Meatball Sliders

MMMMMM!!!! These little babies were DELICIOUS and super easy to make! Just a few ingredients and your in Meatball heaven. ;) Enjoy!

• 1 pound Ground Chuck Or Ground Beef
• 1/2 cup Panko Or Other Bread Crumbs
• 1 clove Garlic, Minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/2 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 1 jar (large) Marinara Sauce
• 12 whole Dinner Rolls (or Slider Rolls)
• 4 slices Provolone Cheese, Cut Into Four Wedges Each

Preparation Instructions

Mix meat with bread crumbs, garlic, salt, pepper, and milk. Knead together with hands. Roll into heaping tablespoon-sized rolls.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook for one minute. Add meatballs between the onions and brown for one minute. (You might have to do this in two batches, depending on the size of your skillet.)

Pour in jar of marinara; shake pan gently to mix. Put on lid and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

When ready to serve, cut each dinner roll in half. Place a wedge of Provolone on the top and bottom of each roll. Spoon a meatball with the sauce onto the bottom bun; top with the top bun.

Just a Cake

Wish my son's 1st birthday is coming up, tomorrow in fact, I shopped around for all sorts of cute ideas for his cake. I was going to have one made for him, until I stumbled upon this recipe on www.bakerella.com (LOVE HER!! check out her blog when you get a chance) I saw this beautiful cake and just KNEW this was the one! I can't WAIT to have my slice tomorrow with everyone else!! Enjoy!

Chocolate Cake:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup milk
2/3 cup hot water

Buttercream Frosting:
1 1/2 cups butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

6 cups powdered sugar
4-8 Tablespoons milk

2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels, if desired

Chocolate Ganache:
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

For the cake:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease the bottom of two 9-inch cake pans. Then place parchment paper cut to size on the bottom of each pan and grease paper. Dust pans with cocoa.
• Sift dry ingredients together and place in a large mixing bowl.
• Add eggs, oil, milk and vanilla and beat for a couple of minutes until combined.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add hot water and mix together.
• Pour into prepared pans and bake for about 28-30 minutes. Batter will be very liquid.
• Cool for about 5 minutes in the pan. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

For the frosting:

• Beat the butter in a mixer until smooth.
• Add vanilla and mix until combined.
• Add the powdered sugar in several additions, scraping down the sides after each addition.
• Add milk a tablespoon at a time and mix together until you achieve a smooth consistency.
• Note: If you want your frosting whiter without using shortening, add a little white icing color to tint.

For the ganache:

• Heat cream and butter in a saucepan until melted and remove before it starts to boil.
• Place chocolate morsels in a small bowl and pour cream on top. Let sit for a few seconds and whisk by hand until completely incorporated and smooth.
• Let cool until thick and pourable.
• The ganache can take a bit to thicken. You can make it before the buttercream, to save time. Just use a wire whisk to stir it every few minutes and keep it smooth

To assemble: trim tops off of cake layers with a long serrated knife so they have a nice, flat top. Place one layer bottom side up on cake stand. Mix about 2/3 cup morsels with about 1 cup of the frosting. Spread frosting on top of bottom layer. Place second layer on top. It helps to have a crumb coat on the outside of your cake first. Simply apply a thin coat of frosting to the entire cake to catch andy excess crumbs. Then place cake in freezer for a few minutes to firm up frosting and cover the entire cake again with a thick layer of buttercream. This will help you keep all those crumbs from getting caught in your pretty work. Slowly, pour ganache over center of cake. Pour just enough to start dripping down the sides.

Mexican Lasagna

This recipe is SOOO easy and so delicious! I found this recipe a long time ago and it has become a favorite in our home. I hope that your able to try it and enjoy for yourself...believe me, this will become a staple in your home like it is in ours. =)

Ingredients:

1 lb. of lean ground beef or ground Turkey
1 C. onion finely chopped
3 C. Salsa
2 C. Frozen corn
16 oz. Fat Free Cottage Cheese
1 1/2 C. shredded Cheddar Cheese
12 small corn tortillas, cut in half
1 1/4 tsp. Chili Powder
1 1/4 tsp. Cumin

Directions:

Brown your meat until cooked, add the onion and cook for about 4 mins until they are soften.
Add in your salsa, corn and spices. Cook together for about 8 mins just until your mixture is all hot.
Spoon some of the mixture in to the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish, layer the corn tortillas (remember they are cut in half) on the bottom add half a container of cottage cheese and then meat mixture, then layer tortillas, cottage cheese, meat, shredded cheese, top with remaining meat mixture and a little more cheese on top. cook in a 375 degree oven for 35-40 mins or until the cheese is all bubbly and yummy!
Enjoy! =)

Buttery Parmesean Orzo

What a Super delicious and easy recipe! I found this recipe on www.laurainthekitchen.com She's and amazing Italian cook, I've tried ALOT of her recipes and this one just happens to be one of my favs! Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 ½ cups of Chicken Stock
1 cup of Orzo Pasta
1 Tbsp of Unsalted Butter
1 Tbsp of Fresh Parsley, chopped
4 Tbsp of Freshly
Grated Parmiggiano Reggiano
Salt and pepper to taste

Process,

1) Preheat a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the butter, once it melts add the orzo and cook it for about 3 to 4 minutes or until it develops a brown nutty color (stir constantly)

2) Add the chicken broth and bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and let it cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the orzo is fully cooked and the chicken stock has been absorbed.

3) Turn the heat off and add the cheese, parsley and season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Beef Stew with Beer and Paprika

We've been hit with ALOT of snow the past few days, so of course, my husband is coming home cold, hungry and tired. And what better way to warm yourself up, than with a good hearty bowl of beef stew! I found this particular recipe on www.pioneerwoman.com Check out her blog if you already haven't, she has AMAZING recipes to try out!
Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 2 pounds Stew Meat
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 can Beer, 12 Ounce Can
• 4 cups Beef Stock (or 4 Cups Water + 4 Beef Bouillon Cubes)
• 2 cups Water (additional, If Needed)
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Sugar
• 4 whole Carrots, Washed, Unpeeled, And Roughly Sliced
• 4 whole New Potatoes, Quartered
• Minced Parsley (optional)

Directions:

Heat oil and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown meat in two batches, setting aside on a plate when brown. Cut pieces in half. Set aside.

Add diced onions to the pot. Stir and cook for two or three minutes until softened, then add garlic for another minute. Pour in beer and beef stock, then add Worcestershire, tomato paste, paprika, salt, pepper, and sugar. Add beef back into the pot. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

*UPDATE: The liquid should cook down to a thicker state. If it gets too thick/reduces too much, add additional water as needed.

Add carrots and potatoes, then cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes. (If stew gets dry, just add a cup of hot water at a time to replenish the liquid.) Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Serve in bowls next to crusty French bread. Sprinkle with minced parsley, if desired.

Chocolate Pudding....SUPER easy and SUPER delicious!

I stumbled upon this recipe on youtube and fell in love with it right away. It was SOOO easy to make. VERY little ingredients and a recipe that is sure to melt any Chocolate lover's heart. =) Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 C. heavy whipping cream
1/2 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 C. mini marshmallows

Directions:
In a small saucepan, add the heavy cream and marshmallows and let it heat up until the marshmallows melt. Turn the heat off and add the chocolate chips. Stir until the chocolate melts and place this mixture into 2 small or 1 large glass cup.

Let it cool in the fridge for about 15 to 20 minutes and serve it topped with fresh berries and chocolate curls. Enjoy!

Peppermint Delight

It's that time of year!! My FAVORITE time of year! All the baking and yummy goodies to be had!

My dad was going through some old recipe books they had and found this recipe and asked if I would "please!!" Make this for him. lol! I couldn't say no...this looked too good! It's a very simple recipe, but very VERY delicious! Enjoy!!

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. marshmallows, cup up
1 C. heavy whipping cream- whipped
1 C. nuts (any type will do)
14 small candy canes, crushed
1 C. graham cracker crumbs
4 Tbs. Butter, melted

Directions:
Melt butter and mix with 3/4 C graham cracker crumbs. place in the bottom of a baking dish. Add 2/3 of the whipped cream to the cut up marshmallows and mix together. add nuts and candy canes to the other 1/3 whipped cream. Put the marshmallow mixture on top of graham cracker crust, followed by the nut and candy cane mixture on top of that. Finish the whole thing off with the remainder of the graham cracker crumbs and place in the fridge to chill for up to an hour and Enjoy!!!

SOOO simple, but tastes like a MILLION bucks!! ;)