Glazed Pork Chops

I know, I know. I am behind. It isn't that I am not cooking. I am just not posting.  (Ironically, I do have about five posts started, just not completed)

But this is a recipe I do want to remember. I found it here.  I have made it twice now and have loved it both times. Plus it is easy and fairly quick. My favorite combination.

Ingredients:

• Pork Chops (originally recipe called for 4 thick cut; we typically get 6 thinner chops due to family size)
• 1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar (depending on how many pork chops you use)
• 1/2 tsp of the following:  garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, cayenne, salt
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:   

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix brown sugar and spices/seasonings.  Rub the sugar mixture into the pork chops. I just put the mixture into a bowl then kind of "dredge" the chops in it.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet at medium/high heat.  I use a cast iron skillet because it can go into the oven.
• Once the oil is hot add the pork chops to the skillet. Cook about 5 minutes on each side until they are browned.
• Place in the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes (if you are NOT using a cast iron skillet, transfer to something oven safe) to thoroughly cook the pork chops.
• Enjoy!

Note:  I don't do paprika or cayenne due to food issues for one of my kiddos. So I just add a little of my own choices like a little onion powder and white pepper).

We ate this meal with half baked potatoes (completely baked but halved :) ) and French bread.  It is quite simple, quite good!

More soon.  Really. :)

Reba

Beefy Nachos

This past week I was trying to think of what I wanted to make for our "Mexican" food (which we typically have once a week). The only problem is I am out of tortillas and tostada shells that I typically use for those meals.  So I thought, "What about nachos?"

Then I found this recipe.

It reminds me a lot of the tostada recipe I use but with chips instead (and quicker).  So I decided to give it a try.

I am happy to report that we have a new "easy go to" recipe!

Ingredients:
1 lb browned ground beef (I always use 1.5 because that is how it comes packaged)

1 envelope Taco seasoning (or a homemade version which is what we do)

1 can refried beans (in the future, I will use two...I only had one on hand this time)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup cheese (I use a Mexican mix)

Tortilla chips

Optional: Sour cream, salsa, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce, olives, etc.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400.  

Add taco seasoning to ground beef according to package directions. Since I use homemade seasoning, I just added about 1/2 cup water.  Simmer for just a little bit.

In a casserole dish (or in a cast iron skillet which is what I did), spread the refried beans. 

Sprinkle the onion on top. I also added some cilantro just because I love cilantro.

Spread ground beef on top. 

Bake for 15 minutes.

Top with cheese.

Bake for an additional 5 minutes.

The original recipe suggests tucking the chips around the edges of the mixture for the last 5 minutes but we ended up just putting some of this on our own chips.

Like I said, simple but good.

As you can see, I added avocado, sour cream, and salsa. 

Yum!

Parmesan Baked Pork Chops

One day my dear friend Carol mentioned a favorite pork chop recipe she had found on Pinterest. She told me how easy it was and how good it was. That was all I needed to hear.  So a few days later I perused her Pinterest page and found the link.  I could not wait to make them. And the verdict is?  Yes, definitely a keeper. We will be having this again.  Soon!

(I would encourage you to visit the original link; the picture is much more appetizing there)

Ingredients:
4-6 boneless pork chops
Olive oil
1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 cup Italian bread crumbs (I used plain Panko and added a few herbs to give it an Italian flavor)
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, black pepper, and garlic powder on a plate or in a shallow bowl.

Spray/rub olive oil onto the pork chops.

Dip into the cheese mixture, covering the pork chops completely.

Place on a cookie sheet (I just covered one with Parchment paper).

Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Enjoy!

Pull Apart Cinna-Buns

The other night I was cleaning out my fridge. You know, like that deep cleaning.  Pull everything out.  Toss the old stuff. Wipe down/wash the shelves.  Put things back nice and neat.  It was quite an exciting evening.

Then I remembered that I had told my kids I would make breakfast for the morning.

At this point, it was maybe 11 p.m.  And I had more work to do.

What to do? What to do?

Well, Google of course.

I searched for quick and easy cinnamon rolls.

And this recipe popped up.

So they aren't exactly cinnamon rolls.

But they looked easy, fairly quick, and tasty, so I went for it.

Because of our food issues at our house, I had to change it up just a little bit.  The original recipe uses butterscotch pudding mix  (and I am pretty sure my sister does a similar recipe with vanilla pudding mix).  We can't/don't do instant pudding mixes, so I did no pudding at all.

And it still worked for us.

Ingredients:
18 frozen Rhodes dinner rolls
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:
(Do the night before)
Spray a Bundt pan with cooking spray.

If you are using nuts (we didn't this time), spread the nuts in the pan first. 

Place 9 frozen dinner rolls in the pan.

Mix the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Spread half the mixture over the frozen rolls.

Place 9 more frozen dinner rolls in the pan (like a second layer). 

Spread the second half of the butter mixture over the rolls.

Cover loosely with parchment paper.

The next morning, you will find a risen mound of dough and butter yumminess.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly then invert onto a serving platter.

You can stop there and probably be fine.

Or you can add a little cream cheese frosting.

Which we did.

Yum.

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar

Cream Cheese Frosting Directions:
Use a mixture to cream the cream cheese and butter together.
Add in the vanilla.
Add in powdered sugar a little at a time until it is light and fluffy.
 Spread over warm cinna-buns.

Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Chicken Taquitos

I am back.

It has been a long time.

I am not sure my fingers even know how to type anymore (well, other than lesson plans and other school related stuff).

But here I am.

I tried another new recipe this week (which is rare these days since I am often running on fumes...I tend to resort to tried and true), and it was a hit. A HUGE hit.

I have a feeling this will be another tried and true for the future.

And best of all, it cooks in the crockpot until the very end. 

Cream Cheese Chicken Taquitos
Ingredients:
2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp chili powder (I omit due to food issues)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin (I doubled to make up for the lack of chili powder :)
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz cream cheese
1/3 cup water (I upped to 1/2 since I used more chicken)
Tortillas (I use flour)
Mexican cheese (I used a whole package of shredded Mexican cheese)
Other toppings (optional):  salsa, sour cream, avocado/guacamole, extra cheese, etc.

Directions:
Put the chicken, spices, cream cheese, and water in the crockpot.

Cook at low for 8 hours or high for 4.

Toward the end of the cooking of the meat (which smells amazing, I might add), shred the chicken with two forks.

Pre-heat to 450.

Scoop about 1/4 a cup of chicken mixture onto a tortilla. Top with a couple tablespoons of shredded cheese. Roll tightly up and place on a greased (I may have forgotten to grease...oops) cookie sheet.  I was able to get 14 with four chicken breasts.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

I have already been asked by one child when I am making this again!

Reba

Garlic Parmesan Baked Chicken Wings

I meant to get a better picture but we were halfway through the meal before I thought, "I need a picture of this!"

And by the end of the meal, there was nothing.

All gone.

Lesson learned.

When I make this again, I need to double the recipe.  Or at least the chicken wings...

I cannot remember exactly where I got this recipe but it is a keeper for sure!

Ingredients:

 

Garlic-Parmesan Chicken Wings 

1/4 cup butter
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (I always use freshly grated)
24 chicken wings (baked- I baked ours in a baking dish at 375 for 45-50 minutes)

Directions:

Melt butter.

 Add garlic powder, onion salt, and pepper. 

Arrange hot fresh baked wings on a serving platter and drizzle with the butter mixture. 

Top with the Parmesan cheese.

We ate ours with new potatoes in white sauce and homemade parkerhouse rolls.

Enjoy! 

Reba

Chicken Stuffing Bake

Tonight one of my kiddos asked me why I always take pictures of our food. Another one responded, "She is a foodie photographer."  I had to laugh. I told them that I don't have enough time or patience to be a food photographer. Once it is out of the oven, we are ready to eat.  So this is the best I can do under such circumstances.

I have still been cooking. Just lax about blogging lately. :)

This recipe is an old family favorite.

Tonight I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner, which is rare for me. I usually have my menu planned by Sunday.

I knew I had chicken, that I wanted to avoid pasta, and that we had no potatoes.

What to do, what to do.

It just so happened I had some stuffing and some Swiss cheese on hand.

Perfect.

Chicken stuffing bake.

It is a simple recipe (my favorite kind) and easy.

Just what I needed.

Ingredients:
Chicken breasts or tenderloins (skinless, boneless)

Swiss Cheese, sliced

1 container of cream of mushroom soup

1 package stuffing

1/4 cup white wine OR chicken broth

1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:
Spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray.  Okay, I totally didn't do that, and it worked just fine.

Spread the Swiss cheese slice on top of the chicken. 

Mix together the cream of mushroom soup, the stuffing, the white wine OR chicken broth, and the melted butter.

Spread over the top of the chicken/cheese.

Cover with foil.

Bake at 350 for 55 minutes.

I served this with green beans and rolls.

Enjoy!

Reba

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna

I really need to make this again and take a better picture. I will just say it was a really hectic day when I made this and I was just happy we were finally sitting down to eat.  I didn't have time to do much photography...

So the other night I wanted to try a recipe I had pinned for chicken Alfredo roll ups.  I mean, it had Alfredo sauce, cheese, and pasta. How could I go wrong?

Except like I said, it was a bit of a hectic day.

And I started thinking, "Why do I have to roll up anything? That is more time than I have..."  So I decided to go for more of a lasagna instead.  And thought it wasn't beautiful (as noted above), it was well-received.  And almost all of it was gone before the night ended.

Best of all, it really was easy (especially since I didn't roll anything).

Ingredients:
9-12 lasagna noodles (I did 12)
2 1/2 cups Alfredo sauce (I make a homemade version...YUM)
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
oregano
garlic salt
2-3 cups shredded Mozzarella

Directions:
Boil lasagna noodles according to directions on package.

Spray a 9 x 12 inch pan with cooking spray or olive oil.

Heat oven to 350.

Spread a small amount of the Alfredo sauce on the bottom of the pan.

Lay 4 lasagna noodles down on top of the sauce.

Mix the chicken and the Alfredo sauce together.

Spread 1/2 of the chicken/Alfredo sauce over the noodles.

Lay down 4 more lasagna noodles.

Again, spread 1/2 the chicken/Alfredo sauce on top of the noodles.

Place the remaining four noodles on top.

Sprinkle the shredded Mozzarella on top.

Sprinkle the oregano and garlic salt over the top.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

We ate ours with breadsticks.  I would have thrown in some corn or a salad but once again, it was a bit of a crazy night. So we just ate a simple meal.  And loved every bite!

More later,
Reba

Creamy Spaghetti Bake

I am still alive.

Still cooking.

Still snowed in.

For five days now.

And apparently I'm not too motivated to blog this week.  Or last. :)

But I am going to break the dry spell.  And at least try to look productive.

I have seen a recipe like this all over Pinterest, so I decided it was time to try it. I mean, it is pasta and cheese.  How can I go wrong?

What I liked about this recipe (other than the pasta and cheese and creamy taste) is that it was easy.

And I like easy so much.

Even on snow days.

Ingredients:
1 pound spaghetti, cooked and drained
1 pound ground beef, browned (or in our case, 1 1/2 pounds)
1 jar spaghetti sauce (or homemade sauce in our case)
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature (that part is important...mine wasn't quite room temperature)
8 oz sour cream
8 oz cottage cheese (I omitted this part...it was just too much for me)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350.

Mix meat and sauce together.

Mix the cream cheese and sour cream (and cottage cheese if desired) together. I would recommend using a mixer for this. By hand, it is hard to mix it well.

Layer in a 9 x 13:
spaghetti (1/2)

cream cheese mixture (1/2)

meat mixture (1/2)

spaghetti (1/2)

cream cheese mixture (1/2)

meat mixture (1/2)

Top with shredded cheese.

Bake for 20-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

It makes a LOT.

We ate ours with Rhodes bread (garlic salt/butter on top) and corn.  A salad would have been nice but I didn't have any on hand.

Happy Cooking!

Reba

Hamburger Buns

Oh wow.

I don't think I have ever had this much time between posts.

I am still alive. I am still cooking. I am just not posting much at this moment. No reason other than life. :)

I have actually made these before but haven't blogged about them.

(Note:  I have made other buns such as these but I find that this recipe is just a little quicker and just as tasty.)

These are called 40 minute buns.  And they can be made in 40 minutes.  BUT if I have time, I try to let them rise a little bit longer.

Oh, and you haven't had homemade buns, you need to know that the texture is a little different. They tend to crumble a little easier.  But they are also delicious and worth the effort.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp active dry yeast (I use rapid rise)
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp warm water (not too hot, not too cold)
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil after reading some of the suggestions on the original recipe)
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp salt
3-3 1/2 cups all purpose flour (more as needed)

Directions:
Dissolve yeast in the warm water in a bowl.  Add the oil and sugar and let it rest for about five minutes.

Add the egg, flour, and salt to form a soft dough.  If it is too sticky, add more flour.

Knead for about 3-5 minutes. 

Divide into 12 pieces.  The buns will be fairly small so if you want bigger buns, divide into fewer pieces (8-10).  Shape into balls.  Place about 3 inches apart on a greased baking sheet.

Cover and let rest for about 10 minutes.  As I said, I usually let them sit longer if possible.

Preheat oven to 425.

If desired, brush the top with olive oil or melted butter and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

When ready, bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown.

Split in middle when cooked/cooled.

Enjoy!

Reba
PS I read that these can be formed into hot dog buns but I haven't tried those yet...

Fried Pork Chops

I feel like I have neglected this blog.  Not on purpose.  Just been busy.

But I am still cooking.  Well, mostly.  I haven't cooked dinner for the last two nights but that is because I have some other food projects going on.

However, the other night hubby was out of town, and I still cooked a real meal.

I think that should count for something...a gold star or a pat on the back at least.

Fried pork chops and roasted potatoes, rolls...

Yum.

I fry chicken on occasion but haven't fried pork much.

This week that changed.

I am pretty sure I went up like five notches in my oldest child's eyes...fried pork.  He was smiling from ear to ear.

This is the recipe I followed...

Note that the original author is cooking like 14 pork chops.

I cut that about in half.

Unfortunately I forgot to cut the rest of the recipe in half.

Not a big deal but I wasted some ingredients.

Oops.

So here is my recipe for 6 or 7 pork chops...

Ingredients:
6 or 7 thin boneless pork chops

2 eggs

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (I used a homemade version)

3/4 to 1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 Tbsp salt

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp pepper (I used freshly ground peppercorns)

About 1 cup oil

Directions:

 Heat oil over medium high heat in a skillet.

Prepare egg wash by stirring eggs and Worcestershire sauce in a shallow bowl.

In another bowl, mix the flour and seasonings.

Dip pork chops in egg wash then coat both sides with flour mixture.

Place in skillet (do not crowd) and cook for 3-5 minutes on one side until it begins to brown.  Flip over and cook for another 3-5 minutes until gold brown.  You don't want to mess with them much; you will lose the coating.  And of course, the coating is the good stuff.

Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel. 

Obviously, this is not something you want to eat frequently nor is it healthy.

But once in a while, it is a treat...

Enjoy!

Breakfast Bake

Not the best picture but considering the craziness of the week, I have to take what I can get...

So this past week I have been clipping recipes from the paper and then actually trying them instead of just sticking them in a pile to deal with later.

This recipe caught my eye because it is a breakfast casserole. Now I have another recipe that is actually similar. 

But with ONE major difference.

At least a major difference to me.

This recipe uses bacon.

Bacon.

Bacon.

Oink. Oink.

I LOVE bacon.

Most recipes I have seen use sausage.

I don't love sausage as much.

So I decided to give this a try.

And I loved it. 

In fact, I have been eating the leftovers for lunch.

Most of my family liked it, with the exception of one child who doesn't care for eggs (though she admitted this wasn't so bad) and another who won't touch a potato to save his life...

By the way, this is EASY to put together. It does take a while to cook though so plan ahead.

Ingredients:
2 cups milk
1/4 tsp salt
1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled (or in my case, just cut into small pieces)
1 package frozen hash browns, thawed (I used Southern style)
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 eggs
pinch paprika (optional...I left it out)

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350. 

In a large mixing bowl, mix the bacon crumbles, hashbrown potatoes, salt, and half the cheese.

Spread into a greased 9 x 13 dish.

Whisk the eggs and the milk together and pour over the top of the potato mixture.  Sprinkle paprika if desired. 

Bake for 45-50 minutes (mine took more like an hour).

Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.

Enjoy.

We actually ate it for dinner (we like "breakfast for dinner" around here) with fruit and toast.

Yum.

Enjoy!

Reba

French Dip on Homemade Sub Rolls

The other day I really wanted to make French Dip. And that is fairly easy.  But the hard part for us is finding the rolls for sandwiches that don't contain a lot of things we avoid (like preservatives).

So I did a quick search via Internet and found this recipe.  It had great reviews.  And it didn't look too hard.

So one night, after a long day of school and parent/teacher conferences, I threw them together.

A little while later I had this most amazing scent coming from my kitchen.

Homemade rolls.

When I took them out of the oven, I just had to have a little nibble.

Yum.

My teenager wandered in, ready to sample.  Or devour.  Whichever I would allow.

The next night we ate our French dips on these rolls.

And they were still delicious.

Here is the recipe for the rolls...
Ingredients:
2 packages (or 5 tsp) active yeast (I use instant)

3 cups warm water (divided...1/2 cup and 2 1/2 cups)

2 Tbsp sugar divided (1 and 1)

1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil (I used olive because I LOVE olive :)

1 Tbsp salt

5-9 cups all purpose flour (I think I used close to 8 but I lost track)

sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:
 Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup water.  Add 1 Tbsp sugar.  Let it sit for about five minutes.  It should kind of "foam" up.

After a few minutes, add the remaining water and sugar.  Add in the oil and begin adding flour (about 4 cups).  Add in the salt.

Knead to make a soft dough, adding flour as needed until it is "not sticky", about 6-8 minutes.  Do NOT over-knead.

Form into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl (again, I used olive oil).

Cover and let rise, about 45 minutes.

Punch down the dough and divide the dough into small pieces.  The original recipe called for 18 pieces; I decided 16 was easier so my buns were just a bit bigger.  Shape the pieces into an oval.  I need to work on my shaping skills but thankfully that doesn't affect taste. :)  Place on a greased baking dish, about 2 inches apart.

Use scissors to cut a small slash across the top of the buns.

Cover and let rise for about 20 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Add sesame seeds if desired.

Bake for 12-18 minutes, until golden brown.

Enjoy!

They were my favorite "sub" roll that I have made so far.  The original recipe is A LOT so if you don't want that many, I would just halve the recipe. I ended up freezing our leftovers for future meals.

Onto the French dip.

I had a recipe I liked for French dip but with changes in diet around here, I had to re-think some recipes. That was one.  Thankfully one day a good friend of mine posted this recipe.   Perfect!  All things I could use or improvise.

So, here is my version based on her version. :)

French dip
Ingredients:
1 lb thin cut sirloin steak  (I actually use a bigger sirloin though I have never weighed it)
14 oz beef broth (though I add a whole container since I am using a bigger sirloin)
1 packet onion soup mix...this is where I have to improvise.  I make my own using the following recipe instead of using a packaged mix:
  8 teaspoons dried onion flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper 

Directions:
Combine soup mix and beef broth and pour over the sirloin in the crockpot.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Shred meat with a fork.

I had provolone cheese on hand for those who wanted cheese.

We then ate it on our buns (which we toasted slightly in the oven).

And of course, we used the "au jus" from the crockpot for the dipping part.

Yum.

Easy and yum.

Enjoy!

Reba

Baked Pork Tenderloin

I just can't take pork pictures.

I know what you are thinking.

I just can't take food pictures at all.

And that is true.

But I really can't take pork pictures.

They just don't do the food justice.

So go to the original recipe site and ooh and ahh over their pictures.

Though my pictures didn't turn out quite right, I will say that this was delicious.

My kids LOVED it. 

And they aren't typically big pork eaters.

Even I horded the ONE small leftover piece for my lunch a couple days later, threatening anybody who suggested eating it.

And though it takes a little bit to cook (around 45 minutes), it was easy to assemble.  And worth every bite.

Ingredients:
1 package pork tenderloins (around 2 to 2 1/2 pounds).  I buy the Farmland which has two tenderloins together.

4 garlic cloves quartered/slivered/sliced

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 Tbsp whole grain mustard (I used a spicy brown mustard because that is what I had...)

4 Tbsp honey (I HIGHLY recommend raw honey; I could eat it by the bowl full)

2 Tbsp fresh orange juice (with food sensitivities, we avoid orange so I used lemon juice)

1 Tbsp fresh rosemary or Herbs de Provence (I used rosemary)

3 Tbsp olive oil

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Rinse and pat dry the pork tenderloins and place in a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Use a paring knife to poke holes all over the pork.  Place the garlic slivers inside the holes.  I know, it looks funny but YUM, tastes really good.

Mix together the remaining ingredients for the marinade (add the olive oil last, whisking together). Pour over the top of the tenderloins.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.  Baste halfway through the baking process with the sauce.  I think I forgot that part.  Oops. :)

Let it rest about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Then enjoy.

The sauce/marinade is delicious.

We ate it with black eye peas, baked potato halves, and parkerhouse rolls.

Happy cooking!

Reba

Chocolate Chess Pie

Last night we had company over.  I wanted to have some sort of dessert but couldn't decide what to have.  I checked out this recipe from my Pinterest Sweet Treat board and decided to give it a try since it was simple and I had all ingredients on hand.

I know, it is always a risk trying a new recipe with company coming over. BUT I figured with chocolate, how could I go wrong?

And the answer is...? You can't.  Not with this.  It is easy and delicious. Almost sinful.

Ingredients:
Crust-
1 sleeve graham crackers crushed (the original recipe used chocolate graham crackers but one of my kiddos can't do that so I used regular)
1 stick butter.  Yes, a whole stick.
1 Tbsp sugar

Filling-
1 stick butter (yes, another stick)
1 oz unsweetened chocolate (or 3 Tbsp cocoa powder...I used the unsweetened chocolate square)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 350. 

Melt the butter. I just stuck it in the microwave.  Mix with the sugar and graham cracker crumbs until well combined.  Press into a 9 inch pie pan (I did spray mine first), forming the bottom/sides of the pie.

Bake for 8 minutes.

Let it cool for a bit then chill for an hour or more.

When ready, preheat the oven to 325.  Meanwhile, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat in a sauce pan on the stove.  Stir.  Remove from heat and add sugar, again stirring until well-combined.  Next add the eggs, vanilla, and salt.  Again stir.

Pour into the now chilled pie crust.

Bake for 40-50 minutes depending on how gooey you want it.

Let it cool for 20-30 minutes before serving.

You can serve it warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or ice cream.  However, I have to say that I have found that I like it best chilled from the fridge. Oh, yum.

Sinful.  Absolutely sinful.

And rich.

Oh, yum.

Enjoy!

Reba

Pancake Squares

So sorry I have been MIA. I started back to school this week.  Life has been a bit hectic.

Anyway, I try to make a breakfast of some sort about two times a week just to break up the cereal/granola bar/oatmeal routine.  I had pinned this recipe once upon a time on Pinterest and decided to give it a try last weekend. 

What is it?

Basically, pancakes in a casserole dish form.

I love pancakes and make them fairly often (usually homemade).  But usually when I make them, it is for dinner.  Mainly because who has time to make them for breakfast? I don't have a lot of time in the mornings to stand in front of the griddle, flipping pancakes. 

If my kids get pancakes for breakfast, it is only because we had some extras and we froze them.

Until now.

Now that I know about this, we will have them more often.

No, they don't look like pancakes. They aren't circles.

But they taste pretty close. AND they are quick and easy.

Perfect for mornings!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup milk

2 Tbsp melted butter, slightly cooled

1 large egg

1 Tbsp sugar (granulated)

1 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350.

Slightly grease or spray an 8 x 8 baking dish.

In a mixing bowl, pour the milk, butter, and egg.  Beat together.  Add the sugar.  Next, add in the flour, a little at a time.

Stir in the baking powder and salt.

Pour batter into the greased baking dish. Bake for about 25 minutes.

Enjoy!

I topped it with melted butter, and we used syrup if we chose to the top of it.

It was good stuff.  Easy and good.

Reba

Taco Pie

 

The other night, I needed a quick and easy recipe.  I was kind of craving Mexican food but didn't have the time or energy to make tacos or tostadas.  And though my kids LOVE Taco Pasta Bake, they had had it not that long ago.  Then I remembered a dish that we had when I was a child.  Taco Pie.  I rummaged through my family cookbook and found the recipe.  Easy.  Quick.  Perfect for us.

One little note:  This is very similar to Easy Cheesy Beefy Crescent Squares but with a Mexican twist.  One of the kids noticed that right away.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef, browned

1 packet taco seasoning prepared according to directions on package (I just use a homemade version and 1/4 cup of water)

8 oz sour cream

1-2 cups cheddar cheese (I actually used a Mexican blend)

1 cup crushed corn chips

1 tube crescent rolls

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.

Roll the crescent rolls out (and up the sides of) into a pie dish.  (I sprayed cooking spray so it wouldn't stick)  Honestly, next time, I think I will roll this out into a bigger dish like a 11x7.  My crescent rolls puffed up a LOT, leaving little room for the meat. The crescent rolls wouldn't necessarily go up the sides of the dish like it does the pie dish but that is okay with me...

Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the taco seasoning/water to the ground beef.  Simmer for a few minutes.  Remove from heat and add in the sour cream.

Once the "pie crust" is baked, layer with 1/2 of the crushed chips, 1/2 of the cheese, the ground beef mixture, the remaining chips, and the remaining cheese on top. 

Bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy.

Like I said, very simple, very quick.

I think we had 1/2 of a serving left at the end of dinner; I ate it the next day for lunch. :)

Reba

Bacon, Chicken, and Rice Casserole

Oh wow, how did a whole week go by without any posting? I am usually much better with this.  I will blame it on a road trip and finishing up our summer vacation.

Meanwhile, I have been cooking.  I didn't cook while on the road trip but I did some cooking before I left so the kids would have some food. Just in case it sounds like I have become a "lazy bones".

Last night, I decided to try a new recipe.  It was fairly simple which is always a "plus" in my mind.   Plus, it involved three of my favorite ingredients...chicken, bacon, and rice.

And the verdict is?  It was a hit.  I will be making it again (though I will change a couple things up...).

Ingredients:
Bacon (not thick cut)

Chicken legs/thighs or breasts, preferably bone-in.  That being said, I used bone-in chicken leg quarters for ours.  Next time I will be trying it with boneless chicken breasts.  The original recipe said to NOT use boneless but we found it really difficult to eat with bones.

2 cans/containers of Cream of Chicken soup

1 cup water

Paprika/Cajun seasoning to taste (I omitted due to food issues at our house)

1 cup long grain uncooked rice (I think next time I will try minute rice and I may even cook it first...my rice didn't cook all the way through)

salt and pepper to taste

garlic salt to taste

nutmeg to taste

1 tsp oregano

dried parsley (a sprinkle or two)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Lay bacon (around 8 slices) in the bottom of a 9 x 13 dish. I think I will pre-cook this next time, at least partially.

Mix 1 can of cream of chicken soup with the rice and pour over the top of the bacon.

Lay chicken on top of the rice.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add paprika and/or Cajun spices if desired.

Mix garlic salt, nutmeg, oregano, and parsley in the remaining cream of chicken soup and add water.  Pour over the top of the chicken. 

Bake for 2 hours.

Like I said, the flavor was delicious. We just had a hard time eating the chicken on the bone.  I will definitely make again, just changing a couple things along the way...

Oh, and we had ours with carrots/Ranch and skillet rolls.

Happy cooking!

Reba

Crockpot Corn on the Cob

I will give a disclaimer:  This is nothing fancy at all.  I don't know if I would even call it a "recipe". But I wanted to share because apparently it is good stuff.

Another disclaimer:  I do not eat cooked corn. I like corn in corn dip but beyond that, I just don't. I try it periodically because it looks good to me. But it doesn't taste good (to me).  However, the people in my family who DO eat corn have loved it this way.  Thus, I am sharing.

Ingredients:
Corn on the cob, husk removed and corn washed (I break mine in half to make it easier to eat, per hubby's request)

Melted butter (2-3 Tbsp)

Salt and pepper (I use sea salt and freshly ground peppercorns)

Directions:
After cleaning the corn, rub with melted butter.

Salt and pepper the corn cob.

Wrap in aluminum foil.

Place in a crockpot (no water added) on low for about 4 hours.

Enjoy!

Like I said, simple but apparently really tasty!

Reba

Smores Bars

I am not a big marshmallow fan.  I can do without Rice Krispie treats.  And Rocky Road ice cream is NOT my favorite.

But Smores.

Oh, how I love smores.

In fact, I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to them.  "More Smores". 

The unfortunate thing is my hubby is not the smores fan I am.

So I don't try out the smores recipes nearly as much as I want.  Well, due to that and the fact that I would weigh a LOT more if I did.

But every now and then I figure out a way to do it.

Like when we are going to a cookout.

Perfect time.

So this past week, I decided to try Smores Bars.

They looked easy.  Required little preparation.  And they could be made ahead of time.

The only "warning" I feel like I should give is to let people know ahead of time that they are cold.

My kids all complained a little at first because they think "smores" and think "warm".

Yet it didn't stop one of them from eating the bars.

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted (plus a little more for greasing purposes)

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (I just threw a "sleeve" of crackers into the food processor and whirled away), plus 2 graham crackers broken into large pieces

3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk (not quite a whole can)

1 1/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

1 cup mini marshmallows

Directions:
Line an 8 x 8 baking pan with aluminum foil and butter/grease.  I did do this but I actually think next time I would just grease the baking pan itself with the butter or cooking spray.

Mix the melted butter and the graham cracker crumbs together in a bowl with a fork until moistened. 

Press firmly into the bottom of the baking dish.

This is the only area I had trouble. I pressed as much as I could but my crumbs just never stuck together. I don't know if I should have used more butter, pressed more, or what.  Don't get me wrong, it was still tasty.  I just couldn't get it to gel.  I think next time I make these, I will do something similar to what I do with the pretzels for pineapple fluff.  I think I will "bake it" at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes...just enough to make it a bit crunchier/more together.  I will let you know how that goes. :)

Next, heat the chocolate chips and the condensed milk over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth.  Once smooth, remove from the heat and add in the salt and vanilla.

Quickly, pour over the graham cracker and spread. You have to work quick or it will start to harden.  I found that if I held the spatula vertically and started in the middle to spread to the sides, it worked much easier. Otherwise the graham crackers try to go with the chocolate. :)

Next, pour the marshmallows over the top and push down into the chocolate.

Finish by pressing in the broken pieces of the 2 graham crackers in the "holes" left by marshmallows.

Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or so before cutting/serving.

Enjoy!