RECIPE: Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

This is an easy peasy ice cream cake recipe that includes real ice cream sandwiches. The best part? It takes about 5 minutes to make!

See the pinned recipe on the blog Favorite Family Recipes' >>>> here.

What You'll Need

24 Ice Cream Sandwiches 
1 Jar of Fudge
1 Jar of Caramel
Cool Whip 
Unsalted Peanuts, optional

Directions

1. Place ice cream sandwiches in the bottom of a 9" x 13" dish. You might need to cut some of the sandwiches into smaller pieces to fit the dish. 

2. Drizzle warm fudge and caramel over the ice cream sandwiches. (I spread the fudge out evenly with a spoon.)

3. Top the ice cream sandwiches, fudge, and caramel with Cool Whip.

4. Repeat the first three steps.

5. Serve with additional fudge, caramel, and peanuts (or any other toppings you choose).

*I left off the caramel because I forgot to pick some up at the store. I also left off the peanuts because I couldn't find any that weren't salted. It was still delicious without them! 

RECIPE: Homemade Doughnuts

I made doughnuts in the shapes of stars and hearts this morning. After posting a picture on Twitter, Robin asked if I would post the recipe on my blog.

I'm not sure I can even call it a recipe because they're so easy to make! I have to give credit to my friend Chapell for showing me how to make them many years ago.

Ingredients

Vegetable oil (or any other cooking oil that you prefer)
Canned biscuit dough 
Granulated sugar and/or powdered sugar

Directions

1. Pour a significant amount of cooking oil into a small pot. You can also use a fryer if you have one. Heat vegetable oil at medium-high heat.

2. Flatten each biscuit and cut out a hole in the center with a knife. (For the doughnuts above, I used a cookie cutter for the star and heart shapes. I took the dough around the edges and rolled it into balls for doughnut holes.)

3. Drop a doughnut hole into the oil to determine if it's hot enough. It will float to the top if the oil is ready or sink to the bottom if it isn't.

4. When the oil is hot enough, drop each biscuit into the cooking oil. I usually cook one doughnut and two holes at a time. Depending on the size of the pot you're using, you can obviously cook more than that. Just make sure the doughnuts aren't too close to each other because they will stick together.

**There's no hard and fast rule for timing when to flip the doughnut over. I eyeball it, and flip it with a fork when it begins to turn a light golden brown. This happens quickly! You also want to be sure the doughnuts aren't too thick and that you flatten them really well because they can turn out gooey inside.**

5. When the doughnuts turn golden brown, remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon or spatula. Place the doughnuts on a paper towel covered plate to soak up the oil. Allow them to cool for approximately 3-4 minutes.

6. Drop each doughnut into a Ziploc bag with granulated sugar and/or powdered sugar, and shake bag to coat doughnuts. You don't need a whole lot. You only need enough to coat them and I usually throw several in at a time.


That's all it takes to make yummy doughnuts that taste like funnel cakes and in only a matter of minutes!

RECIPE: Scooter's Spaghetti

This spaghetti is HANDS DOWN the best I've ever tasted. I originally found the recipe on Pinterest, but the link no longer works. 

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked spaghetti 

1 pound ground beef

1 large can spaghetti sauce

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup chopped green peppers

1/3 cup chopped onions

8 ounces cream cheese

2 tablespoons milk

Grated Parmesan cheese

French fried onions (small can)

1. Cook spaghetti; drain and set aside.

2. Brown ground beef; drain. Add spaghetti sauce to the skillet and heat through.

3. Combine onions, peppers, and butter in a small bowl. Cover and microwave for four minutes on high, until soft. (As usual, I don't like adding veggies because I feel the need to keep my foods fatty.) I actually don't mind the vegetables in this recipe, but I didn't have them on hand, so I just melted the butter in the microwave.

4. Add cream cheese and milk to the vegetables (or in my case, to the butter); stir. 

 

5. In a casserole dish, layer the following in order:

Spaghetti

Cream Cheese Mixture

Spaghetti Sauce

Parmesan Cheese (add however much you prefer)

French Fried Onions (add during the last five minutes of the baking process)

*I mixed half the sauce in with the meat and noodles prior to layering, and I used the remainder as directed in the layering process. I was afraid the sauce wouldn't be evenly distributed otherwise.

 

 

*I didn't have eight ounces of spaghetti noodles so I added ziti noodles to the amount I did have.

I left the French Onions on my second attempt. The original poster claimed that the French Onions are what makes the recipe so special, but I beg to differ. Omitting them didn't make the recipe any less delicious, and I don't think adding them makes it any better either. The ingredient that makes this spaghetti so addictive is the cream cheese baked inside. 

It's so creamy, like "melt in your mouth" creamy. The major fail for most baked spaghetti recipes is that they usually turn out really dry. You don't need to worry about that with this one. I can't think of one thing that would make it taste better. This dish is in heavy rotation at my house. 

RECIPE: Charleston Cheese Dip

Charleston Cheese Dip This recipe is Trisha Yearwood's and comes from her recipe book, Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen.

It's a great tailgate option for the upcoming football season. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayo
8 oz pk cream cheese, softened
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated monterey jack cheese
2 green onions, finely chopped (I left this out just as I do most all veggies. I don't mind onions but didn't feel it necessary to purchase them.)
Dash of cayenne pepper (I also left this out for the same reason)
8 Ritz crackers, finely crushed
8 slices of bacon, crumbled

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl, mix cream cheese, mayo, sharp cheddar, monterey jack, onions, and pepper (if you wish).
Transfer mixture into shallow baking dish.
Top with crushed Ritz crackers.
Bake 15 minutes.
Top with bacon.
Serve immediately with crackers, corn chips, or bagel chips.

This recipe was as tasty as it looks and worth the effort (which wasn't much effort at all). Serve immediately. I sealed up the leftovers and it didn't taste all that great later. 

RECIPE: Mexican Doritos Casserole

I didn't care much for this dish but everyone else seemed to really like it, so I thought some of you might too. I forgot that crunchy chips don't stay crunchy after you bake them. That's what bummed me out the most.

You can find the original recipe here.

Ingredients

2 cups shredded cooked chicken
(I used two chicken breasts left over from my taco chili)
1 cup shredded cheese
(I used cheddar)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 packet taco seasoning
1 bag of Doritos

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350° F
2. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except Doritos
3. In a greased 2 qt dish, put a layer of crushed Doritos, then a layer of chicken mixture. Repeat once, ending with a layer of the chicken mix. Top with shredded cheese and cover. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

RECIPE: Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili

I changed so much about this recipe that I'm not going to bother posting the original, but you can find it here.

I forgot to take a picture of the finished product... but I took a picture of a chip with the chili on it, plus sour cream, lettuce, and tomato (like a mini taco)!

I was semi-concerned I wasn't going to like this chili at first. I don't like kidney beans or black beans, by themselves, so that made me a little nervous. The original recipe is from Weight Watchers, but (of course) I had to fatten it up a bit.

MY INGREDIENTS

1 16-oz can kidney beans

1 16-oz can black beans

1 8-oz can tomato sauce

12-oz package of frozen corn

1 14.5 can of Rotel diced tomatoes

1/2 pk of taco seasoning

1/2 pk of chili seasoning

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 bag of Mexican blend shredded cheese
(I added this ingredient to the original.)

MY INSTRUCTIONS

The recipe instructs you to dump all of the ingredients into the crock pot and place the chicken on top. I don't know about you guys, but I'm extremely mindful about cross-contamination when chicken is involved. So, I roasted the chicken in the oven, shredded it, AND THEN I placed it on top of the other ingredients.

1. Combine beans, corn, tomato sauce, tomatoes, and seasonings.

2. Dump the combined ingredients into the crock pot.

3. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours.

4. Thirty minutes before serving, add the chicken and cheese. 

My version turned out pretty tasty, but I don't think I would've enjoyed it without cheese. This recipe makes A LOT of chili, so I froze half of the combined ingredients (minus the cooked chicken and cheese) for later.

Here's a picture of the original recipe:

RECIPE: Cheesy Ranch Potato Bake

I cooked this dish without realizing that it's probably best served as a side dish. Oh well, I still ate a hearty helping of it anyway. You can find the recipe listed here.

Ingredients

4 lbs of russet potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch squares
2 tsp of chili powder
1 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of ground black pepper
6 tbs of butter, cubed
1 8 oz package of shredded Colby Jack/Monterey cheese blend
1 8 oz bottle of ranch dressing

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13x3 inch baking dish. 
2. Place potatoes in the baking dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chili powder.

3. Evenly distribute the butter of the potatoes.

5. Cover dish with foil and bake for one hour, until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and mix in cheese and ranch dressing. Cook for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

I wish I had a better picture because this one doesn't do it justice. It was very good but also very greasy. I will definitely use less butter if I make it again.

Side note: The prep of the cubed potatoes was a lot of work. 

RECIPE: 3-Meat Pizza Casserole

I've decided to try out the yummy looking recipes I have found on Pinterest. I went to the store and spent my entire life savings buying all of the ingredients. I know that, in the long run, it is much cheaper to cook rather than eat out daily. But, man oh man... I hate spending money at the grocery store.

Anyway... be on the lookout for upcoming recipe posts. Also, it won't take long to realize that I have a special love for Italian and Mexican cuisine. I think the majority of the recipes are one of those. ;)

Three Meat Pizza Casserole - found here

Ingredients

1 lb bow tie pasta

1 lb mild pork sausage (I used Jimmy Dean's original sausage)

1 large onion, medium size chopped (I left this out because I don't like onions)

2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce (I used Ragu Meat)

1 lb cubed cooked ham

1/2-1 lb of sliced pepperoni

3 (8 ounce) bags of shredded mozzarella cheese

6 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped garlic (I used a pinch of garlic powder instead because I didn't feel like messing with chopping up a garlic clove.)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions

1. Cook pasta, as instructed, and drain.

2. Cook sausage, garlic powder, and oregano with onions until juices run clear.

3. In a 9x13x3 inch casserole dish, lightly coat the bottom with pasta sauce.

4. Layer ingredients as listed below.

5. 1/3 of pasta, 1/3 of remaining sauce, 1 bag of mozzarella cheese, 2 tbs of parmesan cheese, sausage and onions.

6. 1/2 of remaining pasta, 1/2 of remaining sauce, 1 bag of mozzarella cheese, 2 tbs parmesan cheese, and ham.

7. All of the remaining pasta, the remaining sauce, 1 bag of mozzarella cheese, 2 tbs parmesan cheese, and completely cover the top with pepperoni.

8. Bake at 425F for 40 minutes.

9. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

This dish was tasty enough. It was pretty much what you would expect when reading the instructions and ingredients. If I were to make it again, I would replace the ham with hamburger meat. 

Paula Deen's Not Yo Mama's Banana Pudding

recipe found here

This banana pudding is amazing!

RECIPE: Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

I made this wonderful recipe today and I must say... it was delish! I got the recipe from Family Circle magazine. I swear, it may confirm that I am a dork... but Family Circle magazine is my favorite of all favorite's to read. I skip over all of the stuff about raising kids (well, because I don't have any kids) and find myself with the best recipes, decorating ideas, and money saving tips! If you don't read it, you should definitely check it out sometime.

I am posting the full recipe taken straight from the magazine. However, I halved the recipe because it makes two loaves and, not only do I not need that much, but I only have one loaf pan.

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

Family Circle Magazine

makes: 24 slices
prep: 10 minutes
bake at 325° for 1 hour, 12 minutes

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting pans
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
4 egg yolks
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 bag (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Heat oven to 325°. Coat two 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray; dust with flour and shake out excess. Set aside.
2. Stir together flour and salt; set aside. In small bowl, stir together eggs, egg yolks and vanilla; set aside.
3. Mix butter and sugar together on medium-high speed for 6 minutes or until very light and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium and gradually pour in egg mixture. Increase speed to medium-high and beat 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. On low speed, gradually add flour mixture and beat until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips. *(I did use the majority of the bag of chocolate chips even though I halved the rest of the ingredients.)
4. Divide batter between prepared loaf pans and smooth tops. Bake at 325° for 1 hour, 12 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 30 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on rack.

PER SLICE 330 calories; 17g fat (10g sat.); 4g protein; 42g carbohydrate; 1g fiber; 65mg sodium; 99mg cholesterol

On a completely different side note - here are two products that I love.

This bread (Nature's Own Whitewheat) is the freshest, yummiest sandwich bread I've ever tasted.

And for you mayo lovers like me... this mayo has half the fat of regular mayo and tastes just as good.