Taco Pizza

Pizza of any kind is always a hit around here and this one was no different. We love pizza! This is a fun different kind to throw in the mix once in awhile, just to keep things interesting. And it's easy! Gotta love easy!

 

Taco Pizza

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough

1 pound hamburger

1 15 oz. can refried beans 

1 envelope taco seasoning

2 c. cheddar cheese

1 small can chopped olives

1 tomato, chopped

Unroll pizza dough onto a 10x15" pan. Press it to the edges and a little up the sides. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes. While the dough is cooking, brown the hamburger. Put the beans and taco seasoning in a bowl and mix together. Microwave the beans about 1 1/2 minutes to warm them through. When the pizza dough is done, take it out of the oven and spread with the beans. Top with the browned hamburger, then the cheese, olives, and tomato. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Corn Casserole

The first time I had this was at Girl's camp for church. Holy cow - loved it! I asked for the recipe. And made it multiple times. Still love it!

 

Corn Casserole - Carmen Kneisley

1 box of jiffy corn muffin mix 

1 can sweet cream corn 

1 can whole kernel corn, drained 

1/2-1 stick melted butter 

1 cup sour cream 

1 egg 

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. I just use a fork. Pour into greased 9x9 baking dish & bake 45 minutes to 1 hour until firm.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

I made this for my son's 11th birthday. He asked for a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup cake so I improvised with chocolate cake and peanut butter frosting. He loved it! Thank goodness! These kids can be so difficult to please at times!

 

Chocolate Cake

2 c. flour

2 c. sugar

3/4 c. cocoa powder

2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 c. milk

1/2 c. oil

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. boiling water

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until it is well combined. Turn the speed down to low and slowly add in the boiling water. Continue beating for one minute. Pour cake batter into a 9x13 pan or 2 9 inch round pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake. Remove the cake from the oven and cool about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely before frosting. 

Peanut Butter Mousse Frosting

2 c. creamy peanut butter

2 8 oz, package cream cheese, softened

2 c. powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. vanilla

2 c. cold whipping cream

Using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and peanut butter together until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl with clean beaters, beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the cream into the peanut butter mixture in 3-4 additions. 

Frost the cake generously with the frosting. This makes quite a bit so there will be plenty for the filling between the layers and on the cake. Top with chopped peanut butter cup candy.

Nutty Bars

I started making these years ago because they freeze really well. I would make them ahead of time and eat them slowly - sharing with the kids sometimes. Just kidding, I made them for the kids and ate some because they are delicious and I love them. So do the boys. they get so excited to get a treat with peanuts! They always offer to eat the extra peanuts for me, too. They are such good "helpers"!

 

Nutty Bars

1 box yellow cake mix

1 c. butter

 1 egg

4 c. mini marshmallows

1 10 oz. bag peanut butter baking chips

2 tsp. vanilla

2/3 c. Karo syrup

12 oz. salted peanuts

Mix dry cake mix with 2/3 c. softened butter and the egg. Mix it together well and press into a jelly roll pan, using your fingers to push it to the edges. Bake 10 minutes at 325 degrees. Sprinkle the marshmallows over the cake layer and bake 5 minutes. Cool completely. Melt the peanut butter chips, vanilla, Karo syrup, and 1/3 c. butter together in a pot over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. When smooth, pour over the marshmallows and spread to cover the cake completely. Sprinkle the peanuts over the top and press lightly. If I am going to freeze these, I always cut them first. It can be difficult to cut when frozen. Plus, it's easier to eat a piece if they are already cut...

Blueberry Muffins

More Saturday morning muffins. Who doesn't love a fresh blueberry muffin? I use plain non-fat Greek yogurt in these so they are really moist and even have some protein! And fresh berries! Nutritious, right? Just looking out for my kids...

 

Blueberry Muffins

2 1/2 c. flour

1 1/3 c. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 c. oil

2/3 c. milk

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1 c. Greek plain non-fat yogurt

2 c. blueberries

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well.  Add eggs, oil, milk, vanilla, and yogurt. Mix just until combined. Fold in the blueberries. Batter should. still be a little lumpy. Divide into lined or greased muffin tins and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until lightly golden on top.

Fiesta Bake

I don't remember where I got this recipe from anymore. This is one I have been making for nearly twenty years at this point. I love Mexican food and this is a great Mexican-type casserole! Everyone eats it when I make it - always a nice change not to have the "Do we have to have this for dinner?" whine.

 

Fiesta Bake

 1 pound hamburger

garlic granules or powder

onion powder

1 10 oz. can enchilada sauce

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

2 15 oz. cans chili beans

1 can undrained corn

chopped olives

8-10 corn tortillas, torn into large pieces

cheese

Brown the hamburger with garlic powder and onion powder. Drain.  Add the sauces, beans, and corn. Pour 1 up of the mixture in the bottom of a large casserole dish (I used a 9x9 square pan). Add a layer of corn tortillas. Repeat layers until sauce and tortillas are gone (about 3 layers of tortillas) ending with a layer of sauce. Top with cheese, then olives. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Caramel Apple Cider Cookies

These cookies are amazing. I love caramel. Like, love it. Really, really love it. These cookies are best when warm so if you aren't eating them right out of the oven (which is when you should be eating them!) then heat them up in the microwave for about 5 seconds before you eat them.

 

Caramel Apple Cider Cookies

1 c. butter, softened

1 c. sugar

1 box apple cider drink mix - you need all 10 packets

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

3 c. flour

1 bag caramels

Beat the butter and sugar together. Add in the contents of all 10 apple cider packets and beat until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then add in the vanilla. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon and mix well. Set the mixture aside and unwrap all the caramels and cut them all in half . Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop out the dough and wrap the ball around one of the caramels. Seal the edges so the caramel doesn't leak out. Repeat for each cookie until you run out of dough. Place on parchment paper covered cookie sheets. Yes, you need this. If the caramel does leak out you will not be happy if you don't have the parchment paper under the cookie. Bake at 35 degrees for about 12 minutes, just until the edges of the cookie begin to brown. Allow to cool for two minutes, then remove from the cookie sheet. Again, the parchment paper is great here because you can simply slide the paper off the cookie sheet and let the cookies finish cooling. Or just eat them.