Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers

Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers

This dish saves me so much time, especially if you prep the night before, and the slow cooker really allows the tastes and spices to blend together. The aroma that this meal leaves inside your house is out of this world! Perfect meal to come home to after a long day in the office.

INGREDIENTS:

*1 1/2 pounds ground beef

*1 1/3 cups uncooked white rice

*1 small onion, diced

*1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

*3 whole bay leaves

*1 teaspoon ground cumin

*1 teaspoon salt

*1 teaspoon pepper

*1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (OPTIONAL!)

*1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

*1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

*2 cloves of garlic, minced

*6 large green bell peppers, tops cut off and hollowed out

*32 ounces, canned, crushed tomatoes

*1 1/2 cups beef broth

*1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

PROCEDURE:

Mix together first 8 ingredients in bowl. Spoon mixture into peppers, filling about 3/4 of the way. (Discard pepper tops)

Place stuffed peppers into 5-quart slow cooker. Pour crushed tomatoes over peppers, some cheese, then pour beef broth around the sides.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Top with Parmesan cheese before serving.

6 to 8 hours later...

ENJOY!

Banana Nut Cake

Banana Nut Cake

Whip up banana nut cake in no time with this quick and easy recipe. I personally really like the taste and texture of this bread, very moist cake, perfect for using up overripe bananas. Not only are they easy to mash but they do have an outstanding flavor (instead of throwing them out) Best if made a day before serving.  I've made it several times and people rave about it. It is very easy to make. If any lasts until day 2, I warm it up in the microwave for about 8 seconds and add just a tad of butter and it's like eating it fresh out of the oven again. This bread doesn't last long, that's for sure!!!!

INGREDIENTS:

*3 cups all purpose flour
*2 2/3 cups sugar
*1 cup shortening
*4 mashed bananas
*1 cup buttermilk
*2 teaspoons baking powder
*2 teaspoons baking soda
*1 1/2 teaspoon salt
*4 eggs
*1 cup finely chopped nuts

PROCEDURE:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mash all 4 peeled bananas in a seperate plate.

Beat all ingredients (except the nuts) in a large bowl on medium speed, scraping bowl constantly, until blended, about 30 seconds.

Beat on high speed , scraping bowl occasionally, for apx 3 minutes. Then add nuts.

Spoon into pans.

Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely.

ENJOY!

Debsie's Famous Stuffed Chicken

Debsie's Famous Stuffed Chicken

This is a fun and delicious recipe I put together at the last minute for some very hungry folks! One of my favorites, to be honest.  It’s hardly any work; the oven does the work for you, but it’s a very delicious and tasty way to serve chicken for a change. All the flavors together just work; flakey and crispy on the outside, moist and oozy on the inside.

Pairs well with fresh veggies or white rice. A glass of red wine compliments this dish very well!.

INGREDIENTS:

*4 chicken fillets
*4 frozen puff pastry sheets
*4 oz cream cheese (the firm kind)
*few rashes of bacon
*flat-leaf parsley
*handful of cilantro
*1 spring onion
*2 garlic cloves
*salt and pepper to taste

PROCEDURE:

Chop a spring onion and a small handful of flat-leaf parsley and cilantro. Gotta love the stuff. You can use any herb you like, though.



Add the spring onions, parsley, cilantro, crumbled up bacon and a good pinch of pepper to 4 oz firm cream cheese.

Mix all ingredients together. Adding a little garlic, chili pepper and/or grated cheese also tastes great! Just go wild! Think of fun and yummy combinations.

Make a fairly deep cut in each chicken fillet.

Spread 1/4 of the cream mixture inside the chicken.

My puff pastry sheets were fairly small, so I’ve used two for each chicken fillet. I kinda stuck them together, and flattened them with my dough pin.

Place the chicken on top of the puff pastry, with the cream cheese side down. Season the chicken with a generous amount of salt and pepper.

Just fold them until you end up with small packages.

Pop them in a preheated oven, and bake at 400F (200C) for 40 to 45 minutes.

Nom Nom Nom...

ENJOY!

Cookies*N*Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes

Cookies*N*Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes

These cheesecakes are super easy to prepare, everything comes together in one bowl and there’s no crushing chocolate wafers with a rolling pin, then melting butter, baking the crust first and then baking a second time when filled.
Just a little warning, once you try these, there’s no going back, absolutely mouthwatering and scrumptious!

INGREDIENTS:

*42 Oreos, 30 left whole and 12 coarsely chopped
*2 pounds (32 ounces) cream cheese, softened
*1 cup granulated sugar
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*4 large eggs, lightly beaten
*1 cup sour cream
*pinch of salt

PROCEDURE:

Preheat oven to 275°. Line standard cupcake pans with liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each liner.

Beat cream cheese at medium speed using an electric mixer. Gradually add the sugar, beating until combined. Beat in vanilla.

Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time. Beat in sour cream and salt.

Stir in chopped cookies by hand.

Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top.

Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or up to overnight).

Remove from tins just before serving. Best served really cold! You can garnish with fresh whipped cream and crumbled Oreos if desired.

Nom nom nom...

Just a little taste of heaven <3

ENJOY!

Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo)

Pão de Queijo — pronounced pow duh KAY-zhoo, or cheese bread, has a really interesting texture. It’s crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. These breads are a national craze in Brazil. Brazilians love their cheese bread, trust me, you will too.
I am obsessed with these cheese balls of goodness, can't get enough whenever I visit family in Brazil, and now that I know how to make them, WATCH OUT!

INGREDIENTS:

*1 egg, at room temperature
*1/3 cup olive oil.
*2/3 cup milk
*1 1/2 cups (170 grams) tapioca flour (tapioca starch)
*1/2 cup packed (about 100 grams) grated cheese of your choice (I like the combination of cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese)
*1 heaping teaspoon salt

PROCEDURE:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a mini-muffin tin generously. Put all of the ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth.

Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender so that everything gets blended well. At this point you can store the batter in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until all puffy and just lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for a few minutes. Eat while warm or save to reheat later.

ENJOY!

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Life is busy, the air is cool, the leaves are changing...'tis the season for good old-fashioned comfort food and this chicken pot pie recipe is just it! With such perfect timing, I thought that I would have to try making one. A chicken pot pie is a pretty simple, savory pie containing chicken, vegetables, and a creamy sauce. You can make the pie with a top and bottom crust or just the top crust, or you can even use biscuits to form a crust. This traditional favorite provides comfort to both adults and kids.
Since this was my first attempt at making such a pie, and not having a lot of time on my hands, I bought and used 2 Pillsbury Pet-Ritz pie crusts for the bottom. For the top crust I used Pillsburg biscuit dough.

INGREDIENTS:

*1 Pillsbury Pet-Ritz frozen pie crust (contains 2 crusts)
*2 cups frozen mixed vegitables
*3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, boiled
*1 teaspoon dried thyme
*1/2 can cream of celery soup
*1 can condensed cream of potato soup
*1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
*1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
*1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (OPTIONAL!)
*salt and pepper to taste

PROCEDURE:

1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C)
2.) Combine boiled chicken, frozen vegitables and cans of soup in a pot. Bring to a boil.

3.) Pour filling into pie.

4.) Cut slits in the top of the crust to allow for steam to escape.

5.) Place pie on cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes and then serve.

ENJOY!

Strawberry Shortcake Revised

Strawberry Shortcake Revised

Is it your friend's, co-worker's or someone in your family's birthday, and you would like to bake that unique cake for him or her, but you are torn between baking a chocolate, carrot or vanilla cake? Cupcakes or a pan cake? With all the choices out there to chose from, what will you make?

I highly reccommend an easy-to-bake and delicious, all around favorite, strawberry shortcake. Tender yellow cake with layers of vanilla pudding, cool whip and fresh strawberries. Best served after chilling in the fridge overnight, but the wait is well worth it! Whip this up for your next BBQ or party, and wait for the oohs and ahhs to rain down, you domestic goddess, you.

INGREDIENTS:

*3 cups all-purpose flour
*2 1/2 cups sugar
*1 1/2 cups shortening (half margarine or butter, softened, if desired)
*1 1/2 cups milk
*5 teaspoons baking powder
*1 1/2 teaspoon salt
*1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
*5 eggs

A pack (which contains 4) of Snack Pack vanilla pudding
1 16oz cool whip
Fresh strawberries, sliced.

PROCEDURE:

Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour (or you can use PAM baking spray) two 8-inch round (or one square) cake pan.

Beat ALL ingredients in a large bowl on medium speed, scraping bowl constantly, until blended, about 40 seconds.
Beat on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally, 5 minutes.
Pour batter into pan(s)

Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely.

Once cake has cooled off, use your hands to crumble and tear it all into small pieces.
Add a 2 inch layer of the crumble to the bottom of a container or bowl.
Add 2, out of the 4, pudding packs on top of crumble.
Add a generous amount of cool whip on top of the pudding.
Add slices of fresh strawberries on top of the cool whip.
(THINK LAYERS!)

REPEAT! Above steps.

ENJOY!!!!