Texas Sheet Cake

INGREDIENTS

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1 cup butter

4 T. cocoa

1 cup water

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. baking soda

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS

Combine sugar and flour in a mixer bowl. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, cocoa, and water. Bring to a boil. Pour over flour/sugar mixture; beating as you pour slowly. Mix well. Add buttermilk, soda, eggs, and vanilla. Pour into a greased 10x14 inch baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool completely and then frost with chocolate frosting. Sprinkle with nuts (optional).

Frosting: 

1 12 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips

6 T. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 tsp. vanilla 

1/2 tsp. salt

2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/3 cup milk

Heat chocolate and butter in a mixer bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until almost melted. Remove from heat; stir until completely melted.

With mixer on low speed, add vanilla and salt. Gradually add confectioners' sugar and milk in alternating batches; beat until smooth. Let stand 5 minutes before spreading on cake. 

Ranch Chicken Enchiladas

We are ranch lovers in our family so this dish was a huge hit! Super yummy and a fun variation to traditional chicken enchilada recipes. The chicken breasts I usually buy are super big so if yours come small you may want to throw in an extra breast to the crock pot.  Hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do! Reheating any leftovers is great too!

INGREDIENTS

2-3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 package chicken taco seasoning

1 package ranch dry salad dressing

1 can chicken broth

1 cup ranch dressing

1 cup salsa

1 can black beans, drained

2-3 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese

1 package white flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS

Place chicken in a crockpot and add 1 can of chicken broth.  Sprinkle chicken with taco seasoning and ranch seasoning packets.  Cook on high for about 3-4 hours. When chicken is cooked, shred in juices and add can of black beans.

Mix the 1 cup of ranch and 1 salsa in a bowl.  Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and spread a very thin layer of the mixture on the bottom.

Start assembling the enchiladas by putting 2 T. of the ranch and salsa mixture on the bottom of tortilla.  Then add a couple spoonfuls of chicken and beans.  Sprinkle with cheese and roll it up.

Line up the enchiladas in the 9x13 pan and drizzle remaining sauce on top of enchiladas.  Sprinkle heavily with the Mexican blend cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and enchiladas are heated through.

No Bake Peanut Butter Rice Krispies

This is a Martha Stewart Recipe: super tasty treat! You can even cut them in squares, individually package, and pop them in the freezer to save for later. Kids love them!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 1/2 cups salted peanut butter

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

4 cups Rice Krispies

DIRECTIONS

Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with wax paper or baking parchment. Place the corn syrup and sugars in a large saucepan over medium heat and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat.

Stir in the peanut butter and mix well to combine. Quickly stir in the vanilla and Rice Krispies. Spread into the lined baking pan. Cool and slice into squares.

Ground Beef Stroganoff

My MIL makes a dish similar to this but instead of bugging her for the recipe AGAIN, I decided to try and recreate it from what I could remember. I love the tang i-ness the mustard brings to the dish and the sour cream really completes the recipe . A great comfort meal!

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. ground beef

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1 T. butter

1 onion, diced

2 tsp. minced garlic

           

3 T. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups beef broth

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. prepared mustard

1/4 cup light sour cream

1- 16 oz. bag of noodles (any kind would be good, even egg noodles)

DIRECTIONS

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble ground beef into the hot skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir beef until completely browned, 7 to 10 minutes.  Transfer beef to a separate dish.

Melt butter in the skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and garlic in butter until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir flour into onion mixture; cook and stir until flour is browned, about 1 minute. Return beef to the skillet; stir. Pour beef broth over the mixture in the skillet; bring to a boil. Stir Worcestershire sauce and mustard through the mixture.

Reduce heat to medium-low and cook at a simmer until the consistency is gravy-like.

Stir sour cream through the beef mixture and heat until warmed.  Boil noodles in a large pot of water until al dente. Serve stroganoff over noodles.

Pasta e Fagioli

The temperature outside dropped the other day and the rains came and I thought this would be the perfect soup to make. It's mild and filling and my kids love it so that makes me love it!

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 large carrot, julienned (1 cup)
3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2- 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1- 15 ounce can red kidney beans (with liquid)
1- 15 ounce can great northern beans (with liquid)
1- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1- 12 ounce can v-8 juice
1 T. white vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 lb. ditali pasta (or small penne or small macaroni)

DIRECTIONS
Brown the ground beef in a large pot over medium heat. Drain off most of the fat.  Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and saute for 10 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients except the pasta and simmer for 1 hour.

About 50 minutes into the simmering, cook the pasta in 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of boiling water over high heat.  Cook for 10 minutes or just until pasta is al dente.  Drain.

Add the pasta to the large pot of soup.  Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more and serve.

Serves 10
*If you're not planning on finishing off the soup in one meal you may want to keep the noodles separate from the soup and just combine into the individual bowls.  As the soup sets, the noodles will absorb the liquid and make your soup less....soupy. So either keep the noodles separate or if reheating the next day plan to add some additional liquid such as v-8.

Cafe Rio Pork Salad

There are a lot of great Cafe Rio Pork Salad recipes floating around out there. This is the recipe I've always used and I love it.  The last couple of times I've been to Cafe Rio I've been so disappointed with my meal.  It seems like they either skimp on the meat, it's been super fatty, or the flavor just seems off.  Whatever the case may be, we sure enjoy making this meal at home!

INGREDIENTS
1 Pork Loin or Pork Roast
1 1/2 cans coke (no diet or generic brand substitutions)
1 cup sugar
1- 7 oz. can Chipotle Chilies in ADOBO sauce (since you use the sauce, not the chilies, it is important that you get the chilies in adobo sauce)
1 tsp. dry ground mustard (heaping)
1 tsp. cumin (heaping)
1 tsp. minced garlic

DIRECTIONS
Remove chilies from the can of Adobo Sauce and discard chilies. Rinse can of adobo sauce with coke to get all the sauce out.  Pour sauce and coke into a blender.  Add remaining ingredients (except pork) in the blender. Blend until well mixed.  Place pork in crock pot and pour sauce over it.

Cook in crock pot on low for 7-9 hours or until it pulls apart with a fork.

Salad ingredients: Lettuce, tortillas, pork, pinto beans, rice, dressing, tomatoes, avocado, and cheese. 

DRESSING

INGREDIENTS
1 envelope buttermilk ranch dressing
1 cup milk or buttermilk
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 bunch cilantro
2 tomatillos
2 serano peppers with seeds removed
1 tsp. lime juice
1 garlic clove

DIRECTIONS
Blend all together in blender. Let sit in refrigerator to thicken.

RICE

INGREDIENTS
1 cup rice
2 cups water
3 cubes chicken boullion
1/2 tsp. dried onion
1/4 bunch cilantro
1 T. oil

DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients and cook in a rice cooker.  Add juice of 1/2 lime and mix well.

Steel Cut Oats

I didn't even know what Steel Cut Oats were until this summer when we visited my parents and my mom made this for breakfast.  Then she sent us home with a can and we love making them.  Jason's not much of a hot cereal eater but now whenever I'm cooking oatmeal he asks if it's regular oats or steel cut oats.  Our #10 can came from Honeyville Farms but just the other day at Walmart I saw steel cut oats next to the regular oats. 

INGREDIENTS
1 T. butter
1 cup Steel Cut Oats
1 cup milk
3 cups water
3 T. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add oats and toast while stirring for approximately 3 minutes. Be careful not to over brown. Add milk, water, sugar and salt. Bring to a simmer and cover. Turn heat down to low and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve oats with brown sugar, raisins, chopped walnuts, and milk.

Granola

This is Nana's Granola recipe and I've eaten it several times at her house and it's been in the family cookbook for years but I'd never made it myself until 2 months ago and 3 double batches later I'm still loving it! My favorite is eating as cereal with milk poured over the top but it's also great over yogurt, mixed with hot wheat cereal, by the handfuls, or any other way you can think to eat it.  Altogether it's just plain delicious.

INGREDIENTS
4 c. regular rolled oats
4 c. quick rolled oats
2 c. fresh ground wheat flour or wheat germ
2 c. coconut (shredded coconut or I like to use the Philippine brand of Dried young coconut from Costco and chop it)
2 c. slivered almonds
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon (optional)

1/2 c. butter
1 c. honey
1 c. brown sugar
4 T. molasses

DIRECTIONS
Mix: Dry ingredients in a large bowl. Bring wet ingredients to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Pour wet into dry being sure to stir in well.  Place a thin layer on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.  Granola will be crunchy when cool and dry.

*We double this recipe and store the granola in gallon plastic bags in the freezer.

Apple Cider Caramels

I grew up making lots of caramels; seemed to become a Sunday thing. Most of the time the caramels never made it to the wrapping stage. No one could to wait until they were completely cooled before cutting into the gooey pan of yumminess! I came across this adaptation on Our Best Bites and it's a great change to regular caramels, especially in the fall.

INGREDIENTS
2 cup high-quality apple cider
1 cup heavy cream or whipping cream, divided
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup real butter, cubed

DIRECTIONS
Pour cider into a medium saucepan and boil on high for about 20 minutes or until the cider is reduced to 1/3 c. Keep an eye on it...it might try to run away. Set aside to cool.

Line an 8" square pan with parchment paper, making sure to leave about 1" hanging over the edges for easy removal. Coat with a bit of vegetable oil and set aside.  In a small bowl, combine 2/3 c. cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and reduced apple cider. Set aside.

In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, 1/3 c. whipping cream + enough water to reach the 1/2 c. line on the measuring cup, and corn syrup. Cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Insert the candy thermometer and simmer until the syrup reaches 234 degrees.

Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the cream mixture. Add the cubed butter and stir until the cream and butter are fully incorporated. Return the pan to heat and re-insert the candy thermometer. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the temperature reaches 248 degrees.

Remove from heat and pour the caramel into the prepared pan. Let the mixture cool completely at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Cut the caramels into 1/2″ squares and wrap each caramel in wax paper. Store in an airtight container or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. (I like to store mine in the freezer and pull out one for a quick treat).

Horseradish Dipping Sauce

This horseradish sauce is such a wonderful addition to many dishes. We especially like to serve it over roasted new potatoes.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. horseradish
1 T. dried chopped chives

DIRECTIONS
Mix ingredients together and serve with beef and/or potatoes.  Add more or less horseradish depending on your taste.  I use extra hot horseradish. YUM!

Pumpkin Spice Donuts

 
I'm always on the hunt for good recipes I can make for an after school snack. My son comes home starving every day and it's always better for my sanity if I have something ready and waiting for him. He loves donuts and fall is in the air so this was a perfect treat to make. I found this recipe at The Blue Eyed Bakers.

INGREDIENTS
1-3/4 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup milk

For Coating:
1/2 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
1-2 T. cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven 350 F.  Butter a donut pan and set aside. In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and spices together and set aside.

In a large bowl (or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) whisk together oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the mixture and stir until just combined, careful not to over mix.

Using a pastry bag or a steady hand and a spoon, fill each donut cup with the batter.  The donut cups should be fairly full, but not overflowing. Bake for 8-9 minutes, until donuts spring back when gently pressed (if you're using a larger donut pan, allow them to bake for 12-15 minutes).  Turn donuts out onto a wire rack and allow to cool for a few minutes.

While the donuts are cooling, melt butter in one bowl and combine the sugar and cinnamon in another.  When donuts are still hot (but not too hot to touch), quickly dip each donut in melted butter, then coat in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Serve immediately.

*Note: If you're not going to serve the donuts immediately, you can bake them up to a day in advance and store them in an airtight container.  Do not coat them in the butter/cinnamon-sugar mixture until just before serving or they may get soggy.

**Makes 12 regular donuts or 24 mini donuts (depending on what size donut pan you have)

Crepes

These crepes are so delicious and fun to make for any occasion.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. sugar, if dessert crepe
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
4 eggs
3 T. butter, melted and slightly cooled

DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients in blender except butter.  Blend 15 seconds, scrape sides, start blender again. Add butter, blend 1 minute.

Spray crepe pan with cooking spray every couple of crepes.

Makes 8 crepes.

Filling suggestions: bananas, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, powdered sugar

Pani Popo Sweet Rolls

We recently cooked a Hawaiian luau dinner at our family reunion. These rolls turned out so yummy.   Hope you enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

Rhodes Rolls, 18 ct.

1 can coconut milk

1/2 cup sugar (add more sugar if you like it sweeter)

DIRECTIONS

Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and lay out 18 rolls. Cover with plastic wrap also sprayed with cooking spray so rolls won't stick. Let rise according to directions on package (approx. 4-5 hours).

Mix coconut milk with sugar and pour around the rolls into the pan. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until rolls are done.