French Toast Cinnamon Pull Apart Muffins

 

Ingredients 

2 tbsp. butter melted

1 pkg. Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls ( you can use the regular ones as well but you wouldn't make quite as much) 

2 eggs

1/4 C milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tbsp. maple syrup

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush butter into regular sized muffin cups, coating the bottom and sides of each cup. Set aside. 

2) In a medium sized bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, cinnamon and vanilla. 

3) Unwrap package of cinnamon rolls and set icing aside. Cut rolls into 8 pieces each and place in the egg mixture, stirring to coat. 

4) Divide mixture into muffin cups. Spoon any remaining egg mixture over the top of each cup. 

5) Drizzle each cup with about half a teaspoon of maple syrup. 

6) Bake for about 15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown. 

7) Pour icing into a microwaveable container and heat for 7-10 seconds, just until icing is pourable. Spoon over each muffin. 

8) Using a knife to loosen, gently remove muffins from the pan and serve warm. 

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 25 minutes

Serves: 12 muffins

Mongolian Beef

 

Ingredients 

1 lb. flank steak

1/4 C cornstarch

1/4 C canola oil

2 tsp. fresh ginger (minced) 

1 tbsp. garlic (minced) 

1/3 C lite soy sauce (low sodium) 

1/3 water

1/2 C dark brown sugar

4 stalks scallions (green parts only, cut into 2 inch pieces) 

Directions

1) Slice the flank steak against the grain (the grain is the length of the steak) the long way 1/4 inch think pieces and add it to a ziploc bag with the cornstarch. 

2) Press the steak around in the bag making sure each piece is fully coated with cornstarch and leave it to sit. 

3) Add the canola oil to a large frying pan and heat on medium high heat. 

4) Add the steak, shaking off any excess corn starch, to the pan in a single layer and cook on each side for 1 minute. 

5) If you need to cook the steak in batches because your pan isn't big enough do that rather than crowding the pan, you want to get a good sear on the steak and if you crowd the pan your steak will steam instead of sear. 

6) When the steak is done cooking remove it from the pan. 

7) Add the ginger and garlic to the pan and saute for 10-15 seconds. 

8) Add the soy sauce, water and dark brown sugar to the pan and let it come to a boil. 

9) Add the steak back in and let the sauce thicken for 20-30 seconds. 

10) The cornstarch we used on the steak should thicken the sauce, if you find it isn't thickening enough add 1 tbsp. of cornstarch to 1 tbsp of cold water and stir to dissolve the cornstarch and add it to the pan. 

11) Add the green onions, stir to combine everything, and cook for a final 20-30 seconds.

12)  Serve immediately. 

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 25 minutes

Serves: 4 

Honey Garlic Chicken Breasts

 

Ingredients

1 lb. chicken breasts ( boneless, skinless) 

salt and pepper

1/4 C flour

3 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter (or 2 1/2 tbsp. olive oil) 

2 garlic cloves (minced) 

1 1/2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar (or white or other clear vinegar) 

1 tbsp. light soy sauce (or all purpose) 

1/3 C honey (or maple syrup) 

Directions

1) Cut the breasts in half horizontally to create 4 pieces in total. Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper. 

2) Place flour in a shallow dish. Coat chicken in flour and shake off excess. 

3) Melt most of the butter in a large skillet over high heat - hold back about 1 tsp for later. 

4) Place chicken in skillet and cook for 2 - 3 minutes until golden. 

5) Turn and cook the other side for 1 minute. 

6) Turn heat down slightly to medium high. 

7) Make a bit of room in the pan and add garlic and top with remaining dab of butter. Stir garlic briefly once butter melts. 

8) Add vinegar, soy sauce and honey. Stir / shake pan to combine. Bring sauce to a simmer, then simmer for 1 minute or until slightly thickened. 

9) Turn chicken to coat in sauce. If the sauce gets too thick, add a touch of water and stir. 

10) Remove from stove immediately. Place chicken on plates and drizzle over remaining sauce. 

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes

Total: 15 minutes

Serves: 4 

You can make this gluten free by using cornflour / cornstarch instead. It won't brown quite as evenly but once covered in sauce, you won't even know it. 

Light or all purpose soy sauce is suitable for this recipe. Don't use dark soy sauce because flavor will dominate it. 

Buffalo Style Chicken Tenders

 

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs chicken tenderloins (or boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips)

2 1/4 C flour

1/4 C cornstarch

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. paprika

1 C milk

1/2 C water

1 egg

vegetable oil (for frying) 

1 C hot sauce 

1/2 C melted butter or margarine

1/4 C italian dressing

Directions 

1) Combine the flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, chili powder and paprika in a large ziplock bag and shake well to mix. 

2) In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and water. 

3) Fill a heavy skillet with oil to about 1" and heat to about 310 degrees. If using a deep fryer set it to 325 degrees. 

4) Place a few chicken pieces in the bag with the flour mixture and shake to coat. Place coated pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining chicken. 

5) Dip each coated piece of the chicken in the egg wash, shake off the excess egg and return it to the bag of flour, shaking to coat again. 

6) Cook in hot oil until golden brown (about 3 minutes per side) 

7) Drain on paper towels. 

8) Combine margarine, hot sauce and dressing in a large bowl. 

9) Place each cooked chicken tender in the sauce and toss to coat. 

10) Serve with celery and blue cheese or ranch dressing (if desired) 

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 25 minutes

Serves: 8 

Crock Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs (All-in-One)

 

Ingredients

1 (24 oz) jar spaghetti sauce

4 C water, vegetable or beef broth

1 (16 oz) box spaghetti

1 (26 oz) bag frozen meatballs (24 count) 

olive oil

Optional Sauce ingredients: 

1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic

1 1/2 tsp. dried basil or 2-3 leaves. fresh basil. torn

Directions

1) In a 6 qt. slow cooker, pour in jarred spaghetti sauce. 

2) Then add 4 C of water. (Instead of using water, try using vegetable or beef broth for a kick of flavor) 

3) Add in minced garlic, Italian seasoning and basil (if using) 

4) Break spaghetti noodles in half and put in a large ziplock bag. Coat the spaghetti noodles with a drizzle of olive oil. Close the bag and gently move the noodles around until they are all coated. Then remove noodles from bag and put noodles on top of sauce mixture and gently push them down so they are slightly in the sauce. Then top with frozen meatballs. No need to stir these in. Just out them right on top.

5) Cover and cook on low for about 2-5 hours (until noodles are soft and meatballs are heated through). Then give it a gently stir to combine and serve. 

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 5 hours

Total: 5 hours 15 minutes

Serves: 6 

Slow Cooker Cocktail Sausages

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 C ketchup

1/4 C brown sugar, packed

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp. Sriracha, or more, to taste

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 (16 oz)  pkg. beef hot dog, quartered

2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

1) In a large bowl, whisk together ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire, Sriracha, Dijon and 3 tbsp. water. 

2) Place hot dogs into slow cooker. Stir in ketchup mixture and gently toss to combine. 

3) Cover and cook on low heat for 4-5 hours or high heat for 2-3 hours. 

4) Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired. 

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 5 hours

Total: 5 hours 10 minutes

Serves: 10 

Dorito-Crusted Chicken Bites

 

Ingredients 

4 oz. Tortilla chips

8 oz. chicken tenders

1/2 C all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. 

2) Crush the tortilla chips with a food processor. Set aside in a big bowl. 

3) Dust the chicken with all-purpose flour, shake off the excess, dip in the beaten egg, and then coat evenly with the tortilla chips. Lay on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat the steps until all chicken is coated. 

4) Bake for 15 minutes and serve immediately. 

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 25 minutes

Serves: 2

Brown Sugar Glazed Kielbasa Bites

 

Ingredients

1 pkg. kielbasa sausage , thinly sliced

3/4 C cola (6 oz) 

1 C brown sugar (packed)

Directions

1) In a skillet, add sausage and brown over medium high heat for about 4-5 minutes. Pour cola and brown sugar into the skillet. Reduce heat to medium low. 

2) Stir and simmer anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes. (What your looking for is a thick, caramelized consistency so keep stirring until it becomes a thick glaze) 

3) Once the cola and brown sugar mixture becomes a glaze over the sliced sausages, remove the skillet from the heat. Transfer sausages to a plate and let cool for 10 minutes before serving. The sausages will be very hot, be careful. Enjoy!

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 40 minutes

Total: 45 minutes

Serves: 12 

Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pasta

 

Ingredients 

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 tbsp olive oil

1 (1 oz) pkg. dry Ranch dressing mix

1/4 C cooked chopped bacon

1 ( 8 oz)  pkg. cream cheese

1 lb. dry penne pasta

3 C low-sodium chicken broth

2 C water

2 C shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1) Preheat Instant Pot on "Saute" setting; add oil, chicken, and ranch packet, stirring to coat. Cook chicken 2-3 minutes. 

2) Add pasta, broth, and water to pot. 

3) Close lid, lock pot, select "Manual" setting and 4 minutes time. Cook pasta until time is up, then quick release and open pot. 

4) Stir in cream cheese, cheddar cheese and cooked bacon until combined; let pasta set 5 minutes to thicken. Serve immediately. 

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes

Rest: 5 minutes

Total: 20 minutes

Serves: 6

Best Grilled Hot Dogs

 

Ingredients 

8 hot dogs

1/4 C ketchup

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp. vegetable oil

Directions

1) With a small, sharp knife, make cuts at an angle in 2 rows down each hot dog, about 1/2 inch apart, cutting partway into the hot dog. The cuts should look like rounded half circles. 

2) Mix the ketchup with the Worcestershire sauce, oil and garlic. Pour into a large ziplock bag, add hot dogs and let marinate for 15-20 minutes. 

3) Light grill. Grill hot dogs until nicely charred and the cuts open up, about 3-5 minutes total. 

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 5 minutes

Total: 20 minutes

Serves: 8 

Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots

 

Ingredients 

1 lb. baby carrots whole or cut

 2 tbsp. unsalted butter

2 tbsp. light brown sugar

1 tbsp. honey

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 C water 

Directions

1) In a skillet over medium-high heat, add butter, brown sugar, honey, pumpkin pie spice, and water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. 

2) Add carrots to skillet and let carrots cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes or until tender. 

3) Increase heat to high and cook until liquid is reduced, stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes. 

4) Serve immediately. 

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 20 minutes

Serves: 6 

Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread

 

Ingredients 

1 loaf of Italian Bread 

1/2 C unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

2) Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 

3) Cut the bread lengthwise and place both parts face up on the sheet. 

4) Brush both pieces with melted butter. Sprinkle with garlic powder. 

5) Cover with a piece of aluminum foil and place in the oven. 

6) Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

7) Uncover bread. Top with cheese. 

8) Place bread back in the oven for 2 to 4 more minutes, to let the cheese melt. 

9) Remove from the oven and place on a cutting board. Let cool for a few minutes. 

10) Slice and serve. 

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

total: 25 minutes

Serves: 6 

- If you like garlic, you can use more garlic powder , up to 2 teaspoons (1 teaspoon per bread piece) 

- Instead of garlic powder, try dry ranch seasoning mix. 

- Watch the bread while melting the cheese and remove from oven as soon as it reaches the desired look. 

Popcorn Chicken Parmesan

 

Ingredients 

2-3 tbsp. olive oil

4-5 cloves garlic, crushed

1 C shredded Parmesan cheese

1 bag frozen popcorn chicken

28 oz crushed tomatoes

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp thyme

2 tsp. oregano 

salt and pepper to taste

1 lb. linguine, cooked to package directions

extra Parmesan to garnish 

Directions

1) Cook garlic in oil in a large pot over medium heat. 

2) Add parmesan and stir to combine. 

3) Pour in frozen popcorn chicken. Toss to coat with garlic and cheese. Don't worry if the cheese clumps. 

4) Put the coated chicken on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. 

5) Pour crushed tomatoes into the pot you cooked the garlic in. 

6) Add herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer over medium heat. 

7) When chicken is cooked, remove it from the oven and add it to sauce, stirring to coat. 

8) Serve over hot pasta. 

9) Top with extra Parmesan. 

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 25 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Serves: 6-8 

Crock Pot Bourbon Glazed Kielbasa

 

Ingredients 

1.5 lbs Kielbasa , sliced

1 C apricot preserves

1/2 C Maple syrup

2 tbsp. bourbon (or apple juice) 

Directions

1) Combine everything in the crock pot. 

2) Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. 

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 4 hours

Total: 4 hours 5 minutes

Serves: 24 pieces

-You can easily double or triple this recipe. This makes a great appetizer for parties/ gatherings but can also be used as main dinner dish with some sides of your choice. 

Crock Pot Cinnamon Roll Casserole

 

Ingredients 

24 oz tubes of Cinnamon rolls ( 2- 12oz tubes) cut into quarters - divided

4 eggs

1/2 C whipping cream

3 tbsp maple syrup

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Directions

1) Spray your 6-quart crock with cooking spray. 

2) Place a layer of cinnamon roll pieces to cover the bottom of your slow cooker completely. (Reserving the icing packets) 

3) Beat eggs, cream, maple syrup, vanilla and spices until blended well. 

4) Pour evenly over the rolls in the slow cooker. 

5) Place remaining roll pieces on top and spoon one packet of icing evenly over rolls. 

6) Cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until sides are golden and rolls are set. 

7) Drizzle remaining icing over top and serve warm. 

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 2 hours 30 minutes

Total: 2 hours 40 minutes

Serves: 8 

Instant Pot Country Style Ribs

 

Ingredients 

3 lb. boneless country style pork ribs

2 tbsp. dry rub seasoning mix

1/2 C BBQ sauce + more to baste after cooking

1 C beef or chicken broth

Directions

1) Spread the dry rub mixture on both sides of the boneless country style ribs. 

2) Pour the broth into the bottom of your instant pot. 

3) Add the ribs to your instant pot using tongs. 

4) Pour about 1/2 C of BBQ sauce onto the ribs and spread the sauce evenly with a rubber tip basting brush. 

5) Cook on high temperature for 45 minutes on the manual/pressure cook setting (depending on your Instant Pot model) 

6) Natural release the pressure for 15 minutes. 

7) Remove the ribs carefully and baste them with more sauce if desired. 

8) Optional: Broil the ribs for 3-5 minutes to give them a grilled appearance. 

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 45 minutes

Total: 1 hour

Serves: 12 

- You can take the ribs out of the fridge 15-30 minutes before cooking, taking the chill off them helps the ribs to cook more evenly. 

- Instead of doing a quick broil at the end, serve the ribs straight from the pressure cooker. Browning on a grill is another option. 

- Boneless country style ribs also make a great substitution for pulled pork instead of using pork butt. 

- Make the ribs healthier by using a homemade rub without sugar and BBQ sauce that doesn't have it either. 

- If you're running low on BBQ sauce, don't add it to the pot and just pressure cook the recipe in broth. And then save the BBQ to baste on after the cooking. 

- If your ribs have bones, just add a few more minutes to the cooking time. 

Awesome Sauce Chicken

 

Ingredients 

1/3 C Honey mustard dressing

1/3 C Teriyaki sauce

1/3 C hot sauce

4 to 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Directions

1) Whisk together honey mustard dressing, teriyaki sauce, and hot sauce. 

2) Place chicken in a gallon size ziplock bag. Pour marinade over chicken. Seal bag  and toss  to coat. Refrigerate chicken 1 hour to overnight. 

3) Prepare grill. Remove chicken from marinade and place on grill. Cook until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. 

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

You can use any cut of chicken with this recipe. Chicken breasts, chicken thighs, chicken drumsticks. If you wanna cook this inside: Pan sear the chicken for 3 minutes on each side. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.  

Pizza Casserole

 

Ingredients 

16 oz rotini or penne pasta noodles (uncooked) 

3 1/2 C pizza sauce

2 1/2 C water

1 C grated mozzarella cheese

1/2 C grated cheddar cheese

24 pepperonis 

1/4 C onions

1/4 diced bell peppers

1/2 C sliced mushrooms (optional) 

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 

2) Place uncooked pasta in a 13 x 9 in. baking dish. 

3) In a large bowl combine the pizza sauce, water, onions, diced bell peppers and mushrooms. 

4) Pour pizza sauce mixture over noodles, mix enough to ensure the noodles are coated. 

5) Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top of the noodles.

6) Spread the pepperoni on top of the cheese. 

7) Cover the casserole dish with foil. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. 

8) Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes or until noodles are al dente and the cheese is melted and slightly browned.

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 40 minutes

Total: 45 minutes

Serves: 12 

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Country-Style Pork Ribs

 

Ingredients 

2-3 lbs country-style pork ribs

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

oil for browning

Sauce:

1/3 C soy sauce

3/4 C pineapple juice or lemon-lime soda

3 cloves garlic (crushed) 

1/2 C brown sugar

Gravy: 

2 tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 C water

Directions

1)  Trim ribs of any excess fat. 

2) Heat oil over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet. 

3) Mix the salt, pepper and garlic powder; sprinkle over pork.

4) Brown pork well on both sides; place in a 5-6 qt crock pot. 

5) Mix sauce ingredients in a small bowl and pour over pork. 

6) Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours, or high 3-4 hours. 

7) If a thick sauce is desired, remove ribs to a serving plate and keep warm in a 200 degree oven, turn cooker to high (if you cooked on low) and heat until sauce begins to bubble. Mix the cornstarch and water and stir into sauce, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook for 5 minutes. 

8) You can return the ribs to the crock pot to coat with sauce if desired. Otherwise, ladle the sauce over ribs on serving platter.

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 6 hours 20 minutes

Total: 6 hours 35 minutes

Serves: 4 

Any variety of pork chops may be substituted but if using thin chops (less than 1/2 in thick) cook time will need to be adjusted down - approximately 4 hours low and 2 hours high.  

Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken Alfredo

 

Ingredients 

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 lb chicken breasts

1 lb smoked sausage (sliced into 1 in pieces) 

3 C heavy cream

4 C low sodium chicken broth

4 tbsp butter

2 tbsp. coarse cajun seasoning

2 cloves garlic smashed

1 lb. uncooked penne pasta

1/2 C hot water

5 oz freshly shredded parmesan cheese

kosher salt and black pepper

garlic powder

Directions

1) Pat chicken breasts dry and season with salt, pepper and a sprinkle of garlic powder. Heat olive oil over high heat and quickly sear chicken breasts on both sides. 

2) Add chicken breasts, sausage, heavy cream, chicken broth, butter, garlic cloves and 1/2 tsp of kosher salt, cajun seasoning and several turns of freshly ground black pepper to slow cooker. 

3) Cook on low for about 4 hours or high for 2-3 hours, until chicken has reached 165 degrees. 

4) Remove chicken from slow cooker and set aside to cool and slice. 

5) Stir in 1/2 C of hot water and uncooked penne pasta, cover and cook on high for 30 minutes. Just until pasta is tender. 

6) Once pasta is tender, stir in parmesan cheese, sliced chicken and additional salt and pepper to taste. 

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 4 hours 30 minutes

Total: 4 hours 45 minutes

Serves: 8