Pizza Lasagna Rolls

I love a twist on a classic. Who ever thought about putting pepperoni in a lasagna roll? Well, it’s delicious.

It may require a little more time to roll them all up, but guess what…you can do it the day before or even earlier in the day and put it in the fridge until you want to bake it and eat it!! I’d say that’s a successful busy mom dish:)

The kids love it and I love it. Such an outstanding dish and the leftovers are amazing also!

For the Sauce: (You can also just use your favorite marinara sauce if you’re short on time)

1T butter
1t olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 medium onion, diced small
28oz can diced tomatoes
3oz tomato paste
1t dried basil
1/2t dried oregano
1/2t sugar
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes to taste


For the Lasagna Rolls:

10-12 lasagna noodles, cooked, drained and laid out on wax paper
2 cups pizza sauce from above
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/4 cups ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups mozzerella cheese, divided
3/4 cup parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup fresh parsley (or 1T dried)
1/4t pepper
50-60 slices pepperoni (3oz), cut into quarters

Directions for the Sauce:

In a large pan over medium-low heat, heat the butter and olive oil until the butter is melted. Add the garlic and onion and saute until tender, about five minutes. Stir in HUNT's Tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Place a cover on the pan, tilted slightly to let some steam out.

Simmer for 15 minutes. Cool slightly. With an immersion blender (or a food processor), CAREFULLY blend until sauce has desired texture. I love it slightly chunky. If you like it really smooth you can also throw it in a blender. Store in fridge unless using immediately. (It makes more than is needed for this recipe. Refrigerate or freeze extras.) 

For the Lasagna Rolls:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles according to directions on package -- once cooked, drain and rinse with cold water and lay out on sheets of wax paper so they don’t stick together.
Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and spread 1/2 cup of pizza sauce into the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
Meanwhile, prepare filling in a large bowl by mixing beaten egg, ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, parsley and pepper until well combined.
To prepare lasagna rolls, lay out one lasagna noodle and spread it with about 2 tablespoons of cheese filling. Lay out 5-6 pepperonis, quartered, on top of cheese filling. Roll up each noodle starting at one of the short ends. Place in prepared baking dish, seam side down. Repeat until all noodles have been filed and rolled. Pour 1 and 1/2 cups pizza sauce over the rolls and top with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 45-50 minutes (remove foil for last 10-15 minutes) or until hot and cheese is melted. Let stand about 10 minutes prior to serving.

Note: May be prepared in advance and baked the next day.

*From Rachel Cooks

Pumpkin Pecan Delight

One of my favorite desserts is Pecan Delight. The nuttiness of the crust with the creaminess of the puddings are the perfect combo. Wouldn’t it be awesome if there were a Fall version of that dessert? Well here it is!! Yummy pumpkin with real cream and a nutty crust…the perfect fall dessert.

Enjoy Fall with this easy, creamy pumpkin dessert!

1 cup flour
1/2 cup (1 stick)  butter
1/2 cup pecans, chopped small
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
3 cups whipped topping, divided 
2 1/2 cups milk
3 sm pkgs. white chocolate instant pudding mix
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 cup toffee bits

Layer 1: Mix flour, butter and 1/2 cup pecans together. Press into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees, then remove and let cool.

Layer 2: Blend cream cheese and powdered sugar, add 1 cup of the whipped topping and fold in. Spread over cooled crust.

Layer 3: Mix milk, pudding mix, canned pumpkin and pumpkin spice and whisk with a hand mixer until smooth and thick. Fold in 1 cup of  whipped topping. Spread over top of layer 2.

Layer 4: Spread remaining 1 cup of whipped topping on layer 3 and sprinkle with toffee bits..
Let chill for 3 hours or until set.

*From Lil’Luna

Zucchini Carrot Muffins

I make these about once a week. My kids love them so much and they’re packed full of nutritious things so I don’t mind. They even ask for these for dessert after dinner. I love win-win’s when it comes to kids and food. I like to bake them in a mini muffin tin, but they definitely can be made into regular sized muffins. They’re just so cute mini:)

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup old fashioned oats (I’ve used quick oats before and it works)

1/2 cup flax seed meal

1/4 plus 2T brown sugar

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t ground ginger

1/2 t nutmeg

1/2 t cloves

1/2 t salt

1 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

1/2 c mini chocolate chips (optional)

1 c zucchini, grated with skin on

1/2 c carrots, grated

2 eggs

6 oz plain Greek yogurt (sour cream can be substituted)

2 T oil

1/2 cup applesauce

1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray muffin tin with nonstick spray or line with paper cups. I usually use paper cups when making regular sized muffins and don’t with the mini’s.

In a large bowl, use a whisk to combine all of the dry ingredients with excluding the chocolate chips.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients including zucchini and carrots. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and combine well. Fold in chocolate chips.

Using a tablespoon for the min muffin tins or a 1/4 cup for the regular sized muffins, fill each muffin cup. I usually fill 2 mini muffin tins or 1 regular muffin tin. Bake for 6-7 minutes for the mini muffins or 16-18 minutes for regular muffins or until toothpick comes out clean or cupcake springs back when touched. 

Wait 2-3 minutes before removing if not using paper cups. Let cool or eat straight out of the oven;)

*From The Lemon Bowl

Pumpkin Roll Bars

In celebration of the start of Fall, I made this cake. It’s a play on a pumpkin roll, but so much easier. It’s so moist and delicious. It can be eaten by itself, or with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

I’ve kind of been obsessed with pumpkin lately, so there might be an influx of pumpkin desserts on here! It’s OK because everyone love a good, spicy, pumpkin dessert for fall, right?!

For the Cake:

6 T butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
1/4 cup water
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt


For the Cream Cheese Filling:

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until smooth. Beat in 2 eggs, pumpkin, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and water until well blended.  In a separate bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin/butter mixture and combine until well blended. Spread about 2/3 of the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, 1 egg, 1/4 cup sugar, and ½ teaspoon of vanilla until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over the pumpkin batter. Dollop the remaining pumpkin batter over the cream cheese batter and spread out as evenly as possible.  Use a butter knife to swirl together the cream cheese and top layer of pumpkin batter.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the center of the pumpkin batter springs back when touched. Cool completely in pan, then cut into bars and top with whipped cream if you desire. Enjoy!!

*From Six Sisters Stuff

Chicken Bacon Pasta

This is good, down home cookin right here! It’s the kind of dish that warms the soul and perfect for a Fall family dinner. I double the noodle/cream sauce recipe for my family of 5 and I recommend doing it even if you don’t have a family of 5 because then you can savor the leftovers the next day:) I also love adding eggs to cream sauces because it makes it oh so creamy. 

1/2 pound bacon, cooked and roughly chopped
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or less if you don't want the heat)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 pound penne pasta
1/2 cup heavy cream (I just use milk)
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 whole eggs
1/4 tsp pepper
2 grilled chicken breast, sliced

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions.

Place cream (or milk) and cream cheese in a small saucepan. Heat over low until cream cheese is melted, and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat. Add the parmesan cheese, eggs, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and pepper and whisk until blended. Don’t worry…the heat from the cream mixture will cook the eggs.

Drain pasta (reserving 1/2 cup of hot water) and return to pot. Immediately add the white sauce and toss to coat. Stir in the bacon, and add some reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce.  Top with grilled chicken and more parmesan. Enjoy!

*From Plain Chicken

Chocolate Raspberry Brownies

I got a request for these from Justin’s work. I’d never put raspberries with brownies, but they sure turned out delicious! I used my raspberry sauce from my Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake (recipe found here) and my Ultimate Brownies recipe to make the perfect combination! These are decadent and delicious!

For the Brownies:

In a bowl, combine and stir until thickened:
3/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 cup boiling water

Add in order listed:
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla

Then add:
1 1/3 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt

Stir in a little less than 1 cup chocolate chips. (no more or brownies may fall apart when cut)
Pour into greased 9x13 inch cake pan. Bake 30-35 minutes in a 350 degree oven, or until brownies begin to pull away from sides or toothpick inserted comes out clean. Do not over bake. Cool in pan.

While the brownies are cooling make the raspberry sauce:

1 (10oz) package frozen raspberries
2 T sugar
3 t cornstarch
1/2 cup water

In a saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 T sugar, cornstarch and water. Bring to a boil, and continue boiling for 5 minutes or until sauce is thick. Strain sauce through a mesh strainer to remove seeds. Set aside to cool slightly.

While the raspberry sauce is cooling, make the ganache:

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Combine the two ingredients and microwave them in 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until you have a creamy ganache.

To Assemble:

After the brownies have cooled completely, pour on warm chocolate ganache. Spread evenly over brownies. Next, top with raspberry sauce, pouring evenly over brownies. Take a butter knife and gently swirl the ganache and raspberry sauce together. Cut and enjoy!!

Greek Pasta Salad

Pasta salad just sounds so good sometimes when it’s so hot that you don’t want to cook dinner. Today was one of those days. It’s actually not that hot, but it was 3:00 and I just wanted dinner to be done. I love dinners that can be done WAY before dinner time. Especially on days where the kids are especially annoying:)

This dish is so fast and beyond delicious.

20 oz. tortellini (I use Buitoni)

1 15oz can medium olives, sliced

1/2 red onion, diced

1 cucumber, diced

1 tomato, diced

4 oz. feta cheese

3-4oz pepperoni, sliced

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and run under cold water until cool. Mix with olives, onion, cucumber, tomato, feta cheese and pepperoni. Top with dressing (recipe to follow.)

Greek Dressing

1/3 cup plus 1T olive oil

1 t garlic powder

1 t dried oregano

1 t dried basil

1 t salt

1/4 t pepper

3/4 t onion powder

3/4 t spicy brown mustard

2 t sugar

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Combine all ingredients into a jar or a container with a lid and shake. Pour over your favorite salad.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

I was craving lettuce wraps the other day and immediately remembered about after I had Reese and my friend, Emily, brought me dinner. As a 2 day old she developed a severe milk allergy and I had to immediately go off all dairy if I wanted to continue breast feeding. I thought for sure I was doomed because it was appalling at how many things had dairy in it. Emily saved me with these. They were so delicious and flavorful. Who says you can’t eat healthy AND have it be super good! I also loved how the meat wasn’t ground. Usually lettuce wraps call for ground turkey or chicken. I loved how this recipe used whole chicken breasts, diced small. It will sure to be one of your favorites!

Chicken: 3  tablespoons oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1  can water chestnut
1 can mushroom
1/2 onion, diced small
2-3 garlic cloves
4 -5 leaves butter head lettuce (or iceburg is fine too)

Special Sauce 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoons lemon juice
1/8 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon hot mustard 
2 teaspoons water
1 -2 teaspoon red chile paste (depending on how spicy you like them)
2 garlic cloves, minced

 Stir Fry Sauce 2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

  Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.  Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve. Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well. Eventually add your desired measurement (depending on how spicy you want it) of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.

Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan. Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or done.  Remove chicken from the pan and cool.
3 Keep oil in the pan, keep hot. As chicken cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas. Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.

When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are. With the pan still on high heat, add another tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to pan. Add stir fry sauce to pan, saute mixture a couple minutes then serve in lettuce leaves. Top with Special Sauce. ENJOY!!!

Sausage Pie

OK, so the title doesn’t sound THAT appealing, right? There’s just no good name for this dish! It is beyond delicious though. And you can make it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The original recipe calls for ground beef, kind of making it a play on a cheeseburger, but sausage sounded SO much better. It’s sure to please adults and kids. Give it a try!

1 lb Jimmy Dean sausage

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup milk

1/2 cup Bisquick mix

2 eggs

Seasoned salt to taste

 

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9 inch pie plate with non-stick cooking spray. Cook sausage and chopped onion in a skillet until sausage is no longer pink. Drain excess fat. Add seasoned salt if you want, but I find that there's enough salt in the sausage and cheese to suffice. Spread into pie plate. Sprinkle cheese over top of sausage.

In a small bowl, whisk together milk, eggs and Bisquick. Batter with be thin. Make sure to get out as many clumps as you can. Pour over meat mixture.

Bake for 25 minutes or until knife comes out clean. This make just enough for our family of 5. Enjoy!

Scotcheroo Bars

These are so easy and are sure to please anyone eating them. They are a quick dessert when you don’t have a lot of time. You can’t eat just one!!

1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups peanut butter, creamy or chunky
6 cups rice krispies
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

In a heavy saucepan add the sugar and corn syrup together.  Cook together until it starts to boil, stirring constantly.  Then remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter until it has melted and blended in well.  Have the six cups of rice krispies in a big mixing bowl.  Pour the warm peanut butter mixture over the cereal. Fold together until all of the rice krispies are covered. Press into a 9x13 inch pan that has been sprayed lightly with non stick cooking spray.
In a microwave safe bowl melt the milk chocolate chips and butterscotch chips together. (microwave for about 20 seconds, stir and then microwave for another 20 seconds) Stir until well blended and spread over the rice krispie mixture.  Let set up for about an hour and then ENJOY!
*From Six Sister Stuff

Creamy Spinach Tortellini

This is such an easy weeknight meal! So fast and the kids are sure to enjoy it. It also sneaks in some spinach without the kids realizing what they’re eating. LOVE IT!

1 bag regular sized Barilla three cheese tortellini (8 oz) or 16 oz fresh tortellini in the refrigerated section of your grocery store
2 t minced garlic
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 1/2 t dried basil
1 t onion flakes
2 T flour
1 1/2 cups half-and-half (I just use milk)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Begin by boiling your tortellini noodles until they are al dente. Follow the directions on the bag for boiling time. While the tortellini is boiling, chop the spinach roughly. Heat a large skillet using medium heat and put the two teaspoons of minced garlic into it. Sautee it briefly until fragrant, about thirty seconds or so.


Add into the skillet the petite diced tomatoes (undrained), spinach, salt, pepper, dried basil, and onion flakes. Cook and stir over medium high heat until the mixture begins to bubble.


In another bowl, combine the flour and half-and-half (or milk). Whisk until fairly smooth. Add the creamy mixture into the the skillet along with the parmesan cheese.Heat through and reduce the heat to medium low and continue to stir and cook until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the drained tortellini and mix together gently. Enjoy!


*From bombshellbling.com

Biscuits and Gravy

My husband requested this when I was figuring out our weekly meal plan. I went on the hunt for the perfect recipe and then there it was…The Pioneer Worman strikes again. I always know that if she’s made it and posted it, then it has to be good. We have this for breakfast, dinner and even have the leftovers for lunch! It’s so yummy and sure to please. 

The best part of the whole thing are the homemade biscuits. I could literally eat the entire pan because they’re so flaky, buttery and delicious. I sometimes just make the biscuits to accompany other dinners I’m making.

BISCUITS
3 cups flour
2 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
1-1/2 sticks (3/4 Cup) cold butter, cut into pieces
1-1/4 cup buttermilk (regular milk can be substituted)


SAUSAGE GRAVY
1 lb Jimmy Dean sausage
1/3 cup flour
4 cups milk
1/2 t seasoned salt
2 t black pepper


BISCUITS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Add flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl of a food processor (or a large bowl.) Add butter pieces and pulse until butter is completely cut into the flour mixture (or use a pastry cutter if using a bowl.) While pulsing (or stirring) drizzle in the buttermilk until dough just comes together and is no longer crumbly.
Drop in clumps on two baking sheets, then bake for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown.


SAUSAGE GRAVY
With your finger, tear small pieces of sausage and add them in a single layer to a large heavy skillet. Brown the sausage over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Sprinkle on half the flour and stir so that the sausage soaks it all up, then add a little more until just before the sausage looks too dry. Stir it around and cook it for another minute or so, then pour in the milk, stirring constantly.
Cook the gravy, stirring frequently, until it thickens. (This may take a good 10-12 minutes.) Sprinkle in the seasoned salt and pepper and continue cooking until very thick and luscious. If it gets too thick too soon, just splash in 1/2 cup of milk or more if needed. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Spoon sausage gravy over warm biscuits and serve immediately!


*From The Pioneer Woman

Cinnamon Scones

Do you ever want to just do something different? I feel like that ALL the time! I decided to delve into the world of scones. I’ll never look back now! They are seriously SO delicious and so fast and easy in the morning. They can even be a great after-school snack or we’ve even had them for dessert. They’re so versatile.

 And for some reason, when I make them I feel a little more sophisticated…maybe a little British! Ha! Actually, recently my husband has been drinking lemon herbal tea with local honey for his allergies. Last time I made these, he curled up on the couch with his tea and scone and thoroughly enjoyed it, while I sat by and giggled to tears.

The possibilities of different combinations for scones is endless. My next scone adventure…White Chocolate Raspberry. Can’t wait! 

For the scones: 1 1/2 cups flour + more for cutting board
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (sour cream can be substituted)
1 egg
1/2 cup cinnamon chips

For the glaze: 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons milk

Preheat the oven to 350F. Cover a cookie sheet with nonstick spray, parchment paper or nonstick pad.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tarter, salt and cinnamon).

Cut in butter, using a pastry cutter or fork until the butter is the size of peas.
In a separate bowl, whisk together egg and yogurt. Add to the dry mixture and mix until just combined.

Turn dough out onto floured cutting board. Knead a few times to bring the dough together, and shape into a ball. Gently press down to make the dough into a disc, approximately 8-9" in diameter. Use a sharp knife to cut (like a pizza) into eight triangles.

Transfer scones to the prepared baking sheet, making sure to space about 2" apart (they will increase in size as they bake). Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

While the scones are cooling, make the glaze by whisking all ingredients together until smooth. Drizzle over completely-cooled scones just before serving and allow the glaze to dry slightly before serving.

Makes eight scones, or four large scones if you prefer. Store the un-glazed scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. Keep the glaze refrigerated. Or, store the prepared scones in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months.

*From Buttercream Fanatic 

BYU Brownies

These are MY take on the BYU Brownie. I’m not much of a mint fan, but these are delicious! I use my homemade brownies with a mint buttercream, topped with a chocolate ganache. These are a total hit!

For the Brownie:

In a bowl, combine and stir until thickened: 3/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 cup boiling water

Add in order listed:
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla

Then add:
1 1/3 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt

Stir in a little less than 1 cup chocolate chips. (no more or brownies may fall apart when cut)
Pour into greased 9x13 inch cake pan. Bake 30-35 minutes in a 350 degree oven, or until brownies begin to pull away from sides or toothpick inserted comes out clean. Do not over bake. Cool in pan.

For the Mint Icing:

5 Tbsp. margarine
dash of salt
3 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 1/3 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. mint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring

Soften margarine. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.
Spread mint icing over cooled brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing. Remove from the freezer and add a layer of chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Ganache:

2 cups chocolate chips
4T heavy whipping cream

Combine together and put in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 20 second increments, stirring in between, until it’s smooth. Remove brownie pan from the freezer and pour on ganache. Allow ganache to cool and set and cut into squares. Enjoy!

*Icing from BYU Magazine

Mississippi Roast

I’m always game for a new roast recipe that I can do in the crock pot. This might be my new favorite!! It’s SO delicious, moist and flavorful. 5 simple ingredients and you’re set for the perfect Sunday dinner!

1 3-pound chuck roast
1 1-ounce packet of dry ranch seasoning mix
1 1-ounce packet of dry au jus gravy mix
6 tbsp. butter
¼ cup water
5-6 pepperoncini

Add ¼ cup of water into the insert of your slow cooker then place the chuck roast on top. Sprinkle the dry ranch seasoning mix on top of the chuck roast, then sprinkle the dry au jus mix on top, then place 6 tbsp. of butter on top of the roast, and finally 5-6 pepperoncini around the roast.

Cook on low for 8 hours. Shred and serve with gravy.

*You can serve this with a side of mashed potatoes and vegetables, or serve it on top of white/brown rice, or make a sandwich out of it. The gravy can get pretty salty by itself so I’d go light on the salt for the side dishes that you’re serving with this roast.

* From Table For Two

Andes Mint Cookies

This is a fun dessert to do with the kids for St. Patrick’s Day. They loved that they were green and Justin loved them cause they were mint. I love that these cookies don’t require a mixer and the butter is melted. I never like to stray from my favorite cookie recipe, but this was way too interesting to skip.

We’ve made them several times with just vanilla and chocolate chips and they are SO good!! The cornstarch is also an interesting mix. It’s also a good cookie recipe to make with kids because they can stir at all stages.

They make a great, fluffy cookie…just how I like it.

2 1/4 cups flour
1 t baking soda
1 1/2 t cornstarch
1/2 t salt
3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1/4 t peppermint extract
1 small bag Andes Mints, chopped

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt.
In a different medium size bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the egg, then the egg yolk. Finally, whisk in the peppermint extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft, yet thick. Fold in the chopped Andes Mints. They may not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to have them evenly dispersed among the dough.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop 1T of the dough and roll it into a ball and put on the cookie sheet. After the cookie sheet is filled, place in the fridge for about 5-10 minutes. This helps the cookies stay fluffy instead of going flat.

Put in oven and bake for about 8-9 minutes. They will look underdone, but resist the urge to bake them longer. Remove from the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes then move to a cooling rack. Enjoy!!

*Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction

German Chocolate Cookies

Justin loves all things German Chocolate, so I’m always on the hunt for a variety of that. These cookies are delicious and sure to satisfy a German Chocolate craving without having to make an entire giant cake.

Cookies:
1 box German Chocolate cake
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil

Frosting:
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 t vanilla
1-1/3 cups Coconut Flakes
1 cup chopped pecans


For the cookies:
In a medium bowl, stir together the cake mix, eggs and and oil until moist. Mixture will be thick. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of batter onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets. (You can make them bigger, but I like to keep them bite-sized and plus it makes more. If you make them bigger, you’ll only get about 12-15 cookie sandwiches. If you make them smaller, you get about 20-25.) Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes depending on the size. They’re ready to come out when the tops start to crack.
Let them sit for a few minutes on the cookie sheet before removing them to a cooling rack.


For the Frosting:
To start, spread the coconut flakes and pecans onto a cookie sheet and put in a 350 degree oven. Stirring every few minutes, let them toast in the oven until they are slightly browned and very fragrant, making sure not to burn them (about 5-8 minutes.) Remove and set aside.
Stir together sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks and butter in medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly - about 10-12 minutes. Remove everything from heat; stir in vanilla, coconut and pecans. Cool to room temperature.

Valentines Day Pancakes

I wanted to make a special Valentines Breakfast for my family. So I went on the hunt for an EASY recipe. I knew I wanted Red Velvet, but didn’t want to make a whole “from scratch” thing. This was the perfect recipe!

They are made using a box Red Velvet cake. They were SO fluffy, moist and delicious! I was going to top them with a regular cream cheese drizzle, but decided to amp it up with a Nutella. SO DELICIOUS!! And the perfect Valentines treat for the family! Next time you want to show your family that you really love them…make these:)

Red Velvet Pancakes:

1 1/4 cups flour
2 cups red velvet cake mix
1 T sugar
3/4 t baking powder
pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1-2 cups milk (I used closer to 2)

Whisk together all ingredients except for 1 cup milk.
Add remaining milk 1/4 cup at a time until you’ve reached your desired “pancake consistency” (thinner batter for thinner pancakes, thicker batter for thicker pancakes.)
Pour pancake batter 1/4 cup at a time onto a preheated (about 300º) and buttered griddle or skillet.
When bubbles form on top, flip and cook for another minute or two on the other side.

*Pancakes from somethingswanky.com


Nutella Cream Cheese Drizzle:

1 t vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
4 T Nutella
4 T cream cheese
milk as needed

Put cream cheese and Nutella in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 20 seconds to soften. Once you can stir with a spoon (it will be thick), add powdered sugar and vanilla. Add milk little by little while whisking until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Drizzle over pancakes. You don’t need a lot. Now ENJOY your special day!!!

* Drizzle from anyonita-nibbles.co.uk

Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

These are an easy, fun dinner. I also love that I can make them for dinner and then put them in Bryce’s lunch for school. I’m contemplating making them and freezing them individually for lunches. I love having different options for school lunches. They were a hit and I will definitely be making them again.

1 1/2 C warm water
2 T sugar
1 T yeast
1/2 t salt
4-4 1/2 C flour
1 pound deli ham, sliced thin
2 C cheddar cheese, shredded


Pour 1 1/2 C warm water into your stand mixer and preheat your oven to 170 degrees. Add sugar and yeast. Turn the mixer on low for about 30 seconds allowing the ingredients to combine. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes, or until it gets all bubbly .Add salt and flour. Turn the mixer on to low and let the flour mix in. Add the rest of the flour (2 1/2 cups worth) one cup at a time. When the dough pulls itself away from the side of the bowl, you have enough flour.


Turn the mixer to medium speed and allow it to knead for 5 minutes.


Spray your counter with cooking spray, divide the dough into two equal parts and allow them to rest on the counter for 10 minutes. Don’t skip this step. If you don’t let the dough rest it won’t roll out nicely. After the dough has rested roll it out into a large rectangle. Cover it with half of the ham and sprinkle it with 1 cup of cheddar cheese.


Roll the dough up starting at the longer end.Spray a large knife with cooking spray and slice the roll into 12 rounds. Place each pinwheel into a greased 9x13 pan barely touching. Repeat steps above with the other half of the dough. If you run out of space, you might have to use an additional 8x8 pan.

Place pans into your warm 170 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until they start to rise just a bit. You don’t want them to get super puffy, you just want the dough to have the chance to expand a little.
Turn the oven up to 350 degrees (don’t take the pans out of the oven) and let the pinwheels bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown along the top and bottom.


Take the pans out of the oven and let the pinwheels rest for about 5 minutes. Enjoy!!


*From jamiecooksitup.net

Bubble Pizza

Sometimes I need a FAST and easy dinner that I know the kids will love.

Who am I kidding I need that ALL the time!! I’m noticing if it takes longer than 15 minutes to prepare a meal, I’m going to be outnumbered and stressed and I hate feeling that way. Especially at the end of the day. I’ve been very keen on these FAST dinners lately and they are saving me!!

 

This is so delicious and fast and sure to be a favorite. 8x8 feeds my family of 5, but 3 of them are small children that eat hardly anything. If you’re cooking for a lot of kids or adults, I would double it.

 

1 (12oz) can Grands biscuits

1/2 to 1 jar pizza sauce, depending on how saucy you like it

Mozzarella cheese, about 1 1/2 cups

Any of your favorite pizza toppings. I use Pepperoni, cut into 4ths so it’s easier to eat and sautéed onions, garlic and peppers.

 

Pop open the can of biscuits and cut them all into 4ths. Place them in a greased 8x8 pan. Top with the sauce, cheese and toppings. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. You want to make sure that the middle dough is cooked through so it takes longer than you would think to bake. Then sit back and enjoy the fastest dinner ever made!