Summer Treats

About two months ago, my dumpster-diving KitchenAid (don't worry, we bought our own accessories) gave up on me after a particularly large batch of cookies. And while a baking sabbatical is good for one's waistline, too long of a sabbatical can wither the soul. I'm hoping to save up for the kind of mixer that should last me until Kieran goes off to college; in the meantime, I have been scouring through my recipes and pins for desserts that can be made with a food processor or a good ol' wooden spoon.

First off, I made this berry pie a couple of different times. I just love all the colorful goodness in this one.

Then, I made Chef in Training's Banana Bars with Brown Butter Frosting a couple of times. The frosting? To. Die. For.

One of my favorites since college are these carmelitas. I like to make them with Mexican food – they sound like something you'd find on a menu at a Mexican restaurant, right? I also made this homemade caramel for the recipe, too!

Finally, I was really wanting a doughnut the other day, but, as a rule, I try to never buy them unless it's for church. And I abhor deep frying. All that mess and wasted oil … ugh. But I searched on Pinterest and found these Dirt Bombs (great title, right?), which are, essentially, doughnut muffins.

As I was mixing them together (in my food processor, of course) I had this feeling of déjà vu, and I realized that I had made almost this exact recipe before, when I made The Pioneer Woman's French Breakfast Puffs. Either way, they are yummy with your morning coffee! …Oh, and speaking of PW's recipes, I have had her lemon bars on the brain for quite awhile now. I just need for this heat wave to break so I can get to baking again!

Even if you don't have all the tools you would like, I hope you can get your bake on this summer, too. What are some of your recent favorite dessert finds?

P.S. I simply cannot forget to mention this homemade hot fudge! It's great to have on hand to bring to a get-together. Just grab a carton of vanilla ice cream (or make your own), and you're ready to go!

Recipe Ready: Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza with White Garlic Sauce

It's been three weeks since I last posted, and that was about me finishing the Couch-to-5K program. I seriously have not run since then (my foot had me out for awhile, but now I have no excuse), so it's only fitting that I post another recipe for you—and not exactly one you would want to eat before a run. :)

I have been in love with the chicken bacon ranch pizza from Pizza Ranch and the gourmet chicken garlic pizza from Papa Murphy's for awhile now. I wanted to make a pizza that had a garlic sauce like PM's pizza, but still had that bite from the ranch. So, I did what I do best:  I took my favorite things about different recipes and melded them together.

I wish I had step-by-step photos for you, but when I cook a meal that I haven't done any prep for ahead of time, there's a lot of bribing with cartoons or Cheerios until Jordan comes home to distract the kiddos. … Anyway, without further ado, here is the recipe all you facebook commenters have been waiting for.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza with White Garlic Sauce

While I like wheat crusts and pan crusts, I thought that a simple, white crust would be best for trying this pizza. Since we're not going for a really thick crust here, we don't have to let it rise very much, which is nice if you're short on time.

Ingredients:

• White crust
• White garlic sauce
• 1 whole skinless boneless chicken breast (about one pound)
• 1/2 pound sliced bacon
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• Prepared ranch dressing

White Crust:

• 1 tbsp cornmeal
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 tsp quick-rising dry yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup very warm water
• 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

Combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add oil and 3/4 cup of the water, and start your dough hook on low. As the mixture combines, determine if you will need any of the last 1/4 cup of the water to incorporate all of the ingredients. Once everything is combined, allow the hook to knead the dough for 4-5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Alternatively, you can just mix it by hand and knead it on a lightly floured surface (it's okay if it's still a little tacky, but it should pull away from the counter cleanly). Cover; let rest for at least 10 minutes in a warm area.

Before you start your sauce, preheat oven to 425°F. Lay 1/2 pound of bacon in strips on a cooling rack placed onto a cookie sheet. When oven is ready, place bacon in the oven for 12-14 minutes; let rest before finely chopping.

White Garlic Sauce:

• 1 whole chicken breast, filleted and finely chopped
• Olive oil
• 3 tbsp butter, divided
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic powder
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 2-4 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp fresh or 2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese (shredded is better if you have it on hand)

Coat a large cast iron skillet or other large skillet in olive oil over medium heat; melt 1 tbsp butter in pan. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and add chicken to pan. Cook chicken until browned and no longer pink in the center; set aside. Add remaining butter to pan chicken was cooked in, and scrape up brown bits until butter melts. Slowly whisk in flour until no lumps remain. Gradually whisk in milk. Add salt, pepper, garlic, and basil. Mix in Parmesan cheese and mix until cheese has melted. If sauce seems too thick, whisk in more milk, as sauce will thicken as it stands. Remove from heat.

While chicken is cooking, sprinkle flat baking stone with cornmeal. Place dough in center of stone; roll within 1 inch of edge. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes.

Remove crust from oven and spread garlic sauce on crust to within 1/2 or 1/4 inch of edge. Sprinkle the bacon over the sauce, followed by the cooked chicken, then the cheeses. Sprinkle tomatoes over the cheese, and place in oven for another 10 - 15 minutes, turning at 10 minutes. Sprinkle green onions and drizzle ranch dressing over pizza before serving.

Bon appetit!

Recipe Ready: All-American Berry Pie

How lucky are you that you get another food post?

This weekend we celebrated Independence Day with family, a parade, and lots of food. I had found this no-bake sour cream berry pie on the Country Cleaver blog, and, after trying it once, I thought that all it needed were some tasty blueberries to make this the perfect red-white-and-blue addition to our Fourth!

This recipe is completely not my own (except the blueberries and the crust), but it is completely delicious; therefore, I would be a terrible, terrible person if I did not share this with you.

Ingredients

For the graham cracker crust:

1 sleeve of Graham Crackers (equal to about 1 1/2 cups, crushed)

6 tbsp Butter, melted

1/4 -1/3 cup Sugar (depending on taste)

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

For the filling:

3 cups Strawberries, hulled and quartered

1 cup Raspberries, rinsed and dried

1 cup Blueberries, rinsed and dried

1 cup Sour Cream

1 8oz. package Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 tsp Vanilla

1/4 cup Sugar

1 tsp Orange Zest

1/4 cup Orange Marmalade, warmed

Directions

Combine graham crackers, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in a food processor and pulse until well combined. Alternatively, using a rolling pin, crush crackers in a Ziploc bag. In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon. Add melted butter and mix until well combined. Press the graham cracker mixture into a pie pan, making sure the bottom and sides are evenly covered. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

With a mixer, whisk together sour cream and cream cheese until smooth. Add in sugar, vanilla and orange zest. Pour into the pie crust. Top the mixture with the berries. Place pie in the fridge until ready to eat, at least two hours, or, better yet, overnight.

When ready to serve, warm marmalade in a small dish in the microwave and brush or drizzle over the top of the berries for a tart kick. Slice and serve.

What a wonderfully patriotic dish (And if you still need a little chocolate in your weekend, why not round it out with these gooey Skillet S'mores?). I hope you all had a wonderful weekend celebrating our hard-fought freedoms in this amazing, albeit a little crazy, country that we live in!

The youngest and oldest members of our family gathering this weekend. Heart-melter. :)
So thankful for our own veteran!

P.S. Notice the uncle-and-nephew photobomb combination in the back there? ;)

Recipe Ready: Lasagna Roll-Ups

I thought I'd take a break from all the mom-oriented posts I've had and let you in on what was for dinner tonight. I have been loving trying some new recipes lately, like these ultimate double chocolate brownies, this chicken pot pie crumble, and these amazing shredded beef enchiladas. On Mondays, we have gotten into a habit of having pasta because the weekend (which should be relaxing) with all its craziness has hampered my brain way too much to be able to really think about making dinner.

Tonight, I thought I would switch it up by trying out these little guys:

Source

Originally entitled "Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna Rolls," I thought I could improve on them a little bit. As written, the recipe is supposed to make the tomatoes and the cheese stand out and be more reminiscent of a pizza. But I love meals that have everything I need right in them--and I love traditional lasagna--so I wanted to get some vegetables in there and really make the sauce shine.

Because I have small children, there was no way I was going to be able to take pictures of the process (because I was running back and forth from room to room) or of the finished product (because when they are hungry, they get hangry). But that's okay because it's straightforward, if not a little time consuming. The ingredients in italics are my additions or substitutions.

Lasagna Roll-ups

INGREDIENTS:

For the Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 of a medium yellow onion, finely diced 
• 1/2 of a large red bell pepper, diced
• 2 small zucchini, chopped
• 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 8 ounces tomato sauce, Italian style
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 lb. ground beef, browned and crumbled

For the Lasagna Rolls

• 10 traditional lasagna noodles, cooked, drained and rinsed with cold water
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
• 8 ounce block of mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 ounces sliced pepperoni (50-60 slices)

DIRECTIONS:

For the Sauce:

1. In a large pan over medium-low heat, heat the butter and olive oil until the butter is melted. Add the onion and red bell pepper and saute until tender, about five minutes. Add in the zucchini and garlic and saute until zucchini is browned. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Place a cover on the pan, tilted slightly to let some steam out.
2. Simmer for 15 minutes. Cool slightly. With an immersion blender, CAREFULLY blend until sauce has desired texture. If you like it really smooth you can also throw it in a blender or food processor. Add the ground beef and set aside (store in fridge unless using immediately). 

For the Lasagna Rolls:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook noodles according to directions on package -- once cooked, drain and rinse with cold water and lay out on sheets of wax paper so they don’t stick together.
2. Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and spread 1/2 - 1 cup of sauce into the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, prepare filling in a large bowl by mixing beaten egg, ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella,  Parmesan cheese, parsley and pepper until well combined.
4. To prepare lasagna rolls, lay out one lasagna noodle and spread it with about 2 tablespoons of cheese filling. Lay out 5-6 pepperoni on top of cheese filling. Roll up each noodle starting at one of the short ends. Place in prepared baking dish, seam side down. Repeat until all noodles have been filed and rolled. If you have any filling leftover, spoon it out onto each lasagna roll. Pour remaining sauce over the rolls and top with the remaining shredded cheese.
5. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 45-50 minutes (remove foil for last 10-15 minutes) or until hot and cheese is melted. Let stand about 10 minutes prior to serving.

Note: May be prepared in advance and baked the next day.

We served ours with crusty garlic bread, and it was, as my two-year-old would say, "de-WISH-us!" The zucchini really brightened up the dish and became the star of the show. *Side Note* I don't know what it is about sauces, but my toddler just eats around the chunks, and I really can't blame him--I didn't eat salsa for years because of that very same thing. Pureeing the sauce allowed him to eat all his veggies without even knowing it. ;)

So, if you're looking for something new for pasta night, this might be right up your alley. 

YUM.

Recipe Ready: Breakfast Casserole

I have really wanted to create a food/recipe post for quite awhile, and while breakfast casserole would not be my first choice, it is a simple, tasty recipe that (in my opinion) could work for breakfast, lunch, or dinner (or as they say on Scrubs, "brinner").

You'll need to make sure you have these ingredients on hand:

• 1 (2 pound) package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 1 pound pork sausage (mild? spicy? turkey? your choice)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 12 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese (or cheese of your choice)

I used Colby-Jack cheese--and only about six ounces of it--because I forgot to buy cheese, and that's what I had on hand.

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 pan with your favorite spray (I love the Crisco spray), and fill with the thawed hash browns.

Brown the sausage over medium heat in your most amazing cast iron skillet.

While the sausage is browning, chop and dice your onion meticulously by hand.

Or, bring out your handy, dandy food chopper and let it do the work for you.

Add the onions to the sausage and finish browning, then drain.

While that cools a little, add five eggs to a medium bowl.

Add your half cup of milk.

Add your spices, too. Here's where taste may differ from person to person. The recipe calls for a 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder, an 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. To me, this is a little bland next to the savoriness of the sausage and onion. I would up it to at least a full teaspoon of onion powder, a 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, a 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and a 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. But that's just me. :)

Whisk ingredients together.

And pour over your hash browns.

Layer with half of the shredded cheese, and spread the sausage mixture on top.

Then sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheese on top.

Cover with aluminum foil...

...and place in the 350 degree oven. After an hour, uncover, rotate, and bake for ten more minutes.

Your result should be this:

And maybe, if you're lucky, you will also end up with cheese stalactites (you have to think of what they would look like upside down):

If you can insert a knife into the middle of the casserole, and it comes out clean, then you'll know it's done. Let the dish stand for at least five minutes, if not more--it is best when it has thickened.

While you are enjoying your breakfast-y goodness, put some yummy, delicious cookies into your already preheated oven!