Pizza Nachos

We love pizza around here. The cheap kind or the “designer” kind. We are SO not picky. We also love anything pizza flavored so these pizza nachos were right on the money. The nice thing about this is that you can dress it how ever you like your pizza. IT Guy and I are pretty traditional so I went with sausage but almost anything will work. The key is to put the cheese on first so the chips don’t get too soggy too fast. But that’s what forks are for, right? Use a sturdy chip with this recipe...none of these lightweight chips will do. Enjoy this yummy treat next time it’s pizza night at your house!

Pizza Nachos

1 bag tortilla chips (use a sturdy chip. I used Santitas)

1 cup pizza sauce

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 pound Italian sausage (or whatever meat you like)

1 4-ounce can sliced olives

1 small onion

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil and spread chips in the bottom of the pan.

In a large skillet, saute the onion then add the sausage and cook until the meat is done.

Sprinkle half of the mozzarella and half of the cheddar cheese over the chips.

Scatter cooked sausage over the cheese then add the olives or whatever veggies you’re using.

Drizzle sauce over the top and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and nachos are hot.

Serve immediately.

Cheesy Sausage Potato Soup

Soup is always a big hit around here, year ‘round. Well...except for #1 Son who’s not a fan. He says “I don’t like to drink my dinner”. Whatever, man. You don’t live here anymore! Now IT Guy, he IS a fan of soup and was a HUGE fan of this one. Filled with tasty goodness this is a family pleasing soup for sure!

Cheesy Sausage Potato Soup

1 small onion ~ diced

2 stalks celery ~ diced

1 pound Italian sausage

4 cups frozen diced hash browns

1 32-ounce container chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large dutch oven, saute onion and celery in a little olive oil for a few minutes, until tender.

Add sausage and cook until sausage is done.

Add the chicken stock, salt and pepper.

Add the frozen diced hash browns and and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add cream and grated cheese. Stir to combine and melt cheese.

Serve!

Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf

I think sweet breads like this lemon loaf or a banana bread is a great snack, don’t you? They’re easy to throw together, you don’t have to mess with a bunch of waiting around like you do for cookies. One pan in the oven...done. Around here this kind of thing doesn’t last too long. Lunches, snacks, okay...even breakfast. This lemon loaf is really good. Refreshing and light and it doesn’t feel like you’ve eaten something super heavy. It’s yummy!

Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf

1 2/3 cups flour

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons lemon zest

1/2 cup butter ~ room temperature

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup sour cream

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8x4 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, lemon zest and butter and mix until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time then add vanilla and lemon juice.

In a large measuring cup, stir to combine the milk and sour cream.

Beginning and ending with flour mixture, alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients to the lemon sugar mixture until just combined.

Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 45 - 50 minutes until done or toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool in pan 5 minutes then brush top with lemon glaze. (Recipe follows)

Remove from pan. Slice and enjoy.

For the glaze:

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Combine ingredients in a microwave safe measuring cup and heat until sugar has dissolved and mixture is hot.

Let's get to cookin'!

Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

Next combine the sugar and lemon zest. Run that around with a whisk a little bit.

Add the butter and combine until light and fluffy. Then add the eggs, one at a time, then the lemon juice and vanilla.

Combine the milk and sour cream.

Starting and ending with the flour, 

add the flour mixture and the milk mixture to the mixing bowl a little 

at a time until everything is mixed.

Add batter to prepared pan and bake.

All baked and so pretty!

Next combine the 1/4 cup sugar 

and 3 tablespoons of the lemon 

juice in a microwave safe bowl 

and heat until sugar is dissolved...

about a minute.

Pour the glaze over the warm bread. 

You can poke a few holes in the loaf 

to help get the glaze evenly distributed.

Allow to cool then slice and eat!

Slow Cooker Luau Chicken

I love a fruit/meat combo meal. Do you? There’s a little Mexican food place near us that serves super good “tropical tacos”. They put a fruit relish on top instead of salsa...yum! Now this isn’t Mexican food and it’s not really Asian. I’m not sure what it is but it has pineapple in it so it’s some kind of island-y dish. I do know it’s really good and insanely easy, though.

Slow Cooker Luau Chicken

 

4 chicken breasts ~ cut into bite sized cubes

1 18-ounce bottle of barbecue sauce

1 8-ounce can of crushed pineapple ~ undrained

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

 

Place cut up chicken in your slow cooker.

 

In a medium bowl, stir together the bbq sauce, pineapple, brown sugar and soy sauce.

 

Pour over the chicken and stir to combine.

 

Cook on high 3-4 hours or on low 4-6 hours.

 

Serve over rice.

The cast of characters.

Cut the chicken into bite sized 

chunks and place in your slow cooker.

Combine the bbq sauce, pineapple, 

soy sauce and brown sugar.

Pour over the chicken and 

stir to combine. Cook!

Serve over cooked rice!

Easy Smoky Ribs

When I was a kid, my dad grilled all the time. Steaks, burgers and ribs. IT Guy does NOT grill and I really miss a nice grilled meal. So when I learned I could get almost the same taste from my oven, I was all over that. Now I know that cooking ribs in the oven isn’t exactly the same because nothing beats a true grilled rack of ribs...but when you’re in the mood for some ribs and want little to no effort put into the process...then this works. And they’re delicious...so there’s that.

Easy Smoky Ribs

2 1/2 - 3 pounds baby back ribs

2 tablespoons oil

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup barbecue sauce (I used Sweet baby Ray’s)

Line a cookie sheet with foil. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Drizzle ribs with oil and place bone-side down on the cookie sheet.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and garlic salt.

Spread dry mixture over the ribs.

Cover ribs loosely with foil and bake for 2 hours or until tender.

Remove foil and brush ribs with barbecue sauce and bake for 15 minutes.

If desired, turn broiler to high and place ribs under broiler for a few minutes to caramelize.

Allow ribs to stand for a few minutes then slice and serve with extra sauce.

Yummy Chocolate Frosting

Everyone has their favorite chocolate frosting, right? Well...here’s mine. I used this for my grandson’s birthday cake a while back. I used it on a chocolate cake....chocolate and more chocolate. Can’t go wrong with that, right?

Yummy Chocolate Frosting

1 1/2 cups butter ~ room temperature

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

7 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup milk

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and cocoa powder. Mix in the vanilla.

Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until it’s all added.

Drizzle in the milk and beat on high until light and fluffy.

This recipe makes a lot but is easily reduced by half. This amount frost a 3 layer 9-inch cake, two 9x13 cakes or 30 cupcakes.

Mmmmm......frosting!

Combine the butter and cocoa 

then add the vanilla.

Gently add the powdered sugar, 

one cup at a time.

Next add the milk and whip until fluffy.

Couldn't you just dive right in?

Frost your cake then chill 

it until ready to serve.

Here's what we did! Cute, huh?

Now go make a cake!

Orange Cranberry Streusel Muffins

It’s always great to have a muffin lying around, don’t you think? They’re great to have as you’re running out the door, to throw in a lunch or for a late night snack. Hand held treats are the best! And these little muffins are perfect. Sweet and tart and delicious!

Orange Cranberry Streusel Muffins

For the muffins:

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 tablespoons grated orange peel

12 ounce bag cranberries ~ rinsed and drained

3 cups flour

1 1/4 cups sugar ~ divided

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons cold butter

1 cup orange juice

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray 18 muffin cups with cooking spray then line with cupcake liners, if desired.

In a medium bowl, combine the cranberries, nuts, orange peel, and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Stir then set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

Add the orange juice and eggs and mix well.

Add the cranberry mixture and stir to combine.

Fill each prepared muffin cup with the batter up to the top.

For the streusel topping:

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup chopped pecans

4 tablespoons cold butter

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl with a pastry blender or your fingers.

Sprinkle the uncooked muffins with the streusel topping, lightly pressing mixture onto the batter.

Bake for 5 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. 

Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool muffins for 10 minutes then remove from the pan. Drizzle with glaze. (Recipe follows)

For the glaze: 

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 - 4 tablespoons orange juice

In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar with enough of the juice to create a glaze. Drizzle over baked muffins.