Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Pecan Pie Bars)

Hello again food lovers and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Christmas is only 8 days away so hopefully your shopping is done and now you’re just planning out what to fix for Christmas dinner. As you may have discovered if you follow my blog, I’m not a huge fan of sweets/desserts. However, holidays are when I probably eat the most desserts and Pecan Pie is my absolute favorite dessert of all time. I still remember the individual Pecan Pies that my grandma used to make that were out of this world good. Well today I bring you a twist on the traditional Pecan Pie with these Pecan Pie Bars. They have all the delicious flavor of traditional Pecan Pie but it a nice hand-held, easy to eat form. One word of warning when making these, be sure to line your pan with parchment paper or foil or you will regret it come time to do the dishes. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren’t already so you don’t miss any new posts.

Pecan Pie Bars

• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1/3 cup White Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 2/3 cup Butter
• 3 Eggs
• 1 cup Light Corn Syrup
• 1/2 cup White Sugar
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Tbsp Butter, melted
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 2/3 cups Chopped Pecans

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C); lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan lined with parchment paper or foil.
2. In a large bowl stir together the flour, the 1/3 cup sugar, and the salt; cut in the 2/3 cup of butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, then sprinkle the mixture evenly over the prepared pan and press in firmly to form a crust.
3. Bake the crust for 20 minutes in the preheated oven.
4. While the crust is baking, in a large bowl mix together the eggs, corn syrup, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, the 2 Tbsp melted butter and the vanilla until smooth; stir in the chopped pecans and then spread the filling evenly over the crust as soon as it comes out of the oven.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until set, rotating the pan about half way through cooking; to test for doneness, gently shake the pan and if the filling jiggles, keep baking. When you get just a slight bit of movement at the center, they are ready to be taken out of the oven. Don’t cook them until there’s no movement or they will come out too dry.
6. Allow to cool for 30 minutes then refrigerate for 4 hours to overnight before cutting; after cooling, use a pizza cutter or knife to cut into 24 bars.

Yummy Recipe Thursday! (Sweet Glazed Holiday Ham)

Hello again and welcome to a Yummy Recipe Thursday posting. Today marks the midway point between Thanksgiving and Christmas so I figured it was as good a day as any to have a recipe post. I intend to return to the normal Wednesday posting schedule next week but it’s a busy time of year so we’ll just see what happens. Today I bring you a wonderful recipe for a holiday ham that’s so delicious and really easy. It’s actually so easy that even a first-timer couldn’t go wrong using this recipe for their ham. This ham turns out so moist and the sweet glaze makes the flavor of the ham just out of this world. If you don’t have a rack to go in your roasting pan, just put the ham directly into the roasting pan and it’ll turn out fine. Also, if you have pineapple chunks instead of rings you can use 1 chunk and 1 cherry per toothpick and just put them all of the ham. Give this a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments below. As always, be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren’t already so you don’t miss a single new recipe post.

Sweet Glazed Holiday Ham

• 1 (10 lb) Fully-Cooked, Bone-In Ham
• 4 cups Boiling Water, or as needed
• 1 cup Packed Brown Sugar
• 2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
• 2 Tbsp Dry Mustard Powder
• 1/4 cup Honey
• 1 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice, or as needed
• 1 (20 oz) can Pineapple Rings, drained
• 1 (10 oz) jar Maraschino Cherries, drained
• Toothpicks

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C); place the ham on a rack set in a roasting pan and carefully pour about 1/2 inch of boiling water into the pan beneath the ham.
2. Bake the ham in the preheated oven for about 2 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat (do not touch the bone) reads at least 140 degrees F (60 degrees C.)
3. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.).
4. In a bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, dry mustard, honey, and lemon juice as needed to make a thick, smooth paste; brush the ham generously with the glaze.
5. Skewer 1 maraschino cherry per toothpick; place the pineapple rings all over the ham using the skewered cherries in the middle of the pineapple rings to hold them in place.
6. Return the ham to the oven and roast for 15 minutes; baste the ham and fruit with the glaze and juices that have collected in the bottom of the pan.
7. Return the ham to the oven and roast for an additional 15 minutes; let the ham rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Candied Pecans)

Happy Day-Before-Thanksgiving everyone and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday! I decided I would keep today quick and simple since I’m sure you’re probably preparing for the big feast tomorrow and who has time to sit and read a bunch of my ramblings right now. These candied pecans are absolutely amazing and so quick and easy to make. They’re perfect to set out for people to snack on while they’re waiting for the food to finish cooking and the rest of the guests to finish showing up. They also make great gifts if you’re looking for something to give out for Christmas this year. Give these a try, you really can’t go wrong. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren’t already so you don’t miss a single post.

Candied Pecans

• 1 Egg White
• 1 Tbsp Water
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 lb Pecans
• 1 cup White Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Salt

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, beat the egg white with water and vanilla extract until frothy; stir in the pecans and mix to coat.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Add the sugar/cinnamon mixture to the pecans and stir to combine; spread the coated pecans onto a baking sheet.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes; store extras in an airtight container.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Creamy Herb Pork Chops)

Hello again food lovers and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. So as I was sitting here trying to decide what recipe to post today, I realized that I post a pork chop recipe about once per month. This is definitely not something that I planned but it somehow worked out that way so I’m continuing this pattern with another delicious pork chop recipe today. Today’s recipe is yet another super simple recipe and as with everything I post on here it’s absolutely delicious. My only suggestion with today’s recipe is to use the steak seasoning sparingly or you could end up with a very salty dish. There’s really not much else to say about this one, the flavors speak for themselves. Give this a try and I’m sure it’ll become a regular recipe in your dinner rotation. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter so you don’t miss a single new post.

Creamy Herb Pork Chops

• 4 Thick-Cut Pork Chops
• 1 tsp Montreal Steak Seasoning, to taste
• 1/2 cup butter, divided
• 2 1/2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour, or as needed
• 1 Tbsp Dried Basil
• 1 tsp Instant Beef Bouillon Granules
• 1 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 2 cups Milk

1. Season the pork chops on all sides with Montreal steak seasoning.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add the pork chops and cook until browned and slightly pink in the center, about 7 to 10 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).
3. Transfer the pork chops to a plate and return the skillet to medium-high heat; add the remaining butter to the pan as needed so that about 3 tablespoons of pan drippings remain in the pan.
4. Mix the flour, basil, and beef bouillon together in a bowl; stir black pepper into the skillet with the pan drippings and cook for 1 minute.
5. Whisk the flour mixture into the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until browned, about 2 minutes.
6. Whisk the milk into flour mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick and bubbly, about 4 to 6 minutes.
7. Pour the sauce over the pork chops and serve.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Doritos Chicken & Cheese Casserole)

Hello again fabulous foodie friends and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Today I bring you a casserole that I was just introduced to last week by a co-worker and have made twice already. This casserole is so easy to make, tastes so good, and is really budget friendly. It’s the perfect dish for entertaining friends and/or family and this would be perfect to make for the upcoming holidays. I may even give this a try with leftover turkey after the holidays are over. On that note, you can use 3 cups of cooked chopped chicken as a substitute for the canned chicken but personally I find it unnecessary. My co-worker used canned chicken when she made it and I did as well so if you want to save a little time just use the canned chicken. Also, I used a store brand nacho cheese tortilla chip instead of Doritos and it turned our perfectly. Give this dish a try for yourself and I promise you won’t be disappointed. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren’t already so you don’t miss a single new post.

Doritos Chicken & Cheese Casserole

• 1 bag Nacho Cheese Tortilla Chips, crushed
• 2 (12.5 oz) cans Chunk Chicken Breast
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 can Corn, drained
• 1/4 cup Minced Onion
• 2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Pepper
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. Spread half the bag of crushed chips in the bottom of a 16x9 casserole dish.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients, reserving 1 cup of the cheese; add the mixture evenly on top of the crushed chips in the casserole dish.
4. Top the casserole with the remaining Doritos and cheese.
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Southern Grits Casserole)

Hello food lovers and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. If you grew up in the south, live in the south, or just love grits then today’s recipe is definitely something you’re going to want to try. I personally love grits, if seasoned properly, and I love breakfast in general so this recipe was a no-brainer when I found it. Even if you have someone in your home that isn’t a big fan of grits, I still think they’ll enjoy this casserole. If you’re making this for a pot-luck or family gathering you can also put this in a slow cooker, after mixing all of the ingredients together, instead of in the baking dish. When I do this in the slow cooker, I just add all of the cheese in with everything else instead of saving a cup to put on top. Also, be sure to taste and season your grits to your liking before mixing everything together. The grits are the key to taking this dish from good to awesome. Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think in the comments section below. As always, be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren’t already so you don’t miss a single new post.

Southern Grits Casserole

• 6 cups Water
• 2 cups Uncooked Stone Ground Grits
• 1/2 cup Butter, divided
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 3 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
• 1 lb Ground Pork Sausage
• 8 Eggs
• 1/2 cup Milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C); lightly grease a large baking dish.
2. In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil then stir in the grits; reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 5 minutes, until liquid has been absorbed.
3. Mix in 1/4 cup of the butter, the Worcestershire sauce, and the garlic powder; season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Once the grits are seasoned to your liking, stir in 2 cups of cheese until melted.
5. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage until evenly browned; drain any excess grease and then mix it into the grits.
6. Beat together the eggs and milk in a bowl and pour them into the skillet; lightly scramble the eggs then mix them into the grits.
7. Pour the grits mixture into the prepared baking dish, dot with the remaining butter, and top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
8. Bake the casserole for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Creamy Pumpkin Soup)

Hello everyone and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Today I bring you the fourth and final pumpkin recipe in celebration of the fall season and month of Halloween. This creamy pumpkin soup is absolutely amazing and actually quite simple to make. You can play around with the spices if you’d like, depending on whether you want it more savory or more sweet, but I think it’s fantastic just the way it is. One word of caution, be sure to use Low Sodium Chicken Broth or you will regret it. It’s best just to control the salt yourself at the end when you taste the soup. You can also make this in a slow cooker after you puree the onions, just be sure to add the cream at the very end. Give this a try next time you have friends or family over and I assure you that you will get raves and requests for the recipe. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren’t already so you don’t miss a single post.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

• 2/3 cup Chopped Onion
• 2 Tbsp Butter, melted
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1 (15 oz) can Pumpkin Puree
• 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
• 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 3/4 cup Half-And-Half or Light Cream

1. In a medium saucepan, saute the onion in butter until tender.
2. Stir in 1 can of chicken broth; bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Transfer the broth mixture to a blender or food processor and process until smooth; return the mixture to the saucepan.
4. Add the remaining can of broth, the pumpkin, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg and cayenne pepper and stir well; Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper as desired; stir in the whipping cream and heat through but do not boil.
6. Ladle into individual soup bowls and serve with crusty bread or toasted pumpkin seeds.

Yummy Recipe Thursday! (Pumpkin Pancakes)

Hello everyone and welcome to what would typically be a Yummy Recipe Wednesday post were it not Thursday. Unfortunately, life happens and I was unable to get the recipe posted yesterday so now it’s a Yummy Recipe Thursday post. Continuing on with the pumpkin theme for this month I bring you a recipe for delicious pumpkin pancakes. Although there are many more ingredients in this pancake recipe than what you would use in traditional pancakes, these really are quite simple to make and are a nice breakfast twist that you family will love. Note that the batter will be thicker than your traditional pancake batter. Do not try to thin the batter with milk or you will dilute the pumpkin flavor and they just won’t be near as good. Instead, after you ladle the batter onto your griddle or pan just use a spoon to spread and even out the batter. Also, letting the batter sit for about 5 minutes, as the directions instruct, allows the baking soda time to react and start making air bubbles in the batter which will give you a nice fluffy pancake. Give these a try and post comments below letting me know what you thought about them and what you did differently, if anything. As always, be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren’t already so you don’t miss a single recipe post.

Pumpkin Pancakes

• 1 1/2 cups Whole Milk
• 1 1/3 cups Pumpkin Puree
• 1 Egg
• 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 2 Tbsp Vinegar
• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 3 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 2 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1/2 tsp Salt

1. In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and salt; gently stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.
3. Let the batter sit for at least 5 minutes before continuing; heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat while waiting.
4. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake; cook until golden brown on both sides and serve hot.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Pumpkin Butter)

Hello everyone and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Today I bring you the second of four pumpkin recipes that I promised I would post this month in celebration of the fall season and Halloween. I grew up around a lot of orchards so Apple Butter was common in our house but I had never tried or heard of pumpkin butter until quite recently. Pumpkin Butter is great on buttered toast but I have found lots of other uses for it as well. You can use it between layers of cake to make a delicious pumpkin cake or you can even add it to vanilla ice cream to make a delicious pumpkin flavored ice cream. If the Pumpkin Butter comes out too thick for your liking just adjust your apple juice to get the consistency that you want. Also, you can make this in your slow cooker to avoid splattering if you prefer. Give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments below. As always, don’t forget to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren’t already so you don’t miss a single recipe post.

WARNING: DO NOT CAN PUMPKIN BUTTER
Home canning of Pumpkin Butter is NOT recommended by the USDA. Studies have been done and found that due to the varying viscosity and the low acidity of pumpkin they have not been able to find a canning method for pumpkin butter that is 100% safe. The bacteria that cause botulism can survive the canning process and if there is enough water content in the Pumpkin Butter the botulism will grow.

Pumpkin Butter

• 1 (29 oz) can Pumpkin Puree
• 3/4 cup Apple Juice
• 2 tsp Ground Ginger
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
• 1 1/2 cups White Sugar
• 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Ground Nutmeg

1. Combine the pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and sugar in a large saucepan and stir well.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently.
3. Transfer the pumpkin butter to containers and chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Pumpkin Chipotle Soup)

Hello once again everyone and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. As I mentioned last week, I will be posting four pumpkin recipes on the blog this month to celebrate the beginning of the fall season and the month of Halloween. Today I bring you the first of the four recipes and it’s a quite interesting one indeed. Last fall I discovered a recipe, which I shared on this blog, for a Slow Cooker Pumpkin Turkey Chili and I remember thinking how weird it sounds but was amazed by how it tasted when I finally made it. Today’s recipe falls into the same lines. It sounds like a weird, albeit intriguing, combination of ingredients but you will be amazed by how it tastes. It is a bit spicy, due to the chipotles in the recipe, so if you don’t want it spicy just omit the chipotles. The smokiness from the smoked paprika will still give it a nice smoky flavor. Give this a try and let me know what you think in the comments below. As always, be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren’t already so you don’t miss a single recipe post.

Pumpkin Chipotle Soup

• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
• 4 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 (29 oz) can Pumpkin Puree
• 2 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, minced
• 1 1/2 cups Half-And-Half Cream
• 2 Tbsp Sofrito
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 Large Avocado, diced
• Cilantro (optional)

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; stir in the flour and cook until the flour has turned golden brown, about 3 minutes.
2. Whisk in the chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Whisk in the pumpkin puree until no lumps remain, then add the chipotle peppers, half-and-half cream, sofrito, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and paprika.
4. Return to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 8 minutes until thickened and hot.
5. Garnish bowls of soup with diced avocado and cilantro if desired.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Doritos Pork Chops)

Hello again everyone and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Today I bring you a recipe I came up with a couple of weeks ago to make delicious, moist pork chops. I don’t eat pork chops very often but recently I had some pork chops and I wanted to come up with a new delicious way to make them. It seems that meat is being breaded with all sort of different things these days so I figured why not Doritos chips. I decided to go with a combination of Cool Ranch and Spicy Nacho Cheese chips because they both offer different flavors that I figured would be good together. I found that you really don’t get any spiciness from the Spicy Nacho Cheese chips so I’ve changed the recipe to just regular Nacho Cheese chips. I was very happy with how the flavor turned out on these and how moist the pork was. They were definitely a big hit with my wife and house guests and it’s certainly something I’m going to add to my rotation of recipes. Give these a try and post comments below with your thoughts, suggestions, etc. Also, every Yummy Recipe Wednesday the rest of this month I will be posting a pumpkin themed recipe to celebrate the fall season as well as Halloween so be sure to come back each week. As always, don’t forget to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren’t already so you don’t miss a single posting.

Doritos Pork Chops

• 1/2 bag (5.5 oz) Cool Ranch Doritos, crushed
• 1/2 bag (5.5 oz) Nacho Cheese Doritos, crushed
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 Tbsp Butter, melted
• 6 (3/4 inch) pork chops
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit; pierce the pork chops several times on each side with a fork and set aside.
2. Spread the crushed chips out in the bottom of a shallow dish.
3. Beat the egg and milk together in a bowl; season with salt and pepper.
4. Pour the melted butter into the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish and tilt in all directions to cover the entire bottom of the dish.
5. Dip the pork chops in the egg wash and then transfer to the crushed chips; cover both sides with chips, pressing them into the meat and then place in the casserole dish.
6. After all pork chops have been coated and placed in the casserole dish, season the tops generously with the garlic powder and onion powder.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes
8. Flip the pork chops over, season the other side with garlic powder and onion powder then cook an additional 10 minutes; internal temperature should read 145-160** degrees when finished.

**Old USDA guidelines said to cook pork to 160 degrees but this was officially modified to 145 degrees in 2011.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Slow Cooker Creamy Potato Soup)

Hello again everyone and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Yesterday was the first official day of Fall and I think the best thing on a chilly Fall night is warm soup, chili, and other slow cooker style meals. Potato soup definitely ranks up at the top of my list of favorite soups to make in the fall and winter months. The potato soup recipe I bring to you today is a delicious, hearty potato soup that’s fairly easy to make and will make your house smell wonderful while it’s cooking. As with most soups, there’s always room for modification but personally I think this recipe is amazing just the way it is. Give this recipe a try on an upcoming chilly fall night and I’m sure you’ll love it just as much as I do. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter so you don’t miss any new recipe posts.

Slow Cooker Creamy Potato Soup

• 6 Bacon Slices, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Garlic Clove, minced
• 2 (10.5 oz) cans Condensed Chicken Broth
• 2 cups Water
• 5 Large Potatoes, diced
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Dried Dill Weed
• 1/2 tsp Ground White Pepper
• 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 2 cups Half-and-Half Cream
• 1 (12 oz) can Evaporated Milk

1. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until evenly browned; remove from pan and set aside for later.
2. Add the onion and garlic to the bacon grease remaining in the pan and cook over medium-high heat until the garlic is fragrant and the onions are soft; drain off the excess grease and transfer them to the slow cooker.
3. To the slow cooker, add the chicken broth, water, potatoes, salt, dill weed, and white pepper; stir to combine, cover, and cook on LOW 6 to 7 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and half-and-half and add it to the slow cooker along with the evaporated milk; turn the slow cooker to HIGH, cover, and cook another 30 minutes before serving.
5. Add the bacon just before serving or to the individual bowls of soup as a garnish.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Easy Apple Dumplings)

Hello once again friends and food lovers and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Today is National Apple Dumpling Day so I figured I would bring you a recipe for some of the best apple dumplings I have ever tasted. Nice and crisp on top, warm apple in the middle, and gooey goodness on the bottom. It’s been awhile since I’ve had these and I’m starting to crave them as I sit here typing this out. I think the secret to making this insanely delicious is to make sure you cook the sugar/butter mixture until it makes a thick, rich sauce almost the consistency of melted caramel. I’ve also found that you can make these with peaches instead of apples and they’re still amazing. For the diabetics out there, don’t worry, you can enjoy this as well. Just cut back on the butter, substitute Splenda for the sugar, and use Diet Mountain Dew instead of the regular. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter so you don’t miss any new posts.

Easy Apple Dumplings

• 3/4 cup White Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
• 2 Large Granny Smith Apples, peeled and cored
• 2 (10 oz) cans Refrigerated Crescent Roll Dough
• 2 Sticks Butter
• 1 1/2 cups White Sugar
• 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1 (12 fluid oz) can Mountain Dew

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C); grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Combine the 3/4 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp cinnamon together on a plate or shallow dish.
3. Cut each apple into 8 wedges; roll each wedge in the cinnamon sugar, shake off any excess, and set aside.
4. Separate the crescent roll dough into triangles; roll each apple wedge in crescent roll dough starting at the smallest end, pinch to seal, and place in the greased baking dish.
5. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and stir in the 1 1/2 cups sugar; continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens.
6. Add the 1 tsp cinnamon and the vanilla to the mixture and stir to combine; pour the mixture over the apple dumplings and then pour the Mountain Dew around the dumplings.
7. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (American Macaroni Salad)

Hello again everyone and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Today I bring you a recipe for a classic, delicious, macaroni salad courtesy of the Food Network Kitchens. This recipe is fairly simple and straight forward but there's lots of room for improvisation if you choose to do so. One of my personal favorites for this recipe is to add a can or two of tuna and some shredded cheese to make a cheesy tuna macaroni salad. You could also add shredded chicken if you wanted or you can just leave it meatless. For a Mexican twist, try adding a package of taco seasoning, some diced jalapeno, and some black olives. Give this a try and let me know what variations you went with in the comments below. As always, be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter so you do miss any new recipe posts.

American Macaroni Salad

• 2 cups Elbow Macaroni, cooked, rinsed, and drained
• 1/3 cup Diced Celery
• 1/4 cup Minced Red Onion, soaked in cold water for 5 minutes, drained
• 1 Tbsp Minced Flat-Leaf Parsley
• 1/2 cup Diced Tomato (optional)
• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
• 3/4 tsp Dry Mustard
• 1 1/2 tsp Sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Cider Vinegar
• 3 Tbsp Sour Cream
• 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1. In a large bowl combine the macaroni, celery, onion, parsley and tomato (if using).
2. In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, vinegar, sour cream and salt.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir to combine.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
5. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Cucumber Onion Salad)

Hello again everyone and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Apparently this year has been a good year for cucumbers so I’ve been acquiring a lot of the extra cucumbers that friends and family have been giving away. I’ve been making this cucumber salad recipe quite a bit this summer and thought that I’d share for those of you that may have extra cucumbers and don’t quite know what to do with them. I’ve had variations of this recipe that other people have made but I think this is the best one I’ve had so far. It’s super easy to make and is great by itself or as a side dish. This would be a great salad to make this Labor Day if you’re planning on having friends and family over for a barbecue. Just to clear up any confusion, the recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon of salt, it’s not a typo. I know it seems like a lot but trust me, it’s not. Give this a try and if you love cucumbers as much as I do you’ll be making this again and again. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter so you don’t miss a single post.

Cucumber Onion Salad

• 4 Cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 Onion, slivered
• 1 1/2 cups White Vinegar
• 4 cups Water
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Salt

1. In a large bowl combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt; stir well to dissolve the sugar and salt then set aside while you slice your cucumbers and onion.
2. Add the sliced cucumbers and onions to the vinegar mixture and stir well to combine.
3. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. (Taste best when left overnight)

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Apple Chips)

Hello again everyone and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Today I bring you a simple, easy to make, recipe for Apple Chips. I’m a big fan of my food dehydrator and I often will make my own beef jerky or fruit chips. However, some people don’t have a food dehydrator so I wanted to share this simple recipe that you can use to make your own apple chips using your oven. There are a couple of tips here I can give you first before you start in on making these. First, be sure to spray your pan or use parchment paper or the apple will stick and you will have wasted your time. Second, I recommend using a mandolin slicer or slicing attachment on a food processor to cut your apples so you get a consistent thickness and they all finish at the same time. Lastly, the apples will not feel crispy until they cool down so don’t keep them in the oven longer than they need just because you think they’re not done. Timing doesn’t have to be precise but you definitely don’t want to burn them. If your oven won’t go down to 225 degrees, use the lowest temp you can and adjust your timing accordingly. Sneak these into your kid’s or significant other’s lunch to give them a nice healthy treat. As always, feel free to post comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren’t already so you don’t miss a single post.

Apple Chips

• 2 Golden Delicious Apples, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 tsp White Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1. Preheat your oven to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C).
2. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a zip lock bag; add the apple slices to the bag, seal, and shake to coat the apple slices. (Use more sugar and cinnamon if necessary.)
3. Arrange the apples slices on a metal baking sheet that has either been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray or lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake the apples in the preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour then flip them over and continue to bake until they are dried and the edges curl up, about 45 minutes to 1 hour more.
5. Transfer the apple chips to a wire rack until cooled and crispy.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken)

Hello again everyone and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Today I bring you a wonderful recipe for some of the tastiest chicken I've ever had. I love to use my slow cooker, especially for chicken, because it's just so easy and it makes your house smell wonderful. Today's recipe is almost a double recipe since you get to make a nice sauce with the juices right in the slow cooker. The sauce itself is just amazing in my opinion and I love to toss the sauce with some linguini or angel hair pasta and serve the chicken right on top. If you really want to make a nice pasta dish you could add some nice sliced mushrooms or another vegetable. This dish is actually pretty healthy with its high protein and low carbs and tasty on its own if you choose not to add it to some rice or pasta. Give it a try for yourself and see what you think. As always, feel free to post comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter so you don't miss a single post.

Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken

• 1 tsp Dried Oregano
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Lemon Pepper Seasoning
• 2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Halves
• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 2 tsp Olive Oil
• 1 (14oz) can Chicken Broth
• 1/4 cup Fresh Lemon Juice
• 4 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Chopped Fresh Parsley
• 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
• 1/4 cup Water

1. In a bowl mix together the oregano, salt, and lemon pepper; rub the mixture into the chicken on all sides.
2. Heat the butter and oil in a skillet over medium heat; brown the chicken in the butter/oil for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown, and then place the chicken in a slow cooker.
3. In the same skillet add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and garlic; bring the mixture to a boil then pour over the chicken in the slow cooker.
4. Cover and cook on Low for 4 hours.
5. Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and add it to the slow cooker along with the parsley; cook an additional 30 minutes. Serve over pasta or rice if desired.

Gluten Free Friday! (GF Spicy Pork Chops and Rice)

Hello again food lovers and welcome to this week's Gluten Free Friday recipe post. Today I bring you a delicious one-dish recipe that's healthy, easy to make, and packed with protein at 53g per serving. All of the ingredients, including the Old Bay seasoning, are naturally gluten free except for the Worcestershire sauce. Be sure that you buy a gluten free Worcestershire sauce for this recipe. The Old Bay Seasoning and Green Chiles in this dish give it a nice subtle heat but if like your food spicy then feel free to add some chopped jalapeno for that extra kick. Give it a try and let me know what you think and/or what you'd change or do differently with this dish. As always, feel free to post any comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren't already so you don't miss a single recipe post.

GF Spicy Pork Chops and Rice

• 4 (7oz each) Bone-In Pork Chops
• 2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning, divided
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 1 (10 oz) can Tomatoes with Green Chiles
• 1 (15 oz) can Black Eyed Peas, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup Uncooked Rice
• 2 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 Tbsp GF Worcestershire Sauce

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
2. Sprinkle the pork chops with Old Bay Seasoning on each side, reserving 1 tsp of the seasoning for later.
3. Pan sear the pork chops, about 2-3 minutes on each side until both sides are golden brown; remove from the skillet and set aside. (You aren’t looking for doneness, just a good color on each side.)
4. Add the chopped onion and bell pepper to the pan and cook for about one minute.
5. Add the can of tomatoes with green chiles, black eyed peas, chicken broth, rice, Worcestershire, and the reserved 1 tsp of Old Bay Seasoning; stir until combined and then top with the pork chops.
6. Bring the mixture to a simmer; place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat down to low, and let simmer for about 25 minutes until all liquid is absorbed.

Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 1 pork chop and 1/4 of rice

Per serving: Calories: 519; Total Fat: 12g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 3g; Cholesterol: 137mg; Sodium: 987mg; Carbohydrate: 48g; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Sugar: 3g; Protein: 53g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 175mg; Vitamin A: 4%; Vitamin C: 38%; Iron: 13%; Calcium: 2%

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Kafta)

Welcome everyone to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Today I bring you a recipe for Kafta which is a Lebanese beef kabob. The combination of flavors in this meat are really just out of this world and you will definitely have friends and family requesting the recipe. Traditionally the way you eat Kafta is to take a piece of pita bread and wrap it around the skewer and pull the skewer out while gripping the meat with the bread. You would dress these almost like a Greek Gyro by topping it with tomato, onion, and then either a Tahini sauce or Tzatziki sauce. This meat mixture can be used to make delicious burgers as well. Give this recipe a try for yourself and I promise you won't be disappointed. As always, feel free to post comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you're aren't already so you don't miss a single post.

Kafta

• 1 1/2 lbs Lean Ground Beef
• 1 medium Onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1/4 tsp Ground Allspice
• 1 tsp Salt, to taste
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
• 6 Wooden or Metal Skewers

1. Preheat an outdoor or indoor grill for high heat; if using wooden skewers, soak them in water.
2. In a large bowl mix together the ground beef, onion, parsley, cayenne, allspice, salt and pepper until evenly blended.
3. Divide the meat mixture into 6 portions, and press around one end of the skewers to form a log shape approximately 1 inch thick and 6 inches long. (Alternatively you can make meatballs and skewer 4 or 5 meatballs per skewer.)
4. Grill for 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until meat is no longer pink.