Cranberry Bread

Cranberry Bread

Adapted from Parent’s Magazine

By Erin at Dinners, Dishes and Desserts

2 cups flour, sifted

1 cup sugar

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

¼ cup butter

1 egg, beaten

¾ cup orange juice

1 ½ cups fresh (or frozen) cranberries, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x5x3 loaf pan. 

Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda.  Cut in butter until crumbly.  Add the egg and orange juice.  Stir until just combined, do not over mix.  Fold in cranberries.

Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake for about an hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack. 

Monterey Chicken (or Turkey)

Monterey Chicken or (Turkey)

Adapted from All the Simple Things
By Erin at Dinners, Dishes and Desserts

4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup  Barbeque Sauce
1/4 cup  real bacon bits
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 14 oz. can Rotel tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup green onions, sliced
Dash black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Pound out chicken breasts to about 1/2 in thick.  Season each side with black pepper. Cook chicken (grill, saute, bake) until no longer pink.  Put on a baking sheet covered in foil.  Top each chicken breast with about 1 Tbls barbeque sauce, 1/4 c cup cheese, 1/4 cup tomatoes, 1 Tbls green onions and 1 Tbls of bacon bits. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. 

Pumpkin Caramel Monkey Bread Muffins

Pumpkin Caramel Monkey Bread Muffins

Adapted from Pillsbury

By Erin at Dinners, Dishes and Desserts

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp all spice

¼ tsp ground cloves

1 tub Pillsbury Grand Flaky Biscuits

2/3 cup brown sugar

½ cup butter

1/3 cup pumpkin puree

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray muffin tin with non-stick spray, or use liners.

Open tube of biscuits, and separate.  Using a kitchen scissors cut each biscuit into quarters.  In a zip lock bag mix together sugar and spices.  Add 6 pieces of biscuit at a time into the sugar and shake to coat.  Remove and place 4 pieces (3 if you want normal sized muffins), into each muffin tin. 

In a sauce pan melt butter, brown sugar and pumpkin together.  Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute, while stirring.  Reserve about ½ cup of the caramel sauce for later.  Pour the rest of the sauce over the muffins. 

Bake for 15 minutes for large muffins (probably closer to 12 minutes for smaller muffins).  Let cool for a couple minutes before removing from the pan.  Drizzle with the reserved caramel sauce.

Peanut Butter Lover's Rice Krispie Treats

Peanut Butter Lover's Rice Krispie Treats
From Liv Life
By Erin at Dinners, Dishes and Desserts

1st Layer

3 cups Rice Krispies

1/2 bag miniature marshmallows
2 Tbls  butter

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter 

2nd Layer 

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2  cups powdered sugar

1 container Mini Peanut Butter cups

3rd Layer

3 cups Rice Krispies

1/2 bag miniature marshmallows

2 Tbls butter

4th Layer

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 bag chocolate chips

Spray a 13x9 pan with cooking spray.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the marshmallows, butter, and peanut butter together.  Add Rice Krispies, stirring well to evenly coat. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.  Set aside.  

In a large microwave safe bowl combine the butter and peanut butter.  Cover with plastic wrap.  Microwave for 2 minutes on high. Stir and microwave on high for 2 more minutes.  Be careful when you remove from the microwave, it is very hot.  Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and stir to combine.  Spread over the 1st layer.  Sprinkle the mini peanut butter cups over the fudge, lightly pressing down.  Put in the fridge for about 1 hour to cool. 

After fudge is a little bit firm, make the second layer of Rice Krispie Treats. 

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the marshmallows and butter together.  Add Rice Krispies, stirring well to evenly coat.  Lightly press the cereal together and spread onto of the fudge layer.   

For the chocolate layer, melt the peanut butter and chocolate in the microwave, stirring ever 45 seconds.  Once melted, pour over the Rice Krispie treats.  Gently shake the pan to evenly distribute the melted chocolate mixture.

Place back in the fridge for about 30 minutes for the chocolate to harden.  Cut and serve once fully cooled. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
From Bake at 350
By Erin at Dinners, Dishes and Desserts

2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cloves
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp  salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 bag chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a 13x9 pan.

Mix together the flour, spices, baking soda and salt. (You could use 2 tsp pumpkin pie instead of all the spices if you had it).

Cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add in the egg & vanilla. Beat in the pumpkin puree.  (It will look chunky and gross, but don't worry, that is what it is supposed to look like).

Add the in the flour mixture, and stir until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Spread the batter into your pan. Bake for about 35-40 minutes.   A toothpick will come out mostly clean.  Cool completely in pan before cutting.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Annie’s Eats

By Erin at Dinners, Dishes and Desserts

2 cups plus 2 Tbls flour

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

12 Tbls Melt, melted and cooled until warm

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup sugar

1  egg plus 1 egg yolk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven 325°. 

Combine dry ingredients together; set aside.  Mix butter and sugars until combined.  Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined.  Add dry ingredients and beat until just combined.  Stir in chocolate chips by hand.

Roll about ½ cup of dough into a ball.  Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull apart into two equal halves.  Rotate halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each ball.  Bake until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy (approximately 11-14 minutes).  Do not overbake.

Cool cookies on sheets for a few minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Homemade Cliff Bars

Homemade Cliff Bars

From This Chick Cooks

By Erin at Dinners, Dishes and Desserts

1 1/4 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup quick-cooking oats
3 Tbls ground flax seed (or you can just substitute oats –this is what I did)
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup marshmallows

¼ cup chopped peanuts

1/4 cup honey, maple syrup or light molasses (I used honey)
2 Tbls brown sugar
1/3 cup nut butter (I always use peanut butter)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze

Chocolate Chips (1/2 cup for full 8 in pan – less if you just want a drizzle), melted

Combine the syrup and peanut butter in a small pan over medium heat, stirring until melted and well-blended.  Stir in vanilla.

Pour mixture over cereal, stir until coated.  You may need to use your hands to get it blended well.  Press mixture firmly into an 8-inch square pan that has been sprayed with non stick spray. 

Pour melted chocolate over the top (or drizzle if that is your thing).  Cool in pan on a wire rack and chill at least 30 minutes to help it set. Cut into approximately 12 bars.  Store in refrigerator.

Taco Pizza

Taco Pizza
Printable Recipe

1 pound pizza dough (recipe found here)

Taco Meat
Refried Beans (optional, I don't use them)
1/4 cup Taco Sauce
1 cup Cheddar Cheese
1 1/2 cup Lettuce, chopped
1 Tomato, chopped
1/4 cup Black Olives, chopped
1 cup Nacho Cheese Doritos, crushed

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Roll dough out onto a greased baking tray.  Peirce dough with a fork.  Bake for about 5 minutes. Remove from oven.

Spread Taco Sauce over dough.  If using beans mix them in with the meat.  Spread meat over the sauce.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.  Top with lettuce, tomato, black olives and Doritos.  You can also top with more cheese and serve with additional taco sauce as desired. 

Nutella Swirl Bars

Nutella Swirl Bars

By Erin at Dinners, Dishes and Desserts

1/2 cup Butter, melted
1 cup light brown sugar
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 Tbls Nutella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 8×8 pan.

Blend the butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Stir in egg and vanilla. Add flour and salt, mix until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Drop teaspoonfuls of Nutella across the top of the batter.  Use a knife to swirl the Nutella throughout the pan.

Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until it is set, and slightly browned.  Allow to cool completely before cutting and serving. 

Chick Fil-A Chicken Nuggets

Chick Fil-A Nuggets

From My Name is Snickerdoodle

By Erin at Dinners, Dishes and Desserts

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 1/4 cups flour
2 Tbls powdered sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Canola Oil for frying

Trim and cut the chicken into bit sized pieces.  Whisk egg and milk together. Place chicken in milk mixture, and cover. Let stand for 2-4 hours in the fridge.

Place 2 inches of oil into a deep pan.  Heat over medium high heat until the oil is hot (375 degrees).  If you don’t have a thermometer you can see the oil is hot enough by placing the handle of a wooden spoon straight up and down in the center of the pot.  If bubbles start to form around the spoon, your oil is hot and you are ready.

In a zip-lock bag mix together flour, powdered sugar, salt and pepper. Remove chicken from mix, and place in the flour mixture.  Shake to coat.  Put about 8 nuggets into the pan.  It depends on how big your pan is for how many you can fit in.  Just be careful not to overcrowd.  Cook for about 1 minute on each side, or until golden brown.  Remove chicken and drain on a paper towel.  You could place on a rack in a hot oven to keep them warm if you are making a lot of them. 

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.  Enjoy!