S’mores Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

• ¾ cup salted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ¾ cups flour 
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 9 rectangle crackers crushed)
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• 1 cup miniature marshmallow bits (dehydrated marshmallows)

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
• Using an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer, add the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Mix together until very light and creamy, 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until evenly combined.
• Add the flour and graham cracker crumbs and mix until just barely combined; a few dry streaks are ok.
• Add the chocolate chips or chunks and marshmallow bits and mix until incorporated.
• Scoop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets, spacing at least 2-inches apart.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes until just golden on the edges and a little crackly on top. Let the cookies sit for a few minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
  
  
  Recipe by Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Cookies and Cream Cookies

 

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 3.4 oz box white chocolate pudding mix
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 16 Oreo cookies - coarsely crushed

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the eggs, and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until fully combined.

Add the pudding mix and mix until combined. Then add the flour, baking soda and salt mix until just combined. Mix in the chocolate chips and Oreo chunks.

Scoop the dough onto cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches between each cookie. Bake for 9-10 minutes. The cookies will be set and barely golden on the edges.

Recipe by Salt and Baker, slightly altered

Tortellini Soup

This recipe has become a family favorite because it is so delicious, but pretty quick to put together.

1 pound mild italian ground sausage

1 medium yellow onion, minced

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 quart chicken stock

1 (14-ounce can) crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 bunch curly kale, stemmed and roughly torn

10 ounces fresh tortellini

1 cup heavy cream

Parmesan cheese, grated for serving (optional)

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, for serving (optional)

1. 
   Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, onions, and garlic and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until it is browned and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Drain off any excessive fat.
   Whisk in the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste until fully incorporated. Bring to a boil and add the salt, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until slightly reduced, about 15 minutes. Stir in the kale, tortellini, and cream. Cook until the kale is wilted and the pasta is tender, 3-5 minutes. 
   Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan and red pepper flakes, if desired, before serving.

Recipe by The Modern Proper

Chicken Sausage Sheet Pan Meal

 
1 12-ounce package chicken and apple sausage, cut into 2″ slices
1 lb broccoli, chopped
1 lb sweet potato, cut into 3/4” chunks
1/4 c. olive oil 

zest of 1 lemon
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. dried parsley
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup pomegranate arils, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Put the sausage, broccoli, and sweet potato on the baking sheet and set aside. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Drizzle over the sheet pan mixture. Toss to combine. Place the sheet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then use a spatula to flip the mixture and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds if using, and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. 

Recipe by Our Best Bites, slightly modified

Honey Lime Chicken

 This is a delicious, healthy marinade for chicken. The recipe is from my cousin Hailey. It is a great main dish, but also makes great tacos or is tasty sliced on top of salad.

1/4 c. olive oil

Juice and zest from 2 limes

2 T. honey

1/2 t.  cayenne pepper

1 t. kosher salt

1 t. pepper

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast

Place all ingredient in a large ziplock bag and mix together. Add chicken and marinate 4-6 hours or overnight. Heat grill to medium high and grill about 7 minutes on each side until cooked through. 

Recipe by Hailey Young Johnson

Lebanese Sheet Pan Chicken

This is one of the best recipes I've tried in a long time. I love a good sheet pan meal. This one is very flavorful and a little unique. You may be tempted to use chicken breasts in this recipe. DON'T. The thighs marinated in yogurt are unbelievably juicy. I use bone-in thighs, but I remove most of the skin and excess fat with kitchen sheers. The hardest part of this recipe is probably finding za'atar. After looking at a couple stores and coming up empty-handed, I found a recipe online to make my own spice blend for za'atar.  I have since found it at Fred Meyer. 

2 pounds chicken thighs
5-6 oz. yogurt, full fat (I just use a single-serve container)
2 t. each: salt, black pepper (divided)
1 tsp each: sweet paprika, garlic powder, za'atar
1.5 lb potatoes (I like baby yellow potatoes)
1 lb baby carrots
1 t. dried oregano
2 T. chopped parsley
2 T butter, melted
1 yellow onion, quartered
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 T. lemon juice
2 T. olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large ziplock bag, combine yogurt with za'atar, paprika, garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken thighs and massage well with the yogurt mixture. Set aside to marinate at room temperature while you chop your vegetables.

Slice baby carrots in half lengthwise. Cut the potatoes into ¼ inch slices. Chop the parsley. Put in large bowl. Add oregano, parsley, garlic, butter, and the remaining salt and pepper. Mix until combined. Dump mixture on a baking sheet. Nestle the chicken and onions in between the vegetables. Drizzle lemon juice olive oil over the top.  

Bake for 60 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender and the edges are crispy. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

Recipe by Serving Dumplings with my own modifications

Blueberry Custard Pie

 My daughter loves blueberries, so several years ago I decided to try this recipe for Thanksgiving. It became a family favorite and is now a staple each Thanksgiving. It is much more simple than a lot of other custard pies, which is nice if you are doing a lot of other Thanksgiving cooking.

1 c. sour cream
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
2 T. flour
2 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
2 1/2 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 unbaked pie crust (I like Marie Calendar's)

 

Streusel Topping

1/2 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. flour
1/4 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix the sour cream, 3/4 cup sugar, egg, 2 tablespoons flour, vanilla extract and salt with a spoon until smooth. Fold the blueberries into the sour cream mixture. Pour into the unbaked pie crust. Bake for 25 minutes.

While the filling is baking, prepare the streusel topping. In a medium bowl combine the brown sugar and flour. Mix the butter in with pastry cutter until the mixture resembles course sand. Add pecans. Sprinkle the streusel over the top of the pie and bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until filling is set and topping is brown. Cover loosely with foil if needed o ensure that the top doesn't burn before the filling is set. Let pie sit for at least 10-15 minutes. Serve pie warm or chill it and serve cold.

Recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Banana Muffins with Browned Butter Glaze

Browned Butter is one of my favorite things. It takes these muffins over the top. These aren't the prettiest muffins, but they are some of the tastiest. The muffin recipe yields a dozen. I usually double or triple the muffin recipe. One batch of the glaze is usually enough unless you find yourself snitching spoonfuls.

1 1/2 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
3 ripe bananas, mashed 
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1/3 c. butter, butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. Whisk dry ingredients to combine. Set aside.

Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Fold in flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Scoop batter into each muffin tin.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. While the muffins are cooling, make the glaze (recipe below).

Glaze 

1 stick butter

2 c. powdered sugar

1/4-1/2 c. milk

Brown butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Cool slightly.  Whisk in the confectioners’ sugar.  Whisk in enough milk to get a glaze consistency. Best to use immediately.  Spoon  the glaze over the muffins.

Recipe modified from My Mommy Style

Garlic Rice Pilaf

 This is one of our family's most frequent sides. My kids love it. It takes a bit of time to cook, but most of it is hands-off.

2 T. butter

3 cloves minced garlic

1 c white rice

2½ c chicken broth, divided

½ t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

Squeeze of lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 375° F.   Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add rice to the pan and cook 3 or 4 minutes until lightly toasted. Add garlic and toast for another minute.  Stir in 1 cup of the chicken broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

Pour the mixture into the dutch over, cover, and bake for 25 minutes.

Stir in the remaining 1½ cups chicken broth and bake, covered, for another 30 minutes.  Stir in a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and bake for a final 15 minutes.

Recipe modified from Everyday Annie