These took 1st place at a cookie bake-off hosted by friends earlier this year. Well, they tied for first place, but the blue ribbon still hangs proudly on our kitchen bulletin board. It's not my fault that one of the judges fell for something with peanut butter. Rich, buttery, sweet and addictive. (from allrecipes.com)
bag of Kraft caramels, unwrapped (about 64 total)
10 tablespoons heavy cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups butter, melted (yes, this is 3 sticks)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, melt together the caramels and heavy cream over low heat, stirring until smooth. Set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Add melted butter and stir until well blended. Press half the mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan, reserving the rest. Bake for 8 minutes, then remove from the oven. Sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips and walnuts, then pour the caramel sauce over. Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the top.
Return to the oven and bake for another 12-13 minutes, or until the top is toasted and a light golden brown. Cut into squares while still slightly warm.
*I'm always tempted to add more chocolate chips, but I've tried it and it upsets the caramel/cookie balance. Sometimes I use bittersweet chocolate chips to cut the sweetness.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Cheesy Turkey Meatloaf
Meatloaf is always popular in our house, so I rotate between a few different recipes that have all earned the thumbs up. I love that I can get it in the oven quickly, then reach in the freezer for fries and veggies to go on the side. We eat half one night and have sandwiches another night.
1 cup milk
1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
2 lbs ground turkey
2 eggs
half of an onion, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
3/4 lb colby or cheddar cheese, in small cubes or shredded
1/2 cup ketchup or barbeque sauce
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Soak breadcrumbs in milk, then add the turkey, eggs, onion, salt, pepper and Worcestershire and mix together well with clean hands. Fold in cheese and put into a loaf pan on top of a baking sheet. Top with sauce and bake for an hour or until cooked through.
*Adapt with what you have in the house—shallot can stand in for onion, plain breadcrumbs can be seasoned, other cheeses would work fine. Meatloaf freezes well, so it's a good one to double!
1 cup milk
1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
2 lbs ground turkey
2 eggs
half of an onion, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
3/4 lb colby or cheddar cheese, in small cubes or shredded
1/2 cup ketchup or barbeque sauce
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Soak breadcrumbs in milk, then add the turkey, eggs, onion, salt, pepper and Worcestershire and mix together well with clean hands. Fold in cheese and put into a loaf pan on top of a baking sheet. Top with sauce and bake for an hour or until cooked through.
*Adapt with what you have in the house—shallot can stand in for onion, plain breadcrumbs can be seasoned, other cheeses would work fine. Meatloaf freezes well, so it's a good one to double!
Friday, November 16, 2012
Baked Oatmeal
Instant oatmeal is a weekday staple in our house, but I like to make better breakfasts over the weekend when I have more time. A nice, hearty recipe for the colder months. (from babble)
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups milk
1 egg
1/4 cup honey
1 banana, thinly sliced
2 apples, diced
cinnamon or cinnamon sugar for the top
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8x8 baking dish and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, baking powder, salt, allspice and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk the butter, milk, egg and honey until combined. Spread banana slices on bottom of dish. Cover with half of the oat mixture, then half of the chopped apples. Repeat. Pour milk mixture over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Serve with maple syrup on the side for drizzling.
*Occasionally I also get inspired to drag the blender out of the pantry and make smoothies (or milkshakes). A new one I like: zap 1/2 cup milk, a handful of ice, squeeze of honey, sprinkle of nutmeg and frozen banana chunks, then add 1 cup Greek yogurt and blend until just combined.
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups milk
1 egg
1/4 cup honey
1 banana, thinly sliced
2 apples, diced
cinnamon or cinnamon sugar for the top
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8x8 baking dish and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, baking powder, salt, allspice and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk the butter, milk, egg and honey until combined. Spread banana slices on bottom of dish. Cover with half of the oat mixture, then half of the chopped apples. Repeat. Pour milk mixture over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Serve with maple syrup on the side for drizzling.
*Occasionally I also get inspired to drag the blender out of the pantry and make smoothies (or milkshakes). A new one I like: zap 1/2 cup milk, a handful of ice, squeeze of honey, sprinkle of nutmeg and frozen banana chunks, then add 1 cup Greek yogurt and blend until just combined.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Ham and Swiss Sliders
My daughter loves ham and cheese. While she never seems to tire of it, the rest of us do - so I was happy to find this savory twist on the classic combo. Serve with chips! (from foodgawker)
package of soft white dinner rolls or hawaiian rolls
sliced ham
sliced swiss cheese
mayonnaise
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 tablespoon poppy seeds or caraway seeds
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Split rolls and place bottom halves in a baking dish. Top with a folded slice of ham and a slice of cheese. Spread top half of roll with a little mayo and place on top. Rolls should fit together snugly in the dish.
In a small bowl, combine the mustard, melted butter, onion powder, Worcestershire, seeds and brown sugar. Pour evenly over the rolls. Cover dish with foil and bake for 10 minutes, then remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until tops are browned and cheese is melted.
(You can tinker with the sauce and adjust it to taste. The original recipe called for twice as much butter, more sugar and less mustard, but we found it too sweet and rich the first time around.)
*A new obsession for the adults in our house - spicy pickles called Wickles. See if your grocery store carries them. They're great on the side here. If you can find Gulden's Zesty Honey Mustard, get that too. It's my favorite and a good replacement for the dijon in this recipe!
package of soft white dinner rolls or hawaiian rolls
sliced ham
sliced swiss cheese
mayonnaise
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 tablespoon poppy seeds or caraway seeds
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Split rolls and place bottom halves in a baking dish. Top with a folded slice of ham and a slice of cheese. Spread top half of roll with a little mayo and place on top. Rolls should fit together snugly in the dish.
In a small bowl, combine the mustard, melted butter, onion powder, Worcestershire, seeds and brown sugar. Pour evenly over the rolls. Cover dish with foil and bake for 10 minutes, then remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until tops are browned and cheese is melted.
(You can tinker with the sauce and adjust it to taste. The original recipe called for twice as much butter, more sugar and less mustard, but we found it too sweet and rich the first time around.)
*A new obsession for the adults in our house - spicy pickles called Wickles. See if your grocery store carries them. They're great on the side here. If you can find Gulden's Zesty Honey Mustard, get that too. It's my favorite and a good replacement for the dijon in this recipe!
Friday, October 19, 2012
Baked Penne with Sausage
Cold nights are coming! This easy 5-ingredient casserole will warm everyone up in no time. I love the way the pasta cooks in the sauce here - it adds great flavor. (from my friend Tracy)
1 lb penne pasta
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
two 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes - I like Muir Glen, with basil or fire-roasted
parmesan cheese to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine uncooked penne and olive oil in a large, deep baking dish. Let stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the sausage until no longer pink, breaking up into small pieces with the back of a wooden spoon. Stir cooked sausage and crushed tomatoes into the pasta mixture.
Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes and then check pasta for doneness. It should be tender to the bite, but not too soft. Mine took more like 45-50 minutes. Remove from oven, stir well and sprinkle liberally with grated parmesan.
*My spouse requires bread with pasta. I make garlic toast with whatever bread I have on hand. Brush it with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic salt and bake for the last five minutes with the pasta.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Peanut M&M Bars
One of those "why didn't I think of that?" recipes. I had to make them almost immediately, and sure enough, Peanut M&Ms and peanut butter bars turned out to be an unbeatable combination. I also love the festive look created by the rainbow-colored candies on top. (from Tasty Kitchen)
1/2 cup butter
2 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
large bag of Peanut M&Ms
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spritz a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Melt butter and brown sugar in a heavy saucepan, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. Let cool slightly. Meanwhile, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
Add eggs to PB mixture one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined. Pour into baking dish and sprinkle M&Ms on top, pressing down on them slightly with the palm of your hands. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until just done; they should be chewy.
*The original recipe used Peanut Butter M&Ms, and would work with regular M&Ms, of course.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Big-Batch Bean Burritos
I like to have these in the house for weekend lunches, but they also make a great vegetarian dinner. This makes a big batch so you can freeze some for a later date. (from Martha Stewart)
3/4 cup brown or white rice, cooked
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
kosher salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 15 oz cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
10 oz frozen corn kernels
8-12 flour tortillas, depending on how much you fill them
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
salsa and sour cream, for serving
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, jalapeno, cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook one more minute. Add beans and 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer over low heat for 10-12 minutes or until thickened. Stir in corn and cook for a few more minutes.
Heat tortillas according to package. Take one tortilla and place a scoop of rice and a spoonful of bean mixture on top, then sprinkle with cheese. Fold in sides and roll tightly. Place seam-side down on a platter and repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve right away, or reheat when ready.
*To freeze, wrap each individually in plastic and place in large ziploc bags. When ready to eat, remove wrap and microwave for 3 minutes, then bake at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes.
3/4 cup brown or white rice, cooked
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
kosher salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 15 oz cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
10 oz frozen corn kernels
8-12 flour tortillas, depending on how much you fill them
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
salsa and sour cream, for serving
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, jalapeno, cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook one more minute. Add beans and 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer over low heat for 10-12 minutes or until thickened. Stir in corn and cook for a few more minutes.
Heat tortillas according to package. Take one tortilla and place a scoop of rice and a spoonful of bean mixture on top, then sprinkle with cheese. Fold in sides and roll tightly. Place seam-side down on a platter and repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve right away, or reheat when ready.
*To freeze, wrap each individually in plastic and place in large ziploc bags. When ready to eat, remove wrap and microwave for 3 minutes, then bake at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes.
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