Buffalo Turkey/Chicken Dip

• 2 c. cooked turkey or chicken, finely shredded
• 3/4 c. Ranch dressing
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 6-8 Tablespoons Tabasco or your favorite hot sauce
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix the cream cheese and Ranch dressing together until smooth and well combined.
3. Add the Tabasco, salt to taste and fold in the chicken/turkey.
4. Spread the mixture in a pie plate and top with shredded Cheddar.
5. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until gooey and melty.
6. This is good served with celery sticks and thick tortilla chips.

Found On: Blissfully Domstic

Stuffed Turkey Pesto Meatballs

• 1/2 lb. ground turkey breast
• 1/2 c. breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 c. prepared pesto
• 1/4" cubes of brie
• 1/2 lb. penne, cooked
• 1 c. bruschetta topping

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Gently toss in a bowl turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, salt, pepper and pesto. Divide into eights.
3. Make a ball out of each, poke your finger in, stuff the cheese cubes in, and close off.
4. Place on a nonstick cookie sheet, bake for 18 minutes.
5. Serve with pasta tossed with bruschetta mixture.

Found On: A Year In The Kitchen

Shortbread Cookies

• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 pound cold butter

1. Preheat oven to 325
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and sugar.
3. Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
4. Knead dough until smooth, about 6 to 10 minutes.
5. Pat dough into an ungreaded 15 inch x 10 inch x 1 inch baking pan. Pierce liberally with a fork.
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned.
7. Cut in to squares while warm.
8. Cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 4 dozen

Found On: Blissfully Domestic

Cranberry Crumb Coffeecake

• 1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs1 cup yogurt (I used vanilla, or sour cream)
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cranberry sauce
• 1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup flour

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
4. Mix in the yogurt, almond extract and vanilla extract.
5. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in another bowl.
6. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
7. Pour the batter into a greased 9 by 13 inch baking dish.
8. Pour the cranberry sauce on top.
9. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl.
10. Mix in the salt, cinnamon and flour until crumbs form. Sprinkle the crumbs over the cake.
11. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

Found On: Closet Cooking

CrockPot Cranberry Orange Dip

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 2/3 cup shredded swiss cheese
• 2 T apple juice
• 1/2 tsp orange zest
• 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1. Plug in your Little Dipper (Small CrockPot) to get it started warming up.
2. Shove the block of cream cheese down into it. You may need to squish it in with a spoon. I promise it will fit.
3. Shred the swiss, and add it.
4. Grate the orange and add the zest.
5. Add the apple juice. Cover and let it cook for 45 minutes to an hour.
6. When the cream and swiss cheese have fully melted, stir in the dried cranberries.
7. Serve with your favorite crackers or apple slices.

Found On: A Year of CrockPotting

Spinach, White Bean, and Turkey Sausage Soup

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound Italian turkey sausage (casing removed and crumbled)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 (19 ounce) can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 bunch spinach (chopped)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Heat the oil in a pan.
2. Add the sausage and cook until no longer pink and set aside.
3. Heat the oil in the same pan. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and red chili pepper flakes and saute for another minute.
5. Add the sausage, stock, beans, oregano, and bay leaf and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Add the spinach and simmer until it wilts.
7. Add the lemon juice and remove from heat.

Found On: Closet Cooking

Cheesey Bacon Dip

• 1 8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
• 1 bag of shredded cheese, mild or sharp
• 1 16 oz. jar of sour cream
• 3 oz jar of bacon pieces (recommended: Hormel)
• 1 cup of chopped green onions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients and place in oven safe dish.
2. Cover in foil and cook for 35-45 minutes.

Found On: Simple, but Delicious

Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

• 1 Cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 Cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 12 mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, unwrapped
• 36 mini marshmallows
• 1 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/4 Cup mini M&M's

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place peanut butter, sugar and egg into a large bowl and mix until well combined. Scoop dough evenly into a 12 count mini cheesecake pan or mini muffin pan. Cook for 13-15 minutes until almost done. Remove from oven and press a peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie until flush with cookie top. Top each cookie with 3 mini marshmallows and return to oven for 2-3 more minutes or until marshmallows are puffed. Remove and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
2. Place chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until melted smooth. Stir in 2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream until silky and smooth. You can return back to microwave for 15 seconds to get a thinner consistency. Spoon chocolate over top of puffed marshmallows and sprinkle with mini M&M's.

Found On: Blissfully Domestic

CrockPot Pizza Fondue

• 1 cup pasta sauce (my sauce had chunked mushrooms, it was perfect)
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 10 pieces pepperoni, diced
• 1 cup shredded cheese (I used a combo of mozzarella, cheddar, and swiss)

1. Count out 10 pieces of pepperoni. Then eat the rest of the package.
2. Put the pasta sauce into your Little Dipper, and plug it in. Add the Italian seasoning and diced pepperoni. Shove in the cup of shredded cheese. I promise it will fit. Cover and leave plugged in (there are no heat settings on a Little Dipper) for 45 min or so.
3. Stir well and serve with tortilla chips, bread sticks, or crustini.
4. I made some crustini with the Food for Life brown rice bread. I cut the pieces in slices, then brushed olive oil on each side. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 min, flipping once half-way through.

Found On: A Year of CrockPotting

Crock Pot Black Eyed Pea Soup

• 1 pound dried black eyed peas
• 1 pound spicy sausage (I used Aidells chicken habanero and green chile)
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (not pictured. I didn't know I needed it at first. But I did.)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Tabasco sauce (to add at the end to taste)

1. Soak your beans overnight. Drain and pick out the undesirables (broken, discolored beans) in the morning.
2. Use a 5 to 6 quart crockpot. This will serve about 8 people. Dice the veggies, and dump them into your crockpot with the pre-soaked beans. Add sliced sausage. Pour in broth, and stir in Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for about 6. Before serving, use a stick blender to smash up about 1 cup of beans. If you don't have a stick blender, scoop out 1 cup of beans, blend them in a traditional blender, and add back to the soup. Don't blend too much---just enough to get the broth thicker and creamy-looking.
4. Ladle into bowls, and add Tabasco sauce to taste.

Found On: A Year of CrockPotting

Dilly Pickled Green Beans

• 4 Lbs of Green Beans (approx)
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (per jar)
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds (per jar)
• 1/2 tsp dill seed (per jar)
• 1 garlic clove (per jar)
• 5 C vinegar
• 5 C water
• 1/2 C Salt

1. Clean your green beans & cut them to fit in your 1pt canning jars.
2. Put pepper flakes, mustard seeds, dill seed, & a garlic clove into the bottom of each jar.
3. Pack raw beans into jar. Make these as tight as you can, they will shrink when they cook.
4. Boil together the vinegar, water and salt-this is your brine.
5. Pour enough brine over the beans in each jar to cover completely while still leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. (that's empty space between the top of the food and the rim of the jar)
6. Wipe rim clean, then add lid and tighten. Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.
7. Wait a minimum of 6-8 weeks before eating. They need to "marinate".

One of the great things about this recipe is you can just make it with however many beans you have on hand-you don't have to wait till you have 4 lbs exactly, or worry if you have 6 lbs instead. Just fill up jars until you run out of beans, then make the brine. If you have left over brine go ahead and refrigerate it for use later (you have to reheat it to boiling of course). I you don't have enough brine make some more.

Found On: Frugal Upstate

Black Bean & Roasted Pepper Enchiladas

• 5 whole wheat flour tortillas
• 2 1/2 c. enchilada sauce (I use this recipe, canned is fine)
• 1 15 oz. can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 small zucchini, sliced in half moons
• 2 poblanos, roasted, peeled and sliced
• 2 yellow bell peppers, roasted, peeled and sliced
• 1 red onion, sliced
• Salt and Pepper
• sprinkle of cayenne pepper
• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Sautee zucchini and onions in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Sweat veggies for 5 minutes. Add in peppers, beans, 1/2 c. enchilada sauce, and cayenne.
3. Pour half the remaining sauce in a casserole dish.
4. Lay out tortillas, spoon mixture into each. Place in baking dish.
5. Top with remaining sauce, followed by cheese.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, until browned and bubbly.
7. Top with sour cream.

Found On: A Year In The Kitchen

Sour Cream Potato Gratin

• 2 pound potatoes
• 2 cups cheese
• 6 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• black pepper
• chives

1. Heat oven to 400F (200C).
2. If you can’t beat them, just use ‘em for cheap labour. Kiddo always has his grubby little hands in my photos :)
3. Peel your potatoes and slice them. Go for 1/8 inch slices. Throw the slices in a big bowl of cold water until you’re ready to use them—it will remove the surface starch and keep them from discoloring.
4. I like a hint of garlic to my gratin but I don’t want the garlic fumes to rise up from the baking dish, so I opted for 1 medium sized clove.
5. Chives. Need I say more? So bright green, so crispy and so fresh. I love them. Perfect mix between mild onions and garlic. Ok, I admit I had direct sunlight to my advantage when taking these shots, but still! Grab a good handful, wash them and finely chop them.
6. Grab yourself a bowl and mix 6 slightly heaping tbsp (low fat) sour cream, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, pepper to taste and the chopped chives. I went for low fat sour cream.
7. Give it a good stir and taste to see if it needs anymore salt or pepper. Keep in mind that you’ll be adding cheese and broth as well, ok!
8. Add 1 1/2 cup of cheese. Mine was a really aged and spicy Gouda cheese, but you can go for gruyere or a spicy cheddar as well.
9. Drain the potato slices and lightly dab them with a paper towel.
10. Now most people would just layer the potato slices and pour the cream on top. Not me. I like to be different! I prefer coating all the potato slices before I put them in. This way I know each and every potato slice is covered with the cream & cheese mix.
11. Lightly grease an oven dish or roasting tray.
12. Now start layering those slices. There’s probably gonna be a little cream left on the bottom of the bowl, just pour it in as well. Because sour cream is a lot more compact than heavy cream, I’m adding a little liquid in the form of chicken broth. It also adds a little extra flavor.
13. Pop the potatoes in the oven for 35 minutes until they’re starting to turn golden brown. Take them out, use a fork to check for readiness. When the potatoes are nearly tender, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese on top and put them back in the oven for 10 to 15 more minutes.

Found On: Dutch Girl Cooking

PW's Mom's Cauliflower Soup

• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• 1 to 2 heads cauliflower, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh or dried parsley
• 2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth or stock
• 2 cups whole milk
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup half & half
• 2 to 4 teaspoons salt, to taste
• 1 generous cup sour cream, at room temperature

1. In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown. Add the carrots and celery and cook an addition couple of minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine. Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes.
2. After 15 minutes, pour in chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine. Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup half & half.
4. Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.
5. Just before serving, place the sour cream in a serving bowl or soup tureen. Add two to three ladles of hot soup into the tureen and stir to combine with the sour cream. Pour in remaining soup and stir.
6. Serve immediately.

Found On: The Pioneer Woman Cooks!

Basic Italian Pork Chops

• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup mushrooms sliced - optional
• 1/4 tsp (estimate it) fresh ground pepper

1. Heat a heavy skillet over medium low heat, add the olive oil and sliced onions. When the onions begin to soften add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 - 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Heat through and place in a bowl, set aside.
2. Cook the pork chops (The technique for the chops themselves is basic. Sprinke lightly with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour. To dredge something means to coat it with something, in this case flour. Shake off the excess. Heat 2 - 3 TBSPs of olive oil over medium heat. Place the pork chops in the pan and cook, turning once. The meat should be lightly browned. Place in an oven safe dish and cover with sauce below. Bake at 350°F for 45 - 60 minutes.), place into the oven proof dish and top with the sauce.
3. If you are making a large batch, it’s OK to alternate a layer of chops with a layer of sauce. They are nearly cooked through before going into the oven and the long bake time is ensure the meat is flavorful and tender thanks to the acidity of the tomatoes

Found On: Home-Ec 101

Chinese Fried Rice, the Dutch Way

• 4 cups cooked white rice
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 small onion
• 4 oz ham
• 1 leek
• 2 eggs

1. Using rice that’s about a day old for this works best, but you can also do it with rice right out of the steamer/pan. I use my steamer to cook the rice and always go for 2 cups long grained rice and 3 cups salted water. This makes for about 8 to 9 cups of cooked rice. I’ll use 4 cups for the recipe and put the rest in the freezer.
2. ‘Grab‘ your favorite pair of extra hands. I’m using these today. Let them finely mince a small onion.
3. Here’s the way I wash and chop my leeks. Usually you’d leave the root on when you do this, but I wasn’t going to use the dark green leaves so I left that part on in stead.
   Just slice it in half length-ways, flip it over and slice it in half again so you get 4 strips. Now it’s really easy to rinse the leek before chopping it.
4. I went for about 4 oz ham. Give it a rough chop, no need to be fussy about it.
5. Break two eggs and lightly whisk them. Some people add salt and pepper to them at this point, I don’t, there’s enough salt in my rice.
6. Grab yourself a Dutch oven (me and my Dutch oven are Siamese twins these days:) or a big pan, pour in 3 tbsp sunflower oil and sautee the onion (over low to medium heat) for about 3 minutes. Until they turn slightly translucent. Add the leeks and give everything another 3 minutes. Don’t let the vegetables brown! Now push the onion & leek mix to the side.
7. Pour the eggs in the empty space and allow them cook for a minute or so. Now start stirring them until you end up with scrambled eggs. Simple huh? Don’t overcook them, though. Bring in the onion and leek mixture and combine everything before adding the ham. Cook for about 3 minutes over low heat.
   Now all that’s left to do is add the rice, and give it an additional 5 minutes while stirring ocassionally.

Found On: Dutch Girl Cooking