Red Velvet Pancakes with Cream Cheese Glaze

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups milk
• 2 Tbsp white vinegar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 Tbsp red food coloring
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup salted butter, melted
• 1 recipe Cream Cheese Glaze, recipe follows
• fresh raspberries and mint leaves, for garnish (optional)


Cream Cheese Glaze
• 6 oz cream cheese, softened
• 6 Tbsp butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup milk, plus more if desired
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat an electric non-stick griddle to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside. Measure out milk into a liquid measuring cup and whisk in vinegar, allow mixture to rest for 2 minutes. 
2. Pour milk mixture into a separate large mixing bowl and add in sugar, eggs, red food coloring, vanilla and melted butter. Whisk mixture until well combine. While whisking, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix just until combine. 
3. Butter griddle if necessary and pour about a 1/4 - 1/3 cup batter (depending on how large you want your pancakes) at a time onto hot griddle (you can also use the back of measuring cup or spoon to lightly spread batter from center out to the edge a bit so they aren't thicker in the center then they are on the edges). 
4. Cook until bubbles begin to appear on the top surface of the pancakes then flip and cook opposite side until pancake is cooked through (I didn't want the tops of the pancakes to be brownish red so I flipped them a little earlier than I normally do with pancakes, I didn't wait for many bubbles). 
5. Serve warm with Cream Cheese Glaze and garnish with fresh raspberries and mint leaves if desired.

Cream Cheese Glaze

1. In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer set on medium speed, blend together cream cheese and butter until well combine and fluffy, about 2 minutes. 
2. Add in remaining ingredients and mix about 1 minute until well combine, adding additional milk to thin if desired. 
3. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator.

Baked Ham and Cheese Rollups

INGREDIENTS
1 tube crescent dough sheet
¾ lb. Boar’s Head SmokeMaster™ Black Forest Ham, thinly sliced
12 slices swiss cheese, thinly sliced
½ cup butter, melted {I use salted}
1 Tbsp. poppyseeds
1 & ½ Tbsp. yellow mustard
1 Tbsp. dried minced onion
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Roll out your crescent dough and and press into an approximately 13x18 inch rectangle. Top with ham and cheese.
3. Starting on the long side, roll the dough up tightly. Pinch the ends together and place with the seam facing down. Cut into 12 pieces.
4. Place your rollups in your baking dish, evenly spaced.
5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the butter, poppyseeds, mustard, onion, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour the sauce evenly over the rollups.
6. Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes until lightly browned.

Broccoli and Cheddar Twice-Baked Potatoes

Ingredient

• 4 medium russet potatoes, washed well and dried
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons salted butter, very soft
• 1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon chives
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried onion flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 and 1/2 cups cooked broccoli, chopped, divided
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded, divided

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F). Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. Place potatoes in a small baking dish and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until soft. Once the potatoes are cool enough to safely handle, slice each one in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the potato pulp and place it into a large bowl, being careful to leave the skins intact. Rub the outsides of the potato skins with a little olive oil. Place the skins on the prepared baking sheet and set aside.
3. Add the butter to the potato pulp and mash - using an electric mixer or a potato masher - until fairly smooth; add Greek yogurt, buttermilk, salt, pepper, chives, garlic powder, onion powder, dried onion flakes, dill weed, paprika, broccoli and 3/4 cup of the cheese. Divide the filling evenly among the potato shells then top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are heated through. Serve at once!

Notes

You may use sour cream in place of the Greek yogurt. You may use almost any other cheese in place of the cheddar.

Bacon Guacamole Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients

• 2 slices bacon

• 2 slices sour dough bread

• 1 tablespoon butter, room temperature

• 1/2 cup jack and cheddar cheese, shredded

• 2 tablespoons guacamole, room temperature

• 1 tablespoon tortilla chips, crumbled (optional)

Directions

1. Cook the bacon until crispy and set aside on paper towels to drain.
2. Butter one side of each slice of bread, sprinkle half of the cheese onto the unbuttered side of one slice of bread followed by the guacamole, bacon, tortilla chips, the remaining cheese and finally top with the remaining slice of bread with the buttered side up.
3. Grill over medium heat until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 2-3 minutes per side.

One-Pan Pizza Pasta

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil

8 ounces turkey Italian sausage

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup pepperoni

2 cups tomato basil pasta sauce

2 cups water

8 ounces Barilla Pronto rotini

salt and pepper

2 cups Italian blend cheese

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a over-proof skillet. Add sausage and onion; cook breaking up the sausage, until the sausage is cooked completely and the onion is soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add pepperoni. Add pasta sauce and water and stir until combined.
2. Stir in Barilla Pronto rotini and bring to a boil. Boil about 10 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the cheese. Serve immediately.

Cookies n' Cream Oreo Fudge Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS
1 quart half n' half (fat free is okay)
1 pint heavy cream
1 tablespoons vanilla
2 cups sugar
1 large box Oreo cookies n' cream instant pudding mix
about 12 oreos, crushed or roughly chopped
one jar hot fudge topping (or about 1 cup homemade fudge sauce)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl combine half n' half, cream, vanilla, and sugar. Mix until sugar is dissolved. Mix in pudding mix until no longer lumpy. Stir in crushed oreos.
2. Pour ice cream into 2 or 3 shallow containers. Heat fudge sauce until pourable. Pour into ice cream containers and swirl gently with a knife. Cover and freeze overnight or 24 hours for deeper containers.
3. Enjoy!

Cake Batter Smoothie

INGREDIENTS
2 cups ice
1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt (regular or Greek) OR 1 cup vanilla ice cream
⅔ cup yellow cake mix, dry
⅔ cup milk, or more as needed
optional: chocolate syrup, sprinkles

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add ice, yogurt (or ice cream) cake mix, and milk to a blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth (until you don't hear the ice crushing anymore).
2. Check consistency, if too thick add a few tablespoons of milk and pulse to desired consistency. Serve immediately with chocolate syrup and sprinkles if desired. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Three Cheese Chicken Lasagna

INGREDIENTS
2 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken
2½ cups alfredo sauce (homemade or storebought)
9 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese (whole or part skim)
8 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Stir together chicken, ricotta cheese, cream cheese, ½ cup parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning.
2. Lightly grease your slow cooker. Spread ½ cup alfredo sauce in the bottom. Top with three lasagna noodles (break as needed to fit into the slow cooker). Spread half of chicken mixture over the noodles, then layer with three more lasagna noodles. Pour half of the remaining sauce over the chicken mixture. Top with three more noodles (breaking as needed), then remaining chicken mixture, and remaining noodles.
3. Spread remaining sauce over the noodles and sprinkle with the last of the parmesan cheese. Cover and cook on low 3-4 hours. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired just before serving.

Baked Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges

INGREDIENTS
3-4 large russet potatoes, sliced into wedges
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
optional: fresh parsley (or cilantro), ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a large baking sheet and set aside.
2. Place potato wedges in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. In a small bowl whisk together salt, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Sprinkle potato wedges with the shredded cheese, tossing to coat, then sprinkle with the seasoning mixture.
3. Place potato wedges on prepared baking sheet in a single layer with skin-sides-down. Bake for 25-35 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender and golden. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and dressing for dipping.

French Onion Zoodle Bake

INGREDIENTS:2 1/2 cups zucchini noodles
1 large yellow onion, sliced thinly
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup beef broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup fontina cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a skillet preheated to medium heat, melt butter. Place onion into skillet and cook for a few minutes. Add salt, pepper, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme. Stir and cook for another couple of minutes. Add beef broth and cook until onions are golden brown about 20 minutes. Make sure to stir occasionally to keep the onions from burning.
3. Next, spray an 8X5 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl combine zucchini noodles and French onion mixture. Pour the French onion zoodle mixture into the dish and garnish top with Fontina cheese. Place in the oven and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool slighlty before serving. Garnish with fresh thyme. Also, there is a probability that liquid from the zucchini will appear. If so, just drain it off carefully with a spoon before serving. Enjoy!

Bacon Cream Cheese Bomb

Ingredients

• 1 can of refrigerated biscuits
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 8 oz bacon, cooked and crumbled
• ¼ cup of chopped green onion
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp garlic salt

Instructions

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together cream cheese, bacon, green onions, garlic salt, and parmesan cheese, mix well.
2. Open can of biscuit dough and separate out each biscuit.
3. Roll each biscuit out flat.
4. Take a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture and place it into the center of the biscuit dough.
5. Take edges of the biscuit dough and fold over until cheese is covered.
6. Pinch edges to seal.
7. Place on a greased baking sheet and repeat until all the biscuit dough is filled.
8. Sprinkled grated cheddar cheese on each biscuit before placing in the oven.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown.

French Onion Soup

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 pounds yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced (approximately 5-6 large onions)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 6 cups of beef stock
• 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 sprigs of thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
• a few generous pinches of salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• baguette
• grated cheese (Gruyere, Asagio, Swiss, or Mozzarella)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large heavy-bottomed stockpot, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and saute until well browned and caramelized (but not burnt), about 30-40 minutes, stirring every few minutes.  Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.  Stir in the flour and cook for an additional 1 minute.  Stir in the wine to deglaze the pan, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
2. Add the stock, worcestershire sauce (optional), bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for at least 10-15 minutes, partially-covered.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf and sprigs of thyme.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  While the soup is simmering, slice the baguette into 1-inch thick pieces and arrange them in single layer on baking sheet.  Bake for 6-8 minutes, until the bread is toasted and golden around the edges.  Remove and set aside.
4. Switch the oven to the broiler.  When ready to serve the soup, place your oven-safe bowls or crocks on a thick baking sheet.  Ladle the soup into each of them, then top with a baguette slice and your desired amount of cheese (I used about 1/4 cup shredded cheese for each).  Place on an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat and broil for 2-4 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.  Remove and serve immediately.
5. *If you do not have access to a broiler or would like to save time, I also love just topping this soup with croutons and shredded cheese.

Lemon Magic Cake

Ingredients

110g / ½ cup of butter
4 egg whites
4 drops of vinegar
4 egg yolks
150g / 1 and ¼ cup of icing sugar
Zest of a lemon, finely chopped (about ½ a tablespoon)
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
120g / 1 cup of all purpose  flour/ gluten free flour
480ml / 2 cups of millk
Extra icing sugar for dusting

How to

1. Preheat the oven to 160 C / 325 F. Grease an 8 inch square tin with butter, you could equally use an 8 inch round tin.
2. Melt the butter and leave aside. Next, beat the egg whites and vinegar with an electric whisk, until they form stiff peaks.
3. In a separate large mixing bowl beat together the egg yolk and sugar with a hand whisk. Beat until well combined. Then, add the melted butter, lemon juice and lemon zest. Mix together, and then add the flour, followed by the milk. It’s quite a sloppy batter, so  that’s why I recommend using a hand whisk rather than an electric beaters.
4. Fold the egg whites into the batter, but only fold in one third at a time. You want to fold gently, however you still want to fold it in enough to get rid of all the big lumps. Once the egg white is all folded in, pour the batter into the prepared tin and place in the oven.
5. Cook for 45 – 60 minutes. When cooked it should have a slight wobble in the center like jelly, but not too much of a sloppy jiggle. The top should be a nice golden brown. I left mine in for 50 minutes.
6. Allow to cool completely for at least three hours.  Once it has cooled, place a sheet of parchment paper covered with icing sugar on a flat work surface. Using the back of a knife carefully trace around the edge of the tin to loosen the edges from the side. Then invert the cake onto the sheet of icing sugar and cut into squares.  Turn the squares sugar side up and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Peanut Butter Flourless Chocolate Cake

INGREDIENTS:

PEANUT BUTTER FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE INGREDIENTS:

• 8 large eggs, cold
• 1 pound (16 ounces) dark, semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE GANACHE SWIRL INGREDIENTS:

• 3 ounces dark, semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

DIRECTIONS:

TO MAKE THE PEANUT BUTTER FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper or waxed paper and grease the sides of the pan. (Be sure to grease the sides really well!)
2. Place a large roasting or baking pan on the bottom rack of the oven.  Bring a kettle or medium-sized pot of water to boil on the stove.  Once it comes to a boil, carefully pour the water into the baking pan in the oven.  This will be your water bath, and will help prevent the top of the cake from cracking.
3. While the water is coming to a boil, add the eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer.  Using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs at high speed until the volume doubles. This usually takes about 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate and butter and peanut butter together. You can either do this in a double boiler on the stove (by placing the chocolate and butter and peanut butter in a large heatproof bowl, set over a pan of almost-simmering water, and stirring until melted and smooth). Or you can do this in the microwave (by heating the chocolate and butter and peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until the ingredients are melted and smooth). Then fold about a third of the beaten eggs into the chocolate mixture using a large rubber spatula until only a few streaks of egg are visible. Fold in half of the remaining egg foam, and then the last half of the foam, until the mixture is totally homogenous.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth the surface with a rubber spatula. Place the springform pan on the middle rack of the oven (a rack above the pan of boiling water). Bake until the cake has risen slightly, the edges are just beginning to set, a thin-glazed crust (like a brownie) has formed on the surface, and an instant-read thermometer inserted halfway into the center reads 140° F, about 23-26 minutes.
6. Turn the oven off and crack the door oven open a few inches, and wait about 10 minutes for the cake to slightly cool.  Then remove cake and transfer to a wire rack, and cool until it reaches room temperature.  Then cover and refrigerate until the cake is completely chilled. (The cake can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.)
7. Once the cake has chilled, carefully remove the sides of the springform pan, invert the cake onto a sheet of waxed paper, peel off the parchment paper, and then re-invert the cake onto a serving platter. Top with the peanut butter chocolate ganache swirl, if desired.  Or you can serve the cake lightly dusted with powdered sugar, or just plain.

TO MAKE THE PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE GANACHE SWIRL:

1. Melt the chocolate and heavy cream together in a double-boiler or in the microwave (use the same directions as above), and whisk together until the mixture is completely smooth.
2. Add the peanut butter to a separate bowl, and heat in the microwave (about 15-25 seconds) until it is warmed and a little melty.  Transfer the peanut butter to a pastry bag or a large ziplock bag, and then use scissors to snip off a small corner of the bag so that you can pipe the peanut butter.  Set aside.
3. Pour the chocolate mixture on top of the chilled cake, and use a spoon to spread it out in an even layer.  Pipe the melted peanut butter on top of the chocolate in some long lines (or your desired pattern).  Then immediately take a wooden skewer (or a toothpick or a knife) and drag it through the peanut butter in circles to create swirls.  If you'd like, you can then run a knife around the edge of the cake to smooth out the sides, or you can just leave it drippy.
4. Refrigerate the cake for about an hour to let the ganache firm up, or you can just serve it immediately.

Shrimp, Avocado and Roasted Corn Baked Taquitos

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 ears of sweet corn, shaved off the cob
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• half a white onion, diced
• 1 lb. raw shrimp (any size), peeled and deveined
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• salt and pepper
• 1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chiles
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 12 small (6-inch) flour tortillas
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
• 2 cups grated Monterrey Jack or Pepperjack cheese
• optional sides/toppings: fresh lime wedges, sour cream, salsa

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat a skillet over high heat. Add the corn kernels and let them dry-roast for about 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until their edges begin to brown and caramelize. Transfer the corn to a plate to set aside.

Reduce heat to medium-high, and (carefully) add the oil until heated. Add onion and saute for 5 minutes or until cooked and translucent. Add the shrimp, chili powder, cumin, and a pinch of salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the shrimp are cooked and no longer translucent. Stir in the chopped green chiles and cilantro and cook for an additional minute, then remove from heat.

To assemble the taquitos, place a large spoonful of the shrimp mixture down the center of a tortilla. Then top with some diced avocado and a generous sprinkle of cheese. Roll up the tortilla and place seam-side down on a greased baking sheet.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are crispy. Remove and serve immediately with optional toppings and salsa for dipping.