Becca pot roast

Roast of your choice
Au jus packet
Ranch dip packet
5 peppercinis
A stick of butter on top of roast
Water to cover bottom

Slow cook til done

Chocolate toffee pretzel bark

This might be the easiest candy you will ever make. It’s MUCH easier than Homemade Caramels and more simple than regular English Toffee.  No need to stand at the stove and stir and you don’t need a candy thermometer! It’s also made with a very short list of ingredients, most of which I would bet my bottom dollar you are in possession of right this very minute.
There is one thing, however…that will not be easy, should you attempt this fine recipe within the walls of your own home.
It will not (I repeat…IT WILL NOT) be easy to resist eating the whole pan all by yourself.  The combination of sweet toffee goodness and the crunchy saltiness of the pretzels are a match made in candy heaven. This stuff is addicting with a capital A.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Grab a girdle, and make this recipe at your own risk, man. Then please bring me some. I like a little bit of risk now and then.  :)
PS…it would make a great Mother’s Day treat to give to those you love…or a fun Teacher Appreciation gift.
Let’s make it!

EASY TOFFEE PRETZEL BARK
PRINT RECIPE

Time: 20 min. + time to cool and set
Yield: 1 large cookie sheet full
Recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
8 ounces mini pretzels (enough to spread out onto a large baking sheet)
1 C butter
1 C brown sugar, packed
2 C semi sweet chocolate chips
sea salt (optional…I didn’t end up using it. The pretzels had enough salt for me.)
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grab a large cookie sheet (mine is 11×17) and line it with tin foil.
3. Spread 8 ounces of pretzels over the top of the foil.

4. Break the pretzels into chunks. You can leave them whole if you like as well.

5. Toss 1 cup butter and 1 cup packed brown sugar into a medium-sized sauce pan. Bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to make sure everything is blending together nicely.
6. Once you have a rolling boil going, keep the heat at medium and stop stirring. Let it bubble away for 3 minutes.

7. Immediately pour the hot candy over the top of the pretzels.

If you have a few gaps that’s ok. The candy will fuse itself together when you bake it.
8. Pop it into the oven and bake for 5 minutes.

Take the pan out of the oven to cool.

9. Immediately sprinkle 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips over the top of the hot candy.

Allow the chocolate to sit for about 5 minutes while it soaks up the heat from the candy, then spread the melted chocolate out over the top of the bark.
10. If you like sea salt, go ahead and sprinkle some along the top of the melted chocolate.
11. Allow the candy to set up. You can pop it into the fridge to speed up the process if you so choose.
12. Cut into chunks and enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container.


The winners of last weeks giveaway (Let It Go by Chris Williams) are #68 Cottage Girl and #51 Elizabeth. I will contact you shortly to get your mailing addresses. 

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White Chocolate and Toffee Fudge

Sweet and Salty Corn Pops

Chocolate Caramel and Pecan Turtle Clusters

Linkwithin

Slow Cooker Bryant Style Peppersteak

Ingredients:

1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp red curry powder
3 tbsp tarriayki
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp worchershire sauce
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp red wine
2 red peppers
2 tbsp green peppers
1 lb. flat iron or preferred beef
4 cups of water
2 beef bouilons cubes
Can of bamboo shoots

Cut beef into strips. start browning meat then cut peppers in strips and cook til tender with meat put in slow cooker mix all ingredients with it and slow cook for 45 mins

Pesto Chicken Alfredo

This makes a great freezer meal. Just line your casserole with tinfoil and then saran wrap. Assemble the Pesto Chicken Alfredo like normal but instead of baking it, freeze it! To reheat, put the unwrapped frozen Pesto Chicken Alfredo back into the pan you froze it in, and let thaw in the fridge. Once thawed, bake as normal.

Pesto Chicken Alfredo

Ingredients 

1 package (16oz) penne pasta- cooked and drained
4 cups cooked chicken, cubed
4 cups (16 ounces) shredded Italian cheese blend
3 cups fresh baby spinach 
1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes 
1 jar (15 ounces) Alfredo sauce 
1 1/2 cups milk
1 container (5-8 ounces) prepared basil pesto 
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs 
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil

Pork Tenderloin With Sour Cream and Mushroom Sauce

Pork tenderloin is sliced and cooked with a tasty mushroom and sour cream sauce. This is an easy meal for any night of the week, and it's delicious with potatoes and corn, or serve with your favorite side vegetables.

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 bunch (6 to 8) green onions with about 2 to 3 inches of green sliced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken broth, divided
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

Slice tenderloins into about 8 pieces; flatten each medallian slightly with the heel of your hand. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of oil. Cook mushrooms until tender, about 5 minutes, then add onion and cook for 1 minute longer. Transfer the mushrooms and onions to a plate; set aside. Pour off excess liquids from the pan. Melt remaining butter with oil over medium heat. Add pork tenderloin medallions and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until browned. Sprinkle the pork lightly with salt and pepper. Pour in wine and half of the chicken broth. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Transfer the pork to a serving dish and keep warm. Stir flour into the remaining chicken broth until smooth. With the skillet over medium heat, stir in the flour and broth mixture. Cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed. Stir in the sour cream, parsley, and the cooked mushrooms and onions. Heat through, but do not boil. Serve sauce with the pork slices.
Serves 4.

Mexican Chicken Alfredo

Ingredients

1lb spiral pasta, cooked

1lb cooked chicken (about 2-3 breasts), cubed

1 medium onion, chopped 

2 jars (15oz each) Alfredo sauce

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup salsa

1/4 cup milk

1 Tbs taco seasoning

 Step 1

Layer the cooked pasta in a baking dish.

Step 2

In a bowl, combine the cooked chicken, onion, Alfredo sauce, Parmesan cheese, salsa, milk, taco seasoning, and salt/pepper to taste.

Step 3

Pour Alfredo mixture over the pasta, stir a little to incorporate the sauce and pasta. Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Step 4

Enjoy!

Best Way to make hard boiled eggs

For anyone that may not know, the BEST way to make hard-boiled eggs is in the OVEN! Place the eggs in a muffin tray so they do not move around, turn the oven to 325 degrees, pop in for about 25-30 minutes and remove! Not only are they tastier, but they also are much easier to peel!" By: A Mum 'n the Oven

or here is another tip about eggs if you want to boil them...

“Do you know how to boil an egg?”

I laughed at her, thinking how I had admired her so much for being such a great, put together first-time mom and halfway decent cook… but really? You don’t know how to boil an egg?
As I started to explain to her the concept of getting a pot, filling it with water, putting the eggs in the pot, my smugness started to wear off. Wait a minute. How long did you boil the water for? Do you put them in with the water cold or hot?

OMG, did I know how to boil an egg?

I realized that while I had the basic mechanics of how to do it, the subtle nuances that create a gorgeous creamy hard boiled egg were eluding me. In fact, I was boiling eggs and getting anywhere from perfectly done, to overdone, with that yucky gray ring around the yolk.
Science Lesson – That gray ring around the yolk is actually the iron in the egg yolk reacting with the hydrogen sulfide from the white… and only happens when you over cook it.
So with a gazillion eggs from our backyard chickens in hand, I set out to boil the perfect egg.
And I was pretty surprised at what I learned.
1) It is actually as easy as you think it should be. Provided you pay attention… I tend to suck at paying attention to things so I had some pretty gross attempts.
2) We have the luxury of using really really fresh eggs… like, right from the chicken. But those aren’t really the eggs that you want. The fresher they are? The harder they are to peel once they are cooked. So if you want to get really easy to peel eggs? Use some that are a little bit older. This is probably not going to be a problem for the average consumer, since most of the eggs that you buy in the store have been there for a while. But, just in case you ever get chickens…

Now the directions -

1) Grab your eggs (I’m using large eggs), and a pot. Pretty easy start, right?
2) Put the eggs in the pot and cover them with water, only about an inch overhead.
3) Put them on the stove and turn it on medium high heat.
Now this is where you NEED to pay attention.
4) As SOON as that water starts to boil (and I mean boil, not just a few bubble here and there), turn the stove off.
5) Set the timer for 10 minutes.
6) When the timer goes off, remove the eggs from the pot and put them in cold water. (Sometimes I put them in an ice bath, but I haven’t found that it really matters either way)
7) Let them sit for about 5 minutes and then dig in.
Of course, if you don’t want them right away, just store them in the fridge, but try to use them within a few days as they go bad faster than uncooked eggs.

Now tell me that wasn’t the SIMPLEST, most STUPID PROOF way to boil an egg?

Steak Chili

Steak Chili

Yields 6 servings
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 pounds stew meat, diced into 3/4-inch cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 red onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-3 jalapeños, minced
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• Shredded jalapeño Monterey Jack cheese, for serving
• Jalapeño cornbread, for serving

DIRECTIONS:
Season stew meat with salt and pepper, to taste.
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium high heat. Add stew meat and sear until browned, about 2 minutes. Add onion, garlic and jalapeños, and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, kidney beans and 1-2 cups water, making sure to cover most of the ingredients.
Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender, about 90-120 minutes.
Serve immediately with jalapeño Monterey Jack cheese and cornbread, if desired.

Homemade Chocolate Eclair Cake

Eclair Cake

This no-bake eclair cake layered with graham crackers, Cool Whip & vanilla pudding is frosted with homemade chocolate icing. Also called ice box cake, it's a perfect birthday cake or easy dessert!

Eclair Cake Recipe

• 1 box graham crackers
• 2 packages (3 ounce each) vanilla instant pudding
• 3 cups milk
• 1 cup Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed
• 4 Tablespoons butter, softened
• 5 Tablespoons cocoa
• 4 teaspoons light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' (powdered) sugar
• 5 Tablespoons milk, more or less

How To Make Eclair Cake

• Place 1/3 of the graham crackers on the bottom of a 9 X 13 inch baking pan or rectangular casserole dish.
• In a large bowl, mix pudding and milk for 2 minutes on medium speed. Scrape bowl.
• Fold Cool Whip into pudding, being careful not to mix too much.
• Spread 1/2 the pudding mixture on top of the graham crackers and smooth with an offset spatula.
• Layer another 1/3 of the graham crackers on top of the pudding, pressing lightly.
• Spread the last 1/2 of the pudding mixture on top, and repeat with the remaining graham crackers.Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator while making the frosting.
• In a medium bowl with a hand mixer, beat butter and cocoa until well blended. Add corn syrup and vanilla and mix again. Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time. Add milk 1 Tablespoon at a time as needed to make the frosting spreadable.
• Remove cake from the fridge and spread frosting evenly over the top being careful not to break the graham crackers.
• Refrigerate eclair cake at least 6 hours or overnight before cutting.
• Serves 12-15.

Bryant Chicken Mushroom Lasagna

-1 lb. Chicken Tenderloins or breast cut up after cooked
-2 small jars of alfredo sauce
-1 sm. can cream of mushroom, do not add water per can instructions!
-Pre cooked lasagna
-Mushrooms chopped
-Mozzerella Cheese
-Lasagna pan greased

Cook chicken on medium heat, in olive oil or any oil you like. Season chicken to your liking. I use garlic powder and cumin. After chicken is cooked through put in strainer and set aside. Put new oil in pan if there isnt any and cook mushrooms on medium heat till tender (about 5 or so minutes). Add cut up chicken to mushrooms, stir, then add cream of mushroom and both jars of alfredo sauce. Stir to mix throughly. Now take greased lasagna pan and layer with noodles/sauce/cheese repeat till sauce is gone. Layer top thick with Moz cheese. put in the oven at 350 til top is golden brown (about 15 minutes or so)

Pesto Pasta and Chicken

Original recipe makes 8 servings

 

• 1 (16 ounce) package bow tie pasta
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

• crushed red pepper flakes to taste
• 1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and cut into strips
• 1/2 cup pesto sauce 
   

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic until tender, then stir in chicken. Season with red pepper flakes. Cook until chicken is golden, and cooked through.
3. In a large bowl, combine pasta, chicken, sun-dried tomatoes and pesto. Toss to coat evenly.

Bryant Breakfast Homies

Ingredients:
2 Waffles
4 Slices of Ham
2 Slices of Cheese (your preference) I use yellow american from deli
2 Eggs
2 tbsp. divided Butter

Place Ham in pan over medium heat with melted butter or olive oil (or whatever you prefer), cook ham til slightly browned mean while toast waffles, place cheese on top of ham when ham is browned, cheese is done on ham when melted, place ham/cheese combo on top of buttered waffles, then cook eggs to your liking I like mine over medium, place cooked egg on top of waffle/ham/cheese....then if you like put syrup on top or eat it plain...this is an awesome recipe!!!
*photo to come next time I make em

Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken & Dumplings For The Soul

Nonie's Chicken and Dumplings

Stew:

• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 bunch celery, chopped
• 1 whole chicken fryer (about 4 lbs.)
• 3 chicken bouillon cubes
• 6 cups chicken broth or water
• salt and pepper to taste

Dumplings:

• 2 cups flour
• 4 tsps. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. dried basil (optional)
• 2 Tbsp. Crisco shortening
• 3/4 -1 cup buttermilk

In a large pot over high heat, saute onions, celery and bouillon cubes in butter til tender. Add whole chicken fryer to pot and cover with 6 cups water or chicken stock. Cook over medium heat til chicken is cooked through.
Once chicken is cooked through, pull out and place on a cutting board. Once cool enough to handle, take off all the meat and shred into bite sided pieces. Add chicken back to pot and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Bring to boil.
While the chicken stew is coming to a boil, make the dumplings: In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and dried basil. Mix dry ingredients and cut in shortening with a fork or a pastry cutter. Stir dough while adding buttermilk. Start with 3/4 cup and add more til completely moistened and biscuit like but not wet.
Drop by the spoon full onto the boiling stew. Do not stir dumplings. Reduce heat to low and cover pot with a tight fitting lid. Allow dumplings to steam for 15 minutes. Once dumplings are cooked through, stir dumplings into the stew and serve. The flour from the dumplings will thicken the stew.

Taco Balls

I made this recipe and it was a big hit in my family!!! It was a great recipe :)

taco balls: 1 pkg, jumbo crescent rolls, 3 oz cream cheese, 1/2 mexican shredded cheese, 3/4 c shredded chicken, 1/3c taco sauce, 2 tsp, taco seasoning mix, 1/4 c cheese for sprinkling.350 oven 10 min or til golden, ( put cream cheese and shredded cheese in the microwave and nuke for 30-40 sec till softened and add other ingredients , roll in crescents and bake!!