Ritz Pizza Bites

~ posted by Josiah

Recently I tried a new thing. I decided to try and make Ritz Pizza Bites as an experiment.

The ingredients are to serve 4.

Ritz Pizza Bites

4 Ritz crackers

5 Tablespoons of cheese (works best with parmesan)

4 pepperoni’s

Put crackers on a small plate.

Then get the cheese and sprinkle it on the crackers.

Then get the pepperoni’s and put one on each cracker.

You will need to microwave it for 10 seconds, but I always do 5 seconds then 5 more, because if you do it 10 without a break it will fizz. I hope you like them. I can’t wait to do another post soon!

Recipe--Mockamoli

One of our favorite green foods is this Mockamoli! While it doesn’t taste like traditional guacamole, it is very good and has a sweet and tangy taste to it. Give it a try!

                          

Mockamoli

1 cup frozen green peas, thawed and drained

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3 Tablespoons chopped onion

1 large clove garlic, chopped

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 Tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Combine the peas, cumin, onion, and garlic in the container of a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Add lemon juice and olive oil, and process just to blend. Taste and season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Blend for just a few more seconds, and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with chips, crackers, or fresh veggies.

Recipe--Mint Brownies

With St. Patrick’s Day being celebrated this month, we’ve been making and eating some green foods! These brownies are the bomb . . . almost literally! These are for a very special occasion; super rich and chocolatey! There’s almost no way you can’t enjoy these if you like chocolate and mint!

Mint Brownies

Brownies:

4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate

1 cup unsalted butter

4 large eggs

2 cups granulated sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup flour

Filling:

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

4 Tablespoons green crème de menthe (or use green food coloring plus a dash of peppermint extract)

Icing

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mist 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. Prepare brownies: In double boiler (or microwave), melt baking chocolate and 1 cup butter over simmering water; cool slightly. In medium mixing bowl, beat eggs with a whisk until blended, then add the 2 cups granulated sugar and continue whisking until mixture is light and fluffy. Add cooled chocolate mixture, salt, vanilla and flour. Keep whisking until thoroughly blended. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven and leave brownies to cool in pan.

Make filling: Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the ½ cup butter and confectioners’ sugar together until well blended. Stir in the crème de menthe and blend well (if you’re not using crème de menthe, add 1-2 Tablespoons of milk with the peppermint extract and food coloring.) Spread over cooled brownies. Refrigerate in original baking pan until filling is firm.

For the icing, melt the chocolate chips and 6 Tablespoons butter in the top of a double boiler, stirring until smooth. (You can do this in the microwave, just monitor closely and stir a few times.) Pour the warm glaze over the filling and tilt pan to distribute the icing evenly. Refrigerate until chocolate hardens.

To cut, allow brownies to come to room temperature in the pan so chocolate doesn’t crack. Makes 24 brownies.

Recipe--Picante Omelet

We recently discovered a delicious new breakfast recipe in our “Homestead Blessings” cookbook! This recipe is easy to whip up, and very tasty. This is also a great breakfast-for-dinner dish. J

Picante Omelet

½ cup picante sauce

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

6-8 eggs

1 cup sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Pour the sauce into a lightly greased 10” pie plate or quiche dish. Sprinkle with cheese, set aside. Mix the eggs, sour cream, salt and pepper until smooth; pour over cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting. Serves 6.

Recipe--Chicken Kochensparger

I was surprised to find that this recipe is nowhere to be found on our blog! This is one of our favorite recipes, and a great one for our large family. This recipe also makes a terrific freezer meal, and definitely falls under the comfort-food umbrella! J

Chicken Kochensparger

4 whole chicken breasts or 8 skinless boneless chicken breasts (we use 5 or 6 large breasts)

4 slices of swiss cheese (or enough for each breast)

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

2 cups stuffing mix (Pepperidge Farms Herb Seasoned is our favorite)

¼ cup melted butter

In a 9x13 pan, layer chicken and cheese. Thin soup with ½ cup of water; pour over chicken. Mix stuffing with butter, sprinkle over soup. (You can freeze it at this point if you want to.) Cover with foil, and bake 325 degrees for 2 hours, covered. Uncover for the last 15 minutes. Serves 6.

Recipe--Chocolate Bars

These chocolate bars make a good pick-me-up afternoon snack, or a great dessert for company! They’re very simple, but delicious. Almost like fancy granola bars!

Chocolate Bars

4 cups quick-cooking oats

½ cup brown sugar

1 cup butter, melted

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter

Stir together oats, brown sugar, and butter. Flatten into a greased 13”x9” pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F. In a double boiler (or microwave) melt chocolate chips and peanut butter together. Spread this mixture over the baked, cooled crust. When firm, cut into rectangles that resemble small chocolate bars. Makes 2 dozen.

Recipe--Pepperoni Bread

One of our family’s favorite foods is pizza. One of our favorite appetizers for special occasions is pepperoni bread! This bread is very simple, and we almost always have the ingredients on hand. This is definitely a crowd pleaser!

Pepperoni Bread

1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed

4-oz. pkg. sliced pepperoni

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Roll out bread dough into a 15”x10” rectangle; arrange pepperoni slices and cheese on top. Roll up lengthwise; secure closed with toothpicks. Place on a greased baking sheet; bake at 325 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Slice to serve. Makes 12 servings. Optional: serve warm pizza sauce on the side for dipping.

Game Day Recipes!

Tomorrow is the Super Bowl! Also known as the only day our entire family watches a football game beginning to end. J I thought it would be good to compile some of our favorite Game Day Recipes for ya’ll to enjoy!

Stuffed Meatloaf Balls

Coca Cola Cake

Lemon Bars

Bacon Cheese Puffs

Texas Caviar

Recipe--Polar Express Hot Chocolate

There’s hot chocolate, and then there’s *special,* almost-qualifies-as-dessert hot chocolate. This is the latter. J This decadent version of hot chocolate is perfect to serve for company on a cold winter night.

Polar Express Hot Chocolate

6 cups milk

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 ½ cups bittersweet chocolate chips (use a quality chocolate like Ghirardelli)

1 ½ cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

In a large pot combine all of the ingredients over low heat. Keep mixture over low heat for 30-40 minutes whisking occasionally until chocolate is fully melted and incorporated with the other ingredients. (You can add milk here to adjust to your chocolate preference.) Give it a good whisking before serving to get it nice and frothy. If you have an immersion blender, that works great here.

Serve immediately or pour into a crockpot and keep warm until ready to serve.

Top with whipped cream, crushed candy canes, or sprinkles. Enjoy!

Recipe--Cheese Biscuits

Here is yet another recipe from our Thanksgiving table! These delicious biscuits remind us of the famous cheese biscuits at Red Lobster. They make a great accompaniment to a meal, especially soup!

 

Cheese Biscuits

 

 

2 cups baking mix (such as Bisquick)

2/3 cup milk

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

¼ cup parmesan cheese

¼ cup butter

1 teaspoon dried parsley

½ teaspoon garlic salt

 

Preheat oven to 450°F. Stir together baking mix, milk and cheeses until soft dough forms. Drop by spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 20 minutes, or until bottoms are lightly browned. Melt butter, and add parsley flakes and garlic salt. Brush over warm biscuits. Makes 12-15 biscuits. 

Recipe--Scalloped Virginia Apples

Another recipe our family tried for Thanksgiving was Scalloped Virginia Apples. We had plenty of leftovers, and I almost liked them better that way! We put some in a bowl, warmed them up, and then topped them with vanilla ice cream. Quick and easy “apple pie!”

Scalloped Virginia Apples

4-6 large Virginia apples (Golden Delicious, Stayman)

¼ teaspoon allspice

1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice

½ cup water

1 Tablespoon fine bread crumbs (we omitted these)

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 Tablespoon butter (we used more)

Sprinkle of nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400°F. Put apples in a buttered shallow baking dish. Add water. Mix sugars and cinnamon. Sprinkle over apples along with lemon juice, bread crumbs, and nutmeg. Dot with butter. Bake about 45 minutes until apples are soft. Serve warm or cold. Serves 4 to 6.

Recipe--Mock Pecan Pie

One recipe we tested out at Thanksgiving this year was a Mock Pecan Pie. Our pecan trees didn’t produce much this year, and so we haven’t had many nuts around. This recipe tastes almost exactly like the real deal! Skeptical or not, I encourage you to try it out. J I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Mock Pecan Pie

2 cups packed brown sugar

½ cup butter, melted

1 Tablespoon vanilla

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup cooked mashed pinto beans

1 unbaked 10 inch pie shell

In a mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs. Stir in mashed beans. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 350°R for 40-45 minutes or until knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm or cooled with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. If desired, top with a few pecans before baking. Serves 8. Enjoy!

Recipe--Sherry and Curry Cheese Spread

This was another recipe our family tested out as part of our Colonial Williamsburg-themed Thanksgiving feast. This spread is quite elegant, and makes a great appetizer for a holiday party!

Sherry and Curry Cheese Spread

1 8-oz package cream cheese

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

3 Tablespoons dry sherry

¾ teaspoon curry powder

¼ teaspoon dry mustard

¼ teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons chopped chives

½ cup mango chutney (we substituted pear butter because that’s all we had)

Place the cream cheese, Cheddar, sherry, curry, mustard, and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Blend until well combined and smooth. Remove the cheese mixture from the bowl and wrap in plastic wrap, shaping it into a ball. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve roll the ball of cheese in the chopped chives. Spread the chutney on a serving platter. Place the cheese ball on top of the chutney. Serve with crackers. Serves 15-20.

Recipe--Sweet Potato Casserole

I like a lot of foods. I would even say I love a lot of foods. But there are some foods that I *really* love, and this casserole is one of them! Some of you may be appalled at how sweet it is, but I love it! This falls somewhere between regular sweet potato casserole and sweet potato pie. It is truly one of my favorite holiday dishes!

Sweet Potato Casserole

2 40-oz cans sweet potatoes, drained

½ stick butter

½ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons flour

2 teaspoons vanilla

¾ cups sugar

Topping

½ cup flour

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup pecans

½ stick butter

Combine casserole ingredients, put in 9x13” pan. Mix topping; sprinkle on top. Bake 25-30 minutes at 350°F. Serves 8-12.

* We usually almost double the topping ingredients for this casserole.

Recipe--Sage Stuffing

Stuffing/Dressing is one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving! We tried out this simple, old-fashioned recipe for our Thanksgiving this year, and it was definitely a hit! We didn’t actually stuff our turkey, but just served it as dressing. It was delicious and comforting.

Sage Stuffing

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced sweet onion

1 large Granny smith apple, cut into ½-inch dice

½ cup butter

2 cups chicken broth

3 cups cubed herb stuffing mix

4 cups day old bread cubes

2 tablespoons fresh minced sage

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Saute the celery, onion and apple in the butter until tender. Remove from heat and add the broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add to the bread and stuffing mix along with the sage and parsley. Mix gently. If baking turkey immediately, stuff the turkey with stuffing (do not pack too tightly.) If stuffing is made a day ahead of cooking turkey, refrigerate until ready to stuff and bake the turkey. Put the remaining stuffing in a greased casserole and refrigerate—bake, covered, along with turkey the last 45 minutes of roasting time. Serves 8-12.

Recipe--Virginia Peanut Fudge Pie

This was one of the new recipes our family tried for our Thanksgiving feast last month. It is very hard to go wrong in our family with the peanut and fudge combination. J So needless to say, this frozen pie was a hit!

Virginia Peanut Fudge Pie

1 prepared graham cracker crust

Filling:

1 cup chocolate fudge sauce, warmed

½ cup peanut butter

1 3-oz package cream cheese, room temperature

12 ounces whipped topping (Cool Whip)

½ cup powdered sugar

Topping:

½ cup chopped peanuts

½ cup Reese’s peanut butter cups, chopped

Chocolate fudge sauce for garnish

First spread a thin layer, about half of the fudge sauce, on the crust. Mix together the remaining filling ingredients until smooth. Spread on top of chocolate layer. Top with the peanuts and the chopped peanut butter cups. Heat the remaining chocolate sauce and drizzle over the top. Place in the freezer for several hours before serving. Serves 6 to 8.

Recipe--Crock Pot Lasagna

Lasagna is one of my favorite dishes! Unfortunately, it can also be a bit complicated and time-consuming to make. Recently my Mom made this recipe when we had relatives over, and we all loved it! The crock pot is such a handy kitchen tool!

Crock Pot Lasagna

1 pound (16 ounces) ground beef

½ cup diced white onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 (24 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

½ cup water

1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese

2 cups mozzarella cheese

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 whole egg

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried parsley

6 uncooked lasagna noodles

 

In a large skillet, brown beef and onion. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Drain. Add spaghetti sauce and water and simmer for about 5 minutes. In separate bowl, mix ricotta, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, 2 Tablespoons Parmesan, egg and parsley. Pour 1 cup of spaghetti meat sauce into a 4 to 6 quart sized slow cooker. Place half of the noodles and half of the ricotta mixture on top of the sauce. Cover with 2 cups meat sauce. Top with remaining noodles (If the noodles don't fit exactly break them to fit) and cheese mixture and meat sauce.

 

Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or until noodles are soft. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella and remaining parmesan. Cover with the lid to melt the cheese and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving. Do not overcook and don't try to speed up the process by cooking it on high. *Works best with a 4 to 6 quart size slow cooker. Serves 6-8.

 

* We doubled this recipe for our 6-qt crockpot. For this much, it will need to be cooked for 6 hours on low.

 

Recipe--Tuna Chowder

I’ve been on a big soup kick lately. Today, it is bitterly cold here in what is supposed to be sunny and warm Texas. The temperatures are in the 30’s with the wind howling, and an impending winter storm warning for tomorrow. It made my day so much better when I got to enjoy a hot bowl of this soup for lunch! It’s very easy and inexpensive comfort food! We doubled this recipe, and used 2 parts canned chicken and only 1 part of canned tuna in order to a fool a few tuna-hating members of the family. J They all loved it!

Tuna Chowder

2 teaspoons oil

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 celery stalks, trimmed and finely sliced

1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 ½ cups milk

7 oz. canned tuna in water

11 oz. canned corn, drained

2 teaspoons freshly chopped thyme

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper

2 Tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan. Add the onion and celery and cook gently for about 5 minutes, stirring from time to time until the onion is softened.

Stir in the flour and cook for about 1 minute to thicken. Take the saucepan off the heat and gradually pour in the milk, stirring throughout.

Add the tuna and its liquid, the drained corn, and the freshly chopped thyme. Mix gently, then bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the chowder with the cayenne pepper and chopped parsley. Divide among soup bowls and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Recipe--Taco Soup

With the arrival of the cold weather, comes the time for soup! Recently one of our friends from church brought this soup to Life Group. We really loved it, as it truly tastes like a taco in a bowl! This soup is super easy to make, and people enjoy it because it’s very “customizable.” Try it!

Taco Soup

2 pounds ground beef

2 cups diced onions

2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans pinto beans

1 (15 1/2-ounce) can pink kidney beans

1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes with chiles

2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans diced green chiles

1 (4.6-ounce) can black olives, drained and sliced, optional

1/2 cup green olives, sliced, optional

1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix

1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix

Corn chips, for serving

Sour cream, for garnish

Grated cheese, for garnish

Chopped green onions, for garnish

Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Guacamole, for garnish

Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large slow cooker or a stockpot. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, black olives, green olives, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix, and cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove. To serve, place a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with sour cream, cheese, green onions and cilantro.

Recipe--Pecan Chicken

Recently, Roma and Rubia made this chicken for dinner. It’s not too hard, it’s quick to prepare, and it’s tasty and comforting! We enjoyed it with our homegrown pecans as well. J It’s a good way to use up our abundance!

Pecan Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 Tablespoons ground pecans

Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to ¼-inch thickness using a rolling pin. Set aside. Mix honey and mustard together; spread over chicken. Coat chicken with pecans; arrange in a lightly greased 13”x9” baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 15-18 minutes. Makes 4 servings.