One Pot Taco Supper with Pasta

by penji1
One Pot Taco Supper with Pasta

One Pot Taco Supper with Pasta

I seriously cannot get enough of these one pot meals.  They are delicious and easy and  fast to make not to mention, ONLY ONE POT TO WASH!  This one is especially delicious when served with tortilla chips.

One Pot Taco Supper with Pasta

One Pot Taco Supper with Pasta

1/2 pound ground beef or ground turkey

1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix

2 1/4 cups water

1 1/2 cups (5 ounces) wagon wheel pasta (I used a box of Christmas tree shaped pasta that I got from my mom for Christmas)

1 1/2 cups frozen whole kernel corn

1 (15 oz) can kidney or pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (3/4 cup) medium tomato, chopped

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup (4 oz) shredded Cheddar cheese

tortilla chips

1  In 12″ skillet, cook beef over medium high heat 5 – 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until thoroughly cooked then drain grease.

2  Stir in taco seasoning, water, uncooked pasta, corn, beans, and tomato.  Heat to boiling.  Stir and reduce heat to medium low.  Cover and cook 10 – 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender and most of liquid has been absorbed.

3  Stir in sour cream.  Remove from heat.  Sprinkle with cheese, cover and let stand for 2 – 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Serve with tortilla chips.

recipe from Betty Crocker

Very Berry Fruit Salsa

by penji1
Very Berry Fruit Salsa

Very Berry Fruit Salsa

And another salsa for the baby shower salsa bar, very summery and light!

1 pound strawberries, finely diced

6 ounces raspberries, cut in half

6 ounces blueberries

1 1/2 cups finely diced apples

3 tablespoons apricot preserves, I used my homemade strawberry jam instead

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1  Whisk together preserves and lemon juice.

2  Combine all fruit in a large bowl.  Pour preserve mixture over fruit and mix well.

recipe from Evolving Table

Dill Pickle Dip

by penji1
Dill Pickle Dip

Dill Pickle Dip

We had a baby shower here this weekend for my daughter’s friend Keeley.  Keeley loves salsa so we did a salsa/dip bar, with a savory table and a sweet table.  She also loves dill so I gave this Dill Pickle Dip a try, if you love pickles then you’ll love this dip.

Dill Pickle Dip

Dill Pickle Dip

We served it with veggies but I think it would be great with potato chips too.

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

16 ounces sour cream

1/4 cup finely chopped dill

1 – 2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/2 – 1 teaspoon onion powder

salt and pepper

1 cup chopped dill pickles

Mix cream cheese and sour cream until combined.  Add all other ingredients and mix well.  Refrigerate 1 – 2 hours before serving.

recipe from Cooking Classy

Sandcastle Birthday Cake

by penji1
Sandcastle Birthday Cake

Sandcastle Birthday Cake

Our cute neighbors were having birthdays this week so I pulled out my new Nordic Ware Castle pan and made a Sandcastle Cake for them.

The cake is made with a yellow cake mix using this recipe here.

The “sand” is 1 pack of graham crackers which I ran through the food processor until sandlike.

The chocolate shells are made from Wilton Candy Melts and a shell shaped mold.

I didn’t want to frost the cake and hide all the castle features so we gave them a tub of Cool Whip with Oreos in it to top the individual pieces of cake.

Happy Birthday Addi and Alex!

Sausage Meatballs with Creamy Tomato Penne

by penji1
Sausage Meatballs with Creamy Tomato Penne

Sausage Meatballs with Creamy Tomato Penne

A tasty one pot dinner to add to your to do list.

1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage

1/2 cup Italian style panko crispy breadcrumbs

1/2 cup finely chopped onions

1 egg

1 – 2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups chicken broth

1 (25.5 oz) jar tomato basil pasta sauce

3/4 cup whipping cream (you can replace this with an equal amount of evaporated milk and save some calories like I did)

12 oz (3 3/4 cups) uncooked penne pasta

shredded Parmesan and fresh basil for topping if desired

1  In a large bowl, mix sausage, breadcrumbs, onion and egg until well combined.  Shape into 12 (2″) meatballs.

2  In 5 quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat.  Add meatballs and cook 9 – 11 minutes, gently turning occasionally, just until browned on all sides.

3  Stir in broth, pasta sauce and whipping cream/evaporated milk and heat to boiling.  Stir in penne and return to boiling.  Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 18 – 22 minutes, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are thoroughly cooked and no longer pink in center and pasta is tender and sauce is thickened.  Sprinkle with Parmesan and basil.

recipe from Betty Crocker

Healthy Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins

by penji1
Healthy Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins

Healthy Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins

OK, these muffins did not look so great when they came out of the oven, they sank in the middle but they tasted fine so the recipe needs a little work.  I’ve never had muffins sink in the middle before, only cupcakes and cakes, maybe too much baking powder?  I’ll have to tinker and get back to you.

2 cups oat or almond flour

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips plus more for sprinkling on top

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup maple syrup

2 eggs

1/3 cup coconut or olive oil or melted butter

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1  Preheat oven to 400.  Line muffin tins with paper liners.

2  In large bowl, whisk together flour, chocolate chips, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

3  In another bowl, whisk together maple syrup, eggs, oil, applesauce and milk.  Add wet ingredients to dry and stir just until combined.  Batter will be thin.

4  Scoop into prepared pan.  Bake at 450 for 10 minutes then reduce to 400 and bake for 10 more minutes.  Allow muffins to cool completely in pan before removing.

recipe from Baker by Nature

Beef and Bean Crescent Burritos

by penji1
Beef and Bean Crescent Burritos

Beef and Bean Crescent Burritos

Another delicious, easy and fast recipe from Pillsbury.

1/2 pound ground beef, cooked and drained

1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons taco seasoning

3 tablespoons water

2 cans refrigerated crescent dough sheets or crescent rolls

1 cup (4 oz) shredded Cheddar cheese

1  Heat oven to 375.  In 10″ skillet, mix beef, beans, taco seasoning, and water over medium high heat until boiling, stirring occasionally.

2  Unroll dough onto cutting board dusted lightly with flour, cut into 8 rectangles.  (If using rolls, press diagonal perforations to seal.)  Divide beef mixture evenly among rectangles, spooning down center.  Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese.  Starting with short side, roll up each rectangle and pinch edges to seal.  Place seam side down on ungreased cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

3  Bake 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown.

recipe from Pillsbury

Sloth Birthday Cake

by penji1
Sloth Birthday Cake

Sloth Birthday Cake

It’s my daughter’s birthday today and she loves sloths!  The whole fam is headed to the aquarium today because they have sloths there so I decided to make her a sloth birthday cake.  I think it’s pretty cute.

The cake is chocolate from this recipe.

I spread a generous layer of Nutella between the layers.

The frosting is from this recipe flavored Salted Caramel with the Wilton Treatology Flavor System and colored with the Wilton Performance Color System, both of which you can find at Michaels.

The fondant sloth face is Wilton Fondant also found at Michaels.

Happy Birthday Courtney, I love you!

 

 

Tuscan Crescent Ring

by penji1
Tuscan Crescent Ring

Tuscan Crescent Ring

It’s like a tiny trip to Tuscany for dinner, divine!

2 (3 oz each) packages sliced prosciutto, cut into thin strips or 8 slices thickly cut , chopped, and crisply cooked bacon

1 (9 oz) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to drain

2 (7.5 oz each) containers garden vegetable cream cheese spread

4 oz (1 cup) shredded provolone cheese or shredded Italian cheese mix

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, divided

2 (8 oz each) cans refrigerated crescent rolls

1/2 cup chopped seeded tomato

2 tablespoons pine nuts

3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

1  Heat oven to 350.  Line large cookie sheet or pizza stone with parchment paper.

2  In skillet, cook proscuitto over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, 6 – 8 minutes or until crisp.  Drain on paper towels.

3  In small bowl, mix spinach, cream cheese, provolone and 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning until well blended.

4  Unroll both cans of dough and separate into 16 triangles.  On prepared sheet, with shortest sides toward center, arrange triangles in star shape leaving a 6″ circle in center.  Dough will overlap, press overlapping dough to flatten.

5  Sprinkle prosciutto in 2″ wide strip over half of each triangle closest to center of ring.  Carefully spoon spinach mixture over prosciutto.  Sprinkle with tomatoes and pine nuts.

6  Pull points of triangle up over filling, tucking dough under bottom layer of dough to secure it and form a ring.  Repeat around ring until entire filling is enclosed.

7  In small bowl, stir together Parmesan and 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning.

8  Bake 25 – 28 minutes or until dough is golden brown and thoroughly baked.  Sprinkle with Parmesan mixture.  Bake 8 minutes longer of until cheese is melted.  Cool 15 minutes before cutting.

recipe from the Pillsbury cookbook Baking Hacks Fun and Inventive Recipes with Refrigerated Dough

Peanut Butter Caramel Sticky Rolls

by penji1
Peanut Butter Caramel Sticky Rolls

Peanut Butter Caramel Sticky Rolls

Yup.  Crescent rolls + peanut butter + caramel topping + Nutella drizzle = sweet dreams.

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup caramel topping

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

2 (8 oz each) cans refrigerated crescent dough sheets or rolls

1/2 cup chocolate flavored hazelnut spread

1  Heat oven to 400.  Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners and spray generously with cooking spray.

2  In a small bowl, mix together powdered sugar, caramel topping and peanut butter until blended.  Unroll both cans of dough on cutting boards.  (If using rolls, press seams together firmly.)  Spread half of caramel mixture evenly over each dough sheet to within 1/2″ of edges.  Starting on short side, roll up each dough sheet.  Cut each roll crosswise into 6 pieces.  Place rolls cut side up in muffin cups.

3  Bake 12 – 18 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from pan to cooling rack.  Cool 15 minutes.

4  Meanwhile, in a small microwavable bowl, microwave hazelnut spread on high 30 – 60 seconds.  Drizzle over rolls.

recipe from Pillsbury