Teriyaki Chicken Noodles

From Tried and True Yummy Recipes

2-3 chicken breasts (or thighs etc)
1 TBS olive oil
16 oz package noodles (spaghetti, angel hair, linguine etc.)
3 carrots, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, minced
1 onion, sliced small
1 green or red pepper, sliced small
broccoli, cauliflower, zuchinni, sugar snap peas, celery etc.*

Teriyaki Sauce:
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups cold water
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 TBS cornstarch
1 tsp. sesame  oil (I used canola)
1 tsp. garlic powder

1.  Heat oil in a skillet and cook chicken until no longer pink.

2.  Remove from pan and add vegetable.  Cook until crisp tender.  Remove from the skillet.

3.  Mix all teriyaki sauce ingredients together and pour into the hot skillet.  Cook until thickened (about 5 minutes.)  Meanwhile cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain the noodles then mix the noodles with the thickened sauce.  Add the vegetables.  Serve immediately. 

*Add the amount and type of vegetables that you want.

Lofthouse Sugar Cookie Bars

From Cookies and Cups
Cookies:
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 -1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
8 TBS milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
food coloring, optional
sprinkles, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350℉.  Line a jelly roll pan (15x10x1) with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray if desired or just spray the pan.
2. In your mixer cream butter, cream cheese and sugar together. Add in egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
3. With mixer on low, add in your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and baking soda.  Mix until just combined.
4. Press dough evenly into your prepared pan. (dough will be sticky)
5. Bake for 20 minutes until edges begin to golden.
6. Cool completely before frosting.
7.  To make frosting cream together the butter and powdered sugar.   Add milk and vanilla and mix until smooth.  Add food coloring if desired.  Frost cooled bars and sprinkle if desired.

Broccoli Beef

Adapted from Allrecipes

1 lb boneless round steak, thinly sliced (or whatever kind you have)
1 can (14.5 oz) beef broth
1/4 cup flour
2 TBS brown sugar
2 TBS soy sauce
1/4 tsp. chopped fresh ginger root (I used dried)
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chopped fresh broccoli

1.  Combine beef broth, flour, brown sugar, soy sauce, and garlic.  Stir until flour and sugar are dissolved.  Set aside. May need to restir.

2.  On medium high heat cook steak slices until browned.  Add broth mixture, broccoli, and ginger.  Stir to combine.  Bring to a boil.  Let reduce heat and simmer 5 to 10 minutes or until sauce thickens.
Serve over rice; if desired.

Breaded Vegetables

From Eat Cake for Dinner

3/4 - 1 cup dry seasoned bread crumbs

2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese

black pepper

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 TBS milk

2-3 cups fresh, steamed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, etc )

1 TBS butter, melted

1.  Lightly grease a large casserole dish.  In a plastic zip-top bag, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and pepper.  In a small bowl, combine egg and milk.  

2.  Toss the vegetables in the egg mixture and then in the bread crumb mixture. Place in the prepared casserole dish.  Sprinkle any extra bread crumbs on top. 

3.  Melt butter and drizzle over the top of the vegetables.  Bake at 400℉ for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.  

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

From Your Cup of Cake

Cakes:

24 tsp Oreo crumbs

¼ cup water

½ cup buttermilk

½ cup oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

3 eggs

Devil’s Food Cake Mix

Oreo Buttercream:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

¼ cup butter, softened (4 TBS)

Oreo cream from cookies

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ½- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar

2 TBS heavy cream or milk

1 cup Oreo crumbs, sifted

 1.  Preheat oven to 350℉ and line 24 muffins tins with cupcake liners.  Spray liners with nonstick cooking spray if desired.  

2.  Separate about 24 Oreos. Scrape off the cream centers and set aside for later, and put the cookies in the food processor.  Sift the crushed Oreos.  You will need 1 cup sifted cookies for the buttercream, so set that aside, and then add the extra sifted cookies to the larger pieces that did not sift. Place 1 teaspoon of larger/extra sifted cookie into the bottom of each cupcake liner.  ***

3.  In a large bowl, use a whisk to combine water, buttermilk, oil, sour cream and vanilla extract.  One at a time, add the eggs.  Be sure to stir well in between each addition. Slowly add Devil’s food cake mix while stirring.  

4.  Fill cupcake liners (with the cookie crumbs on the bottom) ¾ full and bake for 13-18 minutes.  The tops should spring back when you touch them.  Place into air tight containers as they cool to seal in moisture. Let cool completely

5.  Oreo Buttercream:  For 5 minutes, beat cream cheese, butter and the Oreo cream centers you scraped off from the Oreos.  Add vanilla, powdered sugar and heavy cream and let beat again.  Stir in Oreo crumbs and pipe onto cooled cupcakes.  

***You can also use a whole Oreo on the bottom

Click Here for a fun Halloween idea

Three Bean Chili

From Susan

2 lbs lean ground beef
3 tsp chili powder
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
2 (16 oz) cans dark red kidney beans
2 (16 oz) cans pinto beans
2 (16 oz) cans black beans
1 (14.5 oz) can chopped tomatoes
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 (16 oz) can tomato paste

1. Brown ground beef, add chili powder while browning and mix in well.

2.  Add onion and green pepper to meat and cook for a couple of minutes until tender.  Drain off grease.

3.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Simmer on low for at least 10 minutes or until ready to serve.

Vanilla Rich Chocolate Chip Cookies

from McCormick

3-1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1-1/3 cups butter, softened
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 pkg semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

1.  Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

2.  Beat butter and sugars in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla; mix well.

3.  Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed.  Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts, if using.

4.  Drop by rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

5.  Bake in preheated 375℉ oven 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool on baking sheets 1 minute.  Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

Yield 5 dozen

Mini Oreo Cheesecakes

from Coleen's Recipe's

24 Oreo cookies (divided)
1 pound of cream cheese (room temperature)
1/2  cup granulated sugar
1/2  cup sour cream
2  large eggs (lightly beaten)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1.  Place 6 (original) Oreo cookies in the food processor and process into fine crumbs (set aside). Preheat your oven to 275℉ and put 18 cupcake papers in your cupcake pan. Place a whole Oreo cookie in the base of each cupcake paper and set aside.

2.  With your electric mixer (I used my stand mixer with a paddle attachment), mix the cream cheese on medium speed for three minutes.  Add the sugar and vanilla and mix for another 2 minutes on medium speed, or until very smooth. Add the lightly beaten eggs and mix on LOW until well combined. Fold in the sour cream and cookie crumbs with a spatula.

3.  Fill the cupcake papers almost to the top (I used an ice cream scoop and it seemed to be the perfect measurement). Bake in preheated 275℉ oven for 30 minutes.

4.  Once they are baked, leave them in the cupcake pan and immediately put them in the fridge. Chill overnight. 
You can eat them once they are chilled but the cookie will still be hard if you refrigerate overnight the cookie base will soften.  They are definitely better the next day.

Bacon Cheese Lemon Pepper Chicken

from the American Profile

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 TBS vegetable oil
lemon pepper
6 slices bacon
1 sweet red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1-1/2 cups cheddar or monterey jack blend shredded cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 400℉.  Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

2.  Brush both sides of chicken with oil, and sprinkle generously with lemon pepper.  Place chicken in baking dish.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until juicy but no longer pink.

3.  While chicken is baking, fry bacon until crispy.  Drain.  Saute peppers in 2 TBS bacon grease until tender, drain grease and remove from pan.  Crumble bacon and add to peppers.

4.  When chicken is cooked through, layer peppers, bacon and then cheese on top.  Return to oven just long enough to melt cheese.

5.  If desired slice chicken into thin medallions and serve with rice and vegetables.

French Dip Sandwiches

from Life as a Lofthouse

3-4 lb Beef Round Steak (or any beef roast)

1 packet Onion Soup mix (like Liptons)

1 packet Au Jus Gravy mix

2 (15 oz) cans Beef Broth

1/2 cup Water

Crusty Hoagie Rolls

Cheese Slices

1.  Spray crockpot with nonstick cooking spray.  Place the roast in crockpot.

2.  In a medium bowl mix together the soup mix, au jus mix, beef broth and water. Pour all over the roast.

3.  Cook on Low for 8-10 hours, or on High for 5-7 hours. Shred roast and then place in crusty hoagie buns. If desired top with sliced cheese and then set sandwiches on a baking sheet and place under the broiler until cheese is all melted and buns are toasted. 

4.  Ladle the gravy into small bowls and use to dip your sandwiches in.