Broccoli with Cheese Sauce

Broccoli with Cheese Sauce
2 heads Broccoli Cut Into Florets
2 cups Whole Milk
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 clove Garlic, Optional
1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, More To Taste
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Chili Powder (more To Taste)
12 ounces, weight Velveeta Cut Into Cubes
4 ounces, weight Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Grated
4 ounces, weight Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated

Steam the broccoli florets for 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly tender but not overly soft.

To make the sauce, heat the butter and milk over medium-low heat until hot. Stir in the garlic (if using), seasoned salt, black pepper, salt, and chili powder. Add the Velveeta and stir it until it's melted and creamy. Stir in the cheddar and Monterey jack until melted. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve ramekins of cheese sauce with warm broccoli florets.

So delicious!! I only made half the recipe and I'm so glad I did becuase I'm the only one who ate this at my house. I think Brandon would have liked it though. We'll keep trying :) I also omitted the garlic and Monterey jack cheese and just used cheddar.

Peek-a-boo Pound Cake

Valentine's Day Peek-A-Boo Pound Cake

• 2 (16 ounce) boxes Betty Crocker Pound Cake mix
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided, softened
• 4 eggs, divided
• 1 1/3 cups milk, divided
• red food coloring

Vanilla Icing

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9×5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. Prepare your first pound cake: combine 1 box of cake mix, 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) softened butter, 2 eggs, and 2/3 cup milk in a large bowl. Whisk together with an electric mixer or by hand. Add in your food coloring until you reach the desired color (I think I used 25 drops.)
3. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 8-10 minutes less than instructed on box (about 50 minutes.) Let cool, remove from pan and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Cut cold cake into slices the thickness of your cookie cutter. Cut heart shapes from the slices. Set aside.
4. Prepare your second box of pound cake mix the same as the first, except omit the food coloring. Coat a 9×5 loaf pan with cooking spray and pour just barely enough batter to cover the bottom. Align your heart cut-outs down the center, keeping them tightly together. Poor the remaining batter over the heart cut-outs in the pan, making sure to cover the sides and tops. (Careful the batter doesn’t overflow.) Bake according to the directions on the box, about 1 hour. Let cool when done.
5. Meanwhile, prepare your icing. In a medium bowl, mix all of your ingredients together until combined and creamy. Add more powdered sugar if it appears too runny or more milk if it seems too stiff, until you reach the consistency you like.
6. Remove baked and cooled pound cake from pan and top with icing. Let set; cut into slices and enjoy! Adorable, right!? Serves 10

So adorable right?? I tried making 4 mini loaves with it and it turned out pretty good. Would have been much easier to just make one big loaf like the recipe says. Could do this for any holiday!!

Onion Baked Chicken

Onion Baked Chicken
3 lbs. chicken parts
1 T. vegetable oil
1 T. onion powder
1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. paprika

Brush chicken with oil. Sprinkle spices evenly over chicken. Bake at 375F for 45 minutes or until cooked through.

Delicious! I've never really cooked with Paprika before, except for deviled eggs. It's got such an amazing warm flavor! There is so much flavor in this chicken. I could eat so much of it.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Peanut Butter Blossoms

48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Additional granulated sugar(optional)

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates. 

2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. 3

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet. 

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Makes about 48 cookies

Parker House Rolls

Parker House Rolls
1 1/2 cups milk

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for brushing

1/2 cup sugar

1 package active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

6 cups all-purpose flour

Place milk in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, stir in the butter and sugar and let cool. Dissolve yeast in warm water and let sit until foamy. Combine milk mixture, eggs, yeast, salt, and 1/2 of the flour in a mixer with the dough attachment and mix until smooth. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and stir until a smooth ball forms.

Remove from the bowl and knead by hand on a floured surface for about 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 60 to 70 minutes. On a floured surface, punch down the dough and shape into desired shapes. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cover again and let rise until doubled, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven 350 degrees F.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter before serving.

This was my first time ever making rolls. And they were pretty good! I definitely need more practice but it was fun and Brandon had fun helping me make the dough into balls. Can you tell which ones he did?

They turned out soft and  fluffy on the inside. There is a video on the Food Network website that I wish I would have watched first. Some helpful tips for making these rolls. 

Cheesy Hamburger Soup

Cheesy Hamburger Soup

• ½ pound ground beef ( I used 1 pound)
• ¾ cup chopped onion
• ¾ cup shredded carrots
• ¾ cup diced celery
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• 16 oz, of Velveeta cheese, cubed or- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1½ cups milk
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ cup sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Brown the ground beef in 3 quart saucepan. Drain and set aside.
2. In the same saucepan add 1 T butter and add onion, shredded carrots, parsley flakes, basil and celery. Saute until tender.
3. Add the broth, potatoes and beef and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
4. In small skillet melt remaining butter (3 T) and add the flour. Cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to the soup and bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
5. Stir in the cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat and blend in sour cream.

Mmmm. Delicious soup! Very comforting and homey. A feel good soup for when you're sick, too. I originally found the recipe here but found out from the blogger that it's a Taste of Home recipe which I found here. Awesome! ToH is my favorite. This makes a ton of soup and I think will keep well in the freezer. Definitely a keeper!

Oh, the title of the soup turned me off a bit so I changed it for my own purposes :)

Waffles from scratch

Waffles from scratch
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups milk
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 T. sugar

Combine eggs, milk and oil. Whisk until combined. Add remaining ingredients and stir together until blended. Batter will be thin. Bake in preheated waffle iron. Makes 10-12 waffles.

I LOVE these waffles. This is a recipe from my mom and I loved them every time she made them. And now my family loves them! I add half wheat flour and half white flour. And they are perfectly sweet. These also freeze well! I tried reheating them in the toaster but it didn't get warm all the way through. I know the Eggo waffles say to bake in the oven/toaster oven at 400F for 5 minutes. Or just toast it and warm in the microwave too. So good!