Cream Cheese Lasagna

 

 It's no secret that cream cheese is one of my favorite things. When I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it! I love making lasagna, but never do because I never have ricotta on hand. I love how the cream cheese takes the place of the other cheese in this dish! I also love how perfect it stands up. Sometimes lasagna can get soupy, but this is the perfect combo of sauce and cheese. I love a twist on classic dishes!

 

1 box of lasagna noodles (about 9-12 noodles)
2 quarts (64 oz.) Aunties Spaghetti Sauce, recipe found here (or storebought is fine if you must...:))
1 lb. Jimmy Dean sausage
2- 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
11/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Italian Seasoning

 

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large sauce pan, brown the sausage over medium heat, breaking into small pieces. Once the meat is fully cooked, add the spaghetti sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.
Boil the noodles in a large pot of salty water, according to package instructions. Remove the noodles and lay them out on wax paper.

Spray an 9X13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray. Smear 9-12 noodles with an equal portion of cream cheese. (The number of noodles used depends on the width of the pan.)

Start assembling the lasagna: One large scoop of meat sauce on the bottom, 3-4 noodles across (cream cheese side up), 1/3 of the mozzarella and parmesan. Repeat. After the third layer of noodles with cream cheese, pour the rest of the sauce over the noodles before adding the last layer of the mozzarella and parmesan. Sprinkle the top with Italian Seasoning.

Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes—until the cheese is toasty and the sides are bubbling. Wait at least 10 minutes before cutting.

If making this ahead, cover well, refrigerate, and bake for 40-50 minutes to heat through!

*From A Spicy Perspective

Tortellini Soup

This is my NEW FAVORITE FOOD! It is beyond delicious AND beyond easy. You can either put it in a crockpot or can cook it on stovetop. I love it’s versatility. I love how it’s delicious the next day for lunch and dinner:) I just love it, OK! You will agree with me in saying it’s your favorite meal as soon as you make it. 

1 lb Jimmy Dean Sausage

16oz package frozen tortellini

1 small package fresh baby spinach

2 cans Italian style diced tomatoes

4 cups or 1 box chicken broth

1 (8oz) package cream cheese

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Brown sausage and then put all ingredients into the crockpot or soup pot, chunking up the cream cheese. If using the crockpot, cook on low for 3-4 hours. If doing stovetop, cook on med-low for about an hour or so, until tortellini is tender. ENJOY!!!

* From Little Fellows

Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

I was noticing that the kids wanted to eat a granola bar almost every single day. I get freaked out about my kids eating the same thing day after day after day especially when it is store bought and there’s no way of knowing what’s really in it. That’s when I decided to try a homemade granola bar recipe.

I made several batches until I came up with the best in my opinion. I like my granola bars nutty and chewy and sweet. I also like them chock full of fiber:) These are delicious and my kids eat them up. The best part about them is that you can basically make them your own by adding whatever you like. Try them and you’ll love them!

2 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 t salt

1/4 t cinnamon or other spice you like

2 1/2 cups additions such as: dried fruit, seeds nuts, flax seed, bran cereal, puffed rice cereal, crushed pretzels, marshmallows, chocolate chips, etc. My combo is 1/4c flax seed, 1/2 cup bran cereal, 1 cup puffed rice cereal (for good crunch), 1/2 cup toasted almonds (chopped) and 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips.

1/3 cup peanut butter or other nut butter

6 T olive oil (you can use other oils or melted butter)

1/4 cup honey (you can use maple syrup)

1 T water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper, then lightly grease the paper with non-stick cooking spray. 

Process 1/3 cup of the oats in a blender or food processor until finely ground.

If necessary, chop up dried fruit and nuts. Stir together all dry ingredients. Whisk together oil, honey, peanut butter and water. Mix together the wet and dry ingredients then spread into prepared pan. Press firmly into the corners and edges so the top is even.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the sides start to brown. They may feel underdone in the middle, but will firm up as they cool. Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes. Then take them out of the pan using the parchment paper. Let cool completely before cutting.

I got about 14 bars out of one batch. Keep them in an airtight container or wrap them in plastic wrap for an on-the-go treat. Enjoy!

*From honestcooking.com

Homemade Brittle

I LOVE Christmas. I love everything about it. More importantly, I love Christmas FOOD! I like making special little treats too. My kids call them “goodies.” We LOVE receiving goodies and we also LOVE making our signature goodies to deliver to people over the Holidays. I’m a brittle person. I basically like any kind of brittle. Rich, crisp, crunchy, chocolaty brittle.

My all time favorite is the California Brittle from See’s. You can go ahead and buy me a 2 pound box of that for Christmas:) I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I originally decided to make a brittle this year at the request of Justin’s Boss. He gave me his specific specifications of his perfect brittle, which happened to be mine too!! There MUST be almonds. There MUST be a thick layer of chocolate. Now get the good stuff…none of this Nestle chocolate chip business. The best is Ghirardelli or Guittard, which you can find in almost any grocery store. Splurge…believe me

. I have to admit, it was extremely easy and by far the best brittle I’ve had. Even the hubs loved it and he doesn’t like almonds OR brittle. So there you have it. It’s easy AND delicious therefore you must make it. Now get to work!

1 cup raw whole almonds

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 t salt

1 t vanilla

2 (12oz) bag milk chocolate chips (4 cups)

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Toast almonds by spreading them in a single layer on a plate and microwaving on high for 3-5 minutes (stir after each minute).  On foil-lined baking sheet, arrange almonds in a single layer over an area measuring approx. 13x9 inches. I do this by getting a jelly roll pan and lining half of it with foil, folding the foil up in the middle of the pan to create an edge.

In a heavy 2-quart saucepan combine butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt.  Cook over med-high heat, stirring constantly with a clean, dry wooden spoon till butter is melted.  Continue cooking and stirring for approx. 7-10 min. until candy is the color of the brown skin of the almonds; it will start smoking slightly. You need to work quickly at this point so that the toffee doesn’t burn. As soon as it reaches the almond color, immediately pour candy, without scraping pan, over almonds, covering all nuts.  Sprinkle 2 cups of chocolate chips evenly over the hot candy.  Cover with another baking sheet and wait 1 minute. The chocolate should be completely melted. Spread the melted chocolate with a rubber spatula until it is smooth over top of the toffee.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup pecans.  Let cool completely. 

After the toffee is cool and the chocolate is hardened, Pick it up (it should be a solid piece now), remove the foil, and turn it over. Melt 2 more cups of chocolate chips in the microwave in 15 second increments and pour over top of the bottom of the toffee. Immediately sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of pecans. Wait until the second layer of chocolate is cooled and solid and break into pieces. You can only do 1 layer of chocolate, but it’s best with both layers:) Then wrap it up and pass it out to your friends for the Holidays and they’ll be begging you for the recipe! The first time I made it I think I literally ate half of the pan. It’s TOO DANG GOOD!!!

*From theyummylife.com

Snickers Cupcakes

I love a good Snickers now and then. So then I though…why not a Snickers cupcake?!

So I made some. And they’re my new favorite:) A moist, fluffy cake filled with caramel then topped off with a light, whipped peanut butter buttercream.

Cupcakes:
1 box devil’s food cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 t vanilla

Peanut Butter Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 t vanilla
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1-2 T whipping cream

1 can Dulce de Leche

2-3 regular sized Snickers bars for garnish

For the Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners. In a large bowl, combine all cake ingredients except the cake mix and mix until smooth. Stir in cake mix. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake about 17 minutes or until cupcake springs back when tapped. It’s RARE that I bake mine longer than this. Make sure you know your oven and DON’T over bake!!

Once cooled, open the can of Dulce de Leche. Microwave in a bowl until warm and loose. Pour into a piping bag, fitted with the fill tip. Fill the cupcakes with the Dulce de Leche.

For the Frosting:
With the whisk attachment, beat the butter until basically white – about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides often. Add the peanut butter and beat another 2 minutes. Add vanilla and slowly add the powdered sugar until frosting becomes thick. Add whipping cream until desired consistency is reached. You want to make sure you add enough whipping cream to get the frosting nice and fluffy and not dense. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Use the rest of the Dulce de Leche and drizzle over the frosting. Top with a small piece of Snickers. Enjoy!!!

*From Your Cup of Cake

Crockpot Barbeque Ribs

I’m not much of a meat eater. I enjoy a little here and there and I’m good with that. My hubby on the other hand…LOVES MEAT. Naturally, I cook it for him:) He’s always ordering some ribs or burgers or steak when we go out so I decided I would look for a delicious rib recipe I could make at home. I wasn’t counting on the first one I tried to be SOO delicious, but I got lucky. These are literally fall off the bone delicious. You can barely get them out of the crockpot, they’re so tender. And we all know I’m into anything that’s super easy for dinner. You want moist, tender, delicious, EASY ribs? Make these.

 

3 lbs. pork or beef ribs (I buy the pork ribs from Costco – 6lb pack so you can have these TWICE!!!)

1 cup beef broth

1 T Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

 

Rub ribs on both sides with salt and pepper. Place ribs standing upright in the crockpot. Mix together beef broth and Worcestershire sauce and pour over ribs. Pour barbecue sauce over ribs. Cook on low for about 6 hours. You’ll know they’re perfect when you go to pull a bone out and it pops right off. Serve with additional barbeque sauce for dipping.

 

*From Team Hess

Perfect Buttercream

I’m not much of a buttercream kind of person. They’re always too sweet. I’ve tried several and have been equally disappointed every time. Then I found this new recipe. Guess what’s different…nothing. Still all the same ingredients, but used in a different way. This knowledge has changed my life!! Ha. Well maybe not my life…but it’s changed my cupcake life:) So follow these simple rules to the greatest buttercream your lips have ever tasted!!

Before you start, here’s some tips for the fluffiest, richest buttercream:

* REALLY whip the butter. Whip it with your whisk attachment and whip it till it’s white. Pay super close attention to the color. Butter is yellow to start, but by the time you’re done whipping, it should be white or very, very pale.

* Use heavy cream. Cream makes it creamier and whip up fluffier.

* Use salted butter. People might say I’m crazy, but salted butter cuts the sweetness of the frosting. No one wants a frosting that hurts their teeth it’s so sweet. Don’t EVER EVER EVER use margarine in your frostings!! Make sure it’s REAL butter!!

* Don't overdue it with the vanilla, add no more than 1 1/2 tsp. If anything reduce the amount. The beauty of the flavors of the buttercream comes from the butter. By whipping the butter so long, it makes it basically taste like ice cream. This is the flavor you want to shine through, not the vanilla.

* Take the time to whip it more once you’ve added the cream. Whip it for at least as long as directed. This is what makes it so decadent and fluffy…almost like the consistency of a whipped cream.

Buttercream:
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 T heavy cream
1 1/2 t vanilla extract

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, using the whisk attachment whip butter on high speed until nearly white and very fluffy, about 7 - 8 minutes, frequently scrapping down the sides of the bowl. Add in powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until blended, then increase speed to medium and beat until very light and fluffy, about 5 - 6 minutes, frequently scraping down the sides of the bowl. Immediately spread over cooled cake or cupcakes.

**If you want an alternate flavor of frosting, coconut or almond extract would be a great substitute for the vanilla extract, just add it to taste.
* From Cooking Classy