Pumpkin Pudding Cake

(also known as pumpkin cobbler)

1 yellow cake mix
1 stick of butter
1 can of pumpkin or pumpkin pie mix
Ingredients for pumpkin pie (according to can)

Mix pumpkin according to directions on can for pumpkin pie. Set aside.

Cut butter into dry cake mix. Line bottom of 9x13 pan with the cake/butter crumbly mixture. Reserve about ½ cup for the top. Pour the pumpkin mixture on top of the cake mixture and sprinkle reserved crumble over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until set.

Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on top. This is super easy and SO tasty!!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

This is a recipe from my friend Mariana. It is always a favorite! I have tried this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken and was not as happy with it. I have also tried it in the crock pot (instead of baking for an hour in the oven, place the chicken and then the sauce in the crock pot and cook on low for about 8 hours). The breading is not as crispy, but the flavor is fabulous! It definitely works well as a crock pot dish.



2 1/2 pounds chicken pieces (not boneless-skinless--our favorites are drumsticks)
garlic powder
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup flour
4 Tbsp margarine
2 cups sugar
1 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp soy sauce

Wash and pat dry chicken pieces. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Dip in beaten egg, then in flour to coat. Brown in margarine in a saute pan. Place in baking dish. Combine all other ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, turning once.

Angel Chicken (Crock Pot)

This is a recipe that I was given many years ago. I tried it and loved it, and then passed it on to a few friends. It soon became a favorite of their families, too. It's fun to hear, 10 years later, that it's still one of their favorite dishes to make for their families.

1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup butter
1 0.7 oz pkg. dry Italian salad dressing mix
1 10 1/4 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 of 8 0z tub of cream cheese with chives and onion

Hot, cooked angel hair pasta

Place chicken in crock pot. In medium saucepan, melt butter. Stir in dressing mix. Stir in soup, broth, and cream cheese until combined. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours. Serve over hot cooked pasta. Makes about 6 servings.

Stribling Apple Bread (or Muffins!)

My friend, Karen, shared this recipe with me last year, and it quickly became one of my favorites. These are the kinds of muffins that you eat for breakfast AND dessert. So delicious! Last night, when I mentioned that I wanted to use the slightly bruised apples to make some bread, KitKat said, "Ooh! Can we make apple OATMEAL muffins?" I compared a few recipes and decided that it was safe to substitute a cup of the flour with a cup of regular oatmeal. They were delicious!

Stribling Apple Bread (or muffins)

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 Tbsp. vanilla

3 cups flour (or 2 cups flour and 1 cup oatmeal)

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

3 cups apples, peeled and chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Cream sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla. Sift flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add dry mix to wet mix, along with apples. Mix until well-blended; note that batter will be quite thick. Grease and flour loaf pan (or muffin tins); cook loaf for 1 hour, or muffins about 20 minutes.

PS--I wholeheartedly recommend using silicon baking cups. They bake perfectly, and clean up is a breeze!

BYU Mint Brownies

If you have never had these brownies, you HAVE to try them. If you HAVE had them, then you know how amazingly moist and delicious they are. I am usually skeptical about recipes that are supposedly from restaurants or bakeries. They never seem to turn out as good when I make them (and I swear I can cook!). I know I'm not alone. But THESE brownies were just as good. They were incredible. Just as delicious as the BYU bookstore.

MAKES ONE 9-BY-13 PAN OF BROWNIES.
PREP AND COOK: 90 min. COOL: 1 hr.

1 c. margarine
1/2 c. cocoa
2 Tbsp. honey
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped walnuts

CHOCOLATE PAN FROSTING

8 Tbls butter (1 stick)
4 Tbls unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup whole milk
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted


MINT ICING

5 Tbsp. butter
dash of salt
3 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 1/3 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. mint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring

1. Melt margarine and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9-by-13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool.

2. Prepare mint icing: Soften butter. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.

3. Spread mint icing over brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing.

4. Prepare chocolate frosting: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat, 2-3 minutes. Stir in cocoa powder and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring, and then remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar until frosting is thickened and smooth. Pour and spread warm frosting on top of the layer of mint frosting. Let them cool before cutting (I cut mine a little too soon, and while they were delicious warm, they were quite messy!)

Crock Pot Chili with Baked Potatoes

2 lb ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 cove garlic, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (15-16 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried basil
I also sprinkle chipotle seasoning to taste

1. Brown beef, onion, green pepper, and garlic in saucepan. Drain.
2. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.
3. Cover. Cook on low 5-6 hours.
4. Serve over baked potatoes with cheese, sour cream, bacon, and broccoli.

Pizza Dough

3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp sugar
4 cups flour
2 tsp dry yeast
1 1/4 to 1 3/8 cups hot water
3 Tbsp olive oil

Mix dry ingredients together and then add hot water and olive oil. Mix well (I use a Kitchen Aid stand mixer). If mixing by hand, knead until dough is smooth and elastic.

Rise, covered, in a warm place for one hour.

Punch dough down with fists, separate into 2 equal parts, and shape into 2 pizzas on greased pans. I simply press the dough into the desired shape with flat part of hands. Top with sauce, cheese, and any other ingredients you'd like to add, and bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees F.

The kids love to each have their own mini pizza. So instead of making two large pizzas, we give each person their own small ball of dough. They shape and "accessorize" their pizza however they like. It's the ultimate family meal!

For my favorite pizza sauce recipe, see HERE!

The Yummiest Pizza Sauce

In a medium saucepan combine:

one 8-oz can tomao sauce
one 7 1/2-z can undrained tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp pepper

Bring to a boil; simmer 10 minutes

Spread on prepared pizza dough (see my recipe HERE)

And my secret, extra ingredient:

I sprinkle a little bit of this Magic spice (Chef Paul Prudhomme's Hot and Sweet Pizza and Pasta Magic) into the sauce. Ooh, yeah, Baby!

Three-Cheese Pasta

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded Fontina or mozzarella cheese (4 oz)
1 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese (4 oz)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 cups uncooked egg noodles
3 Tbsp dry bread crumbs
1 Tbsp butter

1. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in 2-qt saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt, pepper until blended. Cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly; remove from heat.

2. Gradually stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in cheeses; keep warm over low heat.

3. Heat oven to 350°.

4. Meanwhile, cook and drain noodles as directed on package.

5. Alternate layers of noodles and cheese mixture, ending with noodles, in ungreased 2-qt casserole dish.

6. Heat bread crumbs and 1 Tbsp butter over medium heat, stirring frequently, until crumbs are toasted. Sprinkle over noodles.

7. Bake uncovered about 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Chicken Pot Pie

Pie crusts for bottom and top of pie (you can either make your own recipe or use frozen pie crust dough)
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup flour
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 ½ cup chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 to 3 cups cooked chicken (or turkey left-overs!)
2 cups frozen vegetables, thawed (ie—corn, carrots, and peas)

1. Heat oven to 425 F. Prepare piecrusts and place bottom crust in 9-inch pie pan.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Add onion and cook 2 minutes. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper until well blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk; cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly and thickened.
3. Add chicken and vegetables; remove from heat. Spoon chicken mixture into crust-lined pan.
4. Top pie with remaining crust; cut slits in several places. Bale at 425 F for 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.

White Chicken Chili

This recipe comes by special request. It is one of our family's favorites, and actually won a chili cook off about 7 years ago. It is more of a soup than a chili, in my opinion, though. It is not thick like a chili. Oh, but so yummy!

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 10 minutes

¼ cup butter
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 cups cooked chicken or turkey, cut or shredded into bite-sized pieces
3 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp dried basil leaves
2 Tbsp ground red chilies or chili powder
¼ tsp ground cloves
2 cans great northern beans, undrained
1 medium tomato, chopped (3/4 cups)
Tortilla chips

1. Melt butter in large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic in butter, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender.

2. Stir in remaining ingredients except tomato and tortilla chips. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

3. Serve with fresh tomatoes and tortilla chips.

Note: I often cook this in my crock pot. After step one, I add all ingredients (except for the tomato and chips) to the crock pot and cook on low for several hours. Because the chicken is already cooked, this doesn’t need all day in the crock pot.

A twist on the Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I read this tip recently and gave it a try. I thought it was worthy of a pass-along. Instead of buttering your bread, spread your bread with mayonaisse, then heat in a heavy saucepan or griddle as usual. Apparently, this is a special restaurant secret.

Since my boys like to call grilled cheese sandwiches "Boy cheese sandwiches", that's what I'll call this. Boy cheese. Boy, is it yummy.

New England Clam Chowder (Crock Pot)

I love to cook Clam Chowder in the Winter! And my family loves eating it! I was happy to find a crock pot version a few years ago. It is just as good as the original!

2 (7 oz) cans of clams, undrained
3 slices bacon, diced
1 onion, chopped
½ cup green onions, sliced
2 potatoes, finely diced
1 ½ cups water
¼ tsp pepper
1 can evaporated milk
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp thyme

Place clams and their liquid in crock pot. Saute bacon and onion until golden and place in crock pot. Add all remaining ingredients except evaporated milk. Cover and cook on low 6-9 hours or high 2 ½ -3 ½ hours. Stir in evaporated milk and serve.

My Favorite Taco Salad

My Mom made this for us growing up, and it is one of those recipes that I have continued to make for my own family. I simply love it! The only thing I've added over the years is the can of black beans. It stretches the meat filling. Yum!

Brown together 1 lb ground beef and 1 small onion, chopped
Add:
6 oz can tomato paste
8 oz can tomato sauce
3 6-oz cans of water
2 Tbsp sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp each: oregano, chili powder, and cumin

Cover and simmer slowly for 40 minutes. Add 1 cup cooked white rice and a can of black beans.

Serve on top of fritos corn chips and garnish with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, ranch dressing, sour cream, avacado, or any combination of the above! Beware: it really adds up—don’t overload that plate! ☺

How CandyMan likes to eat it:

How Reese likes to eat it:

Shepherd's Pie

1 lb ground beef
1/4 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
About 3 cups prepared mashed potatoes
About 1 cup gravy (I used my homemade turkey gravy. You can add more or less depending on
how creamy you like your pie)
3/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef with onions, drain. Add gravy to ground beef and then add vegetables. Mix. Place beef mixture on a casserole dish and cover with a layer of mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with cheese and heat in a 350 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.

Super easy! KitKat had 4 servings of it the first time I made it and has begged for it again since then. Yum! Only my picky BOYS wouldn't try it.

Necco’s famous Spaghetti Pie

Please excuse the end-of-the-day hair-do!

Prep: 30 minutes
Bake: 20 minutes
Oven: 350°
Makes: 6 servings

4 ounces dried spaghetti
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
8 ounces ground beef
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped green pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp dried oregano
1 cup cottage cheese
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. Return to pot and keep warm.
2. Stir butter into hot pasta until melted. Stir in egg and parmesan cheese; Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, cook ground beef, onion, pepper, and garlic over med-high heat until meat is brown. Drain. Stir in tomato sauce and oregano. Heat through.


4. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with non-stick cooking spray. Press spaghetti onto bottom and sides, forming a pasta crust. Spread cottage cheese on top. Spread meat mixture on top of cottage cheese. Sprinkle with mozzarella.
5. Bake in a 350° oven for 20-25 minutes until bubbly and heated through. To serve, cut into wedges.

Variation: Instead of tomato sauce and oregano, use pre-made spaghetti sauce. We always double this recipe. It can be made in a 9x13 baking dish when doubled. We also like to go a little heavier on the sauce.

Banana Bread

1 ¼ cups sugar
½ cup margarine or butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (3-4 bananas)
½ cup buttermilk (or ½ cup regular milk with ½ Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice added. Let sit for 10 minutes+)
1 tsp vanilla
2 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts, if desired

1. Move oven rack to low position and heat oven to 350°. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans.
2. Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs til well blended. Add bananas, milk, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened. Stir in nuts. Pour into pans.
3. Bake 1 hour to 1 ¼ hours, depending on size of loaf pans, until toothpick inserted at center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes and then remove carefully. Cool on wire rack. Wrap tightly and store at room temp for 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.

Variation: My kids prefer chocolate chips instead of nuts (what kid wouldn't??)

Gingerbread houses & frosting cement

We typically make one of those gingerbread kits early in December, but somehow I never ran across one in the stores this year. I'm sure they were there. I just never saw them. I was feeling bad about missing out on the family decorating time, so I pulled out a recipe that an former grandma-aged neighbor had given me years ago. The recipe was a little hard to decipher (like she forgot to mention any of the cooking information--how hot the oven should be, and how long to cook). I crossed my fingers and --Yippee!-- it turned out great! Not only did this recipe make a great gingerbread house, but it tasted amazing! :)


Gingerbread Houses

Simmer
1 cup molasses
1 cup shortening or ¾ cup oil

Cream
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Dissolve
2 tsp baking soda in ½ cup hot water

Cool molasses mixture slightly and add all ingredients to this point.

Next, in separate bowl, mix
6 cups flour
1-2 tsp cinnamon
½-1 tsp ginger
½-1 tsp salt
(I opted for going low on the ginger and salt, and heavier on the cinnamon)

Add flour to the wet ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well until dough is stiff At this point, I added a little more flour until my dough was no longer sticky. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes.

Roll out dough and cut into the shapes that you want (either cookie cutters or into house pieces)

Bake on cookie sheets (I would recommend lining your cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper) at 350°F for 8-10 minutes for cookies, 5-10 minutes longer for house pieces. If you are going to be making a gingerbread house, turn off your oven and put the pieces back into the warm oven to dry the pieces out. I also left the house pieces out to air dry overnight.
________________________________________________________________

Frosting cement

3 egg whites
¾ tsp cream of tartar
--beat until stiff—
Gradually add 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
--beat 10 minutes—
Add another 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
--beat 10 minutes—

(I didn’t really beat for 20 minutes)

**Keep frosting covered, or it will dry out (that’s what it’s supposed to do!)

The kids got a little impatient waiting for the frosting cement to be done.

German pancakes

One of our favorites! We rarely eat these in the morning, though. It is a favorite for "breakfast for dinner." I always double this recipe and use 2 pie plates.

2 Tbsp butter
2 large eggs
½ cup flour
½ cup milk
¼ tsp salt

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Melt butter in pie plate in oven. When melted, remove from oven and spread butter around bottom of pie plate.

2. Beat eggs slightly in medium bowl with whisk or hand beater. Beat in remaining ingredients just until mixed. Pour into pie plate on top of melted butter.

3. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately with powered sugar, fruit, or syrup.

Whole Wheat Waffles

2 large eggs
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 ¾ cups milk
½ cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp brown sugar
4 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt

1. Heat waffle iron

2. Beat eggs in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in remaining ingredients just until smooth.

3. Pour batter onto center of waffle iron and close lid (since all waffle irons are not the same size, it’s hard to say how much yours will hold. If it runs out the side of the waffle iron, you’ve poured too much!)

4. Bake about 5 minutes or until steaming stops/slows down. Remove waffle with a fork. Serve immediately. Repeat with remaining batter.