Sweet Potato Souffle

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
3 large sweet potatoes

Topping:

1/3 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
chopped pecans

Bake sweet potatoes 375 for 45 minutes or until done. Let cool. Peel sweet potatoes and mash lightly. Add ingredients and mix well. Spread in 8x8 square pan. Mix topping ingredients except nuts, do not melt butter, cut it into the flour and sugar (it will be crumbly) and spread on potatoes. Sprinkle with nuts and bake 30-40 minutes at 350.

Michelle's notes: Canned sweet potatoes can be used but I prefer the taste of "real" sweet potatoes plus you could even microwave the potatoes if you're in a hurry. I am also known to double the topping recipe but you will need a bigger dish if you do that.

Honey Mustard Baked Chicken

Recipe stolen off my friend Julie's food blog. (Thanks Julie!)

1/2 cup butter
1 cup honey
1/2 cup dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. curry powder
4-6 chicken breasts

Heat oven to 375F. Melt butter in sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk in the honey, mustard, salt and curry powder. Pour enough of the sauce to generously coat the chicken (leave some sauce to pour over rice). Bake 40-45 minutes or until chicken is done. Serve over rice.

Michelle's notes: I cut my chicken breasts in half just to make them cook faster cause I'm impatient like that. So this only took me about 30 minutes to bake. The kids loved this recipe, Lana even said the sauce tasted like McDonalds sauce. (It doesn't really but she loves McDonalds so it just meant she loved the sauce.)

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Recipe and picture courtesy of OurBestBites.com.

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken


1 C grated pepperjack cheese

small corn tortillas (flour ones are good as well)
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Then roll it up as tight as you can. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

Michelle's Notes: A little bit labor intensive and exceptionally yummy, but be prepared with some Beano for the next day...

Hershey's Chocolate Pie

1 cup heavy whipping cream
sugar (to taste)
vanilla (to taste)

8 oz. Hershey Candy Bar

Oreo or graham cracker pie crust

Melt chocolate for 30 seconds in microwave or until melted enough you can stir it smooth. Meanwhile, whip up the heavy whipping cream, sugar and vanilla. Fold the melted chocolate into the whipped cream. Pour into pie crust, cover and refridgerate for a few hours. Serve cold.

Michelle's notes: I prefer the taste of the oreo crust with this pie, but graham cracker crust works fine too. Let the cream sit out a few minutes before whipping. If the cream is too cold and chocolate too hot, when you fold it together you will get mini chocolate pieces scattered throughout.

Shoyu Chicken

3 lbs. chicken, cut up
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1 tbsp. ginger
1/2 cup shugar
1 tbsp. oil
garlic salt.

Season chicken with garlic salt and brown. Combine other ingredients in a pot. Place chicken in pot. Cover and cook slowly over low heat approx. 1 hr. Serve over rice.

Roast Pork (Kalua Pig)

4 lbs. pork shoulder roast (Boston Butt)
4 tbsp. liquid smoke
2 tbsp Hawaiian salt

Score pork on all sides 1/4" x 1 " size slits. Rub salt into slits. Then rub in liquid smoke. Wrap in foil. Let stand 30-45 minutes. Roast @ 550 degrees for 45 minutes then 400 degrees for 3 1/2 hours or longer. Shred pork with fork. Serve with rice.

Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs

3 lbs. Pork Spare Ribs
1 cup pineapple juice
1 can pineapple chunks
1 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. salt
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tbsp. ginger
1 tbsp. soy sauce

Brown spare ribs. Mix the rest of ingredients together and add to browned spare ribs. Simmer 1 hour or more. Serve over white rice.

Sprinkles Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting

Picture and recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart.

• 2/3 cup whole fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 large egg whites, room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.
2. Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree; set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.
5. With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.
6. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing. Makes 1 dozen cupcakes.
   

Michelle's notes: The cupcake part tastes kind of flour-y. So I tried substituting 1 1/4 cup cake flour and 1/4 all purpose flour. It did take away a little of the flour-y taste but I think next time I will try cooking down the strawberry puree to concentrate the flavor and then measure the puree into the recipe after cooking it down. Although, having the bland/flour-y cake part gives the cupcake a nice balance because the frosting is super sweet. Also, the bake time is shorter than the 22-25 minutes in my oven. It's closer to 15-18 minutes.

Frosting:

• 1/2 cup whole frozen strawberries, thawed
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
• Pinch of coarse salt
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat until well combined. Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended. Do not over-mix or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.

Michelle's notes: I always halve the frosting recipe. The original makes way too much frosting for just 12 cupcakes.

Slow Cooker Jambalaya

Recipe found on All Recipes here.

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
1 pound andouille sausage sliced
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chicken broth
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. Cajun Seasoning
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 lb. frozen cooked shrimp without tails
Brown Rice

Throw everything except shrimp into a slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours. Add shrimp 30 minutes before serving. Serve over Rice.

Michelle's notes:

I browned the sausage first to get some flavor then de-glazed the pan with the chicken broth, then poured everything else into the slow cooker. I wouldn't let it cook longer than 4 hours or so because our sausage turned out a little soggy. (my original time was 1 hr on high before church, then 4 hrs on low) The rice is normally cooked in the Jambalaya, but I didn't want my rice to soak up all the liquid while we were at church, so I just whipped up some brown rice right as I threw in the shrimp and spooned the Jambalaya over it. Also, watch the seasonings. I'm usually light handed with dried herbs because they're so strong but when I went to taste everything all I could taste was the spicy andouille sausage so make sure to add the correct amount of seasonings.

Old-fashioned "Basic" Meatloaf

Picture and Recipe courtesy of the Food Network and Paula Deen

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 8 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juice
  
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

Topping:

• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix all meatloaf ingredients well and place in a baking dish. Shape into a loaf.

Topping:

Mix ingredients for topping and spread on loaf. Bake for 1 hour.

Michelle's Notes: I don't care for big hunks of veggies in my meatloaf, so I chop my veggies pretty fine. I also usually hate waiting an hour for it to cook, so if I'm in a hurry I put the meatloaf mixture into a muffin tin. Bake at same temp for about 30 minutes (check after 15).

Stuffed Pizza Rolls

Picture and Recipe courtesy of Our Best Bites

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough (regular or thin crust is fine)
marinara/pizza sauce
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T melted butter
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t dried Italian seasoning
mozzerella cheese
Pizza toppings of your choice: ie, ham and pineapple, pepperoni slices, sausage, etc.

Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package.

Unroll pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it's about 12" by 8". Cut it into 24 squares using a pizza cutter.

Place cheese and desired toppings on each square. (Note that you're not putting the marinara sauce on the dough- it's for dipping after) Just eyeball how much. You just need to be able to enclose the toppings in the dough so keep that in mind.

When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings. Pinch to make sure each ball is sealed shut and then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish).

Brush the tops of the dough balls with melted butter and then sprinkle with the garlic and Italian seasoning and top with Parmesan cheese.

Cook them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Check after 10 minutes to make sure the tops aren't burning.

Serve warm with warmed marinara sauce on the side for dipping.