New Favorite Recipes!

Hello!
 I'm returning from the land of silence to post about my recent favorite meals!  Today, I wanted to update you on all my delicious finds on Pinterest. Check out my Recipes I've Tried folder on Pinterest to see all the recipes I love!

Here they are- all pictures belong to the original blog.  Have fun!

Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes from two peas & their pod

These are fantastic little bundles of yumminess. They are moist and the pumpkin flavor really comes out.  I dipped just the tops in the Cinnamon/Sugar mix, and it was heavenly! Just as good a day later as just out of the oven. (If they last that long!)

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Lasagna Bake by Pinch of Yum

Delicious.  Creamy and rich, every family member enjoyed this.  A few notes:

I used my own Alfredo Sauce recipe just because it was easier.

I would take out the peas next time. They really didn't add anything to the dish; except that my kids got their veggies! 

Very, very good dish that is on the meal rotation list!

 

by Frieda Loves Bread

I can't believe I haven't posted about this cake.  Last November I was looking for an easy, one layer cake that I could decorate for my boy's Minecraft party.  Frieda answered my call on Facebook. I ended up cutting this into squares, and using pieces of foot rollups to made Minecraft shapes.   We LOVE this cake.  Love, Love, Love.  My daughter asked for it for her birthday in March, and still mentions it as her favorite cake.  The vanilla flavor is so good. Add cherries on top = divine.

 

Thai Beef Tacos from How Sweet it is

One more savory to add to this list.  These tacos are AMAZING! The Thai flavor is perfect, and the mangoes really punch up the whole thing.  The recipe only makes a few; double or triple as needed.  I did try this with stew meat in the crockpot once: not as good.   Use Flank steak and marinate them!

These are enough to get you started.  Check out my "Recipes I've Tried" board on Pinterest to see more tried and true recipes! 

Do you have a favorite recipe you found on Pinterest?  Let me know in the comments!

Parmesan Butternut Squash Gratin

We love butternut squash in our house. Yes, it's hard to cut. Yes, it takes a long time to cook. Yes, it's worth every minute.  We usually make it sweet with cinnamon and brown sugar, but this time I decided to go savory instead. Pillsbury.com has fantastic recipes online, and that is where I found this one. I served it with Apple Cider Braised Pork Shoulder.

We liked the final results, but next time I will add more seasonings (included in this recipe!). This is a great substitution for the sweet squash!

Parmesan-Butternut Squash Gratin

Adapted from Pillsbury.com

1 butternut squash (2 1/2 lb) 

¼ cup butter or margarine 

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped 

¼ teas salt 

1/8 teas pepper

1/2 teas chili powder (optional)

¼ cup Progresso® panko crispy bread crumbs 

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Peel, (with a potato peeler), halve lengthwise and seed squash; cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange with slices overlapping slightly in baking dish.
In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Add garlic; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft and butter is infused with garlic flavor. Do not let butter brown.

Pour the butter/garlic mixture over the squash. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, chilli powder, and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top.

Bake uncovered 30 to 40 minutes or until squash is tender when pierced with fork. Increase oven temperature to 425°F; bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until lightly browned. Before serving, sprinkle parsley over top.

Enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan

I love Chicken Parmesan. I often order it in Italian restaurants, and finally found a recipe that I like to make at home. This recipe has a lot of steps- a lot of prep-work- but will quickly make you fall in love with homemade Chicken Parmesan!


Chicken Parmesan
The Double Dipped Life


3 cups pasta sauce
4 chicken breasts
2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 teas. dried basil
1 teas dried oregano
1/2 teas salt
1/8 teas pepper
1 egg, beaten
2 TB milk
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Pasta of your choice
To bread the chicken, set up your breading station. Gather 3 shallow bowls, or pie pans.

1st bowl: add flour
2nd bowl: beat 1 egg with the milk
3rd bowl: mix the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper.

Either cut your chicken into sections, or pound chicken flat.  Coat each piece in the flour, then the egg, and finally in the bread crumb mixture.   Place the chicken on an empty plate.

Like the product placement above? That is the Italian Herb Blend from Kitchen Stories that I use instead of the basil and oregano.

Working one piece at a time, dredge both sides of the chicken in the flour, knocking off the excess.

Dip both sides of the floured chicken in the egg mixture...

and then into the crumb mixture, coating well.





Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and pour in enough olive oil to cover the bottom, about 2 Tb. Heat the oil for a few minutes, then add the chicken. Cook in batches if they won’t all fit in the pan.  Fry each side for about 3 minutes, turning once, until the chicken is browned and cooked through.  

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375. Pour 2 cups of pasta sauce into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Add cooked chicken, and pour the remaining sauce over the top. Sprinkle the cheeses on top, then cover the pan loosely with foil. Bake until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.




While the dish is cooking, cook pasta according to package directions. Serve warm chicken and sauce over the pasta.

Enjoy with warm Rosemary Foccacia Bread or French bread with Garlic Seasonings!

Parmesan Zucchini Strips with Dipping Sauce

Our wonderful neighbors brought us a very large zucchini from their garden. When I saw this recipe on Savoring the Thyme, I knew I had to try it. It is amazing!! 

Parmesan Zucchini Strips

1 large zucchini, quartered and then cut into strips

1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (I had unseasoned, so added 1/2 TB Italian Seasonings)

1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

1/2 TB Kosher Salt

1/2 TB Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

2 Eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. In another bowl, crack eggs, and beat.

Dip zucchini strips into egg and then into the bread crumb mixture.  Fully coat each zucchini strip. Place the strips on a backing sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray.

Bake at 450 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and tender. Serve with Dipping Sauce.

Creamy Parmesan Dipping Sauce

This sauce is creamy, with a slight tart taste. It compliments the Zucchini quite well!

1/2 cup light sour cream

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 TB Dijon Mustard (I only used about a teas.)

1/4 teas Kosher salt

1 teas fresh lemon juice

In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Mix and serve with the Zucchini Strips.