Grasshopper Cake February 15, 2014

This was originally a poke cake (you are to poke holes into the cake and pour a can of sweetened condensed milk over the top.)  I didn’t care for the texture of the cake after this, so the next time I make this I am going to leave this step out. 

I made the Grasshopper Cake for Ryan’s 26th birthday (wow, 26! where is the time going?!).  It was or first birthday celebration since the birth of our daughter, so it was even more special for us! Here is a picture of Ryan’s birthday:

Ingredients:

1chocolate cake mix + water, oil, eggs as listed on box

1 – 12.8 oz. jar of Heshey’s Special Hot Fudge Sauce

1 – 10 oz. package Keebler Fudge Mint Cookies (I use Walmart brand)

1 – 16 oz. container cool whip

1 Duncan Hines Mint flavor packet

 

 

Directions:

• Prepare and bake the cake mix in a 9×13 baking dish.  Allow to cool completely.
• Heat the hot fudge sauce in a small bowl in the microwave.  30-40 second should be fine, you just want it to soften a little.
• Crumble half of the fudge mint cookies into the hot fudge sauce and mix.  Spread the cookie/fudge sauce over the cake.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the mint packet and cool whip.  Spread the whipped topping over the fudge layer.
• Crumble the remaining cookie crumbs over the top of the cool whip.
• Cut and serve.  

Pizza Dip

Ingredients:

1 – 8oz. package cream cheese, softened

½ c. sour cream

2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

½ tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. dried parsley

½ tsp. dried basil

1 c. pizza sauce

Pizza toppings (I just used pepperoni and cut each slice into fourths)

Dippers of choice (pretzels, crackers, bread, tortilla chips)

 

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 350.
• In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, ½ of cheddar cheese, ½ of mozzarella cheese.
• Add in oregano, parsley, and basil.
• Mix until mixture is light and fluffy.
• Spread in bottom of a pie pan, then top with 1 cup of pizza sauce.
• On top of sauce, add remaining cheddar and mozzarella cheese.
• Top with your favorite pizza toppings and a pinch of parsley.
• Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until the dip is warm and bubbly.
• Serve with dippers of your choice.

 

Squash & Chicken Lasagna January 10, 2013

Ryan and I have been trying to reduce our grocery bill by only buying items that we need or use on a daily basis.  It’s reduced our grocery bill by half – but it’s a little inconvenient when you want to make something but have to go to the store to get the rest of the ingredients.

My sister-in-law bought me a butternut squash because she knows how much I love them!  Sooo, I decided I wanted to make my Butternut Squash Soup; unfortunately, I didn’t have all of the ingredients for the recipe at home.  I was too lazy to go to the store (really, it’s a huge hassle to put on a million layers, start the car, scrape off the car, drive through the snow, etc) so I decided to search online for different squash recipes.

I found a recipe for Mac and Cheese that has a squash sauce that sounded good so I set off to make it for dinner.  I started the squash sauce and went to get the macaroni… and I realized I didn’t have any!  I did, however, have lasagna noodles.  Alright, I was going to make lasagna… ooooh, chicken would be good in it (thankfully we have tons of chicken breast in our freezer).   So the following is what turned out to be a very delicious Squash and Chicken Lasagna!

 

Squash & Chicken Lasagna

3 c. cubed and peeled butternut squash

1 1/4 c. chicken broth

1 1/2 c. milk

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

3 medium-large sized chicken breasts

1 lb. lasagna noodles

Cooking spray

3 c. shredded cheddar cheese, plus a handful extra

1/3 c. Parmesan cheese

 

Combine squash, broth, milk, and garlic in medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer until squash is tender; about 25 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Cook lasagna noodles according to product instructions.

Place chicken breasts in a medium saucepan filled with water; boil until chicken is fully cooked.

Place hot squash mixture in a blender.  Add salt and pepper.  Let sit a few minutes for some steam to escape.  Place lid on blender and blend until smooth.

Cut cooked chicken into small cubes.

To assemble the lasagna; spray the bottom of a 9×13 with cooking spray, lay about four lasagna noodles down, pour 1/3 of the squash mixture on the noodles, sprinkle a cup of cheese, sprinkle 1/3 of the chicken on top of the cheese.  Repeat these steps until all ingredients are gone.

Sprinkle a handful of extra cheddar cheese on top, and then add the Parmesan cheese on top of that.

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Cheesy Garlic Bread January 2, 2013

I have made this bread a couple times and we absolutely love it.  It seems to take forever to make, what with having to wait for the dough to rise and all.  Buuuut the end result is definitely worth it.  You should have most, if not all, of the ingredients in your cupboards which is a major plus.  Give this recipe a try, it is delicious!

 

source: laurenslatest.com

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon honey
1 envelope Active Dry Yeast (2 1/4 Teaspoons)
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups bread flour
Olive oil, for greasing surfaces
⅓ pounds sharp white cheddar, or any other cheese you prefer
½ cups garlic butter (I didn’t have garlic butter so I simply added spices to 1/2 c. butter… I used garlic powder, dill, parsley, basil, onion powder, and black pepper)

 Directions:

In a large bowl, stir water, honey and yeast together. Let yeast proof 5 minutes.

Once you know yeast is active, stir in salt and the flour in 1/4 cup increments. If you are using a stand mixer, be sure to not increase your speed higher than a 2 or ‘stir’.

Once dough starts pulling away from the sides and the bowl seems to be pretty clean, set a timer for 5 minutes and walk away. Let the machine knead the dough. After 5 minutes, dough should be smooth and tacky but when touched shouldn’t leave any dough on your fingers.

Grease the bowl and the dough. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Punch down dough and cut into two equal portions.

Form into two long baguettes the length of the cookie sheet. I like to twist mine because it looks cool, but it also keeps its length and doesn’t shrink.

Cover with plastic wrap and rise 30 minutes. Start to preheat oven to 400 degrees F and place dough close to the oven where it’s nice and warm.

Once oven is preheated, remove plastic wrap, from the dough reduce oven to 350F, put the bread into the oven and bake 20 minutes.

In the meantime, slice the cheese into thin slices and melt the butter.

Pull loaves of bread out of the oven after 20 minutes and brush with the melted garlic butter.

Bake another 5-7 minutes or until bread begins to turn a golden brown. Remove from oven and cool 15 minutes.

Cut 1-inch slices 3/4′s of the the way through the loaves.

Brush garlic butter in between each slice and fill with a slice of cheese.

Bake another 3-5 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.

Serve immediately.

Easy Tiramisu November 30, 2012

8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 T. rum
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 box mix of pound cake
1/2 cup strong, cold coffee
2 tsp baking cocoa

Make box mix of pound cake according to instructions
Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar on medium speed until smooth
Beat in rum on low, set aside
Beat cream in a separate bowl, until soft/fluffy peaks form
Fold into cream cheese mixture
Cut pound cake in slices
Arrange half of the pound cake in an ungreased pan.  An 8×8 is too small but a 9×13 is too big… use a pan in between these!
Drizzle 1/4 cup of coffee over the pound cake
Spread 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture on top
Layer the rest of the pound cake in the pan
Drizzle the rest of the coffee over the pound cake
Spread the other half of the cream cheese mixture on top.
Sprinkle the cocoa on top.
Chill for 4 hours.

Lazy Day Sausage Casserole November 28, 2012

This is a great and easy recipe if you don’t feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen.  I love the flavor that the sausages give the dish.  I’m definitely making this again very soon.  You can use any vegetables you have around the house.  I don’t like peppers, so I omitted them from my recipe.

 

4 pre-cooked sausages (beef or pork)
4-5 medium sized potatoes

1-2 sweet potatoes
2 carrots
1/2 onion
1-2 cups cabbage
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp oil
freshly cracked black pepper
1 1/2 tsp Italian herbs
1/2 cup chicken broth

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Peal the potatoes and cut each potato into four to six pieces.

Peal the sweet potatoes and cut into pieces similar to the size of other potatoes.

Peal carrots and cut into chunks.

Peal onion and cut into wedges.

Chop cabbage into large chunks.

Place all vegetables in a 9×13 pan.

In a bowl, combine chopped garlic cloves, oil, pepper, Italian herbs, and broth.

Mix well.

Pour mixture over vegetables and toss.

Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 45 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking cut up the sausage into 1 inch pieces.

After 45 minutes the potatoes and vegetables should be fork tender. If they’re not, cover the tray with the foil and pop them back in the oven for a few more minutes. If they are fork tender, place the sausages in there.

Place the tray back in the oven, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes.

Bourbon Whiskey Meatballs

 

1 pound bag of frozen meatballs (I made my own meatballs… I just threw a pound of hamburger together with an egg, about 1/2 cup of Italian breadcrumbs, and 2 cloves of chopped garlic.  Mix everything together and fry them in olive oil on the stove top).

1/2 cup ketchup (heaping)

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup Bourbon Whiskey

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

 

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except meatballs.  Mix up really well.

Place cooked meatballs in a crock-pot.

Pour the whiskey sauce on top of the meatballs.

Turn heat to low for about an hour, stirring occasionally.