Texas Sheet Cake Bites

1 c salted butter

⅓ c cocoa powder

1 c boiling water

½ c buttermilk

2 large eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 c flour

2 c sugar

1 tsp baking soda

⅛ tsp salt

Icing

¾ cup salted butter

⅓ cup cocoa powder

1/3 cup whole milk or half and half

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 ½ cups powdered sugar

Cake:

Preheat your oven to 325°. Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Add the cocoa, and stir until combined well.

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in the microwave or on the stovetop. Pour the boiling water into the butter cocoa mixture and stir for 30 seconds.

In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and a pinch of salt.

Pour the cocoa mixture into the dry ingredients, and mix until combined.

Lastly, stir the buttermilk mixture into the batter.

Scoop the batter into the prepared mini-muffin pan using a 1 tablespoon scoop. Bake 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Allow the cake bites to cool 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Frosting:

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter. While it is piping hot, stir in the cocoa until combined.

Add milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Mix until blended.

With a scoop or spoon, drop a 1/2 tablespoon of frosting onto the center of each cake bite. Allow the cake bites to set for at least 15 minutes before transferring to a serving tray.

Pinã Colada Mocktail

1 C frozen pineapple 

¼ C cream of coconut

6 oz pineapple juice

Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. Top with whipped cream, a marashino cherry, a pineapple wedge & a paper umbrella 😉.

For leftovers, pour into a popsicle mold & freeze into popsicles. Refrigerated leftover drink will loose it's "zing".

Zucchini Casserole

1 lb hamburger, ground turkey or Italian sausage
1 C onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp oregano
salt & pepper, to taste
8oz cream cheese-softened ½ cup of parmesan cheese. 2 zucchini, sliced or shredded

Shredded mozzarella cheese (or whatever cheese you'd like) 

Preheat oven to 350⁰. Cook beef, onion & garlic until meat is no longer pink. Drain, if needed. Add remaining ingredients (except mozzarella cheese) & stir. Place in a greased 2 quart baking dish.

Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. Bake for 30 min. Remove from oven. Sprinkle more oregano on top.

Loaded Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces

salt and pepper to taste

1 C Alfredo sauce (homemade or store bought)

1 C cheddar cheese, shredded

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 green onions, sliced thin

 

Preheat oven to 350⁰. Spread the cauliflower out on a baking sheet covered with foil or a Silpat mat, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for about 20 minutes or until fork tender (you can also steam the cauliflower for 5-6 minutes- drain well & pat dry with paper towels).

Place the cauliflower into a greased 2 quart casserole dish. Pour alfredo sauce over the top. Top with cheddar cheese & bacon. Return to the oven for about 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted & sauce is bubbly. Remove from oven.  Top with sliced green onions and serve hot.

Honey Mustard Dip

We like this with big soft pretzels & chicken fingers. Yummy!

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp yellow mustard
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1½ tsp lemon juice
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika

Combine ingredients in a small bowl & stir well. Refrigerate a few hours before serving. Serve with soft pretzels, chicken strips etc.

Chicken Pot Pie

From: The Pioneer Woman

3 celery stalks, diced 

3 medium carrots, peeled

1 large yellow onion

4 T butter

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 chicken bouillon cube

1/4 cup white wine, optional

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon ground rosemary

1 teaspoon kosher salt

black pepper to taste

biscuits (or pioneer woman's perfect pie crust

1. Preheat oven to 400⁰

2. Finely dice the celery, carrots & onions

3. Melt the butter in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery & peas. Saute until the veggies start to turn translucent.

4. Add the chicken & stir to combine. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the vegetables & chicken & stir to combine. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring gently.

5. Pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Stir in the bouillon cube & wine, if using. 

7. Pour chicken mixture into a deep pie pan or small casserole dish

8. If you are using Pioneer Woman's perfect pie crust, you will need to put it over the mixture now, press the edges in gently, & bake for 30 minutes. If you are using biscuits, you will go ahead & bake without them for 15 minutes. Take out of the oven, top with biscuits (not frozen ones) & bake 12-15 more minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown.

Saltine Cracker Toffee

This is a great gift idea for Christmas. Line tins with plastic wrap & fill with this yummy candy! We have given this as teacher gifts

before. They always love it!

1 tube saltine crackers
1 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 c. chopped pecans-optional

Preheat oven to 400⁰. Line cookie sheet with foil (up the edges too). Line with saltine crackers in a single layer. In a saucepan combine butter & sugar. Bring to a boil & boil for 3 minutes. Immediately pour over saltine crackers & spread the mixture to cover the crackers completely. Bake for 5-6 minutes. Remove from oven & sprinkle chocolate chips over the top & let sit for a few minutes until melted. Spread chocolate over all the crackers & sprinkle with pecans. Cool completely & break into pieces. Yummy!

Copycat Bonefish Grill Bang Bang Shrimp

The contrast between the spicy shrimp & cool, crisp lettuce is so yummy! Make sure you use Iceburg lettuce. It's so crispy!
Sauce:
1/2 C. mayo
1/4 C. Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
1 t. peanut butter
3 drops Sriracha Hot chili sauce (or to taste)

1 lb shelled & deveined shrimp
Cornstarch
oil for frying
Iceburg lettuce, chopped bite sized
chopped green onions

In a small bowl, mix mayo with peanut butter & Thai sweet chili sauce. Add hot sauce to taste. Set sauce aside. Dredge the shrimp in cornstarch. Deep fry at 375 degrees for 2 min or until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels. Put shrimp in a bowl & coat with the sauce. Serve in a lettuce lined bowl, top with green onions.

Chick Fil-A Chicken Sandwiches

From Natashaskitchen.com

Chicken Marinade:

3 medium chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, halved into 6 cutlets

1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk

1 Tbsp hot sauce

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

Classic Breading for Fried Chicken:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

Oil for frying - vegetable oil, canola oil or peanut oil

Toppings for Chicken Sandwiches:

6 burger buns, buttered and toasted

6 green lettuce leaves

1 large tomato, sliced

2 dill pickles, sliced into rings

Mayonnaise, or your favorite sauce

Pound chicken cutlets between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to an even 1/2” thickness so they cook evenly.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients. Add Chicken, turning to coat then cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours or overnight.

In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together breading ingredients: flour, salt, pepper, baking powder, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder. Remove a piece of chicken from the marinade, letting excess drip off and dip chicken into flour mixture, pressing it on with your hands to coat well. Transfer to a wire rack.

Heat 1 ” oil in a soup pot or dutch oven to 350˚. Just before frying chicken, dip it into the seasoned flour again for a thick and shaggy exterior. Add chicken, 2 pieces at a time so you don’t crowd and reduce the temperature of the oil too quickly.

Place chicken into the oil one by one. Adjust the flame to keep the oil temperature at 300-325˚. Cook 3-4 minutes on the first side or until browned and crisp then flip and cook another 2-3 minutes on the second side or until cooked through and chicken is browned and crisp all over.

Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. The internal temperature will continue to rise as it rests. The final resting temperature of the chicken should reach 165˚.

Lightly butter and toast the cut sides of your buns and build your crispy chicken sandwiches with desired toppings.

Chick Fil-A Sauce:

4 tspns yellow mustard

¼ c barbecue sauce

1 cup mayonnaise

2 T honey

¼ tspn garlic powder

Mix all ingredients together & chill