Italian Chicken Bake

I was looking for something to make that I could have an allergy free version and a regular version.  I had some chicken and was going through my recipes and came across the Chicken Parmesan Casserole.  I didn't have any croutons in the house though, so I made it without them and paired it with some tri-color rotini noodles.  It was fantastic!

Italian Chicken Bake

2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic - crushed
dash pepper flakes
1 bag boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 tsp dried oregano
8 oz shredded mozzarella
4 oz parmesan cheese
12 oz tri-color rotini - cooked

Mix olive oil, garlic, and pepper flakes in the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish. Place chicken breasts in a single layer on top.  Pour spaghetti sauce on top, sprinkle with basil, top with the cheeses.  Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes, uncover and bake for 20-30 more minutes.  Serve with pasta.

For the allergy free version, omit the cheeses and pair with an allergy free pasta.

Pepperoni Pasta Salad

I do not usually like cold pasta salads, but I make an exception for this one.  It is delicious.  I got it from a church cookbook.

Pepperoni Pasta Salad

12 oz rotini tri-color pasta - cooked
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 head broccoli - cut and cooked
4 oz pepperoni - chopped
1 cup mozzarella cheese - shredded
15 grape tomatoes - halved or 1 tomato - chopped
1 bottle italian dressing

Mix ingredients, toss with half of the italian dressing. Refrigerate.  Just before serving add the remaining dressing and mix well.

Pumpkin Bars

I got this recipe from my friend Misti a few years ago.  They are rich and delicious!

Pumpkin Bars

1 cup vegetable oil
2 cup sugar
2 cup pumpkin
4 eggs
2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
8 oz cream cheese - softened
1 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 LB powdered sugar

Beat oil, sugar, pumpkin, and eggs. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix well. Pour into greased 15x10x1" jelly roll pan. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes. Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Add powdered sugar and mix well keep adding powdered sugar until it reaches the desired consistency. Spread over cooled bars. Refrigerate.

Chocolate M&M Cookies

I never really liked chocolate very much until I was pregnant with Stella, and I have been hooked ever since.  I found this recipe in Family Circle magazine around that time, and they are so delicious.  I have also made them with reeses pieces, that is also a good choice, unless you are going peanut free.

Chocolate M&M Cookies

2 1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 stick butter - softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup water
m&m's

Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Mix butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla, and water. Beat in flour mixture. Drop by teaspoonful onto ungreased baking sheet. Top with m&m's. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes.

Cinnamon Rolls

We were going to breakfast with Jer's family and I had offered to bring cinnamon rolls.  I had never made them before, so I researched recipes and this one claimed it could be done in 1 hour.  Since we were getting together at 8:30, I thought that sounded doable.  It wasn't, I had to bake them at their house, but they were relatively quick, and I did have kids hanging on my legs and begging to help stir while I was making them, so that might have affected the amount of time it took me :)

I did alter the recipe slightly, putting more butter in the cinnamon mixture and less in the frosting, since the written out instructions told me to use 1/2 cup of butter in the cinnamon part, but the actual recipe said 1/4 cup.  I didn't want to go overboard on butter, so I reduced the amount in the frosting, which I thought tasted great, and it made plenty, so I wouldn't have wanted the extra butter anyway.

Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:

1 cup milk 

1/2 stick butter

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 envelope rapid rise yeast (2 1/4 tsp)

1 egg

Cinnamon-Sugar Filling:

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 T ground cinnamon

1/2 stick butter - softened

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 stick butter - softened

1/4 cup cream cheese - softened

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 T milk

Combine milk and butter in a bowl, microwave 1 minute, stir, and heat in 15 second intervals until butter is just melted, stirring each time.  Put bowl in freezer to cool mixture until warm but not hot.  In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add yeast and lukewarm milk mixture and stir by hand to combine. Add the flour mixture and egg, and beat on 2 until combined. Add more flour until the dough stops sticking to the sides of the bowl.  Continue beating for 5 minutes.  Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let rest for 10 minutes in a warm place.  For the filling, whisk together sugars and cinnamon.  Turn dough out onto a floured work surface.  Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 14x9".  Spread the softened butter out evenly over the entire surface of the dough.  Sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon and sugar mixture.  Beginning at the 14" edge, tightly roll up the dough and pinch the seam together.  Cut the dough into 11 or 12 equal pieces.  11 rolls fit in a 9" pie plate, or 12 rolls fit in a 9x13" baking dish.  Grease the pan and place the rolls into it.  Cover again with a damp towel in a warm place and  let rise for 25 minutes.  Bake at 350 for 17-20 minutes.  Let cool for at least 5 minutes before frosting.  For the frosting beat together the butter, cream cheese, and milk. Add powdered sugar and beat together.  Add more powdered sugar until it reaches the desired consistency.

Crazy Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting - allergy free

Here is the cake before frosting and after.

My friend from work, Bonnie, eats gluten-free and passed this recipe on to me to test out.  I had seen it before, but never with someone having tried it with a gluten-free flour blend.  Since I have had the most luck when I mix flour blends, I used two blends together.  I also followed the advice of the gluten-free reader who said to increase the baking soda.  I looked at the frostings that were recommended on the site and remembered a peanut butter one I had put on a peanut butter cake and decided to convert that one instead.  Side note, if you make the peanut butter cake, you need to bake for 30 minutes, not 15 as stated in the recipe.  Also, I forgot to add a bit of xanthan gum, next time I make it I plan to put some in.

Crazy Cake

3/4 cup cups gluten free all purpose blend (bob's red mill - garbanzo bean flour main ingredient)
3/4 cup gluten free multi-purpose flour blend (king arthur or betty crocker - rice flour main ingredient)
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp vinegar

In a mixing bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.  Add water, oil, vanilla, and vinegar.  Quickly mix together and pour into lightly greased 8x8" baking dish.  Bake at 350° for 35 minutes.  It is important to work quickly so that you don't lose any of the leavening action.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 stick butter (earth balance buttery stick - milk free)
2 T milk (almond milk - milk free)
1/4 cup peanut butter (wowbutter - peanut free)
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 T vanilla

Place butter, milk, and peanut butter in a bowl and microwave until melted.  Stir in vanilla and then add powdered sugar.  Spread over warm cake.

Covers & Covers

One time my friend Emily and I were trying to decide what to make for supper and we came across this recipe.  It is delicious.

Covers & Covers

2 tube crescent rolls
1 LB hamburger
2 T onion - chopped
1/4 cup salsa
6 slice velveeta cheese

Brown hamburger with onion, drain. Stir in salsa and heat through. Roll out 1 tube crescent rolls, pressing to seal cuts. Top with meat mixture and then cheese slices. Unroll second tube and place on top. Pinch together edges to form a pocket. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes.