Saturday, February 22, 2014

Meatball Sandwich Casserole

1 bag of frozen meatballs (I use Mama Lucia Brand, personal preference)
1 jar of marinara sauce or spaghetti sauce if there isn't any marinara on hand
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup Italian blend cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 loaf of fresh Italian bread, sliced

To prepare:

Preheat oven to 400. Place entire bag of meatballs in pot with sauce (I also add garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste) and cook over medium heat until warmed completely through, about 10 minutes. Stir as needed to keep meatballs from sticking to pot. Once heated through remove from heat. Place meatballs in the center of a 9x13 baking dish, layer mozzarella and Italian blend cheeses over meatballs topping off with the Parmesan. Take the slices of Italian bread and line the pan all the way around with them so that they are kind of keeping the meatballs toward the center of the pan. The bread slices will be standing up in the pan as shown in the picture. You have creative freedom here with the bread...you can lightly butter and garlic the bread prior to placing it in the pan if you prefer or even brush lightly with olive oil and garlic. The choice is yours. I have made it plain and as noted above and all are delicious!

Place in oven and bake for approximately 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven, serve and enjoy! 

From Facebook

Quick and Easy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with No Yeast!

Ingredients for Rolls:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (Plus you will need some extra for when you roll out dough)
3 tbs white granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup buttermilk (if you don’t have buttermilk make your own, recipe here)
6 tbs melted butter
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for Cinnamon Filling:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup white granulated sugar


Ingredients for Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbs butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbs milk (orange juice works as well)

How to make:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Take a round or square 9 inch pan and grease.
In a small bowl mix up all the cinnamon filling ingredients and set aside for later.

Then it is time to make the dough, mix the flour, white sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Next slowly whisk in the buttermilk and then only 2 tbs of the melted butter. Once it is mixed – the dough will look a bit sticky.

Take the dough and put it on a counter with some flour sprinkled out. Then you will need to knead the dough for like a minute or two until it is smooth and then press dough out into a 9 by 12 inch rectangle. Now this doesn’t have to be exact, just so you have a good size of dough!

Once you have it laid out, take another 2 tbs of melted butter and rub around on the dough covering it all. Then take your cinnamon mix and sprinkle it all over the dough.

Then take one end of the dough and start rolling it tightly. Once you have the dough rolled, cut the dough into 7-8 even pieces. Place them in the greased pan. Take the remaining melted butter (2 tbs) and brush each roll with it. This will help make them look golden brown.
Put in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes!

How to Make the Icing:
Next you will mix up your icing. It will be a thicker icing, and it will harden pretty quick. Once you pull out the rolls you can let them cool for a couple minutes and you can then pour the icing evenly over the rolls. Now if you want it thinner then add 1 tsp of warm water at a time, thicker 1 tsp of powdered sugar at each .

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No yeast dough is much more firm and cooperative than sticky, yeast-required dough – which makes it much easier to handle, roll out and cut.
The texture of a baked no yeast roll is more dense than a yeast-required roll. Not better or worse, just different.

Southern Praline Sweet Potato Casserole

6 large sweet potatoes (about 5 1/2 pounds)
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
For the Praline Topping
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
2 teaspoons vanilla
Directions:

1  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2  Pierce potatoes several times with a fork or ice pick and place on a baking pan; bake in preheated oven 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours or until potatoes are tender; set aside until cool.
3  In a small pan, heat milk and butter until hot but not boiling; keep warm.
4  Cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the insides into a mixing bowl and discard the skins.
Mash the potatoes with whatever method you prefer (masher, ricer, food mill, etc).
6  Stir milk into potatoes; add eggs and continue to blend until well combined; stir in brown sugar.
7  Butter a 9 X 13 inch casserole or baking dish and spread mixture into pan; set aside while making topping.
8  Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat; stir in the brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cream.
9  Add pecans.
10  Heat to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick, 5-7 minutes (if mixture starts to boil, reduce heat slightly to maintain a simmer).
11  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
12  Pour topping over potatoes in dish, spreading with spatula.
13  Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until slightly crusty and set.
14  Serve immediately.

Read more: <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/southern-praline-sweet-potato-casserole-39524?oc=linkback">http://www.food.com/recipe/southern-praline-sweet-potato-casserole-39524?oc=linkback</a>

Sweet Potato Praline Pie

One 9-inch unbaked prepared piecrust
1 ¾ cups mashed cooked sweet potato
1 cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup sour cream
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 ¾ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
Topping
1 cup pecan halves
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake piecrust according to package directions, usually about 10 minutes.
While the piecrust is in the oven, whisk together the sweet potato, brown sugar, sour cream, melted butter, eggs, bourbon (if using), cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Pour the filling into the piecrust.
To make the topping: In a small bowl, stir together the pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the surface of the pie. Bake until the filling is set, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool before slicing serving up.
Serve with fresh whipped cream.
Publication: From PAULA DEEN’S SOUTHERN COOKING BIBLE. Copyright © 2011 by Paula Deen. Published by Simon & Schuster, Inc. Reprinted by permission.

Friday, February 21, 2014

Tortellini Soup


Ingredients:
1 9 oz pkg. of Tortellini fresh or dried
1 pkg. (10 oz) of frozen spinach
1 pkg.(1.4 oz.) of Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix 

shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook the tortellini according to the directions on the package (approx. 6-7 min.). Drain the tortellini. Using the same pan, add 3 cups of water, the tortellini, spinach, and soup mix. Serve when warm! Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese


Serves: 3-4
Preparation time: 25-30 min

PARMESAN CHICKEN

1 lb. boneless chicken
1 stick margarine 
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup bread crumbs(or stuffing mix)
salt  and pepper to taste
½ t. thyme
½ t. basil or parsley
½ cup Parmesan cheese

Cut chicken in 2 inch strips. Melt margarine saute garlic. Mix  dry ingredients. Dip chicken in margarine and then bread crumb mixture. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Cook at 350 for 30 min. Check earlier if your chicken is thinly cut.

SPICY LAYERED BEAN DIP




1 can refried beans
1 1/2 cup salsa
1 1/2 cup sour cream
grated cheese
chopped tomatoes
shredded lettuce
sliced green onions 
sliced black olives

  • Put beans into a pan and heat over medium heat, and heating until bubbling hot.
  • Spread in a 9x13 inch glass pan and allow to cool. Layer salsa   evenly on top of beans in pan. Put dollops of sour cream and spread over salsa.
  • Top with chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, grated Cheddar, sliced green onions, sliced black olives.
  • Serve chilled with tortilla chips.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Chocolate Pecan Chess Pie


1/2 c. butter softened
1 1/2 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 T. cornstarch
4 T. cocoa (mix with small amount of water)
1 1/2 c. milk
1 t. vanilla
4 eggs
2 unbaked pie shells
1 cup pecans

Cream butter and sugar together. Add cornstarch. Pour in remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Put half cup the pecans in each pie crust. Pour mixture into 2 pie shells and bake for one hour at 350 degrees. Makes two pies. Check near end of cook time. Center of pies with be jiggly.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Cheesy Chicken, Bacon and Avocado Quesadillas

Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, & Avocado Quesadillas

Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, & Avocado Quesadillas
Let’s start with the bacon. Here’s how I do it. Arrange bacon on a cooling rack (like for cookies) and set it on top of sheet pan. If you don’t have a cooling rack, you can just put the bacon straight on the sheet pan. Or in a 9×13 baking dish. Either way will work. Place bacon in a cold oven,  turn heat to 400, and cook 15 mins per side. Crispy strips of bacon, the easy way!
Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, & Avocado Quesadillas
Now take about a tbsp of the bacon drippings and add to a skillet over medium heat. Add diced scallions & saute about 2-3 mins until softened.
Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, & Avocado Quesadillas
Add bite-sized pieces of chicken in a single layer, season with salt & pepper, and cook for about 5 mins or until chicken is golden and cooked through, flipping just once during cooking.
Remove the chicken & scallions to a plate and rinse out the skillet.
Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, & Avocado Quesadillas
Then add a little butter over medium heat…
Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, & Avocado Quesadillas
And when foamy, add a tortilla and swirl it around to get it nice and buttery.
Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, & Avocado Quesadillas
Now we can start layering with the good stuff. Chicken.
Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, & Avocado Quesadillas
Bacon.
Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, & Avocado Quesadillas
Avocado.
Do you know how to pick out a good avocado? We’ve all been there… trying to scoop out a rock hard avocado! First check the bottom and make sure it has a green stem. Then give it a little squeeze. It should have a little give to it. Not too squishy, but not rock hard. Touch the tip of your nose. About like that. You’ll get a good one every time. If all they have at the store are rock hard, let it sit on the counter overnight. If you have a paper bag you can put it in with an apple, even better.
Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, & Avocado Quesadillas
A little cheese..
Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, & Avocado Quesadillas
Now use some tongs to flip the other side of the tortilla over.
Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, & Avocado Quesadillas
And pat down in place.
Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, & Avocado Quesadillas
Oh my stars. When it’s golden, brown and delicious like this, flip it over to brown the other side. It’ll just take a minute or two on each side.
Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, & Avocado Quesadillas
Super easy. Super quick. Super delicious.
Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, & Avocado Quesadillas
Cheesy Chicken, Bacon & Avocado Quesadillas
4 medium-sized flour tortilla shells
1 lb chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
salt and pepper
1/2 cup scallions, diced
8 strips of bacon, cooked & crumbled
1 avocado, diced
mild cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tbsp butter
Arrange bacon on a cooling rack (like for cookies) and set it on top of sheet pan. If you don’t have a cooling rack, you can just put the bacon straight on the sheet pan. Or in a 9×13 baking dish. Either way will work. Place bacon in a cold oven, turn heat to 400, and cook 15 mins per side.
Add 1/2 tbsp bacon drippings to a skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions and saute about 2-3 mins until softened. Add the chicken in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 5 mins or until chicken is golden and cooked through, flipping just once during cooking. Remove the chicken and scallions to a plate and rinse out the skillet.
Add about 1/2 tbsp butter to the skillet over medium heat. When foamy, add a tortilla and swirl it around to get it nice and buttery. Layer one side of the tortilla with chicken, bacon, avocado, and a little cheese. Use tongs to flip the other half of the tortilla over and press down. Cook the tortilla for about 1-2 mins on each side or until golden brown and crispy.
Repeat with the rest of the tortillas, adding a little more butter for each tortilla as needed. Eat & enjoy!
Makes 4 quesadillas.


Read more at http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/cheesy-chicken-bacon-avocado-quesadillas.html#ixzz2tW9b3sAg

Breakfast Casserole with Croissants



1 pkg croissant rolls
1 lb mild sausage, browned and drained
6 eggs, beaten
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese


Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9×13 baking dish with Pam. Brown sausage in skillet. Spread croissant dough in bottom of 9×13 dish.
 Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Top with an even layer of browned and drained sausage:
Then pour in beaten eggs:
And top with cheese! :)



Bake at 350 for 30 mins.

If you want to have this for breakfast, you can brown your sausage the night before and keep it in the refrigerator until morning. Then all you have to do in the morning is put everything together and you have a quick and easy breakfast! :) Breakfast Casserole also microwaves up well if you have leftovers. 

Read more at
 http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/breakfast-casserole.html#ixzz2tVz1wxIs