Party Sliders

Adapted from: kevinandamanda.com

1 lb. ground beef

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. ground mustard

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 large onion, diced

1 (10 oz.) can Rotel tomatoes, drained

4 tsp. minced garlic

12 slices of your favorite cheese (we used Gouda)

12 dinner rolls (we used King's Hawaiian dinner rolls)

For the glaze:

1 stick butter

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. dijon mustard

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp. sesame seeds (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Place large skillet on stove top over high heat. Once skillet is hot, add beef and sear on each side for a couple of minutes. Reduce heat and add salt, pepper, cumin, ground mustard, paprika, and onions, and continue to brown beef, breaking into pieces with spatula. Cook beef mixture until beef is cooked through and onions are tender. While beef continues to cook, add all ingredients to small saucepan and cook on medium heat until everything is melted and sauce is smooth. Add Rotel to beef and stir until well combined. Place bottom half of rolls in prepared pan. Top with beef, then place sliced cheese on top. Cover with tops of rolls. Pour sauce over sliders, then place in oven and bake for 25 minutes.

These are amazing! I wanted to make something quick and easy, but full of flavor, and these fit the bill. We didn't have sesame seeds, and I couldn't rationalize spending almost $4 when we never use them, so I omitted them from our recipe. However, I am sure they add a nice dimension to the recipe if you have them! These are the perfect combination of sweet and salty, and they are wonderful reheated the next day! I just popped them in the oven at 350° for 10 minutes, and they were perfect. We are going to try these again with turkey meat to see how they taste. Honestly, they are so flavorful, I think they will be amazing! 

Banana Ice Cream

Adapted from: tasteofhome.com

4 cups half and half

2 1/2 cups sugar

Dash of salt

4 eggs, lightly beaten

4 cups heavy whipping cream

1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

4 large very ripe bananas, mashed (you will not need these until right before putting custard in ice cream maker)

In a large saucepan, heat half and half to 175°. Stir in sugar and salt until dissolved. Whisk a small amount of hot mixture into eggs. Return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Cook and stir over low heat until it reaches 160° and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat; cool quickly by placing pan in a bowl of ice water; stir for 2 minutes. Stir in whipping cream, evaporated milk, and vanilla. Press plastic wrap onto surface and custard and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Before putting into cylinder of ice cream maker, add bananas. Churn according to ice cream maker directions. 

My Grandma always made the best banana ice cream. Honestly, every ice cream that she made was wonderful, but banana was always a nice treat, and it was so incredibly refreshing during the summer! Hers was always creamy and packed with a great banana flavor. This recipe is close to hers, and I can truly say that it is the best ice cream I have ever had! It is super creamy and rich, and 4 bananas gives it just the right flavor. This custard would make a great base for other ice cream flavors, and although it is a bit time consuming, it is well worth the effort. I will say that I walked away from the stove while I was waiting for the egg mixture to heat back up, and I ended up with a few bits of scrambled egg. If this happens to you, don't stress! I just poured the entire mixture through a strainer and it was good as new. If you have kiddos that love bananas (like our son), they will adore this ice cream! 

Garlic Tuscan Shrimp

Adapted from: www.cafedelites.com (via Pinterest)

2 Tbsp. salted butter

6 cloves garlic, finely diced (or 6 heaping tsp. of minced garlic)

1 pound medium frozen shrimp, thawed and tails removed

1 small yellow onion, diced

5 oz. jarred sundried tomatoes, drained and diced

1 3/4 cups half and half

3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

2/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. cornstarch (optional)

2 tsp. dried Italian herbs

1 Tbsp. parsley

Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Melt butter, then add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add shrimp and cook until cooked through and pink. Remove shrimp from skillet and set aside. Fry onion in butter remaining in the skillet. Next add sundried tomatoes and cook to release flavors (about 2 minutes). Reduce heat to medium-low and add half and half. Bring to a gently simmer and stire occasionally to thicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste (remember that your Parmesan will add salt as well, so be cautious with salt!). Add spinach leaves and allow to wilt in sauce, then add Parmesan cheese and simmer. If you would like a thicker sauce (definitely recommended!), add cornstarch and stir. You can add a little more cornstarch if needed to reach desired consistency. Add shrimp back into pan and stir to incorporate. Sprinkle with Italian herbs and parsley, and stir until well combined. Serve over pasta.

Vann gave up meat for Lent, and although we have a spicy catfish recipe that we love (recipe coming soon!), we wanted something a little different. Thus began my seafood search on Pinterest, and I stumbled upon this recipe. It was a huge success that night for dinner, but the ultimate test was seeing if was going to be good the next day (a MUST in order for a recipe to be considered a keeper in our household! If it isn't good leftover, we don't make it again. We live off leftovers and getting multiple meals out of one recipe!). Thankfully it was even better the next day, and I am so glad because we truly enjoyed this meal. It's a nice little treat every now and then! The sauce is versatile and be served over several different things to meet your needs. If you do serve over pasta, I would highly suggest a spaghetti or angel hair! I'm sure short pasta would be just as good, but the long pasta is a nice contrast to the shrimp!

Hot Bacon and Swiss Dip

Adapted from: macaroniandcheesecake.com

Found via: Pinterest

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 cup swiss cheese, shredded

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup ritz crackers, crushed

1 pkg. real bacon bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cooking dish with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, swiss cheese, and onion. Spread cream cheese mixture into baking dish (or aluminum pan. Pie pans work very well!). Top cream cheese mixture with crackers, then bacon, and bake for 10-12 minutes, until dip is hot and bubbly.

I didn't realize that it had been two years since I have posted a recipe. I started this new blog with such gusto, and then life happened and it slowly slipped away from me. During the time between the last post and now, we have started a new business called The Cookie Cakery, which is a Cottage Law Bakery in Alabaster, AL. I was fortunate enough to walk away from the hotel industry and pursue this venture full-time, while also getting to stay home with my little man. It is certainly a challenge, but I wouldn't change it for the world! Now, let's talk recipes!

This dip is addictive. It is also incredibly easy to make, and I highly suggest doubling it. It is our go-to dip for football games, and it can be made in an aluminum foil pan for easy cleanup. Ritz crackers are the best with this dip, but I think Hawaiian rolls would be FANTASTIC dipped in this as well! A great sweet and salty mixture that may be a little TOO dangerous for the waste line! If you have ever had Touch of Heaven Ham Rolls, this almost mimics that same flavor with the onion, but definitely has a deeper flavor with the bacon and the Swiss. 

Creamy Garlic Pasta

Adapted from: thecheesepusher.tumblr.com

2 tsp. olive oil

4 tsp. minced garlic

2 Tbsp. butter

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

3 cups chicken stock

1/2 lb. angel hair pasta

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 Tbsp. parsley (recipe called for fresh, but we just used dried. It was still super tasty)

In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic; cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the butter and allow to melt. Next, add chicken stock, salt, and pepper. Raise to high heat and let it come to a boil. Once stock is a rolling boil, add pasta and cook according to package directions. Reduce heat to medium low; add cheese, stirring until melted. Remove pot completely from heat, then add heavy cream and parsley, mixing until well combined. Serve immediately.

I originally found this recipe on Pinterest. Shocked? Me either. But it's true, and that seems to be quite the trend lately. I have about 1,000 recipes that I want to try on Pinterest alone. Add that to the other recipes on different websites that I have on my "to try" list, and I would probably have to whip up at least 5 a day to knock out my over-zealous recipe list. It's a doable goal if we were millionaires, and we could just stay at home all day and cook. But the reality is that we work. A lot. And it's rare that I have the time, and the energy, to whip up a good meal nowadays. That's what makes THIS recipe so freaking awesome. It is a one pot meal. ONE POT! That's all it takes! This was creamy and delicious. I doubled it, and I thought it may be too much, but it was perfect. We had enough for dinner last night, lunch today, and dinner again tonight. Wise decision for a busy little family like ours :)

Creamy Key Lime Pie

Adapted from: The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion

One pre-made 10-inch graham cracker crust

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup Key lime juice, fresh or bottled (lime juice works just as good)

1/8 tsp. lime oil (optional)

8 oz. sour cream

In a medium-size bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft. Add the condensed milk and beat until well-blended. Stir in the lime juice and the lime oil. Add the sour cream, mixing until smooth. Pour the filling into the pie crust and refrigerate the pie for at least 2 hours before serving. 

I truly can't explain how incredible this key lime pie is. It is smooth, creamy, and oh so refreshing. I used fresh lime juice instead of the bottled, and it was wonderful. It took about 2 large limes to get 1/3 cup of juice, so in case you decide to use fresh, that should do you just fine. I will tell you, the lime oil really enhances the flavor of the pie, but it isn't necessary, especially if you do use fresh lime juice. Also, a little bit of the pulp from the limes got into the pie, and it added nice little bursts of surprises! However, if you don't like pulp, you may want to strain the juice before mixing it in to make sure you don't get said surprises. I would also like to say that if you don't have The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion in your collection, I highly suggest adding it! I have yet to come across a recipe that I don't want to try, and you just KNOW they are all good! This recipe calls for a homemade vanilla crust, which I will certainly try one day soon. But if you're in a hurry, the graham cracker crust pairs perfectly with the filling. Now, please excuse me while I go hide in a corner and eat the entire thing myself!

Tex Mex Chicken Pasta

Recipe courtesy of: laurenslatest.com

3/4 lb. think spaghetti

3 Tbsp. butter

1 cup diced yellow onion

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup milk

1/2 lb. white cheddar cheese, grated

1 Tbsp. chopped jalapenos

1/2 Tbsp. jalapeno juice

1/2 tsp. cumin

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I used leftover rotisserie chicken)

3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

Cook pastas according to package directions. Melt butter and saute onions until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in chicken broth and milk to prevent lumps. Increase heat to thicken sauce. Sprinkle in grated cheese and stir until well blended with sauce. Stir in cumin, salt, pepper, jalapenos, jalapeno juice, chicken, cilantro, and pasta. Toss to coat everything evenly in sauce. 

I have "liked" at least 30 different recipe pages on Facebook, and the number slowly grows as I find more pages that I love. It's bad enough that I have so many recipes saved on Pinterest, so to have Facebook to add fuel to the recipe fire is really quite ridiculous. Nonetheless, I have plenty of wonderful pages that I follow that inspire me to want to add new meals/desserts to our recipe rotation. Unfortunately I don't have the time (or the money) to try every single recipe that I drool over, so I have to pick and choose (which is REALLY hard). I saw this recipe yesterday on Lauren's Latest, and lucky for us, we already had everything at home. We just had a rotisserie chicken the night before, and the leftovers were originally slated to become a wonderful chicken salad. But this recipe happened to appear in my newsfeed, and so my plans quickly changed. 

This was absolutely delicious! Ding-a-ling me added 2 cups of chicken broth instead of just one, so it was a bit more runny than I wanted it to be. And of course, I didn't realize this until just now while posting the recipe :) Ah, the joys! The amazing thing is this recipe passed the "lunch test" A.K.A, if it isn't good leftover, we don't make it again. It may sound crazy, but it is a must that a recipe is one that we can take for lunch the next day. So leftover lovers rejoice! It's great the next day! I highly suggest using a rotisserie chicken if you can. It was tender and so full of flavor. And if you don't have white cheddar, don't sweat it! I had a ton of shredded cheddar on hand, and it was wonderful.

Spicy Spaghetti

2 green peppers

2 cans tomato paste

2 cans crushed tomatoes

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. basil leaves

1 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 pkg. pepperoni slices

1 pkg. meatballs

Cut up green peppers and cook in medium pot until soft. Add tomato paste, cooking until color becomes orange, then add crushed tomatoes and stir slowly. Add salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and garlic. Last, add meatballs and pepperoni to sauce. Let simmer for at least one hour.

This recipe may not look like much, but I promise you it is absolutely wonderful. The spiciness of the pepperoni with the flavor of the bell peppers makes for an incredible sauce. Add meatballs to the mix and you have an amazing, hearty meal that can be thrown together in no time. The next time we make this, I would love to try it with onions, because I think onions are wonderful is spaghetti sauce. If you're feeling adventurous, you can always buy whole pepperoni and slice it yourself. Although I love it that way, I prefer just the plain packaged pepperoni. Not only is it delicious in the sauce, it's so much easier to just throw it into the pot!

Spicy Sausage Pasta

1 Tbsp. olive oil

14 oz. smoked turkey sausage

1.5 cups diced onions

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

2 cups chicken broth (I used a 14.5 oz can)

1 (10 oz.) can Rotel tomatoes, not drained

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

8 oz. mini farfalle pasta

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions, optional

Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt, and pepper; stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

I love Pinterest. I love it so much that I wish my job could just be "Pinterest Recipe Tester". Because to be honest, that's probably the only way I would EVER be able to make it through all of the recipes I have pinned. I would be doing good to even try one new recipe a week, to be honest. But between work and life in general, we tend to stick to recipes we know because I've made them so many times that I have them memorized and can just make a grocery list in my head. I originally posted this recipe on July 16, 2013. It was the first time I had made dinner in weeks because I had just turned 8 months pregnant, and I had honestly lost all energy to cook by the time I got home from work every night. The wonderful thing about that post is that we had no idea that our son would be here two days later! He came a month early, but was perfectly healthy. Maybe it was this dish that really got things kickin'! This dish is truly wonderful. I double it because we love it leftover. In fact, we can both have it for dinner, I will take it for lunch the next day, and then we will have it again the next night. I think I calculated it out to be about $2.00 per serving. You can't beat that! Even better? It's a one pot meal! Delicious AND easy?! I'm in!

Grandma's Chicken Casserole

2 cups cooked chicken

1 cup chopped celery

1 medium onion, chopped

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 cups crushed potato chips

Cut chicken into pieces. Mix soup and mayo with chicken. Add the rest of the ingredients, but only half of the potato chips. Blend well. Pour into casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining potato chips. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Best served with chicken flavored rice.

My goodness, I love this casserole! If I had to eat one thing for the rest of my life, this would be it. No lie! I remember when my Grandma found this recipe one day in a cookbook and decided to make it. She found it in one of those good old church cookbooks (aren't those the best?!). The cover was worn from use, and she had notes scribbled on random pages next to the recipes she used often. Her handwriting, to me, was beautiful. It was hard to read, but there was so much life behind it. Or maybe I'm just crazy. But she always wrote in cursive, and I loved it, and still do! She was the best cook, as country and Southern as they come! I don't know what it is, but when I make it I feel like mine never tastes as good as hers. I've been told it is, but to me, it's just not the same. At any rate, this casserole is absolutely incredible. Perfect for a potluck, Sunday after church, or just a quick weeknight dinner.

Death by Chocolate

1 (19.8 oz.) box fudge brownie mix

1/2 cup Kahlua

3 (3.5 oz.) boxes Jell-O chocolate mousse

8 Heath candy bars

1 (12 oz.) container whipped topping

Bake brownies according to package directions; cool. Punch holes in brownie with fork. Pour Kahlua over brownies and set aside. Make Jell-O chocolate pudding according to package directions. Break Heath bars into small pieces with a hammer. Crumble half of the soaked brownies and place in the bottom of a glass trifle dish. Cover with half of the candy, half of the mousse, and half of the whipped topping. Repeat layers with the remaining ingredients.

This is by far one of the best desserts ever. And so easy to make! It's really rich, but highly addictive. Just be prepared, because if you make this it won't last long!

Southwestern Chicken

For the Sauce:

1 pkg. frozen tri color pepper and onion blend (I used Birds Eye)

1 can diced tomatoes, drained 

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

2 Tbsp. butter

garlic powder, to taste

oregano, to taste

black pepper, to taste

salt, to taste

For the Chicken:

2 Chicken breasts

Italian dressing

2 slices provolone cheese

For the chicken: Pour enough Italian dressing in the bottom of a casserole dish to marinate the chicken. Place chicken in the dish, and pierce with a fork to allow dressing to soak in. Cover the top of the chicken with Italian dressing as well, then cover dish with aluminum foil and place in refrigerator. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

While the chicken marinates, begin preparing pepper sauce. On medium heat, melt butter in saucepan. Add peppers, onions, and tomatoes. (It's ok if the tomatoes aren't drained completely! As the sauce simmers, the excess tomato juice will reduce down.) Once onions and peppers have softened, add minced garlic, then gradually add seasonings to taste. Reduce to low heat and allow to simmer, stirring and tasting occasionally to make sure the seasoning is how you like it.

While sauce simmers, place chicken on grill and cook until done. As soon as chicken is removed from the heat, place one slice of provolone cheese on top and cover with saucepan lid to allow it to melt. Service chicken on a bed of long grain and wild rice, then top with pepper mixture. Ennnnjoooyy!!!!

The last time I had this meal was over 10 years ago. I have been craving it for the longest, but never got up the nerve to try and throw it together myself. Yesterday, as I was driving home from work, I decided I was going to give it a shot. My Mom first discovered this recipe watching Food Network one Saturday morning, and it was so easy that she just threw it together. Turns out that either she never used a recipe, or she did it so much that she didn't need the recipe. And that turned into no recipe for me! After many discussions with my Mom that consisted of "Did it have tomatoes? Did it use tri color peppers? Do you remember this, etc. etc?", I felt like I knew enough to try and wing it. Let me tell you.... this is the best dinner we've had in a long  time. Mainly because it was something completely different, but also because it just tastes so dang awesome. All of the flavors meld perfectly together. The sweetness of the peppers and onions combined with the hint of Italian dressing in the chicken, and the slight saltiness of the rice is just magical. Really. Really. Magical.

Mom's Lasagna

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 Tbsp. basil

1 (16 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste

****

10 oz. lasagna noodles

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 tsp. pepper

3 cups cottage cheese

2 Tbsp. parsley flakes

1 tsp. salt

1 lb. mozzarella cheese, sliced very thin

Brown meat slowly, spoon off excess fat. Add next five ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook noodles according to package directions. In separate bowl, combine parmesan cheese, eggs, pepper, cottage cheese, parsley, and salt. Place half of the cooked noodles on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish; spread half of the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles, then top with half of the meat sauce. Repeat layers. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, putting mozzarella on top about 10-15 minutes before done. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

There is something about lasagna that is so comforting. What I love about the dish is that it is truly so easy to make it into your own creation, and there are so many different versions! I have tried several, but I have to say that my favorite is just the good ol' classic. This recipe has been in my family since before I came along, and it is, to this day, one of the most requested recipes my Mom makes when we all go to Tennessee to visit. To me, this is the best lasagna I've ever had. It may be because I've eaten it for YEARS, but nonetheless, it is delicious! I suggest leaving the crushed tomatoes chunky, instead of mashing them to a pulp, or even getting a can of whole tomatoes and crushing them yourself. Trust me, it's amazing!