Rice Krispie Treats

Here's the classic Rice Krispie treat - more for my reference than anything. I think there might be two different versions, the one from the Rice Krispie box that uses more cereal, and the one from the marshmallow bag that uses more marshmallows (the one I prefer) :).

1/4 cup butter
1 pkg large marshmallows - Kraft
6 cups Rice Krispies

Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

Mix in Rice Krispies. Stir until well coated.

Spread the mixture using a buttered spatula or waxed paper evenly into a 9x13 pan coated with cooking spray.

Three Meat Stromboli

This was a huge hit! I used my own white bread recipe (used 1/2 dough for one large stromboli and made a loaf of bread with the rest) and just approximated the other ingredients for 1.5 lbs bread dough. I forgot I had used all of our pepperoni for a pizza last week, so I just had salami and ham - it was still delicious. Kids say this is on the top three favorite dinners list.
-Taste of Home, Jude Mulvey

4 loaves (1 pound each) frozen bread dough, thawed (or homemade white bread dough)
1/2 pound thinly sliced deli salami
1/2 pound thinly sliced deli ham
1/2 pound thinly sliced pepperoni
1/2 pound thinly sliced provolone cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon pepper
1 egg yolk, beaten + 1 tsp. water

Let dough rise until doubled, according to package directions.

Punch down. Roll each loaf into a 15-in. x 12-in. rectangle (or larger if using more dough). Arrange a fourth of the salami, ham, pepperoni and provolone cheese over each rectangle. Sprinkle each with a fourth of the mozzarella cheese, Romano cheese, garlic powder, oregano, parsley and pepper.

Roll up each rectangle jelly-roll style, beginning with a long side. Seal seams and ends. Place seam side down on two greased baking sheets (or line with parchment). Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese. Bake at 375° for 25-30 (35) minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm. (Serve with marinara sauce) Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 4 loaves (8 slices each).

Stacked Burrito Pie

Another reason I love Family Fun Magazine - yummy family-friendly recipes! This is a Mexican take on lasagna and was easy to serve in pie-like wedges after being baked in a springform pan.

-Family Fun, August 2009

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 pound lean ground beef
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
4 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup salsa
8 ounces Cheddar or Monterey Jack, grated

1. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and sauté another minute.

2. Increase the heat to medium, then add the ground beef, chili powder, and cumin. Cook the mixture until the beef is browned and no longer pink, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Add the salt, water, black beans, and corn, and bring the mixture to a boil. Allow it to continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates, about 20 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes.

3. Heat the oven to 350°. Using the rim of a 9-inch springform pan as a template, trim 3 of the tortillas to the size of the pan. Leave the fourth tortilla untrimmed. Note: You can also bake this dish in a 9-inch round cake pan and serve it like a lasagna.

4. Butter the bottom and the sides of the pan. Press the untrimmed tortilla evenly into the pan's bottom. Spread 2 tablespoons of the sour cream over the tortilla, followed by 1/4 cup of the salsa. Spoon and spread a quarter of the beef mixture over the salsa, then sprinkle a quarter of the grated cheese evenly over the top.

5. Place one of the trimmed tortillas on top of the cheese, then repeat the layering of the sour cream, salsa, beef, and cheese. Continue this way until the ingredients and tortillas are used up. You should end up with four layers, topped with the final sprinkling of cheese.

6. Bake the pie until heated through, about 30 minutes. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes, then remove the rim from the springform pan, if you used one. Slice the pie into wedges using a sharp knife.

Baked Chicken Taquitos

I've been meaning to try this recipe for quite awhile and wasn't disappointed! They were a tad spicy for the kids, but that could be easily remedied by using a more mild salsa.

-My Kitchen Cafe

Makes 14-16 taquitos

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup green salsa
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 green onion, sliced finely (white and green parts to equal about 2 tablespoons)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (I cook large batches of chicken in my crockpot with a little chicken broth and salt, shred it and freeze it for meals like this)
1 cup grated monterey jack cheese (use pepperjack if you like a little heat)
small yellow or white corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.In a medium-sized bowl, mix softened cream cheese, green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic powder. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.You can prepare this step ahead of time (which I did - I made it the morning of). Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Working with a few tortillas at a time, place 3-4 between two damp paper towels and microwave for 30-45 seconds, until tortillas are soft and pliable and don't crack while rolling. Place 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture on the lower third of a soft tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Then roll it up as tight as you can. (A few of mine wanted to rebel and come unrolled so I stuck a toothpick through them to keep them right and tight.)

Place filled taquitos seam side down on the baking sheet, making sure they don't touch each other. When ready to bake, spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and lightly sprinkle some kosher (coarse) salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Serve immediately. Taquitos can be dipped in in salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or any other combination you can dream up (my kids liked ranch dressing - go figure).

Sunny Morning Doughnuts

These are easy and delicious cake-style doughnuts. I made the dough Saturday night and then we fried them this morning for a yummy Sunday breakfast. The recipe calls for a dusting of powdered sugar, but I made a glaze of powdered sugar, milk and orange extract. The doughnut holes were everyone's favorites. I halved the recipe and it made more than enough to fill our family. The extras actually improved during the day and made yummy snacking treats!

-Taste of Home, Sherry Flaquel

Full recipe:
4-1/2 - 5 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
2 Tbsp. orange juice
4 tsp. grated orange peel
Oil for deep-fat frying
Confectioner's sugar (or glaze using powdered sugar, milk, orange extract)

In a large bowl, combine 4-1/2 cups flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. combine the eggs, milk, oil, orange juice and peel; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (Overnight)

Turn onto a floured surface, roll to 1/2-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. doughnut cutter. In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375. Fry doughnuts, a few at a time, until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Dust with confectioners' sugar (or dip in glaze).

Crisp Crust Pizza

I have made my fair share of homemade pizzas - as you can see by the well-used pizza stone pictured above. However; I was always missing the perfect crisp crust. Either the crust was soft all the way through, or it was crisp all the way through and tasted more like a cracker - not really what I like in a pizza. I have been studying several bread books, mostly trying to learn how to make a great baguette. This recipe comes from the Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum. For the sauce we used 6-and-1 tomatoes - they make all the difference! Saying that this got rave reviews would be an understatement - we all loved it!

Personal notes: Best flavor if the dough is refrigerated for 24 hours. Remove it from the fridge, and start process 1 1/2 hours before you want to eat.

1 1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp. King Arthur Italian-style or All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp. instant yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup water, room temp (70-90 degrees)
olive oil

1 - One hour before shaping (or for best flavor development, 8-24 hrs ahead), mix the dough. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, instant yeast, and sugar. Whisk in the salt (this keeps the yeast from coming into direct contact with the yeast, which would kill it). Make a well in the center and pour in the water. Using a rubber spatula or woden spoon, gradually stir in the four into the water until all the flour is moistened and a dough just begins to form, about 20 seconds. It should come away from the bowl but still stick to it a little, and be a little rough looking, not silky smooth. Do not overmix, as this wil cause the dough to become stickier.

2-Let the dough rise. Oil bottom and sides of a 4-cup bowl (to give the dough room to double in size). Place dough in bowl and turn to coat all sides with oil. Cover it tightly. If you want to use it soon, allow it to sit at room temperature for 1 hour or until doubled. For best flavor development, make the dough at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours ahead, and allow it to sit at room temperature for only 30 minutes or until slightly puffy. Then set the dough, still in the bowl, in the refrigerator. Remove it 1 hour before you want to put it in the oven.

3-Prepare the sauce. (We used 6-in-1 tomatoes, 2 tsp. finely shredded fresh basil, 1 tsp. dried oregano, salt to taste. This makes enough for 3-4 pizzas.)

4-Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 475 1 hour before baking. Have an oven shelf at the lowest level and place a baking sone on it before preheating.

5-Shape the pizza and let it rise. With oiled fingers, lift the dough out of the bowl. (I shaped our pizza on a piece of parchment). Press down with your fingers to deflate it gently. Shape it into a smooth round by tucking under the edges. if there are any holes, knead it very lighty until smooth. Allow the dough to sit for 15 minutes, covered, to relax it.

Using your fingertips, press the dough from the center to the outer edge to stretch it into a 15-inch circle, leaving the outer 1/2" thicker than the rest to form a lip. If the dough resists stretching, cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest for a few minues longer before proceeding. Brush the surface of the dough with any remaining olive oil. Cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to sit for 30-45 minutes, until it becomes light and slightly puffy with air.

6- Bake the pizza. Set the pizza pan directly on the hot stone and bake for 5 minutes. (I transfered the dough + parchment to the stone with a flat baking sheet)

7-Add the toppings. Remove the pizza & parchment from the oven and spread the tomato sauce on the dough, leaving a narrow border. Add shredded mozzarella. Top with additional toppings - we used ham and pepperoni. (I removed the parchment and put the pizza directly on the pizza stone using the flat baking sheet.) Bake for 5-10 minutes more or until cheese is melted and the crust golden.

8-Serve the pizza. Transfer the pizza to a cutting board and cut with a pizza wheel, sharp knife, or scissors.

Piggie Cookies

I saw these on a magazine cover while trying to usher my children out of Home Depot. I believe it was a Taste of Home booklet, but I'm not sure. Super cute!

Tint your sugar cookie dough and frosting pink.

Use 2 1/2" biscuit or cookie cutter.

Mini chocolate chips for eyes.

Halve a large marshmallow for snout and cut small holes for nostrils.
Butterscotch chips for nostrils

Cut corners off strawberry wafer cookies for ears.