Pretzel S’Mores Bites

 INGREDIENTS

100 pretzel snaps (square pretzels)

25 regular sized marshmallows, cut in half

8 oz semi-sweet melting chocolate (dark is ok too)

3 graham cracker sheets, finely crushed or pulverized

INSTRUCTIONS

Place baking rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F.

Line your baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Arrange fifty pretzels in a single layer on the baking sheet, leaving about 2″ between each pretzel.

Place half a marshmallow on top of each pretzel.

Place baking sheet in the oven and bake until the marshmallows begin to brown. Oven times may vary, but I watched carefully for about 10 minutes.

Remove pretzels from the oven and top each one with a second pretzel, allowing to cool for a couple of minutes.

Melt chocolate according to package directions.

Dip each marshmallow pretzel into the chocolate about halfway and place onto a lined baking sheet.

Sprinkle crushed graham crackers crumbs over each pretzel bite while the chocolate is still wet.

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio: A Simple Italian Classic

 Ingredients:

12 oz (340 g) spaghetti

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

6-8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)

Salt (for pasta water and seasoning)

Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta.

Prepare the Garlic Oil: While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, until the garlic turns golden brown and crispy (about 2-3 minutes). Be careful not to burn the garlic, as it will turn bitter.

Add Red Pepper Flakes: Once the garlic is golden, stir in the red pepper flakes and cook for an additional 30 seconds to release their flavor.

Toss the Pasta: Add the cooked, drained spaghetti to the skillet, along with about 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss everything together until the pasta is coated in the garlic oil. If needed, add more pasta water to create a smooth, slightly glossy sauce.

Season and Garnish: Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Stir in the chopped parsley and toss everything together one final time.

Serve: Serve the spaghetti hot, garnished with extra parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Taco Spaghetti To Die For

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound ground beef*

1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning

1 (10-ounce can) Ro*Tel® Mild Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies

1 tablespoon tomato paste

8 ounces spaghetti

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 Roma tomato, diced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS:

1: Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until beef has browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; stir in taco seasoning. Drain excess fat.

2: Stir in Ro*Tel®, tomato paste, spaghetti and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 13-16 minutes.

3: Remove from heat and top with cheeses. Cover until melted, about 2 minutes.

4: Serve immediately, garnished with tomato and cilantro, if desired.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

 

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 TBSP Italian seasoning

3 eggs

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 lb mozzarella, cut into cubes

Olive Oil

Marinara (jar or homemade)

Instructions:

In a large bowl mix beef through pepper. Form into 2″ balls. Press a cheese cube in the middle and seal the meat around it.

Heat 1/2″ olive oil in a large skillet. Brown meatballs and then set aside on plate.

Pour marinara sauce into pan; bring to a simmer. Add meatballs and simmer until cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Serve over spaghetti or on top of a hoagie

Rice Krispie Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup brown sugar, packed

½ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Instructions:

1. Preheat the Oven:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Cream the Butter & Sugar:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Mix in the vanilla extract.

3. Combine Dry Ingredients:

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.

4. Fold in the Mix-Ins:

Gently stir in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

Carefully fold in the Rice Krispies cereal, being gentle so they stay crispy.

5. Shape & Bake the Cookies:

Scoop tablespoon-sized dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart.

Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.

Lemon Curd Cookies

 

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

½ cup granulated sugar

2 large egg yolks

1 Tbsp grated lemon zest

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

½ tsp kosher salt

2½ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup Lemon Curd, or store-bought

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line two half-sheet-pan baking sheets with parchment or nonstick liners.

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with mixer until well blended.

Beat in yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt.

Beat in flour just until moist clumps form. Gather dough together in bowl to bind.

Shape scant tablespoons of dough into 1-inch balls.

Place balls on prepared sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart.

Using a floured finger or something that will give a good round shape (I used the back of a small pestle), make a deep indentation in center of each ball.

Bake cookies until firm and lightly golden on bottom, about 18 to 20 minutes.

Remove cookies from oven and immediately fill indentations with curd.

Return to oven and bake 2 minutes longer to set curd.

Bake remaining cookies. Lightly dust edges with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Serve.

Enjoy!

DING DONG CAKE

 INGREDIENTS:

1 box chocolate cake mix

1 pkg cream cheese (softened)

3 cups confectioner sugar

1 stick margarine (softened)

1 container cool whip

1 container chocolate icing

1 TBS milk

Directions:

1 – Make cake as directed on box in a 9×13 pan. When done let cool 10 min. Then put on cooling rack , when cooled cut in half then put one half back in bottom of pan,

2 – Make the Icing. Mix cream cheese softened, 3 cups powered sugar, 1 stick margarine softened, together with mixer. Then add the cool whip.

3 – Spread this on cake layer in pan, then put other layer on top

4 – Now take 1 can of chocolate icing add 2 tbsp of milk stir up well ,spread on cake. Keep in fridge