This is one of the greatest breakfast recipes ever! My friend Denise put it in the church cookbook.
Yummy Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients:
4 eggs 2 cups milk 1 cup oil (can sub in 3/4 cup applesauce and 1/4 cup of oil) 1 3/4 cup brown sugar 4 tsp baking powder 6 cups oatmeal 1 tsp cinnamon
Procedure:
Mixed all together; pour in a greased 13×9″ pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
This is another one of those Pampered Chef recipes that come in that little $1 cookbook. I have made these for a variety of social gatherings and they have always been a hit. They are great for dessert or as a brunch addition. Just factor in the hour for the dough to firm up. The recipe is done in 2 parts so I am splitting it up totally. The recipe says it yields 30 but I always make 24 (the size of the mini-muffin pan).
Crust:
Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened 3 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 cup flour
Process Mix the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Then mix in the flour until it is smooth. Then wrap it air tight and put it in the frig for 1 hour but it can stay until overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put walnut sized pieces of dough into a mini-muffin tin. Then use a Mini-Tart Shaper (from Pampered Chef but it is a little wooden dumbbell) dipped in a little flour and press each ball into the tin until is forms a cup. Now it is important that it actually come up around the sides and form a full cup.
Filling:
Ingredients: 2 tbls butter, melted 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla 1 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
Process: Mix all the ingredients together and fill each uncooked cup, do not over fill. Bake for 15-20 minutes of until the dough looks golden. Dust with powdered sugar when cool.
These are pretty easy and delicious. You can let your kids come in a crush the candy. They also look very impressive. Put a few in a bag and pair with a mason jar of French Vanilla Cocoa Mix!
Ingredients: 1 1/3 cups sugar 1/2 cup butter 1/2 tsp peppermint extract 3 eggs 3 cups AP Flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies (I use mini candy canes) 1/2 cup mini- chocolate chips Semisweet chips for dipping 1 tbl Crisco for dipping Crushed peppermint for covering
Process: First thing I do before any cooking is prep the peppermint. I use a meat tenderizer and put the peppermint in a zip bag. By the time you are done the bag will be perforated so us a cutting board to catch the dust. This is what my NerdPie did for me in my last batch. Now onto the regular procedure.
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet or use a silpat (or generic version). Mix sugar, butter, peppermint extract an eggs until blended. Then mix in flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in 1/2 cup mini-chips and 1/2 peppermint. The dough at this point will be very stiff. Cut the dough in half and form 2 rectangles that will be about 10 by 2 inches. 2. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until it is light brown. Then allow them to cool for 15 minutes on the cookie sheet. Then cut it crosswise into 1/2 inch slices (I use a serrated knife). Then put the slices back on the cookie sheet with the cut sides down. Bake 15 minutes more until light brown and crisp. Immediately remove to cooling racks. 3.I put 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1 tbl of Crisco in a microwave safe glass. Then microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring until all melted. Then dip each piece half way and place on wax paper. Then sprinkle with peppermint and let cool.
**Update I forgot that I amended this recipe. I add a little more garlic powder to the final brushing (ie the odd measurement). I have updated the recipe.
These are the yummy Red Lobster biscuits. These are so easy that I am putting them up for Works For Me Wednesday. They are easy and always a big hit in this house! But they need to be fresh to the meal so I mix them up and put them on the cookie sheet right after I start dinner. Then, as I am pulling out the main course and starting to plate, get drinks, etc. I just pop them in the oven!
Ingredients:
2 cups Bisquick 2/3 cup milk 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (fine shred if able) 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted 3/8 tsp garlic powder
Process:
Preheat oven to 450 degree. Mix Bisquick, milk and cheese until a soft dough forms. Drop by spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Mix butter and garlic powder. Brush mixture over warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet.
I think Valentine’s Day is a challenge for everyone. Do you go out and pay a lot of money, not to mention the crowds? That is IF you can find a babysitter, which is always a challenge in my neck of the woods. So what is the solution? Tire out the kids, feed them early and put them to bed. Then decide on a decadent dinner you have always wanted to eat and make it yourself. I know, I know, it sounds hard but it really isn’t. Here is one of our favorites, Bacon Wrapped Fillet Mignon with Whipped Mashed Potatoes. When we first discussed this (years ago) I was mortified to pay that much for meat but let us really look at it. At our Meat Market it is $14 a pound and you can get 2 good sized fillets in a pound. Compare that with at least $20 a plate and you are saving money. This way it is made how you like it, nice ambiance and no crowds. The other part is that it is so easy to make. First take bacon and wrap it tightly around a fillet. You need to overlap so it may take a few pieces. Then cook it over medium heat in a skillet on the stove. When the bacon is done give the fillet a push with your finger. If it is real squishy put it in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes. Then take the meat out of the skillet to rest. Add a little red wine to deglaze the skillet. When it has reduced a little add a pat of butter, this rounds out the sauce (or gives it a rich taste). For a finishing touch, place your fillets on a piece of toast french bread and then pour your sauce over the top. Pair with mashed potatoes that have been finished with a little cream cheese and enjoy!
Then you have a fancy dinner for a fraction of the price! Have a great Valentine’s Day.
This is a great entertaining recipe that I have appropriated from Pampered Chef. The other nice thing is you can use up what ever left over candy bars(mini or full size) you may have around. Including but not limited to Halloween candy and Easter candy though it is recommended you use something with nougat, caramel, nuts or the like. The recipe says to serve with graham crackers but I really like it with miniature pretzels. I also mix up the base early in the day, let it sit on the counter and then put it in right before company comes.
Ingredients
1 1/4 cup milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate morsels 1 container (8oz)frozen whipped topping, thawed (aka Cool Whip or knock off) 2 full size bars or 4 mini bars chocolate based candy, roughly chopped 1 cup miniature marshmallows 1/3 cup peanuts, chopped Pretzels or Graham Crackers to dip
Process:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chocolate morsels and whipped topping in a bowl. Microwave uncovered on high for 1-2 minutes or until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Then spoon into a small baking dish. 2. Sprinkle coarsely shopped candy bars over the chocolate base. Top with marshmallows then nuts. Bake 8-10 minutes or until marshmallows are lightly toasted.