Gooey Butter Cake

My rating: 4 stars
Kids' rating: 4 stars
If I didn't have you at gooey, then I certainly had you had butter.

It's for those very few occasions when you're not in the mood for chocolate, but you want something rich. And easy.

Ingredients

Cake

1 package yellow cake mix (gasp! I know!)

1 egg

8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling

1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

8 tablespoons butter, melted

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine the cake ingredients and mix well. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 pan.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter and beat together. Slowly add the powdered sugar until well mixed. Spread over cake batter and bake for 40-50 minutes. Be sure not to over bake, as the center should remain a little gooey.

Recipe courtesy of the queen of butter, Paula Deen

Lasagna

My rating: 4 stars
Kids' rating: 4 stars

If you've ever wanted to set a new record for most destruction in the kitchen, make this lasagna.

But it will be worth it. 

In fact, I often double this recipe, either to share with a friend in need, or to fill a slot in my freezer. Same mess, double the enjoyment.

INGREDIENTS

Red Sauce:
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced 
• 1/2 large onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (or a mix of dried oregano and basil)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
White Sauce:
• 3 cups milk (not skim, I used 2%)
• 5 tablespoons flour
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Lasagna:
• 9 lasagna noodles, boiled for half the time on the box (or use 12 of the no-boil noodles, of which I far prefer the Barilla brand. Go this route. Unless you're one pot shy of breaking the record, then by all means)
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 8 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 
  
• Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan with cooking spray or with a napkin dipped lightly in olive oil and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, brown the ground turkey over medium-high heat, breaking the meat apart into pieces with a wooden spoon. When turkey is cooked through, drain the grease and set aside.
3. In a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and one tablespoon butter. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. When oil/butter is hot, add the garlic, stirring constantly. When the garlic is lightly browned, but NOT burned, add the onion and mushrooms. Continue cooking on medium-high heat until the vegetables are soft and browned and the fluid has mostly cooked out. Remove from heat and either using a handheld immersion blender or transferring the vegetables to a blender, blend the vegetables to a paste-like mixture. Return the pot to the heat (pour the pureed vegetables back in, if using a stand-alone blender) and add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Then add the diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir. Cover and let the sauce sauce simmer for 30 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Right before using the red sauce in the lasagna, stir in the reserved ground turkey.
4. While the red sauce simmers, if using lasagna noodles that need to be boiled, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and boil the noodles for half the time suggested on the box. Once the noodles are cooked, drain, but do not rinse. Add a dab of olive oil to keep them from sticking together. If you are using no-boil noodles, you can skip this step.
5. Also while the red sauce is cooking, melt the four tablespoons butter and when melted, add the flour, stirring constantly to combine and letting the mixture cook, while stirring, for a minute or two. Gradually add in the milk, whisking constantly. Add the salt and pepper. Slowly whisk the white sauce, ensuring it doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pan, while cooking it over medium heat. Continue slowly stirring or whisking while the white sauce cooks and thickens quite a bit, about 5-7 minutes. Add a pinch of mozzarella for good luck, if you wish!
6. To begin layering the lasagna, keep in mind that you’ll have three layers of noodles as well as three layers of the sauces and cheese – so plan on splitting all the sauce and cheese piles into thirds so you don’t run out at the end! On the bottom of your lightly greased baking pan, layer three pre-boiled noodles or four no-boil noodles, slightly overlapping the no-boil noodles. Layer the red sauce, white sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, spreading all to the edges and top with another layer of noodles. Again, layer the red sauce, white sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and top with the final layer of noodles. Layer the sauces and cheeses again.
7. Cover the lasagna with a greased layer of aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and let the lasagna sit for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

NOTES

Make Ahead Instructions: Follow the recipe, letting the red and white sauce cool to room temperature before assembling. Assemble the lasagna as indicated in the recipe. Cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Bake according to the recipe, adding an additional 5-10 minutes if needed. Alternately, the lasagna can be covered with a double layer of aluminum foil and sealed inside a jumbo-size ziploc bag (if you don’t have a jumbo-sized bag, make sure the edges of the casserole dish are sealed tightly with foil). Freeze for up to 2-3 months. Bake from frozen for 1 1/2 hours covered. Uncover and bake for another 45 minutes to an hour, until the lasagna is hot and bubbly. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe snagged from Mel.

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Kids' rating: 5 stars*

If Ethan could give this 100 stars, he would. It's his favorite meal in the whole wide world.

This baby is a crowd pleaser! Standing ovation, slow clap, you'll get it. It's also super easy to throw together. And, the flavor is so good, you could honestly sneak any diced veggie in here. It will take the flavor of the soup and Greg the kids won't know. I've put in zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, whatever you have in the fridge. 

If you happen to have cooked, shredded chicken, just saute the veggies and then throw the rest of the ingredients in to heat through and you're done. You may pass go, you may collect $200. 

If you need to cook the chicken, follow the instructions below.

Soup

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced bell pepper (red or green or a combo of the two)

1/2 cup diced yellow squash (see note above)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

olive oil

1 pound chicken

1 t chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

4 cups chicken broth

1 6-oz can tomato paste

1 14-oz can corn, drained (I usually use about a cup of frozen corn)

1 16oz can pinto beans

1 8-oz package cream cheese

Garnishes

Lime 

tortilla strips

avocado

jack cheese

cilantro

Saute veggies in olive oil on medium high heat. Add spices and stir to coat. Add chicken, browning on each side. If you're using a crock pot, transfer ingredients, and add broth (if using dutch oven, just add the broth). Whisk in tomato paste. Cook on low for 2-3 hours (or at 225°, if using dutch oven). Remove chicken and shred. With the chicken out, whisk in cream cheese, until there are no lumps. Put the chicken back in, along with the corn and beans. Stir to combine and cook for another 30 minutes. 

Asian Salmon Marinade

My rating: 4 stars

Kids' rating: 4 stars

This used to be my go-to salmon recipe until Carlsbad Cravings came into my life. It's ridiculously easy, and I always have all the ingredients on hand, so there's certainly still a place for it in my life. I usually serve it with roasted potatoes or rice and a veggie.

Marinade

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons soy sauce

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Whisk ingredients together until completely combined. Pour over the salmon (I use a gallon-sized ziplock), and let it marinade for at least 30 minutes, but the longer the better. Bake salmon at 425 for 15-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish. This recipe makes enough sauce for about 3 lbs. of salmon.)

Recipe courtesy of Ariel Laughton

Hawaiian Chicken Salad

My rating: 5 stars

Kids' rating: 4 stars

2 cups chicken, cubed or shredded

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 small can crushed pineapple, drained

1/2 cup chopped pecans or almonds

1.2 cup flake coconut

1/2 cup grapes, halved

1/2 cup mayo

salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients and chill in fridge for at least an hour before serving. Great on croissants, or rolls, or over a bed of fresh spinach.

Recipe courtesy of Janet Packer

Sweet and Sour Chicken

My rating: 4.5 stars

Kids' rating: 5 stars

This stuff is amazing. But, it's a huge pain in the tushy to make. And, it's no good as leftovers. 

Chicken:

2 chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes

salt and pepper

1/2 cup cornstarch

3 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 can pineapple chunks, drained

1 green bell pepper, cut into l" pieces

1/2 sweet onion, diced into large pieces

Sauce:

1 1/2 cup sugar

8 tablespoons ketchup

1 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons garlic salt

Preheat oven to 325°. Place the cornstarch in a gallon-sized ziplock bag. Add the chicken, salt and pepper, and seal, tossing to coat the chicken. Whisk the eggs together in a shallow pie plate. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium head until very hot and rippling. This is where your forearms are going to get a workout, if you try to be clean and use tongs. Toss the tongs and just get messy with your bare hands for this part. Dip the cornstarch-coated chicken pieces in the egg and place them carefully in a single layer in the hot skillet. Cook for 20-30 seconds on each side (okay, you're going to need the tongs to rotate) until the crust is golden but the chicken is not all the way cooked. Place the chicken in a single layer in a 9x13-inch baking dish and repeat until you have fried all the chicken. Add the onion, pepper, and pineapple and give it a little mix. 

Mix the sauce ingredient together and pour half of it over the chicken. Bake for one hour (yes, that's one hour), giving it a mix once or twice while cooking, to help distribute the sauce. Cook the remaining sauce on the stovetop at a simmer for 8-10 minutes until it reduces and thickens.

Serve chicken over hot, steamed rice, with additional sauce.

Recipe adapted from Mel.

Macaroni Salad

My rating: 3.5 stars

Kids' rating: 4 stars

This is great for pot lucks, make ahead meals, kids' lunches. I like to use bacon and that doesn't last forever, but the rest of the stuff does. I'll make it all during the day, and then when it's time to eat, I'll cook the bacon and sprinkle on top of each dish. I'll often do bacon for the first night we have it. And then cut up salami for the leftovers.

8 oz dry macaroni

1 cucumber, peeled and diced

4 green onions

1/2 cup cheddar, cubed

1/2 cup Monterey jack cheese, cubed

1/2 cup diced dill pickles

1/2 cup meat (deli ham/ salami chopped, or bacon)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

3/4 cup mayonnaise

salt and pepper to taste

Cook macaroni in salted water until al dente, 7-9 minutes. Do not overcook, or it will fall apart when assembling the salad. Drain well and let it dry out slightly.

To make dressing combine mayo and all the seasonings. 

Add all ingredients in bowl and refrigerate to chill for at least an hour before serving.

Recipe adapted from Danielle Barker

Crustless Quiche

My rating: 4.5 stars

Kids' rating: 4 stars

I've served these at many a baby shower, always followed by a standing ovation.

4 oz cream cheese, softened

4 tablespoons milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream

4 large eggs

1/2 cup dry parmesan 

1 cup fresh parmesan

1 cup shredded colby jack cheese

1 cup combined meats (I always use bacon, but you could use ham or sausage if you don't like delicious things)

1 cup combined veggies (I use onion and mushroom, but you could use spinach, peppers, etc)

1/4 teaspoon season-all or Lawry's

salt and pepper

Whisk cream cheese and milk, slowly adding the cream. Add eggs one at a time, while whisking. Stir in other ingredients. Spoon in greased muffin pan, filling to the top. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Serve hot.

Recipe courtesy of Amy Gelwix

Homemade Syrup

My rating: 5 stars

Kids' rating: 5 stars

I call it syrup, because that's an acceptable thing to put on breakfast. But if we were being honest with ourselves, we'd call it "breakfast frosting." It's so easy, and it stores well in the fridge, I rarely buy store bought syrup anymore. 

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

Bring to a boil, and let boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon vanilla. If you want to knock your socks off, add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. My kids like to keep their socks on, so they don't like the almond. But I'm a huge fan.

Recipe courtesy of Kelly Ahlander

Banana Muffins with Browned Butter Icing

My rating:  stars

Kids' rating: 5 stars

"Mom, we are literally having cupcakes for breakfast."
-Drew

MUFFIN:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
4 tablespoons buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda

ICING:
4 T Butter
2 Cups powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons milk or cream. But cream. Definitely cream.
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, bananas, buttermilk and vanilla until well mixed. Add flour, baking powder, salt and soda. Mix. Pour into 1 large or 2 small greased and floured bread pans. Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes. (2 small pans will be more like 30-35). You can also turn these into muffins and bake for 20-22 minutes.

For the icing, melt butter over low low heat (if your stove has a simmer setting, use that), for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until it starts to brown a bit (not dark brown! That's burnt). Remove from heat and add powdered sugar and cream, a bit at a time, alternating, until you have a nice glaze consistency. These are estimates, I should have measured better. Add vanilla last. Drizzle over each cupcake, I mean, muffin.

I usually double the muffin recipe (the icing recipe accounts for the doubling).

I have no idea where I got the muffin recipe, but the frosting recipe came from my brain. That's why it's not very exact. Maybe someday I'll fix that. 

Chicken Spaghetti

I'm not sure if this is a Texas thing, but I had certainly never heard of chicken spaghetti until I moved here and it seems everyone has their own favorite version of it. This is the only recipe I've tried, but I will tell you right now: I'm not looking for another.

Ingredients

3 cups spaghetti, broken into 2" pieces

2 cups cooked shredded chicken

1 cup milk

1-2 cups chicken broth

6 T butter

6 T flour

1/4 cup finely diced onion

1/4 finely diced bell pepper (I use half red, half green)

1 t Lawry's seasoned salt

1/8 t t cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups grated white cheddar cheese, seperated

Preheat oven to 350°

In a large heavy pot, cook spaghetti in salted water just until al dente. Drain and set aside.

While that's cooking, in your largest saute pan, melt butter over medium high heat. Add onions and peppers and saute until onions are translucent. Whisk in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in 1 cup broth, then milk. Allow mixture to cook and thicken slightly, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 1 cup broth, if needed, to get desired consistency. I usually only add about 1/2 cup. Turn off heat and stir in chicken, spaghetti, 1 cup cheese, and seasonings. 

Pour mixture into a greased 9 x 13 and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 or until bubbly.

You can easily make this ahead, up until the oven part. You'll have to increase that baking time, probably to 30-45 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Krissy Powledge

Asian Glazed Salmon

My rating: 5 stars

Kids rating: 5 stars

This beauty speaks for itself. 

It's sweet, and tangy, and so so flavorful.

I like to make it with grilled pineapple and coconut rice.

• Ingredients
• 4 skinless salmon filets (4-6 oz. each)*
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, divided
• 
  Marinade/Glaze
• 2 tablespoons Asian sweet chili sauce (I like Trader Joe's)
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 3 tablespoons quality hoisin sauce like Lee Kum Kee or Kikkoman*
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sriracha
• 
  

1. Whisk together all of the marinade/glaze ingredients plus 2 teaspoon sesame oil. Add 1/3 cup of marinade to a freezer bag with salmon. Refrigerate the rest separately. Marinate salmon for one hour up to overnight (longer the better).
2. SKILLET DIRECTIONS: When ready to cook, let salmon sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Separate reserved glaze in half. You will use half while cooking salmon and the other half after salmon has cooked.
3. Heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add salmon and turn heat down to medium low and sear until side is browned, about 4 minutes.
4. Flip salmon over and spoon half of the remaining Glaze over salmon. Cook an additional 4-7 minutes depending on thickness and desired doneness (or until salmon reaches an internal temperature of 135° for medium). Spoon desired amount of remaining Glaze over individual servings and season with freshly cracked salt and pepper. Note the Glaze is very strong so you will want to taste before adding too much more Glaze.
5. 
   GRILL DIRECTIONS: When ready to cook, let salmon sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Lightly grease grill and heat grill to medium heat. Pat salmon dry. Grill, uncovered, for 4 to 6 minutes per 1/2-inch thickness or until fish begins to flake when tested with a fork, flipping once halfway through grilling. When done, remove from grill and brush with Glaze and season with freshly cracked salt and pepper.

*If you don't want to buy hoisin sauce, you can make your own. This ends up making 4 tablespoons of sauce and the recipe only calls for 3, but I live on the edge like that:

Ingredients

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter

1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 teaspoon sesame seed oil 

dash black pepper

Coconut Rice

1 cup rice (I like basmati or long grain)

1 1/4 cup water

1 cup canned coconut milk

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon butter

Bring to boil the water, coconut milk, and salt. (Watch it, this stuff boils huge!) Add rice, mix, and reduce temp to low and let simmer for 18-20 minutes or until all the water is almost absorbed. Stir in sugar, and let sit, covered for 5 minutes, until water is all the way absorbed. 

Recipe stolen from Carlsbad Cravings

Shredded Chicken

I love having cooked, shredded chicken on hand for quick meals. It goes great in salads and soups and makes a meal come together in no time. I used to cook it in the crock pot all day, and it was moist and delicious. But then, this recipe showed up and changed my life forever. It's even more delicious and takes a fraction of the time. I'll often cook four breasts at a time, then freeze them, 2 to a bag.

I strongly recommend getting a meat thermometer. They're super and cheap and make cooking meat so much easier. I hate over cooked, dry meat, especially chicken, and I haven't overcooked since I bought one. This is the one I have.

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

3/4 C water or chicken broth

Directions

In a large, nonstick skillet with a lid, heat the olive oil on medium high. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken, pretty side down and cook for 4 minutes. (This is where I season the other side.) Flip the chicken, add the water or broth, reduce the heat to low and cover with lid. Cook for about 7-10 minutes, until the inside reaches 155°. After 5 minutes or so, keep checking, adding more liquid if needed, and check the temp. Some may cook faster than others, depending on size. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes. I like to shred my chicken in the KitchenAid, about 30 seconds at medium speed, watching to make sure it doesn't mix too much. I do it 2 breasts at a time, and transfer it to bags from there.

Honey Lime and Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

My rating: 4.5 stars
Kids' rating: 4 stars





Not your traditional pasta salad. This is sweet and refreshing as the day is long. I made it for one of those evenings we spend in the car, going from one activity to the next, pulling it out of the cooler at dinnertime. It was just the ticket. 
It does dry out the longer it sits in the bowl (although, if I were cool enough to have a bowl with a fitted lid, that may not happen, but there's no way to know that for sure). But the next day, I just freshened it up a bit with a splash of buttermilk and honey and it was good as gold.


Salad:
• 8 ounces rotini or bow tie pasta
• 2-3 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces or shredded
• 1 large sweet-tart apple, cored, diced (I prefer Honey Crisp for this salad)
• 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
• 1 15 ounce can pineapple tidbits, drained very well
• 1 cup red grapes, halved
• 2/3 cup sliced almonds or cashews
Honey Lime Dressing:
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook the pasta until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain well.
2. In a large bowl, toss all the salad ingredients together.
3. In another small or medium bowl, whisk all the dressing ingredients together.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir gently to mix so that all the ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.
5. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to an hour (the salad may dry out a bit if refrigerated for much longer - you can make extra dressing or reserve part of the dressing to stir in right before serving).

Recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe