Savory

White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

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Yum! Pumpkin is so fun and great to bake with! And these muffins do not disappoint. The perfect afternoon snack with tea, or even breakfast, or dessert after dinner. White chocolate has definitely been a staple at my house lately. It just makes things so much tastier! The combination of the white chocolate sweetness and crunch with the smooth taste of pumpkin really make these muffins special. So if you are having guests over for Thanksgiving, (which by the way, is 2 weeks away!!) go ahead and whip up these guys. Super delicious for the season.

So, go put on your aprons, start your ovens and let’s bake!

What you will need:

Muffin tin lined with cupcake liners

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups pure pumpkin puree
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, beat together oil, both sugars, vanilla, eggs and pumpkin until combined. Slowly beat in flour mixture until just combined. Fold in white chocolate chips.

Spoon into prepared muffin tin about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for about 20-22 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before taking out and serving. Enjoy!

Store covered at room temp.

Ricotta Cake

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I seriously LOVE ricotta cheese. Give me a spoon and I’ll just eat it all out of the container. Or I like it with Ritz crackers. But here it is in a pound cake! So, so, so good! You can eat it as a snack, a dessert dusted with powdered sugar and fresh berries, or even for breakfast!

I just got back from walking to the beach because it’s almost 50 degrees out and sunny and the sky is beautifully blue. So I’m about to cut me a huge slice of this. I’m so glad I decided to make it earlier this morning… So come on! start your ovens and make this delicious, easy ricotta cake!

What you will need:

Loaf pan greased and lined with parchment paper

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups unsalted butter at room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups full fat ricotta cheese
3 large eggs
1 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In another bowl, beat together butter, sugar and ricotta cheese until fully combined. Note: make sure your ricotta cheese is not wet. Drain any excess liquid before adding.

Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Slowly beat in flour mixture until just combined. Pour into prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake for about 15 minutes and THEN lower oven temp to 325 and bake for about 40 minutes more. Allow to cool before removing from pan.

Slice and enjoy! Store covered at room temp or in the fridge.

Chicken Tetrazzini

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A childhood favorite! My sister and I would always beg my mom to make this for our birthday dinners. It is so delicious and comforting and unhealthy and just plain old good! You do have to plan ahead to make this because it takes longer than a typical weekday meal. But once you make it, you won’t turn back and it will become your family favorite, too! The recipe below can easily be doubled as well if you are feeding more people, but this one will feed 4 people easily.

So, turn on those ovens and let’s go!

What you will need:

8 x 8 inch bake dish, greased

8 oz. linguini, cooked
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into small bite sized pieces
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom)
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper for seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Cook the noodles according to box instructions and set aside. While noodles are cooking, cook the chicken until no longer pink in the center. Cut into small bite sized pieces.

In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, butter, sour cream, soup, chicken broth and salt and pepper to taste until well combined. Stir in cooked pasta. Pour into prepared bake dish. Sprinkle parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese on top. Bake for about 40 minutes. Note: If you doubled the recipe, it may need to bake for 5-10 minutes more.

Serve immediately and enjoy! Store covered in the fridge.

Broccoli Cheddar Quiche

 

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I need to add super easy to the title because it really is! And of course oh so delicious 🙂 Plus, you can literally serve this whenever you want! Breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner or midnight snack. What I love the most is that you can make it ahead of time and just heat it up right before serving. So easy! I got the idea to make this from my cousin Lorna (hi!) because we had it at her house recently. And I make breakfast for my family every weekend so I thought this would be the perfect thing for our Saturday breakfast. I hope you all like it as much as I do!

This recipe is for broccoli cheddar but you really can add in whatever ingredients you like.

What you will need:

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9 inch pie plate
1 pie crust
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli florets
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup whole milk
5 large eggs
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. In a pan, cook the onion until just beginning to brown. Place in a large bowl with the broccoli, cheddar cheese and milk. In a seperate bowl, whisk together the eggs. Pour into the broccoli mixture, season with salt and pepper and stir gently until combined.

Place the pie crust into your pie plate, making sure the bottom and sides are completely pressed to the pan. Pour the batter into the crust, smoothing out the top, making sure it’s even. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the crust is beginning to brown and the middle is set.

Allow to cool slightly before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

Store covered and in the refrigerator.

Beer Bread

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A super easy, quick beer bread recipe! What more can you ask for? I’ve been wanting to bake something not so sweet and had some Coronas in the fridge… why not?! Seriously, I’ve been eating way too much sugar lately. But now that spring is right around the corner (I hope), I’ve been watching what I eat. Also, the Boyd trio is going to Cabo San Lucas for spring break so I want to feel healthy! Plus, Corona just sets the mood 😉

(Seriously, though who am I kidding? I like to eat and bread? Not a great substitute for cake and cookies 🙂 )

You can use any beer you have, preferably a lighter one. Not Guinness, although who knows! Maybe that would taste amazing! So if you are searching for a side to serve with dinner this week, look no further! Sure to please all family members, this beer bread is delicious and best of all, no kneading required!

What you will need:

9 x 5 loaf pan, greased

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 can (12 oz.) beer
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.  Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the beer with a wooden spoon until just combined. Pour half the melted butter in prepared pan. Pour in batter and then pour the rest of the melted butter on top. Use all the butter! It may seem like a lot but the bread will bake up nicely.

Bake for 40-50 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before inverting to cool completely. Slice and serve and as always, enjoy!

Best if consumed immediately, however if you have self control, store covered at room temperature.

Hello! Get in my belly NOW!

Nieman Marcus Dip

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I’m not sure why this is called Nieman Marcus Dip, I found the recipe online and just went with it. Perhaps they sell this there? My mom calls Nieman Marcus “Needless Markup” because everything is so expensive. LOL! So hilarious. This dip, however, is delicious and not expensive at all. I made it for Easter and it was a hit! So easy to make, just 5 ingredients, 6 with crackers.

I had a great Easter with my family at my parents house. I actually like Easter better than Christmas 🙂 The weather is nicer, and you still get delicious baked goods and candy. And going on an egg hunt is the best. So I hope you all had a great Easter weekend, too!

Now, on to the recipe…

What you will need:

8 oz. cheddar cheese
2 green onions (more or less to taste)
1 1/2 cups mayonaise
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3 oz. bacon bits
Crackers (I Used Ritz and Townhouse Flatbread crisps)

Note: Feel free to get already shredded cheese, but in my opinion, getting a block of cheese tastes better 😉

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Shred the cheese and put in a large bowl. Thinly slice the onions and place in the bowl with the cheese. Combine all the other ingredients in the bowl and stir until everything is combined. Pour into a nice serving bowl with crackers on the side and enjoy!

How simple is that?!

Easy Homemade Bread

Seriously, this bread is so easy to make! And it’s quick, only 1 hour to rise. You will never want store bought bread again. I ate two huge slices smothered with butter as soon as it came out of the oven. It was pure heaven if I do say so myself 🙂 So put on your aprons and lets get to baking!

What you will need:

9×5 inch loaf pan

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 packet of Active Dry Yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups warm water
Non-stick spray or oil for pan

In a large bowl or bowl of your electric mixer, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. In a small cup or bowl, stir together the yeast, sugar and half a cup of the warm water. Let rest for 5-10 minutes.

Pour the yeast mixture into the flour mixture along with another cup of the warm water. Stir with a large wooden spoon or knead with the hook attachment until a nice dough is formed, slowly adding more water as needed. Once the dough is formed, place the bowl in your oven to rise for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, take the dough out and preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Grease the loaf pan. Stir the dough (I just used my hands) and transfer it to the pan. Let rise again while the oven preheats. Then bake for 30-40 minutes (mine took 32 minutes). Allow to cool on a wire rack and then slice and enjoy!

So pretty and delicious! The picture below is directly out of the pan.

Honey Rolls

Yum! Who doesn’t love bread??!! I mean, if you don’t, we can’t be friends. Bread and cake. My two favorite foods. Of. All. Time. Homemade bread is quite difficult to make, especially if you do not have a stand mixer to knead the dough. I’m sure it gets easier with experience, but I never know how much flour to use! The dough gets so sticky. But these turned out great so I will let you know my tricks.

What you will need:

2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 large egg
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for kneading)

For the top:

1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon honey

In the bowl of your mixer, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let rest for 5 minutes. Add in the egg, honey and salt and mix until combined. Add in the flour. If using a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, knead for 5-7 minutes. With my KitchenAid mixer, this was the 2 setting. If kneading by hand, knead for 8 minutes, trying not to use too much flour! The dough becomes more workable the longer you knead it.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours. Tip: My house was chilly so I preheat my oven to 170 degrees fahrenheit and then turned the oven off and placed my dough inside to rise. The perfect place!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Lightly oil a round cake pan or cookie sheet. After the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and work it so it’s not too sticky. I had to add more flour because it stuck to my hands too much.  Shape the dough into 12 balls and place in pan.

In a bowl, mix together the melted butter and honey. Brush over the rolls. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned.

Serve warm with butter or more honey. Enjoy!

Buttermilk Biscuits

Yum! These turned out so delicious and are not difficult at all to make! I will be keeping this recipe handy for Thanksgiving 😉 No mixer needed, just a bowl and a spoon. So let’s turn on those ovens and bake some biscuits…

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
Biscuit cutter or circle cookie cutter

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for rolling)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit. Cut the butter into small pieces and put in the freezer while you whisk the other ingredients.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. With a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles small crumbs. Make a hole in the flour and pour in the buttermilk. Stir until everything starts to stick together.

Pour the dough onto a generously floured surface. Fold the dough into itself until it is not too sticky to handle. Pat down into a 1 inch thick circle. With the biscuit or cookie cutter, push down into the dough and come straight up without twisting. Keep doing this until all the dough is used. Arrange the biscuits onto the prepared cookie sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Serve with butter, honey or gravy. Enjoy!

Sweet and Salty Pumpkin Seeds

Yesterday was the day of pumpkin carving in my household! It is so fun and brings back many good memories of my childhood. However, Liam was grossed out by the pumpkin! I mean, yes, it is pretty nasty, feels weird and smells but I enjoyed myself. And of course I saved the seeds! Last year I made drunken pumpkin seeds, but this year I wanted something simple, sweet and salty. So, go wash your pumpkin seeds and let’s roast!

What you will need:

1 cup washed pumpkin seeds (I got this from 1 medium pumpkin)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit. Place the pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 30 minutes to dry them out.

Once dry, take out seeds and set your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until all the seeds are coated. Put the seeds back on the parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the seeds are lightly golden brown. Enjoy!

Yum! Such a great snack. And here is our mess from carving…

 

Have fun!