Butterscotch Nutella Bars

I love bar cookie recipes for fall. If you love Nutella as much as I do then try this recipe. It took 3rd place in the bar cookie recipe contest featured in the July/August LDS Living Magazine. It is very good! Stay tuned later this week for the 1st place bar cookie recipe!

By Sharon Leigh Painter: Aloha, Oregon

Crust:

2 cups sugar

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup softened butter

2 eggs

Filling:

1/2 cup Nutella

1 cup mini marshmallows

1/3 cup butterscotch chips

Crust: Mix sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl. Add butter to the mixture with a pastry blender. When well mixed, add eggs. Stir with spoon and then mix with hands until well incorporated. Reserve 2 cups of this crumbly crust mixture for topping. Press the remainder in a sprayed 13x9 pan and bake 10-13 minutes at 350 degrees until lightly golden on edges

Filling: While the crust is still hot, spoon on Nutella. Sprinkle marshmallows on top, then sprinkle on the butterscotch chips. Dust that with the reserved crust dough. Bake 10-13 minutes until marshmallows and crust are lightly browned.

Beer-Braised Beef Short Ribs

I tried this recipe and it was so good! I served it with a fruit salad, mashed potatoes(we put the left over sauce on the potatoes as gravy), and rolls.
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/beef/beer-braised-beef-short-ribs/

Make Ahead Casseroles

Sorry no photos for this one! I have been making some easy casseroles because I am so busy after school teaching piano and getting kids to their activities. It's been nice to make dinner ahead of time and then just heat it up in the oven when it's time to eat.

Ham and Cheese Casserole- this serves 8 so I cut it in half.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine - 1 stick
• 3 cups milk
• 4 cups ham - chopped
• 5 cups potatoes - thinly sliced
• 3 cups cheese - cheddar, shredded
• 1 onion - chopped
• 1 green bell pepper - chopped

Preparation:

Mix flour, pepper, and salt (omit salt if you think ham and cheese are salty enough, I do). Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour mixture. Cook over medium heat for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in milk. Return to heat and cook until thick.

In a very large bowl, mix remaining ingredients with sauce. Bake in covered casserole dish(es). Bake in 350 F. oven for 90 minutes. Remove cover after first 30 minutes.
Let cool 15 minutes before serving. It's even better as leftovers.
To reduce clean-up, I suppose the sauce could be started in a stockpot, and then everything combined in that before putting it in casserole dishes. 

Tortilla Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup soft cream cheese
• 4 6-inch corn tortillas
• 3/4 pound ground beef or pork
• 8 ounces can stewed tomatoes
• 4 ounces can diced green chile peppers
• 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, mild
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese, Mexican style

Preparation:

Spread about 2 tablespoons of cream cheese onto each tortilla; fold tortillas in half. Set aside.

In a 1 1/2 quart microwaveable casserole dish, crumble the ground beef or pork. Microwave, covered, on high for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 minutes, until no pink remains, stirring once. Drain off fat.

Stir in undrained tomatoes, undrained chilis, enchilada sauce, and cumin. Cook, covered, on high for 5 to 7 minutes or until heated through. Spoon about three quarters of the meat mixture into a 2-quart microwave safe baking dish. Arrange folded tortillas on top of the meat mixture. Spoon remaining meat and tomato mixture over the tortillas.

Cover with wax paper and cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, or until heated through. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
Serves 4.

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

This is really delicious and not very hard to make. It's a nice comforting fall meal. It's great served with sourdough bread and green salad.

Ingredients:

8 oz. angel hair pasta

8 oz. velveeta cheese

8 oz. stewed tomatoes, diced and include juice(or Rotel if you prefer it spicy)

1 small can mild diced peppers

1 can cream of chicken soup

3-4 chicken breasts

pinch of garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

Boil thawed chicken breasts until no longer pink in center. Remove from broth and shred and set aside. Add pasta to broth and boil until tender. Drain. Mix all ingredients but pasta until blended. Add pasta to mixture. Place in an 8x8 baking dish and cook in 350 degree oven until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and stir and serve hot. Enjoy!

Come On Ladies!

Hey Ladies, we need to get this blog going again. I know you all eat-so post it:)

I love tacos, but get frustrated when I'm trying to eat a crunchy tortilla taco and it breaks into pieces after one bite. This casserole is basically a crunchy beef and bean taco all spread out in a casserole dish! It's such a quick and easy meal!

Beef and Bean Taco Casserole

 

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef
1 can (16 ounce) refried beans
1 jar (16 ounce) salsa
1 package (1 ounce) taco seasoning mix
2 1/2 cups coarsely broken tortilla chips
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
4 medium green onions, sliced (about 1/4 cup) left out for Chad of course:)
2 medium tomatoes, chopped1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
1 cup shredded lettuce

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in refried beans, salsa, and taco seasoning mix. Reduce heat to medium. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.

In ungreased 2-quart casserole, place 2 cups of the broken tortilla chips. Top evenly with beef mixture. Sprinkle with bell pepper, onions, 1 cup of the tomato, the cheese, and olives.

Bake uncovered 20 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and cheese is melted. Top baked casserole with lettuce, remaining 1/2 cup tomato, and remaining 1/2 cup tortilla chips.

Few Meals I've made lately...

Hawaiin Haystacks

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
32 ounces reduced sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons of dry Ranch Dressing seasoning packet
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
Steamed rice, enough for your family
Toppings
Chow Mein Crispy Noodles
sliced green onions
black olives
pineapple
cranberries
almonds
tomatoes
shredded cheese
1. Place butter into a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring to melt. Slowly whisk in flour, salt and pepper until smooth and thick, for 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in chicken broth until smooth. Increase heat to high whisking until thick, about 2 minutes. Add sour cream, Ranch seasoning, garlic salt, and cooked chicken breast. Stir and season accordingly. You may prefer additional, salt, pepper and garlic salt. I transferred this to my crock pot and kept it on low all day until dinner. You can either serve it immediately or crock pot it until you are ready.
2. Place rice on serving plates and top with chicken gravy. Have toppings at the table and top with whatever you like! Have fun!
Serves 4

As you can see I left out a few toppings:)

Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound fresh asparagus spears
1 tablespoon olive oil
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon light or dark brown sugar
1 pound penne pasta
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
DIRECTIONS:
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the asparagus spears into 1-inch pieces. Put the asparagus on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with the oil and ¼ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ of the pepper. Roast until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
While the asparagus roasts, put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until the vinegar is reduced to about 3 tablespoons, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat.
Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling salted water until just done, 11-13 minutes. Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Stir in the butter and vinegar mixture. Toss to combine well. Add in the asparagus, Parmesan, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese for serving.
Serves 4-6

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

10 soft taco shells (I used corn)
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 pan
2. Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese. Roll up in tortillas and place in pan, seam side down.
3. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute on medium heat. Add broth (or stock) and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly. (Only takes a couple of minutes)
4. Stir in sour cream and chiles until combined. Do not bring to boil.
5. Pour sauce over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
6. Bake for 25 minutes.

Macaroni and Cheese

1 (8-ounce) package elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large saucepan, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter, add the garlic and cook until the garlic is softened, about 2 minutes. Add the onion powder, then whisk in the flour and milk, then cook until slightly thickened. Add three cups of the cheddar cheese and stir until melted in the mixture. Toss the cheese mixture with the cooked pasta, salt and pepper to taste. Stir the remaining grated cheese into the pasta. Spoon into a large baking dish.

In a small bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs and melted butter. I always like to add a bunch of freshly ground pepper and a sprinkling of sea salt to this mixture. Spread over the pasta. Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Baked cheese balls

Keri introduced me to this yummy snack...

Cut your sticks into balls, dip in milk, and toss in the breading (I use Panko Japanese-Style Bread Crumbs)
Bake 8 minutes or less....in the oven at 425 degrees

I dip in marinara sauce!

Pizza Casserole

Ingredients

1 Box Spiral Pasta
1 pound lean ground turkey (I used ground beef)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup pepperoni
1/2 can of olives
16 ounces pizza sauce or pasta sauce (I use Hunts tomato sauce)
1/2 cup water
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground turkey with the onion, garlic and green bell pepper. Drain excess fat.  Stir in olives and pepperoni. Pour Pasta sauce and 1/2 cup water over  mix. Serve over cooked pasta. Top with shredded Mozzarella.
Serve with a side salad or french bread.
If you don't like the taste of ground turkey you can substitute it for a pound of lean ground beef (that's what I did). You can also add Canadian bacon instead of pepperoni.

Skinny Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, seasoned with salt & pepper then cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups cooked broccoli
8oz rotini
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 Tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
salt & pepper
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water before draining. Set aside.
2. Heat extra virgin olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 1 minute. Sprinkle in flour then whisk to incorporate and cook for 1 additional minute.
3. Slowly whisk in chicken broth, then milk. Whisk in Greek yogurt, salt and pepper, then turn the heat down to low and let the mixture simmer until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Turn the heat off then stir in parmesan cheese, then chicken. Pour over cooked pasta then add broccoli and stir well. Add a little reserved pasta cooking water if sauce is too thick. Serve.

Well there you go! What we've been eating here at our house:)

More to come!

Individual Chicken Pot Pie

I just put this together to try out my mini casserole dishes,so nothing is measured to a tee. Just do what you think best suits you and your family. Servings: 3 1/4 of a 10 oz bag of frozen mixed veg. 1/2 can of cream of chicken soup 1 spoonfull of sour cream 2 c. cooked cubed chicken breasts Salt Pepper Thyme 1 box of biscuit mix. In a pan cook your frozen vegatables. In a seperate bowl add your cooked chicken, cream of chicken, and sour cream. Add your cooked veg. when they are ready.Add salt,pepper, and thyme for what is best to your taste. Prepare biscuit mix according to package. In a 10 oz size ramiken or casserole dish put the chicken, veg. mixture. add 1 biscuit on top just enough to cover the top of the bowl. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 mins. or until biscuit is cooked all the way. Top with cheese is desired.