Hawaiian Chicken and Vegetables

4 boneless chicken breasts, or chicken tenderloins

2 c. pineapple chunks or tidbits, drained, reserve juice

1 red pepper, sliced

1 green peper, sliced

1 medium red onion, sliced

broccoli florets

edamame

zucchini slices

fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 T. oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 T. sesame seeds

2 T. chopped green onions, optional

For the Sauce:

1/2 c. reserved pineapple juice

1/4 c. soy sauce

3 T. honey

1 T. rice vinegar, or apple cider vinegar

1 t. sesame oil, optional

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 t. ginger, optional (gives it a kick!), I used veri veri teriyaki with ginger

1 T. cornstarch (for thickening)

2 T. water

Preheat oven to 400. Spray or line a large sheet pan. In a saucepan, combine pineapple juice, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Heat over medium heat until it begins to simmer. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Stir into sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and set aside. Arrange chicken in center of pan. Surround with peppers, onion, and pineapple (toss in olive oil first) . Season with salt and pepper. Brush half of sauce over the chicken and drizzle the rest over the vegetables. ***Toss lightly to coat. Roast in oven 30-35 minutes, until chicken is done and vegetables are tender. Broil the pan for 2-3 minutes for extra carmelization, optional. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped green onions for garnish. Serve warm over rice or noodles. This was very tasty!

* Spice it up by adding red pepper flakes or sriracha

**Swap the chicken for shrimp, tofu, or porkchops

***I tossed all the vegetables and chicken in the oil, salt, pepper, and sauce before even putting on the pan, it's a much easier way to coat them.

1st pic: arranged on cookie sheet; 2nd pic with seasonings & sauce added before roasting; 3rd pic: after roasting and adding sesame seeds; 4th pic, ready to eat--there's rice under the chicken; 5th pic: another view--yummy!

Crockpot Hungarian Mushroom Soup

4 T. butter, melted

2 c. chopped onions, frozen works too

1 lb. fresh or frozen baby bella mushrooms, sliced, or any fresh mushrooms will do

2 c. chicken broth  

1 T. soy sauce

1 T. paprika, (I used authentic Hungarian paprika that my neighbor brought back to me from Hungary), but any will do, including maple, bacon, sugar paprika by McCormick

2 t. dried dill weed, optional

1 c. evaporated milk/whipping cream

3 T. wondra flour

1/2 c. sour cream

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley, optional

2 t. lemon juice

1 t. salt

black pepper, to taste

meat could be added, your choice

Combine melted butter, broth, seasonings, onions and mushrooms in lined crockpot. Cover and cook 4 hours on high. Uncover, mash a few mushrooms to thicken soup, and cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Combine milk/cream with wondra and gently stir into soup. Turn down to low for 20 minutes. Ladle soup in bowls. Top with croutons and serve hot, or serve with grilled cheese sandwiches. Garnish with sour cream, if desired.

*This would make a great substitute for tomato soup. 

**Since mushrooms cook down so much, I will be sure to double, maybe even triple this recipe the next time I make it. It was delicious!!

The next time I made it with 3 lbs of baby bella mushrooms, sliced, 4 c. chicken broth, but didn't double or triple the seasonings.

Frosted Strawberry Cookie Bars

15.25 oz box strawberry cake mix

1/2 c. butter, very well softened

1 egg

Frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. butter, salted

1 c. powdered sugar

1/2 t. vanilla or strawberry extract

sprinkles, optional

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 pan. Combine cake mix, butter, and egg on medium high speed until well combined. Turn dough out into 9x13 pan. Dough will be quite thick. Using fingertips, press dough into pan. It will be on the thin side. Bake for 12 minutes until center is set and toothpick inserted comes out clean with no batter. Allow bars to cool in pan for 1 hour before frosting. 

Make frosting while bars are baking. Combine cream cheese & butter, beating on high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Slowly add powdered sugar and extract. Beat until smooth about 2 minutes. Turn frosting out onto cooled bars and spread until smooth. Add sprinkles, if desired.

  

Cheese Chicken Casserole

2c. cooked chicken, cut into bite size pieces

8 oz. elbow pasta, cooked and drained

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 c. sour cream

1 c. milk

1 oz. dry ranch dressing mix (1 packet, or 3 T. from large container)

1 c. real bacon pieces

2 c. colby jack cheese, shredded & divided

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. paprika, I use McCormick's maple bacon sugar seasoning

1 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

1/2 t. onion powder

1/2 c. green onions, diced, optional

Preheat oven to 375. Spray 9x13 dish. Combine cream cheese, sour cream, milk, dry ranch dressing, and seasonings with mixer until smooth. Stir in bacon, chicken, and 1 c. shredded cheese. Add pasta and mix well. Place in dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top. Bake 20-25 minutes until cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with more bacon and green onions. Serve with Caesar salad and bread.

Fluffier Cinnamon Rolls (from a can)

2 large cans cinnamon rolls (regular size fits 9x13 dish)

3/4 c. heavy whipping cream

6 T. butter, melted

3/4 c. brown sugar

2 t. cinnamon

Icing:

icing included in cinnamon rolls

2 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 T. butter, softened

1/2 t. vanilla or maple extract

1/2 c. powdered sugar, optional

3/4 c. chopped pecans, optional

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 dish/pan. Open cinnamon rolls and arrange in pan, separating them enough that they have room to rise. Set aside icing. Pour heavy cream over and around the rolls until it covers the bottom of pan. Combine melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir until combined. Spoon over rolls. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake 30-40 minutes until lightly browned on top and cooked through. (remove the foil during the last 5-10 minutes if they aren't brown enough).

Beat cream cheese and butter with a hand  mixer until creamy and smooth. Add vanilla or maple extract and the icing that came with the rolls and mix well. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, *then mix in powdered sugar until combined*. Let the rolls cool for 3-5 minutes before topping with prepared icing (*or you can just use the icing that came with the rolls). Serve warm. 

Add fresh fruit or filling before adding cream and baking. Add chopped nuts to the brown sugar and butter mixture. You could even do this first, placing the cinnamon rolls on top. After baking, flip the whole thing upside down for easy sticky buns. Yum!

*adding the powdered sugar to the cream cheese mixture made these too sweet for us. 

1st pic: rolls in dish, heavy cream in bottom, melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon; 2nd pic: spread over rolls, after baking; 3rd pic: with cream cheese icing; 4th pic: ready to eat...but so sweet!

Strawberry Cookies

15.25 oz. box strawberry cake mix

1/2 c. butter, softened

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla or strawberry extract

1/2 c. vanilla or cheesecake chips

red and pink sprinkles, optional

Drizzle:

1/2 c. white chocolate chips, milk or dark chocolate works too

1 t. coconut oil, optional (the oil will cause it to be shinier)

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine cake mix, butter, eggs, and extract. Fold in white chips. Scoop 1 1/2 T. of dough and roll into balls. Place on baking sheets, 2" apart. Press down to flatten, or leave them tall. They will cook nicely either way. Baking them tall keeps them from spreading as much.  Bake 9-11 minutes until edges are set and centers are slightly underbaked. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes then transfer to cooling racks. Combine drizzle ingredients and microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each one, until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies with spoon or piping bag (ziploc bag with corner snipped off). Decorate with sprinkles while drizzle is wet. Allow the cookies to set at room temperature for 10-15 minutes, or chill until chocolate sets. Enjoy! Store in covered container.

*Can be made with other cake mix flavors

Lemon Fluff Bars with Marshmallow Meringue

1 pkg. Krusteaz Meyer lemon bars, prepared and baked as directed

3 egg whites

1/8 t. cream of tartar

7 oz. marshmallow cream

Prepare marshmallow meringue while bars are baking. Place egg whites and cream of tartar in mixing bowl. Beat until stiff peaks appear. Add marshmallow cream. Beat until stiff peaks form. Spread over top of prepared bars. Place back in oven for 10-13 minutes, or until meringue begins to brown. Cool completely. Cover & store refrigerated.

Peanut Butter Blossoms with M&M's

1 c. SR flour

1/3 c. butter, melted

1 c. brown sugar, packed

1 egg, beaten

1 T. vanilla

1 1/4 c. peanut butter M&M's

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 8x8 pan. Combine melted butter and brown sugar. Add flour, egg, & vanilla. Mix well. Fold in M&M's. Press dough into pan. Bake 20-25 minutes. Cut into squares. Enjoy!

Cranberry Orange Cookies (from a mix)

1 pkg.  Krusteaz cranberry orange muffin mix

1/3 c. butter, melted

1 egg

1/4 c. brown sugar

2 T. water

1 can cranberries, undrained (included in the mix)

1/2 c. white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Combine muffin mix, butter, egg, brown sugar, and water, just until blended. Stir in cranberries and chips. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets, 2" apart (or stand tall to keep from spreading into each other). Bake 11-14 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Cool completely on sheets before serving.

Crockpot Hashbrown and Ham Casserole

32 oz. frozen shredded hashbrowns

1 c. milk

1/2 c. chopped frozen onion, optional

seasoning, optional : dry mustard, garlic powder

chicken broth, if needed (if it's too dry)

16 oz. chopped ham

8 oz. + shredded Monterey Jack, or sharp cheddar cheese

12 eggs

1 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

Combine all ingredients in lined crockpot. Cover and cook 7-8 hours on low (or overnight). I make this for Christmas morning. Served with sausage balls, fruit, bacon, waffle cakes, or french toast sticks, yogurt, coffee, tea, cocoa, etc...

Crockpot Doughnuts

1 can biscuits

1 c. light or dark brown sugar

1 T. cinnamon

1/2 stick butter, melted

powdered sugar, optional

chopped pecans, optional

Grease bottom of crockpot with the butter, or use liner. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Cut biscuits into quarters and toss in sugar mixture. Place in crockpot. Cover with paper towels and cook on high for 2 hours. Cool for 3 minutes, dust with powdered sugar and serve.

I doubled the recipe, used a liner, placed all the cut up biscuits in the bottom of crockpot, (after rolling in the cinnamon sugar mixture), poured remaining sugar mixture over top and poured melted butter over top. I did not use the pecans, but if I did, this is where I would add them. I placed the paper towels under the lid, not on top of the biscuits, to keep moisture off the biscuits and ensure a tighter seal. Cool for 3 minutes before serving. I did not dust with powdered sugar. Every one loved them!

This is a lot like my pull apart bread that's baked in the oven.

1st pic: cut up coated biscuits in lined crockpot; 2nd pic: melted butter poured over top of biscuits; 3rd pic: paper towels place under lid; 4th pic: after 2 hours; 5th pic: ready to eat! Yum!

Condensed Milk Oreo Brownies (Ooey Gooey)

3/4 c. butter, melted

14 oz. can condensed milk

3/4 c. semi-sweet/dark chocolate chips, chopped

2 eggs, room temperature

1 egg yolk, room temperature

1 T. vanilla

1/4 c. light or dark brown sugar

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. plain flour

1/4 c. cocoa powder

1/4 t. salt

1/4 c. milk chocolate chips

10 Oreos, broken in pieces

Preheat oven to 350. Line or spray 8x8 pan. Set aside. In a medium size pan, over low heat, melt butter. Add condensed milk. Stir with a whisk. Add dark chocolate chips. Continue mixing until everything is smooth and melted. Remove from heat and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, and sugars. Whisk vigorously for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. There should be bubbles forming. Add in chocolate mixture and gently fold together. Do not overmix. Add in flour, cocoa, and salt. Continue mixing until no streaks appear. Toss in broken Oreos and milk chocolate chips. Mix for a few seconds. Pour into pan and spread evenly. Bake for 25-40 minutes until toothpick comes out slightly fudgy. If it is wet with batter, continue baking. Once it is done, slightly open the oven door for 10 minutes. Allow the hot air to come out. Then remove the brownies from the oven and allow to cool before slicing. *These brownies were really gooey, almost as if they weren't done. Next time I'll let them cook longer and forego letting them cool in the oven. (I baked them for 45 minutes.)

 Brownies can be sliced with a plastic knife while warm and they will not tear.