Halloween Chex mix

Here's a fun treat to make with the kids for some Halloween fun! Enjoy!!Ingredients:

8	oz white chocolate baking bars, coarsely chopped
4	cups Corn Chex® or Rice Chex® cereal
2	cups bite-size pretzel twists
1/2	cup raisins
1	cup candy corn
1/4	cup Betty Crocker® orange and black candy decors

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1. In large microwavable bowl, microwave chopped baking bars uncovered on High 1 minute 30 seconds to 2 minutes 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth.
2. Gently stir in cereal, pretzels and raisins until evenly coated. Stir in candy corn and decors.
3. Spread on waxed paper or foil until cool and chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. Break into chunks. Store loosely covered.

You can add your own mix-ins to fit your taste, as well!! Possible options: M&M's, peanuts, chocolate or butterscotch chips!

Cowboy Spaghetti

I have actually made this a lot in the last year, but for some reason I have never added it to my blog. So strange!! This is a fun twist to regular spaghetti and has a little bit of a kick to it. My kids actually eat this because they really like pasta! Yeah!!

Ingredients:

1 lb. spaghetti

3 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped

1 lb. ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. hot sauce (I use the green flavor for a little less spice.)

1 Tbs. worcestershire sauce

¾ cup beef broth

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

8 oz. cheddar cheese

4 green onions, chopped

Cook spaghetti with salt to al dente. Brown ground beef. Add onion, garlic, salt, pepper, hot sauce, and worcestershire sauce. Add beef broth and deglaze the pan. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes and then stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add hot spaghetti to meat and sauce and combine. Serve pasta with cheese, green onions, and bacon to garnish.

To freeze this recipe, make the sauce as directed and then pour into a freezer-proof container. When you are ready to use it, defrost the sauce, and then cook the spaghetti while the sauce heats up on the stove!! Mix sauce and pasta before serving!!

I doubled this recipe to make for my parents and my family. It lasted us two nights, then Josh taking a medium-size tupperware of it to work, and we still had leftovers for my single siblings to eat when they came over. Next time I will make sure I freeze it!! Enjoy!!

Homemade Biscuit Pizza

Talk about a great way to enjoy pizza and save some serious dough, as in money!! I have made these twice in the last couple of months, and they are a crowd favorite! I can't keep my family from eating them all gone, or maybe i am the one eating it all!!

Ingredients:
1 can of Refrigerated Biscuit Dough, like Pillsbury
Homemade Pizza Sauce (see below)
Grated Cheese, Cheddar or Mozarella
Favorite Pizza Toppings: Pepperoni, olives, sausage, green peppers, pineapple, ham, etc.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pop open the can of biscuits, and take each individually and flatten on a greased cookie sheet. Try to spread out about four to six inches wide. Then place in the oven for about six minutes!

Once that is complete, pull out of oven and spread about a tablespoon of pizza sauce on each mini pizza. Add cheese and then whatever toppings you like. This is where the best part comes....the kids can choose their own toppings and make their own little pizza with their choices. Cook for another 5-10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and crust is a golden brown!!


This is so yummy and I love that I can create my own masterpiece with all of my favorite toppings and my husband and kids get their plain cheese or pepperoni pizzas!! Plus, the dough has a little sweetness to it, which makes it super yummy!!

If you don't have the ingredients for pizza sauce, you can use spaghetti sauce as well!

Pizza Sauce

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 tsp. basil

1 ¼ tsp. oregano

1 ¼ tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. onion powder

Mix together all ingredients and it's ready to go. If you don't like garlic as much, half the amount and then add more if you want!!

Green Beans Al A Mode!

I am not sure what to call these, but it's a fun way to spruce up your greens beans with very little effort.

Fresh green beans
2-3 tablespoons of butter
1-2 tablespoons of sliced almonds

Cook green beans as directed, or to your desire. I like mine with a little crunch left. Melt butter in a small saucepan, add almonds and simmer until toasted. Pour over cooked green beans and mix together. Serve while its hot!!


We made this for some of my parents' friends and the husband couldn't get enough. I have made it several times since and it has been a huge hit. They look so fancy people think you spend forever making them. That is my kind of side dish! Enjoy!

Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

1 loaf French bread, sliced (I would buy two loaves, if you are serving more than four people.)

Provolone cheese, sliced

Mozzarella cheese, sliced

Parmesan cheese

Butter

Garlic salt

Italian seasoning

Tomatoes, sliced (optional)

Marinara sauce

Take 2 slices of the French bread and spread butter on one side of each of them. Sprinkle garlic salt and Italian seasoning on the buttered sides of the bread. Put some provolone, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese on the non-buttered side of one slice. If using tomato, place on top of the cheese and then sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Place remaining slice of bread on top, butter-side up. Spray a frying pan with cooking spray and cook the sandwich on medium-low heat until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted. Serve with heated marinara sauce for dipping.

This was a huge hit!! My brother and his family showed up while we were in the middle of making these and they loved them as well. We just cooked some without Tomatoes for those who didn't want it. Fun twist on an old classic, and makes us parents feel like we are eating something more exciting than a plain grilled cheese.

Navajo (Fry bread) Tacos

This was so yummy. I have been meaning to find a quailty recipe to do navajo tacos and I just haven't been brave enough. The Howcrofts', our old neighbors used to make these all the times with scones and I loved them. The nice thing is for my picky eating daughter, I serve hers with honey, and a bowl of chili on the side.

Ingredients:

2 cups wheat or white flour (I did a batch of each, and everyone ate the white ones. little bit of waste)

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

½-¾ cup water

Oil for frying

Browned ground beef or 1 can chili con carne

Lettuce, tomatoes, onions, shredded cheese, sour cream, etc.

Mix dry ingredients. Slowly mix in water until a nice dough forms. (It’s easier to do this with your hands.) Pull off pieces that are slightly larger than a golf ball and stretch into 5-to 6-inch circles. Fry bread in hot oil, turning to cook both sides. Place on a paper towel to drain off excess oil. Top with desired toppings and enjoy.

I bet you could make these with chili leftovers, so you aren't just eating the same thing two days in a row. But it was totally worth it, as the main reason. Delish!! Thanks, Tiffany!!

Cheese Fondue

I have always enjoyed a good cheese fondue, but I have always felt like it is like a side at a party, not really meant for a usual meal. Thanks to Tiffany, I received this email from her telling about their awesome dinner with cheese fondue. The best part: you can add whatever you want to dip. I did chicken, red potatoes, steamed cauliflower, cubed pieces of french bread, and bell peppers. That covered all the food groups and gives the kids a chance to dip their food. Lots of fun!

Ingredients:

3 cups shredded cheese (parmesan and mozzarella or swiss or cheddar and Monterey jack)

1 Tbs. cornstarch

1 cup milk

1 cup chicken broth

1 (8 oz.) block cream cheese, cubed

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

Toss cheese and cornstarch together. Combine milk and chicken broth in a saucepan over medium heat until warm. Add cream cheese and whisk until smooth, about 5 minutes. Bring to a simmer and add cheese mixture a handful at a time. Add salt and pepper and cook 5 more minutes. Serve immediately with chicken, sausage, bread, peppers, carrots, red potatoes, zucchini, etc.

To prepare chicken, I cut it up into small chunks, sprinkled garlic salt and seasoning salt, threw it on a cookie sheet with cooking spray, and put it in the oven at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.

For red potatoes, I cut them up into bite-size pieces, tossed in a bowl with olive oil and some chives, cooked them in the oven for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

This was a big hit with the family. Everyone loved it, except for the picky eating daughter. But she did eat the choices without the cheese sauce, so it didn't require any extra work for me.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

>This is from my Mom! It's a classic and I usually always have the ingredients on hand and it's super simple. Oh, and my husband and children love it. At least, normally! The little ones weren't feeling good last night and wouldn't eat anything! But, hey, there are always leftovers for tonight!

3 cups of Macaroni

2 to 3 tablespoons dried onions

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

3 to 4 cups of cheddar cheese (You can use any cheese you prefer)

Thin White Sauce: ( Double or Triple for Mac and cheese)

1 Tablespoon Butter or Margarine

1 tablespoon Flour

1 cup Milk

Cook Macaroni as directed, preferably "Al Dente." Drain and set aside.

To make white sauce, melt butter in medium size pot. Add flour and mix together. Add milk and stir until starts to thicken. I usually triple the thin white sauce, but when I did that last night it turned out as too much. (Maybe it has something to do with Different altitudes from Utah to California.)

Spread half the macaroni on bottom of casserole dish. Sprinkle with half of each: salt, pepper, onions, and cheese.

Repeat the process using the rest of the ingredients.

Pour white sauce over the top and Bake for 30 mins at 375 degrees!

Spanish Rice

We made Cafe Rio Pork last night, and I forgot to buy a packet of spanish rice to whip up with it. Never fear the internet always saves the day. I got this recipe off Recipezaar.com. I have never used their website before but it was the simplest recipe and I had all, or at least, most of the ingredients.

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked rice
1 medium onion, chopped (I used half of a large onion when i doubled it! We aren't a huge fan of onions!)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
2 1/2 cups water
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 small green bell pepper, chopped (We didn't have these on hand, so I left it out!)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add rice and onion and cook (about 5-10 minutes) stirring occasionally, until rice is golden brown and onion is tender. Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender. (I used half brown rice, half white rice, so it took a little longer to cook.)

This was a huge hit and everyone loved it. I doubled this to feed about ten people and there was plenty left over. The recipe said that it served six, but I am not sure I believe them. Big hit and it was super easy and yummy.

White Sauce

This is a great starter for many recipes. It is super easy to make and you can add a lot of fun variations to it. I use the thin sauce for homemade mac and cheese, and the medium sauce for tuna puff pastry.

Thin:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 cup of milk

Medium:
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 cup milk

Thick:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 cup milk

Notice a pattern?? That's right! The butter and flour double the thicker you want the sauce, but the rest stays the same.

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in milk. Return to heat, and heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Once it boils, stir for another minute or so, until it starts to thicken.

Fun variation:
Use medium white sauce, make as directed and add small pieces of ham and hard-boiled eggs, chopped up, to mixture. Pour over toast for a quick breakfast or even a dinner.

Cheesy variation:
Use medium white sauce, make as directed, but add 1/2 cup to a cup of cheese after you have stirred in the milk. Stir til thickened and cheese is melted!

Check out the Tuna Puff Pastry as well. Plus, homemade macaroni and cheese coming soon using this great base!

Tuna Puff Pastry

I know this totally sounds weird, but it so easy and yummy!! My mom used to make this when I was growing up and I loved it. I remember asking my mom for this grand recipe, and it was a lot easier than I thought.

Ingredients:
Medium White Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 cup of milk

1 can of Tuna, drained
Frozen Peas
Puff Pastry Shells

Cook puff pastry shells, according to directions on box. If you can't find them, you can use puff pastry sheets, and cut them into nine little squares, or you can pour the mixture right on top of toast! Here's a picture of the shells. They are usually in the frozen dessert section.

To make a medium white sauce, melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in milk. Return to heat, and heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Once it boils, stir for another minute or so, until it starts to thicken. Add tuna and a cup or two of peas depending on your preference, and stir until hot.

Peel off top layer of shells, and pull out the center, if there is one. Then pour mixture inside and replace the top layer. If you use the sheets, just pull them apart, using a fork if needed, and pour over bottom layer and replace top. Or go the easiest route and pour it right on toast.


I doubled the white sauce recipe, with only one can of tuna, for four adults and two kids, and had enough for leftovers for two of us for lunch, to give you an idea of the portion size. My kids ate it and the hubby gobbled it up. This is a great recipe to make in a jiffy and your whole dinner is in one pot. Yeah!

Catalina Chicken

I am so excited for this post because this is from one of my favorite readers!! Well, it's from my cousin, Lichelle, so maybe I am a little biased, but I love to know that someone is reading my blog and giving me recipes to try.

6-8 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken
1 cup of catalina salad dressing
1 can of cranberry sauce or 2/3 cup Apricot Jam
1 packet of onion soup mix

Place chicken in a 9x13 casserole dish. Mix the rest of the ingredients together. Pour over the chicken. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 350 degrees until chicken is cooked through.


When I read my email yesterday, and saw her recipe, I went to the store and bought the ingredients I needed right then and there!! I know kind of silly, but I could not contain my excitement. I doubled the recipe to make enough for four adults and enough for leftovers! My favorite type of recipe! I also, couldn't find apricot jam at our grocery store, so I used cranberry sauce instead.

I know easy right?? When I saw this recipe, I was really worried that the husband wouldn't like this and honestly, I am not sure he was totally honest with me either. Since we live with my parents right now, I get very mixed reviews about the new recipes I try. This is how our evening played out...

John: Wow, this is good. This is delicious. Wow, I can't get enough!
LuAnn: Laura, you have outdone yourself! This is amazing!!
John: What is in this?? It is so good!!
Laura: Josh, what do you think?
Josh: It's okay!

So much for making me feel good!! I guess, I can please the regular people in the world. On a scale of picky-eaters 1-10, and the least picky being a 1!! My dad would be a 0, my mother would be a 4 or 5, and Josh would be a 9! This gives you an idea of how to compare the responses I received!


Coming up later this week: Whole Wheat pancakes that you can make in bulk and store in the freezer until you want it! Yeah! Thanks Lichelle!!

Breakfast Pizza

This is a recipe from my friend, Jessica. I have actually made this a lot and it is a top choice with my picky eaters. We usually do it for dinner, even though it's all breakfast foods.

2 dozen rhodes rolls ( I use the biscuits from pillsbury, you know the pop-out cans.)
1 package of hash browns
1 cup grated cheese
1 lb. sausage
1 lb. bacon
3 eggs
2 tbs. milk
salt and pepper

--Set your rolls out to rise for 3 hours, if you choose rhodes. Cook bacon and sausage, and drain.
Flatten rolls like a pizza. (I use a small cookie sheet with sides, so it's more in the shape of a rectangle. That way you don't lose the egg/milk mixture.) Layer on top of biscuits or rolls, hash browns, bacon, sausage and cheese.
Whisk together eggs and milk. Pour over pizza. Pre-heat oven to 350 and cook for 45 minutes with rhodes rolls and twenty to thirty with biscuits!

!!SO DELICIOUS I THINK I WILL GO MAKE THAT RIGHT NOW. THANKS FOR THE INSPIRATION!! --Jessica

Sorry, Jess, if I changed it a little! This is fun to change it up to what fits your family. If you want to be more healthy, use turkey bacon or reduced fat rolls. Or you can add veggies on top. I always served this with fruit on the side, because there is no vegetable that goes with breakfast pizza.

My New Favorite Cooking Tool

Does anyone hate the time it takes to clean off the inside of the crockpot?? Especially, when you accidentally leave the crockpot on after you have taken most of the ingredients out?? It is not fun to spend countless hours soaking the dish and then hoping that the next time you scrub it the chunks will come off.

My solution: Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners!

You just place on of these little babies in the crockpot before you add the ingredients. When you have finished, pull the bag out and toss it! Clean-up done!!

Only downside, you might rip the bag while scooping food out, but it rinses right off. Trust me! Try it you won't regret it!

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

This is a favorite recipe of mine and it is quick and easy!! Just what I love!!

6-8 pieces of skinless, boneless chicken
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
hamburger buns

Place chicken in the crockpot. Pour bbq sauce over the top. Place the lid on, and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for at least 4 hours. The longer this cooks the more tender the chicken will become. Just before serving shred and mix until the shredded chicken is covered in sauce. Place on hamburger buns or serve as the main dish with potatoes.

This makes a lot so, of course, you can freeze half of it and save for a rainy day. Just my kind of recipe!!

French onion Soup

5 cups of sliced onions
2 cans of beef broth
2 cans beef consommé
1 packet of onion soup mix
French bread, sliced
1 cup shredded cheese, any type of white

Combine onions, broth, consommé, and soup mix in crock pot. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for eight hours.
Ladle soup into soup bowls, arranged on a baking sheet. Top each with a slice of bread. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil in the oven until cheese is melted.


This recipe is from Sandra Lee's semi-homemade cookbook. It's a perfect soup for a cold day. Plus, I love crock-pot recipes. You can have dinner cooking and the kitchen cleaned up from all the prep by noon!

Cafe Rio Pork

2-3 pds. Pork shoulder
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
2 tbs. dried onions

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup red enchilada sauce

Place pork in crock-pot. Mix the rest of the top half ingredients in a bowl. Pour over Pork. Cook for 6-8 hours on low. 1 hour before serving, drain juices and add bottom two ingredients.

Reserve remaining enchilada sauce and heat over the stove for extra sauce. I also make spanish rice to eat on the side or mixed in with everything!

You can use this meat for tacos/burritos, a salad, or as a main dish!


My friend, Tiffany, passed this on to me, and pretty sure a friend in our ward passed it on to her! It is super simple and makes a ton. It freezes really well, so you can save it for a busy day when you are short on time!

Mom's Famous Meatloaf

2-3 lbs. Hamburger Meat
1 cup milk
1 cup oatmeal
3 eggs
2 tbsp. worchesteshire sauce
1/2c. to ¾ cup dried onions

Mix together in a bowl. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 350 degrees. Drain fat. Top with mashed potatoes and cheese. Broil until melted.
You can also substitute cheese and potatoes for a can of chopped tomatoes as a topper!
We usually eat this with ketchup or barbecue sauce, but I tried it with brown gravy the last time we made it and it was super yummy!!


I am sure everyone has a meatloaf recipe, but I enjoy the toppings the most. It adds a little extra to the taste.

Popeye Pancakes

6 tbs. butter
2 cups flour
2 cups milk
12 eggs
1 tsp. Baking powder
½ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter and put in a 9x13 pan. Cover bottom and sides. Let stand. Mix all ingredients together and add leftover butter from pan. Bake for twenty minutes. Turn off oven and leave in for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with powder sugar and serve with syrup.


These are also called German Pancakes, but you know they turn out the best when you go to turn off the oven and they are popping up super high. Perfect for breakfast, especially to serve a big family or group!

Taco Soup

Taco Soup

2 lbs. lean ground beef
2 onions (diced) (can substitute for dried onions.)
2 cans pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can corn
1 can stewed tomatoes, loosely chopped
2 cans rotel
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 pkg. ranch dressing

Brown beef and onions in skillet. Drain Excess oil. Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for twenty minutes.
-or-
Add all ingredients to crock-pot and stir together. Cook on low for three to four hours.
Serve with sour cream, chips, grated cheese, green onions, etc.


This recipe came in the mail on the back-side of a real estate ad! I know random, but it was a hit at a soup party. It makes a ton, so if you are feeding a small family of four you might want to half the recipe or plan on freezing half.