Crustless Broccoli-Cheddar Quiches

Soooo, we had breakfast for dinner tonight!  How can anyone argue that right?  We all know how much we loved having eggs, bacon and pancakes for dinner growing up.  (It was definitely one of my faves!)  We tried to make it a little more like a dinner so we found a quiche that wasn't so much like a breakfast.  Broccoli and cheese are two of my favorite things to eat so you can't go wrong with me on this recipe!! 

Crustless Broccoli-Cheddar Quiches

Butter, for pie dish
Coarse Salt
1 package (10 ounces) frozen broccoli florets
6 large eggs
1/2 cup half and half
Ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup cheddar cheese (3 ounces)

Preheat oven to 350.  Butter a 9 inch pie dish; set aside.  Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.  Add broccoli; cook about 4 minutes.  Drain well and transfer to a cutting board, and blot dry with paper towels.  Chop coarsely.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg.  Stir in broccoli and cheese.

Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. 


I think I ate half of the pie MYSELF................ haha.  What's new!!!  It was sooo yummy!  It would also be really good with ham mixed in.  Might have to try that next time.

COOKIE CUPCAKES!!!

By the title, you must first know how much I loved these... AND how many I ate (including batter in the bowl!!) Yikes =)  We had a Crawfish Boil over at Jordan and Alex's house so I made two different batches; Peanut Butter Cookie Cupcakes and Chocolate Chunk Cupcakes.  They turned out DELICIOUS!  They were out of Martha Stewart's Cupcakes.  I will eventually attempt at baking every single one of those recipes... they are way too tempting.  I will say the Peanut Butter Cupcakes were really rich so beware of how much of the frosting you smooth over them! Haha, learned from experience.  And the Chocolate Chunk Cupcakes, they almost were like a chocolate chip muffin, but BETTER!  I won't even let yall know the count on how many of these I consumed in a matter of hmmm 3 days. 



Peanut Butter Cookie Cupcakes

For Cupcakes
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter, preferably natural-style
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 sour cream

For Frosting
12 ounces cream cheese, room temp.
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted, plus more for scoring
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp.
1 1/2 cups creamy peanuty butter

Make cupcakes:  Preheat oven to 375 and line standard muffin tins with paper liners.  Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. 

Reduce speed to low and beat in peanut butter until combined.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each in incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.  Beat in vanilla and then add flour mixture, and miz until just combined.  Beat in sour cream.

Fill each lined cup with 3 scant tablespoons batter.  Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until pale golden and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 13 minutes.  Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.

Make frosting:  With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and butter until pale and fluffy.  Stir in peanut butter by hand.

To finish, use an offset spatula to spread 1 to 2 tablespoons frosting onto each cupcake.  Refrigerate until frosting is firm, about 10 minutes.  Score each top in a crosshatch pattern with the tines of a fork, dipping tines in confectioners' sugar each time to prevent sticking.  Cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 2 days in airtight containers; bring to room temp. before serving.

If you are a peanut butter lover like me.................... You won't find better! =)

Chocolate Chunk Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup milk
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/2 inch chunks (or 8 ounces chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 375.  Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and both sugars until pale and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.  Beat in vanilla.  Reduce speed to low.  Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the milk, and beating until combined after each.  Stir in chocolate chunks by hand.

Fill each lined cup with 1/4 cup batter.  Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until pale golden and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes.  Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.  Cupcakes can be store up to 3 days at room temp. in airtight containers.

These are definitely worth your attention!!!




    

Chicken, Ham and Cheese Roll Ups

This week my mom and I tested the water with this recipe from trusty ole' Martha Stewart.  They resembled the Chicken Cordon Bleu and mighty tasty were they!  I will say the worst part about this meal was... cutting the fat off of the chicken... (I guess I have to get used to this right??.. GROSS!)  It was really pretty simple and quick to make!

Chicken, Ham and Cheese Roll Ups
Serves 4.

4 thin chicken cutlets (approx. 6 oz breasts pounded thin)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons honey mustard
4 slices deli ham, halved lengthwise
12 think slices swiss cheese, halved lengthwise

Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place cutlets on work surface and season with salt and pepper.
Spread cutlets with mustard and layer with 1 slice of ham and 2 strips of cheese.  Starting at a short end, roll up cutlets; place seam side down on baking sheet.  Top each cutlet with 1 piece of remaining cheese.  Broil until browned and chicken is opaque throughout, 6 to 10 minutes.

Spring Flower Pots!

Two weekends ago, (I'm a little late on posting this one!) Elise, Kiersten and I spent a little time together making Spring Flower Pots.. and these are not the typical flower pots you are thinking of.  They are even BETTER... you can eat them!!  Well, not the flower.  It took repeating over and over and over to Elise and Kiersten that they could NOT eat the actualy flower!  Haha. Our flower pots were from the one and only, Pioneer Woman's blog, and they were made with pound cake, ice cream, crushed oreos and gummy worms!  And a flower to top it off.

Spring Flower Pot Desserts

1 whole Pound Cake (We used Sara Lee)

Your choice of Ice Cream

1 package Oreo Cookies

1 package Gummy Worms

Small Clay Flower Pots

Straws

Fresh Cut Flowers

Slice the pound cake into 1 to 1 1/2 inch slices.  With a cookie or biscuit cutter that fits the bottom of your pot cut the slices into rounds.  Once you have put the pound cake securely into the bottom of the pot, hold a straw up against the side of a flowerpot and snip it so its able 1/2 inch shorter than the top.  Stick each straw into the center of each pot, to the bottom of the pound cake.

Next, grab your favorite flavor of ice cream and make sure it is soft enough to use and just spoon it into the edges around the straw until it almost reaches the tip of the straw.  Make sure you put your worms throughout the ice cream!  Return the pots to the freezer until they are firm. 

Lastly, you will use a food processor to crush up the oreos (or just crush them in a ziploc bag) and take the pots out of the freezer and spoon the dirt over the top.  Place your fresh flower into the straw and then cover the straw with a bit more dirt! 

These are the most fun desserts to make!!!  Although, Kiersten was just interested in eating the worms and concerned with the fact she wasnt able to eat her yellow flower.  Luckily, i sent these home with their parents because apparently they scooped out all of their oreos and ice cream everywhere until they found all of the hidden worms in their pot!!  Whoops! 

Ooooooh the Bunny Foo Foo Cake...

Well, atleast my second attempt turned out! Since we are restricted on certain ingredients for things, i made a low fat cake for my dad for Easter. A strawberry bunny cake with vanilla and strawberry icing.. and it was definitely a hit out at Nanny's house on Sunday! I don't even think people realized it was low fat! I substituted the eggs with egg beaters, the oil with apple sauce and i used butter bud packets in the icing with powdered sugar and strawberry extract. And then, decorated it of course! Needless to say, Bunny had a rough day and there were not many leftovers to bring home of him. =(

We had a great Easter out at Nanny's this year! Yummy food, good family, little kid Easter egg hunt, big kids Easter egg hunt and lotto tickets! What a fun day!! 

First week of Events!!

Okay, so I'll be the first to admit it... I am no Betty Crocker quite yet.  =)  Well, last Monday went really well.  My mom and I made Cheese & Onion-Stuffed Sliders and "Cheese Fries" for dinner.  If you are familiar with our family you will understand why I put the cheese fries in quotations.. real cheese fries that are gooey and yummy all over wouldn't make the cut in this household.  For us, our cheese fries consisted of fresh cut butternut squash baked in the oven with freshly grated parmesan cheese on top.  And they turned out delicious I might add!  Maybe a little mushy, but hey, it was our first try at it! 

Cheese & Onion-Stuffed Sliders
Serves 4.

1 lb. ground extra-lean beef, crumbled
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 c. shredded 2% cheddar cheese
1 onion, finely chopped

Mix the firs 4 ingredients in a medium bowl and form into 16 patties. Put 1 tbsp. of the cheese in the center of 8 patties, then add some of the onion on top.  Top with the remaining patties.  Seal the edges; then press the burgers to an even thickness. 
Set a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the burgers and cook 2 minutes.  Turn the burgers, add the onion, and cook 2 minutes.  Reduce the heat; cover and cook until the burgers are cooked through, 2 minutes, turning the burgers and onion after 1 minute.  Top each burger with about 1 tbsp. of the onion and add a lil' cheese if you're feeling crazy on top!  (Like me! ...There's no such thing as too much cheese in my books.)

These were delicious!  Next, we're on to Lauren Deen's "Cheese Fries!"  This is from her cookbook, Cook Yourself Thin Faster; Have Your Cake and Eat it Too!

"Cheese Fries"
Serves 4

1 large butternut squash, peeled and seeded (might i add... this was a CHORE!)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 450 and line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.
Cut squash into 1/4-inch "french fries"
Toss the squash with the olive oil and spread on the pan.  Season with the salt and pepper.
Bake for 30 minutes, shaking the pan until the squash "fries" are roasted and golden, tossing and turning the fries midway through baking.
Sprinkle with the parmesan and return to the oven for 2 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Okay, so I know these aren't the cheese fries you would find at Snuffer's, but they are a much healthier treat and taste a lot like sweet potato fries!  I definitely recommend trying them!