Pioneer Bread

This bread was so moist and yummy. So good with butter and jam!

Pioneer Bread (a fool-proof bread recipe!)
2 cups warm water
1 rounded teaspoon yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tbsp sugar, honey, or molasses (I use honey)
Add flour until stuff (3 1/2 to 4 cups)

Let raise for 45 minutes.
Pour into greased loaf pan.
Bake at 350F for 45-55 minutes.
Let cool about 10 minutes in pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Makes 1 loaf.

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool. 

I always love zucchini bread. And I especially wanted to make it so I could sneak some veggies into Brandon. And he of course loved this bread. What made this bread really special (besides adding some chocolate chips) was the orange-infused canola oil I got at a Pampered Chef party a couple of weeks ago. Wow, it is so delicious! Enjoy!

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

·         5 lb. russet potatoes

·         10 slices bacon

·         8 oz. cream cheese

·         ½ c. unsalted butter, melted

·         1 c. sour cream

·         ¼ c. chives, minced

·         2 ½ c. cheddar cheese, grated

·         2 t. kosher salt

·         ½ t pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel potatoes, and cut into 1-inch chunks. Place in a large saucepan, and add enough cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender and easily pierced with a paring knife, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain; return to pan, cover, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon, and cook until crisp and browned, turning once. Transfer to paper towels to drain; let cool, and crumble into pieces.
3. Using a fork, mash the potatoes in pan until light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese, butter, and sour cream, and stir until combined and smooth. Add the chives, 2 cups cheddar cheese, half the bacon, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined.
4. Transfer to a buttered 3-quart baking dish. Top with remaining ½ cup cheddar cheese. Bake until top is slightly golden and potatoes are heated through, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven; garnish with remaining bacon. Serve immediately. Yield: 10 servings

We LOVED this casserole. However, we felt like it needed a little more flavor. So we drizzled some ranch dressing on top and it was SO good. Maybe you could add some ranch dressing mix to the recipe. Enjoy!

Chicken Rolls

Chicken Rolls
2 cans Pillsbury crescent rolls
1 can chicken (approx 1 lb. cooked and cut up chicken)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 T butter, softened
Garlic salt
Green onion

Combine ingredients and spoon 1-2 tablespoons into crescent rolls. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 20 minutes. Serve with 1 can cream of chicken soup + 1 can milk as gravy. Serves 8 (2 rolls per person)

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

3 1/2 cups flour, plus more for dusting pans
1/2 t salt
4 eggs
4 egg yolks
1 T vanilla
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 bag (1 1/2 cups) chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 325F. Coat two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray; dust with flour and shake out excess. Set aside.
2. Stir together flour and salt; set aside. In small bowl, stir together eggs, egg yolks and vanilla; set aside.
3. Mix butter and sugar together on medium-high speed for 6 minutes or until very light and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium and gradually pour in egg mixture. Increase speed to medium-high and beat 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. On low speed, gradually add flour mixture and beat until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Divide batter between prepared loaf pans and smooth tops. Bake at 325F for 1 hour, 12 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 30 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on rack.


This was really good! The only problem I had with it was the amount of time it was in the oven; it wasn't long enough. I tested it with a cake tester to make sure it was done and I was pretty sure it was. But after I removed it from the pans onto the wire rack the middle sunk down and fell out of the cake all over the counter. So, I just stuffed it back in the pan and cooked it for another 30 minutes...which made it overdone. Sigh. The outside was a little crunchy and didn't look very pretty but the inside was very soft. Good luck!!

Double Chocolate Brownie Cake

Double Chocolate Brownie Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Have all ingredients at room temperature.
2. In a large bowl, stir together cake mix and pudding mix. Make a well in the center and pour in eggs, sour cream, oil and water. Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape bowl, and beat 4 minutes on medium speed. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes (35-40 min in a 9x13 pan), or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

I got this recipe from allrecipes.com and made it for Sean's birthday this week and it was a huge hit! Some people commented with different glazes to pour over the top that I think I would like to try the next time I make it.

Easy chocolate glaze
melt 2 T butter
melt 2/3 cup of chocolate chips
mix together with 2T corn syrup and drizzle over the cake.

German Pancakes

German Pancakes
6 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/2 t. salt

Mix well. Melt 4T of butter in two 8x8 glass pans (or one 9x13) in hot oven. Pour batter into pans when butter is melted. Bake at 450F for 20-25 minutes. Serve with syrup.

Green Chili Enchiladas

Green Chili Enchiladas
Brown 1-1/2 lb ground beef
Add -- 1 chopped onion, sautee
Add -- 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce, 1/2 tsp. salt/pepper, 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1/4 tsp oregano - simmer for a few minutes.
Spoon 2 Tbsp filling in 9-inch flour tortillas - top with grated cheddar cheese then roll up and place in greased 9x13" pan.
Combine -- 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 can evaporated milk, 1 small can chopped green chilies, 1/2 c. milk, 1/2 lb. Velveeta cheese - Heat until melted and pour over enchiladas.
Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Serves 8.

Mmm...

Crock pot Orange Chicken

Crock pot Orange Chicken

Boneless chicken breasts, chopped into small chunks

1/3 cup flour

Olive oil

½ T. salt

1 t. balsamic vinegar

3 T. ketchup

6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate (thaw or microwave for 45 seconds)

4 T. brown sugar

·         In a bowl mix orange juice, brown sugar, vinegar, salt and ketchup.

·         Pour flour in a small bowl. Cover chicken chunks in flour and shake off excess.

·         Pour a small amount of olive oil in a skillet and brown the flour-covered chicken.

·         Place chicken in crock pot and cover with sauce mixture, stir.

·         Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2-3. Serve over rice.

 This was a little too strong for my liking but was also very delicious. And not as complicated to make as I thought it would be. The only thing I didn't have was the orange juice. If I make this again I will probably dilute the orange juice a bit.

Easy Chicken Bake

Easy Chicken Bake
1 pkg. (6 oz.) Stove Top stuffing mix for chicken
1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup sour cream
1 bag (16 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed, drained

1. Preheat oven to 400*F. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package; set aside.
2. Mix chicken, soup, sour cream and vegetables in a 9x13-inch baking dish; top with stuffing.
3. Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Makes 6 servings.

This is one of those great recipes where I know I already have everything I need on hand. And it takes minimal effort to prepare. I actually boiled the chicken earlier in the day so it was ready to go for dinner. I hate working with raw chicken. Enjoy!

Crock pot Sloppy Joes

Crockpot Sloppy Joes

3 pounds ground chuck or hamburger
2 onions, finely chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
2 8-oz. cans tomato sauce
1 8-oz. can water
2 packages sloppy joe seasoning (optional)

Brown ground meat in skillet; pour off fat. Put into crock pot -- add onions, green pepper, tomato sauce, water, and seasoning. Stir thoroughly. Salt to taste. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. (High: 5 hours). Makes 6-8 servings.
NOTE: If too much liquid, remove cover and set on high for 30 minutes.

Corn on the cob: Cover and boil for 10 minutes.


YUM, YUM, YUM!! This is so delicious and so easy! I heart you, crock pot!

Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese

Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese

1 lb elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
1/2 c. margarine or butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 12-oz. can evaporated milk
1 can Campbell's cheddar cheese soup
1 cup milk
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Place cooked macaroni and melted butter in 5 qt. slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over macaroni. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Sprinkle with paprika. Makes 10 servings.

I would recommend under cooking the pasta just a little so it doesn't get too mushy being in the crock pot. Be careful not to stir this too often so as not to break up the noodles. Also, maybe spray the sides of the crock pot with Pam before you add everything. It will make clean up easier.

Blueberry Yum Yum

Blueberry Yum Yum
2 c. blueberries
1/4 c water
2 c. sugar–divided
1/4 c. cornstarch
3 tbsp. water
1 c flour
1/2 c. softened butter
1 c. finely chopped pecans
1-8oz. package of cream cheese (softened)
1 pint heavy whipping cream


Combine blueberries, 1 c. sugar and 1/4 c. water in a saucepan, cook over low heat until berries are soft. Combine cornstarch and 3 tbsp. water in a small bowl, stir well. Add mixture to blueberries, cook stirring constantly until thickened. Set aside to cool. Combine flour, butter, and pecans in a bowl, mix well to make dough. Press dough evenly into a 9×13 inch pan. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes, let cool. Combine cream cheese and 1 c. sugar, beat until smooth. Whip cream until stiff, fold into cream cheese mixture. Spread topping evenly over cooled crust. Pour blueberry mixture evenly over topping and refrigerate. Cut into squares and serve.

This may be my new favorite dessert...  I could have eaten the whole pan.

For the crust, it was a little difficult to press the dough on to the bottom of that huge pan with the softened butter. It might help to let the dough sit in the fridge for a few minutes to set up a little. Or flour your hands to keep it from sticking to your hands. I didn't think it would be enough for this entire dessert but it was just perfect! This would be good with a graham cracker crust too. Mmm.

It was fun making my own blueberry sauce but you could definitely buy a can of  blueberry pie filling for this to save time.

Yummy!!!! This gets 5 stars from me!

Baked Spaghetti

Baked Spaghetti
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped green pepper
1 T. butter
1 quart tomatoes with liquid (1 28 oz. can diced tomates)
1 can sliced ripe olives, drained
12 oz. spaghetti, cooked and drained (about 2 cups dry, broken spaghetti, loosely packed)
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (8 oz)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, sautee onion and green pepper in butter until tender. Add tomatoes, olives, oregano and beef. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

Place half of the spaghetti in greased 9x13 in. baking dish. Top with half of the vegetable mixture, sprinkle with 1 c. cheese. Repeat layers. Mix the soup and water until smooth; pout over the casserole. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered at 350F for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 12 servings

Ahhh. This is comfort food for me. This is one of my favorite meals that my mom makes. It made me think of her and miss her! (Hi, mom!) Enjoy!!!

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

1 bag (1 lb) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed, drained
1 cup diced cooked chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup original Bisquick mix
1/2 cup milk
1 egg

1. Heat oven to 400F. In ungreased 2-quart casserole dish, mix vegetables, chicken and soup until blended.
2. Stir remaining ingredients in medium bowl with wire whisk or fork until blended. Pour over chicken mixture.
3. Bake uncovered about 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown. 6 servings.

This was so easy to put together. I found this recipe on a box of Bisquick and was immediately inspired to try it. AND we already had everything we needed for it so no need to go to the grocery store! Even better. I will be honest, though, and this is probably just my pregnant body speaking, that it lacked a little bit of flavor to me. I felt like the sauce needed to be more than just the soup. Like it needed some sour cream or something to give it a little more flavor. Everyone else seemed to like it just fine, though. So, enjoy!

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

6 boneless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
broccoli - fresh
2 cans cream of chicken soup
Parmesan cheese
cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup miracle whip
4 teaspoons lemon juice

Boil chicken in water. Then cook broccoli until tender (crisp).
Spread broccoli over bottom of 9x13 baking dish. Cut up (or shred) chicken and place it on top of the broccoli.
Combine soup, milk, mayo and miracle whip. Heat in saucepan until warm. Remove from heat and add cheddar cheese and lemon juice. Stir until cheese melts.

Pour sauce over chicken and broccoli. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake @ 350F for 30 minutes; then uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes.

I liked this recipe. A good go-to one, I think. I did, however, make a few changes.

1. We didn't have any mayonnaise and I didn't want to buy a whole jar of it just for one recipe. So I substituted with 1 cup of sour cream instead of the mayo and miracle whip.
2. I bought frozen chopped broccoli. I ended up cooking about 5 cups, which I thought was a lot. I would double that. So that would be a big family sized bag of broccoli or maybe 2 heads of fresh broccoli or something.
3. This recipe didn't say how much cheddar cheese to use. I ended up using about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of cheese. Probably didn't need that much, but I like cheese :)
4. We didn't have any lemon juice either. But I did find a whole lemon in the fridge. So I used my Food Network knowledge to juice a lemon. Microwave for about 10 seconds. Roll lemon on counter to release juices. Cut lemon in half width-wise and squeeze. This used the juice of half a lemon. 

Also, I didn't really feel like this was a one dish meal. I still felt hungry and like it needed something else. It was also a little runny so I'm wondering if this isn't supposed to go on top of rice or noodles or something. Or maybe adding more broccoli would fix that problem. I'm not sure. Enjoy!

Beef Taco Skillet

This is a great recipe from Campbellkitchen.com! Budget friendly.
Beef Taco Skillet

1 pound ground beef

1 can Tomato Soup

1/2 cup salsa

1/2 cup water

6 flour tortillas (6-inch), cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

• Cook the beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring often to separate meat.  Pour off any fat.
• Stir the soup, picante sauce, water and tortillas in the skillet and heat to a boil.   Reduce the heat to low.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Stir the beef mixture.  Top with the cheese. Makes 4 servings.

Broccoli & Cheese Stuffed Shells

Broccoli & Cheese Stuffed Shells

1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and well drained

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

18 jumbo shell-shaped pasta, cooked and drained

1 jar (24 ounces) Prego® Chunky Garden Combination Italian Sauce

• Stir the ricotta cheese, broccoli, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and black pepper in a medium bowl. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture into each shell.
• Spread 1 cup of the sauce in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch shallow baking dish. Place the filled shells on the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the shells. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
• Bake at 400°F. for 25 minutes or until it's hot and bubbling. Makes 6 servings.

This would be great served with some garlic bread. I was also just thinking how good this would be with frozen chopped spinach instead of broccoli. Yummy too!

Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches

Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches 1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell's® Brown Gravy with Onions 12 ounces sliced roasted or deli roast beef 4 long hard rolls, split or 8 slices of bread Heat the gravy in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat to a boil.  Add the beef to the skillet.  Reduce the heat to low.  Cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Divide the beef mixture among the rolls. Makes 4 servings

Mmmm. This tasted so good to me. And it was so so easy. I had a hard time finding Campbell's brown gravy (which isn't with the other Campbell's soups. It's by the gravy mixes and taco seasonings) so I used Campbell's French Onion Soup instead and it tasted great too. I had to double this recipe and bought 2 lbs of sliced roast beef at the deli counter and it was twelve bucks. Ouch. Maybe it would be cheaper to do a roast? And let it cook in a crock pot with the soup all day.

I toasted the hoagie buns under the broiler for about a minute and we ate ours open-faced with a fork. I separated the meat from the soup so we could pour the soup over our sandwiches. Then topped them with a piece of Provolone cheese. Delicious!

Chicken Lasagna

Chicken Lasagna

2 cups cooked, cubed (or shredded) chicken
2 cans creamed soup (chicken or mushroom)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 4oz. can olives, sliced
1 bunch (about 3) green onions, chopped
8 oz lasagna noodles, cooked
4 cups grated cheddar cheese

Layer ingredients in a 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350*F for 40 minutes.

Cream Cheese Chicken

Cream Cheese Chicken

1/2 c butter
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix 
2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (if you cut the chicken into strips while it's slightly frozen it is a lot easier!)
1 10.75 oz. can cream of chicken soup (or any cream soup)
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

Turn crock pot on high. Place butter in bottom of crock pot. When the butter has melted, add the Italian dressing mix; stir into butter until well mixed. Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch strips. Place in crock pot and stir to coat chicken with butter and dressing mix. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken to plate to cool. Add soup and cream cheese. Stir to melt, and mix well until smooth and creamy. Stir in chicken and serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or hot buttered noodles. Note: This recipe freezes well-just place cooled chicken and sauce in a freezer bag and freeze. To serve, thaw and heat until piping hot and bubbly. 

Thanks to my sister, Angie, for introducing me to this recipe!

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Wow, these are so good. It's like a mix between a banana pancake and a chocolate chip cookie. Delish


Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
2/3 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 1/2 c. flour (I also added an extra 1/2 c. for the high altitude)
1/4 t. baking soda
2 t. baking powder
1 c. chocolate chips
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. vanilla

Combine all the wet ingredients, then add the dry ingredients. Mix well with mixer. Spoon cookie dough onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.