooking the chicken in foil on top of the rest of the gumbo prevents the meat from deteriorating and become tough or dry.  A lot of people dislike meat cooked in a crock-pot for those reasons.  Trust me on this one -- cook the chicken in foil and you'll have super tender and delicious chicken for your gumbo. 

Healthy Banana Muffins

If you've paid any attention to my blog at all, you've probably figured out that healthy really isn't my thing.  Delicious is my thing.  Unfortunately, the two often don't go hand-in-hand.  However, that doesn't stop my from trying healthy recipes that look or sound good.  The majority of the time, they're a flop and they never make it here.  But, every once in a while, I stumble upon a special recipe that is both healthy and delicious.  This, my friends, is one of those.  

These banana muffins contain no flour and no oil or butter.  I even reduced the amount of sugar from the original recipe and substituted honey instead.  These muffins are really dense, so it doesn't take a lot to fill you up.  They're also really moist.  And, I think you could really change the recipe up a lot by adding in different fruits as they are in season.  

Adapted from: Chase and Em

What you need:
2 1/2 Cups Quick Cooking Oats
1 Cup Plain Low Fat Greek Yogurt
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Honey
1 1/5 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
2 Ripe Bananas
2 Tsp Cinnamon 

What you do:
1.  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. 

2.  Line your muffin tins with muffin liners. 

3.  Place the quick cooking oats into your blender or food processor.  Blend until the oats are pulverized. 

4.  Place the rest of the ingredients into the blender with the oats and blend until fully mixed. (I may have a super weak blender, but this took quite a while.  I'd have to blend and then stir up and blend and stir up.  It wasn't difficult, but it wasn't accomplished all at once either). 

5.  Fill each cupcake liner until it's about 2/3 full and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. 

Enjoy!

Lasagna Soup

I really like making lasagna from scratch, but it's so time consuming I rarely actually get to do it.  It finally got cold around here and it looks like it's going to stay that way, so I decided some soup was in order.  I've had this recipe pinned on Pinterest for quite a while now, so I decided to give it a go.  I was suspect though -- I thought that there was no way a soup could actually taste like lasagna.   I was wrong.  It really does taste like lasagna.  Don't believe me?  Give it a try.  You'll be surprise.  Bonus --  it is about a million times easier and faster to make than making a lasagna from scratch. 

Slightly adapted from: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

What you need to make the soup:
1 1/2 Pounds Sausage 
1 Medium Yellow Onion, chopped
2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
2 Tsp Dried Oregano
1/2 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper
6 Oz Tomato Paste
28 Oz Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes (undrained)
6 Cups Chicken Broth
2 Tbsp Dried Basil
1/2 Pound Rigatoni Noodles
2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese (for garnishing)

What you do to make the soup:
1.  In a large pot, cook the sausage for about 5 minutes on medium heat, breaking it up as you cook. 

2.  Add the onions to the sausage and continue cooking (stirring occasionally)  for about 5 minutes, or until the sausage is completely cooked.  Drain excess grease if necessary. 

3.  Add the garlic powder, oregano, red pepper, and tomato paste.  Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

4.  Add the fire roasted diced tomatoes (with the juices), chicken broth, and basil. 

5.  Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

6.  While the soup is boiling/simmering, cook the rigatoni noodles according to direction and make the ricotta cheese mixture (below).  Drain and fully rinse the noodles.


What you need to make the ricotta cheese mixture:
1. 1 Cup Ricotta Cheese
2. 1/4 Cup shredded Asiago Cheese
3. 1/4 Cup shredded Romano Cheese
4. 1/4 Tsp Salt
5. 1/8 Tsp Black Pepper
6. 1 1/2 Tsp Dried Basil

What you do to make the ricotta cheese mixture:
1. Mix everything together. (Really. That's it.)


To Serve:

Place a couple of spoonfuls of rigatoni noodles in the bottom of a bowl. Top the noodles with a couple of ladlefuls of lasagna soup. Garnish with shredded mozzarella. Add a dollop of the ricotta cheese mixture on the very top. Serve immediately.

This is goes great with a crunchy piece of garlic bread.




Enjoy!

Alice Springs Chicken

My favorite dish (maybe also the only one I've ever ordered) from Outback Steakhouse is the Alice Springs Chicken.  I've looked online several times in the past and have been unable to find a copy cat recipe.  Until I found this one.  Super excited to finally find a recipe, I gave it a go and was not disappointed. It was pretty easy to make and, although this is not Outback's exact recipe, it comes pretty darn close.  Close enough that I'll be making it again.  I'm not even going to try to tweak it to make it closer to Outback's -- it's that close. 

Slightly Adapted From:  The Finer Things In Life

What You Will Need:
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
Seasoning Salt to Taste
6 Slices of Bacon, cut in half
1/4 Cup Mustard
1/3 Cup Honey
2 Tbsp Mayonnaise 
2 Tsps Onion Powder
1 Cup Fresh White Button Mushrooms, sliced
2 Cups Shredded Colby Jack Cheese

Here's What You Do:
1.  Sprinkle season salt on the chicken breasts and rub in well.  Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

2.  While the chicken is in the refrigerator, cook your bacon (I baked mine).  Save the bacon grease. 

3.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

4.  Saute the chicken in the bacon grease for about 5 minutes per side (until browned).  As you cook each piece of chicken, place the cooked chicken in a 9 x 13 baking dish.

5.  In a bowl, mix the mustard, honey, mayo, and onion powder.  Apply this mixture to each chicken breast. 

6.  Place a layer of mushrooms, bacon, and shredded cheese on each chicken breast. 

7.  Bake the chicken for about 30 minutes, or the cheese is melted and the chicken is completely cooked through.   

8.  Serve the chicken with the remaining honey mustard sauce that you made in step 5. 

I served my Alice Springs Chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and green bean casserole.   It was delicious!

Enjoy!

Breakfast Pizza

Sometimes, I have leftover pizza for breakfast.  Sometimes, I have leftover breakfast for dinner.  Pizza and breakfast food are two of my favorite things.  The only logical thing to do, then, is to marry the two together, right?  Right.  And, that is exactly what I did.  You can thank me later.

What you need:
1 Pizza Dough*
1 Can of Sausage Gravy
1/2 Lb. cooked breakfast meat of your choosing (I used bacon)
6 Eggs, scrambled
1 1/2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese
Any veggie toppings you want on your pizza ( I added mushrooms)

*I make my own pizza dough using a recipe that I haven't been authorized to share.  You can always pick up a pre-made crust at the store or you can buy a can of pizza dough just like a can of biscuits and cook the dough yourself.

What you need to do:
1.  Cook and drain your breakfast meat and scramble your eggs.

2.  Preheat your oven according to the directions on your pizza dough.  Prepare your pizza dough and lay it out on your baking stone or pizza pan, but do not bake the dough.

3.  Spread a generous amount of sausage gravy on top of your cooked pizza crust (as if it were pizza sauce).

4.  Sprinkle your cooked breakfast meat on top of the sausage gravy.

5.  Sprinkle scrambled eggs on top of the sausage gravy and meat.

6.  Sprinkle any veggie toppings on top of the other toppings.

7.  Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of the pizza.

8.  Bake according to pizza dough directions. 

Enjoy!

Blueberry Cupcakes with Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

I was skeptical at first of the combination of blueberry and lime, but I decided to give these a shot this Spring.  They came out delicious!  The lime and cream cheese frosting was a bit tangy, but incredibly refreshing and the cupcakes were not too sweet.  I did find the cupcakes to be a bit dry for my personal taste, but the frosting was so delicious,  I was able to look past the dry cake. 

Slightly Adapted From: Tracey's Culinary Adventures

What you need for the cupcakes:
3/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp All Purpose Flour, divided
3/4 Cup Cake Flour
1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Unslated Butter, at room temperature
3/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp Sugar
Juice of 1 Lime 
2 Large Eggs, at room temperature
2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup + 2 Tbsp Milk, at room temperature
1 Cup Blueberries (preferably fresh) 

What you do to make the cupcakes:

1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. 
2.  Line cupcake pans with liners. 
3.  Whisk 3/4 cup all purpose flour, all of the cake flower, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.  Set that bowl aside. 
4.  In another bowl combine the sugar and lime juice.  
5.  Add the butter and cream until light and fluffy. 
6.  Add the eggs, one at a time.  Beat well after each addition. 
7.  Add the vanilla and mix well. 
8. Add the flour mixture and the milk, a bit at a time, alternating flour mixture and milk.
9.  Gently fold in 3/4 cup of blueberries. 
10.  Fill the cupcake tins about 2/3 of the way full. 
11.  Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
12.  Cool completely. 


What you need for the frosting: 
8 oz cream cheese, softened
5 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
4 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
Juice of 1 Lime 
Green Food Coloring, if desired

What you do to make the frosting:
1.  Beat the cream cheese and butter together until fluffy. 
2.  Add the lime juice and mix well. 
3.  Add the powdered sugar, 1/2 of a cup at a time.  
4.  After all of the powdered sugar is mixed in, add green food coloring to color as desired. 
5.  Mix on high speed until fluffy. 
6.  Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes with an over sized icing tip. 
7.  Garnish with blueberries. 

Enjoy!

Pepperoni Roll-Ups

My friend Amber bought a house earlier this year.  She had a housewarming party, like, a month later.  I bought a house last year.  I haven't had my housewarming party yet.  When I do have it, it will be more than a year later.  But, whatever.  I'm not bitter.  At all. 

Amber was nice enough to let me bring lots of food to her housewarming party.  That meant that I got to try lots of new recipes. This one was a big hit!  Everybody loves pepperoni and melted cheese.  Toss in a crisp, buttery crescent roll . . . Perfect!  Plus, these get bonus points for being really easy to make. 

Source:  The Girl Who Ate Everything

What you need:
2 packages refrigerated Crescent Roll dough, garlic flavored
8 Cheese Sticks, halved
48-64 pieces of Pepperoni
Marinara Sauce and Ranch Dressing for dipping

What you do:
1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 
2.  Place 3 to 4 pepperoni pieces on the bottom of the triangle of each 
     crescent roll. 
3.  Place one cheese stick half on top of the pepperoni on each 
     crescent roll. 
4.  Roll up each crescent roll and place seam side down on a cookie sheet. 
5.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the crescent rolls are cooked 
     thoroughly (until they are golden brown).
6.  You can put out small bowls of marinara sauce and ranch dressing 
     for dipping if you would like. 

Enjoy!