Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti- Pioneer Woman

 

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole Large Onion, Diced
• 1 pound Italian Sausage
• 1 pound Ground Beef
• 1 can (28 Ounce Can) Whole Tomatoes, With Juice
• 2 cans (14.5 Ounce) Tomato Sauce Or Marinara Sauce
• 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 16 ounces, weight Ziti Or Mostaciolli, Cooked Until Not Quite Al Dente
• 1 tub (15 Ounce) Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
• 1-1/2 pound Mozzarella Cheese, Grated
• 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 whole Egg
• Fresh Minced Parsley

 Instructions

Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for several minutes, or until starting to soften. Add Italian sausage and ground beef and cook until browned. Drain off fat, leaving a bit behind for flavor and moisture.
Add tomatoes, tomato juice, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Stir and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. After that time, remove 3 to 4 cups of the sauce to a different bowl to cool down.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a separate bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, 2 cups of the grated mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, and salt and pepper. Stir together just a couple of times (do not mix completely).
Drain the pasta and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking and cool it down. Pour it into the bowl with the cheese mixture and toss to slightly combine (there should still be large lumps.) Add the cooled meat sauce and toss to combine.
Add half the coated pasta to a large casserole dish or lasagna dish. Spoon half of the remaining sauce over the top, then top with half the remaining mozzarella cheese. Repeat with another layer of the coated pasta, the sauce, and the mozzarella.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbling. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.
(Sprinkle chopped parsley over the pasta before serving!)

Posted by Ree on November 25 2012

Brownie Batter Truffles

Brownie Batter Truffles

printed from melskitchencafe.com

*Makes 2-3 dozen truffles

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch-process or regular (see here for the difference between the two)

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

pinch salt

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) butter, melted

8-12 ounces chocolate or chocolate bark (candy coating)

Sprinkles for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine the cocoa powder, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt and flour until it is well combined. Stir in the vanilla and melted butter until the mixture forms a thick batter.

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper. Roll the dough into about 3/4-inch size balls and place them on the wax paper. Refrigerate for about an hour until the brownie batter balls are firm.

Prepare another large baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Melt the chocolate or candy coating according to package directions (I usually melt either in a microwave-safe bowl at 1-minute increments at 50% power, stirring in between, until melted). Using two forks, plop a truffle into the melted chocolate, submerging it completely. Lift it out with one of the forks and tap the handle of the fork lightly on the edge of the bowl to let the excess chocolate fall through the tines of the fork. Gently lay the fork on the empty baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper and use the second fork to carefully nudge the truffle off the other fork onto the paper. Repeat with the remaining truffles. Use sprinkles on top of the truffles before the chocolate sets. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Slow Cooker Stuffing Recipe

 

 

 

 

Slow Cooker Stuffing Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 large onion, chopped

2 cups chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

2 (10 ounce) boxes Mrs. Cubbison's Herb Seasoned Cube Stuffing

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 cups chicken broth

2 eggs, beaten

Directions:

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Cook onion, celery, mushrooms and parsley in butter, stirring frequently.  Pour bread cubes into a large mixing bowl and pour butter and vegetables on top and combine.  Season with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.  Pour enough broth to moisten the bread cubes and mix in beaten eggs.  Transfer mixture to slow cooker and cover.  Cook on high for 45 minutes, then reduce heat to low and cook for 4 to 8 hours.  Check occasionally to make sure the sides don't burn.

Six Sisters Stuff

Pumpkin Pie Truffles Recipe:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Pie Truffles Recipe: 

(Makes approx. 30 truffles)

Ingredients:

1 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

3/4 cup finely ground gingersnap cookies

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

For dipping:

2 cups white chocolate chips, melted

For garnish:

Additional gingersnap crumbs

Directions:

To make the pumpkin pie filling, melt white chocolate in microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments until melted.  Set aside and let cool slightly.  Add pumpkin, gingersnap crumbs, graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, cinnamon and cream cheese to cooled white chocolate.  Mix well until combined and smooth.  Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator or freezer until it has thickened up enough to scoop and roll into balls (about 1 hour).

Scoop the filling mixture and roll into 1 inch balls.  Transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet.  Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and let chill until firm (about 2 hours).

When you are ready to dip the truffles, melt 2 cups of white chocolate chips in the microwave in 30- second increments or until melted.  Carefully dip one ball at a time into the chocolate.  Turn quickly to coat and set on lined baking sheet to set up.  Sprinkle with gingersnap crumbs while the chocolate is still runny.  Transfer the baking sheet to the refrigerator and chill until chocolate coating is set.

(Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats)

Six Sisters Stuff

Pecan Pie Muffins

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pecan Pie Muffins

Serving Size: 8 large muffins or 16 mini muffins

Source: given to me by Tammy and adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients

• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chopped pecans
• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs, beaten

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease mini or regular muffin cups generously. Grease them well or they will stick. In medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour and pecans. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and eggs together. Stir in dry ingredients just until combined.
2. Spoon batter into muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake for 12-13 minutes for mini muffins or 15-17 minutes for regular size muffins. Run a knife around the edge of each muffin and pop it out.

Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Breakfast Pizza and Breakfast with Friends

Breakfast Pizza and Breakfast with Friends

Ingredients

1. 1 pkg. Johnsonville breakfast sausage patties
2. 1 pkg. (8) refrigerated crescent rolls
3. 1 cup frozen loose pack cubed hash brown potatoes, thawed (I put in the refrigerator and let thaw overnight)
4. 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
5. 5 eggs
6. 1/4 cup milk
7. 1/2 tsp. salt
8. 1/8 tsp. pepper
9. 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese (I use Kraft)

Instructions

1. Cook sausage until well browned, drain fat. Break it up as you cook it so it is like ground sausage.
2. Press crescent roll dough into a 9 x 12 cookie sheet or an ungreased 12 inch pizza pan with points toward the center. Press over bottom and up sides to form a crust; seal perforations (important) Spoon sausage over the crust.
3. Sprinkle with potatoes and top with cheddar cheese. (You can make it to this point the night ahead of time, cover with plastic and refrigerate)
4. In a bowl beat together eggs, milk, salt and pepper.
5. Pour over crust in the middle – it will seep out to the edges on its own. If you pour it near the edges it may overflow.
6. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese over all.
7. Bake at 375 oven for 25-30 minutes.

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Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

(Recipe from Sippity Sup)

Ingredients:

• 5 lb russet potatoes
• 10 sli bacon
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 0.5 c unsalted butter, melted
• 1 c sour cream
• 0.25 c chives, minced
• 2.5 c cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 t kosher salt
• 0.5 t pepper

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Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel potatoes, and cut into 1-inch chunks. Place in a large saucepan, and add enough cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender and easily pierced with a paring knife, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain; return to pan, cover, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon, and cook until crisp and browned, turning once. Transfer to paper towels to drain; let cool, and crumble into pieces.
3. Using a fork, mash the potatoes in pan until light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese, butter, and sour cream, and stir until combined and smooth. Add the chives, 2 cups cheddar cheese, half the bacon, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined.
4. Transfer to a buttered 3-quart baking dish. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Bake until top is slightly golden and potatoes are heated through, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven; garnish with remaining bacon. Serve immediately.

Easy Sweet Potato Garlic Knots.

Easy Sweet Potato Garlic Knots.

Preparation Instructions

Note: To make sweet potato puree, wash and peel sweet potato and cut into 1-inch squares. Place in a large pot and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 20-25 minutes or until soft. Remove from heat and drain into a colander and return to the pot. Mash and allow them to sit while you prepare your other ingredients.
1. Pour warm water into a medium bowl and slowly whisk in yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes, then add honey, olive oil and mashed sweet potato. Whisk until thoroughly combined and smooth.
2. In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt. Slowly stir in wet ingredients and continue to stir until it becomes impossible to stir more. Then use your hands to continue mixing and slowly start kneading your dough, adding more flour to your hands to keep it from sticking.
3. Once you’ve created your dough ball, add olive oil to the bottom of your bowl and roll the dough ball in it until it is coated. Cover with Saran wrap or a damp towel and store in a dry place (I use my microwave) for two hours.
4. Around the last 15-minute mark, preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Divide your dough into pieces you can easily hold in your fist and roll them into long strips around 8 or 9-inches long. Don’t worry if they’re skinny, they’ll still get fat when they bake. Tie each into a knot, tuck the edges under each side, then place each on the pizza stone.
5. Bake until golden, around 10-15 minutes. Brush with minced garlic and olive oil immediately after removing from oven. Allow to cool 3-5 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Warm Water
• 1 envelope (7g Envelope) Active Dry Yeast
• 2 Tablespoons Honey Or Agave Nectar
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil,, Plus More To Oil The Bowl
• ½ cups Sweet Potato Puree (fresh Or Canned)
• 3-½ cups Unbleached Bread Flour
• 1-½ teaspoon Coarse Kosher Salt
• Minced Garlic And Olive Oil, To Brush On Baked Knots

Source- Tasty Kitchen Blog

Spinach Gratin

Spinach Gratin


*Serves 8-12 as a side dish
INGREDIENTS:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
4 cups minced yellow onions, about 2 large onions
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups milk
3 pounds frozen chopped spinach, defrosted (5 (10-ounce) packages)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon kosher salt (or 1/2 tablespoon table salt)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Gruyere, Swiss or Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a large skillet (12-inch) over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 2 more minutes. Add the flour and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Add the cream and milk and cook, stirring often and quickly, until thickened. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach and add the spinach to the sauce. Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and mix well. Season, to taste, with the salt and pepper.
Transfer the spinach to a 9X13-inch or similar sized baking dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and the Gruyere (or Swiss or Parmesan, if using) on top. Bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve hot.

Source- Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Pumpkin Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread with Vanilla Glaze

Pumpkin Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread with Vanilla Glaze
*. Source - Mel's Kitchen
*Makes 2 loaves of bread
INGREDIENTS:
Bread:
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar
5-6 cups all-purpose flour (I’ve added half ground white wheat flour before with great results, too)
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (about 1 1/2 cups)
Filling:
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Vanilla Glaze:
2 tablespoons butter
1/8 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or just a large bowl if you are going to power through and make this by hand, which I’ve done, and it really isn’t so bad), combine the salt, yeast, sugar and 4 cups of the flour. In a small saucepan, warm the milk and butter until the butter is just melted and the mixture is warm to the touch. If it feels too hot, let it cool until it is at warm room temperature. With the mixer running (again, just adapt by hand by pouring it into the dry ingredients), add the warm milk/butter mixture and the pureed pumpkin. Continue mixing, adding additional flour as necessary, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, and knead the dough (by mixer or by hand) until it is smooth, elastic and just slightly sticky (don’t overflour – see the note above the recipe).
Lightly grease a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with lightly greased plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled, about an hour, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
While the dough is rising, make the filling by combining the brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl. Set aside.
When the dough has doubled in size, lightly punch down and divide into two pieces. Roll out one of the pieces on a lightly floured countertop to about 20-inches by 12-inches. If it has trouble rolling out without shrinking back in, lightly cover the dough and let it rest 10-15 minutes before proceeding. Once rolled out, brush the dough with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter and spread half of the filling mixture evenly over the top, lightly pressing it into the buttered dough.
Lightly coat two 8 1/2-inch by 4 1/2-inch bread pans with cooking spray. With the long edge of the rectangle toward you, cut the dough into 6 strips (see pictures below for a visual). Stack the strips on top of each other and cut the stack into 6 even portions (again, pictures are below). Grab the cut stacks, one at a time, placing them in the bread pan and pressing them up against each other so they all fit into the pan. Repeat with the remaining half of dough and filling ingredients.
Cover the pans with lightly greased plastic wrap and let the bread double in size until it looks really puffy, about an hour.
Bake the dough in a 350 degree F oven for 30-40 minutes, until the bread is browned and bubbly and cooked through. Remove the pans from the oven. While the bread cools slightly in the pans, make the glaze by bringing the butter, brown sugar and milk to a boil. Remove it from the heat and stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla until it is smooth.
After the bread has cooled for about 5 minutes in the pan, loosen the edges with a butter knife and turn the bread out onto a cooling rack set over a piece of parchment or wax paper. Drizzle the warm bread with the glaze. Pull off pieces of the glazed bread and eat warm (the bread reheats well, microwaving several pieces on low power for 15-20 seconds).

Recipe Source: adapted from Willow Bird Baking and Sunnyside Up

Barbecue Snack Mix

Ezra Pound cake

Barbecue Snack Mix

From “Cooking With Paula Deen” (Sept./Oct. 2012)
Makes about 18 cups

• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons barbecue sauce
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 (1-ounce) envelope ranch dressing mix
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)
• 4 cups Rice Chex
• 4 cups Corn Chex
• 3 cups Wheat Chex (The original called for Wheat Thins, but I didn’t dig em.)
• 3 cups Cheez-Its
• 3 cups pretzel twists
• 1 cup dry-roasted peanuts

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the butter, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, light corn syrup, ranch dressing mix, paprika and dry mustard.
3. In a large roasting pan, combine the cereals, Cheez-Its, Wheat Chex, pretzel twists and peanuts.
4. Pour butter mixture over cereal mixture, tossing to coat.
5. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until crispy.
6. Spread in a single layer on wax paper or Silpats to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Avalanche Bark

Avalanche Bark

Yield: 9 bars
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

A recreation of the popular Avalanche Bark from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

Ingredients:

12 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup peanut butter
1½ cups Rice Krispies
1½ cups miniature marshmallows
½ cup miniature chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper; set aside. Place the miniature chocolate chips on a plate and place in the freezer until ready to use.
2. Combine the white chocolate and peanut butter in a mixing bowl and microwave on 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until completely melted.
3. Remove from microwave and stir in Rice Krispies. Let the mixture sit and cool until it reaches room temperature, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 20 minutes.
4. Gently stir in the miniature marshmallows, then the miniature chocolate chips.
5. Turn the mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes.
6. Remove from the pan and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

(Recipe adapted from The On-Line Cookbook

Brown eyed baker

Butternut Squash Enchiladas

 

 

 

 

Butternut Squash Enchiladas

Yield: serves 4
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

4 cups cubed (1/2-inch), uncooked butternut squash
1/2 sweet onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons freshly chopped sage + more for topping
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup beans (chickpeas, cannellinis, black, etc)
1 tablespoon brown butter
2 1/2 cups freshly grated fontina cheese
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
1 cup milk (I actually use vanilla almond milk - perfect!)
8 whole wheat tortillas

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spritz a 9x13 dish with nonstick spray.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Add onions, garlic and sage, cooking for 2-3 minutes until slightly softened. Toss in squash, salt, pepper and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, stirring well to coat. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes. You don't want to overcook the squash because it will be mushy, so cook until it's slightly tough but you can bite through a few pieces. Make sure to taste 2-3 pieces! Once finished, stir in beans and mix well. Remove squash and bean mixture, placing in a large bowl and drizzle with brown butter, then toss with 1/2 cup fontina. Set aside.
In the small skillet, raise the heat to medium-high and add butter. Once sizzling add in the flour and whisk for 2-3 minutes until a golden, nutty roux forms. Pour in stock and milk, whisking again until bubbly and slightly thick. Reduce heat to low and stir in 1 cup of fontina, stirring until combined. Add in remaining nutmeg and taste to season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Spoon about 1/3 cup of sauce into the bottom of the baking dish, then spoon a few spoonfuls of the squash mixture in the center of each tortilla, rolling up tightly. Place all the rolled tortillas carefully into the dish, then cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and some extra chopped sage. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and melted.

Source- How Sweet It Is