A Bun in the Oven

Pumpkin Bread Pudding w/ Hot Caramel Sauce

2009-10-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

2 c. Half-n-Half
1/2 c. Golden Raisins
1-15oz. can of pumpkin
1 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 c. + 2 T. Dark Brown Sugar
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
2 Lg. Eggs
1 1/2 t. vanilla
10 c. 1/2" Cubed Eggbread

Preheat oven to 350*. Whisk half-n-half, pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, spices, & vanilla. Fold in bread cubes. Stir in raisins. Transfer to 11x7 glass baking dish. Let stand for 15 min. Bake for 40 min.

Caramel Sauce

1 1/4 c. Dark Brown Sugar
1/2 c. whipping cream
1 stick unsalted butter

Whisk brown sugar & butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Whisk in cream & stir until sugar is dissolved. (approx 3 min.)

Sift powdered sugar over bread pudding & serve w/ caramel sauce poured on top.

My Aunt Lisa introduced me to this recipe years ago, and it's become a Thanksgiving staple at our house ever since. We usually leave the caramel sauce in a small pitcher or gravy boat, and pour it over each slice individually. So delicious!

Fudgies

2009-08-18T03:18:00.000-07:00

Not only are the best cookies of my life. They're ridiculously easy to make.

All you need are four ingredients.

1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist Devil's Food Cake Mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
some powdered sugar

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the cake mix, oil and eggs in a medium bowl until all ingredients are combined. Pop the bowl in the fridge for 3-5 minutes while you get the powdered sugar out and pour it onto a plate or other flat surface.

Take the bowl of dough and roll 1 1/2 in. balls. Roll the balls in sugar and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Be liberal with the sugar.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until the center is just set.

Let cool for at least ten minutes before diving in. They'll be extra gooey and fall apart on your shoe if you don't wait.

I made these for Bunko last Tuesday. Then because they were so good, I made them again on Thursday. This picture was taken on Saturday.

And when we bit into them, they were still moist and chewy, like a brownie. I hadn't even had to cover them or put a slice of bread in their container.

Seriously. Best. Cookies. Ever.

Grandma's Dreamy Orange Cake

2009-07-01T06:28:00.000-07:00

Duncan Hines Butter Cake Mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
2 cans (small size) mandarin oranges (Use the juice of ONE can.)

Mix together well. Bake in 3--9" greased and floured cake pans. Bake 25 to 30 min at 325 degrees. Cool.

Frosting:
1--20 oz. can crushed pineapple (including juice)
1 box (small size) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 tub of Cool Whip

Stir together well, and frost cake (between layers, sides, top).
Refrigerate a day or two before serving.

**Our Grandma makes this cake often. It tastes just like Summer! I have renamed it from boring old "Orange Cake". You're welcome, Grandma H.

Cream Cheesey Chicken Enchiladas

2009-05-24T20:27:00.000-07:00

This is my own creation and I'm pretty excited to have made something that isn't just edible, it's delicious.

**NOTICE: This is NOT non-caloric or non-fat. Enjoy at your own risk.

This recipe feeds 2 really hungry people to 4 slightly hungry people.

2 chicken breasts (thawed, cooked and shredded)
1 package taco seasoning
3/4 c. water
1-2 Tbl EVOO
1 red pepper (cored and diced)
8 oz. cream cheese (cubed)
3/4 c. frozen corn (thawed)
1-3 jalapenos (chopped) --Oh, and canned works fine
1 pkg shredded cheese --we use Mexican blend, but use your favorite
6 burrito shells
2 cans enchilada sauce of your choice (it's better if you make this from scratch, but if you're feeling lazy like me, just buy the cans)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour 3/4 of a can of enchilada sauce into a small-ish baking dish. (I use half-sized clear Pyrex ones and I'm sorry but I can't figure out what the measurement is. Any pan works. I've even used a pie pan to make this)

In a medium skillet, combine the cooked and shredded chicken, taco seasoning and water. Simmer for 5-7 minutes. Then transfer to a medium-sized bowl.

In the same skillet (no need for more dirty dishes), add EVOO and diced red pepper. Cook just until the pepper is no longer crunchy. Transfer to the bowl with the chicken.

In the same bowl, add cream cheese, corn, cooked red pepper and jalapenos. Stir until mixed. Spoon mixture into a burrito shell and top with a sprinkling of shredded cheese. Then roll up, burrito style and add to baking dish. Repeat until you use all of mixture. You may need more or less shells depending on how full you fill them.

Pour remaining enchilada sauce over top of all rolled enchiladas. Make sure to cover all dry spots. Sprinkle a final dusting of cheese over the top of saucy enchiladas.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Serve with sour cream on top to feel like a huge fatty. I like to feel like a fatty sometimes.

-Megan

Creme De Menthe Brownies

2009-01-08T09:59:00.000-08:00

(courtesy of my BFF, Paula Deen)

Shaved Creme de Menthe thins (recommended: Andes Creme de Menthe thins)
1 (10-ounce) package Creme de Menthe baking chips (recommended: Andes)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened C

Chocolate Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1/3 cup cocoa
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13-by-9-by-2-inch pan.
Using an electric mixer, combine butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, mixing well.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Gradually stir into butter mixture. Fold in mint chips. Spoon into greased pan. Bake for 35 minutes.
While brownies are baking, prepare frosting. Combine butter, cocoa, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and milk in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until dry ingredients are moistened. Beat at high speed until spreading consistency.
Remove pan from the oven and allow brownies to cool in pan on wire rack. Spread with chocolate frosting. Top with shaved mint thins.
Yield: 24 brownies

(There are no words for how to describe these brownies---incredible!)

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

2008-11-18T17:27:00.000-08:00

(stolen from Paula Deen)

Ingredients:
1 pound ground chuck 10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 (8-ounce) package sharp Cheddar, grated
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup bread crumbs, toasted
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 (3-ounce) can French fried onions

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck and next 8 ingredients, mixing well.
In a small bowl, combine the ketchup and mustard. Stir 1/4 cup ketchup mixture into meat mixture, reserving remaining ketchup mixture.
Press meat mixture into a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan, or shape into a loaf and place on a rack in a broiler pan. Spread remaining ketchup mixture over loaf. Bake 40 minutes. Top with French fried onions; bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink.
Yield: 1 (9x5 inch) loaf

This is sooo delicious. Johnny said it's reminds him of eating at Granite City.

RR's Chili Dog Chili with Spicy Mustard Cornbread

2008-08-08T19:48:00.000-07:00

I saw this on an episode of Rachael Ray over in Singapore. It looked really good and I could actually find all of the ingredients. There's a video on her web site that shows you how to make it HERE, but it's really easy. I think kiddos would really like it too cuz of all the hot dogs in it.

Ingredients
2 8.5-ounce boxes cornbread mix, recommended brand Jiffy
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard (eyeball it)
Butter or nonstick cooking spray (for greasing baking dish)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 16-ounce package all-beef hot dogs, cut in to small bite-size pieces
2 pounds ground sirloin
2 medium onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped (add more or less depending on how much spice you like)
2 tablespoons (2 palmfuls) chili powder
2 tablespoons (2 palmfuls) cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 to 3 cups beef stock (add a little more or less depending on how loose you like your chili)
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 15-ounce can red beans, drained
Hot sauce, to taste
Shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish
Carrot and celery sticks (these are for dipping, an optional item)

Rachael says this makes 4-6 servings. I'd say that's true if you're feeding four 250lb truck drivers. Aaron and I have been eating this for about three days now, and there's leftovers still in the fridge.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Prepare cornbread according to the package's directions. Then, fold in corn kernels and spicy brown mustard. Butter or spray an 8x8 baking dish and pour in the mixture. Bake however long it says to cook on the back of the box. When finished, take it out and cut into chunks.

Once you have the cornbread working, start the chili: Heat a large, high-sided pot over medium-high heat with about 2 tablespoons EVOO (two turns of the pan). Add the chopped-up dogs and cook, stirring every now and then until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. Remove and reserve the browned dogs.

Add the ground beef to the pot and use the back of a spoon or a potato masher to break it up into small pieces while it cooks and browns, about 4-5 minutes. Once the meat is brown, add the diced onions (reserving some for garnish), garlic, jalapeños, chili powder, cumin, salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Cook until the onions start to get tender, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the beef stock, crushed tomatoes, beans, reserved browned hot dogs back to the pot and season with some hot sauce, to taste. Bring the mixture up to a bubble and simmer for 10 minutes.

Rachael says to serve this with chopped onions and cheese on top as a garnish and then put a slice of cornbread on the side. We decided to melt cheese on top and then crumble the cornbread over the top as a garnish as well. It was sooo good! It tasted like a corn dog/chili dog in chili.

Pam's Chinese Cole Slaw

2008-05-12T21:45:00.000-07:00

1 pkg. shredded, fresh cole slaw
green onions
2 pkg. Ramen noodles
1 stick butter
1 c. sliced almonds
1 bottle sesame seeds
1/4 c. cider vinegar
1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. vegetable oil
2 T. soy sauce

Take a hammer and crush Ramen noodles while package still sealed. Melt butter in pan, then pour in crumbled Ramen noodles and cook until browned. Add seeds and nuts, continue to saute. In separate saucepan, mix cider vinegar, sugar, oil, and soy sauce. (This is the dressing.) Boil for 1 minute. Put fresh cole slaw in large bowl. Add Ramen mixture. Pour dressing over immediately before serving. Toss thoroughly.

Tips from your older/wiser sister: I mix shredded lettuce with the shredded cole slaw. Keeps the cabbage from being overpowering. Also, keep an eye on your ramen mixture while sauteeing. It smells awful if those seeds get too brown.

Neighborhood Lasagna

2008-04-16T15:08:00.000-07:00

1 # Ground Beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 can (28 oz.) of diced tomatoes
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
2 Bay leaves
2 Tbsp. Oregano
2 Tbsp. Parsley
2 Tbsp. Basil
2 cloves of minced Garlic
1 t. salt
1 pkg Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles
18 oz. cottage cheese
3 eggs
1 # Mozzarella cheese
1 # grated Monterey Jack cheese

Brown ground beef, add onions and cook until transparent. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste, bay leaves, oregano, parsley, basil, garlic, and salt. Simmer at very low heat for 30 - 60 min. While sauce is simmering, combine cottage cheese and eggs in a bowl, set aside. Combine mozzarella and monterey jack cheese in another bowl. Grease a 9 x 13 pan and a 9x9 pan. Layer noodles, meat sauce, cottage cheese mixture, and then grated cheeses. Repeat. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes. ---------------------------------------------------Cori

(This was Grandma H.'s original recipe, but I've tweaked it several places. I call it neighborhood lasagna because it makes two pans, so I usually give one away to Traci or Rachel. Or sometimes I freeze it for another day. This lasagna takes a while to make, but it is so worth it.)

Granny Ruby's Smothered Chicken

2008-04-12T15:26:00.000-07:00

1 pkg boneless chicken breasts
6 slices swiss cheese
1/3 c. white wine (I don't know what the original recipe called for. The only wine I ever have in the fridge is White Zin, and that tastes fine. You can leave this out totally if you want, but I find it mellows the kids out. Kidding.)
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 cup of dry stuffing (the packaged kind works wonderfully)
1/2 stick of butter

Grease pan. Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and lay on bottom of pan. Cover with slices of swiss cheese. In separate bowl, combine the two soups and wine. Mix. Pour mixture over chicken. Sprinkle dry stuffing across top of dish. Drizzle melted butter over stuffing. Cover with foil. Bake at 350* for 1 hour.

(At Holidays, this is always referred to as Granny Ruby's Chicken. We call it Smothered Chicken. Over the years, I think I've altered the original recipe a little bit, but it's easy and delish.)

Newlywed Pizza Meatloaf

2008-04-10T15:17:00.000-07:00

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (8 oz. ) pizza sauce, divided
1 c. of crushed crackers (I like Ritz or Saltines)
1/2 c. grated parmesan
1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. green pepper
1 t. seasoned salt
1 t. oregano
1/4 t. pepper
2 # ground beef

Combine eggs, 3/4 c. pizza sauce, cracker crumbs, parmesan, 1/4 c. of mozzarella, onion, green pepper, salt, oregano, and pepper. Add beef and mix well. Pat into greased 8 in. square baking dish. Bake at 350* for 50 minutes. Drain juices very carefully. Spread remaining pizza sauce over loaf, and bake 10 more minutes. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and bake 3-4 more minutes. Serve with add'l pizza sauce if desired.-------------------------Cori

(This was the only thing I knew how to cook our first 6 months of married life. I think I found it orginally in a Taste of Home magazine. Very easy.)

Giada's Crunchy Chicken Tenders

2008-04-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

4 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders (about 18)

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper

1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan

3/4 cup Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
Brush 1 tablespoon of oil over each of 2 heavy large lined baking sheets. Place the buttermilk in a large bowl. Add the chicken tenders and stir to coat. Let stand at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mash the garlic with the salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in the vinegar and then the remaining 1/2 cup of oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with pepper. Transfer the vinaigrette to a small serving bowl.

Stir the Parmesan and bread crumbs in a pie dish. Remove the chicken tenders from the buttermilk and dredge them in the bread crumb mixture to coat completely, pressing to adhere. Arrange the coated chicken tenders on the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over the chicken tenders and bake until they are cooked through and golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer the chicken tenders to a platter and serve the vinaigrette alongside for dipping.

(This was the first "made-from-scratch" meal that Aaron and Megan made together. It's delicious, but the vinaigrette makes it awesome.)

Paula's Broc/cauli Salad

2008-04-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

1 lb cooked bacon
2 small heads of broccoli
1 medium head of cauliflower
1 medium red or sweet onion
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 mayo
1/2 sugar (or splenda equivalent)
2 T. apple cider vinegar

Chop bacon, broccoli, onion, and cauliflower and mix. Add in seeds, almonds, and raisins. In a separate bowl wisk mayo, sugar, and vinegar together to create the dressing. Pour over mixture and toss until all is coated. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Megan's tip: I like tangy dressings more than sweet ones, so I add a little more vinegar to my mixture.

Belle's Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-04-01T13:23:00.000-07:00

1 c. Butter-flavored Crisco
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. quick oats (optional, nice for texture)
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375*. Cream Crisco, both sugars, eggs, and vanilla in mixer. Mix together flour, salt, baking soda, and oats, in separate bowl. Slowly combine all ingredients. Add chocolate chips last. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light brown. Remove from oven, and leave on pan for 2 minutes before transferring to wax paper or cooling rack.------------------Cori