Issue #1: No Bake Cheesecake
Ingredients:
- 1 block of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (8 ounce)
- 1/3 cup of granulated sugar
- 2 cups of Cool Whip whipped topping (thawed)
- 1 ready made Graham Pie Crust
- 1 can of pie filling (strawberry or cherry works great!)
Use a mixer to combine the Cream Cheese with the sugar until it’s smooth and creamy, then mix in the whipped topping. Once it’s all ready, spoon it into the ready made crust. You’ll want to bring it up the sides of the crust a bit and leave a little more room in the center for the pie filling.
Turn the plastic lid of the piecrust upside down and use it as a top for the container of goodness. Chill in the fridge for 3 hours, then top with the pie filling.
Enjoy!
Issue #2: Cream Cheese and Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
What you’ll need:
- A large package (or two smaller) of white button mushrooms. (Size doesn’t matter all that much, but I like the medium sized mushrooms best for this recipe.)
- 1 package of cream cheese (8 ounce)–softened
- 1 package of sausage (about 8 ounces, but a little less is okay too)
- A small amount of cooking oil.
- A dash of Garlic Powder
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
While the oven is heating up, pop the caps off the mushrooms and wash the whole lot. Set the caps to one side and dice up the stems.
Put the sausage in a pan and start cooking it over a medium heat. When it’s just about done, add in the diced stem pieces.
When it’s done, drain off the excess fat and combine it in a bowl with the cream cheese. A wooden spoon is great for the mixing. Add the dash of garlic powder to the mixture for a little added flavoring.
Lightly rub the outside of your mushroom caps with the cooking oil and then stuff them to your heart’s delight. Once stuffed, place them in a 13×9 inch pan.
Add just a touch of water to the bottom of the pan, barely covering the bottom.
After that, just stick them in the oven for about half an hour and they are ready to serve.
One thing I love about this recipe is that the stuffed little mushroom mounds of greatness heat up really well. (If there’s any left to heat up later!)
Issue #3: Homemade Turtle Candies!
*A handful of pecans
*A roll of Rolo candies (chocolate covered caramels)
*Small pretzels (the little square ones work great, but any shape will do.)
Lay out however many pretzels you want to make into turtles on a microwave safe plate.
Top each pretzel with a Rolo candy. Stick them in the microwave for a few seconds at a time (I start with 12 seconds and go from there. It depends on how many you’re making, but that might just be enough.)
If the Rolo candies are now a bit melty and easy to squash down a bit, they are done. Simply press a pecan nut on top of the Rolo and vioia! You have delicious homemade Turtles.
Both super easy and majorly delicious!
Issue #4: Belinda’s Summer Share Cake
Ingredients:
One prepared white cake from the box mix of your choice
One prepared box of Vanilla Pudding (Or you can totally cheat and get the little pre-made tubs from the store. Sugar Free works great for this too!)
3-4 Ripe Bananas sliced into thin little discs
1 can of crushed pineapple
1 tub of thawed Cool Whip
Directions:
Take your already prepared white cake and spread a thin layer of vanilla pudding on it–like you would icing, only a bit thinner.
Once the pudding is on, layer on the banana slices one at a time to cover the cake.
Drain the crushed pineapple and then spread a thin layer over top of the bananas.
Top it all off with the Cool Whip.
All done and ready to eat. Be sure to keep any leftovers in the fridge!
One note about this recipe. You can totally go with all the sugar/fat free options when it comes to cake mix, pudding, and Cool Whip. Trust me, the end result will still be an incredible, edible, delight.
Issue #5 Pumpkin Muffins
One box Spice Cake Mix
One small can of Pumpkin Puree (NOT pie filling) 15-16 ounces.
- In a medium bowl mix the pumpkin into the cake mix until it’s well-blended. (Just a note here–I’m talkiing the dry cake mix, not prepared cake batter. Just the mix)
- Preheat the oven to 325
- Line your cupcake / muffin pan with paper cups or really spray them good with oil so your muffins won’t stick.
- Spoon in the batter to fill about 2/3’s of the way up the paper liner.
- Stick them in the oven and bake for about 16-20 minutes. When you can poke them with a toothpick and it comes out clean, they’re done!
Issue #6 Belinda’s Version of Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 pounds of lean ground beef
1 large can of Baked Beans (preferably with Brown Sugar)
1/3 cup Brown Sugar (Roughly)
*Brown the ground beef in a skillet on the stove top.
*Drain the grease and add the baked beans.
*Stir together on the stove top until all is warmed through. Sprinkle and mix in the brown sugar to taste.
That’s it. Easy peasy, and oh-so-delicious. Serve it up with cornbread muffins. (Extra good if you crumble the cornbread right into the bowl with it!) Jiffy Mixes work great!
Issue #7 White Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Ritz
Three simple ingredients:
*Ritz crackers
*Peanut Butter
*Almond Bark or vanilla chocolate chips.
Break apart some of the almond bark, or pour a good heaping helping of chips into a microwavable container. Put to one side.
Spread peanut butter onto one side of a Ritz cracker (knockoff brands work too!) and then cap it with another cracker. Basically making a tiny peanut butter and cracker sandwich.
Continue until you have the number of little cracker sandwiches you want to make.
Now, put the Almond Bark / White Chocolate into Microwave and melt it. It doesn’t take long. I usually check it after about 45 seconds, and stir. Then in additional 10-12 second increments. Stir each time.
Once the chocolate is melted, dip the cracker sandwiches in and get them coated on all sides. Then put them on waxed paper or paper/Styrofoam plates.
Wait for the chocolate shell to harden and then take a bite.
Did I lie? It’s good, right?
Issue #8: Tuna Burgers
Ingredients:
1 Large and 1 small can of Tuna in water
1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
Package of Hamburger Buns
(You’ll also need some aluminum foil.)
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Drain the tuna and dump it out into a medium sized bowl. Using a fork, break it apart. Then add in the Mushroom Soup and mix well.
Spoon the mixture onto the bottom halves of the buns and top with the other bun halves. Wrap the sandwiches in foil and place on a baking sheet.
Pop them in the oven for about 15 minutes to thoroughly heat them through.
That’s it. They’re done and ready to eat. These go well with french fries or even just chips.
Fair warning though, they are a bit on the messy side to eat. But oh, so good.
Issue #9: Two Ingredient Angel Food Cake
* Angel Food Cake Mix
* Can of Fruit Pie Filling (Lemon, Apple, Blueberry, just about anything fruity. Pumpkin, however does NOT work)
Preheat your oven to 350 and spray or grease a 13 x 9 inch cake pan.
Dump the box mix into a bowl and mix in the pie filling. Nothing else is added!
Once mixed, pour the batter into the greased pan and bake until done. (About a half hour)
Fast, easy, and oh-so-good. Just my kind of recipe!
Issue #10
Cheesy Salsa Dip
* 1 pound of Velveeta Cheese (I’m not a fan of spicy foods, so I use the original. But if you like hot n’ spicy feel free to use one of the spicier Velveeta blends!)
* 1 Cup of your favorite salsa. Thick and chunky works best. Again, your taste buds rule. Anything from Mild to Burning Hot will work.
Cut the Velveeta block into cubes and put into a medium-sized microwavable bowl. Add in the salsa and stir.
Microwave for 3 minutes and then take out, stir, and put it back in for another 2 minutes.
One final stir of the bowl, and it’s ready to serve!
This makes a great anytime snack that won’t have you slaving away in the kitchen. Ten minutes tops and you have a hot, fun food to share with guests.
Be sure to load up on tortilla chips for the dipping!
Special New Release Edition (In between)
Potato Candy!
Three ingredients:
**One SMALL potato (please trust me on this, I gave this recipe to a friend for an easy candy for her daughter to make for a fair contest, and she didn’t listen. After six pounds of powdered sugar, she finally threw out the batch and started over–with a SMALL potato!)
**A couple of bags of powdered sugar (no way to really tell you how much up front, as it is totally dependent on the size of the potato)
**And last: Peanut butter. A small jar should do it.
Boil the potato like you are making mashed potatoes. When mashable, put the potato in a large bowl and mash the dickens out of it. Once it’s thoroughly smashed, start adding the powdered sugar. This is where the magical chemistry happens. The potato will literally turn into liquid. (I’m not kidding!)
Keep adding the powdered sugar until it is thick enough to roll out onto waxed paper. (It WILL take more than you think!)
You’ll need to sprinkle some powdered sugar on the wax paper to keep it from sticking and some on your rolling pen too.
Roll it out to about a quarter inch thickness–it doesn’t have to be precise. Once it’s flattened out, spread on a medium layer of peanut butter.
Once that’s done, start at one of the long ends and slowly roll the candy toward the center. If it starts getting too big, you can always cut it and make another batch by rolling the other side.
You should now have a long thick “snake” of candy. Simply slice in about half inch pieces and viola, you’re done.
This candy is very easy to make, but it is also very messy–which makes it a favorite with kids! If you have small ones, be sure to let them help. That’s half the fun!
2019 Halloween Edition #1 Halloween Treats
Homemade PayDays: Mix candy corn with peanuts in a cute Halloween container. (Tastes like PayDay Candy Bars!)
White Chocolate covered fruit: Make fun ghosts by dipping banana halves and strawberries in white chocolate. You can use M&Ms for eyes. To make the bananas easier to eat, just shove in a Popsicle stick. Ghost on a stick!
Vampire Doughnuts: This is a fun one that also gives the kiddos a toy for later. Take a few regular glazed doughnuts and place one of the small plastic vampire teeth toys in the center. Then use M&Ms to make eyes. If you want to go the extra mile, you can use chocolate frosting to make Vampire Hair on the top of the treat.
2019 Halloween Edition #2: Belinda’s Mini Meatloaves
You can do this one of two ways, you can basically make your standard meatloaf with just about any recipe out there and then just skip ahead to the ***. Or you can follow my little recipe. Either way works, as the secret is really in the sauce.
Meatloaf Ingredients:
1.5 pounds lean ground beef
1 large egg
1 packet of onion soup mix
3 slices of bread torn into small pieces
Mix everything together in a large bowl. Really dig into it and get those hands greasy with all the goodness to come. (Be sure to have some Dawn Dishsoap ready to wash your hands with when you’re done!)
***Form your mini-meatloaves. Regular shape of meatloaf, but think mini. 1.5 pounds of beef should get you at least three to four decent little loaves.
Place the mini loaves in a pan and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. A few minutes before you take them out, mix up the sauce.
Sauce Ingredients:
Ketchup (as much as needed)
Brown Sugar 1/2 cup to start, more if needed
Worcestershire Sauce (Just a dab)
In a small bowl dump the brown sugar and then add ketchup until the sugar is dissolved and you have a thick liquid.
When you take the loaves from the oven, drizzle the sauce over the top and sides of each loaf and then stick them back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
These go over super well with lumpy mashed potatoes and green beans.
Flavored Pancakes!
What you Need:
A packet of any flavor Martha White Muffin Mix. (These come in little blue plastic bags.)
2/3 Cup of Milk
1 egg
Mix thoroughly and griddle them up just like any other pancake. One bag of muffin mix fixed this way will make about 7 decent sized pancakes.
The great part about this is that Martha White muffin mix comes in a great variety of flavors, including chocolate chip, banana nut, and blueberry.
Bisquick Sausage Balls
These are super easy and great for a breakfast on the run, or as a snack. If you are a fan of Sausage and Cheese Biscuits from your local fast food joint, you’re gonna love these!
You’ll need:
3 Cups Bisquick (or other baking mix)
1 pound pork sausage (heat level totally up to you!)
1 pound shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Optiional: About a 1/4 to a 1/2 cup of milk for easier mixing and moister sausage balls.
What to do:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray.
Mix all ingredients together in a larger mixing bowl. Once mixed, roll the batter into balls about an inch or so in diameter.
Place the balls on the cookie sheet and bake until brown (about 20 to 25 minutes).
These are best served up warm, so if you are going to be munching over a morning’s time, you might want to keep them in a warming crockpot.
Enjoy!
Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients (Only Three!)
1 Cup Peanut Butter
1 Egg
1/2 cup sugar
What to do with them:
First of all, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. These whip up fast!
Next grab a large mixing bowl and dump all the ingredients into it. Mix them thoroughly.
Spoon out the dough bit by bit and roll them into little balls. Place the balls of dough on a non-stick cookie sheet.
Once all your little balls are on the sheet, take a fork and make an indent on the top of the cookie. Then turn the fork and make another one, criss-crossing the first one.
After that, they’re ready for the oven. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the bottom of the cookie. When the bottom turns a golden brown, they’re done!
This recipe makes roughly two dozen smaller cookies. And as easy as the recipe is, it’s a great beginner baking project for kids! (They especially seem to like helping with the fork part!)
Letting the kids help make these for Santa’s midnight run snack would be a great idea!
Easy-Peasy Slow Cooker Beef Tips
Only three ingredients for this delicious main entree.
You’ll need:
2 1/2 to 3 pounds of stew meat
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of onion soup
Get out your crock pot (or slow cooker, if you prefer that name). In the bowl, mix the two cans of soup.
Dump in the meat and stir to coat it with the soups.
Yup. It’s exactly that easy. Then set your cooker on Low for about 6 to 8 hours while your dinner cooks itself.
Warning: The smell will drive you a bit wild. It’s that good!
This is a very versatile dish, as you can easily serve it over cooked rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.
Easy as Can Be Stuffed Turkey Rolls
Ingredients:
Deli Turkey Meat, sliced extra thick (around 1/4 inch)–just ask the nice person behind the counter for this.
Prepared Stove Top Stuffing
Small Jar of Turkey Gravy
How to fix it:
Prepare your stuffing.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Spoon a moderate helping of stuffing onto a slice of the thick turkey and gently roll the turkey up around it. (Think jelly roll.) Place in pan with the ends that are together at the bottom to hold it in place.
Repeat until you have all your rolls made. (You can make as few or as many as you like–just buy the number of turkey slices that you need!)
Once all the rolls are made, drizzle the gravy over the top of them and place the pan into the oven to heat.
15 to 20 minures is more than enough to heat everything through.
Enjoy a nice, hot turkey and stuffing meal!
Frozen Banana Pops
Ingredients:
4 Medium size bananas (look for ones with little green but no brown or black spots)
3/4 Cup Strawberry Yogurt
2 Cups Fruity Pebbles Cereal
8 Popsicle sticks
How to fix it:
*Put the yogurt and the cereal in separate bowls.
*Cut each banana in half and insert a Popsicle stick into the now flat end.
*Dip each banana half in the yogurt and then roll it in the cereal.
*Place the prepared bananas on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.
*Place the baking sheet with the bananas in the freezer until frozen firm. Should take about an hour.
*Switch the now frozen banana treats to an airtight freezer container and seal it. Keep in freezer until ready to eat.
This is a great recipe for any kid get-together, or just for a healthy after-school snack.
Best of all? No baking!
Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
Think grilled cheese but with PB&J and you’re right there with me.
The very first thiing you need to do is to heat up your skillet or griddle.
Then simply take two slices of bread and lightly spread butter on one side of each slice. On one slice, on the opposite side from the butter, spread your peanut butter. On the other slice, spread the jam.
Place the butter side of the peanut butter bread down into the hot skillet, then place the other half of the sandwich on top of it, jam down to meet the peanut butter.
Cook for about four minutes or so per side, or until toasty brown.
I think this is one of my new very favorite things!
And it gives the kids a break from plain ole PB&J or toasted cheese. The best of both!
Nutella Filled Crescent Rolls
Three Ingredients Only!
*One can of crescent rolls
*Small jar of Nutella
*A little powdered sugar to sprinkle on top
Okay, so get your oven preheating to 350 degrees. Then open that can of rolls. (If you are anything like me that will be the worst part to this recipe. They really should come up with a better way to open the can than basically having it explode in your hand without warning… but back to the recipe.)
Separate out the little triangles of bread-y goodness and spread a thin layer of nutella on each one. Stop about an inch or so from point of the triangles.
Roll them up. (Start with the end opposite the point and roll to the point.)
Press down on the edges of the roll to seal up the dough a bit.
Place on a lightly greased baking pan and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Watch them! When they are a golden brown color, they’re done!
Let them cool for a few minutes then sprinkle on the powdered sugar.
At this point, your only worry is if you’ve made enough. These usually go fast. But if you’re baking for one (like me most days) then just store them in a tight container and they’ll keep a couple of days.
Enjoy!
Fresh from the oven Mini Apple Pies
*1-2 Tablespoons of sugar
*1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
*1 Large can of Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits. (Or any other LARGE canned biscuits.)
*1 Cup Cinnamon and spice apple pie filling (If you can’t find the pie filling with the spices, then use the larger amounts of sugar and cinnamon shown above)
*4 teaspoons melted butter
Step one: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and spray down two cookie sheets with nonstick spray.
Step two: Mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and have it ready.
Step three: Separate out the biscuits and press or roll them out fairly flat. Should turn out to be about a 5″ round shape.
Step four: Place the rounds on the cookie sheets and then add 2 tablespoons of apple pie filling to each round, slightly off center. If you aren’t using the spiced version of pie filling, sprinkle the top of the apple mixture with some of the sugar and cinnamon mix.
Step five: Fold the biscuits over the filling and press the edges with a fork to seal the apple goodness inside. Using the fork, prick the top of each mini pie 3 times.
Step six: Brush with melted butter and then sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon and sugar.
Step seven: Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Step eight: Remove from the cookie sheets immediately and let them cool at least 5 minutes before serving.
These are great as is, but if you are wanting an extra special treat, serve each mini pie with a small dollop of vanilla ice cream.
Easy Peasy Cheesy Tuna Casserole
*One Package of Mac and Cheese
*One can of Tuna
*Water (the amount called for on the box)
Okay, this one is super, dooper easy, folks!
All you do is add the required water to the noodles and cook according to the package directions.
Then drain the water off, and add the cheese packet and tuna.
That’s it!
Oh, and if you’re looking for something to take to work for a hot lunch? This also works with the individual sized cups of Mac ‘n Cheese. Just add a small packet of tuna and viola, a hot and nutritious lunch from your break room microwave in a matter of minutes!
Honey Nut Cereal Clusters
Only three ingredients!
*1 Cup Peanut Butter
*1 Cup Honey
*3-4 Cups of Honey Nut Cereal (Generic brand is fine!)
Combine Peanut Butter and Honey in a microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave for 60 seconds and then stir. If the mixture can be stirred smooth, that’s done. If not, microwave in 10 second bursts until mixture is smooth.
Stir in the cereal. Use enough cereal to use up the creamy peanut butter and honey coating goodness. Usually this will take 3 to 4 cups of cereal.
Spoon out little clusters of the now coated cereal onto waxed paper and allow them to cool.
Enjoy!
Two Ingredient Peanut Butter Fudge (Yes 2!)
Ingredients
• 1 can Vanilla Frosting
• 16 / 18 Ounce of Peanut Butter
Grab a large microwavable bowl, and let’s make this!
Step 1:
Dump the frosting into the bowl and microwave it until melted.
Step 2:
Add the peanut butter and mix thoroughly. (Feel free to add crushed nuts, if you’re a nutty kind of person!)
Step 3:
Spread the sugary goodness into a pan and put it in the refrigerator to cool and set up.
That’s it! You just made fudge. How easy was that?!
Cubed Steak in Mushroom Gravy
You will need:
1 package of cubed steak
1 can cream of mushroom soup
This one really doesn’t need step by step directions, it really is that easy! You just fire up a burner on your stove and cook up the cubed steak. Once the steaks are just about done, add in the cream of mushroom soup and let it warm in the skillet while the steaks finish cooking.
TH-TH-That’s dinner, folks!
French Bread Pizzas!
What you’ll need:
*A loaf of French Bread
*A jar of Marinara Sauce (or Pizza Quick Sauce)
*A large bag of shredded Mozzarella Cheese
*Any additional pizza topping favorites (Pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, bacon… hey, even pineapple, if that floats your boat!)
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Slice the loaf of French Bread longways into two long pizza bases. Then cut those in half. This will give you four nice-sized pizza bases.
From there, you simply spread on the red sauce, and cover it with cheese and the toppings of your choice.
Once you have them ready to bake, put them on a baking sheet and slide them onto your lowest oven rack for 8 minutes or so.
After 8 minutes, take the pan out and put it on the top rack. Then up the oven temperature to 425 degrees.
Give it five minutes or so and then start checking it regularly. Once the cheese starts bubbling and turning a nice golden color, they’re done!
Fresh, homemade pizza with your toppings of choice hot from the oven!
Can’t you just smell them now?
Grilled Portobello Mushroom Steaks
With states opening back up, and summer in pretty much full swing, backyard barbecues are going to start up soon. But what’s the main problem about having people over? Food allergies and preferences. Everyday more people are going to the gluten-free and even Vegan lifestyles. So how do you cater to them at an outdoor grilling party?
Portobello Mushroom Steaks!
What you’ll need:
*2 to 4 good-sized Portobello mushroom caps
*4 tablespoons Olive Oil
*2 tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar
*A couple of good dashes of your favorite steak seasoning. (Make sure it’s gluten-free! Most are, but be safe if you have gluten-free friends.)
Step one: Fire up the grill. You’ll want it to be hot when you put these puppies on.
Step two: Remove the stems and gills of the mushrooms
Step three: Whip off the mushrooms with a damp paper towel.
Step four: Mix the Oil, Vinegar, and steak seasoning in a small bowl.
Step five: Pour the mixture into a pan or baking dish just large enough to hold the mushroom caps. Marinate each side of the caps for at least 10 minutes at room temperature.
Step six: Throw ’em on the grill. Grill each side about 5 minutes, or until the caps look slightly charred and are cooked through.
Don’t have a grill? Slide that baking dish, complete with the marinade into an oven preheated to 400 degrees and bake them for about 20 minutes. (Turn them about halfway through.) Once they turn a delicious golden brown and the marinade pretty much evaporates, they’re done!
Personally, I’m neither gluten-free nor Vegan… but I still LOVE these mushrooms!
Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Casserole
This one is super easy to throw together, and will leave your whole house smelling like a little slice of heaven.
What you’ll need:
*Two cans of refrigerated Cinnamon Rolls (complete with icing)
*1 can of apple pie filling
*1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Open the cans of rolls (that’s the hardest part–I HATE popping those things open!), and cut each cinnamon roll in quarters.
Throw the quartered rolls in a good sized bowl along with the apple pie filling and the nuts (if you want nuts). Mix ’em up. Get those quarters good and coated with apple goodness!
Next, grease (or spray) a 9×13 baking dish, and pour the contents of the bowl into it and even them out.
Stick the dish in the oven for around 45 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown.
Once you take them out of the oven, drizzle the icing packets over the top!
Easy peasy, and OMG good!
Three Ingredient Broccoli And Chicken Alfredo
* 2 to 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
*2 jars of ready-made Alfredo Sauce (15 ounce)–You’ll only use 1 1/2 of these jars!
* 10 ounces Broccoli florets (thawed)
Step one: Put the chicken in the crock pot. Cook on low for 5 hours, or on High for 2 1/2 hours.
Step two: Drain the juice from the pot.
Step three: Spread the sauce over the chicken and then add the broccoli on top of the sauce.
Step four: Recover the crockpot and cook on high for another hour.
That’s it. A healthy and delicious meal that only took about 5 minutes of working time total. You can’t beat that.
This dish works great alone, or over the cooked pasta of your choice.
Easy Banana Smoothie (No blender required!)
You’ll need:
1/2 of a large banana
teaspoon or two of sugar (to taste)
Tall glass of milk
Put the banana on a plate and then smush the dickens out of it with a fork. Once you have it all smushed out, (Don’t you just love my technical terms?) add it to the glass of milk and stir briskly.
Add the sugar as needed.
Easy, delicious, and good for you! Mom hit the trifecta with this one!
Buckeyes (Think little, round homemade Reese’s cups!)
You’ll need:
1 pound box powdered sugar
1 stick plus 2T margarine
2 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips (melted)
12 ounces of creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. Vanilla
Step one: Mix together the sugar, peanut butter, vanilla, and margarine.
Step two: Roll the mixture into little bite-sized balls of goodness.
Step three: Melt the chocolate chips and dip the balls into the chocolate to coat them, then place them on waxed paper and refrigerate until the the chocolate hardens.
The idea is to leave a small area at the top uncoated so that they look like Buckeyes. (But that is totally optional!)
Apple Dump Cake (Crockpot style)
Ingredients:
1 can Apple Pie Filling
1 Yellow Cake Box Mix
1 Stick of butter
Step one: Dump the Apple Pie Filling into the crockpot
Step two: Dump the yellow cake mix on top of the filling
Step three: Put the stick of butter on top of the cake mix. (I usually cut it up into four sections to spread it out a bit.)
Step Four: Cook on low for about 4 hours.
That’s it. And a great bonus is that your whole house will smell incredibly awesome!
Build a Better Burger
If you love hamburgers on the grill, but think they are a bit too bland… dress them up!
Ingredients:
Lean Ground Beef
And your choice of one of the following:
* Dried Onion Soup Mix
*Kraft Barbecue Sauce (Or your favorite brand)
*Mayonnaise or sour cream
Simply mix in your ingredient of choice with your hamburger before pattying it up to fry or grill. It’s that simple. Love your barbecue? Add in some barbecue sauce for a little flair and favor.
Love White Castles (Onion burgers)? Add in the Dried Soup Mix. (About a pound and a half of hamburger to one packet of soup mix.)
Just want a moister and more flavorful burger? Add a dollop of mayonnaise or sour cream to your meat.
Can’t make up your mind? Try them all!
Loaded Baked Potato Casserole (3 ingredients!)
Ingredients:
* 2 boxes of Frozen Roasted Potatoes with Broccoli and Cheese Sauce (10 ounce boxes)
* 1 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken, cut up in one inch pieces
* 1 Can Pillsbury Grand Biscuits (8 biscuit size)
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 13 by 9 ceramic or glass baking dish with cooking oil.
Step 2: Separate biscuits and cut each one up into 8 pieces.
Step 3: Spread the biscuit pieces evenly in the baking dish.
Step 4: Cook the chicken in a skillet over medium high heat for about 10 minutes–until no longer pink in the center. (Stir frequently)
Step 5: Microwave the frozen veggies as the box directs you to. Then mix them with the cooked chicken in a bowl, stirring to coat the chicken with the cheesy goodness.
Step 6: Pour the chicken and veggies evenly over the biscuit pieces.
Step 7: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the biscuits are a warm, golden brown.
Step 8: Eat and enoy!
Starbucks Caramel Apple Spice (Copycat)
Ingredients:
* 2 Cups Apple Juice
* 2 Tablespoons of Cinnamon Dolce Syrup
* Whipped Cream
* Caramel topping
How to make it:
Super easy, folks! Just combine the juice and syrup and heat it to the desired temperature. Then top the drink off with whipped cream and drizzle it with the caramel topping.
Smells as heavenly as it tastes, too!
**BONUS TREAT**
Do you have someone on your Christmas shopping list that is hard to buy for? Make up a DIY kit for them to enjoy this drink at home. A bottle of Cinnamon Dolce syrup, a bottle of Apple Juice, a can of whipped cream, and a container of caramel topping. Put them all together in a nice gift bag with some colorful tissue paper and some ribbon (don’t forget to print out the instructions!!) and you have a wonderful (and thoughtful) gift!
| Fruit Pizza
Ingredients: |
Garlic and Cheese Broccoli
Ingredients:
* 1 to 2 heads of broccoli, separated into tops. (Enough to fully cover the bottom of a nice sized baking dish)
* 1 1/2 Cups of shredded Cheddar Cheese
* 3 crushed Garlic Gloves (or 3/8 teaspoon garlic powder)
How to make it:
This one is super easy to fix! Put the cheese and garlic in a bowl and mix it up.
Put the heads of broccoli in the bottom of the baking dish and cover it with the cheese/garlic mix.
Bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees.
This is a great alternative to the canned veggies we seem to rely on so much this time of year. (And it’s a delicous alternative, too!)
Ham and Cheese Baked Rollups
Ingredients:
* 8 ounces of thin deli-sliced ham
* 1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)
* 1 ball of prepared pizza dough
How to make it:
Step one: Roll out the pizza dough to form a rough 12 x 8 inch rectangle while preheating the oven to 400 degrees.
Step two: Arrange the ham on the dough in a thin layer, leaving about half an inch clear all around.
Step three: Evenly top the ham with the shredded cheese.
Step four: Start at one of the short ends of the dough and roll it all up. Be sure to seal the edges to keep the good stuff inside.
Step five: Place the roll (seam side down) on a greased baking sheet.
Step six. Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown.
Step seven: Let cool for 10 minutes, then slice into 8 even slices.
The plus to this recipe is that it looks amazing when you cut those slices. This is a good recipe to impress the family with!
Festive Crunch Mix
Ingredients:
* 3 cups white chocolate chips (About 1 1/2 bags)
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
* 3 cups corn or rice Chex Mix Cereal
* 1 cup mini pretzel twists
* 1 cup green and red M&Ms
* 3 cups Cheerios
How to make it:
Step one: Combine all the ingredients (minus the chocolate chips and oil) in the largest bowl you have. (The bigger the bowl, the easier it is to coat with the chocolate.)
Step two: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step three:Melt the white chocolate chips with the oil. Microwave it for 30 seconds, stir. Then microwave it for another 25 seconds and stir. If still not melted thoroughly, do 10 second blast and stir in between each for at least 10 seconds. Once melted… act fast!
Step four: Pour the melted chocolate into the large bowl and stir the ingredients to be sure all gets a good chocolate coating. It’s important to work fast, because this stuff hardens quickly.
Step five: Once coated, spread the mix out onto the prepared parchment paper and let harden at room temperature for about half an hour.
Step six. Break into chunks and serve, or store in an air-tight container for on the go snacking.
This is a great treat that the kids can help make. And if you put it in a decorative tin, it also makes a great gift for the neighbors!
Holiday Peppermint Bark!
Ingredients:
* 8 Peppermint candy canes (crushed)
* 12 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
* 12 ounces White Chocolate Chips
* 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
How to make it:
Step one: Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment.
Step two: Melt the Semi-Sweet Chips by microwaving. Start with 30 seconds, then stir thoroughly. Then go in 15 second bursts, stirring well between each burst. Once melted, add the peppermint flavoring and mix thoroughly.
Step three: Pour the melted chocolate into the prepared baking sheet and spread it evenly. Refrigerate the chocolate for 20 minutes or until set.
Step four: Melt the white chocolate chips as you did the first batch. Then pour and spread the melted white goodness over the darker layer of chocolate and immediately top it with the crushed up candy canes.
Step five: Refrigerate another 20 minutes until set.
This one is one of my all-time favorite Christmas Treats! The funny thing is that peppermint usually makes me sneeze my head off. But mix it with enough chocolate and I can have the flavor without the sneezing!
Easy, Cheesy, Nacho Bake
Ingredients:
* 1 pound lean ground beef
* 5 cups tortilla chips
* One package Taco Seasoning
* 2 Cups Shredded Colby Jack Cheese
* Your choice of nacho toppings: diced tomato, green onions, olives, etc.
How to make it:
Step one: Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with with foil and then spraying the foil with cooking spray. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Step two: Brown the hamburger in a skillet over medium heat. Then mix in the taco seasoning and cook an additional 2 minutes.
Step three: Now it’s time to layer! Spread out half of the chips on the foiled pan, then add a layer of half the seasoned meat, then half the cheese. Repeat the layers with the other half, ending, of course, with the cheese.
Step four: Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Step five: Sprinkle on toppings as desired. (Or have them handy for guests to add their own.)
Easy, peasey, and great for game night!
Snow Cream (It’s a Southern thing!)
Ingredients:
* 4 Cups Fresh snow
* 1 Cup Milk
* 3/4 Cup Sugar
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
How to make it:
Place the snow in a large bowl, then add the milk, sugar, and extract. Mix it all up good and serve immediately.
**Note it’s a good thing to have more snow on hand. As it melts, Just add more snow!**
Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork (Crockpot version)
Ingredients:
* 1 pork roast (about 3 pounds)
* 1 teaspoon each of: Seasoned salt, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder
* 12 ounce can of Dr. Pepper soda
* 1 Cup Barbecue Sauce
* Hamburger buns
Here’s how:
Step one: Combine the seasonings and rub them into the outside of the roast.
Step two: Spray the inside of the crockpot with non-stick cooking oil and place the roast inside.
Step three: Top the roast with the soda and the BBQ sauce.
Step four: Cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 5-6 hours.
Step five: Pull the pork apart with a couple of nice, strong forks.
Serve on hamburger buns.
The flavor on this one really pops! Give it a try!
Creamy Campbell’s Soup Chicken & Noodles
Ingredients:
* 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
* 1 can Cream of Chicken soup
* 2 Cups cooked and cubed chicken breast
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
* 3 cups egg noodles (cooked)
Here’s how:
This one may have a few more ingredients than most of my recipes, but the ease of making it more than makes up for it!
All you do at this point is throw all the ingredients into a 4 Quart Saucepan and heat it over medium heat until it starts to bubble. You’ll want to stir it occasionally as it heats up.
And if you want to make this recipe even easier? You can substitute 3 cans of White Chunk Chicken meat for the cooked chicken!
St. Patty’s Day Popcorn Treat
Ingredients:
* 10 cups popcorn, salted
* 3 T butter
* 3 cups mini-marshmallows
* Small bowl of green M&Ms (regular,mini, or mixed)
* Green Sprinkles
Here’s how:
Step one: Remove all the unpopped kernels you can find in the popped corn, and prepare a cookie sheet covered with foil or parchment paper.
Step two: Melt the butter in a medium-sized pan over medium heat. Add the marshmallows and stir until every tiny marshmallow is melted.
Step three: Working with about 1/3 of the melted marshmallow mixture at a time, add it to the popcorn in a big bowl. Keep adding and mixing until all the popcorn is coated.
Step four: While the mixure is still warm, turn the coated popcorn out onto the prepared cookie sheet and spread it out with a spatula.
Step five: Again, while it is all still warm and sticky, sprinkle on the candies.
Step six: Allow to cool, then break apart into bite-sized pieces and enjoy!
Easy Chicken Parmesan Casserole
This one has more ingredients that my usual recipe, but the ease of throwing it all together makes it a winner in my book.
Ingredients:
* 16 ounce box of penne pasta (cooked)
* 1 pound shredded cooked chicken
* 1 Cup Parmesan cheese (shredded)
* 1 Cup Mozzerella cheese (shredded)
* 1 and a half 32 ounce jars of marinara sauce
* 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Here’s how:
Step one: Prepare your cooked chicked and pasta.
Step two: In a large mixing bowl, dump in the pasta, chicken,seasoning, marinara sauce and half of the cheeses. Mix together until all is coated.
Step three: Transfer the mixture over to a 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover the dish with foil.
Step four: Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Step five: Remove from oven and uncover. Add the remaining cheese to the top of the dish. Return to the oven.
Step six: Bake for another 10 minutes or until the cheese on top is thoroughly melted.
**This is great served with garlic bread or toast**
Raspberry Delight (minus the donut part!)
This is a recipe furnished by a reader (slightly modified to USA ‘standards’). I have not yet tried this one, but it sounds absolutely amazing! Thank you, Bege for the recipe!
Ingredients:
* A bag of Frozen Raspberries (NOT Fresh)
* A bag of white chocolate chips
* Plain Vanilla Pudding (Optional)
Gather together your baking dishes. If you have individual smaller glass oven-proof dishes, they would be awesome for handy single serving size desserts!
Here’s how:
If you choose to add the Vanilla Pudding, Scoop the desired amount of prepared pudding into the dish.
**Add the frozen raspberries on top of the pudding and then sprinkle a few white chocolate chips on top of the raspberries. Note: If you are omitting the pudding, it’s just this single step.
***Place in oven preheated to 375 degrees (F). Watch the dishes closely. Once the chocolate starts to turn brown, the dish is done! (This means the berries should be fully thawed and ready to be eaten!)
Sweet Pineapple Chicken (Crockpot Recipe)
Ingredients:
* 2 pounds of chicken, all chunked up into pieces. (Think chicken nugget size.)
* 1/3 Cup Soy Sauce
* 1 Cup Pineapple Juice
* 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
How to Make It:
Step 1: Mix the juice, sugar, and sauce together. (This can be done right in the crockpot to save dirtying a bowl.)
Step 2: Add the chicken chunks and stir to coat.
Step 3: Cook in the Crockpot on low for 6 to 8 hours.
How easy is that? Great to serve over rice or lo mein noddles.
Campbell’s Soup Cheesy, Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients:
* 1 Can (10.5 ounce) Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
* 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
* 2 Cans White Chunk Chicken Breast, Drained OR 1 1/2 Cups chopped cooked chicken
* 8 8″ Flour Tortillas
How to Make It:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Step 2: Combine the Soup, Chicken, and 1/2 the cheese in a medium-sized bowl
Step 3: Place tortillas on 2 baking sheets. Spread 1/4 cup of the mixture on HALF of each tortilla–stopping around 1/2″ from the edge of the tortilla.
Step 4: Brush edges of the tortilla with water, fold them over, and press the edges together to create a seal.
Step 5: Bake for 10 minutes, then sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
You can serve these tasty treats up with sour cream and chunky salsa, if desired.
Cooler Corn
(The easiest way on earth to fix a big batch of corn!)
Ingredients:
* Several ears of corn. Up to 24 ears of shucked and cleaned corn per cooler.
* 2 to 3 kettles of boiling water. (Enough to fully cover the corn)
* 1 Large and sturdy cooler. (NOT styrofoam!)
How to Make It:
Step 1: Wipe down and clean the inside of the cooler.
Step 2: Layer the corn inside, then add the boiling water to cover the corn.
Step 3: Close the lid and KEEP it closed. No peeking or checking for at least 30 to 35 minutes.
Step 4: After 35 minutes, open the cooler. Corn should be ready for people to help themselves. Even better, if you only open the cooler when serving, the corn will stay nice and warm for another couple of hours.
Oh, and of course, you might want butter and salt to dress them up for eating!
Popcorn Cake
(Am I on a corn roll, or what?)
Ingredients:
* 3 Quarts of popped corn. (With unpopped kernels removed)
* 3/4 Cup Butter or Margarine
* 1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
* 1 bag (16 ounces) mini marshmallows
* 1 bag (16 ounces) plain M&Ms (no nuts)
How to Make It:
Step 1: Prepare your pan. If you want a fancier cake (for show) then use a Bundt pan. If you just want ease of use, use a 13×9 inch cake pan. Either way, butter that puppy up. Bottom and sides.
Step 2: Pour the popcorn and candies into a large bowl. (You can also use a large roasting pan for this.)
Step 3: Melt the butter, oil and marshmallows in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir often.
Step 4: Pour the melted mixture over the popcorn and candies and mix thoroughly.(Work fast on this part!)
Step 5: Press the coated mixture into the pan. If using the Bundt pan, turn the cake out immediately after you get it all formed up. If using a regular cake pan, you can cut the popcorn directly into pieces from the pan.
Step 6: Allow the cake to set overnight for eaiser cutting.
** Halloween Note: You can also use this recipe to make popcorn balls for Halloween Parties! Just form the mixture into balls instead of pressing into a pan!**
3 Ingredient Crispy Oven Baked Chicken
Ingredients:
* 1 1/2 Cups French-Fried Onions, crushed
* 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
* 1 egg, beaten
How to Make It:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and spray bottom of a baking dish with nonstick spray.
Step 2: Prepare two bowls. One with the beaten egg, and a shallow one with the crushed French-Fried Onions.
Step 3: Dip the chicken into the egg, and then press it into crushed-up onions, coating all sides. Place the chicken in the prepared baking dish.
Step 4: Bake for 20 minutes. Be sure that center of the chicken breasts are white and cooked through.
This goes well with a multitude of side dishes. Mashed potatoes, asparagus, mixed vegetables, or rice, just to name a few…
Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 10.75-ounce can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 6-ounce box stuffing mix
- ¼ cup water
How to make it:
Step 1: Place the chicken breasts into the crockpot and cover with the broth.
Step 2: Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl until thoroughly combined.
Step 3: Spread the stuffing mixture evenly over the chicken breasts.
Step 4: Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
Super easy, and you don’t have to heat your whole kitchen to make it! Win-win!
Easy Indoor S’mores
Ingredients:
- 1 cup crushed graham cracker crumbs
- 6 Tablespoons melted butter
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 12 regular-sized marshmallows
- 2 full size Hershey’s Chocolate Bars
How to make it:
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350F
Step 2: In a small bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, the melted butter, and the powdered sugar.
Step 3: Coat the bottoms and sides of a 24 count mini-muffin pan with non-sticking cooking spray. Then gently press a small scoop of graham cracker crumbs in each cup. Make sure the bottom is covered, and the crumbs reach up a little on each side. (Make a little cup to hold the S’more goodness to come.)
Step 4: Bake at 350F for 4 minutes. While baking, cut your large marshmallows in half.
Step 5: WARNING: Watch this step closely. Put one half of a marshmallow in each graham cracker cup and then set your oven to broil. Broil the pan in the oven for 1-2 minutes. You need to watch closely to keep the marshmallows from burning. When they start to look toasted… they’re done!
Step 6: Top each cup with one section of the Hersey’s Chocolate bar and let cool for 15 minutes before lifting them out of the pan with a butter knife.
And there you have it. Easy indoor S’mores. No hot campfire required!
Muffin Tin Eggs
Ingredients:
- 10 Large Eggs
- 2 teaspoons salt
Optional ingredients:
- 8 ounces cooked ground sausage
- 12 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
- 6 slices American cheese, torn into pieces
How to make it:
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350F and prepare a 12 cup muffin tin by spraying with nonstick spray.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and salt together. Pour an even amount into each muffin cup.
Step 3: Sprinkle the other desired ingredients on top of the individual cups as desired.
Step 4: Bake 17 to 20 minutes, or until the eggs no longer wiggle when shook.
These are great for three main reasons.
- Everyone can have their eggs exactly as they like them without spending a ton of time over a hot stove.
- They are just about the perfect size to use as the center for a biscuit sandwich.
- You can make them ahead and freeze them!
3 Ingredient Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
* 1 Cup softened butter
* 1/2 Cup granulated sugar
* 2 1/4 Cups all-purpose flour
Step 1: In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and butter with a spoon.
Step 2: Mix in the flour a little at a time until moistened. Eventually you’ll be using your hands to mix.
Step 3: Knead 5 to 10 times until dough is smooth.
Step 4: Divide dough in half. With each half, make a ‘log’ about 5 inches long and about 2 inches thick.
Step 5: Wrap logs tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 90 minutes. (Can be up to 48 hours)
Step 6: Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 7: Slice log into 1/2 inch cookies and place on ungreased cookie sheet 2″ apart.
Step 8: Bake 12-14 minutes (on the middle oven rack) or until the edges turn golden. Remove cookies from the baking sheet onto a cooling rack.
Then comes the fun. These cookies are great as is, but you can also break out the trimmings to really dress them up for all the fun Holiday themes.
Enjoy!
Cornbread Casserole
Ingredients:
* 1 package cornbread/muffin mix (Jiffy is best)
*1 can (15 1/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
* 1 can (14 3/4 ounces) creamed corn
* 1 large egg
* 1/4 teaspoon paprika
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
* 2 tablespoons melted butter
Step one: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
Step two: Pour into a greased 11×7 inch baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 400F for 25 to 30 minutes. The top and edges will be a golden brown when done.
Deliciously easy Chocolate Peanut Clusters
(from a Crockpot!)
Ingredients:
* 32 Ounces dry roasted peanuts
* 2 pounds White Almond Bark
* 12 ounce bag of chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
* 4 ounce bar German Sweet Chocolate
* Holiday colored candy sprinkles (optional)
Step one: Break apart the larger pieces of chocolate into smaller chunks for easier melting.
Step two: VERY lightly coat the Crock Pot insert with non-stick spray, and then add all the chocolate.
Step three: Place a dry (clean) kitchen towel over the crock pot and then put the lid on top of the towel. This is very important as it will keep the condensation from getting into your chocolate. (Chocolate and water don’t mix well at all!) Set your Crock pot on High for one hour.
Step four: Reduce the heat to low for up to another hour. During this time, you will stir the chocolate every 20 minutes or so. Once the chocolate is fully melted, you’re ready for the next step.
Step five: Add the peanuts and stir to coat them all well.
Step six: Lay out several strips of waxed paper and then drop the mixture onto them by spoonfuls. If you are adding the holiday colored sprinkles, make sure to do that after every few drops. (You want to add it while the mixture is still warm.)
Step seven: Allow the candies to set at room temperature until hard and solid. Then transfer them to air-tight containers.
Hint: Several of these candies in a nice holiday tin makes a wonderful present for neighbors!
Caramel Apple Dump Cake
- 2 cans apple pie filling (any kind 20 ounce cans)
- 1 box yellow cake mix (Just the mix)
- 1 1/2 cups Kraft caramels unwrapped and each caramel cut in half
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 sticks of butter, cut into ¼ ” thick pats
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350F and spray a 13×9″ baking dish with nonstick spray.
Step 2: Mix together the apple pie filling and the spices, then smooth out the mixture evenly in the bottom of the baking dish.
Step 3: Place the caramels evenly over the pie filling, and then sprinkle the yellow cake mix over the caramels.
Step 4: Evenly space out the pats of butter over the entire dessert.
Step 5: Bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Cake is down when the top is lightly brown and the edges are bubbling.
Step 6: Let it cool just a bit, then enjoy!
Hint: This dessert is great with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top!
Quick & Easy Cheese Ball (Serves 6)
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1/2 cup pecans (chopped)
- Plastic wrap for the preparation and storage
Step one: Mix the cheeses together in a mixing bowl using a sturdy spoon so you can really smush them together. (Yup, I’m going with the word smush. It applies here, I think.)
Step two: Press the cheese mixture together until it forms a rough ball.
Step three: Lay out a small section of plastic wrap and dump the chopped pecans in the center of it.
Step four: Gently roll the ball around in the pecans until the outside is fully covered.
Step five: Serve immediately or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for later.
Great served with pretzels or crackers for dipping!
Easy Peasy Beefy Stewsy
Ingredients:
- 2 lb beef stew meat (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 12 ounce bag of frozen mixed vegetables (the ones with onions are best)
- 1 package (1.5 oz) beef stew seasoning mix (or brown gravy mix)
- 2 Cups of potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 8 oz baby-cut carrots
- 32 ounces beef flavored broth
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Step one: Spray your crockpot with non-stick oil.
Step two: Dump all the ingredients (except for the flour) into the pot and stir to mix them all up.
Step three: Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or High for 5 to 6 hours.
Step four: Before serving, take out ½ Cup of the stew’s broth and add it to the ¼ Cup of flour. Whisk briskly until smooth, then add back into the pot and stir until the stew thickens.
Serve and enjoy!
Cream of Mushroom Pork Chops
* 4-6 Pork Chops (Preferably boneless)
* 1 Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
* 2 Tablespoons of cooking oil
How to:
* Heat up the oil over high heat in a large skillet
* Brown both sides of the chops (around 3 minutes)
* Pour the can of soup over the chops and then turn each chop to let some soup get under them.
* Cover the skillet with a lid and let cook for another 10 minutes, or until the pork is thoroughly done.
The main course of dinner done in less than 15 minutes. You can’t beat that!
Easy Crock Pot Pulled Pork
Ingredients:
* 3-6 pounds of Pork shoulder, butt, or loin (choose how much you need)
* 1 Cup of your favorite sweet BBQ Sauce. (Best to have another cup on hand to get it right to your taste test when done.)
*1 Cup of your favorite soda. Pepsi, Coke, Dr. Pepper, or Root Beer–any of them will work.
How to:
Step 1: Place the pork in the crock pot and cover it with the BBQ sauce.
Step 2: Pour the soda around the edges of the meat.
Step 3: Cook on LOW for 10 Hours, or on HIGH for 7 to 8 hours. The longer it cooks, the more tender it will be!
Step 4: Take the pork out and place it on a cookie sheet. Make sure to leave at least one cup of the juicy goodness in the crock pot.
Step 5: With two forks, shred the meat–discarding any fatty chunks you find as you go.
Step 6: Add the shredded pork back into the crock pot and mix it in with the juices. Add additional BBQ sauce as needed to suit your taste.
Serve on hamburger buns or sweet Hawaiian Rolls with chips on the side.
For the record, this is a great dish to take for pitch-ins. Especially if there is space to plug in the pot to keep the meat warm.
Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls
What you’ll need:
- 1 package (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
- 1/2 cup spinach dip
- 4 slices black forest ham (about 4 ounces)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
(Recommended but not required: a 12 muffin, muffin pan. If you don’t have one, then just bake these on a cookie sheet.)
How to make them:
- Preheat oven to 350°. While the oven is heating up, unroll and separate the crescent dough into 4 rectangles. Press the perforated edges together to seal them.
- On the top of each rectangle spread 2 tablespoons spinach dip to within 1/2 in. of edges. Top the dip with ham and cheese.
- Starting with a short side, roll up the rectangle jelly-roll style, then pinch the seam to seal all the goodness inside. Cut each roll into three equal rolls (crosswise cut) and then place in greased muffin cups, cut sides down. (Or cookie sheet if no muffin tin.)
- Bake 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. To remove from the tin, just run a knife around the edges of the roll.
Enjoy!
Strawberry Brownies
Ingredients:
* 1 Box Strawberry Cake Mix
* 1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
* 2 Large Eggs
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
How to make it:
Step 1: Coat an 8×8 baking pan with nonstick spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Step 2: Mix all the ingredients together and then press into the prepared pan.
Step 3: Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until done.
If you like your brownies on the sweeter side…add a glaze topping.
Glaze Ingredients:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons Strawberry Jam
1 1/2 Tablespoons Milk
Mix together the glaze ingredients and then spread over the top of the COOLED brownies.
Enjoy!
3 Ingredient Chicken Teriyaki
Ingredients:
* 1 cup Soy Sauce
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 2 pounds of chicken thighs (cut into chunk-sized pieces)
Steps:
1) In a skillet, sear both sides of the chicken pieces evenly.
2) Stir in the Soy Sauce and the brown sugar. Then let the mixture reach a boil. (You’ll need to stir occasionally during this time.)
3) Stir until the sauce has reduced down to a thick glaze. Make sure the glaze covers all of the chicken chunks.
That’s it! How easy is that!
And this pairs great with rice on the side…
2 Ingredient Applesauce Cake
Ingredients:
* 1 Box Yellow Cake Mix
* 1 Cup Applesauce
Steps:
1) Coat a 9×13 inch baking pan with cooking spray, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2) Mix in the applesauce with the cake mix. (Yes. It will be thick!) Then pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out.
3) Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until done.
**And the very best part? This cake is low in calories!**
Pumpkin Dump Cake (3 Ingredients!)
* One 15 ounce can of Pumpkin
* One boxed Spice cake mix
* 2 Eggs
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9 X 13 baking pan.
Step 2: Mix all ingredients together until well combined. (A mixer really helps!)
Step 3: Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread it out.
Step 4: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
You can serve this plain, or with whipped cream. Either way is delicious!
Shortcut Pumpkin Ice Cream
* 1 half gallon premium vanilla ice cream softened
* 1 can pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
* 1 tsp cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp nutmeg
* 1/4 tsp cloves
Working quickly so ice cream won’t completely melt, mix with electric hand mixer until completely mixed.
After ample tasting to make sure spice balance is OK (ahem), refreeze.
3 Ingredient Chili
* 15 ounce can of chili beans (undrained)
* 10 ounce can of diced tomatoes with green chilies. (Seasoned is good, but watch the heat level)
* 1 pound of cooked and drained ground beef.
Step 1: Mix everything together in a big pot.
Step 2: Allow it to come to a boil over medium heat.
Step 3: Drop the heat level down to medium low and allow it to simmer for half an hour.
That’s it! Easy, peasy, and dinner’s on the table in just over 30 minutes. Can’t beat that.
Oh, and if you want a little extra kick, just add a little chili powder. (I like my chili mild.)
Super Easy Sugar Cookies
* 2 Cups plus 1 Tablespoon of All-Purpose Flour
* 1 Cup Unsalted Butter (softened at room temperature)
* 2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar (plus 3 Tablespoons set aside)
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla
How to make them:
- Set your oven to preheat to 325 F. Then line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Beat together the unsalted butter and the sugar until well combined–will be gritty. (A hand mixer helps with this step.)
- Blend in the flour and the vanilla. Mix well.
- Roll the dough out into 1 inch balls, then roll the balls gently in the remaining 3 Tablespoons of sugar.
- Transfer cookie balls to the cookie sheets and place them 2 inches apart.
- Using the bottom of a glass, flatten the balls—but not too flat. They should be about 1/4 inch thick or so. They don’t have to be perfect. Note: They will look small but will expand while baking.
- Bake for 14 to 16 minutes. Cookies are done when they turn slightly golden at the edges and the bottom.
- IMPORTANT! After taking the cookies from the oven let them stay on the cookie sheet for a minimum of ten minutes.
- Enjoy!
Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients:
* 4 Chicken Breasts
* 10 ounce can Cream of Mushroom Soup
* 1 Cup uncooked long grain white rice
* 1 Packet of Onion Soup Mix
* 1 1/2 Cups of Water
How to Make It:
Step one: Preheat your oven to 325F, and prepare a 9×13 casserole pan with cooking spray.
Step two: Add the chicken to the pan, then pour the uncooked rice over top of it.
Step three: Sprinkle the dry onion soup mix over the chicken and rice.
Step four: Combine the canned soup and water. Then pour it on top of everything in the pan.
Step five: Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
Easy Peasy Italian Chicken
**Only 2 ingredients**
* Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or tenders)
* Bottle of your favorite Italian Salad Dressing
How to:
Toss the chicken into a ziplock bag and add enough Italian Dressing to cover well. Refrigerate and let the chicken marinate for a few hours. (Put it in the fridge in the morning and it will be super tasty by the time to cook dinner.)
Place the marinated chicken into a baking dish and bake at 350F for 45 minutes, or until done.
That’s it in a nutshell. (My son loves this one!)
Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Casserole
Ingredients:
1 pound mild breakfast sausage
1 can Crescent Rolls
6 eggs
2 cups shredded cheese
How to make it:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13″ pan with nonstick spray.
Step 2: Roll out the rolls onto the bottom of the pan and press the seams together.
Step 3: Brown and drain the sausage, then spread evenly over the rolls.
Step 4: Beat the eggs lightly and pour on top of the sausage.
Step 5: Top with the cheese and then bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Easy Baked Ziti
Ingredients:
- 1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta
- 1 (32 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
- ricotta cheese (24 ounces)
- 1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg (beaten)
Step one: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, then drain and rinse.
Step two: Preheat your oven to 375F and lightly grease a 9×13 cake pan.
Step three: In a large mixing bowl, combine the pasta, the ricotta cheese, the mozzarella cheese, the beaten egg, and 1 and 1/2 cups of the spaghetti sauce. (My favorite is Prego).
Step four: Move the combined mixture of goodness into the greased 9×13 pan. Then pour the remaining sauce on top and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on the very top of that.
Step five: Bake for 30 minutes. Be SURE to let it stand for 15 minutes before serving. This stuff is HOT.