My Favorite Recipes

Welcome to Our Favorite Recipes!

I haven't got all of them on here yet but enjoy the ones I do.

Brandon made this for breakfast this morning and it was sooooo yummy! It has now been assigned for Christmas morning breakfast along with his famous breakfast potatoes.

German Pancakes with Maple Peach Syrup

German Pancakes:

6 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

1 tsp salt

3TBSP butter

cinnamon sugar

Beat eggs, milk, flour and salt together. Set aside.

Heat oven to 450*, put 3 TBSP butter in a 8x8 pan. Place pan in oven till butter is melted. Remove pan and pour in pancake batter, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Maple Peach Syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 TBSP corn starch

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup frozen peaches + 1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp mapleine

1 tsp vanilla

Mix 1 cup sugar and water, bring to a boil. Sprinkle in corn starch, cinnamon and beat well until smooth.  Add peaches, 1/3 cup sugar and mapleine. bring to boil, add vanilla and remove from heat.

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Fall Off the Bone, Melt in Your Mouth, Baby Back Ribs

With Twice baked potatoes

This Recipe has picture instructions for those that don't have a clue on what I'm talking about, it can be confusing. :) It took us about 6-7 attempts to perfect these babies. They are so good that we no longer order them at restaurants.

Other materials needed:

Cookie Sheet

Large Cooling Rack 

(preferably one that fits in a cookie sheet)

Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil

Very Sharp Knife

1-2 Paper Towels

These 4 ingredients is all you need:

Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce, Liquid Smoke, Grill Creations: Chicken and Rib Rub and Pork Baby Back Ribs.

 Remove the plastic and rinse the ribs off with cold water.

 Turn over and find the end with what looks like the thickest membrane corner.

Start by slicing a corner of the membrane with a very sharp knife and very gently slice at the area where the membrane meets the meat and bone until you have a good chunk that you can hold onto. 

 About 1 1/2 ribs length.

Then take a paper towel and grab onto that membrane section and gently pull back at an angle, it should slowly pull off. 

Pull it completely off. 

You can slice them into portions of bake the whole rack in one piece.

Take the sharp knife and make little slices in the meatiest part on the under side of the ribs.

This is optional: slice off any huge chunks of fat. I slice them off but then lay the chunks on top of the meat while it cooks then it they haven't melted into the meat when done baking then remove them before serving.

Dry Seasoning:

Sprinkle a generous amount of the rib rub onto both sides, massaging it in for a few minutes.

Prepare a layer of Heavy Duty Foil on a baking rack, carefully (so as not to puncture the foil) place the ribs on the foil top side up and sprinkle with the liquid smoke.

About 10-15 shakes per rack. 

Gently fold up the foil (don't puncture the foil)

 Here comes the tricky part...

(well, to explain at least)

After the foil is wrapped on the edges, the top is still exposed. Lay another layer of foil on top of the ribs and then take a cookie sheet and lay that on top of the ribs.

Place one hand on the top pan and one on bottom (baking rack).

And flip quickly.

Place the baking rack on another cookie sheet and flip again so that the ribs are now on the baking rack in the cookie sheet. 

The reason for all the flipping is so that the side that has the opening of the first piece of foil is facing up with the second piece of soil is removed. And if you try to do it without the pans, you'll rip the foil and your ribs will not be as moist and tender. You don't want any steam or liquid coming out of the foil while baking.

 Bake for 8-9 hour at 170* or the lowest setting on your oven.

Remove from oven and check to see how it is progressing.

Smother in BBQ Sauce, recover.

Then turn up the temperature to 350 and continue to bake for1-2 hours depending on how done they were to begin with.

When the are done they should lightly fall apart when the bone is gently pulled on.

Now to the potatoes!

I have found it is easiest to prepare the potatoes and store them in the fridge until 1 1/2  hours before you'll need them. If you do it this way, remove the ribs when they are done and keep covered and set aside on top of the oven.  Bake the potatoes and when they are done add the ribs back into the oven with the potatoes for about 20-30 minutes so that everything is hot and ready together.

Unless you have two ovens, then you can make them at the same time as the ribs.

(Can't wait till I have two ovens in my kitchen) 

Choose out as many potatoes as you would like to make. I usually to 10-12, so the measurements are for that many.

Ingredients:

10-12 Large evenly sized potatoes

1 pkg bacon, cooked crispy

1 lb cheese, shredded

3-4 green onions, minced

3/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup butter

salt

pepper

garlic salt (my personal favorite is Lawry's)

Set aside 1/2 cup of the bacon, 1/2 cup of the cheese, and 1/4 cup of the onions for the topping.

Scrub potatoes, stab with a knife or fork and wrap in foil.

Bake at 400* until soft to the squeeze.

Depending on the size of potato...Mine usually take 70-90 minutes.

You want them to be very very baked, soft and fluffy so it will mix well.

This extra large one took 2 1/2 hours. It was massive! 

After baked let cool for about 20-30 minutes so that you can handle them on a hot pad with out burning yourself. 

Then you will slice a small section off the top and discard that.

Take a small spoon and carefully dig out the meat of the potato

(Careful not to puncture the skin)

Put all the potato into a bowl, until finished scooping.

While the potatoes are still warm add the butter and sour cream. Beat with beaters until smooth.

Sprinkle in the salt, pepper and garlic salt a little at a time to your personal taste.

Beat in bacon, cheese, onions.

 Spoon back into potato skins and mound a little on the top.

Top with a pinch of cheese then onions and bacon.

Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour or until heated through all the way.

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Peanut Butter Oreo Topped Brownie

Ingredients:

2 box Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix

Bake as directed, both mixes in one jelly roll pan.

Cool and slice into 2" squares.

Crushed Oreo's

Hot Fudge 

12oz Cool Whip

Peanut Butter Mousse:

1 cup Peanut Butter

8 oz. Cream Cheese

1/2 cup sugar

8 oz. Cool Whip

1 tsp Pure Vanilla

Beat PB, Cream Cheese and sugar together till smooth. Add vanilla, mix well. Fold in Cool whip.  Refrigerate 4hrs or overnight till firm.

Assembly:

One 2" brownie

1 TBSP of Oreo crumbs

2 TBSP PB Mousse

(Can be put in a pastry bag for a semi-mess free assembly)

Drizzle of hot fudge

Dollop of Cool Whip

Sprinkle of Oreo Crumbs

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 Moist Yellow pudding cake with Almond Praline filling 

topped with white chocolate cream cheese frosting.

Cake:

2 Yellow Box Cake Mix

2 - 4oz. White Chocolate instant pudding

2 cup buttermilk

Make cake as directed the box, adding pudding and buttermilk.

Bake in small increments about 1 cup per 8-in pan.

Almond Praline filling/caramel: 

1 1/4 cups brown sugar 

1/2 cup light corn syrup

 1/2 cup butter

 1 dash salt

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups finely chopped almonds (food processor works great)

Combine sugar, corn syrup, margarine, and salt in medium saucepan; bring to boil.

Reduce heat to medium and add stir in milk; cook, stirring frequently, to soft ball stage (240 degrees).

Remove from heat then stir in vanilla.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:

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 Sour Cream Blueberry Pie

1 Can of Blueberry Pie Filling

1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder
2 tablespoons cold water

Place the blueberry filling in the bottom of a baked pie crust* and chill.

Dissolve gelatin in 2 tablespoons water and set aside. Mix the sour cream, sugar, cream cheese, dash of salt in a pan warm on low heat until sugar in dissolved and everything is mixed thoroughly, stir and watch that mixture so that does not burn or dry out. 

When all is smooth and blended add vanilla and stir. Then gradually add gelatin until mixture has a firm consistency of soft pudding, remove from heat. Sour cream topping may be smoothed over blueberries while lukewarm and chill. May be garnished with whipped cream.

*Pie Crust:

You can use store bought, but it taste so much better with a flaky homemade crust.

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup cold shortening

2-4 TBSP ice water

Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a medium size bowl. Cut in the cold shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle 2-3  TBSP ice water over the mixture. Toss with a fork to moisten, adding a few more drops of water at a time until the dough comes together.

Gently gather dough together into a ball.Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 20-30 minutes before rolling.

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Crunchy Caramel Apple Pie

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 Mini PB Filled Fudge Cupcakes

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Crumb topped sweet potatoes

2lbs fresh sweet potatoes
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Topping:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup instant oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Place sweet potatoes in a large sauce pan  and cover with water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and cook for 25-40 minutes until tender. Drain, cool slightly and peel. cut into chunks and place in a 2qt baking dish.
Mix flour, sugar, oats and cinnamon together in a bowl and cut in butter till crumbly. Set aside.
In a small saucepan combine the butter, syrup, sugar and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour over potatoes. Take crumb mixture and cover potatoes. Bake uncovered at 350* for 30 -40 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

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Broken Glass Jell-o

4 small boxes of jello (3 oz), different colors

1 can sweetened condensed milk 

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin

water

Dissolve each box of jello separately, using just one cup of boiling water per flavor. Pour into individual containers (small tupperware works well) and chill overnight.

Once solid, cut the flavors of jello into small blocks and mix together carefully in a glass 9×13 pan.

In a separate bowl, dissolve 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin in 2 cups hot water. Let cool a bit and stir in the condensed milk. Cool to touch and pour cooled milk mixture over jello and chill overnight.

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One Hour Cinnamon Rolls / Rolls

Mix and let sit for 15 minutes:

3 1/2 c. warm water

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. oil

6 T. yeast (4 1/2 Saf-Instant)

Then add:

1 T. salt

3 eggs

10 1/2 c. flour

Mix together for 10 minutes, then sit for 10 minutes. Oil cupboard, dump out dough. Divide in half. Roll one half out into rectangle. Spread with ¼ c. melted butter and then with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Roll up tight, but not too tight. Divide into 12 rolls and place on greased cookie sheet. Repeat with other half of dough. Let rise. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 400.

Cinnamon-Sugar

1c. brown sugar

1 T. cinnamon

Recipe from http://valleyridgerecipes.blogspot.com

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24hr Marinaded Teriyaki Chicken and Sticky Rice

Marinade:

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 soy sauce

1/2 teriyaki sauce

10 dashes liquid smoke

1/2 cup sugar

I usually make 3x the marinade called for then set aside 2 cups of it before the chicken is added. I boil it so it gets a little thicker and then pour it over the cooked chicken.

Put mixture into a large bowl or gallon ziploc bag and add chicken. Let sit in fridge for 24+hrs. 

Remove chicken from marinade and discard remaining marinade. Skewer chicken onto wood kabob skewers and cook over medium heat on grill or in a 9x13 baking dish completely covered with tin foil.

Right before serving pour extra sauce over chicken and dip or drizzle chicken in melted butter.

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Cheesecake filled white cupcakes topped with a danish raspberry filling and more cheesecake!

Cupcake:

1 white cake mix

1 sm. pkg vanilla pudding 

1 cup buttermilk 

Make cake as directed, add vanilla and buttermilk. Mix well. Bake as directed

Cheesecake: 

1-8oz Cream Cheese

1-8oz Cool Whip

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla

Beat vanilla and cream cheese until smooth, add the powdered sugar and beat again till smooth.

Fold in the Cool Whip and chill for at least 3-4 hours or overnight.

Danish Strawberry Pudding:

Follow directions on box, cool on counter and spoon a small amount on top of cheesecake.

Store cupcakes in fridge until ready to serve. 

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Scones with Marshmallow Honey butter

1 cup warm water

1 cup warm milk

1 Tbsp. dry active yeast

3 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1/4 cup melted butter, cooled

1 Tbsp. salt

5 – 6 cups bread flour

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Lost Creek Honey Butter:

From Jessica Hawkes

Beat all together:

1lb. butter

2/3 cup margarine

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 large jar marshmallow cream

1-1/2 cups honey or to taste

Combine warm water and warm milk.  Stir in the sugar.  Add dry active yeast and stir lightly.  Allow yeast to activate, about 10 minutes.  In a stand mixer, fitted with a bread hook, add milk mixture and melted cooled butter.  Add the salt.  Start the mixer and add the flour one cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  Dough should be slightly sticky but workable.  Cover the dough in the bowl with a towel.  Set in a warm place and allow raise until double.

Pour your oil in a large pan (with sides deep enough to fully immerse the scones) or a deep fryer and heat slowly over medium to medium high heat.  While the oil is heating, roll the dough out onto the counter, without flour, into a large rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.  You may choose to butter the counter lightly.  Using a pizza cutter, cut into squares or triangles.

Heat oil to between 350 – 400 degrees and cook scones until golden brown.  Serve immediately.

Recipe from http://www.make-it-do.com

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Winger's Sticky Fingers!

One word...AMAZING!!!
I can't believe I've been paying so much for this at the restaurant!
Ready?!

6 TBSP Franks Hot Sauce (It has to be FRANKS!)
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 TBSP water

Mix all THREE together in a small sauce pan and heat until sugar is dissolved.
Pour over chicken and enjoy!
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Blueberry Banana Protein Shake

1/2 cup of frozen blueberries

a banana

1/2 cup water

 1/2 cup of 100% blueberry juice

 2 scoops of Melalueca vanilla protein powder 

6oz of low fat blueberry yogurt

Put all in blender and blend till smooth.

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Rainbow cupcakes with Cotton Candy frosting

1 white cake mix

1 sm. pkg vanilla pudding 

1 cup buttermilk 

1 can of vanilla frosting

1 packet of Duncan Hines Frosting Creations in Cotton Candy flavor.

Make cake as directed, add vanilla and buttermilk. Mix well. Divide batter evenly into however many colors you want. Use a small portion of food coloring paste (it goes a long way) and mix each color into a portion of the batter.

Using either a spoon, ziploc bag or pastry bag, pipe the colors in one at a time on top of each other in the cupcake pans or large pan and bake as directed on box.

For the Frosting:

Mix the can of frosting and the frosting creations together until well mixed.

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Easy Flaky Garlic Rolls!

1 can of Pillsbury original flaky biscuits

butter

garlic salt

Grease a cupcake pan for the number of rolls you are making.  take a biscuit and act like you are going to fold it inside out, easy way to understand take a round biscuit and stick your finger in the middle and wrap the edges around your finger. it should make a dome shape. Then dip the top in melted butter, place in cupcake pan and sprinkle with garlic salt. Bake about 15 minutes or until golden.

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Creamy Mints

3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

1/4 teaspoon mint extract

4 to 4 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

about 1/4 cup superfine, granulated sugar or colored sugar

(I personally added a few shakes of colored sugar to my granulated sugar before rolling them in it.)

1. beat the cream cheese until soft and fluffy, about two minutes. add the mint and food coloring, if using, and mix until blended.
2. add the confectioners sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until it forms a stiff mixture.
3. form balls with about 1/2 teaspoon of the mixture. roll in the superfine sugar and flatten with your thumb or tines of a fork. store in the refrigerator.

Recipe from: http://kitchentrialanderror.blogspot.com

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Crunchy Peanut Butter Bombs!

When I made these I just went by the seat of my pants :)

So when I make them again, which I will! I will write down the measurements.

The Ingredients, if you want to try yourself, are:

pretzels

peanut butter

caramel

coconut

semi sweet chocolate chips

white sugar 

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Dual Peppermint Bark

1 bar of Lindt white chocolate

1 cup of vanilla chips

1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

3-4 candy canes, finely crushed

Sprinkle the crushed candy canes on a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

Melt white chocolate and vanilla chips together at 30 second intervals in the microwave, stirring in between, until smooth.  Using a spatula, carefully, yet quickly pour white chocolate mix on top of candy canes and gently spread until all candy canes are covered. Place pan in freezer for 1-2 minutes until set and then repeat with semi-sweet chocolate. flash freeze again and then break into pieces. 

Enjoy the melt in you mouth goodness.

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Orange Chicken and Rice

• 
  
• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• oil (for frying)
• 1/2 cup cornstarch, plus 2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup green onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 
  

Orange Sauce 

• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons water
• 10 tablespoons sugar
• 10 tablespoons white vinegar
• Zest of 2 oranges

Place chicken pieces in large bowl.

Stir in egg, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon oil and mix well.

Add chicken pieces to egg mixture

Stir cornstarch and flour together.

Add chicken pieces, stirring to coat.

Heat oil for deep-frying in wok/frying pan or deep-fryer(my favorite) to 375 degrees.

Add chicken, small batches at a time, and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden crisp.

(Do not overcook chicken).

Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; set aside.

Clean frying pan and heat 15 seconds over high heat.

You have to work quickly now or you will burn the garlic and onions. So be prepared and have everything ready and near the stove top in separate bowls.

Add 1 tablespoon oil

Add garlic and stir-fry until fragrant; about 10 seconds.

Add green onions.

Add Orange Sauce, (recipe above, make before anything else)

Stir water into remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth and add to orange sauce

Heat until sauce is thickened.

Pour over chicken and rice and enjoy!

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Flaky Pizza Rolls

1 can of Pillsbury Original Flaky Layers Biscuits

Mozzarella cheese, grated

Tomato Sauce

Pepperoni

McCormick Thick & Zesty Spaghetti Mix

1. Mix tomato sauce and spaghetti mix

2. softly flatten a biscuit

 3. Put 1 TBSP of sauce some cheese and pepperoni in the middle

(or whatever kind of pizza ya want) 

4. Then fold together sides...

 pinch tightly! or they will open while baking.

5. Grease a cupcake pan and place them in. 

(I put them in folded side up(like the picture) for my first batch but then learned that they turned out better on the inside when put in folded side down.)

6. Then butter the tops with melted or soft spreadable butter.

7. Sprinkle with Garlic Salt and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Repeat steps 6 &7

This is what they look like when bake with folded sides up. 

The beginning picture (up top) is baked with folded side down.

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Bacon and Onion CHEESEBALL!

2-8oz. Cream Cheese, room temperature 

1 pkg bacon, cooked crispy

3 green onions

1 cup finely grated colby jack cheese

1 pkg Ritz Crackers

Fry  up bacon until crispy, cool and pulse in food processor till finely chopped. Add green onions to the bacon and pulse a few times. Remove any large onion pieces.  Blend cream cheese until smooth then add bacon onion mix. Sprinkle in cheese. Beat till all is combined. Refrigerate for an hour then remove and mold in a traditional ball or something festive. Then roll in crushed crackers and finely grated cheese. Put back into fridge for at least 4 hours.

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Candy Cane Coffee Cake

2 cups sour cream

2 pkgs dry yeast

1/2 cups warm water

1/4 cup soft butter

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

6 cups flour, divided

1 can Cherry Pie Filling

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Heat sour cream over low heat to luke warm, then add the yeast.  Mix in butter, sugar and salt.  Add eggs and 2 cups of flour, mix well.  Add remaining flour until a soft dough is formed. Knead for 10 minutes. Put in a greased bowl, turning once.  Cover and let raise until double, punch down.  Divide into three portions for big candy canes or 9 or smaller ones.

Roll out to about 1.8" rectangle. On the long edges make 1" slits, 1/2" apart.

Spoon cherry filling into the center of the rectangle. Crisscross "flaps" up over tightly around cherries.  Form into a candy cane and place on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375* for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and brush with butter immediately and drizzle with a powdered sugar glaze.

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Funnel Cakes

3 lg eggs, beaten

2 c. milk

1/4 c. sugar

4 c. flour, sifted 

2 tsp. baking powder 

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1To beaten eggs, add milk and sugar. In separate bowl sift dry ingredients. Add to egg mixture, beating until smooth, stir in vanilla. Heat oil to 375* and pour batter into hot fat through a regular household funnel. Control the flow of batter by holding your finger over the bottom of the funnel. Make patterns, designs, swirls or whatever with the stream of batter as it flows into the hot fat. When "cakes" are golden brown, drain on paper plate and or paper towel, sprinkle with powder sugar, or cinnamon sugar and serve warm.

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cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

In a bowl, cream butter, peanut butter and sugars; beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Yield: about 3 dozen.

Cafe Rio Chicken

5 lbs chicken breast, boneless, skinless 

1 sm bottle zesty italian dressing 

1 T chili powder 

1 T cumin 

3 cloves garlic, minced 

Cook chicken in a crockpot for 5 hours, remove and shred. Mix together remaining ingredients. Pour over chicken and toss together. Return all of it to crockpot and cook for another 1-2 hours.

The Extras To Make The Burrito:

Large Tortillas

Refried Beans-hot

Salsa

Tomatoes-diced

Onions-diced

Sour Cream

Lettuce-shredded

2 pkgs of Knorr Rice Sides Chicken Flavored-prepared