Wednesday, April 23, 2014

BAKED EGGS WITH HAM AND GRITS


2 cups of water
2 Tblspn.of polenta grits*
1 1/4 cup of shreddd Cheddar cheese
6 pieces of bacon, chopped
salt and pepper
1/4 Tspn. poultr seasoning
4 large eggs

*Quick-cooking grits like Quaker could also be used

Preheat the oven to 350F, and grease an 8 inch baking pan. Set aside. Using kitchen scissors cut bacon into strips, no wider than your index finger. In a medium pan, cook until crispy. In the meantime cook the grits with butter and water according to manufacturers directions. Mix 1 cup of cheese, and the bacon with a little bit of grease into the grits. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour grits mixture into a greased 8 inch square pan. Make a spoon indent a corner and place one of the cracked eggs. Repeat this in all four corners. Sprinkle poultry seasoning a top each cracked egg. Place pan in the oven, carefully! You want to avoid jostling the eggs too much causing the white to spill over the grits. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove and sprinkle last 1/4 cup of cheese atop. Place back in oven until cheese melts, approximately 1-2 minutes. The yolk of the eggs will be runny.

Because the eggs are easily jostled, you can see from the photo that the white can run. Ideally, you want to keep all of the egg into the little bed you created within the grits. Also, it can be quite difficult getting each serving onto a plate because the yolks are runny. So be careful or you may end up with soupy slop on your plate! 



Monday, April 7, 2014

EASTER EGG MARSHMALLOW CAKE BITES


Once again I have another super delicious and fun Easter recipe for you! These Easter egg cake bites are filled with just that…CAKE and not just any cake, this cake is colored blue and pink for a really fun surprise. These are perfect for an Easter Party, Easter baskets, a cute snack or even a bake sale. Enjoy…these are sure to be a HUGE hit at any party.
Easter Egg Marshmallow Cake Bites



Ingredients:
1 package White cake mix
3 Eggs
1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
Food Coloring
1 cup Marshmallow Creme
14 oz White Melting Chips 45.jpg5 Easter Egg Marshmallow Cake Bites
Directions:
Prepare cake mix according to package directions except split in half and add different food cooing to each half. Bake as directed. 26.jpg6 Easter Egg Marshmallow Cake Bites
Cool completely on wire rack.
Crumble cake into large bowl.
Add marshmallow creme and mix until well blended.
Roll and shape into egg sized portions and refrigerate for 2 hours. 36.jpg6 Easter Egg Marshmallow Cake Bites
Melt white chocolate in microwave by heating for 30 seconds then stirring and repeating until candy is smooth and completely melted.
Dip cake bites using a fork to make sure they are completely coated.
Tap fork against edge of dish to help remove excess.
Place cake bites on wax paper and refrigerate to set.
Separate remaining white chocolate and tint using food colors.
Transfer to zippered sandwich bags and clip tip of corner to use for piping and drizzling on cake bites.


DEVILED EASTER EGGS

These deviled eggs couldn’t get more festive!

Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
12 eggs hard boiled, peeled and cooled
1/3 cup mayo
3 tbsp cream
1 tbsp sweet relish
food coloring for dyeing

Directions:
To dye the eggs, fill four small bowls with water and add 1 tsp vinegar, as if you were dying Easter eggs. Add desired food coloring to the water. For the red, we added 6 drops of red food coloring to achieve the pink. The blue, green and yellow we used about 15 drops. Soak the whites only for about 40 minutes. For lighter colors, soak less or use less food coloring.

Cut hard boiled eggs in half and remove yolk. Put the yolks in a bowl and mash with a fork until it’s crumbly. Add the mayo, cream and sweet relish. Mix well. (We use a hand mixer with a whisk or beater attachment – it makes the filling even creamier.) Fill the eggs with the mixture either by spooning it in or piping it in with a cake decorator or plastic baggie.

With eggs as cute (and tasty!) as these, your guests will forget all about that Easter egg hunt.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

CAULIFLOWER MAC AND CHEESE

Who can ever get enough Macaroni & Cheese? This is the quintessential family-friendly meal. Our lives are busy now and it's sometimes difficult to have a quick meal or snack that satisfies and keeps you going! Instead of macaroni alone, add lots of cauliflower that is loaded with lots of vitamins and minerals. 

  
Indgrediants


 1 head cauliflower, trimmed and broken to bite-sized florets
1-1/4 cups elbow macaroni
Canola oil in a pump sprayer
2 cups low-fat (1%) milk
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. dry mustard powder
1 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese
1 cup Alpine Lace® Deli Swiss Cheese cut into cubes
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
Paprika for garnish

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the cauliflower and cook just until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Using a skimmer, transfer the cauliflower to a colander; leave water boiling. Drain well.  

Add the macaroni to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions until it is almost tender, about 7 minutes. Drain well.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray individual ramekins or a 9 x 13 baking dish with oil.

Pour the milk into a medium saucepan. Sprinkle in the cornstarch and mustard and whisk to dissolve the cornstarch. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking often to avoid scorching; the sauce will thicken when it comes to a boil. Remove from heat, add the cheeses and pepper, and whisk until smooth.



Add the cauliflower and macaroni and mix well. Spread in the baking dish or divide evenly into ramekins. Sprinkle with panko and paprika.


Bake until the sauce is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Serve hot.

ENJOY


SUPREME CHICKEN PASTA

Turning a favorite pizza into a pasta bake is easy to do in minutes. Chicken, cheese, and pizza toppings is a favorite meal in our house. It's sure to become a favorite in yours.


Ingredients

16 ounces pasta, cooked al dente
2 cups grilled chicken, cubed
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced green pepper
1/2 cup diced mushrooms
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 - 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
salt and pepper
oregano

Instructions


Place the onion, green pepper, mushrooms, garlic and butter in a skillet and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Whisk in the chicken stock. Stir until the broth thickens slightly.
Whisk in the yogurt. Add 1 cup cheddar cheese and 1 cup mozzarella cheese and stir until melted. Stir in the cooked pasta, chicken, and can of tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Spoon the pasta into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese and sprinkle with oregano. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and browning. Serve hot. Makes 8 servings.
Notes
*This can also be made into a freezer meal. Place the skillet dinner into a glass freezer container and top with the remaining cheese and oregano. Freeze 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bake according to directions.

Read more at http://insidebrucrewlife.com/2014/03/chicken-supreme-pasta-bake/#UtJDRAByMFJQ8FY3.99