Tasty Kitchen Blog » Megan {Country Cleaver}

Cookies and Cream Donuts

Megan {Country Cleaver} — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 09:00:39 +0000

There’s a persistent debate in the food scene, and it can grow very heated at times, even among friends. Do you want to know what it is? It’s this: doughnut vs. donut. What’s the correct way to spell it? Are both correct? Can they be used interchangeably? Is one fried and the other baked? As for me, I’m usually too busy burying my face in a platter of glazed carbs to give two hoots about it. Spell it however you want, just hand over the goods!

However you and your closest friends choose to resolve your donut/doughnut spelling squabbles, just make sure you discuss it over a batch of these Cookies and Cream Donuts from Tasty Kitchen member Heather.

I was drawn to this recipe not just because I knew it would be a home run (because everything that comes out of Heather’s kitchen is!), but because it’s packed full of my favorite: Oreos.

For your ingredients, you will need a few basics, including cake flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cream, eggs, vanilla and melted butter. One ingredient my store didn’t carry was Hershey’s Cookies and Cream Pieces, so I substituted white chocolate chips and chopped up Oreos instead.

Into a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

Next, in another bowl, whisk together the cream, eggs, vanilla and butter. Beat these together until combined.

Pour the cream and egg mixture into the dry mixture and fold together until just combined.

And don’t forget the cookies and cream pieces. As I mentioned earlier, I had to make a substitution here since I couldn’t find the cookies and cream pieces. I substituted 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of chopped Oreos here. It worked like a charm. Fold these in until just combined.

Now, spray a donut pan to help the donuts release after baking.

Fill each cavity with batter. Bake donuts for 10–12 minutes, or until they are golden brown on top and when a toothpick inserted into them comes out clean. Remove them from the pan and cool them on a wire rack.

Whilst the donuts cool completely, go ahead and begin preparing your glaze. (Because what’s a donut without a glaze? It’s a muffin.)

In a bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, vanilla and powdered sugar until smooth. It may be thick, but that is good. You want to make sure the cookie pieces stick to the top and don’t slide off.

Crush additional Oreos if necessary, and place on a plate or in a bowl.

Dip the top of each donut into the glaze and then invert into the crushed Oreos. Place back on the wire rack (with something under it to catch any glaze that drips off) to set. Then, serve!

If you can’t get enough of these Cookies and Cream Donuts from Heather, be sure to check out more of her incredible creations, like these Chicken Flautas with Spicy Avocado Sauce/. Be sure to rifle through her TK recipe box for more delicious creations.

What is your favorite donut combination? Do you like the traditional types, or do you shake it up with new flavors? Share your favorites, and links, in the comments so we can get some new inspiration from our Tasty Kitchen Community!

Printable Recipe

Cookies and Cream Donuts

by Heather Christo on November 28, 2012 in Breakfast

See post on Heather Christo’s site!

1.00 Mitt(s) 1 Rating(s)

Description

Baked cookie donuts slathered in creamy glaze and crushed Oreos!

Ingredients

FOR THE DONUTS:
½ cups Cookies And Cream Pieces (in The Baking Section, By Hersheys)
2-¼ cups Cake Flour
1 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Heavy Cream
2 Eggs
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
4 Tablespoons Melted Butter
FOR THE GLAZE AND TOPPING:
¼ cups Heavy Cream
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup Powdered Sugar
½ cups Oreo Cookies, Crushed

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease donut pans well with baking spray. Recipe makes roughly 18 full size donuts.
2. Roughly chop the cookies and cream pieces and set aside.
3. Sift together all of the dry ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, combine the cream, eggs, vanilla and butter and whisk together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold the batter until well combined.
4. Fold in the cookies and cream pieces.
5. Either spoon the batter into the prepared pan, or transfer the batter to a Ziploc or piping bag, snip off a corner of the bag and pipe into the donut pan (it’s a little neater this way).
6. Bake the donuts until just cooked through and golden on top 10-12 minutes.
7. Remove pan from the oven. Let the donuts cool on a wire rack after turning them out of the pans.
8. While the donuts are cooling, make the glaze by whisking the cream, vanilla and powdered sugar together in a medium sized bowl.
9. Dip the cooled donuts in the glaze until they have a nice thick coating. Generously sprinkle on the crushed Oreo chunks and crumbs.
10. Enjoy!

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Megan Keno is the writer and photographer of Country Cleaver, a food blog fueled by Nutella and images of June Cleaver—if June wore cowboy boots and flannel, that is. A self-proclaimed country bum, Megan creates from-scratch recipes that range from simple to sublime and how-to’s to build your cooking repertoire. But she couldn’t do it without the help of her trusty—and furry—sous chef, Huckleberry. He’s a world class floor cleaner.

Grilled Turkey Meatball Gyros

Megan {Country Cleaver} — Mon, 13 Jul 2015 17:38:03 +0000

It’s only a little embarrassing when you find yourself going to the same restaurant every Friday night, the guys behind the counter greeting you by name with your order memorized. Beef and lamb gyros with rice and hummus with a baklava for dessert, of course! But I realized I needed to take a break from take-out and try my hand at making my own gyros. Then I found Julie’s recipe for Grilled Lamb Meatball Gyros! It was fate, and I know you will revel in these as much as I did.

The ingredients list may seem long, but don’t let that deter you. If you want to substitute pre-made tzatziki sauce and pre-made pesto, I understand, but making it from scratch is pretty simple and will really elevate these gyros to a whole new level.

For the tzatziki, gather plain Greek yogurt, sour cream, mayo, lemon, garlic, dill, sugar, cucumber, and salt and pepper.

Note: Julie says you can use either sour cream or coconut milk, and promises that the coconut milk version is amazing. I went the sour cream route, but do give the coconut milk version a try sometime!

One of the best things about homemade tzatziki is that it’s a one-dish treat—simply combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.

Scrape down the sides once through the blending process to make sure it’s all blended evenly. Place it in the fridge until it’s ready for use.

Next, gather all your ingredients for the mint pesto, including mint, spinach, nuts (I used walnuts), garlic, lemon and salt and pepper.

Just like the tzatziki, combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine. Check the seasoning to suit your taste and add a little more salt and pepper if needed. Make sure it works for you!

Set pesto aside to until gyros are ready.

Now, preheat your grill to medium high heat and prepare all your ingredients for the meatballs. My store didn’t have lamb, so I used ground turkey instead. Don’t forget your Dijon, onion, more garlic (because you know that’s never a bad thing!), egg, breadcrumbs, ground coriander, cumin, ground cinnamon, and pepper. Grab the cooking spray too!

In a bowl, combine the ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, cumin, and all the remaining ingredients into the bowl. Use your hands if you’re feeling daring, or a spatula.

I used a large cookie scoop to form the meatballs to keep them uniform in size. Just scoop and roll.

Then, onto the grill they go! Let them grill uninterrupted, until they released naturally from the grill to turn. Don’t force them to turn or they will fall apart. Grill until they reach safe cooking temperature, about 165ºF for ground turkey. Remove from the grill.

To assemble these beauties, split the pitas and add a couple of meatballs inside, pouring the pesto and tzatziki over the top. Don’t forget the additional chopped up cucumber and feta! Devour these immediately. Then toss out that take-out menu because you won’t be needing it again any time soon!

Thanks for sharing your recipe, Julie! If you need more inspired creations, check out Julie’s TK recipe box.

What is your favorite take-out fake-out? Leave a comment below, or share a link for all to see!

Printable Recipe

Grilled Lamb Meatball Gyros

by Julie Andrews on April 21, 2015 in Main Courses, Sandwiches

See post on Julie Andrews’s site!

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Description

Grilled lamb meatball gyros with mint pesto and coconut milk tzatziki.

Ingredients

FOR THE TZATZIKI SAUCE:
6 ounces, fluid Plain Greek Yogurt
¼ cups Unsweetened Coconut Milk Or Sour Cream
2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
2 cloves Garlic
2 teaspoons Fresh Dill
1-½ teaspoon Granulated Sugar
1 dash Coarse Salt And Ground Black Pepper
½ whole English Cucumber, Diced
FOR THE MINT PESTO:
2 cups Fresh Mint Leaves
1 cup Fresh Spinach
¼ cups Unsalted Nuts {almonds Or Walnuts}
2 cloves Garlic
½ Lemon, Zest And Juice
Dash Coarse Salt And Ground Black Pepper
¼ cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil
FOR THE MEATBALLS:
1 pound Ground Lamb (or Chicken If Preferred)
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
½ whole Yellow Onion, Finely Minced
2 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced (or Sub 2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder For The 2 Cloves)
1 whole Large Egg
½ cups Breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
½ teaspoons Coarse Salt
¼ teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
¼ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
Cooking Spray
FOR THE ASSEMBLY:
4 whole Whole Grain Pitas
½ whole English Cucumber, Diced Or Sliced
½ cups Crumbled Feta Cheese
Fresh Cilantro Leaves, For Garnish

Preparation Instructions

1. For the tzatziki sauce: Combine all of the tzatziki ingredients (yogurt through sugar) in a food processor. Season with a dash of salt and black pepper; pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Add diced cucumber and fold with a spatula. Spoon into a bowl and refrigerate. Rinse food processor with water.
2. For the mint pesto: Combine ingredients (mint through lemon) in a food processor and add a dash of salt and pepper. Pulse while drizzling olive oil in through the vegetable shoot until you reach desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
3. Preheat a grill to medium high heat. In a bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients (except cooking spray). Work with your hands until everything is thoroughly combined. Form meatballs using your hands and place them on a plate. Brush meatballs with canola oil or spritz with cooking spray. Place them on the grill and cook, rotating a few times, about 8-10 minutes or until cooked through.
4. To serve, place meatballs in toasted or grilled pita bread. Drizzle with tzatziki and mint pesto and top with cucumbers, feta and fresh cilantro leaves.

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Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars

Megan {Country Cleaver} — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 09:00:37 +0000

Just like the fortune cookie at the end of my Chinese take-out, the sopapilla at the end of the night out at my husband’s and my favorite Mexican restaurant is what I look forward to most. That little bit of sweet and crunchy just seals the deal. Okay, fine, I like the margaritas too. And the chip basket. And the cheesy enchilada. Fine, it’s all amazing, but you can’t deny the absolute crave-ability of those little crunchy sopapillas. And making them into Sopapilla Cheesecake Squares? Are you kidding me? Signed, sealed, delivered, I’m yours!

Talk about the easiest recipe ever! Jennifer says bring with you two packages of cream cheese, some sugar, vanilla extract, refrigerated crescent rolls, and a little cinnamon, butter, and honey.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottom of a 13×9 inch pan with nonstick spray. Roll out one of the two crescent dough rolls out into the pan. Gently press the seams together so they all adhere.

Next, whisk together the cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, and the vanilla until smooth. Spread the mix onto the crescent rolls in the bottom of the pan. And there’s a lot to go in there. Yum!

Place the other unrolled crescent dough on top of the cream cheese spread.

In a small bowl, mix together the butter, remaining sugar, and cinnamon until you have a smooth cream.

Next, spread that cinnamon sugar deliciousness right on top of the unrolled crescents. Spread it evenly over the top and don’t miss any spots. That would be a tragedy.

Bake for about 30 minutes and let them cool completely before cutting into squares. Top with drizzled honey just before you serve these delights.

These will be a crowd-pleaser at your next BBQ or summer family reunion. I bet they would be the first thing from the dessert table to disappear. Make them soon and find out!

If you need more summer inspiration, try this Seared Salmon with Browned Butter Lime Sauce, also from Jennifer’s blog In Jen’s Kitchen. And be sure to stop by her TK recipe box for more delicious creations!

What are your favorite summer crowd pleasing desserts? Leave a comment below, or share a link to your Tasty Kitchen recipes for all to see!

Printable Recipe

Sopapilla Cheesecake Squares

by Jennifer Kimbrell on October 29, 2014 in Brownies and Bars, Desserts

See post on Jennifer Kimbrell’s site!

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Description

Creamy cheesecake sandwiched in between flaky layers of crescent dough, smothered with a dreamy cinnamon sugar butter and drizzled with honey while it’s warm.

Ingredients

2 packages (8 Oz. Size) Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
1-¾ cup White Sugar, Divided
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 cans (8 Oz. Size) Refrigerated Crescent Rolls
½ cups Butter, Softened
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
¼ cups Honey

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9×13″ baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In a mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract until smooth. Set aside.

3. Unroll 1 can of crescent dough and place dough into the bottom of the 9×13″ pan (I just press the seams together). Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture over the crescent dough. Unroll the other can of crescent dough, press the seams together, then place it on top of the cream cheese layer.

4. Stir together the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, butter and cinnamon. Dollop the mixture all over the top of the crescent dough.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and it is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey (just drizzle straight from the bottle and eyeball the amount). Cool completely before cutting into 12 squares. Enjoy!

Note: I usually keep these refrigerated, but store them however you prefer.

Recipe adapted from From Allrecipes.com, Sopapilla Cheesecake Pie.

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Greek Stuffed Peppers with Feta and Spinach

Megan {Country Cleaver} — Mon, 18 May 2015 09:00:23 +0000

If you’re like me and want to feed your family fun, new dishes worth raving about, you come here to Tasty Kitchen for inspiration. And even more so when you’re trying to find recipes that are healthy! I’ve found so many wonderful, healthy creations to make in my own kitchen. This one from Jen for Greek Stuffed Peppers with Feta & Spinach was perfection. It’s packed with whole grains, vegetables, and even a little cheese so you don’t feel like you’re left wanting. So if you are looking for a Meatless Monday meal, or just to incorporate more vegetables into your routine, these are a sure-fire hit.

Stuffed peppers are always great for weeknight meals. For these, round up bell peppers, farro (or its cousin barley), onion, canned tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, vegetable or chicken broth, spinach, and crumbled feta cheese.

And whoops, don’t forget the spinach! I used a package of frozen chopped spinach and thawed it in my microwave according to the package directions. After the spinach is thawed, be sure to squeeze it out well to get rid of any extra water. The extra water will just make the pepper filling soggy, and no one wants that!

Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Next, prepare your bell peppers. Slice the peppers in half and remove the inner seeds and the white pith. Place them on a baking sheet and brush with a little olive oil.

Place them into the oven and bake until fork-tender, about 20 minutes.

While the peppers are in the oven, move on to chopping the onion. Chop it into fine pieces.

In a sauté pan over medium heat, add in a little olive oil and heat until glistening. Saute the onions until they are soft and just starting to turn translucent. Then add in the garlic and sauté until just fragrant, about 1 minute.

Next, add the broth. I used chicken broth because that it what I had on hand. But to make this truly vegetarian, be sure to use vegetable broth.

This concentrated chicken broth bottle was a neato find at my grocery store. It only requires 2 teaspoons of concentrate, and 2 cups of water to make chicken broth. It’s handy so I don’t have lots of half-opened containers of broth in my fridge. My husband is very thankful for this discovery!

Once the broth is added in, the tomatoes are next.

Along with the farro! Farro and barley are whole grain cousins, so use either one for this recipe.

Add in the remaining spices and bring the whole mixture up to a simmer. Cover and let it do its thing until the moisture is absorbed and the farro is soft.

Once the farro is done, it’s time to add in the spinach. Fold it in until it’s mixed evenly.

Then it’s time for the pine nuts!

For the finishing touch, add in half of the crumbled feta and fold in to combine.

Fill each roasted bell pepper with a healthy dollop of the farro vegetable mixture and crumble the remaining feta on top. Serve immediately.

I had so many of these left over that I ended up eating them for lunch the next day and they tasted incredible. Take them to lunch for a twist on a cold salad. If you need more healthy inspiration, check out these Coconut Vegan Pancakes!

Thanks for sharing your recipe, Jen! Be sure to stop by Jen’s blog, The Scrumptious Pumpkin, and her TK recipe box for more delicious creations.

Do you incorporate a meatless meal into your weekly routine? What is your favorite meatless meal? Leave a link to your favorite or shout it out in the comments for me and your Tasty Kitchen friends to find!

Printable Recipe

Greek Stuffed Peppers with Feta & Spinach

by The Scrumptious Pumpkin on February 12, 2015 in Special Dietary Needs, Vegetarian

See post on The Scrumptious Pumpkin’s site!

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Description

A healthy meatless meal idea! Greek-inspired stuffed peppers, richly flavored with spinach, tomatoes, pine nuts and feta!

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 Small Onion, Diced
13 ounces, weight Chopped Tomatoes (or Diced Tomatoes)
2-½ cups Vegetable Broth
2-½ teaspoons Dried Oregano
1 cup Farro
¼ cups Pine Nuts
3 Large Orange Or Yellow Bell Peppers, Halved Stem-to-base, Seeds Removed
1-½ cup Frozen Chopped Spinach
⅔ cups Crumbled Feta Cheese
Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, broth, oregano, and farro. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a light simmer. Cook, partially covered, until farro is tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, as farro cooks, arrange pine nuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 5-7 minutes, or until lightly golden. Watch carefully because they burn quickly! Set toasted pine nuts aside.

Increase oven heat to 400 F.

Arrange pepper halves on a baking sheet and brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven until tender, about 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, measure out the frozen chopped spinach and place it in a heat-safe container. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time until thawed. When cool enough to handle, transfer thawed spinach to a fine mesh strainer. Arrange the strainer over a large mixing bowl and squeeze spinach, wringing it dry, until all excess water is drained from the spinach.

When farro is fully cooked and tender and all of the broth is absorbed, add the toasted pine nuts and chopped spinach. Add feta and stir until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stuff cooked bell pepper halves with heaping spoonfuls of farro mixture. Serve.

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Sweet Potato Waffles

Megan {Country Cleaver} — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 10:00:11 +0000

“And in the morning, I’m makin’ waffles!”

That is probably my favorite line from the movie Shrek, because I get just as excited as Donkey does about breakfast—and waffles. My husband works nights, so breakfast on the weekends, when he is getting off shift and I am just waking up, is a special time for us to spend together. I like making us a special breakfast, and usually it’s pancakes or waffles. I made these Sweet Potato Waffles from TK member Carolina Heartstrings one morning and these were perfect for my breakfast and his dinner.

These require just a few basic ingredients that you probably already have on hand.

The most time-consuming part may be roasting the sweet potatoes, so I suggest doing that beforehand to save some time when you make these Saturday morning. Or, see if your local store has canned sweet potatoes. Or substitute pumpkin! Either way, these are a win.

I roasted my own sweet potatoes, in small cubes in the oven until fork-tender. These are a favorite, and I like using them in my favorite breakfast: Sweet Potato Spinach Breakfast Hash.

After roasting, mash or puree them in a food processor until smooth. Scrape down the bowl a few times if necessary.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, including the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Next, add in all those cozy spices, like the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs.

Beat in the milk, oil and the vanilla.

Don’t forget the sweet potato!

Now, fold the dry and wet ingredients together until just combined. The baking powder will begin to activate and you will start to see some bubbles.

Heat up your waffle iron until piping hot and spray with some nonstick spray. Pour about 1/2 cup batter, or however much your waffle iron accommodates (all models are different), and close.

Cook until baked through and golden brown. Voila! Serve immediately.

I served mine with chopped pecans on top and maple syrup. But I think this Coconut-Vanilla “Honey” Syrup from my fellow Tasty Kitchen Blog contributor Faith of Edible Mosaic would be splendid, too!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it should be totally cozy to boot! Thanks the girls at Carolina Heartstrings for sharing their recipe. Although they are no longer actively blogging, be sure to check out their TK recipe box for more recipes, like these Red Velvet Moon Pies! Have mercy!

What is your favorite weekend breakfast? Do you go all out on Saturday with pancakes? Or are you a savory breakfast fan? Tell us your favorite in the comments below, or leave a link for your fellow Tasty Kitchen friends!

Printable Recipe

Sweet Potato Waffles

by Carolina HeartStrings on October 6, 2011 in Breakfast, Waffles

See post on Carolina HeartStrings’s site!

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Description

We are celebrating the sweet potato crop here in North Carolina with a month of delicious recipes. What better way to begin the month than with one of my favorite breakfast foods: waffles! This recipe is easy and tastes so good on a cool fall morning or when you decide to have breakfast for dinner. Drizzle maple syrup and pecans over the top and dig in!

Ingredients

1-¾ cup Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
½ teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
½ teaspoons Ground Cloves
½ teaspoons Ground Nutmeg
3 whole Eggs
1-¾ cup Milk
1 Tablespoon Sugar
½ cups Vegetable Oil
½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
½ cups Sweet Potato Puree (see Directions Below)

Preparation Instructions

Note: I like to make my own sweet potato puree. Take two medium sweet potatoes, peel them and cut into chunks. Cook on medium heat until soft. Drain and put in a food processor until they are of puree consistency.

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Beat eggs thoroughly and whisk milk, sugar, oil and vanilla into beaten eggs. Add the egg mixture to dry ingredients. Mix gently to combine. Add sweet potato puree. Mix gently. Batter will be lumpy.

Preheat your waffle iron, spray if needed. Ladle 1/2 to 3/4 cup batter into the waffle iron. Cook until the waffle is golden brown. Makes 4 to 6 waffles.

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Gingerbread Monkey Bread

Megan {Country Cleaver} — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 07:53:15 +0000

You can’t beat the smell of warm gingerbread, especially in the winter. It’s such a warm and cozy smell, especially fresh out of the oven. And that gingerbread smell gets even better when it’s swimming around in a bundt pan of monkey bread!

Tasty Kitchen member Jeni really knocks it out of the park with this Gingerbread Monkey Bread. Carboholics will rejoice in this gooey, gingered creation. Try to stop at one doughy roll, I dare you.

The list of must-haves for this recipe is pretty simple. There is no shame in shortcuts, and the canned biscuits totally save you precious time. The rest of the ingredients include sugar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, molasses, along with a little butter, sugar, and brown sugar for the caramel sauce.

In a bowl, stir together the sugar, and spices whisking together until evenly mixed. For easy coating of the biscuit rolls, I added the sugar mix to a plastic zip top bag to shake them around.

Next, pop a can of biscuits, try not to jump too high, and cut each biscuit into four or five pieces. Use a pair of clean kitchen shears to move through them quickly.

Toss a few of the cut biscuits into the sugar-filled bag and toss to coat each piece thoroughly. Then add them to a bundt pan. Set the bundt pan aside.

For the caramel sauce, combine the brown sugar, butter, molasses, milk, and pumpkin pie spice in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil until all the sugar is melted completely.

Pour the caramel mix over the coated biscuits in the bundt pan and bake immediately. Bake in a 350ºF oven for 20–25 minutes. Once it’s out of the oven, ya know, try to resist the immediate urge to face plant right into the pan. Let it cool for a few minutes before turning out onto a serving dish.

Then, devour.

Printable Recipe

Gingerbread Monkey Bread

by Jeni K on June 17, 2014 in Cakes, Desserts

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Description

My husband loves monkey bread, but he wanted something with a holiday flair. Easy, spiced-up monkey bread to satisfy any sweet tooth!

Ingredients

2-½ cups Brown Sugar, Divided
1 cup White Sugar
3 Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie Spice, Divided
1 teaspoon Cloves
1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
32 ounces, weight Pillsbury Reduced Fat Refrigerated Biscuit Dough
1 stick Butter
2 Tablespoons Molasses
¼ cups Milk

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Mix 1/2 cup brown sugar, white sugar, 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice, cloves and ginger in a large Ziplock bag. Tear each biscuit into 4 or 5 pieces and add pieces into the Ziplock bag. Seal the bag and shake to coat all pieces. Place sugared dough into a greased bundt pan.

In a medium-sized saucepan, bring butter, molasses, milk, remaining 2 cups of brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice to a boil. Pour brown sugar mix over the biscuit dough in the bundt pan. Bake for 20–25 minutes.

Note: If your bundt pan seems a bit full, place a piece of foil under it in the oven so the brown sugar doesn’t boil over.

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Spinach and Prosciutto Stuffed Shells

Megan {Country Cleaver} — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 10:00:30 +0000

Is pasta a big weakness for anyone else? It’s impossible to resist, and always on top of the “Yup, I want that” list. Emily has totally set the bar with this Spinach and Prosciutto Stuffed Shells dish. The flavors are out of this world and, dare I say it, make even more amazing leftovers! It makes a full pan, so you know you will eat this for a couple of days—and I loved it more each time I ate it.

Give it a try!

For busy weeknights, a meal that has a short ingredient list is key. These pasta shells are simple and scrumptious, using prosciutto, grated Parmesan cheese, ricotta, spinach, egg, mozzarella and a touch of salt and pepper. Add a little red sauce on top and you’re all set!

Begin to prepare the filling, which is the same filling in Giada’s lasagna rolls. Mix together the spinach, mozzarella, Parmesan, sliced prosciutto, egg, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Prepare the shells according to the package directions. I found a few of my shells broke apart and split while cooking. Don’t despair, save them and you can use them to tuck into the dish when you fill the remaining shells. More pasta is never a bad thing, so keep the duds, they still taste great!

In a bowl, mix together the canned tomatoes and remaining spices. Don’t skimp on the spices, or add more if you feel the need. It’s all to your taste.

Next, fill the shells. I used a small cookie scoop to help with this, which made it a breeze. Fill each shell and place into a 13×9 inch baking dish that has a thin coating of tomato sauce on the bottom. Fill each shell with the prosciutto mix. If you have small gaps in between filled shells, this is the perfect place to use the broken shells you had left over. Fill in the gaps with extra pasta!

Cover the filled shells with the remaining tomato sauce and sprinkle with a little extra Parmesan or mozzarella you might have on hand. Cover and bake for 20 minutes, and then uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes. Serve while piping hot!

This was a great, comforting dish—Emily really set the stage for my next pasta craving. Visit her site Gather & Dine for more inspired creations!

Printable Recipe

Spinach and Prosciutto Stuffed Shells

by Gather & Dine on September 22, 2014 in Main Courses, Pasta

See post on Gather & Dine’s site!

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Description

These flavorful spinach and prosciutto stuffed shells are a great make-ahead meal to serve to company.

Ingredients

FOR THE SHELLS:
20 Large Pasta Shells
8 ounces, weight Fresh Baby Spinach
15 ounces, weight Whole Milk Ricotta
½ cups Grated Mozzarella Cheese
½ cups Grated Parmesan Cheese
3 ounces, weight Thinly Sliced Prosciutto, Chopped
1 Large Egg (slightly Beaten)
½ teaspoons Salt
¼ teaspoons Pepper
Additional Shredded Mozzarella And Parmesan For Sprinkling On Top
FOR THE SAUCE:
14-½ ounces, weight Canned Stewed Tomatoes
14-½ ounces, weight Canned Tomato Sauce
½ teaspoons Dried Basil
½ teaspoons Dried Oregano
¼ teaspoons Garlic Salt

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 F. Cook pasta shells in a pot of salted boiling water according to package directions.

Cook the spinach in another pot of boiling water for 1-2 minutes until wilted. Then drain it, squeeze out the excess water and roughly chop.

In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, spinach, mozzarella, Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt and pepper until well blended. Set aside.

In another medium bowl, mix the stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, oregano and salt.

In a 9×13 baking dish, spread a thin layer of the tomato mixture to cover the bottom of the pan. Divide the ricotta filling among the stuffed shells, about 1½ – 2 tablespoons per shell. Arrange the shells neatly in the baking pan with the filling side facing up. Spoon remaining tomato mixture over the shells and sprinkle with extra mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 400 F. Uncover and continue baking for another 15 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Filling recipe from Giada De Laurentiis’ Lasagna Rolls.

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Skinny Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Dip

Megan {Country Cleaver} — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 11:00:56 +0000

There’s never a time when Mexican food doesn’t sound good. It sounds good all the time: the flavors, the cheese, the limes, the spices … I’m hungry just thinking about it. Aren’t you? I know you’re going to love this Skinny Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Dip from TK member Danae. I felt no guilt whatsoever diving head first into this. Face plant right in the middle there. See that cilantro? Use that as your bull’s eye.

Danae makes this recipe in the slow cooker, but it suits a baking dish just fine, too. Whatever cooking vessel you have, just make sure you make this!

The must-have ingredients includes part skim mozzarella, fat-free plain Greek yogurt (all I could find was 2%), reduced fat cream cheese, Jack cheese, diced green chiles, green enchilada sauce, chili powder, cumin, and 3 cups of cooked shredded chicken.

I precooked a chicken breast the night before and just used the leftovers for this recipe. There are a couple of ways you can go about shredding chicken for this recipe. Using two forks is one way. But since I had my mixer out already, I opted to shred the chicken in my mixer! Have you tried this yet? It’s my new favorite way. Start by attaching the paddle beater to your mixer, and adding the cooked chicken to the bowl.

Then lock and load! Turn the mixer on low and let it do the work. The mixer makes super quick work out of it, shredding the chicken in a flash. Once it’s shredded, transfer to a plate and set it aside.

Since the bowl is already dirty, I decided to finish the rest of the dip in the mixer instead of hand mixing it. Add in cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and enchilada sauce, followed by chili powder and cumin. The smells really start taking shape here friends!

Top off with jack and mozzarella cheeses, leaving only a little behind for the very top of the dip. Turn the mixer back on and beat slowly until combined.

You’re almost there. Now, add in that gorgeous chicken and mix to combine.

Danae suggests pouring this into a slow cooker and letting it cook for a couple of hours until ready. I’m a little too impatient and chose to bake mine in a baking dish. Mine baked at 350ºF for 25 minutes, until bubbling around the edges. And that was that!

This dip definitely puts other dips to shame, and just because the Super Bowl is over doesn’t mean the season for dips is over, too. Make sure you give this a go for your next party, or even just for an afternoon lazing on the couch!

Try this and Danae’s other recipes from her TK recipe box, or visit her site, Recipe Runner, for great creations—like these Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowls!

Are you a cold dip lover or a hot dip fiend? Leave a link to your favorite Tasty Kitchen dips in the comments section and share the love!

Printable Recipe

Skinny Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Dip

by Danae | Recipe Runner on December 21, 2014 in Appetizers, Warm Dips

See post on Danae | Recipe Runner’s site!

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Description

Warm, cheesy, green chile chicken enchilada dip has a fraction of the calories and fat compared to regular dip!

Ingredients

4 ounces, weight Low Fat Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
1 cup Plain, Non-fat Greek Yogurt
½ cups Green Enchilada Sauce
7 ounces, weight Canned Diced Green Chiles
½ teaspoons Cumin
½ teaspoons Chile Powder
½ teaspoons Kosher Salt
3 cups Shredded, Cooked Chicken Breast
½ cups Shredded Part Skim Mozzarella
½ cups Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese, Divided

Preparation Instructions

In a large bowl whisk together the cream cheese, yogurt, enchilada sauce, green chiles and spices. Fold in the shredded chicken, mozzarella and half of the Monterey jack cheese. Place all of the ingredients in a small slow cooker and cook on low for 2 hours.

Remove the dip from the slow cooker and put it in an oven safe dish. I used a 10-inch cast iron skillet but an 8×8 oven-safe dish is fine as well. Top with the remaining cheese and stick it under the broiler until the cheese is lightly browned.

Serve with chips, crackers or vegetables.

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Thai Red Curry Meatballs

Megan {Country Cleaver} — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 11:00:56 +0000

Super Bowl season is about two things: the commercials and the food. Maybe the game, if your hometown team is in contention for the title. My hometown team (and current world champ, go Seahawks!) surely gets me in the spirit, and so does the food. So you know I’ll be parked in front of the TV hoping to see them go all the way! If not, I know one thing is for sure: the food is always going to be the winner!

If you want to elevate your game day grub just a bit, go for these Thai Red Curry Chicken Meatballs from TK member Kelley. One of my favorite foods is Thai cuisine, so as soon as my eyes gazed upon these, I was hooked. They were out of this world! If you want to serve something exotic for game day, or any day, put these on the menu!

The list of ingredients for this recipe isn’t super crazy—just a few things that can be easily found at most groceries with an Asian food aisle, including panko bread crumbs, coconut milk, lime, garlic, red curry paste, Sriracha chili sauce, cilantro, ground chicken (or turkey, which I used), and salt and pepper. All of these ingredients go into both the meatballs and the sauce. The flavors are so vibrant and fresh, you’ll go wild!

Into a bowl, add the ground turkey. I used ground turkey that was 93% lean, so it’ll have some sticking power and won’t dry out.

Next, add your garlic. I keep freeze-dried garlic on hand so I can just pour and go. It plumps right up when cooking, yields great flavor, and saves me some time. Also add some minced or grated ginger. I used a microplane to get it really fine.

Red pepper flakes and minced cilantro go in next, according to the directions. But guess what? Yours truly is a total dingbat and didn’t realize she forgot the cilantro until she had rolled the meatballs. So let’s use our imagination and pretend there are little flakes of wondrous green cilantro in there, okay? Okay!

To add to the meatball sticking power, add an egg to the ground turkey mixture. Using a spatula or your hands, mix the batch together until everything is uniform and just combined, but do not over-mix.

To make the meatballs a uniform size, I used a 1-inch cookie scoop, then rolled them between my hands to make them a little more round. These will make them perfectly bite-sized meatballs, though Kelley’s original recipe says she made them into 12! That would be massive, though I’m not complaining. They are so good, I would tackle one of those in a heartbeat!

Place the meatballs into a preheated oven and bake for 15–20 minutes (or until the temperature reaches at least 165ºF), turning the meatballs halfway through cooking. While they are in the oven, move on to the sauce!

In a sauté pan, heat olive oil until simmering, and plop in your garlic and ginger, stirring until fragrant.

Add the red curry paste. Man, we are cooking here!

Whisk in the coconut milk and stir until smooth.

Add in the remaining red pepper flakes, Sriracha sauce, lime, and of course the cilantro! If you’re like me, the more cilantro the better. Allow the sauce to thicken slightly, and once the meatballs are out of the oven and ready to go, place on a platter or in a serving dish and pour the sauce over the top.

If you want to keep these hot for game day, I suggest putting them in a slow cooker set to “warm” and they will be ready all day long!

I fell in love with these meatballs. Next up on my list of recipes to make? Kelley’s 5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Energy Bites. Be sure to stop by her blog, Chef Savvy, for more delicious creations.

What are your game day must-haves? How do you prepare for the big day? Share them in the comments so we can serve up sure winners on the big day and cheer on our favorite team!

Printable Recipe

Thai Red Curry Chicken Meatballs

by Kelley Simmons @ Chef Savvy on December 22, 2014 in Appetizers

See post on Kelley Simmons @ Chef Savvy’s site!

5.00 Mitt(s) 1 Rating(s)

Description

A quick weeknight dinner that takes less than 30 minutes to make.

Ingredients

FOR THE MEATBALLS:
16 ounces, weight Ground Chicken
½ cups Panko Breadcrumbs
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 teaspoon Ginger, Minced
1 whole Egg
⅛ teaspoons Salt
⅛ teaspoons Pepper
⅛ teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tablespoon Cilantro, Chopped
FOR THE THAI CURRY SAUCE:
½ Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Ground Ginger, Minced
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 Tablespoons Concentrated Red Curry Paste
¾ cups Coconut Milk
1 teaspoon Sriracha
⅛ teaspoons Pepper
⅛ teaspoons Salt
⅛ teaspoons Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tablespoon Cilantro, Chopped
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice

Preparation Instructions

For the Thai red curry chicken meatballs:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet with oil.

In a large bowl add all of the meatball ingredients. Mix to combine. Make sure not to over mix. Portion out 12 equal-sized large meatballs. Working with slightly wet hands helps the meatballs from sticking to your hands. Place meatballs on the oiled baking sheet and cook for 15-20 minutes or until caramelized on the outside and cooked through, flipping them halfway through cooking (prepare the sauce while they bake).

When done, take meatballs out of the oven and toss them in the Thai red curry sauce. Garnish with extra cilantro if desired. Serve immediately.

Note: If you are freezing the meatballs do not toss with sauce until ready to serve.

For the Thai curry sauce:
Heat oil in small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the curry paste and cook for an additional minute. Whisk in coconut milk and continue whisking until thick. Take pan off the heat. Stir in Sriracha, pepper, salt, red pepper flakes, cilantro and lime juice. Set aside until ready to toss with meatballs.

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Quinoa Pilaf with Apples and Cranberries

Megan {Country Cleaver} — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 15:37:11 +0000

I think we can all agree that we’ve all hit the holiday cookie platter a little too hard. This is a safe space—we’re all friends here. But there are places where we can nip and tuck our holiday over-imbibing and make up for all our sugary grievances. This Quinoa Pilaf is totally sinless, but oh so flavorful.

Holly whipped up this little number and I can tell you, it is amazing hot or served chilled.

The lineup is pretty simple, with quinoa, dried cranberries, celery, pecans, green apples, garlic, vegetable stock, salt, pepper and red onion. In lieu of the herbes de Provence, I used Italian blend herbs for a simply substitution in a pinch. I also used fresh parsley, though for some reason, it was camera-shy.

To get started, cook the quinoa according to package directions, bringing it to a simmer using the veggie stock. The quinoa should be tender, like rice. Remove it from the stove and set aside.

While the quinoa is cooking, slice and dice the apples, onion and celery.

Into a sauté pan, cook the celery, garlic and onion. Add in the seasonings and cook until softened and tender. Then add in the wine and apples, and cook for about 5 minutes.

Remove from the stove and add into the quinoa. Fold together to incorporate all the ingredients.

Add in the dried cranberries.

Toss in pecans and parsley, then serve and devour.

Holly has a load of other vegetarian friendly recipes in her TK recipe box, and on her site American Vegetarian. Be sure to check them out for healthy inspiration.

Printable Recipe

Quinoa Pilaf with Green Apples, Dried Cranberries and Pecans

by Holly Kirby on November 20, 2013 in Holidays, Thanksgiving

See post on Holly Kirby’s site!

0.00 Mitt(s) 0 Rating(s)

Description

In this recipe I’ve used classic Thanksgiving flavors like apples and cranberries with quinoa, which may not be that familiar as a Thanksgiving ingredient but I think this mix of these ingredients will become an instant classic.

Ingredients

1 cup White Quinoa
1-½ cup Red Quinoa
4 cups Vegetable Stock
¼ cups Olive Oil
½ whole Red Onion, Diced
2 stalks Celery, Diced
1 clove Garlic, Minced
1-½ teaspoon Herbes De Provence
1 teaspoon Salt
Black Pepper To Taste
2 whole Green Apples, Diced (Skin On)
½ cups Dry White Wine
1 cup Dried Cranberries
1 cup Toasted Or Maple Pecans
¼ cups Fresh Parsley, Chopped

Preparation Instructions

Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh colander and drain. Pour into a heavy-bottomed stockpot. Top with vegetable stock and stir. Turn on medium high heat when stock comes to a boil, cover with lid, turn down to medium low and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes until quinoa is al dente.

While quinoa is cooking place a saute pan over medium high and add olive oil, onions, celery and garlic; stir. Add herbes de Provence, salt and pepper. Saute until the onions and celery are translucent, about 8 minutes. Add apples and pour in wine, simmer 5 minutes to cook out alcohol.

Pour onion mixture over cooked quinoa and stir until combined. Add cranberries, pecans, and parsley, fold in. Check for seasoning.

Serve immediately by spooning into serving dish or can be reheated later.

To reheat, cover with lid or foil and bake in a 350ºF oven for about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.

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Tasty Kitchen Blog » Megan {Country Cleaver}

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