General Tso's Chicken

3 lbs chicken breast, cubed

Salt

Pepper

Oil

Sauce:

½ c hoisin sauce

¼ c. soy sauce

¼ c. brown sugar

2 tbsp rice vinegar or white vinegar

4 tsp garlic minced

4 tsp sesame oil

½ tsp red pepper flakes (or red chili flakes)

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 cup water

Dry chicken pieces with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Heat 1 T oil in large skillet. Cook chicken until browned & done. Remove from pan & place in bowl. Cook remaining chicken in batches adding more oil in between each batch. 

Mix sauce ingredients in bowl.

When all chicken is cooked add it all back into the pan & add the sauce. Heat until bubbly & thickened. Toss to coat in the sauce. 

Serve with rice & steamed broccoli.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1 cup salted butter softened

3-4 cups powdered sugar sifted

½ cup cocoa powder, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3-5 tablespoons milk or cream

In a large bowl, beat the butter until fluffy and no lumps remain.

Turn the mixer to low and beat in 2 cups of the powdered sugar. Once combined, beat on medium-high for 15 seconds. 

With the mixer on low speed, carefully beat in the sifted cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt.

Then beat in the rest of the powdered sugar about ½ cup at a time, alternating with 1-2 tablespoons of milk/whipping cream until the desired consistency and sweetness is reached. If the frosting is too thick, add in a little extra milk/cream. If it's too thin, add in a little more powdered sugar.

Once everything is combined, beat on medium-high speed for 15 seconds. 

Homemade Basic Cheese Sauce

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

1 ½ cup milk

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (shredded from a block)

½ tsp salt or to taste

pepper to taste

Instructions

Shred cheddar cheese using a grater and set aside. (Pre-shredded cheese has a filler in it & will make your sauce gritty).

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.         

Whisk in flour and cook for a minute or two.

Whisk in milk slowly.

Bring to a gentle simmer and whisk until thickened.

Remove from heat or turn heat down to lowest setting, and stir in cheese a little add a time. If your heat is too high, your sauce might "break" and take on a grainy texture.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve on top of steamed veggies, mac n cheese, baked potatoes, dip soft pretzels in it etc.

Jumbo Dinner Rolls

2 cups milk

½ cup butter, cut into 8 pieces

½ cup warm water

2 T instant yeast

½ cup granulated sugar

2 tsps salt

2 large eggs

6½ to 7½ cups bread flour

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat the milk and butter together in the microwave to scald the milk and melt the butter, 2 minutes. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine milk/butter mixture, water, yeast, sugar, and salt. Let yeast rest for 5 minutes.

Add half the flour, and mix for 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until incorporated.

Add the rest of the flour, ½ cup at a time, until a soft dough forms. The dough should be soft and elastic, but not sticky. Knead with your mixer or by hand for 5 minutes.

Let the dough rise in a greased bowl for 30 minutes.

After rising time has passed, divide the dough into 32 pieces. Roll each piece into a round roll, and place it on a greased, rimmed baking sheet (that is 13x18 inches).

Once all the dough is shaped, cover the rolls, and let them rise for another 30 minutes.

Once the rolls have at least doubled in size, bake at 400⁰ for 14 to 18 minutes, or until the tops are nice and golden.

Remove from the oven, and butter the tops of the rolls while still hot. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Texas Roadhouse Cinnamon Honey Butter

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tspn ground cinnamon

Mix all together & enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 (15 oz) can solid-pack pumpkin puree

¾ cups canola oil

¾ cup applesauce

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsps baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 T. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400°. Place paper liners in a regular sized muffin pan.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin, oil & applesauce until smooth. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt; Add flour mixture slowly to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups almost all the way full.

Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Do not overbake. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Makes 2 dozen muffins.

From www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com 

Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

From: eazypeazymealz.com

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup applesauce

2 eggs

2 cups pureed pumpkin

1½ Tbs vanilla extract

4 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350⁰.

Mix together the sugars, vegetable oil, applesauce, eggs, pumpkin & vanilla in a stand mixer until well combined.

Mix remaining ingredients, except chocolate chips, together in a large bowl

Add the flour mix to the pumpkin mix, and mix until totally incorporated.

Stir/fold in chocolate chips

Line a baking tray with parchment paper

Using a cookie scoop, scoop out 2 T per cookie.

Bake for 10-12 minutes

Let cool before eating.

Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

Makes 16 pancakes

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 tbsp sugar

2 cups buttermilk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Whisk in the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla just until combined. Some small lumps are okay.

Let pancake batter rest for 10 minutes.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat.

Spray with non-stick cooking spray OR brush with butter or oil.

Ladle 1/3 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake.

Flip the pancakes over when small bubbles appear on the surface and continue cooking on the opposite side until golden brown.

Serve with butter and syrup.

Southwestern Coleslaw

2 cups coleslaw mix

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

1 cup corn

1 cup mixed bell peppers, diced

1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 cup ranch dressing

tap here

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon lime zest

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

fresh cilantro, optional, finely chopped, garnish

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.

In a medium bowl,whisk together ranch dressing, lime juice, zest, chili powder and cumin until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place coleslaw mix in a large bowl and top with tomatoes, corn, bell peppers and cheddar cheese.

Pour dressing over coleslaw and veggies and toss together to combine.

Top with fresh cilantro, if desired, and let chill 15-20 minutes before serving.

Veggie Alfredo Lasagna

1 box lasagna noodles, cooked

1 cup fresh spinach leaves

1 cup shredded carrots

2 small zucchini thinly sliced

2 small yellow squash thinly sliced

24 oz ricotta cheese

4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

¼ cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 batch alfredo sauce (recipe below) 

Salt and pepper to taste

Italian seasoning

Alfredo sauce:

1 cup butter

2 clove garlic, minced

2 cups heavy cream

½ cup shredded parmesan (real stuff, not green can)

1 t salt

¼ t pepper

Melt butter in saucepan. Add garlic & cook 1 minute. Add cream & bring to a simmer. Add cheese & simmer 7-8 minutes until thick. Add salt & pepper & adjust to taste

Preheat oven to 350⁰.

In a 9X13 baking dish, spread a thin layer of alfredo sauce on the bottom.

Layer the zucchini on top of the alfredo sauce then spoon on a layer of ricotta cheese then sprinkle a layer of mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle a pinch of salt, pepper and Italian seasoning (optional). Top with a layer of noodles.

Repeat the layering process with the squash, spinach and carrots topping each layer with alfredo sauce, ricotta cheese, a sprinkle of mozzarella and then noodles.

After the carrots layer, place a final layer of alfredo sauce on the noodles then top with remaining mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Be sure to cover the noodles with sauce so they don't dry out. Cover with foil & bake at 350˚ for 50-60 minutes or until the center is hot.

Chicken Tot Pie

3 tbsp butter

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

¼ cup cold water

3 tbsp cornstarch

⅓ cup sour cream

2 lb bag frozen mixed veggies

½ T dried parsley flakes

1 t dried rosemary, crushed 

4 cups cubed chicken

2 cups shredded cheese

1½ t salt

½ t pepper

Preheat oven to 350⁰. Spray 11X14 pan with cooking spray. Set aside. Saute the onion in butter until transparent.

Add garlic and saute for 2 more minutes.

Next, add chicken broth and cream. Mix with immersion blender to blend up the onion a bit. Bring to a boil.

In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch into the cold water and pour into the boiling sauce, stirring constantly. Sauce will begin to thicken. Add sour cream. Heat through.

Add veggies, parsley & rosemary & cook for a few minutes. Makes sure sauce is thick enough & thicken further with cornstarch slurry if needed. Add 1 cup cheese & cubed chicken. Pour mixture into a 11X14 baking dish (this recipe makes a lot! If using 9X13 pan you'll also need to pour some into a 8X8 pan). Sprinkle remaining cheese over top & top with tater tots in neat rows. Bake for 50 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes to let the sauce thicken. Serve with a Steamed Veggie & crescent rolls. Yum!

Blackberry Crisp

1 1/2 cup quick oats

1 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces

Fruit,

8-10 cups fresh blackberries, washed and dried well

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350⁰.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt.

Add the butter and cut it into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or a couple forks until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is evenly cut in. Set aside.

In another bowl, add the blackberries, sugar, flour and lemon juice. Stir until combined.

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan and spread the fruit mixture on the bottom.

Sprinkle the crisp topping evenly over the top.

Bake for 45 minutes until the fruit is bubbly and the crisp topping is golden (add time, if needed).

Remove from the oven and let the fruit crisp rest for 10-15 minutes before serving (the fruit layer will thicken as it cools). Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream (or lemon frozen yogurt!) or sweetened, whipped cream, if desired

Instant Pot Creamy Chicken & Rice Soup

2 teaspoons olive oil

½ yellow onion, chopped

1 large carrot, cut into slices

1 large stalk celery, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

¾ teaspoon crushed dried rosemary

5 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

¾ cup brown/ wild rice , uncooked

1/2 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ c half & half

¼ c cornstarch

½ c parmesan cheese, shredded

2 Tablespoons dried parsley

salt & pepper to taste

Set the Instant Pot to Saute mode. Heat the olive oil, then add the onion, carrot and celery. Saute the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the garlic and rosemary. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.

Pour in the chicken broth and stir to combine.

Add the chicken breasts, brown rice, salt and pepper to the Instant Pot.

Put the lid on & close the steam vent. Set to HIGH pressure using the manual setting. Set the time to 13 minutes. It will take about 15 minutes to reach pressure.

Once the time is expired, use natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release.

Transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board, shred with 2 forks, then transfer back to the pot. Turn on saute mode again. Stir together the ½ & ½ & cornstarch & add to the pot. Stir until thick. Stir in the parmesan, parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Perfect M&M Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 6 tablespoons Instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips
• 2 cups Mini M and M's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a large baking sheet with a silpat liner or parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugars until well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla, mixing to combine. Mix flour, pudding mix, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl, stirring to combine. Add chips and m and m's stirring to combine.

With a medium cookie scoop, place dough 1 inch apart from each other. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cooked through. Let cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Enjoy!

Amish Friendship Bread

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 4 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• ½ t salt

Cinnamon Sugar

• 2/3 cups sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Cream together butter, sugar and eggs. 

Add buttermilk, flour, baking soda & salt. 

Divide 1/2 of the batter into two greased loaf pans. 

Mix in separate bowl the 2/3 c sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle 3/4 of the cinnamon sugar on top of the batter in each pan.

Add remaining batter to pans; sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar on top of each.

Swirl with a knife.

Bake at 350 for 45-50 min. or until toothpick comes out clean when tested.

Cool in pan for 20 minutes before removing from the pan.