Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti Pie
1/2 box spaghetti (about 9 oz)
2 tbsp butter
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup gruyere cheese grated or Parmesan
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1 1/2 lbs of ground beef
1 medium onion chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/2 red pepper chopped
1/2 yellow pepper chopped
1 can tomatoes (28 oz) drained and chopped
1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
Brown ground beef with onions, garlic and peppers.
Add tomato paste and diced tomatoes, combine well.
Add sugar, oregano. Season with salt & pepper.

Prepare the spaghetti according to directions on box. (Don't overcook)
Drain and return to pot.
Mix in butter, eggs and gruyere cheese.
Grease 10" pie plate, put spaghetti mix into pie plate. This is your "crust"
Spread cottage cheese on top of spaghetti crust.
Spoon ground beef mixture on top of cottage cheese layer.
Bake uncovered for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Then top with mozzarella and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Oven Tacos

Oven Tacos
2 lbs hamburger
1 small onion diced
1 small can diced green chilies
1 recipe for Homemade taco seasoning (below) or 3-4 T. Taco Seasoning
8 oz. tomato sauce 
16 oz. refried beans 
2 c. shredded reduced fat Colby-jack cheese 
18-20 hard taco shells 
Optional Condiments- Lettuce, Tomato, Salsa, Guacamole, Sour Cream 
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  
In a large skillet brown ground beef and onion over medium-high heat. Drain off any excess liquid. Return to pan, add chilies, refried beans, tomato sauce, and taco seasoning. Mix well and cook for a few minutes if mixture seems runny. 
Spoon the taco meat mixture into the taco shells and place into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish (OR check out The Taco Rack), standing up. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the taco meat in each shell. Place into the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the tacos are heated through. 
Remove from the oven and top with any optional condiments for serving. 

Taco Seasoning
1 T. chili powder
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. onion powder
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. paprika
1 1/2 t. ground cumin
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
In a small bowl, mix all together. Store in an airtight container.
Enough seasoning for 2 lbs of meat with a little water mixed in. 

Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken

I found this on pinterest a few days ago.  It is almost the same as the Tiny Spicy Chicken!! 

Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
To make the sauce, whisk together sugar, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce and garlic powder in a large bowl; set aside.
In a large bowl, season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Sir in cornstarch and gently toss to combine. Working one at a time, dip the chicken into the eggs.
Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Add chicken and cook until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; discard excess oil.
Add chicken to prepared baking dish. Top with sweet and sour sauce. Place into oven and bake until the sauce has thickened, about 55 minutes, turning over every 15 minutes to evenly coat the chicken.
Serve immediately.

Tiny Spicy Chicken

I talked to Sue tonight as we are planning our menu for our Sturgeon fishing trip.  She said she was doing Tiny Spicy Chicken.  I said I never heard of it....then I found this!  >>> If you aren't from Cache Valley, you may not know what tiny spicy chicken is ... it's a favorite at practically all the Chinese restaurants--  This is a GREAT copycat recipe.  I will have to see if this is the same recipe Sue has???

Baked Tiny Spicy Chicken
3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts,cut into 1.5-inch cubes
garlic salt
2 eggs, beaten
cornstarch
oil for frying

Sauce: 
2 t. Sambal chili paste
1 c. ketchup
dash salt
8 T. brown sugar
2 c. sugar
4 t. soy sauce
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. white vinegar

Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt and let sit for 1 hour in the refrigerator. After an hour, dip chicken into eggs and then into cornstarch. Fry chicken pieces until golden brown in oil that has been heated to 350 degrees. Place chicken in a greased 13 x 9 dish.

Mix sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until sugars are dissolved. Pour over chicken and bake uncovered at 325 degrees for one hour, turning chicken every 15 minutes.

Chocolate Mousse Crunch Cake with Ganache

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/03/chocolate-mousse-crunch-cake/

Chocolate Mousse Crunch Cake  by Our Best Bites

1 package Duncan Hines Devil’s Food Cake
1 recipe (give or take a little) Chocolate Ganache
Crushed Heath bars or a bag of chocolate-covered Heath bits
1 t. unflavored gelatin
1 T. cold water
2 T. boiling water (just heat it in a small bowl in your microwave)
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 c. whipping cream
1 t. vanilla

Bake cake according to cake mix instructions in 2 8″ round pans. Allow to cool and set aside. This can be done several days in advance; just freeze the cakes when you’re done.

In a small bowl, combine gelatin and cold water and allow to stand for about 1 minute. While gelatin is softening, bring 2 Tbsp. water to a boil in the microwave. Whisk into the softened gelatin and allow to cool slightly.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine sugar, cocoa powder, whipping cream, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer until medium-stiff peaks form. Mix in gelatin mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Prepare ganache.
Super Easy Chocolate Ganache  by Our Best Bites
8 oz. semi-sweet or dark chocolate
8 oz. heavy cream
Combine chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 2 minutes and stir. Heat for an additional 1-2 minutes or until chocolate is fully melted and can be whisked and incorporated into the cream. Be sure and scrape the sides and bottom to make sure you don’t find any globby bits of chocolate when you start working with it.
The ganache will thicken as it cools, so if it’s a little too thin for you, hang tight and it will be ready pretty quickly. When it’s completely cool, it will be thick and fudgy and can be used like frosting. Store in an airtight container. You can reheat it to achieve your desired consistency.


With a serrated knife, carefully slice the dome-iest part of each cake layer off so the layers are level. Place one layer on the serving plate and spread about 1/2 of the chocolate mousse over the cake. Sprinkle with Heath bits.

Place second layer on top of Heath bits.

Spoon ganache over the top layer, allowing it to drip down the sides. Sprinkle with additional Heath bits and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake & Frosting

Our Best Bites  -   Don’t make the frosting until the cakes are cooled, and use the frosting as soon as it is ready. If the frosting gets too stiff to spread easily, wrap the mixer bowl with a towel soaked in hot water and mix on low until frosting is creamy and smooth. Refrigerated leftover cake should sit at room temperature before serving until the frosting softens.
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/05/old-fashioned-chocolate-layer-cake/

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Layer Cake
3/4 c. butter, very soft, plus extra for greasing pans
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting pans
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsley chopped
1/4 c. dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 c. hot water
1 3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 c. buttermilk
2 t. vanilla extract
4 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks
Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round by 2 inch high cake pans with butter; dust pans with flour and knock out excess. Combine chocolate, cocoa powder, and hot water in medium heatproof bowl; set bowl over saucepan containing 1 inch of simmering water and stir with rubber spatula until chocolate ins melted, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup sugar to chocolate and stir until glossy, 1-2 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Combine buttermilk and vanilla in small bowl. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whisk eggs and yolks on medium-low speed until combined, about 10 seconds. Add remaining 1 1/4 C sugar, increase speed to high, and whis until fluffy and lightened in color, 2-3 minutes. Replace whisk with paddle attachment. Add cooled chocolate mixture to egg/sugar mixture and mix on medium speed until thoroughly incorporated, 30-45 seconds, pausing to scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing about 10 seconds after each addition. Add about 1/3 of flour mixture; followed by half of buttermilk mixture mixing until incorporated after each addition (about 15 seconds.) Repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining buttermilk mixture (batter may appear separated.) Scrape down sides of bowl and add remaining flour mixture; mix at medium low speed until batter is thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds. Remove bowl from mixer and fold batter once or twice with rubber spatula to incorporate any remaining flour. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans; smooth batter to edges of pan with spatula.

Bake cakes until toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 25-30minutes. Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes, then invert onto wire rack. Cool cakes to room temperature before frosting, 45-60 minutes.

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Frosting
16 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped (or 2 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1/2 c.  butter
1/3 c. granulated sugar
2 T. corn syrup
2 t. vanilla extract
1/4 t. salt
1 1/4 c. cold heavy cream
Melt Chocolate in heatproof bowl set over a saucepan containing 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside. Meanwhile, heat butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat until melted. Increase heat to medium; add sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt and stir with heatproof rubber spatula until sugar is dissolved, 4-5 minutes. Add melted chocolate, butter mixture, and cream to clean bowl of stand mixer and stir to thoroughly combine.
Place mixer bowl over ice bath and stir mixture constantly with rubber spatula until frosting is thick and just beginning to harden against sides of bowl, 1-2 minutes (frosting should be 70 degrees). Place bowl on stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until frosting is light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Stir with rubber spatula until completely smooth. *If you find after beating, your frosting is still too soft for your liking, try chilling in the fridge until it sets up a little more.

Hawaiian Cake & Cream Cheese Frosting

In March we had our Stake RS Birthday Event.  We had a great assortment of Birthday Cakes for dessert!! It was a fun event with some of the yummiest cakes ever!!!  This one was my favorite!!  So moist and delicious.  Carla White was kind enough to share her recipe with me.

Hawaiian Cake

Stir together:
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp soda
Mix in:
2 eggs
20 oz. can of crushed pineapple
Stir in:
1 cup coconut
chopped walnuts
Pour batter into sprayed pans (a 9x13 or 2 8" rounds).   Bake 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 cube melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 cream cheese
1 lb powdered sugar

Strawberry Salad Dressing

It has been a long time since I have posted...our home fire has taken all my time and energy.    But it was nice to finally post a couple recipes yesterday.  The construction on our home has finally begun and most of my replacement lists have been turned in.  There is still much work ahead but maybe a short break or a little time to think about something else.  It has been a long 11 weeks!  Shortly after the fire, Janet brought me a salad with this yummy dressing on it.  It was so good with a super strawberry flavor, I just had to have the recipe.  Janet said she got the recipe from her daughter in law, Aryn.  This is especially great over fresh spinach and sliced strawberry salad.  I think I would throw in a tablespoon of poppy seeds in after blending it up and sprinkle the salad with sliced almonds.  Paula Deen adds a sliced cucumber to her salad greens, Janet added some mandarin oranges and I have also seen sliced red onions and craisins sprinkled in too.  Lots of possibilities!!

Strawberry Salad Dressing
1 c. olive or canola oil
1 c. sugar
6 lg. strawberries (fresh is best but frozen works)
1/2 t. black pepper
1 t. kosher salt or 3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. dried parsley
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
Place all ingredients in blender and blend.  Refrigerate.

Magic Cake....3 flavors

The hardest thing you have to do, is make the batter (which is very thin), pour the batter in a 8 inch x 8 inch baking dish, place it in the oven and let the magic happen. After an hour you have a perfect 3 layer cake with the most delicious custard layer.         http://www.jocooks.com/bakery/cakes/magic-cake/


Magic Cake
4 eggs (separate yolks from whites) at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick or ½ cup butter, melted
¾ cup of all purpose flour
2 cups milk lukewarm
powdered sugar for dusting cake

Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Grease a 8 inch x 8 inch baking dish.
Separate eggs and add the egg whites to a mixer and mix until egg whites are stiff. Place egg whites in a bowl and set aside.
Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until light. Add butter and vanilla extract and continue beating for another minute or two after which you can add the flour and mix it in until fully incorporated.
Slowly start adding the milk and beat until everything is well mixed together. Add the egg whites, a third at a time and gently fold them in using a spatula, repeat until all egg whites are folded in. Another variation to folding in the egg whites would be to add a third of the egg whites and gently whisk them in to the cake batter, then reverse the process and add a bit of the cake mixture to the egg whites and gently whisk in, repeat until all cake batter has been whisked in.
Pour batter into baking dish and bake for 40 to 70 minutes or until the top is lightly golden. The baking time could vary greatly depending on the oven, so take a peek at around 40 minutes and see how it looks.
Sprinkle some powdered sugar after cake has cooled.


Butterscotch Magic Cake
4 eggs (separate yolks from whites) at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick or ½ cup butter
¾ cup of all purpose flour
2 cups milk lukewarm
a pinch of salt (optional)
powdered sugar for dusting cake

Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Grease a 8 inch x 8 inch baking dish.
Start by heating the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until melted. Whisk continuously until it becomes golden brown and tiny dark brown flecks appear in the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat, whisk for another 30 seconds and strain through a fine sieve into a bowl. Let cool to room temperature.
Separate eggs and add the egg whites to a mixer and mix until egg whites are stiff. Place egg whites in a bowl and set aside.
Beat the egg yolks with the brown sugar until light golden color. Add butter and vanilla extract and continue beating for another minute or two after which you can add the flour and mix it in until fully incorporated.
Slowly start adding the milk and beat until everything is well mixed together. The mixture will be very watery.
Add the egg whites, a third at a time and gently fold them in using a spatula, repeat until all egg whites are folded in. Another variation to folding in the egg whites would be to add a third of the egg whites and gently whisk them in to the cake batter, then reverse the process and add a bit of the cake mixture to the egg whites and gently whisk in, repeat until all cake batter has been whisked in.
Pour batter into baking dish and bake for 40 to 70 minutes or until the top is lightly golden. The baking time could vary greatly depending on the oven, so take a peek at around 40 minutes and see how it looks.
Sprinkle some powdered sugar after cake has cooled.


Chocolate Magic Cake
4 eggs, at room temperature and separated
1 tbsp water
¾ cup sugar
1 stick of butter, melted
6.5 tbsp all purpose flour
6 tbsp cocoa powder
2 cups milk, warmed up
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp vinegar

Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Grease and flour an 8×8 inch baking pan.
Separate the eggs and add the egg yolks to the bowl of a mixer. Add a tbsp of water to the egg yolks and add the sugar. Beat this at high until eggs are light and creamy.
Add melted butter, vanilla extract and salt to mixer and continue beating until butter is fully incorporated and mixture is light and fluffy.
You can mix the cocoa and flour together and add to the mixing bowl in batches, 3 times should be enough. After each addition mix thoroughly.
Once flour and cocoa powder has been mixed in, add the milk a bit at a time and mix. The milk should be warm so not to cool the butter. Make sure the milk has been mixed in thoroughly, the mixture should be pretty liquidy, so don’t get scared.
Clean the mixing bowl and whisk attachment and make sure you dry it out. Add egg whites to mixing bowl and the vinegar and mix until egg whites are stiff.
Add a bit of the egg whites to the chocolate mixture and gently fold in. Next you’re going to reverse and add a bit of the chocolate mixture to the egg whites. This way it will be easier to mix everything together. Repeat until everything is well mixed and the mixture should be thin like a pancake batter.
Pour the batter in the prepared baking dish and bake for roughly 60 minutes or until done. The cake will still jiggle in the middle when you take it out, so that’s normal. Let it cool completely then cut into squares and serve.