Superbowl Snack Throwdown: Fiesta Sliders

The third week of the Superbowl Snack Throwdown brought us cheese as a secret ingredient. Please make sure you head over to HighLowAha to vote for your favorite snack, as well as the next ingredient! The last two weeks have been VERY close, so every vote counts.


At first I was excited about cheese because the possibilities are endless. But on the flip side, the possibilities are endless - I had so many ideas and it was hard to narrow them down. I ended up channeling a burger I've had for awhile and turning them into a bite-sized snack: the Fiesta Slider.

These little treats came out even better than I expected. They are so versatile and anyone can adapt them to their own tastes and preferences. They were juicy and flavorful, and they vanished in no time!

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground meat (I used turkey, but beef would be great)
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 160z jar salsa, divided
• 1 1/2 cup Mexican blend cheese
• Breadcrumbs, unseasoned, as needed
• Optional add-ins: cilantro, onion, tomato, olives, etc
• Optional toppings: sour cream, tomato, lettuce, etc
• 12 slider rolls

Preheat grill or grill pan; spray with cooking spray.

Combine meat, taco seasoning, approximately 1/4 to 1/2 jar of salsa, cheese, and optional add-ins in a medium bowl. Mix with a fork. Add breadcrumbs, just a little bit at a time, as needed if the mixture is too moistForm into 12 mini burger patties and cook for about 4 or 5 minutes on each side, or until done.

Meanwhile, smear a little sour cream on the inside of each bun. Add the patty and top with a spoonful of the remaining salsa. Add more shredded cheese, lettuce... whatever your heart desires!

Low-Cal Quesadillas

Several weeks ago, I was watching The View and the Hungry Girl was a guest (it was a repeat, I think). She was promoting her new book (200 Under 200: 200 Recipes Under 200 Calories) and had several samples.

Only Elisabeth and Joy were present for that segment, and Joy really looked bored and unimpressed throughout the whole thing. When she got to sampling these Low-Cal Quesadillas, however, she was visibly, genuinely pleased. She kept raving about them and when Sherri and Whoopi snuck out to steal some samples, Joy sent them right to these quesadillas.

Now, I have HG's first book, and I used to subscribe to her daily emails. I grew kind of tired of her, though, and unsubscribed. I had no interest in her second book. After seeing this episode, though, I made a mental note to check out her site again, particularly the quesadillas.

Of course, I forgot.

Just last week, though, HG appeared on the Rachael Ray show. I jumped onto the computer and found the quesadillas and made them just a few days later.


These.were.amazing.

Seriously. Make them!

I admit I was skeptical about using fake meat, but they were just so freaken good that I don't care if it was dog food. Since making them the first time (just last week), I've made them several times, including when Brooke and Joe came for dinner. They are SO EASY and fast - they are a perfect lunch or dinner.

Ingredients

• 4 large low-carb tortillas
• 1-1/3 cup frozen ground-beef-style soy crumbles (like the ones by Boca and Morningstar Farms)
• 1 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese (I used garlic/herb)
• 2 wedges, The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese (I used garlic/herb)
• 1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1 tbsp. chopped scallions
• 1 tsp. dry taco seasoning mix
• Optional: additional fat-free sour cream, for dipping

In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine soy crumbles, cheddar cheese, scallions, sour cream, and seasoning mix, stirring thoroughly. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir again, and set aside.

Lay tortillas flat and spread 1/2 cheese wedge evenly over one half of each tortilla. Top the cheesy tortilla half with soy crumble mixture and fold over.

Bring a medium-large pan sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat, and lay quesadilla on it (or more, if they fit). Cook for about 1 minute, until slightly toasted on the bottom.

Flip and continue to cook for about 1 minute, until both sides are toasted. Remove from heat and cut into four triangles. Serve with sour cream or ketchup for dipping, if you like. Enjoy!

French Onion Pasta

I know I've said this before, but I love French Onion stuff. I couldn't wait to try this pasta dish from Stephanie Cooks; I made it a week or so ago when Pat's parents (and my brother!) came over for dinner. I don't usually like to try new things when I'm entertaining; I prefer something tried and true that for sure won't disappoint. But I knew this would be a success as soon as I read it, and it definitely was. I received several compliments on the meal, and have already made it a second time. Definitely a new favorite!

Ingredients

• 2 cups of uncooked penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon EVOO
• 1 scallion, finely diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 1/2 cup of marsala wine
• 1 to 1.5 cup of chicken stock
• 1 packet of Lipton's Onion Soup mix
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 4 tablespoons of light cream
• 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese

1- Cook pasta according to directions, set aside and keep warm.

2- In a saucepan, heat the EVOO. Add the scallions and garlic, stir continually until soft and fragrant.

3- Add the marsala wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any stuck on pieces of onion.

4- Add the stock and soup mix packets, allow to cook on low for about 20 minutes.

5- Stir in flour, whisking continually until well incorporated and thickened.

6- Add the light cream, mix well.

7- Add the pasta to the sauce, stir well.

8- Pour into an oven safe dish. Top with the mozzarella cheese.

9- Set it under the broiler until the cheese gets a little crispy.

Taco Casserole

My friend Colleen came to visit Daniel after his birth, and in addition to the sweetest little overalls outfits, she brought a delicious Taco Casserole for us to have to dinner. Since then, every time I refer to her in conversation, my husband always says, "She's the one who brought us that good taco dinner, right?"


It was so delicious, and I couldn't wait until she posted it on her blog so I could cook it again.

I followed the recipe exactly (which she got from Taste and Tell) and heeded her recommendation to add salsa to the beef. Delish!


Ingredients

• 16 oz. taco sauce
• 12 ounce can buttermilk biscuits
• 4-6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
• 4-6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 can sliced olives, drained
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 jar salsa

Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly grease a 13x9 inch baking dish. Spread taco sauce evenly over bottom of dish.

Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Place biscuit pieces in hot sauce, turn to coat. Sprinkle biscuits with half of the cheese and the olives. Bake for 15-18 minutes.

In a large skillet, combine ground beef, peppers, mushrooms, cumin and chili powder. Cook until ground beef is cooked through and add the jar of salsa.

Sprinkle the ground beef mixture over the baked biscuit mixture. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake an additional 5-7 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Chicken Piccata Salad

I get weekly emails with Rachael Ray recipes and this Chicken Piccata Salad popped up in my inbox several weeks ago. I bookmarked it as something I'd like but forgot about it.


Not too long ago, my friend Juliann made and blogged about it. I was reminded of the email, and her enjoyment of the recipe prompted me to make it.

This was such a great, light, summery dinner. The flavors were spectacular, and it was pretty simple to create. I love the typical piccata dishes, and this was a nice variation.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
• 1/2 pound green beans, halved crosswise
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped capers
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Grated peel and juice of 1/2 lemon
• Salt and pepper
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup flour
• Two 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, lightly pounded
• 1/4 cup chicken broth

In a large saucepan, add the potatoes and enough salted water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a colander.

Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Drain in the colander with the potatoes; let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon capers, 3 tablespoons parsley, the lemon peel and half of the lemon juice. Add the potatoes and beans and toss; season with salt and pepper.

In a shallow bowl, beat the egg. In another shallow bowl, season the flour with salt and pepper.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Coat the chicken breasts with the seasoned flour, then dip in the egg, allowing any excess to drip off, and coat with the flour again, shaking off the excess. Add to the skillet and cook, turning once, until golden, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into strips.

Add the chicken broth to the skillet; cook over medium heat, scraping up any browned bits. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon capers, 1 tablespoon parsley and lemon juice. Top the salad with the chicken and drizzle with the pan sauce.

Superbowl Snack Throwdown: Marsala Potato Skins

It's the second week of the Superbowl Snack Throwdown, so make sure you head on over to highlowaha and vote for my awesome snack, um, I mean your favorite creation, as well as the next secret ingredient. Voting is open until 8pm CT on Sunday.


When I was first approached about this competition, I was a little intimidated. As I've stated in the past, I'm a recipe girl. Sure, I'll make adaptations, but I am not someone who can just create something on a whim. Perhaps the biggest challenge for me personally within this competition is to really hone my own creativity and originality in the kitchen.

This week's Superbowl Snack Throwdown ingredient is the mushroom, and my first instinct (as I'm sure anyone's would be) was stuffed mushrooms. But that just seemed so... blah. I really wanted a different kind of snack.

I'm proud to present to you one of the very few recipes that I have created on my own: the marsala potato skin!

I thought these were really delicious. They're kind of a dressed-up twist on an old classic, which is always a fun snack. The skins were delightfully crispy, and the flavor of the filling was very comforting. Who doesn't love the combination of onion and mushroom?


Ingredients

• 8 potatoes
• EVOO
• 1 onion, diced
• 8oz baby portabellos, diced
• 1lb ground beef
• 1 cup marsala
• 1 package onion soup mix
• beef broth (optional - for added moisture)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 4 scallions, chopped

Preheat the oven to 400. Scrub the potatoes and rub with the olive oil. Place on a baking sheet or pan and cook for 45-60 minutes. You want the potatoes pretty cooked, but not mushy.

Increase the heat to 425. When the potatoes are cooled, slice in half length-wise and scoop out most of the insides. Save them and eat them with lots of butter and sour cream tomorrow for lunch.

Place them skin-side-down back on the pan and drizzle with some more olive oil. Bake for another 10-15 minutes. When they're finished, preheat the broiler.

Meanwhile, heat about 2 tablespoons of EVOO over medium-ish heat. Cook the onions and mushrooms for about 5 minutes (until the onions are translucent) and then add the ground beef. Break apart and cook until it's no longer pink.

Add the onion mix and incorporate, and then add the marsala. Cook for about 5 more minutes. If the mixture looks like it could use more liquid, then add some beef broth.

Fill the potato skins with a few spoonfuls of the marsala concoction. Top with a sprinkle of mozzarella, followed by the scallions. Cook under the broiler for about 2 minutes, or until the cheese is all melty.

Superbowl Snack Throwdown: Sneak Peek!

This week's Secret Ingredient is mushrooms, and I am very excited about my final product. Here's a little sneak peek at my snack; check back tomorrow morning to see what I did with the mushrooms and for voting information!

Superbowl Snack Throw Down: New England v. Buffalo Sausage Balls

Welcome to the first week of the Superbowl Snack Throw Down! Please make sure you run right over to Highlowaha to vote for your favorite snack (pick me! pick me! pick me!); you have between now and Sunday night to make your preference known (pick me! pick me! pick me!).

Our "secret ingredient" was sausage (thank you SO much to the readers who voted sausage over shrimp!), and I was immediately reminded of the "sausage balls" that my cousin often makes. I don't even LIKE sausage, but can't seem to stop popping these babies when she brings them to family events.



I was inspired by the recipe on the Jimmy Dean package, but wanted to spice them up a bit. Since the first Monday Night Football game features the Buffalo Bills at the New England Patriots, I thought I'd whip up two dipping sauces, paying homage to each region.


The buffalo dip had an awesome kick to it, but that didn't deter my two-year-old from going to town. Granted, he adores any food he can dunk, so these were right up his alley.

The Sam Adams cheddar dip was really an interesting blend of flavors. In all honesty, I was a bit hesitant about this one, but was pleasantly surprised. I loved the smoothness of the cream cheese, and the beer really gave it that extra something special.


These little treats disappeared very quickly at my house, and I can only imagine their popularity on game night.

Sausage Balls
adapted from Jimmy Dean

• 2 pounds pork sausage
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose baking mix
• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 an onion, finely chopped
• 1-2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl; stir well. Form into 1” balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet; bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven; cool 5 minutes before removing from pan. Serve with cocktail forks or toothpicks.

Buffalo Bills Cheddar Dip

adapted from Betty Crocker

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup lite Ranch dressing
• 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
• water
• 5 oz Mexican blend shredded cheese
• 3 green onions, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in dressing, buffalo wing sauce and 1-2 tablespoons of water until blended. Stir in cheese. Spread in ungreased 1-quart baking dish or 9-inch pie plate; cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, or until bubbly; top with onions (a step which, from the photo, you can see I forgot!).

Sam Adams Cheddar Beer Dip

adapted from chow.com

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• One 12-ounce bottle Sam Adams
• 4 cups shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 and coat the inside of a 1-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and sauté for 2 minutes, until the onion begins to soften.

Add the mustard, cream cheese, and beer, stirring until the cream cheese is melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the Cheddar cheese, a handful at a time, until it is all incorporated.

Bake the dip for 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbly. Serve warm.

Ham and Shells Casserole

Oh, this was one yummy dinner!

This recipe from This Girl's Food was delicious. I ended up having to make some changes, the biggest being the fact that I didn't bake it. I preheated my oven, and my kitchen started to fill with smoke. I peeked in and saw that whatever I had made last had apparently spilled and I didn't notice. So... no baking!

I really enjoyed the creaminess of it, and while I wonder what it would be like out of the oven, I'm not sure I'd try. Why mess with a good thing?

Ingredients

• 1 pkg (16 oz.) medium pasta shells
• 3 large onions
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 9 oz. package fresh spinach, torn
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3-1/2 cups skim milk
• 1 cup park-skim ricotta cheese (I omitted because I didn't have any)
• 1 cup (4 oz.) crumbled goat cheese (I used mozzarella)
• 2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, saute onions in oil for 15-20 minutes or unitl golden brown. Add spinach and rosemary, cook for a few minutes until spinach is wilted.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour and pepper until smooth and cook for a few minutes. Gradually add milk, stirring to prevent lumps from forming. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in cheeses until blended.

Drain pasta, place in a large bowl. Add the ham, onion mixture and sauce and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes until bubbly.

Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake

For my husband's birthday a couple of weeks ago, he opted to stay home for a low-key home cooked meal.  He requested chicken enchilladas but said he had no preference for a dessert.

This recipe for a Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake from Smitten Kitchen has been popping up all over my Google Reader, so I took that as a sign.  We both enjoy cheesecake, and since I've never made it myself, I was excited for the challenge.  Thanks to a friend who lent me her spring-form pan, I rolled up my sleeves (and put Cars on for Ryan) and hopped into the kitchen.

This was actually very good!  It did crack, but not too badly.  I also had issues with the time; I probably kept it in the oven for an extra half hour.  But every hot minute in the kitchen was worth it, because I really loved this cheesecake, and so did the birthday boy.

I modified it a bit, and by "modified," I mean that I cheated; I used a box mix for the brownies and nixed the chocolate topping.  I just copied and pasted Deb's instructions below.  And for the record - I doubled the crust too!

Part One: One Bowl Brownies
Adapted from Baker’s One Bowl Brownies
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate (Baker’s chocolate, optional of course)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
1 3/4cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 13×9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Grease foil.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on high for 2 minutes, or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and salt; mix well. Spread into prepared pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minute or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool in pan on wire rack. Remove brownies from pan, using foil handles.

Cool brownies, then cut* them into 3/4- to 1-inch squares for use in the cheesecake. You will have more than the two cups of cubes, loosely measured, than you will need, and I’m sorry, you’re just going to have to decide for yourself what to do with the extra. Add cubes to cake batter as directed below.

* I find that brownies are fantastically easy to cut once they’ve been refrigerated–you end up with nice clean lines, and in this case, a sharp pizza wheel was especially helpful. Also, brownies taste better cold. I’m just saying.

Part Two: Crumb Crust
Adapted from Gourmet, 1999
I like a doubled crumb crust. I can’t get enough cookie. Below are proportions for one crust with the amounts to double the recipe in parentheses. You know you wanna.

1 1/2 cups or 5 ounces (3 cups or 10 ounces to double) finely ground cookies such as chocolate wafers. Or Chocolate Teddy Grahams.
5 tablespoons (10 tablespoons to double) unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup (2/3 cup to double) sugar
1/8 (1/4 teaspoon to double) teaspoon salt
Stir together crust ingredients and press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of a buttered 24-centimeter springform pan. Fill right away or chill up to 2 hours.
Part Three: Cheesecake
Adapted from the Three Cities of Spain Coffeehouse
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
2 cups brownie cubs (from recipe above)
Make crumb crust as directed above for 24-centimeter cheesecake. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Make filling and bake cake: Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy and add eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla and sugar, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated and scraping down bowl between additions.

Fold brownie cubes in very gently and pour mixture into prepared pan. Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan. Pour filling into crust and bake in baking pan (to catch drips) in middle of oven 45 minutes, or until cake is set 3 inches from edge but center is still slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken.
When completely cool, top with following glaze.
Part Four: Ganache Glaze
Adapted from Purdy’s original recipe

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken up, or 1/2 cup chocolate morsels
2 ounces butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon confectioners sugar
Grind the chocolate into powder in the food processor, scald the butter and cream in a saucepan (or in a Pyrex cup in the microwave). With the machine running, pour the hot cream/butter mixture slowly through the feed tube onto the chocolate. Blend until completely smooth, stopping machine to scrape down sides once or twice. Add the extract and sugar and process until smooth. Spread over cheesecake while ganache is still warm. Chill until ready to serve.

Marsala Burgers

This hasn't been a very good summer for grilling, at least in my opinion.  It pretty much rained through July, and then gave way to humidity of evil, tortuous levels.  On those days, the idea of stepping outside for 10 seconds longer than absolutely necessary was pretty much ruled out.

So when I found this yummy-sounding burger recipe on Smells Like Home, I was excited to make a burger that didn't require a shower afterwards.

These were different from any burger I've had, but I really enjoyed them.  They felt almost like a gourmet or upscale kind of patty, and I liked that.  The only issues I ran into were my own fault; I made the burgers a little too thick, so they didn't cook all the way through.  Of course, I didn't notice this until the part when you put them back in the pan, so they had to hang out there a little longer than I wanted - which in turn made the marsala sauce reduce a bit too much.  But the flavor was fabulous, and now I know for next time!

Ingredients

• 12 oz ground beef (85%/15% works well here) or ground chuck
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 ounces assorted mushrooms, sliced
• 3/4 cup sweet Marsala
• 1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese
• crusty French bread baguette

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat.

 

Shape the ground beef into 4 oblong patties, about 4 inches long each. Drizzle the patties with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; repeat on the opposite sides. Cut the french bread into pieces a little shorter than each of the patties and set aside.

 

Brown the patties in the skillet on both sides until the burgers are medium rare. Transfer the burgers to a plate and keep warm; leave the juices in the pan.

 

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and 1/2 tablespoon of oil in the skillet. Add the shallot and garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add another 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil, if necessary. Add the mushrooms and sauté until tender and the juices evaporate, about 3 minutes. Season with salt. Add the Marsala. Simmer until the Marsala reduces by half, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and the rosemary sprig. Simmer until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Return the burgers to the skillet. Cook burgers until they are medium, turning to coat, about 1 minute. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Add 1 oz of cheese to the top of each burger and cover the pan to allow the cheese to melt, about 2 minutes.

 

When the cheese has melted, remove the burgers from the pan and place on the French bread. Top the burgers with Marsala sauce and then the top of the French bread. Serve hot.

Chicken Alfredo Pizza

Like many people, I love pizza nights.  What beats just picking up the phone and sitting down, in thirty minutes or less, to a hot pie with oozy gooey cheese? 

Although we've lived in this house for over 6 years, we've yet to really find GREAT local pizza.  In all honesty, though, laziness is a factor; the place we usually use is adequate, and we haven't continued searching around.

I don't make my own pizza often, mostly because when I think of homemade pizza, I think of Nana's or my mom's - and I know I can't duplicate theirs!  But every once in awhile I come across a pizza that's so tempting that I can't pass it up; this Chicken Alfredo Pizza from Kickin' it in the Kitch was surely among them!

I cheated and used a store bought crust, but nonetheless, this was fantastic.  I didn't love the Alfredo sauce I used, so next time I might even be enticed to make my own.  Best of all, this reheated nicely for a yummy lunch the next day.

Ingredients

• Pizza dough (you could use homemade or store-bought)
• Half jar of alfredo sauce
• Chicken, cubed & cooked
• Frozen spinach (Next time, I'll use fresh)
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• Olive oil, parsley and oregano mixed together

Preheat the oven to 500 (or, if using a premade crust, follow package instructions).

Roll out pizza dough to desired size on pizza stone. Spread alfredo sauce on crust and add the rest of the toppings. Brush the olive oil mixture on the crust. Bake at 500 degrees for 12 minutes or until crust is golden.

Rice Krispie Cookies

A couple of weeks ago I went to my friend Christina's house for a game night.  I offered to bring some cookies to snack on, and I was excited to find this recipe for Rice Krispie Cookies from Amber's Delectable Delights.

The only change I made was to add chocolate chips, because I don't think I know how to make cookies that don't include chocolate!

I thought these were really good - very different.  The cereal added a surprising little crunch, and gave me justification to have a couple of these babies for breakfast.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons hot water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies
• 1 cup butterscotch (or peanut butter) chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until combined. Mix in hot water and vanilla. Add flour mixture, in two batches, beating just until combined – be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Using a wooden spoon, fold in butterscotch chips and Rice Krispies. Cover and refrigerate for 30 min. or longer.

Preheat oven to 375. Scoop out tablespoons of the dough and roll into balls. Place all balls on one baking sheet, and chill at least 30 min. Remove from fridge and place 12 balls on cookie sheet at a time. Bake until the middle looks just set and the edges begin to turn a light golden – about 8-12 minutes. Remove and let sit on the sheet for a minute. Move cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.