One Hour Cinnamon Rolls

ONE HOUR CINNAMON ROLLS

3 1/2 cups of warm water
3/4 sugar
1/2 cup of oil (vegetable is fine)
6 Tbsp. of quick rise yeast
1 Tbsp. of salt
3 eggs
10 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour (yes, that's right, lol)

Cinnamon Sugar
1 cup of sugar
1 Tbsp. of cinnamon

Frosting
1/2 cup of butter
2 dashes of salt
2 tsp. of vanilla extract
6 cups of powdered sugar
Milk (as needed)

**An additional 1/2 cup of butter is needed (separated in half for each half of dough) for spreading on dough with cinnamon sugar.
**Make a double batch of frosting if you like a lot of it.

Mix first 4 ingredients together (water, sugar, oil, yeast) and let sit for 15 minutes. Then add the salt, eggs and flour. Mix together for 10 minutes, then let sit for 10 minutes. Oil counter or cutting board and dump out dough. Divide dough in half. Roll out one half into rectangle. Spread with 1/4 cup melted butter and then half of cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll up tight, but not too tight. Divide into 12 rolls and place on greased cookie sheet. Let rise on cookie sheet for 10 minutes. Cut dough in half, cut halves in half, etc. Repeat with other half of dough. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 400 degrees. This recipe will yield 24 regular size rolls or around 12 HUGE rolls.

Jello Shot Tree

Loaded Chicken & Potatoes

LOADED CHICKEN & POTATOES

1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, cubed (1″)
6-8 medium skin on red potatoes, cut in 1/2″ cubes
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. hot sauce (more if you like it HOT)

Topping:

2 cup fiesta blend cheese
1 cup crumbled bacon
1 cup diced green onion

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9X13″ baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix together the olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and hot sauce. Add the cubed potatoes and chicken and stir to coat. Carefully scoop the potatoes and chicken into the prepared baking dish. Bake the potatoes and chicken for 55-60 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes, until cooked through, crispy, and browned on the outside. While the potatoes are cooking, fry your bacon (about half a pound). Once the potatoes and chicken are fully cooked, remove from the oven. Top the cooked potatoes with the cheese, bacon, and green onion. Return the casserole to the oven and bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve With: extra hot sauce and/or ranch dressing or sour cream!

A Slice of Heaven Cake

A SLICE OF HEAVEN CAKE

1 pkg. devil's food chocolate cake or german choc. cake mix
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar caramel topping
1 8 oz. tub cool whip
4-5 snickers bar (my preference) you can use skor, heathbar, or mini reeses

Bake the cake according to directions in 9x13 inch pan. Cool for 5 minutes, using the handle of a wooden spoon poke holes into cake, then let cake cool for a bit about an 1/2 hour til warm. Slowly pour sweetened milk over cake, letting it soak into holes, then drizzle caramel over the cake. Let cake cool completely (you may refrigerate it to cool faster just cover well). Top cake with cool whip, decorate with candy & drizzle with caramel!!

Crockpot Candy

CROCKPOT CANDY

32 oz dry roasted peanuts
12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
4 oz German sweet chocolate
32 oz white chocolate candy melts

Place ingredients in a crockpot as listed. Do not stir. Cook on low for 1 1/2 -2 hours - do not open the lid! After cooked, stir and drop by spoonfuls on a parchment paper or silpat lined pan. Allow to harden and store in a closed container.

Stickey Bun Breakfast Ring

STICKY BUN BREAKFAST RING

2 small tubes refrigerator buttermilk biscuits OR 1 tube Pillsbury Grands buttermilk biscuits
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 cup pancake syrup
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped pecans, optional
1/4 cup chopped almonds, optional

Spray a fluted pan with non-stick spray. Combine the melted butter and syrup in a small bowl and set aside. In another bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts (if desired). Place about half of the syrup mixture in the bottom of the pan. Then sprinkle half of the brown sugar mixture on top. Lay the biscuits on the bottom of the pan, overlapping edges (closely together) to form a ring. Top with remaining syrup and sugar mixtures. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 1 minute in the pan, then invert onto a serving platter and enjoy!
** You can use 1 1/2 tubes of the Pillsbury Grands buttermilk biscuits if 1 doesn't' seem like enough) and bake it for about 30 minutes.

Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Crescent Braid

BROCCOLI CHEDDAR CHICKEN CRESCENT BRAID

2 cans Pillsbury Original Crescent Rolls
2 cups chicken chunks, cooked
2 cups cheddar cheese
2 cups broccoli, frozen, steamed and chopped
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 egg yolk
Fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, spread both cans of crescents length wise to form a long rectangle. Press each of the seams to form a single layer of dough. In a large bowl, combine chicken, cheese, broccoli and mayonnaise. Spread mixture over the center of the croissant dough evenly to create a log. Using a sharp knife, cut horizontal strips 1 inch apart down each side of the crescent dough. Fold the dough strips over the top of the chicken mixture, alternating left and right to create a braid. Brush the top of the braid with a beaten egg yolk and sprinkle fresh rosemary on top. Bake for 28 – 30 minutes until golden brown. Serves: 5

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH BITES

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp. of half and half
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/3 cup flour
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

For the coating:
2 cups of chocolate chips (melted)
1 Tbsp. shortening

Cream butter and sugar together. Add remaining ingredients and mix well -- use your hands to get it together the best. Roll into 1-inch balls. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Dip in chocolate, drizzle with chocolate or eat as is -- equally delicious no matter what! Let stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving. Store in the refrigerator.

Cookie Cups

Isn't this a great idea. Put the cookie dough on the outside and make cookie bowls. Once they are baked... you can put Ice Cream inside of them

Reindeer Cookies

Grinch Kabobs

GRINCH KABOBS

Layer mini marshmallow, strawberry, banana slice, and a grape on a small stick and you get Grinch Kabobs!

Ranch Potatoes

RANCH POTATOES

8 -10 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 1/4 cups milk
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Salt and pepper
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Add the potatoes to a saucepan. Add water to cover. Bring to a boil; cook about 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender; drain. Place drained potatoes into a greased 13x9 inch baking dish. In a bowl, mix together the soup, milk, salad dressing mix, 1 cup cheese, salt and pepper to taste; pour over potatoes. Sprinkle crumbled bacon and the remaining cheese over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Turkey Treats

TURKEY TREATS

Dip Oreos in melted chocolate. Add eyes (Wilton Candy eyes) and candy corn for the nose with frosting. Place on chocolate frosted preztels.

Crock Pot Lasagna

CROCK POT LASAGNA

1 lb. Ground Beef
Lasagna noodles
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Brown ground beef and drain. Spoon 1 cup spaghetti sauce in bottom of 4 quart crock pot. Mix remaining sauce with beef. Place 2 uncooked lasagna noodles on sauce in crock pot. Spread 1/3 meat mixture on top of noodles. Spread 3/4 cup cottage cheese over meat. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese over cottage cheese. Add another layer of uncooked noodles, 1/3 meat mixture, the remaining cottage cheese and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Place another layer of uncooked noodles, meat mixture, and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top. Cook on low for 4 hours. If cooked much longer, it gets a bit well done.

Pork Tenderloin

PORK TENDERLOIN

3 lbs. Pork Tenderloin (1 Pkg. Of 2 Tenderloins), Cut Into 4 Pieces Total
1 lb. Bacon
3/4 cups Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp. Minced Onions
1/2 tsp. Garlic Salt
1 Tbsp. Wine Vinegar Or White Vinegar
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 dash Pepper
3/4 cups Brown Sugar

Wrap the tenderloin pieces in bacon. Place in an 8 1/2″ x 11″ pan. Poke holes in meat with a fork. Combine rest of ingredients in a small bowl; stir well. Pour marinade over meat. Refrigerate, uncovered, 2 to 3 hours or overnight. Bake in a 300 degree oven for two to three hours. If the bacon burns, place foil over the top after approximately 1 1/2 hours of baking. Remove from oven, cut meat into small pieces and allow the meat to soak up the excess juices in the pan.

Christmas Candy Trees

Idea for Thanksgiving Veggie Tray

Frozen Peanut Butter Cheesecake

FROZEN PEANUT BUTTER CHEESECAKE

6 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 Tbsp. hot fudge sauce
2 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter

In a medium microwave safe bowl, melt butter and chocolate chips in the microwave for about a minute or until melted. Stir together until combined. Add crispy rice cereal and stir well to coat. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. You could use a pie pan but I've found that a springform pan is much easier when it comes to removing slices. Place in the freezer to chill while you make the filling (about 10 minutes). In a large bowl beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add the sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter and mix until thoroughly combined. Add vanilla and lemon juice and mix until combined. Gently fold in the whipped topping. Pour filling into the prepared crust. Heat fudge and peanut butter in two small separate bowls for 20-30 seconds or until warm. Drizzle over filling. Freeze for 4-6 hours or until pie is firm. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving to make cutting easier. Garnish with peanut butter and chocolate candy bars.

Garlic & Lemon Chicken with Red Potatoes & Green Beans

GARLIC & LEMON CHICKEN WITH RED POTATOES & GREEN BEANS

6 Tbsp. olive oil
2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3/4 lb. trimmed green beans
8 small red potatoes, quartered
4 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 400°F (180). Coat a large baking dish or cast-iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer in the bottom of the dish or skillet. In a large bowl, combine the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper; add the chicken, green beans and potatoes and toss to coat. Pour this mix into the pan and spread around evenly. Roast for 50 minutes or until cooked through. Serve warm.

Kiss Pies

KISS PIES

1 refrigerated pie crust, thawed
14 Hershey Kisses of choice, I used Mint Truffle today
1 egg white whisked with 1 Tbsp water
Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out pie dough onto a lightly floured counter top. Place 10 kisses around the edges of pie dough, about 2 1/2 inches apart (as in the photo above). Take a knife and cut a 2 1/2-3 inch circle around kiss. Fold half of pie dough around top of dough and pinch edge around top of kiss. Now, fold up both sides of remaining dough up to the tip of the kiss pinching edge. Now press together edges and form criss cross as shown in photo, step 3. * *Continue cutting dough around kisses until all dough is used up. Brush all little pies with an egg white wash then sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake for 20-28 minutes or until little pies are golden. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Dust each with powdered sugar and serve.

Candy Corn Cheesecake

CANDY CORN CHEESECAKE

15 graham crackers, crushed
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
4 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup milk
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch springform pan. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan. Place insert on top of unbaked crust. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. For the candy corn effect: Pour some untinted cheesecake batter into the middle section of the insert, to about 1/4-inch from the top of the divider. Tint the remainder of the batter yellow~ use a mixture of Wilton Lemon Yellow & Golden Yellow (as Wilton suggested). Pour the yellow batter into the outer section of the insert. Tint the remainder of the yellow batter orange, by adding Orange coloring to it. There’s no problem with the yellow becoming orange. Carefully lift the divider straight up, out of the cheesecake. Before baking, put heavy-duty aluminum foil around the bottom/sides of the pan by setting the foil on the counter, placing the cheesecake on it, and wrapping the foil up and around the sides of the pan) and place it gently in a water bath (I filled a roasting pan with about an inch of HOT water, put it in the oven and then placed the cheesecake pan in it). Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours; this prevents cracking. Chill in refrigerator until serving. Cut into wedges to look like candy corn:

Loaded Cauliflower Casserole

LOADED CAULIFLOWER CASSEROLE

2 lbs. cauliflower florets
8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
8 oz. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese, divided
8 oz. block cream cheese, softened
4 Tbsp. heavy cream
2 bunches green onions, sliced (1 1/2 cups)
6 sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 clove garlic, grated
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Steam cauliflower florets until tender. While cauliflower steams, cream together 6 oz of the shredded cheddar, 6 oz of the Monterrey Jack, cream cheese, and heavy cream. Stir in sliced green onions, chopped bacon, and garlic. Set aside. Drain any liquid from steamed cauliflower and add to cheese mixture. Stir cauliflower and cheese mixture together. Taste for seasoning, and add as necessary. If you want a finer texture, give a few mashes with the potato masher. Pour into a 2-3 quart casserole and sprinkle on remaining cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheese. Cover dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes; remove foil and continue to bake until cheese is brown and bubbly.

Crack Potatoes

CRACK POTATOES

2 (16 oz.) containers sour cream
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
2 (3 oz.) bags real bacon bits
2 pkg. Ranch Dip mix
1 large bag frozen hash brown potatoes

Combine first 4 ingredients, mix in hash browns. Spread into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 400 for 45-60 minutes.

Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark

SALTED CARAMEL PRETZEL BARK

2 sticks of butter
1 cup of light brown sugar
1 reg. bag of pretzels (you'll use about 3/4 of the bag)
12 ounce bag of chocolate chips
Sea salt - ( I use our coarse sea salt with our grinder)

Preheat the oven to 400. Line a large bar pan with parchment paper, cover with pretzels. In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium-low heat. When it begins to bubble add the brown sugar. Stirring occasionally let the butter/sugar mixture meld together and brown. This should take about 3 minutes. Do NOT let it boil, you will have sticky goo that is no good. When you have a nice, brown caramel pour it over the pretzels, slowly and evenly. You can then use a spatula to spread it out, you have to work quickly and gently. It hardens fast so even pouring is the best method. Bake the sheet for 5 minutes. Remove the sheet from the oven and sprinkle the whole bag of chocolate chips evenly over the mixture. Place back in the oven for about 45 seconds. If you let it sit there too long the chocolate will burn. Remove from the oven and use a silicone spatula to evenly spread the chocolate over the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.

Famous Red Lobster Shrimp Scampi

FAMOUS RED LOBSTER SHRIMP SCAMPI

1 lb. med. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Tbsp. pure olive oil
2 Tbsp. garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups white wine, I use chardonnay
1/2 fresh lemon, Juice only
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 cup softened butter
1 Tbsp. parsley
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Heat cast iron skillet and add olive oil. Add shrimp and cook until tender and no longer translucent, reduce heat. Remove Shrimp and set aside. Add garlic and cook 2-3 minutes. Do not allow garlic to brown - it will make it bitter. Add white wine, and lemon juice. Cook until wine is reduced by half. After it is reduced, add Italian seasoning. Reduce heat to low, and add butter. If pan is too hot, the butter will separate. Add shrimp back into sauce, add parsley, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan Cheese.

Halloween Haystack Mummies

HALLOWEEN HAYSTACK MUMMIES

Before You Start:

White chocolate melts differently than regular chocolate; it takes very little heat to get it to the desired consistency.

1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
2 1/2 cups shoestring potatoes
2 cups white chocolate chips
30 mini chocolate chips

Add about 1 inch of water to a medium saucepan. Top the pan with a heatproof bowl making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not sit directly in the water. Add butterscotch chips and peanut butter to the bowl and heat over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally until completely melted and combined then remove bowl from heat. Add shoestring potatoes to the butterscotch mixture and stir to coat completely. Cool for 3 minutes. Place a piece of parchment paper on the back of a baking sheet. Using a medium cookie scoop, measure out scoops of the haystack mixture packing it in quite firmly against the side of the bowl and leveling off the top with a butter knife or offset spatula before pressing the scoop flat on the baking sheet and releasing the contents. Allow haystacks to cool and harden in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Place hardened haystacks on a wire rack and place the wire rack on a baking sheet. Fill a clean heatproof bowl with white chocolate chips then place the bowl over a small amount of water in a medium saucepan. Heat the water on LOW heat and whisk the melted chocolate until smooth. Remove from heat and cool for just a minute or two. Place the melted white chocolate in a piping bag fitted with a long skinny icing tip like those used for flower petals. At two thirds of the haystack mound begin coating with chocolate in a ribbon effect overlapping with each pass. Start again at two-thirds but make the first pass a bit rounded to leave room for the eyes. Continue until the top of the mound is covered. After all of the mounds are "wrapped" in chocolate, use a toothpick to place a white -chocolate dot for each of the eyes in the spaces you left. Insert a mini chocolate chip upside down on each dot of white chocolate while it is still soft. Place in refrigerator to cool completely before trimming away any excess chocolate around the bottom of the treats. Display stacked on a plate or slide each haystack into a cellophane bag to hand out as party favors.