Homemade Green Bean Casserole {Side Dish Recipe}

November 15, 2012 by 18 Comments

Homemade Green Bean Casserole

My family was (and still is) absolutely obsessed with green bean casserole growing up. I have so many memories of Thanksgiving dinners of the past where my mother and aunt fought over who would get the first serving as soon as we were done praying.

And sometimes we’d see them munching on the french fried onion topping before we even sat down at the table.

I shook my head wondering how the heck someone could like a dish that included some of my least favorite things: onions, green beans, and mushrooms. Ick! Then I grew up.

It took a Costco sampling this year to make me realize how much I’ve been missing out this whole time. So I decided I’d attempt my own homemade green bean casserole this year. And you know what? I love it!

Homemade Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

  • 1lb green beans
  • 6 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced into 1/2″ pieces
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup french fried onions + 1 cup reserved for topping

 

Homemade Green Bean Casserole

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Boil a pot of water and add salt. Cut green beans into 1-2″ pieces and cook for 5 minutes in boiling salt water.

Homemade Green Bean Casserole

2. Heat butter in a cast iron skillet on medium. Clean your mushrooms off with a towel and slice thinly. Then chop into 1/2″ pieces. Cook mushrooms and salt and pepper in butter until they release their liquid, about 5 minutes.

Homemade Green Bean Casserole

3. Add garlic and nutmeg to the mushrooms and cook an additional minute. Sprinkle with flour and cook another minute.

Homemade Green Bean Casserole

4. Add chicken stock to the pan and scrape up all of the bits on the bottom. Reduce heat and let simmer for a few minutes until thickened.

Homemade Green Bean Casserole

5. Once green beans are done cooking, transfer them to an ice bath to quickly stop the cooking process.

Homemade Green Bean Casserole

6. Add the cream and stir. Let simmer another 2-3 minutes until creamy and fragrant.

Homemade Green Bean Casserole

7. Add the green beans and a cup of french fried onions to the mushroom sauce. Mix well until combined.

Homemade Green Bean Casserole

8. Add the green bean mixture to a 9×9 casserole dish and top with remaining cup of french fried onions. Bake for 15 minutes or until bubbly. Let cool 5 minutes and enjoy!

Homemade Green Bean Casserole

 

Do you serve green bean casserole at Thanksgiving?

Don’t forget the pie! 

Fall Harvest Party Ideas - Mini Pecan Pie Bites

Mini Pecan Pie Bites

pumpkin pie with coconut milk close up

Pumpkin Pie with Coconut Milk

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Cheesy Potato Sausage Cups {Appetizer & Sides Recipe}

November 14, 2012 by 10 Comments

Cheesy Sausage and Potato Cups recipe

I’ve tried to brainstorm what I’ll be bringing with me to Thanksgiving dinner for about a week now. And I have a few ideas for what I want to make. But I’m not 100% sure.

So I’ve put a few of the recipes to the test before the big day and will be blogging about the ones that turn out tasty!

These cheesy potato sausage cups are jam packed with flavor in every bite. And I love how easy they were to throw together.

Like my kitchen sink egg cups, these potato sausage cups are made up of things I found in my fridge and freezer. And they only took about 30 minutes to make.

The best part is they taste amazingly good the second time around. So I could make them the morning of, bring them over to my brother-in-law’s house and simply re-heat them before dinner! They’d make the perfect side or appetizer dish.

Cheesy Sausage and Potato Cups

[Read more…]

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Sparkling Lemonade Iced Tea and Honey Recipe

November 12, 2012 by 13 Comments

Sparkling Lemonade Iced Tea & Honey Lipton #FamilyTeaTime

Sparkling Lemonade Iced Tea and Honey

Our family has one passion and that’s tea! Yes, I’m known to have a love of coffee, but my roots have always been with tea. So when I saw these Lipton Tea & Honey iced tea mixes on the shelves of Walmart I knew I wanted to try something new and test them out.

But it wouldn’t be fun to simply mix the Tea & Honey packets with just plain water. No… I wanted to make something that would be tasty and fun for the whole family!

So I started thinking about some of my families favorite flavors and two things immediately emerged… lemons and iced tea! How perfect is this combination? Simple, classic, and refreshing. Instead of simply mixing the iced tea with lemonade, I decided to kick it up a notch and add a little sparkle to the mix.

What I love about this recipe is how versatile it is! With so many Lipton Tea & Honey varieties, there are so many combinations of flavors you can make with this one recipe.

I served this pitcher to my family as a taste test first and then served it at my My Favorite Things Spa party. It was the perfect refreshment for the mamas-to-be who attended and were looking for something fun and bubbly to enjoy.

[Read more…]

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Baby Back Ribs with Homemade BBQ Sauce

November 7, 2012 by 9 Comments

Ribs with Homemade Barbecue Sauce

There’s one meal that I wish I could cook better. And that’s baby back ribs with bbq sauce. I absolutely love ribs. Love the taste, the mess, and the pile of bones left over at the end. I know, I know… I’m weird. But a good plate of ribs just hits the spot.

And they’re the perfect dish to make for tailgating! So when I was planning my menu for my tailgating party I knew we had to serve ribs. Not only can they be made at home, but they can also be made on the grill and in the crock pot. So many different ways to make one delicious dish!

These ribs are even tastier because of the homemade barbecue sauce I made to go with them. And I have two surprises… my secret ingredient! Total Iron Chef moment here.

We headed out to Smart & Final for our ingredients and I knew I wanted to pick up some flavored preserves. As soon as I saw the First Street apricot pineapple preserves I knew I needed them for my sauce. And it was the best choice I made! While you can use peach, apricot, or even raspberry preserves in this recipe, the combination of the apricot and pineapple gave this sauce an amazing flavor.

You can check out my whole shopping experience by checking out my Smart & Final Tailgating Google + Album.

[Read more…]

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Better than Panera Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

October 30, 2012 by 12 Comments

There’s one thing my family is obsessed with. And that’s cookies. Our favorite cookie? Chocolate chip cookies!

There are many nights that my husband comes home and, after eating dinner together, heads to the  kitchen to start a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies. You can understand now why it’s so hard to stick with a diet plan in this house.

One cookie we absolutely love are the Panera chocolate chip cookies. Every bite is filled with chocolate and they’re super soft with the perfect crunchy outer layer. So when we heard of a chocolate chip cookie recipe that was deemed better than Panera we had to try it out.

The results? Oh, these cookies are definitely better. And worth making again and again!

Better Than Panera Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 cups mini semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper.

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until mixture is creamy.

Mix in the sifted dry ingredients until just combined. Using a spatula, fold in the mini chocolate chips.

Using a cookie scoop, drop cookie dough (about 1/4 cup) onto the prepared chookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

Bake for 15-17 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool on cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before serving.

Makes about 18 large cookies.

What’s your favorite cookie?

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Delicious Pumpkin Bars with Cool Whip Frosting

October 17, 2012 by 12 Comments

Oh Fall! I’m so happy you’re here again. We could definitely use the cooler weather (if that ever happened) and I’m very excited about the upcoming holidays. But a more important reason why I’m here… is because with Fall comes pumpkins! And canned pumpkin is on the shelves in full force.

That means I get to try a whole new batch of recipes out on my friends, family, and playgroup and this year is no different. I decided to go with a pumpkin bar. But the special ingredient isn’t the pumpkin, it’s the Cool Whip Frosting on top. If you want the perfect pumpkin treat this season you need to try this recipe.

Pumpkin Bars with Cool Whip Frosting

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 2/3 cups sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 15 oz pumpkin puree
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 pan with butter or cooking spray.

2. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together sugar, pumpkin, oil, and eggs on medium until light and fluffy.

3. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.

4. With a spatula, add flour mixture to liquid mixture until just combined. Make sure not to over-mix.

5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

 
6. Once the pumpkin bars are cooked, transfer to a cooling rack.

7. When completely cooled, cut off top to make an even, flat surface.

8. Cut into squares.

9. Grab the Cool Whip Frosting and start spreading it on.

10. Top each bar with a pecan and serve.

This recipe makes 16 servings.

Note: 
You can easily bake in a 9×13 pan instead for thinner bars to feed a larger crowd. Simply reduce cooking time to 20-25 minutes. Feel free to frost then cut if you feel that frosting each individual bar will take too long. I just hate dealing with crumbs in my frosting.

What do you love to make with pumpkin? 

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Smarties Sugar Cookies

October 15, 2012 by 8 Comments

I love when I can take something that I love and create something equally as great. Smarties are one of my favorite Halloween sweet treats and I love passing them out to trick-or-treaters. Not only are they gluten-free, they’re free of most allergens and are low in fat as well. But in this recipe they are most definitely not gluten free. Nor are they low in fat…

By pulsing the Smarties in a food processor I created a flour and used the Smarties in a family sugar cookie recipe. I simply reduced the amount of sugar called for in the recipe and subbed the Smarties flour. The end result was fantastic! A not-too-sweet sugar cookie that was definitely flavored by the Smarties. Yum!

And perfect for any Halloween party coming up. We baked them up for our parish festival’s bake sale and they were quite a hit. Three to a bag with a few Smarties thrown in. Who could resist? [Read more…]

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Pear Pancakes with Cinnamon {Breakfast Recipe}

October 9, 2012 by 7 Comments

Every morning we wake up and decide what to have for breakfast. Sometimes it’s eggs, sometimes it’s yogurts and berries, and sometimes it’s cereal. But every once in a while we get a special treat.

Pancakes! 

Now, it’s not that pancakes are hard to make. Or that they’re labor intensive. We just don’t eat them all the time. So when we do, we make them special. And I have to admit, when I run out of my Alton Brown pancake mix, I grab a box mix.

But I don’t leave it at that! We spice up our pancakes with the fruit and spices we have on hand and make them extra special and nutritious. When my kids were small I would add different purees into their pancake mix but now that they’re older we like to dice up our fruit before adding it in.

And here’s how we do it:

Pear Pancakes with Cinnamon

  • 1 cup Trader Joe’s multigrain pancake mix
  • 1/2 cup milk 
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 pear
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

1. Dice up the pear into small pieces.

2. Mix together the pancake mix, milk, and egg with a whisk until just incorporated. Do not over-mix.

3. Add in the diced pear and cinnamon. Fold in gently.

4. Let pancake batter sit while you prep the pan. Heat pan on medium heat.

5. Coat pan with butter. Take a towel and wipe off the excess batter (thanks, Alton, for that tip!)

6. Using a measuring cup, pour 1/4 to 1/3 of the batter onto the hot pan.

7. Let cook until batter is bubbling and edges look firm and underside is golden brown, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Flip.

8. Let the other side cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.

9. Repeat with the rest of the batter. If making large batches, store cooked pancakes in a warm oven (I set mine on the lowest setting and place pancakes on a plate with a towel on top to keep warm while I finish the rest of the batches).

10. Enjoy!

Makes 6 pancakes

Pancakes are so easy and versatile! Why stick with the same old plain pancakes when you can jazz them up? Switch up apples for pears and add some peanut butter on top and you have a tasty, and healthy meal perfect for this Fall!

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Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting {Dessert Recipe}

September 26, 2012 by 9 Comments

As I mentioned before, I’m a bit obsessed with pumpkin. And as soon as I got a whiff of coolness in the air I got to baking. I’ve been craving these cupcakes since the first time I made them a few years ago and with a few minor tweaks I think I’ve perfected my recipe.

These were delicious! And even better when left in the fridge overnight and eaten for breakfast the next morning with a hot cup of coffee 😉 But if you can’t wait that long to savor the goodness just make sure to allow the cupcakes enough time to cool before frosting them. You won’t be disappointed!

Pumpkin Cupcakes With Maple–Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcakes

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups cake flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin

Frosting

  • Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream

 Preheat the oven to 350° (175°C). Line a cupcake pan with 18 liners.

Cupcakes:
Pour the milk into a measuring cup and add vanilla.

In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl.

Add the eggs one at a time to the mixer, scraping down the sides after each addition. Alternate adding the flour and milk mixtures, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat in the pumpkin until smooth. Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners, about 3/4 of the way up. Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on racks completely.

Frosting:
In a stand mixer beat all the ingredients on medium until fluffy but firm. Frost the cupcakes using either a spatula or a pastry bag w/ a large tip. Refrigerate the cupcakes for 30 minutes to set up frosting.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars {Dessert Recipe}

September 20, 2012 by 3 Comments

When Fall comes there is one thing I am most excited about. The return of canned pumpkin on the shelves! I start out small. Buying maybe 4 cans of pumpkin on my first spotting. Then I get a bit crazy. I need to stock up for the rest of the year. How can I not have 10 or so cans of pumpkin in my pantry by mid-October? And what do I use these cans and cans of pumpkin for? Healthier recipes!

Pumpkin is a great ingredient in baking, cooking and no-bake recipes such as this one. It’s simple and easy to use and best of all… it’s super tasty and healthy! Now I’ve already been making my pumpkin waffles, pumpkin muffins and even a pumpkin oatmeal shake. But I hadn’t yet tried anything with pumpkin and cheesecake before. So this past weekend I decided to try out a no-bake recipe for pumpkin cheesecake bars. And they were delicious.

If you have a can of pumpkin lying around you have to try it!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

  • 1 package (8 oz.) neufchatel cheese, softened*
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1/3 cup agave nectar (or 1/2 cup sugar)
  • 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip Free whipped topping, thawed, divided
  • 1 package graham crackers (about 24), crushed
  • 4 tablespoons light butter, melted

Line an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish with plastic wrap. Mix graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until the crumbs resemble moist sand. Push crumb mixture into dish with your fingers evenly to create a level crust on the bottom. Make sure to get the crumbs into the corners of the dish as well.

Beat cream cheese, pumpkin, agave and pumpkin pie spice with electric mixer on low speed for one minute. Increase speed to medium and mix for another 3 minutes or until no lumps are visible. Gently stir in 2-1/2 cups of the whipped topping. Cover and refrigerate remaining whipped topping for later use.

Spoon cream cheese mixture into crust and refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Serve topped with remaining whipped topping. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

*How to Soften Cream Cheese
Place completely unwrapped package of cream cheese in microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 10 to 15 seconds or until slightly softened. If you cannot find neufchatel cheese in your grocery store just go for the reduced fat cream cheese. Same thing, different name.

Serves 16 | 5 WW+ Points

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