Baked Spaghetti

SPAGHETTI almost always sounds good, but we get tired of having it the SAME way all of the time. This was fun and new for the KIDS, and my husband like it too. One of our two year olds even said "Mommy, this is my best dinner ever!" It must be GOOD with an endorsement like that, right?

Baked Spaghetti
8 ounces thin spaghetti, broken in half
1 cup cottage cheese
4 ounces cream cheese, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup sour cream
Garlic salt and pepper
1 jar spaghetti sauce (just use your favorite!)
1/2 pound browned hamburger
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Parmesan cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare an 8 x 8-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Cook the spaghetti in a large pot according to package directions; drain and put back in pan.

In a bowl, quickly mix together the cottage cheese, cream cheese, and sour cream with a few dashes of garlic salt and pepper. Stir into the warm noodles in the pot until thoroughly coated.  Spread the coated noodles in the prepared pan. Combine the spaghetti sauce and cooked hamburger an then spread over top of the noodles. Sprinkle a good layer of cheese, using the mozzarella and Parmesan, over top. Bake, covered with foil, for about 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Remove foil for last 5 minutes of cooking. Cut into squares and serve.

TIP: This would be great with your favorite cooked veggies, chopped and tossed into the sauce, or noodles. Olives, peppers, zucchini, spinach, whatever!

Debbie's Quick Bread (Mmmmm!)

This bread is so YUM! A friend of mine gave me the recipe years ago, and recently, when I was really wanting some BREAD or rolls to go with dinner, I dug through my RECIPES and found this lost TREASURE.  The recipe is easy (no mixer required!) and tastes FAB—basically like a dinner roll, but it's all baked in a 9 x 13-inch pan.

Debbie's Quick Bread
2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons yeast (I use the rapid-rise for this recipe)
4 tablespoons sugar
5 cups flour, divided
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
4 tablespoons oil

In a bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar and let brew. In another bowl, mix together 2 1/2 cups flour and salt. Add the eggs and oil and yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until well mixed. Add the remaining flour and stir until combined. Mixture will be sticky. Cover and let rise until double in size, about 30 to 45 minutes. DO NOT KNEAD! Put in a 9 x 13-inch pan prepared with nonstick spray and let rise a second time, covered, until dough is to the top of the pan, about 30 to 45 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes and serve.

TIP: We like ours spread with butter and, for added goodness, jam or honey.

Chicken Sausage Pasta

OK, so we buy stuff from Costco. And well, you get A LOT of whatever you buy. Soooo, sometimes I try to come up with different ways to use the bulk FOOD that we get, you know, instead of just preparing it as INTENDED. That is where this recipe comes in. And let me tell ya, it was DELISH, not to mention extremely easy!

Chicken Sausage Pasta
3 or 4 link chicken sausage links (mine are from Costco!)
Olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
Garlic salt and pepper
About 8 ounces or so of thin spaghetti, cooked according to directions
1/2 to 1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

Slice the sausage into rounds and then sauté in a large frying pan with a touch of olive oil. Remove from pan when browned and set aside.

In the same pan, sauté the veggies until crisp-tender with a little more oil and some dashes of garlic salt and pepper. Add the sausage slices back to pan, as well as the cooked spaghetti and toss to coat. Toss in the Parmesan cheese as well. Serve with more Parmesan on top if desired.

TIP: If pasta seems a little dry, toss in a bit more olive oil or some butter. Mmmmm! Also, if you want a stronger garlic flavor, add some minced garlic to your veggies toward the end of their cooking time. A clove or two would be perfect!

Sweet Potato and Quinoa Cakes

I've seen several recipes for these LITTLE "cakes" on Pinterest, so I finally broke down and tried my own version. They were so EASY to put together, and the kiddos thought they were pretty TASTY too. I was happy because combined with veggies on the side, they made a really yummy and HEALTHY meal!

Sweet Potato and Quinoa Cakes
1/3 large sweet onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon thyme (fresh or dried!)
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
2 cups cooked quinoa
Butter

In a frying pan, sauté the onions in the olive oil until tender and slightly browned. Stir in the garlic and thyme when the onions are almost done.

In a bowl, combine the onions, sweet potatoes, and quinoa. Form into small patties and then cook in frying pan with a touch of butter until browned on both sides. Serve warm.

TIP: I topped mine with a dollop of sour cream and some freshly grated Parmesan cheese, but they were wonderful without as well!

Roasted Lemon Brussels Sprouts

I'm always looking for new ways to prepare VEGGIES, and this one turned out pretty tasty! They were very SIMPLE, and super REFRESHING. I will definitely make this again. And again. And again. :)

Roasted Lemon Brussels Sprouts
Olive oil
Brussels Sprouts (as many as you need!)
1 lemon
Kosher salt and pepper


Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch pan with olive oil; set aside.

Prepare Brussels sprouts by removing and discarding the stems. If they are large, halve or quarter them. Spread Brussels sprouts in prepared pan and then zest and juice the lemon over top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat in pan. Drizzle with a touch more olive oil if desired or needed. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until desired doneness is reached—like when you can pierce one easily with a fork. (I however like nice and brown edges!)

TIP: Another great addition to this recipe would be garlic!

Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

We love those yummy CHOCOLATE cookies topped with marshmallows that Martha Stewart does, so when I saw this recipe on the blog Our Best Bites, I knew I had to try their VERSION. They did not disappoint! Luckily I had neighbors to SHARE them with, otherwise I would have eaten the ENTIRE batch myself. (Well, I might have given a few to the kiddos . . . maybe.)

Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
(Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites)

1 chocolate cake mix
1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening
2 eggs
12 large marshmallows
1/2 cup melted butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 pound powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the cake mix, shortening, and eggs until well combined. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and bake on a cookie sheet lined with a silicone baking mat for about 8 to 10 minutes. While the cookies are baking, cut the marshmallows in half. When the cookies are done, remove from the oven and put a marshmallow half, cut side down, on top and return to the oven for a minute or two, or until the marshmallow puffs up. Remove from oven and gently push each marshmallow down and let cool completely.

To make the frosting, beat all of the ingredients together until smooth, light, and fluffy. Pipe over the marshmallows using a large tip. Makes 24 cookies.

Honey Garlic Chicken

I'm always looking for EASY recipes that only take a minute or two to throw in the CROCKPOT. This is one of those recipes! It's sweet and TANGY and is perfectly rounded out with some rice and your FAVORITE veggie.

Honey Garlic Chicken
8 to 10 chicken tenders
1/2 sweet onion, sliced
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
Chili pepper flakes (several good dashes)
Black pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

Place the chicken and onion in a crockpot sprayed with nonstick spray. In a bowl mix together the honey, oil, soy sauce, ketchup, and seasoning until smooth and then pour over the chicken and onions. Cook on low heat for 6 hours or high heat for 3 hours. Remove chicken with a fork to a plate and set aside. In an airtight container, shake together the cornstarch and water until thoroughly mixed and then stir into liquid in the crockpot. Shred chicken on the plate using 2 forks and then put back into the sauce. Let cook another 30 minutes and then serve over rice.

TIP: Garnish with chopped parsley and toasted sesame seeds for some extra color. You can also add sesame seeds and/or a dash of sesame oil to the mix before cooking for a little different taste.

Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies

I've really liked exploring and trying different COOKIE options lately. These little guys are both SWEET and SALTY, and the combination is pretty fabulous. If you are like me, these chewy treats will totally satisfy every CRAVING you are currently having. I promise!

Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies 
(adapted from Lovin' From the Oven)

1/2 cup butter, room temp
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup semisweet chips
1/2 cup broken pretzel pieces

In a bowl, beat together the butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips and pretzel pieces. Chill the dough for an hour, or if you are impatient like me, just go for it. Make about 1-inch dough balls and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

TIP: Don't overcook these! Start watching them around 9 minutes to make sure you pull them out just as the edges turn golden brown.

Southwest Turkey Sliders

I'm a firm BELIEVER that great things come in small packages, and these LITTLE sliders definitely confirm that theory. They are simple to make, HEALTHY to eat, and taste fabulous on the way down. If you like the idea of any of those three things, you will LOVE these! And so will your kids—mini things are just more FUN to eat!

Southwest Turkey Sliders
1/3 onion, chopped (red or sweet)
1/3 red bell pepper, chopped
1/3 green bell pepper chopped
1 pound lean ground turkey
Salt and pepper
Whole wheat dinner rolls
Avocado, thinly sliced
Lettuce
Burger toppers of choice

In a frying pan, sauté the onion and peppers in a splash or two of olive oil until tender, about 5 minutes. Put the cooked veggies in a bowl with the ground turkey, salt, and pepper, and mix thoroughly with your hands. Use mixture to make about 8 mini patties. Cook patties on a grill or a nonstick frying pan until done. Eat on dinners rolls and top with avocado slices, lettuce, and other favorite burger toppings.

TIP: You can also top the burgers with slices of pepper jack cheese for a gooey kick.

Sweetheart Cake

Several years ago I wrote a cookbook, Easy Cut-Up Cakes for Kids—and it's all about CAKE decorating that's so easy, your kiddos can do it themselves. Well, I can't let VALENTINE'S DAY come and go without sharing this CUTE and easy cake that is in the book. It is such a SWEET little cake and is so fun to have as a YUMMY Valentine's treat to share with your family.

                                                                                                        Photo by Zac Williams

Sweetheart Cake
1 strawberry cake mix
Pink frosting
1 large tube white frosting (or homemade)
Pastel candies, such as M&Ms, Skittles, jelly beans, or gum drops

Make cake according to package directions. Bake cake as directed on box for two pans, using one 8-inch round pan and one 8-inch square pan. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, and then invert and cool completely on a wire rack.


Place the square cake diagonally on a platter or foil-wrapped board. Cut the round cake in half and the place the cut sides against the top two sides of the square cake to make a heart.


Frost entire cake pink. Outline top edge with white tube frosting (or homemade in a decorator's bag with a star tip). Decorate the cake with pastel candies of your choice. You can use the candies to create flowers as seen in the photo or whatever you prefer. 

TIP: Switch up the color scheme if you don't want a pink cake! Use cherry chip cake mix, frost the cake white, and use red tube frosting and candies. Or again, whatever you prefer.

Salmon Taco Bowls

So I buy fresh SALMON from Costco, and since everything comes in bulk there, it is a rather large fillet. I typically cut it into 2 or 3 PORTIONS and freeze them, but last time I totally forgot and stuck the whole thing in the freezer! This meant I had to thaw the whole darn thing—all 3 pounds of it. So, we had a lot of FISH that week! This was one of my favorite versions and I will definitely be making these YUMMY taco bowls again soon.

Salmon Taco Bowls
1 pound or so of salmon fillet
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Chili powder
Cumin
Cooked rice
Black beans
Bell peppers, red, green, etc., chopped
Red onion, chopped
Frozen super sweet white corn, warmed through
Shredded cheese
Shredded lettuce
Cilantro
Avocado
Sour cream
Salsa

Lightly coat salmon with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Also sprinkle with chili powder and cumin. (You can decide how generous you want to be. More chili powder = more heat!) Cook salmon as desired, either in a frying pan or bake it in the oven. Once it is cool enough to handle, flake it into chunks with a fork.

Layer your tacos in a bowl (or on a plate is fine too!) starting with some cooked rice, the salmon, beans, veggies, cheese, lettuce, cilantro, avocado, and sour cream and salsa if desired.

TIP: Layer in whatever you like on your tacos normally. It'll be good, I promise!

Baked Proscuitto Ravioli with Pesto Cream Sauce

Doesn't pasta always TASTE good? I know if my kiddos haven't been eating much of their recent dinners that I can make a YUMMY pasta dish and they will ask for seconds, sometimes even thirds. Luckily, this is just another EASY weeknight dish that is sure to make everyone HAPPY and full!

Baked Proscuitto Ravioli with Pesto Cream Sauce

1 bag frozen proscuitto ravioli (or any kind you prefer, mine was from Costco)

1 cup heavy cream

1/3 to 1/2 cup basil pesto

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray. Fill the baking dish with as many ravioli as needed for your family. (If the ravioli are large, you really only need about 5 per person.) In a bowl, mix together the cream and pesto. Pour over the ravioli in the pan and spread the mozzarella cheese over top. Sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese as well and then bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbling. 

TIP: I think another great addition to this recipe would be some chopped up veggies. You could layer in some onion or squash of some sort, or whatever you think sounds good!

Taking a Break

If you haven't already noticed, I'm taking a break from food blogging for a while. I've been working on a few projects at home and hanging out with the kids as well as fighting a pretty yucky cough the last week or so. Anyway, I thought I better explain my lack of posting, but I promise I will post some new recipes soon! All my other previously posted recipes are still here, so enjoy those while you wait. :)

Merry Christmas!

I hope YOU don't mind, but I decided to take the day off from POSTING. However,  I still wanted to WISH you all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope your holiday is filled with as much YUMMY food and LOVE as mine! :)

Grinch Cookies (A Christmas Tradition!)

Every year as a family we make these yummy MINTY cookies from the Six Sisters Stuff blog. Once they are done BAKING, we sit down and enjoy them while we WATCH How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Our kids love it! Hopefully your FAMILY can start the tradition this year.

(Photo from Six Sisters Stuff) 

Grinch Cookies
2 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, room temp
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon mint extract
15 to 20 drops green food coloring
1 box Andes mints, unwrapped and chopped

Preheat oven 375 degrees. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside. 

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and mint extract. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients and add the green food coloring. Mix until even colored. Last fold in the chopped Andes mints. (They also added some milk chocolate chips!) Put in the refrigerator until the dough is cool.

Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls. To make them more rounded when they come out, flatten the balls as you place them onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let stand on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before moving them to wire racks to cool.

Read more at http://www.sixsistersstuff.com

Perfect Cherry Pie

My sister-in-law makes a fabulous CHERRY pie for Thanksgiving, but since we aren't always together for the HOLIDAY she shared her recipe with me several years ago. It's so good, I've decided I better SHARE it with all of you! I have to start by saying I've never liked cherry pie. Ever. Until I had one little BITE of my husband's slice years ago. I've been hooked ever since! It's a beautiful pie and is perfect for CHRISTMAS dessert.

Perfect Cherry Pie
Crust
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter-flavored shortening
6 to 7 tablespoons ice water

Filling
3 cans tart red cherries, drained with 1 cup juice reserved
1 cup sugar, divided
1/4 cup cornstartch
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
10 drops red food coloring (optional, but it makes it really pretty!)

For the crust, combine the flour, salt, and shortening with a pastry blender until you have pea-size crumbs. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until the crust comes together. Divide dough into two portions, one for the bottom of the pie, one for the top. (The bottom needs to cover the bottom of the pie pan and up the sides, so I always do more for the bottom.) Refrigerate until ready to use, or for at least 30 minutes.

Over medium heat, stir the cherries, 3/4 cup sugar, and cornstarch together with a flat-bottom whisk until smooth and clear. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining ingredients. Let cool.

Poor filling into rolled out pie crust dough and top with remaining pie crust dough. Press top and bottom dough together all around the pie and cut an excess off. (You can also crimp the edges to make it pretty!) Cut a few slits in the top for venting and sprinkle a generous amount of cinnamon and sugar over top. Bake at 375 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes and golden brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream of course!

TIP: We love this crust recipe and usually do 1 1/2 of the recipe for a thicker crust. I totally recommend it, but if you like less crust, this way is totally fine!

Banana Sheet Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

If your kids are like my kids, then you go through BANANA phases at your house. Sometimes I can't stock up with enough because the KIDDOS are eating them like crazy. Other times I have bunches that are brown because nobody has even given them a GLANCE. I can't keep up! I don't usually mind having the EXTRA ripe ones around though because I get to make nummy things like this oh-so-wonderful cake. It is seriously one of THE BEST things you can do with bananas. Period. (Wish I had a better picture to do it the justice it deserves. My new camera is being shipped as we speak though, so hooray!)

Banana Sheet Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 box white cake mix (yellow would work too)
Ingredients called for on box
1/3 cup sour cream
1 small box instant banana cream pudding mix

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temp
1/4 cup salted butter, room temp
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt
1 cup Cool Whip

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, combine the bananas, cake mix, and ingredients called for on box and mix until smooth. Stir in the sour cream and dry pudding mix. Pour onto a cookie sheet with sides  (roughly 11 x 17 in) that has been prepared with nonstick spray. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

In another bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the brown sugar, vanilla, and salt. When thoroughly combined, gently fold in the Cool Whip. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

TIP: Drizzling caramel ice cream topping over individual slices would make this extra luxurious. Ooooh, and maybe some sort of chopped nut. You pick.

Orange Chocolate Chunk Cookies

These soft little cookies are such a TREAT! It's a chocolate chip cookie, but with a touch of orange and HOLIDAY spice. They are perfect for any get TOGETHER you might be hosting or attending this time of year. Of course, they are extremely EASY to make and your house will smell unbelievable!

Orange Chocolate Chunk Cookies
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour (I used about 2 3/4 cup)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks (slightly heaping!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until thoroughly mixed. Stir in the orange zest and chocolate. (Dough will be pretty stiff, especially if you stir it by hand like I do, so feel free to do this all with your stand mixer!).

Use a teaspoon to scoop your dough and roll into balls. Place on a cookie sheet covered with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Bake for 10 or so minutes and slightly brown around the edges. (I did about 10 1/2 minutes and they were perfect!) Let cool for 2 minutes on the pan and then completely on a wire rack.

TIP: I think using a really dark, indulgent chocolate would be fabulous in these, or if you prefer a milk chocolate that would be lovely too!

Crockpot Chicken Curry

We love all sorts of CROCKPOT meals, and this one is definitely a TASTY one. So over the next few weeks as you are BUSY preparing for the holidays, throw this in the crockpot in the morning and by DINNER your house will smell pretty fab.

Crockpot Chicken Curry
10 to 12 chicken tenders
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/3 cup water
1 cup salsa
1 cup sour cream

Spray a 3- to 5-quart crockpot with nonstick spray. Place the chicken tenders in the bottom and sprinkle the curry powder over the top. Pour in the water and salsa and then cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours, or on high heat for 3 to 4 hours. When ready to serve, stir around to break up the chicken and then stir in the sour cream. Serve warm over rice.

TIP: I love the sweetness coconut adds to curries, so feel free to stir some coconut in towards the end of your total cook time for another variation.

Butterscotch Banana Bread

Have this yummy bread as part of your THANKSGIVING brunch! This is now my new favorite BANANA bread recipe. I'm always making the stuff, but I love trying different VARIATIONS. Of the hundreds of banana BREAD recipes I've tried (OK, maybe dozens?), this seriously tops my list!

Butterscotch Banana Bread
(from sixsistersstuff.com)

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups flour
3/4 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Stir in all the remaining ingredients (except butterscotch chips) until mostly smooth. Stir in the chips. Pour into a greased 9 x 5-inch bread pan and bake for 55 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.

TIP: My husband loves chocolate chips in his banana bread and asked me to do a mixture of the butterscotch and chocolate chip next time. I think it sounds like a good idea, but I'll probably do 1/2 cup of each.