Warm Bacon Cheddar Dip in Sourdogh

This recipe is so so yummy and so simple. Found it here. I made it for my husband and I, and then again for a work party and a lot of people asked for the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 large round loaf sourdough bread (I used the cheapest round loaf of bread I could find)

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese

1 ½ cups sour cream

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (medium or sharp)

2-3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

3/4 lb. bacon – cooked and crumbled (I bought diced bacon from the deli *120 grams for aussies)

Cut out a circle in the top of the bread and gut out the middle to make a bread bowl (save inside pieces of bread for dipping). In a mixing bowl beat cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and Worcestershire sauce. Then mix in bacon. Pour into the bread bowl. Wrap up the whole thing in aluminum foil. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour. Serve with extra bread from bowl and crackers.

*The first time I made it I did the whole cook it for an hour, but the second time I just heated up the dip in the microwave and poured it in the bowl.  The bread lasted longer that way because it was softer. 

Teriyaki Tuna and Veggies

For those of you who have lots of canned tuna and can't eat it quickly, I have a great recipe for you. I don't really like tuna, but I do like this recipe. Original recipe found here.

Ingredients
2 sheets (12x18–inches each) aluminum foil
2 cans tuna (5 oz. each), drained and broken up with fork
1 can (16 oz.) pineapple chunks in juice, drained
4 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 bag (16 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables for stir fry, thawed
cooked rice

1. Preheat oven to 450°F or grill to medium–high.
2. Half the frozen vegetables and center each half on the aluminum foil sheets. Half the pineapple chunks and put each half on top of the vegetables. Top each with a can of tuna. Combine the teriyaki sauce, ginger, and salt; spoon evenly over tuna, pineapple, and vegetables.
3. Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside.
4. Bake 16 to 18 minutes on a cookie sheet in oven OR grill 8 to 10 minutes in covered grill.
5. Serve over cooked rice. Add salt, pepper, and more teriyaki sauce as desired.

Sweet Potato Burritos

This sounds weird, but these are great! My sister-in-law told us about this recipe, so tonight we gave it a try. She found this recipe in an old Texas ward recipe book. It's very cheap (approx $5 for 2.5 meals) and healthy! I liked it a lot, but my husband thought there wasn't enough spice. Next time I might add a little more spice for him.

Sweet Potato Burritos
1 T Vegetable oil                                                                             
1 onion chopped                                                                           
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed (4 cans)
3 T chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
4 tsp prepared mustard
3 T soy sauce
4 C sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed (3-4 microwaved for 7+ minutes, take the skins off, and mashed)
12 (10 inch) flour tortillas, warmed (We used the smaller ones)
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese (We used mozzarella. Delicious.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat oil in medium skillet, and saute onion and garlic until soft.  Stir in beans and heat until warm.  Remove from heat and stir in chili powder, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper and soy sauce.  Add just enough water so that sauces dissolve.
Divide bean mixture and mash sweet potatoes evenly between the warm flour tortillas.  Top with cheese. Fold up tortillas burrito style and bake or freeze.  Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes in preheated oven and serve.

Heather

Morning Muffins

I got this muffin recipe from one of my cooking classes. The best part is it can be mixed and then left in the fridge for a couple of weeks. My husband and I love putting a little bit of batter in a mug, microwaving it, and then eating it with a spoon. It's a great warm breakfast for fall and winter. 

I've tweaked it since getting it, so I'll post the original recipe and my version.

Buttermilk Bran Muffins (Original)

Makes 1 ½ dozen

½ C. 100% Bran Flake cereal 

1 C. All Bran cereal 

½ C. boiling water 

¼ C. shortening 

1 egg 

1 C. raisins

1 ¼ C. flour

¼ tsp. salt

1 ¼ tsp. baking soda

1 C. buttermilk (1 C plain yogurt)

½ C. sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare muffin tins.

2. Combine cereals and hot water. Let stand.

3. Beat shortening, egg, buttermilk and sugar in a separate bowl.

4. Add softened cereal to the egg mixture and beat to combine.

5. Combine dry ingredients and raisins in the food processor and process until raisins are chopped. Stir with wet mixture ingredients until just mixed.

6. Bake mini muffins 10 to 12 minutes. If making regular sized muffins, bake 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool on rack.

7. The batter can be put in the refrigerator and used for several weeks.

Breakfast Muffin in a Mug

1 ½ C. 100% Bran Flake cereal 

½ C. boiling water 

¼ C. butter or margarine

1 egg 

1 C. raisins (I've never put raisins in; I always forget, but I want to try it with raisins.)

1 ¼ C. flour

¼ tsp. salt

1 ¼ tsp. baking soda

1 C plain yogurt (vanilla is great too!)

½ C. sugar

1. Combine cereal and hot water. Crush cereal a little so it will all get soggy in the water. Let stand.

2. Beat butter, egg, buttermilk and sugar in a separate bowl.

3. Add softened cereal to the egg mixture and beat to combine.

4. If using raisins, chop them up with a food processor.

5. Combine dry ingredients and raisins and stir with wet mixture ingredients until just mixed.

6. Fill a mug 1/2 to 3/4 full with batter. Put in microwave for 1-2 minutes until done.

7. The batter can be put in the refrigerator and used for several weeks.

Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken and Rotini Primavera

I just made this great recipe that my cousin showed me. It's easy, cheap, and delicious! My husband is a big fan, so I'm a big fan. The original recipe is found here.

Creamy Chicken & Rotini Primavera

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1/2 pound dry rotini
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast - cubed (I use less)
1 pound frozen vegetable mix - thawed
4 ounces Neufchatel cheese (reduced fat cream cheese)
1/2 cup lite Italian dressing
1/2 cup 2% fat milk

Directions

1. Cook rotini per package directions to desired doneness. Drain well and keep warm.
2. Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken cubes and cook until no longer pink.
3. Combine cream cheese, dressing and milk and whisk until smooth.
4. Add thawed frozen vegetables to chicken along with sauce mixture. Stir well and heat through - about 5 minutes. Serve. 

Tasty Breadsticks

I've been using a really simple, no-rise breadstick recipe since I've gotten married. I liked it because it was easy and quick, and I didn't have to remember to start making it a long time before dinner. Well I tried a new recipe that my sister-in-law loves, and I'm definitely switching over. These breadsticks were AMAZING! And they're quite easy even though they do rise for 45 minutes. The dough was a lot easier to work with, softer without being sticky, and they are so yummy with the topping. Here's the original link.


Breadsticks


Ingredients
Dough:
1 pkg active dry yeast (2 1/4 t.)
4 1/4 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 T unsalted butter, softened
2 T sugar
1 T fine salt


Topping:
3 T. unsalted butter, melted
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of dried oregano

Directions

Make the dough:

Place 1/4 cup warm water in the bowl of a mixer; sprinkle in the yeast and set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, butter, sugar, fine salt and 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons warm water; mix with the paddle attachment until a slightly sticky dough forms, 5 minutes.

Knead the dough by hand on a floured surface until very smooth and soft, 3 minutes. Roll into a 2-foot-long log; cut into 16 1 1/2-inch-long pieces. Knead each piece slightly and shape into a 7-inch-long breadstick; arrange 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a cloth; let rise in a warm spot until almost doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Make the topping: 

Brush the breadsticks with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Bake until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt with the garlic powder and oregano. Brush the warm breadsticks with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with the flavored salt.

Cinnamon Rolls...or white bread

I use it to make cinnamon rolls, bread and cinnamon swirl bread.  It does make a lot (hard to halve with just one egg) but we just freeze the loaves or invite people over. 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c powdered milk
4 cups boiling water
1/2 c sugar
2 T salt
1/2 c oil
2 packets yeast
12 cups flour
1 egg, beaten

Directions:
1. Scald dry milk with boiling water, add sugar, salt, oil and let cool.
2. While cooling, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water and add 1tsp sugar.
3. Put cooled milk mixture in mixing bowl, add 4 cups flour gradually and mix to develop gluten.
4. Add beaten egg and yeast mixture and blend throughly
5. Add flour 1 cup at a time, beating after each cup.  Knead when dough is too stiff to beat.  (Add flour until dough is the right consistency, not sticky but not too dry. Should be near 12cups flour total in recipe)  Knead 8-10 minutes.
6. Spread dough with light coat of oil and let rise twice. First time: 2 hours.  Second time: 40 minutes
7. For bread, divide into loaf size portions, back about 12 minutes at 400F (204c) degrees until brown and then turn down heat to 350F (176c) and back 25 minutes.

*For cinnamon rolls, after the dough has risen a second time, roll the dough into a rectangle.  Spread entire surface with a generous amount of butter (just softened, not completely melted butter or you'll get soggy rolls).  Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon sugar (1/2c sugar to 1T cinnamon).  Roll up, pinch the edge and cut about 1 in slices with string, dental floss or softly with a knife.

Put in pans and let rise again, about 1 hour. I like to put them in the fridge overnight.  When they rise overnight they can be placed in the oven first thin in the morning. Bake at 325F (160c) until lightly golden (about 20 minutes). Frost when warm if desired.