Almond and Coconut Chex Mix

Ingredients:
1 (14 oz-17 oz) box of Rice OR Corn Chex cereal
1 (7 oz) bag of sweetened coconut
1 (5 oz) bag of almonds (about 1 1/3 cup)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) margarine or butter
1 1/4 cups light corn syrup (like Karo syrup)
Dash of salt

Directions:
Spray a LARGE (the biggest you can find!) bowl with non-stick cooking spray. Pour in the entire box of Chex cereal, coconut, and almonds. Gently mix together.

Mix together the sugar, butter, light corn syrup, and dash of salt in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a full boil, turn heat down to medium, and cook for three minutes, stirring constantly. Pour over the cereal mixture in the big bowl and stir evenly.  Spread cereal evenly on wax paper and let cool (even though it's delicious to eat while warm, too!).

Found this on the blog, http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/11/gooey-almond-and-coconut-chex-mix.html
I admit, I kinda wanna be the seventh sister!!  :-)

Homemade Rhodes Rolls

Amazing Rolls
1 cup warm milk
 2 tsp vinegar
½ cup butter (1 stick) – if you want to try oil, use 1/3 cup
¼ cup sugar
2 eggs
 1 ½ teaspoons salt
¼ cup potato flakes
4 cups flour
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
Directions
Add all ingredients to bread machine pan in order suggested by manufacturer and select dough setting.
When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface.
Divide dough into 24 portions and shape into balls.
Place in a greased 13 inch by 9 inch baking pan or in muffin tins.
Cover with saran wrap (spray with non-stick spray) and let rise in a warm place for 30-45 minutes (if you are using regular wheat, you can let these rise for an hour or more.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

If you want little freezer rolls, then when you divide the dough into 24 portions, put them on a cookies sheet and place them in the freezer for a few hours.  Then when they are solid, I like to put them in a freezer bag. Then when you are ready to bake them, just pop them out of the freezer and onto a sprayed cookie sheet, cover and let rise for 4-5 hours.   I tried this on Sunday and they came out perfect!  You can also use these in sticky buns!  This is SO much cheaper than buying the bags of Rhodes Rolls and they taste so good!

Found on:  http://www.ourfoodstorage.com/2009/08/19/better-than-rhodes-rolls/

Mushroom & Wild Rice Chicken Casserole

This is a variation on the chicken and cheese casserole I posted a couple weeks ago.  I made the modifications myself and think it turned out SO delicious!

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 large onion, chopped(I used half an onion)
• 2 -8 ounce boxes Uncle Bens long grain and wild rice, cooked according to directions
• 1 cup swiss cheese grated
• 2 - 10.5 ounce can cream of mushroom soup (regular or fat free)
• sliced mushrooms(as many as you prefer)

Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Scatter chopped onion over top. Spoon cream soup over top of that. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. About halfway through I added the mushrooms, but you could put them in at the start if you want, they really shrink no matter when you put them in!  A few minutes before serving, add in cooked rice and cheese. Stir to combine. Serve hot.  This was SOOOO good!

Golden Crescent Rolls

Found this recipe on allrecipes.com and had to share, one reviewer said they made these in their bread machine. I will try that next time. . I made these for Thanksgiving!

Original recipe makes 20 -30 rolls

4 1/2 teaspoons of yeast

3/4 cup warm water

1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup shortning

4 cups flour

  

Directions

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water.
2. Stir in sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in remaining flour until smooth. Scrape dough from side of bowl. Knead dough, then cover it and let rise in a warm place until double (about 1-1/2 hours).
3. Punch down dough. Divide in half. Roll each half into a 12-inch circle. Spread with butter. Cut into 10 to 15 wedge. Roll up the wedges starting with the wide end. Place rolls with point under on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until double (about 1 hour).
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minute or until golden brown. Brush tops with butter when they come out.

Salted Carmel Pretzel Bark

Salted Carmel Pretzel Bark-

 

½ bag of mini pretzel twists

2 sticks of butter

1 cup of brown sugar

1 bag of chocolate chips

Sea salt or table salt

 

 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

• Then line a large jelly roll pan with aluminum foil and lay a single layer of pretzels down.
• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and the brown sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Let it boil gently just until it starts to stick to the bottom and it forms a nice smooth caramel. You’ll want to let it bubble a little and get really thick.
• Remove from heat and pour evenly over the top of the pretzels (don’t worry if every single pretzel isn’t covered). Put in the oven at 350 degrees for five minutes
• Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. You can let the caramel melt the chips, but I prefer to put it back in the oven for one minute
• Spread the chocolate chips around with a spatula until mostly melted.
• Sprinkle generously with salt.
• Let cool on the counter top for a few minutes and then pop in the freezer for at least two to three hours.
• When it comes out of the freezer, break it up into uneven chunks with your hands and serve

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken And Rice

Found this recipe at http://www.southernplate.com/2010/09/slow-cooker-cheesy-chicken-and-rice-the-downside-of-being-a-swan-princess.html  

There are some great pics there if you wanna see how enticing this meal is!!

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts(I used 2 and it seemed to be plenty)
• 1 large onion, chopped(I used half an onion)
• 1 -8 ounce box Zatarain's Yellow Rice Mix, cooked according to directions
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• 1 - 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup (regular or fat free)
• 1 -15 ounce can whole kernel corn, drained (I used frozen)

1. Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Scatter chopped onion over top. Spoon cream soup over top of that. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. A few minutes before serving, add in cooked rice, corn, and cheese. Stir to combine. Serve hot.

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

This is genius.  Just put all the ingredients below into a freezer bag. When you want to have this meal, dump it all into the crock pot and let it go for 5-6 hours on low.  A quick easy meal that does not taste quick OR easy!!

 ( 5-6 servings)

• 2 peppers (your favorite)
• 1 onion
• 1 1/2 pound chicken breast
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• taco seasoning packet
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. salt

You will also need tortillas, cheese, cream, etc.
Directions

1. Put all the ingredients in a large freezer bag. (Make sure you label the bag with instructions.)
2. When it’s time to cook it, dump it all in your slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours.
3. When it’s cooked, shred the meat and add it back to the pepper mixture and serve on warm tortillas and your favorite toppings.

Colorado White Chili

A great soup for a cold winter day!!! Simple to make too!  I like to make a double or triple batch and freeze a meal or two for later! 


1 Tbsp cooking oil
1 medium onion (1/2 cup), chopped
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1-4.5 oz. can diced green chilis (mild or hot)
1 Tbsp cumin (powder or seed)
2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1-15.5 oz. can great northern beans (don’t drain) Or cook your own.
1-15.5 oz. can sweet corn (or frozen)
2 cups cooked chicken
5 cups chicken broth
Cooking day instructions:
In a large pan or Dutch Oven, combine oil, onion, garlic, and green chilis. Saute until tender, but do not brown. Stir in spices, beans, corn, chopped chicken, and chicken broth. Cook and stir until heated through. Adjust seasonings to taste. Cool chili completely.

CREAMED TUNA ON TOAST

Made this tonight for the kiddos since the guys were off to the Priesthood session.   The kids loved it. I think next time I will pour it over noodles so its kinda like a tuna casserole.  Oh, and I added peas and corn, it was yummy!

2 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
2 c. rich milk
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 c. flaked tuna, canned
(Frozen Veggies)

Melt butter and blend in flour; add milk and stir while cooking until mixture is thick and smooth. Add salt and pepper and canned tuna. Serve hot on squares of toast. This recipe may also be used with chipped beef.

Italian Spaghetti With Ham

8 ounces spaghetti

2 cups sliced ham, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cupgrated Parmesan cheese

3eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cupsliced black olives

1/4 cupchopped parsley

salt to taste

1/4 cup butter

 

 

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
2. While spaghetti is cooking, heat the 1 tablespoon butter or margarine in a large skillet. Saute ham and garlic.
3. Drain spaghetti well, and combine with sauteed ham and garlic in the skillet. Over very low heat, slowly stir in the cheese, eggs, olives, and half of the parsley. Remove from heat. Add salt and butter to taste, and sprinkle with remaining parsley. Serve.

Baked Spagetti Casserole

Made this tonight!  Very yummy.  I like that you can make several and freeze without the onions on top!  Yummy quick meal for later! May try this with lowfat cream cheese next time, because its not the healthiest, but it is oh so good!  All three kiddos ate it, even Jacob! 8 ounces uncooked spaghetti 1 pound ground beef 1 large can spaghetti sauce (26.5 ounces) 1 tablespoon butter 1/2 cup chopped green peppers (can omit if you prefer) 1/3 cup chopped onions 8 ounces cream cheese 2 tablespoons milk Fresh grated Parmesan cheese French Fried Onions (small can) Directions Cook spaghetti according to directions on the package. Cook to al dente, drain and set aside. Brown ground beef. Drain excess grease. Add spaghetti sauce to skillet and heat. Combine onions, peppers and butter in small glass bowl. Cover and microwave 4 minutes on HIGH until soft. Add cream cheese and milk to vegetables and stir well. (If cream cheese is not soft, nuke it for 20-30 seconds to make it easy to spread.) Using a 10 x 6 dish, assemble in the following order: Thin layer of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish. Spaghetti Cream cheese/vegetable mixture Spaghetti sauce Parmesan Cheese (amount subject to your own taste) French Fried Onions (added during last 5 minutes of cooking) Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Top with French Fried onion and continue baking 5 more minutes. (This is the secret ingredient–don’t let them burn.)

Andes Mint Cookies Recipe

This is a great recipe to let the kids help with.  Yummy too!  We ran out of mints and had three leftover cookies so we put some peanut butter chips on top and spread it around once they melted.  So good!

1 Devil's Food Cake Mix
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 package of Andes Mints

Mix cake mix, oil, and eggs together. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-9 minutes. Don't cook any longer than that! You don't want them to be overdone!
Take sheet out of oven and while the cookies are still very hot, place an Andes Mint on top of each cookie. In about 5 minutes, the mint will be melted. Take a spoon and smooth out each mint like frosting.

Red Lobster-Like Biscuits

Biscuits:

2 1/2 cups Bisquick

4 Tbsp cold butter

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

3/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Butter Glaze:

3 Tbsp butter

1/2 tsp garlic powder

3/4 tsp dried parsley flakes

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease one cookie sheet; set aside.

Combine Bisquick with cold butter in a medium bowl using a pastry cutter or two forks. Don't worry about mixing too thoroughly; there will be small chunks of butter in the mix about the size of peas. Add cheddar cheese, milk, and garlic powder. Mix by hand until combined, but don't over mix.

Drop 1/4 cup portions of the dough onto the lightly greased or parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes in preheated oven or until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown.

While the biscuits are baking, melt butter is a small bowl in the microwave. Stir in garlic powder and dried parsley flakes. Use a brush to spread the garlic butter over the tops of all the biscuits. Sprinkle a little kosher salt on the freshly coated biscuits. Makes one dozen.

Make it Yourself: Betty Crocker Cookie Pouches

I like to get out a bunch of freezer bags, write the instructions on the front and add each ingredient to the bags.  You can easily make 5 or 6 of each kind at a time and then you have the convenience of making cookies anytime!  You can store these in the pantry for 6 months or up to a year in the freezer. 


Fake Betty Crocker Oatmeal Cookies:

1 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup White Sugar
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Optional: 1/2 Cup Raisins and/or Nuts OR Cinnamon Chips, YUM!

Mix together and store in a quart size ziplock bag.  Write instructions on the bag to add:  1 Stick Melted Butter, 1 Large Egg, 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract.  Mix, Refrigerate for 30 Minutes & Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes.

Fake Betty Crocker Sugar Cookies:

1 1/2 Cups Flour
3/4 Cup White Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt

Mix together and store in a quart size ziplock bag.  Write instructions on the bag to add:  1 Stick Softened Butter, 1 Large Egg, 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract.  Mix & Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes.

Fake Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookies:

1 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup White Sugar
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
3/4 Cup Chocolate Chips

Mix together and store in a quart size ziplock bag.  Write instructions on the bag to add:  1 Stick Softened Butter, 1 Large Egg, 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract.  Mix & Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes.

Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls

• 1 1/4 cups warm milk (Put in your microwave for about 45 seconds.)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

1. Grease bread machine. Place all ingredients in order recommended by your bread machine manufacturer. (I just put them in the bread machine in the order the recipe goes.)
2. Start the dough cycle. (Mine takes about 1 1/2 hours on the dough cycle.)
3. When the dough cycle is complete put it on a floured surface.
4. Preheat oven to 375
5. Roll out to about 12 x 15″

Fill with the following:

1. Take 1/3 cup of softened butter and spread it on the dough.
2. Mix 1/2 cup of brown sugar with 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and sprinkle over butter. Pat it down a little with a spoon or wax paper.
3. Begin to roll it tightly. You will have a long log. Cut into rolls. Will make 15-20 rolls. If you want to make them in the morning just wrap tightly with plastic wrap and keep the in the refrigerator.
4. Place rolls on a cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes. (could be less just check it after 15 minutes) Do not over bake because all the filling will come out the bottom and the rolls will be dry.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons milk (you can add more if you want it runnier)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Spread over hot cinnamon rolls and enjoy! You can reheat the cinnamon rolls in the microwave for 15-20 seconds and they will be just as delicious!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups rolled oats, quick cooking
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9X13 pan.
2. Mix the peanut butter, honey, egg, oil, and vanilla extract until well blended.
3. In a separate bowl combine oats, sugar, salt and mini chocolate chips; add to peanut butter mixture and mix for about a minute.
4. Press the mixture into a 9X13 pan.
5. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Let the bars cool completely before cutting. Store in air tight container.

No-Bake Cookies

Its been too hot to make cookies in the oven.  These have been yummy and fun to make!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup milk
3 Tablespoons cocoa
3 cups quick cooking oats
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:
Bring butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa to a boil for one minute. To make sure cookies set up properly wait until mixture comes to a complete FULL boil and then start the timer for one minute. Remove from heat.
 
Add peanut butter, vanilla, and oats. Stir well and drop spoonfuls onto waxed paper or parchment paper. Let them set up and cool.
 
Makes 24 cookies.

Thai Chicken Wraps

Don't be intimidated by this recipe!  It really is so simple!  Its even easier if you cook up a bunch of chicken and freeze it in meal size portions, just thaw and you are ready to go!


Start with the chicken.  I buy the chicken breasts with the bones still attached when they go on sale.  Its cheap and easy to work with.  Throw them all in the crock pot on low for the day.  Then just remove bones, shred the meat, measure out about 2-3 cups of chicken and add:

2 T. soy sauce
2 T. peanut oil
Set aside.

Mix the following salad ingredients together in a large bowl.
4 cups fresh bean sprouts
1 1/2 cups of grated carrots
 3/4 cup chopped celery
2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
6 green onions, sliced at an angle
Mix the following and toss with the salad:
2 T. sesame seeds
2 T. sugar
1/4 c rice wine vinegar
1/4 t salt

Peanut Sauce: (I could not find our chunky PB, its still boxed up, so I used Bangkok Peanut Sauce from the bottle and it was fabulous.  Next time I will make the sauce from the recipe)
1/2 cup chunky Peanut Butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 T. rice wine vinegar
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, and cayenne pepper.  Add oil by whisking in a slow stream until totally mixed in.

Serve by piling salad down the middle of a tortilla, then add chicken.  Drizzle liberally with peanut sauce then roll tortilla up burrito style and cut in half(or serve whole as we did).  That is all there is to it!  A simple recipe that is GREAT for the hot summer weather!

Simple Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup honey
2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1/2 onion, diced
2 1/2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp safflower oil or extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced, pressed or grated
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp sesame seeds(optional)

Put chicken into crock pot. Meanwhile in a separate bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken and mix,

Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken from the slow cooker leaving the sauce.  Whisk the  cornstarch into liquid in the crock pot, cover and cook the sauce on high for ten more minutes or until it just starts to thicken.

Shred chicken or cut into bite size pieces, return to the sauce and stir together. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.  Serve over rice and with your favorite green vegetable.

Chocolate-Coconut Bars

Ingredients

• 3 cups finely ground cookies (12 ounces), such as graham crackers or chocolate wafers, or a combination
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup pecan pieces
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly splash a 15-by-10-inch rimmed baking sheet evenly with water, then line with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, stir together cookie crumbs, sugar, and butter until combined. Evenly press onto bottom and up sides of prepared baking sheet. Bake, rotating halfway through, until firm, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; cool, about 20 minutes.
3. Sprinkle cooled crust evenly with pecans and chocolate. Pour condensed milk over the top, spreading to cover completely (do not let it drip over the edges). Sprinkle with coconut.
4. Bake until coconut is toasted, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely. Trim edges, if desired, and cut into equal-size bars.

From MarthaStewart.com

Mexican Chocolate Sinckerdoodles

1 1/2 c	sugar
1 c	butter or margarine, softened
2 lg	eggs
1 tsp	vanilla
2 1/2 c	all purpose flour
1/4 c	cocoa, unsweetened
2 tsp	cream of tartar
1 tsp	baking soda
1/2 tsp	cinnamon, ground
1/4 tsp	cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp	salt
	SEPARATE BOWL:
2 Tbsp	sugar
2 tsp	cinnamon 1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or leave ungreased. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter together. Stir in eggs and vanilla. 2 In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, cayenne and salt. Blend well. 3 Slowly stir flour mixture into bowl with butter mixture. Combine well. 4 In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon mixture. Form dough into 1 inch balls, roll in sugar/cinnamon mixture to coat. Place on prepared cookie sheet. 5 Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute before removing to cooling rack. http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/dessert/cookies/mexican-chocolate-snickerdoodles.html?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=pin-mexchocsnickerdoodle-5.1.12

Peach Cobbler- By Julie Hess

1 (29 oz) can sliced peaches
2 C. Flour
1 1/2 C. sugar
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 C. chilled butter

You may add a bit of brown sugar and cinnamon to the peaches if desired.  Put peaches into a 9 x 13 pan.  In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon.  Slice butter into chunks and mix it into dry ingredients until they are pea size crumbs.  Sprinkle crumbs over peaches.  Bake at 350* for  30-40 minutes or until lightly brown.

Julie Hess' Choc Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 C Peanut Butter
1/2 C Butter, Softened
3/4 C Brown Sugar
1/2 C Sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 Egg
1 1/2 C Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 C. Chocolate Chips

Cream butters and sugars together.  Add Vanilla and egg.  Mix in flour, baking soda, and choc chips.  Drop by teaspoonfuls on greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350* for 10-12 minutes.

Easy Pizza Dough

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

I throw it all into my bread machine and run it on dough cycle.  I have enough for two pizzas-- I bake it plain for about 10 minutes, add toppings, and bake until it looks ready.  Really good, light crust!  My favorite!

Hashbrowns Casserole

• 2 lbs frozen hash browns 
• 1/2 cup margarine, melted
• 1 (10 1/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 pint sour cream
• 1/2 cup onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon oepper 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and spray an 11 x 14 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Mix the above ingredients together, place in prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until brown on top.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I don't think of myself as a soup person, but this week we have had more soup than ever before!  This one is fabulous!  We paired it with the twist breadsticks posted earlier and the ENTIRE family loved this meal!

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 onion, cut into medium dice
• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 2 (16 ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole or 2% milk
• salt to taste
• 1 pound shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1. Melt butter over medium heat in a stockpot. Cook onion in butter until softened. Add garlic and pepper; cook for 1 minute then stir in broccoli, and stir in chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer until broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile whisk flour into milk until dissolved. Pour into soup stirring frequently until thickened. Reduce heat and stir cheese in until melted and heated through.

Twisty Breadsticks

 

This recipe is so easy! I think these are a lot like Extreme Pizza Extremely Twisted Sticks.

1½ cups warm water

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. yeast

Let that sit for 5 minutes. Then add:

3½ cups flour

1 tsp Salt

Mix until smooth then let raise for 10 minutes. Roll out dough into a large square on a floured surface. Brush with melted (real) butter mixed with minced garlic and then sprinkle with kosher salt. Fold in half and cut into 1 inch strips. Twist and place on a cooking sheet. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes to raise. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately after baking, brush with more garlic butter and sprinkle with kosher salt and grated parmesan cheese.

If you want, you can serve with marinara, ranch or alfredo sauce for dipping.

*Dough also makes a great pizza dough, just roll out into a large circle, add your favorite toppings, and bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

Panera’s Cream Cheese Potato Soup

Our new favorite soup!  You may want to double, triple, quadruple this recipe.  It is simple and freezes well!


Panera’s Cream Cheese Potato Soup

4 c chicken broth
4 c peeled and cubed potatoes (if you have yellow potatoes, it makes for a nice color)
1/4 c chopped and minced onions
1/2 tsp season salt
1/4 tsp white pepper(go ahead, use black pepper, the only difference is the color)
1/4 tsp ground red pepper(we cut back a little on this as we have a few who do not like spicey)
1 8oz package of cream cheese

• Combine broth, potatoes, onion and spices in large pot
• Boil on medium heat until potatoes are tender
• Smash potatoes to release heat for thickening (hubby uses his stick blender)
• Reduce to low heat
• Add cream cheese
• Continue to heat, stirring frequently, until cream cheese melts

We blended this until it was smooth.  We served it with bacon, cheese and bacon bits.  Yummy! 

Quick Comforting Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 2 quarts water
• 8 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules (or 8 cubes)
• 6-1/2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles
• 2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted 
• 3 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey
  
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• Optional 1 cup frozen peas and 1 can of corn
• Baby carrots or sliced regular carrots are really good in this too, throw them in with the boiling water before you add the noodles.

Directions

• In a large saucepan, bring water and bouillon to a boil. Add noodles; cook, uncovered, until tender, about 10 minutes. Do not drain. Add soup and chicken; heat through.
• Remove from the heat; stir in the sour cream. Sprinkle with minced parsley. Yield: 10-12 servings (about 2-1/2 quarts).

Almond Roca

1t. & 1 c. butter, divided
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 T. light corn syrup
3 T. water
1 c. almonds, coarsely chopped
1 T. almonds, finely chopped
3/4 c. chocolate chips

1. With 1 teaspoon of butter, coat a cookie sheet and spread out the 1 c. of coarsely chopped almonds.  Set aside.
2. Melt 1 cup of butter in a medium pot. Add the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixure reaches 290 degrees (just before hard crack stage) on a candy thermometer.
3. Working quickly and carefully, pour the hot mixture over the almonds on the cookie sheet.
4. While still hot, sprinkle the top of the candy with chocolate chips. Using  a flat spatula, lightly spread the chocolate over the candy as they melt. Sprinkle the finely chopped almonds over the top.
5. Let the chocolate cool before breaking the candy into 1-2″ pieces. Arrange in a bag, tin, or on a plate.