Mini Rolo Brownie Bites

Looking for a quick treat that is sure to please a crowd?  This is it. 

 I've seen a few Rolo brownie recipes floating around on Pinterest.  I wanted to make them, but wanted to create a bite sized treat.  So, I used my mini muffin pan, my all time favorite Pampered Chef product.  These sweet treats took me just 10 minutes to make.  I put half on a plate for hubs to take to work and froze the other half.  Of course I taste tested a few too! 

I'm trying to freeze half of all the sweets I made right now to help me prepare for the holiday rush that is right around the corner.  I'm sure these will freeze well and I can't wait to add them to my cookie plates in a few weeks.  Enjoy! 

Ingredients: 

36 Rolo candies- unwrapped 

1 box of brownie mix & ingredients with mix (egg, oil, water)

Directions: 

1.  Prepare brownie mix according to the directions on the box.  Also, preheat oven to the temperature stated on the box.  

2.  Using the Pampered Chef small scoop, scoop the brownie mix into the Pampered Chef mini muffin pan (sprayed first). 

3.  Place an unwrapped Rolo into the center of the brownie mix.  

4.  Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  

5.  As soon as they come out of the oven, take a knife and use it to go around the edge of the brownie.  This will separate the brownie from the pan and will keep it from sticking or breaking when you take them out. Let them cool for a few more minutes before you put them on a cooling rack to cool completely.  

Yields 36 cups

Pampered Chef- Enchilada Soup

The weather down in FL is getting chilly and I love it!  I checked the weather before I planned my meals for the week (don't ask) and couldn't wait to add some soups and slow cooker meals to the menu when I noticed the low temps.  I'm working on a Pampered Chef cooking challenge right now, which is why I chose this recipe. I used my crock pot for the soup and cooked it on low for 8 hours.  I cooked the meat and added all of the ingredients to the crock pot.  Mix it a few times, pour it in a bowl, let it cool for a minute and top with shredded cheese. Simple as that! 

*I served it with tortilla scoops.  

*My changes are noted in red.  Original directions are posted below.  

Enchilada Soup

Ingredients:
3 1/2   cups beef broth 2   cups water 1/2   pound 95% lean ground beef *used 1lb of ground turkey 1/2   cup diced red bell pepper 1   garlic clove, pressed 1/4   cup masa harina (instant corn masa mix) or all-purpose flour                * 8 oz tomato sauce		2   cans (10 ounces each) enchilada sauce 1   can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed 1   cup thinly sliced zucchini *2 Tbs chopped jalapeno pepper 1/4   cup snipped fresh cilantro 2   tablespoons lime juice Grated Monterey Jack cheese (optional) *small handful of shredded mexican cheese before serving

Directions:
1.	Using Easy Read Measuring Cups, measure broth and water; set aside. In (4-qt.) Dutch oven, cook beef over medium-high heat 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking beef into crumbles. Add bell pepper and garlic to Dutch oven; cook and stir 2 minutes. Add masa harina, enchilada sauce, beans, broth and water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer.
2.	Add zucchini to soup; simmer, uncovered, 2-3 minutes or until zucchini is crisp-tender. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro and lime juice. Ladle soup into bowls; sprinkle with cheese, if desired.
Yield: 8 servings (about 10 cups) Nutrients per serving: (about 1 1/4 cups): Calories 130, Total Fat 3.5 g, Saturated Fat 1.5 g, Cholesterol 15 mg, Carbohydrate 14 g, Protein 10 g, Sodium 680 mg, Fiber 3 g

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Some of my favorite items...

Simple Slicer

Mini Muffin Pan

Trifle Bowl 

Microwave Chip Maker 

Large Bar Pan

Pampered Chef- Savory Herbed Stuffing

For years my family has made an italian stuffing for Thanksgiving. It's a tradition.  While I love my family traditions, this one is not my favorite. A few years ago when hubs starting joining us, he felt the same way as I did.  So, this year we decided to add another stuffing to our Thanksgiving feast. I decided on this Pampered Chef recipe and am so glad I did.  Hubs loved it and it will definitely be our new tradition for Thanksgiving.  

* Changes I made: I omitted the onions and did not sauté the celery.  I liked the extra crunch the celery added.  I only added 2 Tbs of butter to the stuffing mixture since I didn't saute any veggies.  

*Next time I will make the following changes: I will chop the cranberries so that there is more sweetness in each bite.  I will also add some chopped walnuts to the mixture as well.

Savory Herbed Stuffing

Ingredients:
1	package (14 ounces) herb-seasoned cubed stuffing
1/2	cup sweetened dried cranberries
1	tablespoon Pantry Rosemary Herb Seasoning Mix
1/2	cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
1	cup sliced celery
1	cup chopped onion
2	cans (14-141/2 ounces each) chicken broth

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. In Stainless (6-qt.) Mixing Bowl, combine stuffing, cranberries and seasoning mix. Melt butter in Professional (10-in.) Skillet over medium heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add vegetable mixture and broth to stuffing mixture; toss until moistened.

Spoon stuffing into Rectangular Baker; cover with aluminum foil. Bake, covered, 20 minutes. Remove foil; bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until stuffing is golden brown and heated through.

Yield: 16 servings

Pampered Chef- Pecan Crumble Sweet Potato Casserole

If you're still in search of the perfect sweet potato casserole, search no further.  This is one that I shared with all my Pampered Chef customers in my Thanksgiving recipe book. I love it because it takes less than 20 minutes to make and is a family favorite.  The only change I make is adding half of the pecan crumble in the middle of the sweet potato mixture. Just spread half of the sweet potato mixture onto the bottom of a casserole dish.  Then, pour half of the pecan crumble on top of the sweet potatoes.  Top with remaining sweet potato mixture and finish it off with the rest of the pecan crumble mixture (a layered effect).  Last, use the bottom of a glass to press the pecan crumble mixture down.  This will leave you less of a mess when serving.  Enjoy! 

Pecan Crumble Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:
5	pounds (2.2 kg) sweet potatoes (4-5 large potatoes)
1/2	cup (125 mL) butter, divided
1	cup (250 mL) coarsely crushed graham crackers
1	cup (250 mL) pecan halves, coarsely chopped
1/2	cup (125 mL) packed brown sugar
1	tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon
1/2	tsp (2 mL) salt
1/4	tsp (1 mL) ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Prick sweet potatoes with fork. Microwave on HIGH 18-20 minutes or until very soft. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, melt 5 tbsp (75 mL) of the butter. Combine melted butter, graham crackers, pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon in small bowl; set aside.

Peel sweet potatoes and place in large bowl. Using Mix 'N Masher, mash sweet potatoes with remaining 3 tbsp (45 mL) of the butter, salt and black pepper. Spoon sweet potato mixture into Oval Baker; top evenly with pecan mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

Yield: 12 servings

Thanksgiving Treats

Last week I had a Thanksgiving feast in my classroom.  I've seen so many cute ideas for sweet treats on Pinterest, I decided to try a few.  

*These are IPhone pictures, so not as good as they could be*

Acorns

Vanilla Wafers, Hershey Kisses, Butterscotch Morsel & a little frosting to hold it all together. 

Pilgrim Hats

chocolate cookies, Rolos, frosting 

Turkey Sugar Cookies

sugar cookies, candy corn, mini chocolate morsels, frosting 

 Not as perfect as the ones on Pinterest, but the kids and parents loved them!

Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate

A few weeks ago we had some pretty chilly temps here in FL.  Right when I got home for work (on the one day it was cold) I made sure to light candles, bring out the blankets and made some hot chocolate.  I didn't just want the usual hot chocolate and I remembered this recipe from Pinterest.  It's from one of my favorite sites, Cookies and Cups.   Took only a few minutes to make and was a great spin on the old boring hot chocolate! Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Who doesn't like chocolate and peanut butter?  It's one of my favorite combinations.  So, when I cam across this easy recipe I knew I had to try it.  Of course, I first found the recipe on Pinterest.  It was easy to make.  Make sure the dough is cooked through all the way before you take them out.  I had to leave mine in a bit longer.  These treats are very rich.   Just a small piece did it for me.  These would be great to cut into small pieces and serve at a party. Enjoy! 

1 (18.25) package plain yellow cake mix

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 eggs

1 (12 oz) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 Tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2) Combine cake mix, melted butter, peanut butter, and eggs in a large bowl using a mixer or spoon. Press this into a 9X13 pan reserving 1 1/2 cup of the mixture to crumble on top.

3) In a small pot, melt chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
4) Spread chocolate mixture over the mixture pressed in the pan and then crumble the 1 1/2 cups of reserved cake mixture on top evenly.
5) Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Almond Chicken Casserole

Last weekend my mom was in town spending some quality time with me.  We had spend the day out and about on Sunday and I realized I had nothing planned for dinner.  Luckily, we were at Super Target and I have an All Recipes app on my phone.  It took me less than 5 minutes to find this recipe and all of the ingredients I needed for it.  Oh how I love technology! Since the recipe makes TONS, I cut it in half.  It still provided lots of food for hubs and I.  Next time I make it, it will probably be for a get together.  

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
• 3 cups water
• 5 cups diced cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts
• 1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 teaspoons ground white pepper
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 cups cornflakes cereal
• 1 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Combine rice and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. In a large bowl stir together the cooked rice, diced chicken, mayonnaise, yogurt, cream of mushroom soup, and chicken broth. Mix in the lemon juice, onion, water chestnuts, 1 cup of sliced almonds, and celery. Season with white pepper and salt. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
4. In a bowl, toss the remaining 1/2 cup sliced almonds and cornflakes cereal with the melted butter. Spread evenly over the casserole.
5. Bake 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin

It's been a while since I've made a recipe from AllRecipes.com.  I used to go on the site all the time to find recipes, but with Pinterest I haven't had to do that much searching.  This week I wanted to use a pork tenderloin that I already had purchased.  I'm trying my best to plan recipes with food we have to save $. I knew I wanted a slow cooker/ crock pot recipe, so that is what I searched for. When I came across this recipe, my searched stopped. I have to give credit to my sweet husband for making this creation.  He was off today, so he volunteered to make dinner.  Sweet, right?  He said he did double the recipe, as it was recommended by many reviews.  This pork was amazing.  No knife was needed, but it wasn't falling apart coming out of the crock pot.  He served it with mashed potatoes and broccoli. This was an A+ dinner! Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds pork tenderloin
• 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 fresh red chile pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 large onion, sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown tenderloins on all sides, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together teriyaki sauce, chicken broth, and brown sugar in a bowl. Stir in garlic, red chile pepper, onion, and black pepper.
2. Put browned tenderloins into slow cooker, cover with the teriyaki sauce mixture. Cook on High for about 4 hours, turning 2 to 3 times during the cooking time to ensure even doneness.
3. Remove tenderloins from the slow cooker and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. If desired, spoon liquid over slices when serving.