Rich & Meaty Pizza Cup Snacks

I haven't made these but thought I would take a picture of the picture in the book and post it. This is a 3 ingredients recipe and looks really yummy.

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes.

Rich & Meaty Pizza Cup Snacks

1 can (12 ounces) refrigerated biscuits (10 biscuits)
1 1/2 cups RAGU' Rich & Meaty Meat Sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (about 2 ounces)

Preheat overn to 375. In 12-cup muffin pan, evenly press each biscuit in bottom and up side of each cup; chill until ready to fill.

Evenly spoon Meat Sauce into prepared muffin cups. Bake 15 minutes. Evenly sprinkle tops with cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and biscuits are golden. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Gently remove pizza cups from muffin pan and serve.

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Here is another recipe from the new cookbook and this one has 5 ingredients. These were simple to make but some how I did not execute it right and the bottom layer wanted to crumble. So with that, I put it in a bowl and broke it all up and we ate it that way. It was still very yummy eating out of a bowl with a spoon. Caution on the sugar overload tho.

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
2 cups peanut butter, divided
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups (12 oz. package) Nestle' Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini morsels, divided

Beat 1 1/4 cups peanut butter and butter in a large mixer bowl until creamy. Gradualy beat in 1 cup powerded sugar. With hands or wooden spoon, work in remaining powdered sugar, graham cracker crumbs and 1/2 cup morsels. Press evenly into prepared pan. Smooth top with spatula.

Melt remaining peanut butter and remaining morsels in medium, heavy-duty saucepan over lowest possible heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Spread over graham cracker crust in a pan. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until chocolate is firm; cut into bars. Store in refigerator.

Crispy Tortilla Chicken

I found this recipe in a new cookbook I found. They have a collection of recipes that have 3, 4 and only 5 ingredients. This recipe only has 3...WoW. If you love taco's (you know who you are), you might wanna give this recipe a try. This recipe is super inexpensive and kids will love it.

Crispy Tortilla Chicken

1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips
1 package (1 1/4 oz) taco seasoning mix
24 chicken drummettes
Salsa (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine tortilla chips and taco seasoning in large shallow bowl. Coat chicken with crumb mixture, turning to coat all sides. Shake off excess crumbs; place chicken on prepared baking sheet.

Bake 40 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.
Serve with salsa if desired.

Baked Beans

I would call these THE BEST BAKED BEANS. I got this recipe from my mother-in-law whom would make it for everything and in big batches. The recipe is pretty basic and easy to make.

Baked Beans

2- 16 oz. cans Bushes baked beans original recipe
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1-2 TBSP thinly sliced onions

Mix all ingredients and put in a glass or oven safe dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 2 1/2 hours.

This is great for bbq's. Just make ahead and then put in a crock pot to keep warm.

Chili's Chicken Crispers with Honey Mustard Dressing

Ok, I am a big fan of the chicken crispers at Chili's and when I found this copycat recipe I was all over it. I also knew my kids would love it as well so it was a must try.

Chili's Chicken Crispers

Dressing:
2/3 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Honey
2 TBSP Dijon Mustard
Pinch of Paprika
Pinch of Salt

Batter:
1 Egg, beaten
1/4 cup Whole Milk
3/4 Cup Chicken Broth
1-1/2 Tsp. salt
1/2 Tsp. Ground Black Pepper
1 Cup self-rising flour
6-10 cups shortening or vegetable oil (amount required for fryer)
10 Chicken Tenderloins
1/2 Cup flour

Dressing:
Combine mayo, honey, dijon mustard, paprika and salt in a small bow. Cover and chill until needed.

Heat shortening or oil in fryer to 350 degrees F.

Batter:
Combine beaten egg, milk, chicken broth, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk to dissolve salt. Whisk in 1 cup self-rising flour. Let batter sit for 5 minutes.

Coat chicken pieces with dry flour, then dip chicken into batter. Allow excess batter to drip off, then place battered chicken into the hot oil and fry for 7-9 minutes or until golden brown.

Do not overload fryer. Fry 3-4 pieces at a time.
Drain fried chicken strips on paper towels.
Serve with the honey mustard dressing on the side for dipping.

*Note* When you place the strips in the fryer (my fryer has a basket), let it fry for a minute and then use a pair of metal tongs and make sure the chicken is not stuck to the basket. I learned the hard way and let the chicken set in the basket and then added it to the fryer and all 3 pieces stuck (I still ate them tho). I also decided to make some extra's for another day. I battered the chicken and then put them on a wax paper lined pan and put them in the freezer. I will add them to a closure bag and then it will be just like the store bought chicken strips.

So the results are in; the kids loved them as did I. I was not going to eat these for dinner but I tasted the once that were stuck with the dressing and I fell in love. It helps that I love honey mustard dressing. They were so good and I will be making these lots more for the kids.

Tuna Salad on a Bed

Yet another healthier recipe. I had this today for lunch and it was really good (I did add a spoon of left over cole slaw to it).

Tune Salad on a Bed
1 6-oz can of Tuna packed in water
2 TBSP. reduced-fat natural mayonnaise
1/4 cup diced celery
Dash of lemon juice
3 cups of mixed dark greens
1/2 of a beefsteak tomato, sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Make tune salad by combining the tuna, mayonnaise, celery, and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper to taste. Pile greens on a place and top with tomato slices and tuna salad.

Calories: 370
Protein: 45 g
Carbs: 14 g
Fiber: 4.5 g
Fat Total: 15 g

Country-Style Pork Chops with Sauteed Spinach

Here we are again with a healthy recipe. The pork chop was great but I am/was not a big fan of the sauteed spinach. I would use the kale next time over the spinach.

5-oz. center-cut lean, boneless pork chop
1 Tsp. lemon pepper
2 TBSP. shallots, chopped
1 TBSP. country style mustard
2 TBSP. Chicken broth
2 TBSP. water
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
4 cherry tomatoes
2 TBSP. grated parmesan cheese
salt to taste
nonstick cooking spray

Season pork chop with salt and lemon pepper, and sear in a nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, for about 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Remove chop from pan. In the same pan, saute the shallts for about 2 minutes. Then add mustard, chicken stock, and water and reduce until thick-should coat the back of a spoon. Top the pork chop with the sauce. In the same pan, saute spinach and tomatoes until the spinach is wilted. Top spinach and tomatoes with grated parmesan cheese.

Calories: 382
Protein: 49 g
Carbs: 19 g
Fiber: 9.5 g
Fat Total: 14 g

Country-Style Pork Chops with Sauteed Spinach

Cherry Tomato Salmon

Again, I am trying to eat better and here is another one of those recipes.

Cherry Tomato Salmon

6 oz. Salmon filet
3 Cherry tomatoes, halved
2 TBSP. fresh lemon juice
1 Tsp. lemon pepper
1/2 TBSP. chopped Thyme
1/2 TBSP. chopped Rosemary
2 cups Kale, cleaned and torn
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
2 tsp. olive oil

Place Salmon filet in a baking dish, and season with lemon pepper, thyme, and fresh lemon juice. Top with cherry tomatoes. Bake at 325 degrees until done, about 20 mintues. Meanwhile, heat a nonstick skillet coated with olive oil over medium heat; add kale leaves and season with sea salt and pepper. Simmer until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Ok, I KNOW this does not sounds good at all. At first I was like...Kale, what is kale. At the end when I sat down to eat it...it was really good. Something you should just make it and try (it was only like $0.98 at your local supermart).

Veggie Scramble

Ok, so I am trying to eat better so I started with this recipe for breakfast. I love it and will make it like 4 times a week...it is that good.

Veggie Scramble

1/2 of a green zucchini, diced
1/4 of a red or green bell pepper, diced
3-4 broccoli florets, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 Large whole egg whisked together with 3 egg whites
1 oz. grated parmesan cheese
Nonstick cooking spray

heat a nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray over medium heat. Add all vegetables and saute' for about 3 to 5 minutes, until they begin to soften. Add in egg mixture and scramble together, continue to cook until eggs are cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle with cheese.

Calories: 242
Protein: 26 g
Carbs: 11 g
Fiber 4 g
Fat total: 10.5 g

Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole

Again, my husband loves eating breakfast at Cracker Barrel for their eggs, biscuits and hashbrowns for breakfast. I found this recipe and knew I had to make it; and it was a winner. Katrina even liked it; winner winner winner.

Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole

26 oz. bag frozen country-style hashbrowns
2 cups shredded Colby cheese
1/4 cup minced onion
1 cup milk
1/2 cup beef stock or canned broth
2 TBsp butter, melted
1 dash garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Combine frozen hashbrowns, cheese, and onion in a large bowl. Combine the milk, beef or chicken stock, half the melted butter, the garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in another bowl. Mix until well blended, then pour the mixture over the hashbrowns and mix well. Heat the remaining butter in a large, ovenproof skillet (no plastic handle) over high heat.

When the skillet is hot, spoon in the hashbrown mixture. Cook the hashbrowns, stirring occasionally, until hot and all of the cheese has melted (about 7 minutes). Put the skillet into the oven and bake 45-60 minutes or until the surface of the hashbrowns is dark brown.

Copycat Cracker Barrel Biscuits

My husband is a huge Cracker Barrel fan so that inspired these biscuits. They were so easy to make and that was appealing. I made them, we ate them and LOVED them.

Cracker Barrel Biscuits

2 1/4 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup Buttermilk
1 teaspoon sugar
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
melted butter, for brushing

Preheat oven to 450.

Mix the Bisquick, buttermilk and sugar together in a bowl. Add the melted butter into the batter. Stir until a soft dough forms.

Turn out onto a well floured work surface. Knead 20 times (this is a very forgiving dough) and don't be afraid to get additional four into the dough.

Roll 1/2 think, or thicker if you prefer towering biscuits. Place close together on an ungreased baking sheet.

Brush tops with melted butter. Bake 8-10 minutes; I usually find 8 minutes is enough.

When ou remove the biscuits from the oven, brush the tops with melted butter again.

Dustin said they were pretty close to the exact recipe. I think with making them a few more times, they will even be better.

Cole Slaw KFC style

I was looking up restaurant recipes and found this and had to make it. I have a Saladmaster machine and it is awesome on shredding cabbage, so I was up for it.

KFC Cole Slaw

2 heads of green cabbage
1/2 green pepper
1/2 small onion
1 medium to large carrot
2 cups miracle whip light
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Cut up cabbage ina food processer, while cutting up cabbage cut small slices of green peppers, onions and carrots and add to processor. Now mix miracle whip, vinegar, oil and sugar. Mix smooth. Taste should be sweet with just a hint of vinegar. Amount of slaw dressing may be increased or decreased according to the amount of slaw you are making. Add to cut up cabbage and mix well. Let stand 1-hour if possible to let flavor's mix. Serving makes 8

Everyone loved this recipe with burgers and baked beans. A great addition to your summer picinic and bbq.

Pepper Steak

My husband loves Peppersteak so I finally made it for dinner. Everyone loved it and it is pretty simple to make. I did leave out the gravy, peppers and onions for the kids' plates.

Pepper Steak

1 Large round steak, cubed
1 Large green pepper, diced
1 Large onion, diced
3-4 Packages brown gravy mix
3 cups instant rice

In a large 2 quart pan, brown beef. Then add water to cover beef and continue cooking 1-1 1/2 hours or until tender. Add water as needed. When beef is tender; let water cook down. Add onions and peppers. In a saucepan, make gravy according to package directions. When gravy is think add to the beef mixture and continue to simmer. Make rice according to package directions. Makes 6-8 servings.

Add rice to plate and top with beef mixture; enjoy:)

I don't really follow the recipe. I get a package of meat, I cut up the peppers in onions into strips and use about 2-3 peppers and a full onion.

Teacher Appreciation Day

Here is the finished product. I made the Chocolate Sybil Cake, packaged them up in bowls and handing them out to the teacher's at Eli's preschool. You can find the cake recipe posted earlier.

Chocolate Sybil Cake

I have had this recipe for a few years and it is my FAVORITE cake recipe. I obtained this recipe from watching "Paula Dean" and have shared it with others so I will share it with you.

I decided to make this cake to share with the teacher's at Eli's school. I didn't realize there were 11 teachers at his preschool but there was enough to go around.

This recipe is a must try.

Chocolate Sybil Cake
Cake:
1/2 cup butter (one stick), softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 16oz. can chocolate Hershey syrup

Icing:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp pure vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)...I never add them.

Use electric mixer, cream butter and sugar till fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together in a separate bowl. Add creamed mixture, continue beating. Add vanilla and chocolate syrup to batter and mix well. Pour into a prepared pan (9x13) and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Icing: Just before cake is done, make the frosting. Put butter, chocolate chips, sugar and evaporated milk in a saucepan, over med heat and bring to a boil. Stir ingredients together. Boil 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over warm cake. This is the best time to eat the cake; when it is warm. ENJOY:)

I put a slice of cake in a bowl, topped it with saran wrap, then wrapped it in tissue paper, tied it with curling ribbon and then added a flower for Eli's teachers. They turned out really cool.