Allergy Free Sandwich Bread

 (top picture with rice based flour only, bottom with combination)

I have been craving bread since going wheat free for Henry's allergies.  This is my first homemade loaf recipe to try and it is pretty good, but I will keep trying others too, I am not sold on this first one.  I got this recipe from the only allergy free cookbook that I have bought, the rest I just got from the library.  It is Learning to Bake Allergen-Free by Colette Martin.  I took her advice and bought a gluten free bread loaf pan (9x4x4") to help it rise better.  It came out a perfect block.  It was delicious straight out of the oven (what bread isn't?) but it does need to be toasted or warmed in the microwave thereafter - which is true of any wheat free bread as far as I can tell.  I sliced the whole loaf and froze some and kept some out, it freezes fine.

When made with only multi-purpose flour blends that have rice flour as the main ingredient, the loaf ends up being a bit spongy and not really the texture of wheat flour based bread at all.  When made with only multi-purpose flour blends that have garbanzo bean flour as the main ingredient, the texture is much fluffier, but it dries out quickly.  When I used both - as the wise Collette Martin had suggested, the result was much better!

Allergy Free Sandwich Bread

1 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose blend (bob's red mill - garbanzo bean flour main ingredient)
1 cup gluten free multi-purpose flour blend (king arthur or betty crocker - rice flour main ingredient)
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
4 tsp quick rising yeast
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
1 1/2 cup water - warm
2 T egg replacer (ener-g)

Whisk together flour, xanthan gum, yeast, salt, baking powder, and sugar.  Using a stand mixer, blend the oil, water, and egg replacer on medium speed for 1 minute.  Slowly add the flour mixture on medium low until combined.  Mix on medium high for 2 minutes.  Spoon the batter into a greased loaf pan (optional: sprinkle cornmeal in the bottom of the pan).  Let rise for 35-45 minutes.  Bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes.  Let cool in pan for 5 minutes then place on cooling rack to prevent the loaf from getting mushy.

Rising Methods:
a) Preheat oven for 1 minute then turn off, place dough in oven with a cup or pan of water.
b) Place dough on warming zone of stovetop, set to low and rotate the pan so that it rises evenly, cover with greased or water dripped plastic wrap.

Doubled Recipe

3 cups gluten free all purpose blend (bob's red mill - garbanzo bean flour main ingredient)
2 cup gluten free multi-purpose flour blend (king arthur or betty crocker - rice flour main ingredient)
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 T + 2 tsp quick rising yeast
1 tsp salt
2 T + 2 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup grapeseed oil
3 cup water - warm
1/4 cup egg replacer (ener-g)

Sugar Cookies (Box Mix)

I made some allergy free cookies from a mix, altering it a bit to eliminate the egg.  I got the mix and substitution instructions from a friend who also has a son with food allergies and has been doing this for much longer and so is much wiser :) 

Sugar Cookies (Box Mix)

1 box sugar cookie mix (betty crocker gluten free - wheat free)

1 stick butter - softened (earth balance buttery stick - milk free)

2 T water

1 T vinegar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

Stir all ingredients together until they form a soft dough.  Drop by spoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Smush them down and add sprinkles.  Bake at 350° for 12 minutes. 

Egg substitution for cookies:

1 T water

1 T vinegar

1 tsp baking powder

Spaghetti with Garlic Oil

This is another recipe I got from an Allergy Free cookbook.  I thought it looked good, and it tasted pretty good, and smelled divine.  However, pairing it with a wheat free pasta, it made the pasta stick to my teeth, not so good.

Spaghetti with Garlic Oil

1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves - minced
dash salt & pepper
16 oz spaghetti noodles (ronzoni - wheat free)

In a large pan of salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine olive oil and garlic, and season with salt and pepper.  Simmer over low heat, careful not to burn the garlic.  Pour garlic oil over drained pasta, serve.

Granola "Bars" - allergy free

This is a recipe I got from an allergy free cookbook for granola bars.  They are not bars, they do not hold together at all.  It is really just granola, but with chocolate chips and sugar.  :)  It still tastes ok, but if I make it again trying for bars, I will probably add some wowbutter or something to help hold it together.

Granola "Bars"

1/2 cup shortening
2 T honey
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups oatmeal
1 cup rice crispies
1 cup mini chocolate chips (enjoy life - milk free)

In a large bowl, melt together shortening and honey.  Stir in sugars.  Stir in oatmeal, rice crispies, and chocolate chips.  Spoon into a 9x13" baking dish and bake at 325° for 30 minutes.  Cool and cut into bars.

Fakeroos

These are an allergy-free take on Scotcheroos.  I haven't gone to a health food store to find milk free butterscotch chips yet, but I wanted to make an allergy free version of them, so I improvised.  And the result may be better than the original.  I put the chocolate chips into the mix without realizing that they would melt, but they did, and what a happy accident!

Fakeroos

1 cup sugar
1 cup karo syrup

1 cup peanut butter (wowbutter - peanut free)

6 cups rice crispies
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (enjoy life - milk free)

In a large bowl, stir together sugar, karo syrup, and wowbutter.  Microwave for 1.5 minutes, stir well, then add rice crispies and chocolate chips.  Stir together and spoon into a 9x13" baking dish.

Dirty Rice

This is sort of cheating - I am just using a box mix, but it is a good quick and easy allergy free dinner option.  I like to add corn to it also to make it more healthy.  I just add the corn after it is done cooking.

Dirty Rice

1 box Zatarain's dirty rice mix
1 LB hamburger

Brown hamburger, drain.  Follow box instructions (add water and vegetable oil, bring to a boil, then simmer 25 minutes). 

Apple Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal

This seems like a weird recipe to post, but since I eat it almost every day, I thought it was worth it.  If it is good enough to eat almost every day for a month, it is good enough to put on the blog.

Apple Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal

1/2 cup quick cooking oats
dash salt
3/4 cup water
dash cinnamon
1 T brown sugar
1/3 cup raisins
1-2 T apple cider

Mix oats and salt with your fingers so you don't get any salty patches.  Add water and microwave for 1 minute.  Stir in cinnamon, brown sugar, raisins, and apple cider. 

Roasted Cauliflower

I found this recipe in one of the many allergy-friendly cookbooks I have been checking out of the library.  It looked great and tasted better!

Roasted Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower - cut into florets
2 T olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic - minced
1/4 tsp thyme

In a small prep bowl, mix olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and thyme.  Place cauliflower on a large baking sheet with edges.  Drizzle with oil mixture.  Use clean hands to mix until well coated.  Bake at 450° for 20 minutes, turning cauliflower halfway through.

Doubled Recipe

2 head cauliflower - cut into florets
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
4 cloves garlic - minced
1/2 tsp thyme

Puppy Chow

I have always loved puppy chow, and if you use Soy peanut butter alternative, it is allergen free!

Puppy Chow

9 cups rice chex
1 cup chocolate chips (enjoy life - milk free)
1/2 cup peanut butter (wowbutter - peanut free)

1/2 stick butter (earth balance buttery stick - milk free)

1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In a large bowl melt butter, peanut butter, and chocolate chips.  Stir in vanilla, then chex cereal.  Pour powdered sugar into a clean grocery bag, add cereal.  Mix until well coated.  Place in air tight container.

Beef Roast

I have been making this for a long time, just never bothered to write up a recipe because there isn't much to it.  We recently bought half a cow and the meat from it is so good, this roast tasted like what my gramma used to make - and that is saying something, because I have been building up the taste in my memory for a long time.

Beef Roast

3 lb beef roast
1 envelope onion soup mix
dash oregano
2 cup water

Mix together water, onion soup mix, and oregano in your crockpot.  Add roast and cover.  Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.  If you are home, spoon some of the liquid over the roast throughout the day.

**If you wish to cook potatoes with it, add more water and cut up some potatoes and put them in the bottom of the pot, then the roast.

Banana Pancakes

How wonderful to eat something soft and bread-like.  I have been missing that lately.  These pancakes were really good!  This amount makes the pile seen here, about 9 small and thick pancakes.

Banana Pancakes

1 cup pancake mix (betty crocker gluten free - wheat free)
1 1/4 cup milk (almond milk - milk free)
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 large banana or 1/2 small banana

Mash the banana in a mixing bowl with the tines of a fork.  Add pancake mix, almond milk, and vanilla, whisk together until smooth.  Lightly grease a hot griddle.  Spoon batter onto griddle and cook.  Flip when bottom is firm.  Serve with vegan buttery spread and syrup.

Meatloaf with Bacon Bits

I updated my meatloaf recipe to be allergen free, and Jer liked it even better than my regular recipe.  Probably because I added bacon bits.

Meatloaf with Bacon Bits

1 lb hamburger
1 tsp onion flakes
1 cup oatmeal
2 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 T mustard
1/4 cup ketchup
1 cup chicken broth
2.5 oz bacon bits
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar

Mix together hamburger, onion flakes, oatmeal, salt, pepper, mustard, 1/4 cup ketchup, chicken broth, and bacon bits. Pour into a 9x5" pan. In a separate bowl, mix together 3/4 cup ketchup and brown sugar.  Pour on top of the loaf and bake at 350° for 1 hour.

Crash Hot Potatoes

I originally saw these on a food blog my friend did, but she got them from The Pioneer Woman.  When I made them before I had smaller red skinned potatoes and they ended up looking more like individual potato pieces, but this time it was more of just a layer of potatoes.  It didn't really affect the taste much, they just aren't as pretty.

Crash Hot Potatoes

2.5 lb red potatoes
3 T olive oil
dash salt & pepper
dash oregano

Wash the potatoes and put them in a large pot, cover with salted water by about an inch.  Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender.  Spread some olive oil on a baking sheet with edges, then place potatoes on the sheet.  Smash with a potato masher enough to flatten and break the skin.  Top with more olive oil.  Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and oregano.  Bake at 450° for 25 minutes.

Cinnamon Roll Chex Mix

I am trying lots of different chex mixes out.  I saw this one on pinterest and thought it looked pretty good.  I couldn't do the white chocolate, so I changed it a bit and went with powdered sugar.  Yum.

Cinnamon Roll Chex Mix

12 oz box rice chex
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 stick butter (earth balance buttery stick - milk free)
1/4 cup karo syrup
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Place chex in a large mixing bowl.  Microwave butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and karo syrup in a 2 cup measuring cup, stirring occasionally.  Stir in vanilla and baking soda.  Pour over cereal and mix.  Microwave for 1 minute and stir, repeat until well coated.  Pour 1/4 cup of powdered sugar into a clean plastic grocery bag without any holes, add cereal mixture, then another generous 1/4 cup of powdered sugar.  Mix well, then place in an air tight container, putting the lid on after it cools.

Half Batch:

5 cup rice chex
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 stick butter (earth balance buttery stick - milk free)
1/8 cup karo syrup
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Caramel Chex Mix

Chex Mixes are becoming one of my food groups with the dietary restrictions.  I got this recipe off from the chex website and eliminated the m&ms.  Feel free to add them back in.

Caramel Chex Mix

4 1/2 cup rice chex
4 1/2 cup corn chex
1 stick butter (earth balance buttery stick - milk free)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup karo syrup
1/4 tsp baking soda

Place cereal in a large mixing bowl.  Put butter, brown sugar, and karo syrup in a 2 cup measuring cup or small bowl and melt in the microwave, stirring occasionally.  Stir in1/4 tsp baking soda, then pour caramel mixture over cereal and stir.  Microwave for 1 minute then stir, then repeat a couple times until all the cereal is well coated.  Pour onto a wax paper covered cookie sheet.  If you want them separated, let cool for 3-5 minutes, then separate with clean hands.  Other wise let cool, then break into chunks.

Chicken & Rice Soup

As I look for allergy free recipes, soups have been a home run.  This is the third soup I have made this week.  I did a google search and came across this recipe.  I modified it a bit to my taste, what I had in the house, and the fact that I can't eat crackers.  I put in 3 times the rice, so there is very little broth left.  If you like dipping crackers, I would cut back on the rice.

Chicken & Rice Soup

1 T olive oil

1 onion - diced

2 garlic cloves - minced

2 medium carrots - cut into quarters lengthwise, then sliced

2 celery sticks - halved lengthwise, then sliced

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp oregano

2 box chicken broth

3 cup rice

2-3 cups chicken

dash garlic salt

Pour olive oil into soup pot, add onion, garlic, carrots, and celery.  Cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes until vegetables are cooked but not brown.  Add chicken broth, thyme, oregano, and garlic salt.  Process chicken in a food processor until chicken is shredded.  Pour chicken and rice into soup pot.  Cook over low heat for at least 30 minutes to blend flavors.

Crockpot Chicken

My mother in law passed this recipe on to me and it is as easy as can be.  You buy a whole frozen chicken, thaw it, season it, and put it in a crockpot and dinner is ready to go.

This recipe is great because lots of recipes call for cooked chicken and this is a cheap and delicious way to make some.  We typically eat the breast meat for supper and then pick the bird clean and use the leftover meat for chicken tacos or a casserole.

Crockpot Chicken

1 whole chicken - thawed
1 T salt
1 T garlic salt

Thaw the chicken in the fridge for at least 24 hours, or overnight in a water bath (still in the bag).  Cut open the bag and dispose of the bag of chicken innards if one is included (or keep and cook them, up to your preference).  Separate the skin from the breasts with your fingers, then pour 1/2 T salt and 1/2 T garlic salt into your palm, insert it under the skin, and rub it into the meat.  Flip the bird and repeat.  Place the chicken in a large crockpot breast side down and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.  The meat is juicier if you cook on low for 8 hours.

Jer's Chili

Jer loves chili, and a couple of years ago he decided to make it himself, so we found a recipe and I let him go for it.  Unfortunately he thought that a tsp was a T, and it got super super spicy.  So we dumped in a can of this and a can of that to try to cool it down.  The result tasted pretty good, so I wrote down everything we put in and now made it again.  It is still a bit on the spicy side, enough to give Jer the hiccups, so if you like it a bit milder, cut back on the spices.

Jer's Chili

2 LB hamburger
1 onion - chopped
1 stick celery - chopped
37 oz tomato sauce
44 oz kidney beans
29 oz pinto beans
1 can tomatoes and chiles - diced
4 can tomatoes - diced
1 can tomato soup
2 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 T pepper
2 T salt
1 T pepper flakes
1 T paprika

Brown hamburger with onion and celery, drain. Drain beans, then combine all ingredients in a large soup pot. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring every 15 minutes, for 2-3 hours. Serve with cheese and sour cream.

Sausage Bread

I found this recipe a long time ago and had been meaning to make it, and now finally did.  I couldn't have it, but Jer said it was delicious and had a stromboli vibe.

Sausage Bread

1 loaf frozen bread dough
1 lb pork sausage
2 eggs
3 cups mozzarella cheese
parmesan cheese

Place bread dough in a gallon ziplock bag and put in a warm place to rise.  I usually do this first thing in the morning, it will be ready in time for supper.  Brown the sausage and drain it.  Spoon into a large mixing bowl.  In a small bowl, crack the eggs and scramble with a fork.  Pour 3/4 of the eggs into the sausage mixture and mix in along with the mozzarella cheese.  Place the bread on a greased or floured surface and roll into a rectangle.  Spoon meat onto dough and pull dough over top and seal the seam.  Place on a large pan and brush with remaining egg. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake at 350°  for 25 minutes.

Sugar Cookie Chex Mix

I found this recipe on the Chex website.  With vegan butter it is allergen free.  It tastes pretty good, but I am missing the white chocolate that you are supposed to drizzle on it.  Probably would love it then. :)

Sugar Cookie Chex Mix

6 cups rice chex
1/2 stick butter (earth balance buttery stick - milk free)
1/4 cup sugar
2 T karo syrup
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Melt butter in microwave in a 2 cup measuring cup.  Add sugar and karo syrup and microwave another 30 seconds.  Stir in vanilla.  Pour chex into a large bowl and pour butter mixture on top.  Stir well, then microwave for 1 minute, stir, and microwave 1 more minute.  Place in a clean plastic bag (without any holes) and add a generous half cup of powdered sugar and shake well.  Place on a wax paper lined pan to cool.  Store in an airtight container.

Large Batch

14 oz rice chex
1 stick butter (earth balance buttery stick - milk free)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 karo syrup
4 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Taco Soup

I got this recipe from a lady at church.  I used to put cheese and sour cream in it, but with the new food allergy restrictions that was out the window.  I also could not use the ranch dressing mix packet because it contains milk.  I looked up a ranch mix recipe and added the seasonings to the recipe instead.

Taco Soup

1 LB hamburger
1 package taco seasoning mix (allergy free recipe)
2 can diced tomatoes
2 can corn - drained
2 can black beans - drained
1 box chicken broth
1 package ranch dressing mix (see recipe below - milk free)

Brown meat and add taco seasoning and water, simmer until water evaporates.  Pour into a large soup pot, and add tomatoes, corn, beans, broth, and ranch mix.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Ranch Mix

3/4 tsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp minced onion
1/8 tsp dried dill weed

Taco Seasoning Mix

Since Henry was diagnosed with food allergies, I looked at my taco seasoning packet and for some reason it contains wheat and milk.  I had used a recipe from allrecipes.com but then I tasted my sister's and she had used the Pioneer Woman's recipe, so I made the switch (I also multiplied the larger recipe by two to make more at a time).

Taco Seasoning Mix

1/2 cup chili powder
6 T ground cumin (3/8 cup)
2 T paprika (preferably smoked paprika)
2 T salt
2 T red pepper flakes
1 T black pepper
1 T garlic powder
1 T onion powder
1 T oregano

Whisk together all ingredients.  Use 1-2 T seasoning mixture with 3/4 cup water to season 1 pound of cooked hamburger or chicken.

Italian Sandwich Casserole

I made this recipe up the other night because the recipe I intended to make called for salsa and we had finished the salsa the night before.  It is really quite good, I plan to make it again.  If you come up with a better name for this dish, let me know.

Italian Sandwich Casserole

1 LB hamburger - browned

1/2 jar spaghetti sauce

2 cans crescent rolls

6-8 slices velveeta cheese

pepperoni

parmesan cheese

Unroll 1 can of crescent rolls and press into the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish.  Stir spaghetti sauce into browned hamburger and spoon it over the crescent rolls.  Top with velveeta and pepperoni.  Unroll the second can of crescent rolls and place on top.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Bake at 375° for 25 minutes.

Dad's World Famous Scrambled Eggs

Growing up, dad always called these his World Famous Scrambled Eggs.  I totally believed him.  They are delicious after all.  We have passed the name down, and Leila calls them Papa's famous world eggs.  She got it out of order a bit, but how cute is that?

World Famous Scrambled Eggs

9 eggs
1/4 cup milk
4-5 slices velveeta cheese
salt & pepper

Crack eggs into a skillet and scramble.  Add milk and salt and pepper and stir together.  Rip cheese into small pieces and add to pan.  Cook on high scraping the sides of the pan until done.  You can adjust the amounts based on how many people you are serving.

Apple Pie

I had never made an apple pie before, I am not sure how this happened since pies are Jer's favorite desserts, but since we went apple picking I decided to give it a go.  My mom has told me that it is not worth the effort to make a home made crust, so I took her word for it and went with premade refrigerated pie crusts.  They worked great.  I searched the internet and found a recipe on Betty Crocker that I thought looked good, making a couple of tweaks based on what I saw in other recipes.  I used cortland apples because that is what my mom uses.  I saw quite a few suggestions for granny smith, but basically it is supposed to be any type of apple that will hold its shape.  Also I saw quite a few recipes with the number of apples to use (usually 6-8), I appreciated that this one had a measurement, since I picked some really big apples and I only needed 4.

Apple Pie

2 refrigerated pie crusts
6 cups apples - peeled, cored, & thinly sliced
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
5 shakes nutmeg
dash salt
1/2 stick butter - cold - cut into pea sized chunks
1 T water
1 T sugar


Place one crust in the bottom of the pie plate.  In a large bowl, mix flour, 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.  Toss with butter and apple slices to coat.  Spoon into pie plate.  Cut steam vents into second crust and cover apples.  Tuck edges in and brush with water.  Sprinkle with sugar and bake at 425° for 40 minutes.  Cool for 1-2 hours before serving.

Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

I haven't made this dip in a while and it is so good!  So I had to make it again now that we have tons of apples in the house.  I am pretty sure I got the recipe from a friend at game night, but it is so simple I never needed to write it down.

Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

8 oz cream cheese
7 oz marshmallow cream

Mix cream cheese and marshmallow cream, keep refrigerated.

Cheesecake Brownies

I had 3 bricks of cream cheese in my fridge so I went searching for a good cheesecake recipe to use them up.  Nothing stood out to me until I came across this recipe on allrecipes.com for Cheesecake Brownies.  It sounded pretty good, even though it only used up one brick.  They are delicious.

Cheesecake Brownies

1 box brownie mix
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
8 oz cream cheese

Mix together brownie mix, oil, water, and 2 eggs.  Pour into greased 9x13" baking dish.  Mix together cream cheese, 1 egg, and sugar.  Spoon globs on top of the brownie batter and then marble through.  Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Dirt Cups

Another delicious oreo creation!  How can you go wrong, you have chocolate pudding, cool whip, and oreos.  Yum.

Dirt Cups

1 package instant chocolate pudding mix
2 cup milk
1 tub cool whip
1 1/2 rows oreos - crushed

Mix together milk and pudding mix, place bowl in fridge for 5 minutes.  Fold in cool whip, spoon into cups (I did 8, that is good for a kid sized serving).  Pour crushed oreos on top, refrigerate 1 hour or as long as you can stand to wait :)

Creamed Turkey

If you make a turkey, what do you do with the leftovers?  Make creamed turkey, of course!  Especially if your mom and dad make it and send you home with some leftovers, even better!  The amounts are pretty flexible, I had enough turkey to fit in a 1.5 quart container.  I also used a food processor to cut up the meat - it takes less time and makes the end result creamier.  I also didn't have celery salt in the house so made do with extra onion salt. This is also great with leftover chicken!

Creamed Turkey

1 LB turkey - cooked & cubed
2 T turkey broth (or chicken broth)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients in a large saucepan and simmer.

Strawberry Meringue Cake

You HAVE to try this one.  It is the most delicious thing ever!!  That is all I am saying about this one, you will find out how good it is when you make it for yourself.  Note: make sure to use 9" pans, I used 8" once and ended up with a burning mess in the bottom of my oven.

Strawberry Meringue Cake

1 package yellow cake mix
1 1/3 cup orange juice
4 egg yolks
4 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
1 tub cool whip
strawberries - sliced

Mix cake mix, orange juice, and egg yolks. Pour into 2 greased 9" round cake pans. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form, gradually add sugar. Spread meringue over cake batter. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes. Spread cool whip over cakes and top with strawberries.

**You can also use whipped cream instead of cool whip...I did on the one pictured and it makes it even more decadent!

Whipped Cream

1 pint whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

Freeze a metal bowl for 1 hour, then pour cold whipping cream into it.  Beat and mix in vanilla and powdered sugar (or more to taste).  Beat until stiff peaks form.

Snickers Salad

This is another fruit "salad" with the quotes because really, this is another that is more of a dessert.  My gramma always made this growing up and it is always delicious.

Snickers Salad

4 large apples
1 tub cool whip
1 bag snickers minis

Core apples and cut into small chunks.  Cut snickers minis into quarters.  Place apples and candy bars in a large bowl and fold in cool whip.  Keep refrigerated.

**You may also add sliced bananas but they do not keep as well (as if there would be any leftover).  I made it with 4 small apples and 2 bananas.

Reese’s Mini Cheesecake

 

I am cheating a bit, this is a picture of some that I took home from game night that my friend Jenn made.  I found the recipe online, but haven't seen a recipe that says how many it makes, and thus how many Reese's cups you need.  She did have enough to fill a 9x13" pan though.

Reese’s Mini Cheesecake

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
1 box no bake cheesecake

Place cupcake liners in a cupcake pan.  Put an unwrapped Reese's cup into the bottom of each cupcake liner.  Mix cheesecake according to box directions.  Spoon onto Reese's cup and sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs from the mix.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

**You can also substitute Oreos for the Reese's cup.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

I am not sure why this is called a salad, it tastes more like a dessert, which makes it a GREAT salad :)

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

2 cup pretzels - crushed
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup butter
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 tub cool whip
2 package jello strawberry
2 1/2 cup water - boiling
16 oz strawberries - sweetened - thawed

Melt butter, mix with pretzels, 1/3 cup sugar; press into glass 9x13" pan, bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Mix cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, and cool whip with mixer, spread over cooled pretzel layer. Mix jello with boiling water, add strawberries. Cool in fridge until thickened (at least 2 hours), pour over cream cheese layer. Let set in fridge.

Oreo Brownies

I have been on an oreo kick lately.  Who doesn't love a good oreo based dessert?  I wanted to make brownies so I googled oreo brownie and found a recipe on Betty Crocker that looked pretty good.  I made the base as directed but decided to use white chocolate instead of frosting.  They are delicious!

Oreo Brownies

1 box brownie mix
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
20 oreos - crushed
8 oz white chocolate

Mix together brownie mix, water, oil, and eggs.  Stir in 10 crushed oreos.  Bake at 350° for 28 minutes.  Let them cool.  Melt white chocolate in the microwave, stir in remaining 10 crushed oreos.  Frost the brownies with the chocolate mixture. 

Fruit Pizza

 

I modified this recipe from my friend Emily.  She uses 1 1/2 tubes of store bought sugar cookie dough, and I modified it for a home made version because I didn't have any sugar cookie dough in the house.  I like it both ways.

Fruit Pizza

1 stick butter - softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz cream cheese - light
1+ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
strawberries
blueberries

Mix together butter, shortening, and brown sugar. Mix in egg and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, and salt. Press into a lightly greased 10x15x1" jelly roll pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile soften cream cheese then mix with vanilla and powdered sugar, adding more powdered sugar until taste/consistency is how you like it. Spread cream cheese mixture over cooled bars, top with fruit. Keep refrigerated. If you are not serving all at once, don't put the all of the strawberries on or they will get watery.

Lunch Lady Brownies

I found this recipe on Pinterest, looking for a scratch brownie recipe.  They turned out great, my husband did not want me to bring them away anywhere so that he could eat more of them - always a good sign.  I think that the brownie base needs a little more flavor, so I added salt to the recipe and it was quite an improvement.

Lunch Lady Brownies

2 sticks butter
1/2 cup cocoa
2 cup flour
2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 T vanilla

1/2 stick butter - softened
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cocoa
3 cup powdered sugar
dash salt

Melt butter, mix in cocoa.  Add in eggs and vanilla and stir until smooth.  Add flour, sugar, and salt, mix until combined.  Pour into a lightly greased 9x13" baking dish and bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Once you remove from the oven, quickly beat together butter, milk, cocoa, and salt.  Add powdered sugar and mix well.  Frost the brownies after they have cooled for about 10 minutes.

Dorito Taco Bake

I found this one on Plain Chicken, it was pretty good.  It seemed more like an appetizer chip dip than a supper dish, but I made it without the crescent roll bottom because my roll of crescent rolls had gone bad, there must have been a hole in the package.

Dorito Taco Bake

1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
1 LB hamburger
1 package taco seasoning (allergy free recipe)
8 oz can tomato sauce
4 oz sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 bag doritos - crushed

Brown hamburger and drain fat.  Stir in tomato sauce and taco seasoning, simmer for 5 minutes.  Unroll crescent rolls and press into the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish.  Top with hamburger mixture, then sour cream, then cheese, then doritos.  Bake at 350°  for 30 minutes.

Banana Bread

This is my go to banana bread recipe.  It is super moist, I think I got it from my high school sports fundraiser cookbook. 

Banana Bread

1 stick butter - melted
2 eggs - beaten
5 T sour cream
3 bananas - mashed
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
dash cinnamon & sugar

Mix together butter, eggs, sour cream, and bananas. Add sugar, flour, salt, baking soda, and vanilla. Mix until combined.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  Pour into 9x5" loaf pan and bake at 350° for 1 hour. For two small loaves, bake for 45 minutes. For muffins, bake for 20 minutes.

Oreo Rice Crispie Treats

Oreos and rice crispie treats?  What?  Sign me up!  These were really good.  Another Pinterest find.

Oreo Rice Crispie Treats

1/2 stick butter
1 bag mini marshmallows

6 cups rice crispies
20 oreos - crushed
4 oz white chocolate - melted

Melt butter and marshmallows, mix well.  Stir oreos and rice crispies into marshmallow mixture.  Pour into a 9x13" pan and drizzle with white chocolate.

Spaghetti

This is the spaghetti I grew up on.  Now I usually leave out the meat because it is easier, but I made it this way the other night and it was a hit.

Spaghetti
1 LB spaghetti noodles (ronzoni – wheat free)
1 LB hamburger
1 1/2 jar spaghetti sauce

Cook spaghetti, drain.  Brown and season meat, drain.  Add spaghetti sauce to the meat, stir.  Serve sauce over noodles.

Tater Tot Casserole

I love tater tots!  This casserole uses a whole bag, how can you lose?

Tater Tot Casserole

1 LB hamburger
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 can french cut green beans - drained
1 bag tater tots

Brown and season the hamburger, drain.  Mix together hamburger, soup, and beans in the 9x13" pan.  Top with tater tots.  Bake at 400° for 1 hour.

Cheese Ravioli & Meatballs

If you are looking for an easy and delicious meal, this is it.  You just have to assemble.

Cheese Ravioli & Meatballs

1 bag cheese ravioli
1/2 bag meatballs
1 1/2 jar spaghetti sauce

Place ravioli in a 9x13" pan, scatter meatballs.  Cover with spaghetti sauce.  Freeze for later or cover with foil and bake at 400° for 45-60 minutes.

Garlic Red Skin Mashed Potatoes

I made these the other day and forgot about my really good recipe for Garlic Red Skin Mashed Potatoes, so I am going to write up my good recipe and not the one that I actually used for this picture.

Garlic Red Skin Mashed Potatoes

2.5 LB red skin potatoes, cut into 1.5" cubes
3 garlic cloves - minced

2 T butter - melted (earth balance buttery stick - milk free)

1/2 cup milk (almond milk - milk free)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (omit for milk free)

Place potatoes and garlic in large pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are tender.  Drain and mash potatoes.  Heat butter, milk, and salt in the microwave and pour over potatoes.  Stir in parmesan cheese.

Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes

Who doesn't love a good tasting potato side dish?  And this one has everything - cheese, sour cream, even potato chips for extra crunch.  This time I made it with traditional hash brown potatoes instead of cubed, both are good.  Another variation is to put corn flakes on top instead of potato chips.  Another variation is to add a 3oz pouch of bacon bits - yum!

Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes

2 LB hash browns - frozen - cubed - thawed
1 stick butter
1 cup onion - chopped
8 oz cheddar cheese - shredded
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream
dash salt & pepper
1 cup potato chips - crushed

Sauté onion in butter. In a large bowl mix potatoes, soup, sour cream, cheese, onion & butter, and salt & pepper. Pour into a 9x13" and spread potato chips on top. Bake at 375° for 1 hour.

Better Box Brownies

I love brownies, and have made them from scratch before, but most of the time that seems like too much work.  But box brownies sometimes leave a little something to be desired.  So I started dressing up my box brownies by adding ingredients, and I have been happy with the result.

Better Box Brownies

1 box brownie mix

2 eggs

2/3 cup oil

1/4 cup water

2 T cocoa powder

1/2 bag chocolate chips or m&m's

In a large bowl, mix together brownie mix, eggs, oil, water, and cocoa powder.  Stir in chocolate chips and pour mixture into a greased 9x13" baking dish.  Bake at 350° for 28 minutes.

Mexican Rice

There is a Mexican restaurant that I love because of their Mexican rice.  I have always wanted to make it at home but had not found a good recipe.  I can stop looking, this was delicious!  I found it on Pinterest, the original recipe was by Rick Bayless, and then this girl modified it to her tastes, and I changed it a bit too, I went with corn instead of peas, it just seems to fit better with Mexican food to me.  I also added potatoes, like Margarita's version.  If you do not have hash browns in the house, you can substitute tater tots - just stir well at the end.

Mexican Rice

1 1/2 cup rice
1 1/2 T vegetable oil
1 cup salsa
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup corn - frozen
1 cup hash browns - frozen

Pour oil and rice into a pan and heat over high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add salsa, chicken broth, and salt and bring to a boil.  Add corn and potatoes and mix well.  Pour into a casserole dish, cover, and bake at 350° for 1 hour.

Doubled recipe:

3 cup rice
3 T vegetable oil
2 cup salsa
2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp salt
3 cup corn - frozen
2 cup hash browns - frozen

Pizza Crust

I was in the mood for pizza the other night, so I decided to make some from scratch.  I had used this crust before and it is really tasty.  I think I got the recipe with my breadmaker, but I can't remember.  It is nice and thick, the only downside is spreading the dough, I hate that job!

Pizza Crust

3/4 cup water - lukewarm
1/4 tsp oregano
1 T olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 T sugar
2 1/4 cup bread flour
1 tsp yeast

Add water, oregano, and olive oil to the pan. Add salt, sugar, and bread flour. Make a well in the bread flour with your finger, and measure the yeast into the well. Place the pan in the breadmaker, put on the dough setting, and press start. When the breadmaker is finished (1.5 hours), place on a cornmealed pizza pan. Stretch out dough. Let rise for 10 minutes for a thicker crust. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes, then top with sauce, cheese, and toppings. Bake for 10 more minutes. Recipe can be doubled for 2 crusts.

doubled ingredient list:

1 1/2 cup water - lukewarm
1/2 tsp oregano
2 T olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 T sugar
4 1/2 cup bread flour
2 tsp yeast

No Bake Cheesecake

After Henry was born, a lady from our church made this for us and it was so good I had to have the recipe.  I doubled it this past weekend to serve more people, that is why there are two pies in the picture.

No Bake Cheesecake

1 graham cracker crust
16 oz cream cheese - softened
12 oz cool whip
1/2 cup sugar
1 can pie filling - strawberry or cherry or whatever kind you want.

Beat together cream cheese, cool whip, and sugar.  Spoon into crust and refrigerate.  Top with pie filling.