Crockpot Refried Beans

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of dry pinto beans (rinsed)
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 9 cups of water
• 5 t salt
• 1 3/4 t pepper
• 2 T minced garlic
• 1/8 t ground cumin

Directions:

1. Put all the ingredients in a crockpot and cook on high for about 8 hours.
2. After they are done, drain all of the liquid out and SAVE THE LIQUID!!
3. Mash beans with a potato masher or whatever you mash with. Add liquid, a bit at a time, to desired consistency, but remember you want them a little runny because they thicken over time. (makes about 6 cups)

Recipe Source: Dinner's Ready

Easy Breadsticks

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. hot water
1 T. yeast
1 T. sugar
3/4 t. salt
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cube melted butter

Directions:
In a bowl, combine water, sugar and yeast.  Let sit a few minutes.  Melt butter and pour in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  In a mixing bowl combine yeast mixture, salt and flour.  Mix well.  Cut into breadsticks and let rise for about 10-20 minutes.  Cook for 20 minutes at 400

Pizza Dough

(the pizza was so good I almost forgot to take a picture before it was all gone...)

Pizza Dough

2 1/2 T. Yeast

1 c. warm water

1 t. sugar

2 T. vegetable oil

2 1/2 c. flour

1 t. salt

Mix the yeast, water and sugar together in a bowl.  Let the yeast mixture sit for about 5 minutes.  Then combine the yeast mixture and the rest of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl (Bosch or KitchenAid if you have one...) Let it mix for about 10 minutes (or knead well...).  After it is well mixed let it sit for about 5 minutes and then roll it out into whatever pizza shape you want. 

Bake at 400 for about 10-15 minutes.  Put whatever toppings on that you want!



Baked French Toast

PLAN AHEAD- This is an overnighter (or all day-er? if you do it like I did)

First:  generously butter the bottom of a 9x13 in. pan

Then, cut up HALF a loaf of french bread (I cut my slices about 1/2 in. thick)

and spread them across the bottom of your pan.

Pour 1 c. of half and half in a medium, size bowl (I used my batter bowl since it had a pour spout)

ADD 1/2 c. milk

4 eggs

1 T. sugar....

Then add:  1/2 t. vanilla

1/8 t. cinnamon

1/8 t. nutmeg

dash of salt

Pour over your bread.  Make sure it is evenly spread and all the bread is moist.  Cover and put in the refrigerator overnight (except mine was for dinner, so I made it around lunch time)

Mine looked like this when I got it out, most of the liquid was absorbed. 

Now... when it is time to eat it- Preheat the oven to 350.

Time to add the topping. 

I didn't add pecans because I don't care for them- but if you do then add about 1/2 c.

THEN 1 cube of butter melted (or atleast mostly)

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 T. light corn syrup

1/4 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. nutmeg

(Can you tell I sold Pampered Chef?  Almost all of my things are Pampered Chef.)

THEN spread it on top of the bread

Now it is time to COOK IT! 

Cover with foil and cook for about 30 minutes (or until most of the liquid is gone)

THEN ENJOY!!  MMMM It was fabulous!

I love having breakfast for dinner.

Recipe Source:  This is revised from a friend's recipe.

Toffee Brownie Trifle

1 package fudge brownie mix (13-inch x 9-inch pan size)

2-1/2 cups cold milk
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant cheesecake or vanilla pudding mix
1 package (3.3 ounces) instant white chocolate pudding mix
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 to 3 Heath candy bars (1.4 ounces each), chopped

Prepare and bake brownies according to package directions for cake-like brownies, using a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. In a large mixing bowl, beat the milk and pudding mixes on low speed for 2 minutes.

Fold in whipped topping. Cut the brownies into 1-in. cubes; place half in a 3-qt. glass trifle bowl or serving dish. Cover with half of the pudding. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with chopped candy bars. Refrigerate leftovers.

Yield: 16 servings.

Recipe Source: From a friend said they got it in a old Pampered Chef cookbook that isn't published anymore.  I haven't been able to find it anywhere....

Minstrone Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. hamburger
2 t. beef boulion
1 T. salt
1 t. pepper
2 t. oregano
2 t. basil
2 T. parsley
2-3 c. sliced carrots
5 stalks celery, sliced
2 c. chopped onions
1 can green beans
1 qt. tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1 can kidney beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 1/2 c. macaroni
6 c. water

Directions:

Brown hamburger and onions together.  Put in a large pot and add water, boulion and vegetables.  Simmer until vegtables are tender.  Add remanining ingredients, simmer until macaroni is done (approx 7 minutes).  ADD GREEN BEANS LAST so they don't get mushy.  Enjoy!

Shirley J: BBQ Grilled Pizza

Ingredients:

2 c. Shirley J Sourdough Bread Mix

3/4 c. water (for bread mix)

1 T. instant Yeast (for bread mix)

1 - 6 oz. chicken breast (pan seared and cut into small strips)

1/2 c. frozen corn

1 c. mild cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 c. Shirley J BBQ Sauce Mix (prepare according to pkg. directions)

1/2 c. red onions

1/4 c. vegetable oil

Directions:

Clean you grill well with a wire brush, and then turn it on medium.

Cut the dough into 2 even pieces and roll each one out into a circle, brush on the oil onto top side of the dough. Turn your grill down to low and place the dough directly onto the grill by flipping it over, placing the oiled side on the grill. Cook for about 2 minutes, rotating dough frequently with quarter turns.

When dark brown marks appear flip the bread over and immediately put on the toppings.

Cook for about 2 more minutes, turning it every few seconds with quarter turns. Remove when the crust has browned and the cheese is melted. 

Recipe Source:  This recipe is adapted from the Shirley J recipe found HERE

Chicken Egg Rolls

If you are one of those people who like measurements... sorry this recipe basically doesn't have any.  I will try though to tell you how much I used.  I will try to update this rrecipe later with actual measurements.

You will need:

Assorted vegetables to you liking

I had a Red Pepper, broccoli, carrots and baby corn

You will also need:

Chicken

Egg Roll wraps

This is the baby corn and egg roll wraps I used.

You can find egg roll wraps over in the produce area normally by the mushrooms, tofu, asian foods...

I first cooked my chicken in a pot of water with a boullion cube and some seasoning.  I cooked two chicken breasts.  I let that cook for about an hour or so or until it was very tender and fell apart easily. 

Then I cooked my broccoli and carrots. I used about a medium sized head of broccoli and two handfuls or so of carrots (see I told you- NO measurements!) 

Cut up the pepper and baby corns- or any other vegetable you are adding. 

I used about half a pepper and about half a can of baby corns. 

Cook tip #1: When you are only wanting to use part of a pepper- cut off the portion you want and then leave the rest attached to the stem and core of the pepper.  It will last longer this way.

Then cut up and add your chicken and cooked vegetables.

Cook Tip #2:  When you are cutting up broccoli and don't want little green specks everywhere (I didn't do this in this recipe because I diced it all up) don't cut through the top of the broccoli.  Just cut the stem and break apart the broccoli in desired sizes.  This will prevent the top of the broccoli leaving green stuff everywhere!

I mostly just added stuff until it looked good.  See-

YUM!! Doesn't that look pretty!?

Then (I had to put my egg roll wrapper on a green cutting board so you could actually see it)

be careful taking your egg rolls apart- the egg roll wraps are very thin!  Also, make sure you just have one. 

Turn your egg roll so it is like a diamond and take about 1/4 c. of your mixture and put it in the center/lower tip of your egg roll.

Then roll up your egg roll- be sure to tuck in the corners of your egg roll so that your mixture won't fall out.  I wrap mine pretty tight.  It is very important how well you wrap them if you are going to fry them in oil, however, I have started to bake mine and that way it isn't as crucial that you fold them up perfectly.

After you get it all wrapped up, take your finger and dip it in some water and go along the end flap.  This will seal it a little better so that it doesn't come apart.  Don't use too much water! Just a little bit will work.

Then you can cook them in oil (which is how I used to always do it) OR (this is what I got from taste of home and now I always do it this way) bake them in the oven. 

Place them on a tray (foil is optional) and spritz them with vegetable oil or olive oil.  I have my Pampered Chef kitchen spritzer that works great for this. 

Bake them at 400 for about 10 minutes.  I broil mine on High for about a minute after that or until the shells are a little bubbly and brown. 

Then ENJOY!  This would be great with a side of fried rice (which I am still wanting to share my recipe with you).  We dipped ours in soy sauce.. well.. and my daughter used ketchup and then my husband did too.  He said he liked it better with ketchup but I just cringed and just knew that he ruined it like that!

These turned out FABULOUS!!  They would also make a great appetizer dish.

Recipe Source:  I got the baking time/temp from a taste of home magazine but the ingredients and all were made up on the spot with what I had in my fridge and pantry.