BBQ Potato Pizza

Ingredients:

  • 1 store bought pizza crust*
  • 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, any brand
  • 2 cups potato, diced & cooked
  • 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 small red onion, sliced in thin strips

Directions:

  1. Place pizza crust on a pizza tray or a large cookie sheet. Cover with barbecue sauce, as you would with pizza sauce.
  2. Top with potato, cheese and red onion and bake until golden and bubbly on top, cook according to pizza dough directions.

*I purchase dough from a local pizzeria (Cozzola’s Pizza) or in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.

I roast the potatoes for about a half hour in the oven 425°F with a little olive oil, salt & pepper. I also roasted the onions with the potatoes prior to putting them on the pizza, that way I didn’t have to slice them as thinly and they wouldn’t have as strong of an onion flavor.

~Recipe by Mikaila

Sweet and Sour Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 3 Tablespoons vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons cornstarch

Directions:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.
  2. Cook over medium heat until thick. stirring often.
  3. Pour over chicken, meatballs, smoked sausage, veggies, etc.

I served over meatballs here. Very fast dinner if you use the air fryer to cook the meatballs.

Hashbrown Casserole

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min

Ingredients:
2 Tbs butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
One 6-ounce slab country ham, diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
salt and black pepper
2 Tbs all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar
One 22-ounce package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
3 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Add the butter to a large heavy skillet. Once foaming and melted, add garlic, ham, onions and some salt and pepper. Saute until the onions are tender and the ham is browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook until pasty, about 2 minutes. Add the milk and stock and stir until smooth. The mixture will begin to thicken as it comes to a simmer. Once thick, turn off the heat and add 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Stir until melted. Add the hash browns and green onions and stir until well mixed. Add to a 13-by-9-inch casserole dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake until the top is golden and the potatoes are tender, 45 minutes.

Pumpkin Cookies with Frosting

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Spice Cookies:

  • 1/2 Cup Butter (1 stick)
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 Cup Canned Pumpkin
  • 2 Cups Flour (I used Old Mill Gluten Free)
  • 4 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp Ginger
  • 1 Cup Chopped Walnuts or Pecans (optional)

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1/2 Cup Butter
  • 8 oz block of Cream Cheese
  • 3 tsp Vanilla
  • 4 Cups Powdered Sugar
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon

Directions:

Pumpkin Spice Cookies:

Preheat Oven to 350°F

  1. In a mixer cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  2. Add eggs and pumpkin and mix well.
  3. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and spices together and fold into cookie batter.
  4. Mix until well blended.
  5. Drop a spoonful of the cookies batter onto a cookie sheet.
  6. Bake in a 350°F oven for approximately 15 minutes.
  7. Allow to cool.
  8. Frost with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:

  1. Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a mixer until blended.
  2. Add powder sugar a cup at a time and continue to mix until sugar is incorporated.
  3. Finally, add cinnamon
  4. Place frosting in large Ziplock bag, cut small portions of corner off of bag, and frost cookies.

Red-Leaf Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Serves: 4
Prep: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 medium red onion, quartered
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • course salt & ground black pepper
  • 1 package (10 ounce) frozen cut green beans, thawed
  • 1/3 cup walnuts
  • 1 cup plain low fat yogurt
  • 2 Tablespoons white-wine vinegar
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 head (10 ounce) red-leaf lettuce, torn bite size

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
  2. On large rimmed baking sheet, toss together sweet potatoes, onion, and oil, season with salt & pepper. Roast until sweet potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
  3. Add green beans and walnuts to sheet; toss. Roast until green beans are tender, about 5 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, and garlic; season dressing with salt & pepper. 
  5. Top lettuce with roasted vegetable mixture; drizzle with dressing.

Sauteed Veggie Burritos

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
  • 2 cups long grain rice
  • 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 2 whole limes, juiced and zested
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 whole zucchini, chopped
  • 1 whole yellow squash, chopped
  • 1 can corn
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • salt to sprinkle
  • 1 can seasoned black beans (I used non seasoned and still had great flavor)
  • 6 whole burrito-sized flour tortillas
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1 cup grated cheese (ex. Monterey Jack or Cheddar)
  • Optional toppings: salsa, sour cream, guacamole, extra cilantro, hot sauce

Directions:

  1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and stir around for 2 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and juice and zest of 1 lime. Bring to boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the juice and zest from the remaining lime, then stir in the cilantro. Set aside.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions and bell peppers for 3 minutes. Add in squash and sauté for additional 3 minutes. Add corn and black beans and sauté until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds. *I find it helps to add a damp paper towel on the top of the tortillas while warming in microwave.
  4. To assemble the burrito, lay out each tortilla on your work surface. Spoon on rice, then sprinkle on sauteed veggies. Top with chopped tomato, cheese, and any other topping you’d like. Tuck in the sides, then roll the burrito up as tightly as you can. Cut in half and chow down!

*If you substitute the chicken broth in the rice with vegetable broth it will be vegetarian!

Beijing Beef

Ingredients:

Beef Marinade:

  • 1.5 lbs of beef chuck steak
  • 1 egg
  • salt & pepper
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch

Beijing Sauce

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 Tbsp ketchup
  • 4 Tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 Tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 Tbsp white vinegar
  • 1/2 Tbsp of crushed red peppers
  • 1 Tbsp sweet chili sauce

Additional Ingedients:

  • 2 egg whites
  • 2 cups corn starch
  • 1 white onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 cups cooking oil (enough to submerge the beef

Directions:

  1. First, slice beef in thin strips. Place the beef in a bowl and add salt, pepper, egg, and cornstarch. Mix beef with the marinade evenly and set it aside in the fridge while you make Beijing sauce.
  2. For the Beijing sauce, in a bowl combine water, sugar, ketchup, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar, crushed red peppers, and sweet chili sauce. Mix it together.
  3. Chop the onion into slices and mince the garlic, and set aside.
  4. Take the marinated beef out of the fridge and add 2 egg whites. Mix the egg whites with the beef and coat the beef with cornstarch (~2 cups). Ensure that every side of the beef chunk is coated evenly.
  5. Heat the oil on medium heat in the wok. Once the oil is hot, fry the beef for 4-5 minutes on medium heat and let it cool.
  6. Fry the beef again 2-3 minutes on high heat to double fry and then remove the beef from the heat.
  7. On a clean wok, add 1 Tbsp of oil.
  8. Sauté the onion and garlic until fragrant (about 1-2 minutes) before adding the Beijing sauce mixture on to the wok.
  9. Lastly, add the bell pepper and fried beef, and then stir for 1-2 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

Funfetti Dip

Ingredients:

  • 1 Box of Funfetti Cake Mix
  • 1 Tub 9 oz Cool Whip Topping
  • 1-1 1/2 Cups of Vanilla Greek Yogurt
  • Sprinkles (optional)
  • Animal Crackers, for serving

Directions

  1. Whip all together until combined
  2. Let it sit in the fridge for up to 30 minutes (the longer it sits in the fridge- the better it gets)
  3. Add sprinkles (optional)
  4. Serve with animal crackers or graham crackers

Lemon Chai Loaf

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup milk of choice
  • 3-4 bags chair tea
  • 1 stick butter (8 tablespoons)
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup flour
  • 3/4 cup almond flour (or 1/2 cup all-purpose flour)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Glaze ingredients:

  • 3-4 tablespoons lemon
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 3/4 cup powder sugar, use more as needed
  • Lemon or orange zest

Directions:

  1. Bring the milk to a low boil in a small saucepan until steaming. Remove from the heat. Add the tea bags, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags and discard.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a (9×5 inch) loaf pan.
  3. In a large mixing bowl , beat together the butter, honey, and lemon zest until combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined then add the vanilla. Add the flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat to combine. Add the steeped chai milk, beating until combined.
  4. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the cake is browning too quickly, cover with foil.
  5. Meanwhile, make the glaze. Remove the zest from the lemon and orange with vegetable peeler in wide strips. Then thinly slice the strips. In a medium bowl, mix together the honey and 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice. Drizzle 1/2 the glaze over the warm loaf.
  6. To the remaining glaze, add the powdered sugar, whisk until smooth. Stir in 1/2 the lemon and orange zest. Pour the glaze over the loaf. You can garnish with the remaining zest, if desired. Let set 5 minutes, slice, and enjoy warm or at room temperature.