Crock-Pot Honey Glazed Chicken

Here is a great Crock-Pot recipe I found on Pinterest and decided to give it a try! It had a great flavor, and the chicken was very moist. Next time, I'm might try and add more cornstarch to thicken the sauce more, but overall it was great!

Crock-Pot Honey Glazed Chicken

• 7 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup honey
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbs. canola oil
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 4 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tbs. water
• sesame seeds

Place chicken breasts in Crock-Pot, and season both sides with salt and pepper. 

Combine honey, soy sauce, ketchup, onion, garlic, oil, and crushed red pepper.

Pour over chicken, and cook covered on LOW for 4 hours. 

Remove chicken and cut into cubes. Stir dissolved cornstarch into sauce in Crock-Pot and cook covered on HIGH for 10 minutes. 

Place chicken back in Crock-Pot and coat with sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles.

Bierocks

Bierocks (pronounced beer-rocks) are a type of german meat turnovers that have been a part of my family for as long as I can remember. This is my mom's recipe that I love to make. It's a perfect combination of warm homemade bread with a tasty meat filling on the inside. This is definitely one of the more time-consuming recipes on my blog, but it is definitely worth trying!

Bierocks
Dough:

• 2 cups warm water
• 2 pkgs. dry yeast
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup margarine, melted
• 6 1/2 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. 

 Then add other ingredients and knead until dough is smooth. 

Cover with towel and allow dough to rise for about 3 hours at room temperature. 

Meat Filling:

• 1 1/4 lb. ground all-white turkey (or you can use lean ground beef)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3 cups chopped cabbage
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Combine meat, onion, cabbage and salt and pepper in skillet and cook until meat is brown and cabbage is tender. 

While the meat filling is cooking, roll out dough into a thin sheet, about 1/4 inch thick. 

Cut dough into 5'' squares. Allow meat filling to cool slightly, then place 1/4 cup into center of each dough square. Sprinkle with shredded cheese if desired. 

Bring four corners of dough to center and pinch edges together. 

Place, pinched side down, on greased cookie sheet. Cover with towel and let bierocks rise for 30 minutes at room temperature. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, covering with foil for the last 5 minutes. Makes about 20 bierocks. 

Tator Tot Casserole

Here is a great recipe for a quick and easy casserole to throw together on a busy weeknight! Since it's got your meat, potato and vegetable included, there's no need to worry about making any sides to go with it!

Tater Tot Casserole

• 1 lb. lean ground beef, browned
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 can (10 3/4 oz.) 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup frozen green beans, cooked
• 2 cups fat free shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 16 oz. bag frozen tator tots

Brown beef with chopped onion on stove until no longer pink. Combine beef with onion, cream of chicken soup, cooked green beans, and 1/2 cup cheese in bowl. Spread mixture in greased 9x13 dish and top with tator tots. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese and return to oven until melted.

Sensational Sides: Baked Potato Skins

Here is a great appetizer or side dish recipe for potato skins that are baked instead of fried. Enjoy!

Baked Potato Skins

• 4 brown Idaho potatoes, baked
• 3 Tbs. canola oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• Bacon bits, shredded cheddar cheese, and sour cream or ranch dressing

Mix together oil and seasonings in a small bowl. 

Bake potatoes in pan in oven at 400 degrees for 1 hour, turning potatoes at 30 minutes. 

Cut baked potatoes in half, long ways.

Scoop out inside of potato, using a spoon, leaving only a 1/4 inch shell of potato in the skin. 

Place potato skins on greased baking pan with edge, and using a brush, baste both sides of potato skins with oil and seasonings mixture. Placing potato skins face up, bake at 475 degrees for 7 minutes, then turn potato skins over and bake for another 7 minutes. 

Sprinkle cheese and bacon bits inside potato skins and return to oven until cheese is melted.

 Serve with sour cream or ranch dressing for dipping. Makes 8 potato skins.

No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Bites

I found this idea on Pinterest and decided to give it a try. I love making things that are no-bake, and we are always looking for healthy snacks. They were very easy to make and make for a great snack to grab on the go!

No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Bites

• 1 cup old fashion oats
• 2/3 cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup milled flaxseed
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine ingredients in bowl and mix well. Place bowl in refrigerator for 1 hour. 

Then roll into 1-inch balls and store in sealed container in refrigerator. Makes 25 bites.

Funfetti Sandwich Cookies

Everybody loves that Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix! Here is a very simple recipe using the boxed cake mix and frosting to make sandwich cookies! I made these last night for our game night with friends, and they were a big hit!

 Funfetti Sandwich Cookies

• 1 (15.25 oz.) box Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 (16 oz.) can Pillsbury vanilla frosting

Mix together cake mix, oil, and eggs. 

Roll dough into 1-inch balls, place on greased cookie sheet and flatten slightly. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 6 minutes. 

Remove from oven and let cookies cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes, then place cookies on cooling rack until fully cooled. 

Using a knife, spread the frosting on the bottom side of one cookie and place the bottom side of another cookie on top of it, making a sandwich with the frosting. 

Makes about 22 sandwich cookies or 44 individual cookies.

Sensational Sides: Broccoli Cranberry Cole Slaw

Makes a great, flavorful side to any main dish...

Broccoli Cranberry Cole Slaw

• 1 (16 oz.) pkg tri-color cole slaw
• 1 cup Craisins
• 7 green onions, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds
• 1 cup coleslaw salad dressing

Mix together ingredients and refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Red Dirt Chicken

Something that we eat a lot at our house for dinner is baked chicken breasts, so I'm always looking for new chicken recipes to try to keep it interesting. Here's is one that I found on a friend's blog and decided to change up a few ingredients and give it a new name to make it my own. We tried it tonight  paired with baked potatoes and steamed cauliflower. It was quick and easy, had a great creamy flavor, and I already had all the ingredients, which is always a plus!

Red Dirt Chicken

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup light mayonnaise 
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. seasoned salt
• 2 tsp. paprika
• pepper to taste

Whip mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, and seasonings in a bowl. 

Then spread mixture on both sides of the chicken breasts and place in a greased 9x13 baking dish. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until the center of the chicken breast is no longer pink. 

Baked Rotini

Another yummy casserole recipe for you to try!

Baked Rotini

• 1 lb. lean ground beef, browned
• 1  jar (16 oz.) spaghetti sauce
• 1 box (13.25 oz) whole grain rotini, cooked and drained
• 1 cup low fat cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup fat free sour cream
• 8 oz. fat free cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups fat free shredded cheddar cheese

Mix browned ground beef and spaghetti sauce together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix cottage cheese, sour cream and cream cheese. Place half of the cooked rotini in a greased 9x13 casserole dish, and then layer on the cream mixture and spread evenly. Place the rest of the rotini on top of the cream mixture. Then layer beef and sauce mixture on top and spread evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, then top with cheddar cheese and return to oven until melted. Makes 8 servings.

Road Trip Snack: R.A.M.G.A.P.A.M.

We did a lot of traveling over the holidays, and one of our favorite snacks for the road is R.A.M.G.A.P.A.M. (pronounced ram-ja-pam). We made up this trail mix when we were dating and going on a ski trip together, and it has definitely become our little family tradition for road trips ever since. The name is an acronym for the ingredients in case you were wondering. Really there are no specific measurements for each ingredient, so just add however much you want of each, or add different things, it doesn't really matter, just as long as your don't change the name! :-)

Raisins
And
M&M's
Goldfish
And
Peanuts
And
Mini marshmallows (which we decided to leave out this time, but they're still in the original recipe and name)

Chicken Spaghetti

Taylor loves casseroles, and he loves leftovers! I am always looking for quick and easy casseroles that make a lot more food than just for the two of us. I lightened this recipe up a little with fat free ingredients, and Taylor didn't even notice. It was very creamy and had a great flavor, and makes plenty leftovers!

Chicken Spaghetti

• 8 oz. whole wheat spaghetti, cooked and drained
• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
• 1 can (10 3/4 oz.) 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup 
• 1 can (10 3/4 oz.) 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
• 1 can (10 oz.) mild Rotel, undrained
• 8 oz. fat free sour cream
• 2 cups fat free shredded cheddar cheese 

Mix together cooked spaghetti, chicken, canned soups, Rotel, and sour cream and place in 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, then sprinkle with cheese and return to oven until cheese is melted. Makes 8 servings. 

Cinnamon Roll Waffles

I saw this idea on Pinterest and decided to give it a shot for Taylor and my Christmas morning celebration together (Dec. 29th, better late than never!). It actually worked pretty well, and they were a quick and easy, sweet Christmas morning treat! Just be careful not to bake them too long or the cinnamon burns on the waffle maker.

Cinnamon Roll Waffles

Place four Pillsbury cinnamon rolls on greased preheated waffle maker. Press waffle maker down firmly and bake for about 1 1/2 minutes.

Remove from waffle maker and enjoy while they are warm. We ate ours with the frosting that comes along in the package AND syrup. Felt more like dessert than breakfast, but they were delicious!