Another recipe from the "What's Cooking" with Ruthie blog. This syrup is so delicious that everyone was eating it directly from the pan! We were also dipping strawberries in it!
2 sticks butter, cut into tablespoon-sized slices
1-1/2 C. sugar
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
3/4 C. buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla
Mix butter, sugar, corn syrup, and buttermilk in a large saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Add vanilla and baking soda (baking soda will make the syrup frothy). Remove syrup from heat and serve. Syrup may be made ahead and reheated.
Note: When I made the syrup, it was a beautiful buttery color. However, I left the syrup over low heat to keep it warm and the syrup turned a caramel color. It didn't affect the flavor, but I recommend not leaving the syrup on heat.
Decadent French Toast
The local newspaper recently featured the "What's Cooking" with Ruthie blog. After browsing through a few recipes, I bookmarked her site. The recipes look so delicious and I love her step-by-step picture instructions. It's so much easier (and reassuring!) to see what something is supposed to look like when you're making it for the first time. When I saw her post for this French toast, I knew what would be on the menu for Christmas morning...and I don't even like French toast. The best part is that you make it the night beforehand so there's no prep work in the morning.
12 slices of soft white bread (I used Dunford's)
4 oz. whipped cream cheese
1 stick butter, sliced
1/4 C. pancake syrup
1 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon (I used a heaping teaspoon)
6 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1-3/4 C. milk (I used whole milk)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large casserole dish add sliced butter, syrup, and brown sugar. Place dish in oven and melt together for 5-7 minutes, or until caramelized, stirring once. Spread cream cheese on half of the bread slices. Place additional slice of bread on top of cream cheese to form a "cream cheese sandwich." Set aside. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs with a wire whisk. Whisk in vanilla and milk.
When butter mixture is caramelized, remove casserole dish from oven. Put sandwiches in the dish. Sprinkle tops of sandwiches with cinnamon sugar mixture. Pour egg mixture over sandwiches. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve caramel side up. Top with berries, syrup, and sour cream.
12 slices of soft white bread (I used Dunford's)
4 oz. whipped cream cheese
1 stick butter, sliced
1/4 C. pancake syrup
1 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon (I used a heaping teaspoon)
6 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1-3/4 C. milk (I used whole milk)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large casserole dish add sliced butter, syrup, and brown sugar. Place dish in oven and melt together for 5-7 minutes, or until caramelized, stirring once. Spread cream cheese on half of the bread slices. Place additional slice of bread on top of cream cheese to form a "cream cheese sandwich." Set aside. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs with a wire whisk. Whisk in vanilla and milk.
When butter mixture is caramelized, remove casserole dish from oven. Put sandwiches in the dish. Sprinkle tops of sandwiches with cinnamon sugar mixture. Pour egg mixture over sandwiches. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve caramel side up. Top with berries, syrup, and sour cream.
Taco Pasta
Life as a Lofthouse is one of my favorite food blogs. The recipes are easy to make, and I usually have everything on hand! This recipe was a recent post. It was tasty!
1 lb. lean ground beef
8-12 oz. small pasta shells
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 pkg. taco seasoning (regular or low sodium)
3 oz. cream cheese
1/2 C. sour cream (regular or light)
salt and pepper
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions (the pasta should be al dente). Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook ground beef and chopped onion over medium-high heat. Cook until beef is no longer pink. Drain any grease, then add minced garlic. Cook and stir for 30 seconds. Stir in diced tomatoes and taco seasoning. Let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Stir in cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream, and 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water. Cook and stir until cream cheese has melted and sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over low heat for another 5 minutes, or until sauce has reduced a bit. Serve warm.
Notes: I used 93% lean ground beef and there was no grease to drain. I love tomatoes, so the next time I make this recipe I will probably use two cans of diced tomatoes. Elbow macaroni can be substituted for the small pasta shells. I tried the large pasta shells, but I think I would prefer the small pasta shells or the macaroni. One package of taco seasoning is equivalent to 4 Tbsp.
1 lb. lean ground beef
8-12 oz. small pasta shells
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 pkg. taco seasoning (regular or low sodium)
3 oz. cream cheese
1/2 C. sour cream (regular or light)
salt and pepper
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions (the pasta should be al dente). Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook ground beef and chopped onion over medium-high heat. Cook until beef is no longer pink. Drain any grease, then add minced garlic. Cook and stir for 30 seconds. Stir in diced tomatoes and taco seasoning. Let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Stir in cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream, and 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water. Cook and stir until cream cheese has melted and sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over low heat for another 5 minutes, or until sauce has reduced a bit. Serve warm.
Notes: I used 93% lean ground beef and there was no grease to drain. I love tomatoes, so the next time I make this recipe I will probably use two cans of diced tomatoes. Elbow macaroni can be substituted for the small pasta shells. I tried the large pasta shells, but I think I would prefer the small pasta shells or the macaroni. One package of taco seasoning is equivalent to 4 Tbsp.
Bacon
Bacon seems to be a big fad right now. It's even in cookies of all places. I don't mind bacon in salads, soups, or on baked potatoes, but I rarely eat it for breakfast. Bacon is typically too salty for me and I hate it when it is undercooked (i.e., slimy or wiggly). I like my bacon crispy! But the real thing I dislike is cooking bacon. Grease splatters all over your kitchen and you can only fit a few pieces in the skillet until they shrink down--it's a big time commitment.
For a while now I've seen instructions for cooking bacon in the oven rather than on the stovetop. Today, for Christmas breakfast, I finally tried cooking bacon in the oven, and it was perfect! The process was very low maintenance: the whole slab of bacon fit on one baking sheet, I ended up with no second-degree burns from grease splatters, and the smell of cooked pork didn't linger in the air or in my hair. And, as my dad, said: "Doesn't it make sense to cook bacon that way? After all, BACON contains the word BAKE!"
I'm sure there are different variations for "baking" bacon, but here's what I did:
1 pkg. thick-cut bacon (regular or low sodium)
Lay strips of bacon in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees and continue cooking for about 15 minutes longer, or until the bacon is at the desired crispiness. WATCH CAREFULLY so that the bacon does not burn (oven temperatures may differ). There is no need to flip the bacon during the cooking process. Remove pan from oven and transfer bacon to a towel-lined plate. Serve or wait until cool and crumble.
Notes: Using two temperatures is probably not necessary. For this particular breakfast, French toast was already baking so I just stuck the bacon in the oven at the same time. However, it seems like the lower temperature renders the fat and then the higher temperature crisps up the pork. I just put the bacon directly on the pan, but it seems you could line the pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil to minimize the cleanup process.
For a while now I've seen instructions for cooking bacon in the oven rather than on the stovetop. Today, for Christmas breakfast, I finally tried cooking bacon in the oven, and it was perfect! The process was very low maintenance: the whole slab of bacon fit on one baking sheet, I ended up with no second-degree burns from grease splatters, and the smell of cooked pork didn't linger in the air or in my hair. And, as my dad, said: "Doesn't it make sense to cook bacon that way? After all, BACON contains the word BAKE!"
I'm sure there are different variations for "baking" bacon, but here's what I did:
1 pkg. thick-cut bacon (regular or low sodium)
Lay strips of bacon in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees and continue cooking for about 15 minutes longer, or until the bacon is at the desired crispiness. WATCH CAREFULLY so that the bacon does not burn (oven temperatures may differ). There is no need to flip the bacon during the cooking process. Remove pan from oven and transfer bacon to a towel-lined plate. Serve or wait until cool and crumble.
Notes: Using two temperatures is probably not necessary. For this particular breakfast, French toast was already baking so I just stuck the bacon in the oven at the same time. However, it seems like the lower temperature renders the fat and then the higher temperature crisps up the pork. I just put the bacon directly on the pan, but it seems you could line the pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil to minimize the cleanup process.
Toffee Dip
I was looking for a caramel dip to make for apples and came across this recipe on allrecipes.com. Perfect for fall!
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/4 C. white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. toffee bits
Beat together the cream cheese, sugars, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth. Stir in toffee bits. Serve with sliced apples.
Tip: Dip apple slices in lemon or lime juice or lemon-lime soda, regular or diet, to keep them from browning.
Notes: Toffee bits can be found on the baking aisle by the chocolate chips. The most popular brands are Heath and Skor and either plain or chocolate can be used. I wasn't a fan the first time I made this recipe. I didn't add the whole bag of toffee chips because it was looking too chunky. The next time I made this recipe I added the whole bag of toffee chips and it was better but I still wasn't sure what everyone was raving about. Then I tried the dip the next day and it was sooooo much better...like candy! So I strongly suggest refrigerating the dip overnight before serving. The flavors seem to meld together and I think the toffee chips soften slightly.
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/4 C. white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. toffee bits
Beat together the cream cheese, sugars, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth. Stir in toffee bits. Serve with sliced apples.
Tip: Dip apple slices in lemon or lime juice or lemon-lime soda, regular or diet, to keep them from browning.
Notes: Toffee bits can be found on the baking aisle by the chocolate chips. The most popular brands are Heath and Skor and either plain or chocolate can be used. I wasn't a fan the first time I made this recipe. I didn't add the whole bag of toffee chips because it was looking too chunky. The next time I made this recipe I added the whole bag of toffee chips and it was better but I still wasn't sure what everyone was raving about. Then I tried the dip the next day and it was sooooo much better...like candy! So I strongly suggest refrigerating the dip overnight before serving. The flavors seem to meld together and I think the toffee chips soften slightly.
Fantastic Chicken
From Susan.
4-5 chicken breasts
1 8-oz. jar apricot preserves
1 6-oz. bottle Russian salad dressing
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
Put chicken in an 11- x 13-inch baking dish. Combine preserves, dressing, and soup mix and pour sauce over chicken. Marinate overnight. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 1 hour, removing cover the last 15 minutes.
Notes: You could probably substitute French or Catalina dressing if you can't find Russian dressing.
4-5 chicken breasts
1 8-oz. jar apricot preserves
1 6-oz. bottle Russian salad dressing
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
Put chicken in an 11- x 13-inch baking dish. Combine preserves, dressing, and soup mix and pour sauce over chicken. Marinate overnight. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 1 hour, removing cover the last 15 minutes.
Notes: You could probably substitute French or Catalina dressing if you can't find Russian dressing.
Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos
When I first read this recipe, I thought it sounded tasty but was skeptical the taquitos would crisp up just by baking them in the oven. They did crisp and were very yummy. My sister said these taquitos taste like the Crisp Chicken Burritos from Taco Time (only without the nasty green chile aftertaste). Recipe is from OurBestBites.com.
3 oz. cream cheese
1/4 C. salsa verde
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. granulated garlic
3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. sliced green onions
2 C. shredded cooked chicken
1 C. grated pepperjack cheese
small flour tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.
(You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.)
Working with a few tortillas at a time, heat tortillas in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking, about 20-30 seconds (it helps to place the tortillas between damp paper towels). If you find the tortillas are cracking when you roll them or they come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer.
Place 2-3 Tbsp. of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Then roll the tortilla as tight as you can.
Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.
Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.
Serve with pico, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and/or cilantro-ranch salad dressing.
Notes: This recipe makes about 8 taquitos. I was ambitious and decided to make OurBestBites.com's Taco Grilled Chicken to include in the taquitos. The chicken smelled and looked delicious, but I was nervous that it was undercooked so I just dumped in a 13-oz. can of chicken. There is such a thing as granulated garlic in the spice aisle of the grocery store--don't substitute garlic salt or garlic powder. You can substitute corn tortillas for the flour tortillas. I was using a wooden spoon to stir the spices into the cream cheese, but felt like the cream cheese was too clumpy. I pulled out the hand mixer and whipped everything together until the cream cheese was smooth and then stirred in by hand the chicken and cheese. I think the results were worth the extra dishes.
3 oz. cream cheese
1/4 C. salsa verde
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. granulated garlic
3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. sliced green onions
2 C. shredded cooked chicken
1 C. grated pepperjack cheese
small flour tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.
(You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.)
Working with a few tortillas at a time, heat tortillas in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking, about 20-30 seconds (it helps to place the tortillas between damp paper towels). If you find the tortillas are cracking when you roll them or they come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer.
Place 2-3 Tbsp. of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Then roll the tortilla as tight as you can.
Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.
Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.
Serve with pico, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and/or cilantro-ranch salad dressing.
Notes: This recipe makes about 8 taquitos. I was ambitious and decided to make OurBestBites.com's Taco Grilled Chicken to include in the taquitos. The chicken smelled and looked delicious, but I was nervous that it was undercooked so I just dumped in a 13-oz. can of chicken. There is such a thing as granulated garlic in the spice aisle of the grocery store--don't substitute garlic salt or garlic powder. You can substitute corn tortillas for the flour tortillas. I was using a wooden spoon to stir the spices into the cream cheese, but felt like the cream cheese was too clumpy. I pulled out the hand mixer and whipped everything together until the cream cheese was smooth and then stirred in by hand the chicken and cheese. I think the results were worth the extra dishes.