Amazing French Toast Bake - Banana, Chocolate, Caramel Oh MY! (Kristi Original)

This creation turned out AMAZING! It is one of my favorites. It was inspired by looking around my kitchen and realizing that I had hot dog buns and bananas that were going to go bad. This is what popped into my head. My kid's new saying is, 'If it's in Mom's mind, it is amazing! ❤

Ingredients

1 Package of White Break Hot Dog Buns (You could probably use any bread, but this is what I had)

3 Sliced Bananas - Ripe to Over Ripe

6 Eggs

2 Cups of Milk

1 Tsp Cinnamon

1 Tsp Sugar

1 Tsp of Vanilla

1/2 Stick of Melted Butter

1/2 Cup or to Taste - Mini Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Caramel Ice Cream Topping

Non-Stick Cooking Spray

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees
2. Spray a 9 x 13 Pan with Non-Stick Cooking Spray. 
3. Rip up or cut up the hot dog buns and put them into the 9 x 13 pan until the pan is almost full. Leave enough room for the bananas and chocolate chips. 
4. Mix the Eggs, Milk, Vanilla, Cinnamon and Sugar to make a batter. It should be medium yellow. Add more milk if it isn't light enough.
5. Evenly Pour the batter onto the buns. Try to make sure all the buns get wet.
6. Top with Bananas and drizzle the Butter over everything
7. Top with the Chocolate Chips and generously drizzle Caramel Sauce over the top. 
8. Bake in the Oven Uncovered for 45 Minutes

Chicken Enchilada Hotdish (Kristi Original)

Tonight my son wanted Chicken Enchiladas, but we did not have any tortillas. Instead I created this hotdish. 

Ingredients

2 Cans of Refried Beans

2 Cans of Enchilada Sauce

2 Cups of Shredded Mexican or Cheddar Cheese (You can do more if you like)

1 Small Can of Sliced Black Olives

1/2 Bag of Tortilla Chips

1 Can of Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies (My son would prefer me to leave out the tomatoes though my husband and I liked them)

2 Cans of Chicken (Or Shredded chicken)

1/2 Onion Diced

1 Tbsp of Butter

Cumin

Cayenne Pepper 

Instructions

1. Saute the Onion with a sprinkle of Cumin in the melted Butter over a medium heat until it is cooked.

2. Take a 9 x 13 pan and layer the following ingredients spread out evenly

• Smash the 2 cans of Refried Beans across the bottom of the pan
• Cooked Onion
• Chicken (Drained and Shredded)
• 1 Can of Enchilada Sauce
• 1/2 of the Cheese
• Tortilla Chips (fill with whatever looks good)
• Black Olives (Drained)
• Tomatoes and Green Chilies (Drained)
• 1 Can of Enchilada Sauce
• Sprinkle with Cumin and Cayenne Pepper
• Top with Remaining Cheese

Bake in the Oven at 350 Degrees for 20 Minutes (Longer if it isn't warm)

Optional: Serve with Salsa, Avacado, Sour Cream and/or Guacamole

NOTE: Vegetarian Option, Removed the Chicken.

Banana Peanut Butter French Toast (Kristi Original)

I saw banana french toast listed at the state fair, so I thought I'd give it a try. They turned out AMAZING! If you don't like peanut butter or if you have allergies, this would still be amazing. 

Ingredients
White Bread (I used Sarah Lee Artisan White)
Eggs (4-5)
Milk (Splash/Dump) 1/4 Cup
Vanilla (Splash/Dump) 2 tsp to 1/2 Tbsp
Maple Syrup (Drizzle) 1 TBSP
1/2 -1 Very Smashed Ripe Banana
Peanut Butter (1 TBSP)
Cinnamon (Dump - 2 tsp)

Mix all the ingredients together. Dunk each slice of bread fully into the batter. Then grill the bread until it is fully cooked. Top with butter and syrup and enjoy. Yum!

Broccoli Cheese Sauce (Kristi Original)

Growing up my mom would make Velveeta cheese sauce, steamed broccoli and toast. We would put the broccoli on the toast and top it with cheese sauce. Since I hated broccoli I thought it was awful. I thought it would be better with just the cheese on bread. That got me thinking about a new way to do this so my kids might eat it. So I decided to be sneaky blend the broccoli INTO the cheese sauce so my kids would eat it. It turns out I loved it. However the kids still refused to try it. I think if you made it without the garlic, kids could really enjoy this. However I loved the garlic. This cheese sauce tasted great on pasta, as a dip for chips or on toast. 

Ingredients

1/4-1/3 Log of Velveeta cut into cubes

1 Bag of frozen broccoli

1/4? cup of Milk

1 Clove of Crushed Garlic

1-3 slice Fresh Mushrooms

Salt to taste

Optional:

1 to 1/2 slice of onion finally sliced

1 Jalapeno finely chopped

1. Cook the broccoli according to the instructions. (I used steam in the bag in the microwave).

2. Add the broccoli and the rest of the ingredients to the blender. 

3. Blend the the mixture until it is smooth. (Add more milk if the blender isn't bending, it may need more liquid)

This sauce taste great over pasta, as a cheese dip for chips or veggies, over cooked veggies or on toast. 

Creamy Taco Dip - Crack Dip (Kristi Original)

My husband and I bought a taco dip at a local grocery story. We couldn't stop eating it, so my husband named it the 'Crack Dip'. I decided to try to make the dip at home and I think I got it. I have 2 versions. Mild and Spicy. I'll have to fine tune the measurements later because I started with 1 cup of sour cream and 1/2 cup of Mayo and added an envelop of Taco Seasoning and it was WAY too much. So I had to add 16 oz of sour cream, a little bit of Mayo and Miracle Whip to mellow the flavor out. But I did save the dip and it is awesome!

Ingredients for the MILD dip
Sour Cream
Mayo
(Miracle Whip if you add too much seasoning and it's too salty)
Shredded Cheddar
Taco Seasoning to taste (I used a pack, don't use the whole pack unless you want A LOT of dip. See my note above)

Mix and chill for 1 hour.

Ingredients for the HOT dip
Mix the above ingredients but add..
1/2 to 1 slice of onion finely chopped
1 Jalapeno finely chopped

Spicy Chicken Pot Pie (Kristi Original)

Ingredients

1 Unbaked Pie Crust
3 Little Red Potatoes Cooked and Diced (I made mine on the microwave. You could probably use one large potato also)
1 Small Snacking Pepper Diced
3 Mushrooms Sliced
1 Can of Chicken Shredded or 1-2 Chicken Breasts Cooked
1 Can of Cream of Cheddar Soup
French's Crispy Jalapeños
Sriracha
Garlic Powder - Sprinkle
Spicy Shredded Cheese
Optional - Onions

Instructions
Mix the Potatoes, Pepper, Mushrooms, Chicken, Onions, Cream of Cheddar soup and a squirt of Sriracha. Pour into the pie crust. Bake at the temperature of the pie crust. Check it at the time that the crust should be done and adjust the time as needed. About 5 minutes before it is completed, top with the shredded cheese and Crispy Jalapenos. Put it back in the oven for 5 minutes.

Option - Vegetarian removed the chicken

Mexican Inspired Dessert Quesadilla (Kristi Original)

This is Mexican Inspired because it has chocolate, cinnamon, spice and honey. I've had combos like this in Mexico and in Mexican restaurants. It reminds me of Mexican hot chocolate. 

Ingredients:

2 Tortillas

Butter

Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips or Dark Chocolate

Marshmallows

Dash of Salt

Dash of Chili Powder

Dash of Cinnamon

Dried Cranberries

Raw Honey Drizzled inside or on top at the end

Cashews (Optional)

Take a tortilla and top it with whatever dessert items you like (mine are listed above). Top with a second tortilla. Warm a pan to a medium heat and melt butter in it. Put the tortilla in the pan and cook it until it is golden brown on one side. Flip it and cook it until it is a golden brown. The marshmallows and chocolate should melt sealing the tortillas together. Cut it up into triangles and enjoy your dessert. Yum and Fun! 

Theresa's Corn (Corn Bread Casserole)

1 Can Whole Corn
1 Can Cream Corn
8oz Sour Cream
1 Egg
1 Box of Jiffy Corn Bread Mix
1/2 Cup of Margarin or Butter
Onion (Optional)

Mix all the ingredients together.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour (or until the top turns brown)

Pizza Pasta (Kristi Original)

This is so easy to make and yummy! I made it with pepperoni, however if you leave out the pepperoni it would be vegetarian. It would also be fun to try adding vegetables to the recipe. Here's what I did...

Ingredients
1/2 Box of Pasta (I used Elbow Macaroni)
1 Jar of Spaghetti Sauce (I used Newman's Own Sockarooni)
1 Jar of Water
Splash of Vegetable Oil
Garlic Salt (Sprinkle)
Garlic Powder (Sprinkle)
1-2 Cups of Milk
1/4 Big Block Velveta Cut into Cubes (8oz)
1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Pepperoni

Instructions
1. Add the pasta, sauce, water to the instant pot and stir (The water should cover the noodles).
2. Sprinkle Garlic Salt and Garlic Powder
3. Determine the cooking time (See my post on perfect pasta in the instant pot)
(Previous Elbow Macaroni 3 minutes cooking, 5 minutes natural release and then quick release the rest. Perfect Pasta!)
4. When the pasta is done add the milk, Velveeta and shredded mozzarella. Stir until the cheese is melted. If you need to, turn on the saute to help the cheese melt. The milk will make the pasta creamy. 
5. Add in the desired amount of pepperoni and serve

Perfect Pasta in the Instant Pot

I was looking for how to cook pasta in the Instant Pot and I came upon the following recommendation. I gave it a try with elbow macaroni and it turned out great.

1. Look at the pasta's cooking instructions on the box. 
2. Take the lowest number and divide it in half
3.  Subtract 1 minute to get your cooking time

So if the box says cook 8 minutes, take 8 and divide it in half to 4 minutes. Then subtract 1 minute to get 3 minutes cooking time. 

Another example is if the box said 7-9 minutes. I'd take 7 and round down to an even number, 6. I'd divide 6 in half to 3 and subtract 1 to get 2 minutes cooking time.

Cooking Instructions
1. Add enough liquid to cover the pasta
2. Add a little oil to help with the pasta foam
3. Close the vent, seal the cooker and set the Instant Pot to pressure cooking on high for the number of minutes determined above (based on the pasta you are cooking). 
4. When the timer runs out, let the pressure cooker natural release for 5 minutes and then release the rest of the pressure. 

Enjoy! Your pasta is perfect and ready to eat.

I got this information from the following link.. https://tidbits-marci.com/perfect-pressure-cooker-pasta/

Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs - 5, 5, 5 Method

I've tried 2 ways of making hard boiled eggs in the instant pot. This way seemed to work better. One of the eggs came out of its shell completely in the instant pot! This is the 5, 5, 5 Method

1. Place the rack that came with your instant pot in the bottom of the pot.

2. Add 1 cup of water

3. Place the desired number of eggs in the instant pot

4. Set the instant pot to 5 minutes. 

5. Let the instant pot natural release for 5 minutes, then release any remaining steam.

6. Give your eggs a 5 minute ice bath. 

Your done! You now have easy to peel perfectly delicious hard boiled eggs.  

The other way I tried was to set the pressure to 5. When the timer went off, release the steam and your eggs are done. 

Velveeta Broccoli Cheese Soup

Velveeta really makes this soup creamy, rich and delicious. After getting my kids past that there was broccoli in the soup, they really enjoyed it.

Ingredients
3 Tbsp Butter or Margarine
3 Tbsp Chopped Onion
3 Tbsp Flour
1 Can (14.5oz) Chicken Broth
1 Cup Milk
1/2 Lb (8oz) Velveeta, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (I accidently used 1 Lb, 1/2 box)
1 pkg (10oz) Frozen Chopped Broccoli, thawed and drained
(I used 1 head of fresh broccoli. I steamed it until it was very tender. Then I cut it into small pieces)

1. Melt butter into a pan and add onions. Cook until they are tender. Stir frequently.
2. Whisk in flour until blended.
3. Add broth and milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until it is warm.
4. Add broccoli and Velveeta. Cook until the Velveeta is melted.

ENJOY

Crock Pot Cauliflower and Cheese

We made this for Christmas this year. It was really good. Who knew that you could make cauliflower so yummy? If only the childhood me had known this.

http://spicysouthernkitchen.com/crock-pot-cauliflower-cheese/

Ingredients
1 Head of Cauliflower, cut into florets
1 Can of Condensed Cheddar Soup
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 Cup Onion finely diced
2 Cups Shredded Cheddar

1. Grease the inside of a crock pot (3-4 quart crock pot)
2. Put cauliflower in crock pot
3. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a saucepan. Cook on a medium heat, stirring constantly until the cheese is melted.
4. Pour sauce over the cauliflower
5. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 3-1/2 hours, depending on how tender you want the cauliflower.

NOTE: Do not use extra-sharp. It is too acidic and can turn grainy.

Prep Time: 5 Min
Cook Time: 3 Hours
Total Time: 3 Hours 5 Min

Cinnamon Egg Nog French Toast

This recipe came off the back of a Kemp's Golden Egg Nog container. We made it tonight and everyone really liked it. The egg nog flavor was slight and not overwhelming. My husband isn't a huge egg nog fan and he liked the French toast too. Also we used Land O Lakes egg nog.

2 cups of egg nog
1 tsp of cinnamon
2 eggs
12-14 slices of white bread
Cooking Spray

Combine the egg nog, cinnamon in a bowl and beat with a whisk.

Dip the bread into the batter, coating both sides.
Spray your pan with cooking spray or melt butter in the pan.
Cook the bread over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.

Note: I topped it with Land O' Lakes Cinnamon Sugar butter. It added a great sweet flavor so I could enjoy a few pieces as a person with gestational diabetes. I didn't have to add any syrup!

Left Overs? No problem. You can put the french toast on a plate and cover it with saran wrap or put it in a zip lock bag. The next morning put the french toast in the toaster and eat it again. Or put the french toast in a zip lock bag and freeze it. When you are ready to eat it, pull out the frozen french toasts and put it in your toaster. Voila! Breakfast is ready!

Baked and Breaded Eggplant (Kristi Original)

Ingredients
Olive Oil
1 Eggplant Sliced Horizontally. Leave the skin on.
Salt and Pepper
Progresso Italian Style Bread Crumbs

Instructions
1. Lightly cover a cookie sheet with olive oil. I painted some on with a pastry brush. Dip each piece of eggplant in olive oil, covering both sides. Then dip the eggplant in the bread crumbs covering both sides. Place the egg plant on the cookie sheet. Do this for all of the slices of eggplant. Do not overlap the egg plants. I had to use 2 cookie sheets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. **NOTE: Eggplant soaks up the olive oil. So quickly put it in the olive oil.**

2. Bake the eggplant at 450 degrees F for 12-15 minutes until it is soft and turning a golden brown. Enjoy!

Eggplant Parmesan Rollatini (Kristi's Rendition)

I took the Eggplant Parmesan Rollatini recipe and edited it for what I had on hand. It turned out super good. Yum! A new favorite.

Ingredients
Olive Oil
1 Eggplant Sliced Horizontally. Leave the skin on.
Salt and Pepper
1-1/2 Cups Marinara Sauce
2 Large Eggs
1 15-Oz Container of Ricotta Cheese
1/2 Tsp Ground Oregano
Italian Seasoning
Progresso Italian Style Bread Crumbs

Instructions
1. Lightly cover a cookie sheet with olive oil. I painted some on with a pastry brush. Dip each piece of eggplant in olive oil, covering both sides. Then dip the eggplant in the bread crumbs covering both sides. Place the egg plant on the cookie sheet. Do this for all of the slices of eggplant. Do not overlap the egg plants. I had to use 2 cookie sheets. **NOTE: Eggplant soaks up the olive oil. So quickly put it in the olive oil.**

2. Bake the eggplant at 450 degrees F for 12-15 minutes until it is soft and turning a golden brown. Remove from the oven and let it cool.

3. In a 9x13 pan spread out 1/2 cup of marinara sauce.

4. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, ricotta, oregano, Italian Seasoning, 1 Cup of Mozzarella, and 1/4 tsp salt and pepper.

5. Place about 3 Tbsp of the ricotta mixture on one middle of the eggplant slice and fold in half. Put it in the baking dish. Do this for all of the eggplant.

5. Top the eggplant with the remaining cup of marinara sauce and mozzarella. Sprinkle with parmesan.

6.Bake at 400 Degrees F until the cheese has been melted and the sauce is bubbling, 20-25 minutes. Let it cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Eggplant Parmesan Rollatini

www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/eggplant-rollatini

Ingredients
4 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Large Egg Plants (about 3 pounds total), sliced lengthwise (about 16 slices total)
kosher salt and black pepper
1-1/2 Cups Marinara Sauce
2 Large Eggs
1 15-Oz Container of Ricotta
2 Tsp Dried Oregano
2 Cups Grated Mozzarella (8 ounces)
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan (1-1/2 Ounces)

Directions
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Divide the oil between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Dividing evenly, arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on the baking sheet and turn to coat in oil; season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.

2. Bake the eggplant, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until soft and beginning to brown, 12-15 minutes; let cool. Reduce heat to 400 degrees F.

3. Meanwhile, in the bottom of a 9-by-13 inch or some other 3-quart baking dish, spread 1/2 cup of marinara sauce. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, ricotta, oregano, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper.

4. Place about 3 tbsp. of the ricotta mixture on one end of a slice of eggplant, roll it up, and transfer it to the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices and ricotta mixture.

5. Top the eggplant rolls with the remaining cup of marinara sauce and the remaining cup of mozzarella. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

6. Bake until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

CSA Spicy Vegetable Surprise (Kristi Original)

I took the vegetables from my CSA Farm Share Box to create this spicy delight. I couldn't come up with a name, so I selected a boring name. :) Let me know if you have a better name. I felt this dish could be eaten plain, which is what we did. Or you could eat it in addition to egg, top this with scrambled eggs or use it in a egg burrito and add in spicy sausage.

Ingredients:
1 Clove of Crushed Garlic
Seasoning Salt to Taste
Cumin to Taste
Chili Powder to Taste
Tastefully Simple: Fiesta Party Mix to Taste
3-5 Red Potatoes Cubed (Depends on the size)
3-4 Tomatoes with no skin and diced
1/2-1/4 Onion Diced
1 Non Spicy Pepper (Green Bell, Red Bell..etc)
Jalapeno - As much ask you like for spice, diced
1/2 Cup of Water

Cook the potatoes in the microwave. Then dice them and add them to the pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Simmer all of the ingredients, except water, together at a low boil. When the mix starts to thicken up, add water to keep it from burning in the pan. Serve when all of the ingredients are fully cooked.

Farm Fresh Salsa (Kristi Original)

We signed up for a CSA Farm Share Box this year. It has been a lot of fun getting a variety of vegetables. This week I made fresh salsa with the vegetables in my box.

Ingredients:
3 Tomatoes
1/4 Onion
2 Jalapenos (As many as you like for heat)
1 Clove of Garlic Crushed
Sea Salt to Taste
Cumin to Taste
1 Ear of Raw Corn (Remove the corn from the cob)
Fresh Cilantro to Taste

Put all of the ingrediants in the food processor. Once it is ground up enjoy on chips or on food.

Note:
I used the whole jalapeno, seeds and all
The salsa will get more flavorful the second day when the flavors mix together.

Beets

You can make fresh beets on the stove or in the crock pot. They are easy, but they take a long time to cook, similar to a potato.

Preparing the Beet
Cut the stems off of the beets. If you leave 2 inches of steam at the top and bottom of the beet, it will prevent the red from going into the water. (You can eat the leave in a salad or steam them. They are nutritious.)

COOKING THE BEETS
Crock Pot
1. Fill the crock pot with water, salt to taste and at least a tsp of vinegar
2. Add the beets.
3. Cook on Low all day

Stove
1. Fill the pan with water, salt to taste and at least a tsp of vinegar
2. Add beets.
3. Boil on a medium heat 30-60 minutes, until the beets are tender and done

SERVING THE BEETS
1. Remove the beets from the pan or crock pot and run under cold water until you can touch them.
2. Remove the skin by sliding it off of the beats.
3. Cut up the beets and serve. Add additional seasoning, butter or whatever you enjoy. Some ideas are melted butter, salt, pepper, basil, savory, caraway seeds, minced chives, minced parsley.