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Showing posts with the label Easy & Quick

Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars

Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars are a rich, decadent dessert that comes together quickly, perfect for any occasion. SOPAPILLA CHEESECAKE   It takes a few ingredients, so I keep plenty of butter, cream cheese, and crescent rolls in my fridge to be ready to make some in a pinch when I need a quick dessert. My daughter, Jennifer,   started a whole new dessert adventure with these  Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars . They are sweet and flakey with a buttery cinnamon sugar crunch on top that melts in your mouth.  Some people like them warm, but my family prefers them cold. Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars are the perfect dessert with your next  Mexican theme meal. You will want to take these to the next gathering you go to.    I really think they would be fabulous to take to brunch! I know they are a dessert, but who says you can't eat them for breakfast! WHERE CAN I FIND THE RECIPE?  TAKE ME TO THE RECIPE FOR SOPAPILLA CHEESECAKE Below, under the next heading, I give a list of preferred ingredients, tips,

German Chocolate Blossom Cookies

These German Chocolate Blossom Cookies start with a German chocolate cake mix, which makes them super easy to make.  They are soft and chewy and topped with your favorite candy––Hershey Kisses. GERMAN CHOCOLATE KISS COOKIES (3 Ingredients) German Chocolate Kiss Cookies are a favorite year round. The recipe has only three ingredients, which you probably already have in your kitchen. They are seriously the easiest cookies to whip up and perfect for your children to join in. These German Chocolate Blossom Cookies are a twist on the beloved Peanut Butter Blossom Cookie, which is so popular around the holidays.   We are such huge fans of German chocolate, and I see so many recipes using cake mixes to make cookies that it sparked an interest in using a German chocolate cake mix and rich and creamy coconut pecan frosting together to make some. These cookies taste absolutely amazing.  It is impossible to stop at one.  They are soft and chewy and all the flavors of a piece of  German Chocolate

Beach Jello Cups

The summer months are around the corner, and what better way to embrace the heat than with a cool, refreshing treat on a hot summer day.   POOL PARTY JELLO CUPS Whether for the beach or a pool party, the recipe uses berry blue jello and is quick and easy to make. Decorate with gummy sour sharks, gummy fruit rings, and gummy fruit bears. Both children and adults alike are big fans of these Beach Jello Cups. They are cool and refreshing, perfect for a grab-and-go treat on a hot summer day. Are you planning a summer beach trip or a birthday pool party?  Or do you want something fun to make with your children during the summer?   Hope you will give these fun beach or pool jello cups a try.  The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for a crowd. 

Chopped Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad

My Easy Chopped Cherry Caprese Salad is loaded with ripe cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and fresh mozzarella pearls and drizzled with a balsamic glaze. EASY CHERRY TOMATO CAPRESE SALAD Caprese salad is one of the easiest salads to make throughout the year, but the simplicity of the recipe doesn't mean it lacks zesty flavors.   The classic combination of all the ingredients topped with a tangy glaze is irresistible. Caprese salad is perfect year-round, but my favorite time to enjoy this irresistible salad is when spring rolls around, and summer is just behind.   It is ideal for summer because it is light, refreshing, and so easy to prepare.   I love bringing it to potlucks, picnics, or family barbecues because it is so easy to travel with. It can be served at room temperature or right out of the refrigerator.

Smoked Salmon Cakes

Smoked salmon cakes are an easy and delicious weeknight meal option, and believe it or not, they are affordable. SMOKED SALMON PATTIES Smoked salmon patties are perfectly crisp on the outside and deliciously tender and flaky on the inside. They are made with packaged smoked sliced salmon instead of canned salmon.     One bite of these smoked salmon cakes and any thought of you using canned salmon will fly out the window.  That's how I felt the first time I made them. I use sliced precooked salmon from Sams. I add minced onion, lemon juice, mayonnaise, chopped fresh dill, an egg, half and half, and coat them in a little Obay seasoning mixed in the panko crumbs.  These are so good.  

Southern Spoonbread

Southern Sweet Corn Spoonbread is a century-old Southern comfort food that has graced the tables across the South.     SOUTHERN SWEET CORN SPOONBREAD The Southern Spoonbread recipe is a classic Southern side dish.  It is creamy, moist cornbread that is more like a cornmeal-based souffle or delicate cornbread pudding.   This Sweet Corn Spoonbread is a quick and easy side dish. To make it, combine everything in a bowl, stir, and bake. It is a favorite around my house. We look forward to having it every year on our Easter menu. The recipe also works well for weeknight menus. It starts off with a box of Jiffy cornbread mix, then two kinds of corn, butter, eggs, and sour cream, simply delicious.

Raspberry Coffee Cake

Raspberry Coffee Cake in the morning will start your day off to a fabulous start.  Serve it anytime for dessert, an afternoon snack, or my favorite breakfast. RASPBERRY BREAKFAST CAKE The recipe is based on my Very Blueberry Coffee Cake, switching out with fresh raspberries, butter, sugar, eggs, and sour cream and sprinkled with a coarse finishing sugar. I grew up with something sweet on the table all the time because my mother had a charming sweet tooth, which she passed on to her four daughters.    Mother was an amazing baker.  Even though I learned from her, I wish I had written down more of her recipes and paid more attention when she baked.

Mama's Southern Baked Beans

Thick and rich with just the right amount of sweetness, these baked beans are a perfect side dish for whatever you cook up for your next gathering.   CLASSIC SOUTHERN BAKED BEANS Mother's easy to make baked beans are just that,  EASY.  This classic dish has canned pork n' beans, onions, bell pepper, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire, and the star, Bacon.   I could not post my mother's Potato Salad recipe (previous post) without posting her Southern Baked Beans recipe, also.  Like the potato salad recipe, I have had this one in my head for years too. I watched my mother make her potato salad and baked beans a gazillion times, and I don't remember her making one without the other, but I suspect that there were times when she did. I know what the ingredients are in her baked beans, but I am not sure about the exact amount of the ingredients each time. 

Nutella Sweet Rolls

Nutella Sweet Rolls recipe follows a similar process to cinnamon rolls. They start with a soft, pillowy dough and are filled with the star of the recipe, Nutella, then iced with vanilla icing. Nutella Heavenly Sweet Rolls These ooey gooey sweet rolls are the most decadent breakfast treats you could ever imagine, either for breakfast or,  like at my house, for dessert. Nutella is an absolute favorite with my grandchildren, so I thought making Nutella Sweet Rolls would be appropriate for Valentine's breakfast or, why not, dessert :). These soft, sweet, fluffy sweet rolls are hassle free.   They only take 30 minutes to rise once, so you can spend your time making other special delicacies for your special day. As you see, these rolls are amazing plain, but to give them an additional gooeyness, I iced them with a rich buttery, vanilla icing.  A thin coat gives them a glorious shine and divine gooeyness. If you can't resist these sweet rolls, just take a look at these  sweet rolls an

Christmas Tea Cakes

Christmas Tea Cakes are festive tea cakes that are super easy to make with few ingredients, including two cake mixes. Holiday Mincemeat Tea Cakes This is the perfect recipe to use extra cake mixes you have on hand.  This recipe was inspired by all the cookie recipes that use cake mixes.  Another secret ingredient that is classic around the holidays is mincemeat pie filling. You will love the Holiday Mincemeat Tea Cakes if you love mincemeat pie.  I know there are some yays and nays when mincemeat is mentioned.    Growing up in the 60s, my family always had mincemeat pie during the holidays.  Mincemeat is a sweet concoction of dried fruit, spices, dark brown sugar, nuts, and beef. When I saw a jar of None Such Mincemeat pie filling in my cabinet, I wanted to try to make a cookie with some cake mixes I needed to use.   

Waldorf Salad

The Waldorf Salad recipe is straightforward and delicious and can be made with ingredients from your pantry.  It is ready in 15 minutes and easy for family gatherings or potlucks.    Granny's Classic Waldorf Salad I have been making this classic Waldorf Salad recipe for the holidays and special occasions for years. The recipe comes from my Mother.  It is one of my favorite recipes growing up. The original Waldorf Salad was introduced on March 14, 1893, at the Waldorf Istoria Hotel in New York by the first executive chef for a charity ball and became an instant success.  In years since, the original recipe, which consisted of apples, celery, and mayonnaise, has taken on more additions.

Simple Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

Simple Broccoli Cauliflower Salad will elevate a meal for Kings or refresh a family potluck dinner.  The perfect salad with only six ingredients, including the creamy, tangy dressing. BROCCOLI CAULIFLOWER SALAD WITH CREAMY DRESSING My recipe for delicious Broccoli Cauliflower Salad is simple and quick to make, full of fresh broccoli and cauliflower florets, julienne red onions, and tossed in a dressing you want to drink.   Growing up, anytime we had a big gathering, Mother would cook the biggest meal, and the whole family would come.   Recipes like this classic Broccoli Cauliflower Salad totally remind me of those days of the love and care my Mother took in hosting all the family and celebrating us. Just like Mother, I keep this salad as simple as possible.  My family loves this salad year-round, especially around the holidays.   This brings up Thanksgiving around the corner, always a favorite.   I know this salad will become one of yours, too.

Baked Feta Pasta Recipe

Baked Feta Pasta became a TicTok sensation last year, becoming the most instantaneous recipe made with four simple ingredients.   BAKED FETA AND RICOTTA PASTA WITH CHICKEN Like many pasta recipes, adding chicken will indeed please and become a family favorite for weeknight meals. Creamy flavorful, and cheese, all the components you want in a pasta dish. Baked Feta Pasta is the perfect fall comfort food, creamy, tomato–y and so incredibly delicious.  It is probably the most straightforward pasta dish I have ever made. When I say simple, everything gets baked together until the tomatoes burst, releasing all their jamminess.  The cheeses get melty, and you stir it all together, making this quick creamy sauce, toss in the chicken and then the pasta.  Generously garnish with more basil.  Boom, dinner is ready.

Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake

Summertime is the season to indulge in a perfect combination of tangy and sweet desserts like this Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake.     BLUEBERRY GOOEY BUTTER CAKE BARS These delightful Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake Bars have the perfect combination of flavors, the ease of the recipe, and the ease of carrying it somewhere.   Perfect for any celebrations, picnics, potlucks, or grand enough for any dinner party. Gooey Butter Cake has been around for many years.  It all started with the made from scratch version supposedly made by accident by a man in a St. Louis bakery.  Then, in the early 70s, Paula Deen introduced her version using a butter cake mix.  Since then, there have been many versions of the Gooey Butter Cake. With the ease of making recipes that call for few ingredients, I can whip up a batch of these bars in no time.   I had a couple of cups of blueberries that needed to be eaten, so I added them to the recipe.  The tartness of the lemon zest and cream cheese and the sweetness of t

Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes

Chocolate Chip Pancakes with mini chocolate chips are sure to please everyone for a special occasion or any day.   These melt in your mouth chocolate chip pancakes are rich, buttery, light, and fluffy, and incredibly easy to make.  Top them with whipped cream, and fresh fruit, then drizzle them with warm pure maple syrup. Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Pancakes If you want to wow your guests with big smiles on their faces, tell them you are making Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes for breakfast. We love pancakes at our house, but when special occasions come, we pull out all the stops. Birthdays and sleepovers are some of our favorites. My buttermilk chocolate chip pancakes are fluffy, sweet pancakes with the tang of buttermilk seeping through, giving them the perfect morning dream come true. What I love about making pancakes is there are no crazy ingredients to come up with.  I mostly just need to make sure my buttermilk is fresh.  I use full fat buttermilk in my pancake recipe, yieldin

Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies are a fast and easy recipe that is perfectly sweet with brown sugar and loaded with oatmeal. Oatmeal No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies This is a classic cookie recipe for those who can't have or just prefer not to eat chocolate. These Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies are a version of the famous  Chocolate No Bake Cookies  using cocoa powder that I grew up eating in the 50s.  I am especially a fan of no bake cookies during the summer months.  Not having to turn the oven on is a big plus. They always satisfy the craving for something sweet.  I love the moist, chewy texture and rich peanut butter flavor that just takes minutes to make, and the hardest part is waiting for them to set up so you can eat them. When my children were small, I would give them a spoon to scrape the sides of the pan and get all that yummy peanut butter mixture.

Sesame Ginger Bone In Pork Chops

Juicy, tender pork chops marinated with a sesame ginger vinaigrette and baked in the oven to perfection. 2-Ingredient Baked Sesame Ginger Pork Chops  A brief time in the refrigerator gives the bone in thick pork chops loads of flavor while tenderizing the meat.  Even if you don't have time for the pork chops to hang out in the marinate, skip the marinating and pour the sesame ginger vinaigrette over them just before you bake them in the oven. Still delicious. I like to cook thick cut porterhouse pork chops with the bone in them because there is so much more flavor.   Other cuts of pork chops will work, like boneless pork chops, sirloin pork chops, and thin cut pork chops, sometimes called rib pork chops.     There is no need to complicate dinner when you can make this simple meal that everyone will enjoy.  You will only need two ingredients,  Maria's Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette and pork chops. Once they go in the oven, you can have a wholesome meal on the table in less than 45 mi

Buttery Lobster Tails

Buttery lobster tails served with garlic butter sauce will wow any dinner guest for any special occasion, especially Valentine's.  Incredibly Easy Lobster Tails When you think of lobster tails,  a pricy restaurant meal you could never cook at home comes to mind.  I used to be intimidated and feel the same way until I watched my son-in-law make them at home.   What a fun meal we had, you will want to start making them for special occasions. My son-in-law, Ben, and I love to cook together.  On most holidays and a weekend of trying new recipes,  we will get in the kitchen and cook together.   For Christmas, it is our  Standing Rib Roast , Easter is our  Whole Bone In Ham , and a tailgate appetizer is  Grilled Whole Jalapeno Poppers . For this recipe, I have included two methods of preparation with tips and tidbits, how to broil lobster tails and how to bake lobster tails. 

Linzer Pop Tarts

This recipe was first published in February 2012.  Updated December 2022 This is a pastry that takes on the elements of an Italian tart made with a buttery pastry, yielding the right amount of flakiness.  Simple and delicious, perfect for brunch. A Simple Jam Crostata A Crostata is one of those desserts that is known and made all throughout Italy, a rustic version of an open fruit tart. The shortbread crust is unique in that it is made with flour, sugar, eggs, egg yolks, and baking powder.  It is filled with the traditional jam, but there are new ingredients that have swept across the United States, Nutella, ricotta, and pastry cream.  

Gingerbread Pear Upside Down Cake

Warm gingerbread cake baked in a skillet on top of a sweet mixture of caramelized pears and flipped over to a stunning presentation, fancy enough for a Thanksgiving dessert. Gingerbread Pear Upside Down Cake The pairing of gingerbread and pears brings this cake to the forefront for the fall.   The pears hold up really well and play nicely with the cake's warm spices. Upside down cakes are famous here in the south, pineapple being the most traditional.    This Gingerbread Pear Upside Down Cake tastes and looks impressive and is made using a simple shortcut to save time and effort in the kitchen. The cake is moist and dense, just like I like it.  Usually, gingerbread cakes get better with age, but you will want to eat this cake in a day or two since the pears begin to soften.   The structure of the pears changes when cooked more than other fruits used in upside down cakes, such as pineapple, peaches, and apples. Serve thick cake slices at a dinner party as a dessert or indulgent brun