Pretzel-Topped Sweet Potatoes

So I really loathe this picture, but I just always feel the need to have a picture with the recipe regardless of how bad it looks...Anyway, don't let the picture fool you, this is such a delicious recipe! I love sweet and salty, which is why I love the combo of these sweet potatoes and pretzels. I didn't mash the potatoes I just put them in whole(after I drained them)and added the topping. Amazing!

* 2 cups chopped pretzel rods (about 13)
* 1 cup chopped pecans
* 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1 cup butter, melted, divided
* 1 can (2-1/2 pounds) sweet potatoes, drained
* 1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

* In a large bowl, combine the pretzels, pecans, cranberries, brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter; set aside.
* In a large bowl, beat the sweet potatoes until smooth. Add the milk, sugar, vanilla and remaining butter; beat until well blended.
* Spoon into a greased shallow 2-qt. baking dish; sprinkle with pretzel mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are bubbly.

Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home

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With the Extra Batter I Also Made Some Onion Rings, Yum!

Follow the same directions given for the fried green tomatoes here.
Add salt to taste after they are fried. Pin It

Fried Green Tomatoes

Tomatoes are probably one of my LEAST favorite foods! Unless...they are cooked,... then they are yummy. Needless to say that when my husband suggested making fried green tomatoes using some of our many still not ripe tomatoes from our garden, I was not in any way excited. But, I went ahead and found a recipe by the Neely's and I must say that they were good. They reminded me a lot of fried zucchini(one of my favorite foods of all time!), We dipped them in ranch which made them extra yummy. I will say though, that since they are so much like fried zucchini, that I would just use zucchini next time. They are way easier to work with and don't get as soggy. Oh, I did think they needed a little bit of salt too.

Ingredients

• Oil
• 4 green tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch rings
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Pinch paprika
• Buttermilk Dipping Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

In a deep-fryer, preheat oil to 350 degrees F.

Season tomatoes, on both sides, with salt and pepper. Place flour and garlic powder in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, beat eggs with the milk. In another dish, mix bread crumbs with cayenne and paprika. Dredge tomatoes through the flour, then the eggs, and then through the bread crumbs. Add only a few pieces to the fryer at a time, so they can cook evenly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve with Buttermilk Dipping Sauce:

Buttermilk Dipping Sauce:

• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Neelys BBQ sauce
• 1 lime, juiced
• 4 scallions, sliced thin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the apple cider and brown sugar. Allow to reduce until thick and syrupy. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a medium bowl, add buttermilk, mayonnaise, BBQ sauce and lime juice and whisk well. Add in the scallions and the apple cider mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve with Fried Green Tomatoes.

Recipe courtesy of the Neely's

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"Re Fried" Beans in the Slow Cooker

I've been wanting to try and make my own re fried beans for some time now. I found a recipe that I thought would be simple and since it received great reviews, I decided to give it a try. They were so good! Everyone loved them! This recipe makes enough to freeze some for later use.
Recipe courtesy of AllRecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 onion, peeled and halved 3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed 1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped 2 tablespoons minced garlic

5 teaspoons salt 1 3/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin, optional 9 cups water

Directions:

1.	Place the onion, rinsed beans, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin into a slow cooker. Pour in the water and stir to combine. Cook on High for 8 hours, adding more water as needed. Note: if more than 1 cup of water has evaporated during cooking, then the temperature is too high.
2.	Once the beans have cooked, strain them, and reserve the liquid. Mash the beans with a potato masher, adding the reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.

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Pesto Tortellini Salad

This was such an easy and yummy pasta salad. The dressing recipe came from Knorr. I only added artichoke hearts to our salad, but some other ideas would be tomatoes, olives, onions, etc...

Ingredients:

Cheese filled tortellini, cooked and cooled
Artichoke hearts
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 package Knorr pesto sauce mix

Mix olive oil, vinegar and pesto sauce mix together. Mix with remaining ingredients. Chill and enjoy!

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Easy Fruit Salad

Here's a quick and easy recipe for a fruit salad that I have always loved. I don't know where the original recipe came from. It's just one of those dishes that we always had at Holiday dinners growing up. And yes you do use sour cream....my husband is convinced that it is supposed to be Cool Whip:)

Ingredients:

1/2 bag of mini marshmallows
1 large can pineapple chunks
1 large or 2 small cans of mandarin orange slices
1 small jar of cherries (without stems)
8 oz sour cream (approx.) I've never measured, but I usually use about 1/2 of a 16oz container. Add more if needed.

Drain all fruit well. Mix marshmallows, fruit and sour cream. Add more sour cream if it doesn't seem moist enough. I usually make this no more than a few hours before eating, as the marshmallows will get softer the longer they sit in the salad. This recipe is easily doubled.

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Lemon Rice with Pine Nuts

I made a great citrus marinade for my Mahi Mahi tonight and wanted to bring the flavors through the entire dish. I looked for a lemon rice recipe and couldn't find one that had ingredients that I already had on hand and/or that my family would eat so I took it upon myself to create one. I served this with charred roman lettuce (from the bbq) with citrus vinaigrette and tomatoes. The meal was a winner and I wanted to share it with you. Enjoy.

Lemon Rice

2 TBL extra-virgin olive oil

2-3 gloves of garlic minced

1/2 cup pine nuts

long strips of zest cut from one lemon (take your time and don't get the white part or you will have a bitter flavored rice)

2 cups of white rice (or my favorite is jasmine rice)

4 1/4 cups water

3 cubes chicken bullion cubes or 3 TBL of chicken flavored bullion powder (you can use 4 cups of chicken stock/chicken broth from the can instead of cubes and water

1/2 tsp dried thyme or 1 TBL fresh

salt and pepper to taste

In large saucepan with cover, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and pine nuts, cook for 1 min or until pine nuts start to slightly brown. Add Rice and cook for one min longer. Add water, bullion, thyme, and lemon zest strips. Bring to a boil, lower heat to low and simmer until all liquid is gone and rice is soft about 10-15 minutes. Fluff with fork and remove lemon zest strips before you serve.

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Praline Sweet Potatoes

 

This week I tried a yummy new sweet  potato recipe. I was so happy that my kids love it too, seeing that I have such a hard time getting them to eat vegetables, especially my son. My daughter had 2 helpings and my son ate his entire serving. Sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamin A and they also provide a nice amount of vitamin C. I found this recipe on the back of the Princella sweet potato can. It was super easy.

Ingredients:

29 oz can of sweet potatoes in light syrup

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1/3 packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons flour(I used 5)

3 tablespoons butter, melted

Heat oven to 350. Place drained potatoes in an ungreased 1 & 1/2 quart casserole dish. In small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Blend well. Sprinkle over sweet potatoes. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

 

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Cheater Chili Rellenos

My husband is Mexican and his family makes some of the greatest Mexican food and while I have picked up a few recipes here and there, I have not fully master the full depth of flavor that his family gets into their meals. One of my favorite Mexican dishe is chili rellenos, the real, authentic, full-bodied ones made with Anaheim chilis and homemade enchilada sauce. My aunt taught me to make these little cheater ones and I have to say they are really good and easy. Serve with a canned enchilada sauce and these make a great appetizer or with a side of rice and beans they can be a quick meal.

1 can whole green chilis

1 package of egg roll wrappers

1 small block of Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 2 1/2" x 1/2 thick sticks

oil for frying

1 small can enchilada sauce

1 - 2 tsp honey

heat oil to 350〫

Heat enchilada sauce and honey on the stove in a small pan until hot.

Open can of chili, drain and discard liquid. Gentle open the cut end of the green chili and stuff a stick of Jack cheese inside. Open egg roll wrappers and turn the wrappers so that one corner is facing you. Lay the stuffed green chili on the lower 1/3 of wrapper, take the corner closes to you and wrap around the chili until the wrapper is just covering the chili. Take both side corners of the egg roll wrapper and fold over the partially wrapped chili. It should look like you are making a burrito. Once three corners are in place, roll the chili in the rest of the egg roll wrapper. Seal corner with a touch of water. Carefully place in hot oil and fry for approximately 3 min or until egg roll wrapper is browned.

Remove carefully and drain on a wire rack placed over a sheet pan lined with newspaper or paper towels. Serve with a side of enchilada sauce mixed with the honey and warmed in the microwave for dipping.

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Turkey Veggie Soup

My mother-in-law is ill right now with a cold. My father-in-law called to ask where he should get some soup for her and I thought, why buy when you can make? I made a turkey a couple days ago and still had leftover turkey so I created this soup with my left over veggies and turkey (both dark and white). It is perfect for these cold days of winter. I hope you enjoy it. Remember you can add anything you have in your kitchen. I have never loved making homemade stock so I used the pre-boxed kind.

2Tbl Olive Oil

1 medium onion diced

1 cup carrots, peeled and cubed

1 cup celery, washed and sliced thick

2 medium squash, washed and cut into cubes

32 oz. chicken or turkey stock

2 cups water

2 cubes poultry bullion cubes

2-3 cups of shredded turkey or chicken

1 cup of orzo pasta

salt and pepper to taste

In a dutch oven or large stock pot on medium heat add olive oil and heat until oil is hot. Add onion cook until almost tender. Add carrots and celery, cook for 1 min. Add pasta, cook for 1 min. Add squash, chicken stock, water and bullion cubes. Bring to boil then reduce to low. Add chicken or turkey and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste. Serve hot.

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Sweet Potato Cranberry Casserole

My favorite Thanksgiving side dish is sweet potatoes. My all time favorite sweet potato recipe is the one my mom use to make for Thanksgiving dinner. I believe it originally came out of one her old church cookbooks. This recipe uses canned sweet potatoes although I'm sure you can use fresh sweet potatoes if you sweeten them first.

Ingredients:

All of the amounts will vary depending on the size dish you want to serve

1-4  29oz size cans of sweet potatoes in syrup, drained (I used 1 can for a 1.5 quart casserole dish, but I have used as many as 4 when I'm using a deep baking pan.)
Fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained (about 3/4 cup for 1.5 quart dish)
1 jar of orange marmalade (about 1/2 cup for 1.5 quart dish)
1 bag of mini marshmallows (1/4 of bag for 1.5 quart dish)
Chopped pecans (1/2 cup for 1.5 quart dish)

Put the sweet potatoes in a greased dish/pan of your choice. I used a 1.5 quart casserole dish this time. It made enough for 3-4 people. Usually if I'm bringing this recipe to a Thanksgiving dinner I use a deep 9X13 pan. I also like using disposable foil pans, as the marshmallows get baked onto the sides of the pan. Sprinkle cranberries over the top then sprinkle the pecans over the top. Now, dot the casserole with orange marmalade. Bake covered at 350 for 30 minutes. Pull casserole out, cover with marshmallows. Put back in the oven and bake until marshmallows are golden brown. You can also broil if you prefer, but KEEP AN EYE on the marshmallows, they brown VERY FAST this way. Pin It

Tangy Green Beans

Here is another recipe that my mom made for Thanksgiving Dinner. It has become a traditional recipe for our family. Bacon and Italian dressing really add a lot of flavor to these green beans. This is one of those recipes that doesn't really depend on exact ingredient measurements. You can make adjustments as desired.

Fresh green beans, rinsed with ends cut off (amount will depend on how many servings you wish to make)
1/2 onion
1/4 - 1/3 lb of bacon, cut into 1in. pieces
Italian Dressing (1/2 bottle to whole bottle)
2 T. Butter

Fry bacon in a medium to large size pot.  After a couple of minutes add the onion. Cook for a few more minutes until onions are tender. Bacon does not have to be completely cooked(mine was still tender). Add green beans. Fill pot with water, covering 3/4 of green beans. Add butter and dressing(amount of dressing depends on the amount of green beans) Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Pin It

Mom's Stuffing/Dressing

This is the stuffing recipe my mom has made for as long as I can remember. The smell and taste bring me lots of wonderful memories of  Thanksgiving. I have yet to try a stuffing that I like better. The original recipe comes from Betty Crocker, but my mom has made a few little changes to it. Tonight was the first time I have ever made it and it was very simple to make. We always make our stuffing outside of the bird, instead of in it. That is how I prefer it, but you could also use this recipe to stuff your Turkey.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups chopped celery with leaves
3/4 cups butter
1/4 - 1/2 cup chicken broth
9 cups of soft bread cut into little cubes(I used an inexpensive white loaf)
1 teas. salt
1/2 teas. ground sage(I used rubbed sage and it worked fine)
1/2 teas. thyme
1/4 teas. pepper

Melt the butter in a large stock pot. Add celery and saute until tender. Add spices and broth, stir. Add bread cubes and mix it all together. Once completely mixed pour into a  9X13 pan. Bake covered with foil at 375 for 30 minutes. Pin It

Sweet Potato Bake

I can't imagine having a Thanksgiving  or Christmas dinner without a sweet potato dish on the side. I have been making the same sweet potato dish for years(recipe to come soon). I love my stand by recipe, but I thought it would be fun to try out a new recipe. Who better to go to for Thanksgiving comfort food, then Paula Deen. One of the recipes I picked for this week's rotw was Paula Deen's Sweet Potato Bake. It was such a wonderful recipe! It is so sweet and delicious, it could almost substitute for a dessert. It looks like now I might be making two sweet potato recipes during the holidays!


Ingredients:

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes(I used 3 fresh, boiled them and then mashed them)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup heavy cream, half and half, or whole milk

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

Mix together with fork; sprinkle over top of casserole.
Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all ingredients together except for cream. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add cream;mix well. Pour into greased casserole dish ( 1 1/2 quarts). Add topping. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.



Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen Pin It

Salsa Chicken Soup

Thursdays are busy nights for us. If I can remember...I always try and throw dinner in the slow cooker earlier that day so we can eat dinner that evening at a decent time. Today I decided to take a recipe given to me a couple weeks ago from a friend and combine it with some recipes I had found online. The original recipe given to me sounded great, but once again I was attempting to make do with what I had in the pantry. The result was a really delicious mexican style soup. Everyone loved it! I will definitely be making this again. Here's what I came up with. Ingredients: 3-4 pieces of chicken (I used boneless, frozen thighs) 2 cans of seasoned black beans, undrained 1 cup of salsa ( I used pace picante, medium) 1 small single serving size can V8 juice (smallest can they make) 1 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained 1 small can diced green chilies 3 chicken boulion cubes garlic powder, pepper, salt to taste(watch the salt. It's pretty tasty already) Directions: Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Put all of the ingredients in. Mix together. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. About a 1/2 hour before eating, remove the chicken, shred and put back into the soup. Mix again. Garnish with crushed tortilla chips, sour cream and cheese (optional).

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Amber's ROTW/Chili and Cornbread Review

What could be better on a cool Halloween night than chili and cornbread? Too me it's the perfect choice. Both the chili recipe and the cornbread recipe were so delicious!

First let's talk about the chili. Be prepared, this recipe makes A LOT of chili. Perfect choice when company's coming for dinner. I only made 2 changes to the recipe. I added 2 packets of chili mix instead of 1. I also omitted the peppers and celery, since my family is not a fan of either. I thought the addition of sausage in chili was a great idea. I have never tried that before. Everyone loved this chili which always makes me happy!

Now on to the cornbread. Since I've been married I have been making Jiffy cornbread. It tastes good and for less than 50 cents a box, you can't beat it. I just always assumed however that all corn bread will leave your plate with a huge pile of crumbs. Not to mention the huge mess of crumbs that make it too the floor. This was such a delicious cornbread recipe. It was sweet and had a wonderful texture. The best part, virtually no crumbs!

I will absolutely be making both of these recipes again. I hope everyone enjoyed these as much as I did. Pin It