Friday, November 29, 2013

White Chocolate Raspberry Bars

Ingredients:
· 1 (16.5 ounce) roll refrigerator sugar cookie dough
· 1 (12 ounce) bag of white chocolate chips
· 1 (12-ounce) jar raspberry jam

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a greased 9x13-inch pan, break up cookie dough. Press dough evenly in bottom of pan to form crust.
Sprinkle 1/3 of the bag of chocolate chips onto the crust and press firmly into dough. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove crust from oven.
Spread jam evenly over the crust. Return to oven and bake 10 minutes. Cool for approximately 15 minutes.
Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over crust and allow to fully cool before cutting into squares.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Pound Cake Challenge Week 13: Strawberry Pound Cake

Ingredients for cake:
· 1 cup butter
· 2 cups white sugar
· 5 large eggs
· ½ teaspoon strawberry extract
· ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
· 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
· ½ teaspoon salt
· ½ cup sour cream
· ¾ cup fresh strawberries 


Ingredients for Glaze, optional

· 1 cup powdered sugar
· 2 tablespoons milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 8x4-inch loaf pans.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in extracts.
In a small bowl, combine flour and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in sour cream and strawberries. Divide mixture evenly between prepared pans.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cakes cool in pans for 15 minutes on wire rack. Remove from pans and continue to cool on wire racks.
If using glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar and milk. Pour evenly over warm cakes.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Leftover Turkey and Swiss Panini

Ingredients:
· 8 slices sourdough or other type bread
· 2 tablespoons fig or apricot jam
· 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
· 1 ½ cups turkey, shredded
· ½ cup cranberry sauce
· ¼ cup chopped pecans
· 8 slices (thick) Swiss cheese
· 8 tablespoons butter

Directions:
Spread all slices of bread on one side with jam and the mustard. Top four slices with turkey.
Mix together cranberry sauce and pecans and spread over the turkey. Top with slices of cheese.
Top with other four slices of bread with the jam/mustard side down.
Spread both sides generously with softened butter and toast in Panini press or heavy skillet.
Slice in half and serve.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Asparagus Casserole

Ingredients:
· 3 cups canned asparagus, not drained (if using spears cut into bite size pieces)
· 1 (10 ¾ ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
· 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
· 1 ¼ cups Ritz cracker crumbs
· 3 eggs, well beaten
· 2 tablespoons chopped pimientos
· Salt and pepper, to taste
· 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl mix the asparagus with liquid, mushroom soup, cheese, cracker crumbs, eggs, pimientos, and salt and pepper.
Pour into a 9” x 13” casserole dish. Pour the butter over the top.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:
· 1 (30 ounce) bag frozen hash browns
· 1 (1 pound) package sausage, browned and drained
· 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
· 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
· 12 eggs
· ½ cup milk
· ½ teaspoon salt
· ¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Spray a large slow cooker with non-stick spray or line with slow cooker bag. Put ½ each of the hash browns, sausage and cheeses; then repeat with the other half.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Drizzle over top of mixture in slow cooker.
Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Can cook overnight on low.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Pumpkin Roll Bars

Ingredients for Bars:
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1½ cups white sugar
2 large eggs
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Filling:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
¼ cup white sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and 1½ cups sugar until smooth. Beat in 2 eggs, pumpkin, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and water until well blended.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and combine until well blended.
Spread about ⅔ of the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, 1 egg, ¼ cup sugar, and ½ teaspoon of vanilla until smooth.
Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over the pumpkin batter. Dollop the remaining pumpkin batter over the cream cheese batter and spread out as evenly as possible. Use a knife to swirl together the cream cheese and top layer of pumpkin batter.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the center of the pumpkin batter springs back when touched. Cool completely in pan and then cut into bars.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Ingredients:
9 medium russet potatoes
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 jar bacon bits, or a half pound of bacon, fried and cut into bits, or cut into bits and fried
3 green onions, sliced

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Scrub and pierce potatoes several times with a sharp knife. Bake potatoes for about an hour, or until potatoes give when squeezed gently with an oven-mitted hand. When potatoes are done, cut in half and carefully scoop out insides.
3. Place potato insides in a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer. Mix briefly to break potatoes down.
4. Add cream cheese, sour cream, butter, chopped garlic, and salt and pepper. Beat until thoroughly mixed, but don't mix to the point of gumminess. If the mixture seems really thick, add up to 1/2 cup milk to smooth it out to the consistency of mashed potatoes.
5. Spray a large casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread potato mixture into the prepared pan.
6. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes at 325 degrees.
7. Immediately after removing potato casserole from oven, cover the top with cheese. Then sprinkle with bacon and sliced green onions, if desired. Allow to sit for about 10-15 minutes before serving. The heat from the potatoes will melt the cheese.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Happy Birthday Crevolyn!

Well, first things first, this isn't actually Crevolyn posting today. It's her daughter, Emily. But only because Crevolyn is too modest to tell you... Today is her birthday!!  Happy birthday to my wonderful mom and our favorite resident cook!  We appreciate all you do for our family and our company!

And PS- I'm cooking her birthday dinner! More details and photos to come!


Monday, November 18, 2013

Honey Glazed Ham

Ingredients:
· 1 (5 pound) ready-to-eat ham
· 1/4 cup whole cloves
· 1/4 cup brown sugar
· 1 ½ cups honey
· 1/3 cup butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Score ham, and stud with the whole cloves. Place ham in foil lined pan.
In the top half of a double boiler, heat the brown sugar, honey and butter. Keep glaze warm while baking ham.
Brush glaze over ham, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Baste ham every 15 minutes with the honey glaze. During the last 4 to 5 minutes of baking, turn on broiler to caramelize the glaze. Remove from oven, and let sit a few minutes before serving.

Slow Cooker Directions:
1. Score ham and stud with whole cloves.
2. Place slow cooker liner inside the slow cooker. Place ham in the cooker.
3. Brush glaze over ham.
4. Set slow cooker to Low and cook for about 5 hours, basting with glaze about every 30 minutes.
5. Remember to keep the glaze warm during basting.

Friday, November 15, 2013

Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients for Crust:
· 2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
· 6 tablespoons butter, melted
· 1 tablespoon sugar
· 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
· ½ teaspoon salt
· ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Ingredients for Filling:
· 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate
· 6 ounces semisweet chocolate
· 4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
· 1 (15-ounce) can solid-pack pumpkin
· 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
· ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
· 3 large eggs
· 1 tablespoon cornstarch
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
· 1 ½ teaspoons salt
· ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
· ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
· 1 ounce milk chocolate, melted for garnish

Directions for Crust:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugars, salt and cinnamon in a bowl.
2. Firmly press mixture into bottom and up sides of a deep-dish pie dish.
3. Bake about 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Remove from oven.


Directions for Filling:
1. Sprinkle bittersweet chocolate over bottom of crust and return to oven to melt chocolate, about 1 minute. Spread chocolate in a thin layer on bottom and up sides. Let cool on a wire rack.
2. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
3. In a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt semisweet chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.
4. Mix pumpkin, milk, brown sugar, eggs, cornstarch, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Whisk pumpkin mixture into chocolate mixture until completely incorporated.
5. Place pie dish on a rimmed baking sheet and pour pumpkin mixture into crust.
6. Bake until center is almost set, 55 to 60 minutes.
7. Let cool in a pie dish on a wire rack. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 8 hours or overnight.
8. Before serving, drizzle melted milk chocolate on top. Serve immediately.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Million Dollar Pound Cake

Ingredients:
· 1 pound butter, softened
· 3 cups white sugar
· 6 large eggs
· 4 cups all-purpose flour
· ¾ cup milk
· 1 teaspoon almond extract
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until yellow disappears.
3. Add flour to the creamed mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in extracts.
4. Pour into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan.
5. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:
· 2 pounds fresh Brussels Sprouts, ends trimmed and yellow leaves removed
· 3 tablespoons olive oil
· 1 teaspoon sea salt
· ½ teaspoon pepper
· 2 tablespoons minced garlic
· ½ pound bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place trimmed Brussels sprouts, olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal tightly and shake to coat. Pour into a large baking sheet and place in center of oven.
3. Roast for 20-30 minutes, shaking pan every 5-7 minutes for even browning. Reduce heat if necessary to prevent burning. The sprouts should be dark brown when done.
4. Remove from pan into a serving dish and sprinkle with bacon. Serve immediately.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Overnight Turkey

Ingredients: 
· 1 12- 14 pound turkey, thawed
· 1 tablespoon flour
· 1 stick butter
· 1 large turkey-size oven bag

Directions:
1. Remove everything from the inside of the turkey.
2. Put flour in the oven bag and shake it. Place turkey breast side down in the bag and place in a large roasting pan.
3. Place butter in the cavity of the turkey.
4. Seal the bag and cut a few small slits in the top.
5. Turn on the oven to 250 degrees and place turkey in oven. Cook for approximately 7 hours.
6. After cooking is complete, remove the turkey from the bag and turn breast side up in the pan. Turn on the oven broiler and place turkey under just long enough for it to brown.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Pound Cake Challenge Week 10: Orange Pound Cake

Ingredients for cake:
· 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
· 2 ½ cups white sugar, divided
· 4 large eggs, at room temperature
· 1/3 cup grated orange zest
· 3 cups all-purpose flour
· ½ teaspoon baking powder
· ½ teaspoon baking soda
· 1 teaspoon salt
· ¾ cup orange juice, divided
· ¾ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients for Glaze (optional):
· 1 cups powdered sugar, sifted
· 1 ½ tablespoons orange juice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8x4x2-inch loaf pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper.
2. Cream the butter and 2 cups of white sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. With the mixer on medium speed, beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the orange zest.
3. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine ¼ cup of orange juice, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter – beginning and ending with the flour.
4. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
5. While the cake bakes, cook the remaining ½ cup sugar with the remaining ½ cup orange juice in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
6. When the cakes are done, cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and place on baking rack over a tray. Spoon the orange syrup over the cake and allow the cakes to cool completely.
7. To glaze, combine the powdered sugar and orange juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Add a few more drops of juice if necessary to make it pour easily. Pour over the top of cake and allow glaze to dry.
8. Store in the refrigerator.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Toasted Pecan-Maple Brown Butter Sauce

Ingredients:
· 2 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
· 2 tablespoons olive oil
· ½ teaspoon salt
· ½ cup butter
· 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
· 1/4 cup maple syrup
· ¼ teaspoon salt
· ¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place sweet potatoes on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt; toss to coat. Spread in a single layer. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until tender.
3. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Cook butter for 1 to 2 minutes or until butter is just beginning to brown.
4. Add pecans, and cook, stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes or until pecans are lightly toasted and butter is browned.
5. Remove from heat and stir in maple syrup. Return to heat and cook for 1 minute. Stir in salt and pepper.
6. Drizzle pecan mixture over sweet potatoes making sure to coat well.

Monday, November 4, 2013

Chicken and Sweet Potatoes in the Slow Cooker

Ingredients:
· 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
· 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
· 1 stick butter, melted
· 1/3 cup brown sugar
· 4 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:
1. Place sweet potatoes in the slow cooker and place the chicken breasts on top.
2. Mix melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Pour mixture over the top of the chicken and sweet potatoes.
3. Cook on low 6-8 hours.