Sausage Brownies

These sausage brownies are such a great breakfast!  Hot, creamy, cheesy...and who doesn't love crescent rolls???

I used turkey sausage, and the flavor was delicious.  Great taste and the turkey sausage is very lean.  I will definitely use the turkey sausage again!

These are easy to assemble.  Layer crescent rolls in a dish.  Next is the turkey sausage and cream cheese mixture.  I used plain cream cheese but I think the jalapeno cream cheese would be awesome!

Sprinkle cheese on top.  I used cheddar...but pepper jack would be delicious.

Lay another package of crescent rolls on top, and bake it!

Cut and serve.  So good.  I took this to MOPS and it was a hit with my friends.  Will be making this again soon!

Sausage Brownies
Adapted from several recipes on Pinterest

2 8oz. tubes Crescent roll sheets
1 lb. roll turkey sausage
8 oz. cream cheese (jalapeno cream cheese would be good too!)
2 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Unroll one package of Crescent rolls and lay it in the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish.

In a skillet, brown the turkey sausage until cooked through, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks to make small crumbles.  Turn off the heat and add the cream cheese. Stir until combined.  Spread mixture over crescent rolls in dish.

Sprinkle cheese on top.  Cover with second package of crescent rolls.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown on top.  Let cool for a few minutes then cut and serve!

Salted Caramel Sauce

I have had more than one fail when it comes to caramel sauce.  I've tried several recipes, and I haven't been happy with how any of them turned out.

I even tried Barefoot's caramel sauce!  She made it look so easy, and I thought it was hard.  Mine just didn't look as luscious as hers did on TV.

The problem is, I really like jarred caramel sauce.  Apparently it's hard to beat.

But...the other day, I watched Pioneer Woman, and she made this caramel sauce.  And it looked easy.  Like, you-don't-need-a-candy-thermometer easy.

So I tried it.  And I added salt to make it salted caramel sauce (that's because I'm obsessed with Starbuck's Salted Caramel Mocha right now.  Have you had one?  Oh. my. goodness.  Get in your car and run through the drive-thru.  Even if you don't like coffee.  I'm pretty sure it's mainly milk, chocolate and caramel, anyway. Very little actual coffee.).

As it turns out?  This is very easy caramel sauce.  Even for me.  Even without a candy thermometer.

I had to improvise a bit because I didn't have the exact ingredients at home...I used cream instead of half-and-half (not a bad substitution), and I had to use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar.  It made my sauce a bit darker and richer (and maybe better?).

My analysis: you should make this.  It's easy (have I mentioned that yet?), delicious and probably keeps forever in the fridge.  The least you can do for yourself is to stir it into your coffee.

You're welcome.

Salted Caramel Sauce
Adapted from Pioneer Woman

1/2 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar (use dark or light brown sugar)
1/2 cup cream (or 1/2 & 1/2)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp kosher salt

Melt the butter, brown sugar and cream together in a small pan and bring to a boil.  Stir to combine.  Continue to boil over medium heat for about 5 minutes until thick and caramel-looking.  Remove from the heat and add the vanilla and salt.  Pour into a heat-proof container and cover.  The sauce will be very thin when hot and will be very thick when refrigerated.  Store in the fridge.

Stuffing Chicken

This is a great go-to recipe.  If you have chicken breasts on hand (I always do!), then you can whip this up with a few other ingredients.  Easy and GOOD!

All you have to do is lay the chicken in a casserole dish and cover it with cheese,

cover it with a sauce (made of cream of chicken soup mixed with sour cream and milk)

sprinkle dry boxed stuffing mix on top,

and pour melted butter on top!

I mean, whoever came up with this should win an award.

It's delicious.  A great fall meal.

I like to serve it with rice.  Oh, and I put a little bit of sauce on my rice.

That's just how we roll in Pithy's Kitchen.

Stuffing Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 slices Swiss cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 cup stuffing mix, dry (I used Stovetop cornbread stuffing)
1/2 stick (4 T) butter, melted

Lay the chicken breasts in a single layer in a 9x13 dish.  Layer the cheese on top.  Mix together the soup, sour cream and milk and pour on top.  Sprinkle on the dry stuffing mix.  Pour the melted butter on top.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 35-45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and sauce is bubbly.  Serve with rice and something green.

Stuffed Pepper Soup

When my husband and I first married, I made stuffed peppers a lot.  They were in our monthly food rotation. We loved stuffed peppers!  (Plus they're cheap.)

I hadn't made them in years, though...so when I ran across this recipe for Stuffed Pepper Soup, I had to try it.

Can I just tell you that we LOVED this soup!  It was delicious.  Very reminiscent of stuffed peppers and very easy to make.  The original recipe said to cook the rice separately.  I thought that sounded like an unnecessary extra step.  So I just cooked the rice right in the soup and it worked perfectly.

My kids really enjoyed this soup.  I made it nice and thick (not too brothy) so it was easy for them to eat.

And of course who doesn't love cheese on top!

Stuffed Pepper Soup
Adapted from The Country Cook

1 lb. ground beef (I used 80/20)
1 onion, chopped
1 large (or 2 small) bell pepper, chopped
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 quart (4 cups) chicken stock
1 cup uncooked rice
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 T sugar
Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving

Brown the ground beef with the onion and peppers in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir frequently to break up the meat and brown evenly.  Strain the grease and discard.  Return the pot to the heat.  Add the remaining ingredients (except the cheese) and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to simmer, and cook for about 30-40 minutes (stirring occasionally), until the rice is cooked completely.  Taste for seasoning (it may need more salt) and serve with cheese on top.

Crockpot Cilantro-Lime Chicken

I made this chicken weeks ago to eat on taco night.  It was so good and so easy.

I have very few pictures and I can't even come up with an excuse why I have so few pictures.

So anyway.

I just put some chicken breasts (frozen!) in my crockpot, I squeezed in some lime juice, sprinkled in chopped garlic, cumin, salt and chili powder and cooked it on high for about 4 hours (until it was super tender and shred-able).

At the end, I shredded it and tossed in some chopped cilantro.

And we made tacos with it!  Topped with the usual taco toppings, but you could do a million other things with it.  (Enchiladas, taco salad, nachos, quesadillas, etc.)

Delicious.  Easy.  Really good leftover.

It's late.  Goodnight.

Crockpot Cilantro-Lime Chicken

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)
Juice of 3 limes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T cumin
1 T chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Place the chicken in the crockpot.  Add the lime juice, garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.  Cover and cook on high for about 4 hours, until the chicken is very tender and shreds easily.  Shred the chicken and return it to the crockpot.  Stir in the cilantro.  Keep on warm until ready to serve.  Great on taco salad, in tacos, nachos, in enchiladas, quesadillas, etc.

Cinnamon-Sugar Quick Bread

Well.  This recipe is a no-brainer. I made a loaf one Friday afternoon for our breakfast on Saturday morning.

Because it's fun to have a treat on Saturdays.

Except that my family came on Friday afternoon, right as the bread was coming out of the oven (it made my house smell heavenly) and devoured.  The. Whole. Loaf.  Gone.

Right then and there.

So, I did what any sensible person would do.  I whippped up another loaf of this bread and we had it.  Again.  On Saturday morning.

Quick bread.  Cinnamon-sugar layered in the middle and on top.

I mean, how bad can that be?

Right.  Get a cup of coffee because this comes together quick.

Hence the name.

Oil (makes it oh-so-moist), sugar, eggs, vanilla.  You know, the usual gang.  Plus milk.  Add the dry ingredients, stir it up.  Layer it in the pan with cinnamon and sugar.

You're supposed to let this cool before you cut it.  Well, I tried it both ways - hot, right out of the oven, and cooled overnight.

Both ways were so good.  I'm just not sure which way I liked better.  I guess I'll have to make it again.  And then I'll maybe be able to decide.

Go forth and conduct your own experiment using this bread.  You won't be sorry!

Cinnamon-Sugar Quick Bread
Adapted from A Whisk and a Prayer

1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 T baking powder
2 cups flour

Cinnamon/Sugar Mix:
2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar

Whisk together the oil, sugar, salt, egg, vanilla and milk.  Add the baking powder and flour.  Stir until combined.  Pour a little more than half the batter into a greased loaf pan.

Combine the cinnamon and sugar.  Sprinkle most of the cinnamon/sugar on top of the batter in the pan.  Pour the remaining batter on top.  Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture on top.  Use a knife to swirl it a little bit.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 50-55 minutes, until a knife inserted comes out clean.

Let the bread cool in the pan for about 30 minutes.  Carefully remove it, wrap it in foil and let it cool completely.  (Yeah, right!)  Or you can slice it and serve it hot.  It may fall apart a little, but it's fabulous still warm.  Enjoy!

Bang Bang Chicken

Wow.  This dinner is packed with flavor.  Yum, yum, yum!

My dinner presentation is usually lacking, but this bowl looked awesome.

And it tasted as great as it looked.

I'm not sure how to even describe these flavors.  Asian-fusion?  Maybe.  It's a knock-off of Cheesecake Factory's Bang-Bang Chicken & Shrimp.  I think it's actually a pretty good copycat, but regardless, it's amazing.

Julienne the carrots and zucchini - this is the only part of the recipe that takes a bit of time.  It's worth it though.  The veggies will cook quickly and more evenly this way.  You could definitely substitute some pre-packaged shredded carrots for the julienned carrots to save some time.

As with everything in my life, it's all about the sauce.  The sauce, people.  Mmmm.... It's fabulous.  It's worth making this dish just for the sauce.

For the coconut milk, I used lite from Trader Joe's.  It's the cheapest price I've found anywhere and I don't think the flavor is compromised by lite...probably because there's still plenty of fat even in the lite coconut milk.

To serve, ladle the chicken/sauce/veggie mixture into a wide-bottom bowl and then scoop the rice on top.

Garnish it and dig in.

Bang Bang Chicken
Adapted from Lauren's Latest

2 T olive oil
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 medium zucchini, julienned
1 1/2 cups julienned carrots
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T grated fresh ginger
3 T flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 can coconut milk (I used lite)
2 T creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 T curry powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 cup cream
3/4 cup frozen petite peas
shredded coconut, peanuts, green onions, red pepper flakes and black sesame seeds, for garnish
hot cooked rice, for serving

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken chunks and saute on one side for about 2 minutes, until they easily release from the pan when you turn them.

Add the zucchini, carrots, onion, garlic and ginger.  Saute for about 5 minutes, until the veggies begin to soften.  Sprinkle in the flour and stir well.

Add the chicken stock, salt, pepper, coconut milk, peanut butter, sugar, curry and turmeric.  Stir to combine and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Cook for about 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the veggies are soft.

Remove from the heat, stir in the cream and peas, and serve over hot cooked rice.  Garnish with coconut, peanuts, green onions, red pepper flakes and black sesame seeds.

Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

In an effort to keep it real here in Pithy's Kitchen, I need to tell you that I've not been very inspired lately.

At all.

We've eaten things from the freezer. Lately, a lot.

And sometimes I'll try to make leftovers seem really fun.  I'll pull everything out of the refrigerator and say something like: "You get to choose your own dinner tonight!"

My kids think it's fun.  My husband sees right through my scheme.  Fortunately, he is sweet.

I've been preoccupied.  With, um...things like...kindergarten.  Yes, that must be the reason that I can't think of anything fun to cook.

But!  Pinterest prevails.  Yet again.

These granola bars?  Top-notch.  Really.

It's taking me forever to write this post because I keep getting up to cut myself another one.

I'm just going to finish this post now so I can go finish the pan.

Bye.

Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
Adapted from Once Upon a Chef

6 T butter
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups quick-cook oats (not old-fashioned or instant oats; use the 1-minute quick cook kind)
2 cups Rice Krispies
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Melt the butter, honey, dark brown sugar and salt together in a small saucepan.  Bring to a low simmer and cook for about a minute.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, rice krispy cereal and wheat germ.  Pour the syrup over the mixture and stir to combine.

Press into a 9x13 dish lined with parchment paper.  Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly on top and press lightly so they will stick to the top of the granola bar.  Chill in the refrigerator for about an hour or cool on the counter for a couple of hours before slicing.