Bundt Cakes: Part 1

Another wedding successfully pulled off (over a month ago) means a whole slew of recipes to post!

When my sister, Laurie, got married in June 2009, we did cupcakes, mini-quiches (catered), veggies, dip, and hummus at her wedding.  My mom went absolutely crazy and made something like 45 different kinds of cupcakes (which only about half got devoured at the reception, so we ended up eating the other half for Sunday desserts and snacks over the next few months).  I posted the six kinds of cupcakes that I made for the wedding, which you can find here.  As for the cupcakes that my mom made, I will have to hound her for her list and recipes because we really should put the cupcake successes on our blog.  It turned out beautifully.

When my brother, Clayton, got married the following year, my mom was understandably a little burned out baking-wise after 45 different kinds of cupcakes.  Since my brother's lovely wife hailed from Idaho, we had another reception to put together.  We opted for some fantastic cheesecake (purchased at Costco) and we made some fantastic homemade sauces (caramel, chocolate, and raspberry) to top the cheesecake.  That day was kind of a blur since I had a little guy to run after the whole time and I was three months pregnant with my second little guy.  So, I honestly don't know what else we served in addition to the cheesecake.  But we'll need to do a post of those fantastic sauce recipes sometime soon.

My brother, Sean, got married last month.  His wonderful wife comes from Logan, Utah which is quite a drive away...so they did a reception in Salt Lake and an open house in Logan.  That meant that my mom had another reception to put together.  This time, she opted for bundt cakes.  And whoo boy, did we make some great cakes!  Oh, and to be 100% correct, we used bundt pans and tube pans for the cakes (depending on what the recipe called for).  And we didn't go quite as crazy as we had with the cupcakes.  Though we still made quite a few...

The trick is that cake freezes really well.  The following recipe note is included in all of the following recipes and it pertains to pretty much any cake recipe you can come up with: Store this cake, wrapped in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, or in a cake saver, at room temperature for up to 1 week, or freeze it, wrapped in foil, for up to 6 months.  Thaw the cake overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

So, we made the cakes about a month or so in advance, thawed them the day before, and frosted them prior to the reception.  I wasn't able to get pictures of all of the cakes...but trust me, they all looked absolutely scrumptious!  I only wish that I had gotten to taste them all (but I tasted more than what was probably good for me health-wise!).

All of the cakes from this post were found in The Cake Doctor's Chocolate cake book.  Cake recipes that are 100% from scratch are so hit and miss.  They can be fantastic...or they can be crumbly, stick to the pan, be dry, take longer to cook than the recipe calls for, etc.  But I have NEVER had a problem with a cake recipe that started with a cake mix.  It tastes just as fantastic as a recipe from scratch, but it's a lot more reliable.

So, get ready for multiple posts of delicious bundt cake madness!

Quick Tunnel of Fudge Cake

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 1/2 cups milk
1 package (3.4 ounces) chocolate fudge pudding and pie filling mix (not instant)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter

Cake:

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) devil's food cake mix with pudding
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups finely chopped walnuts, optional
Martha's Chocolate Icing (recipe below), optional (we served ours without icing)

Directions:

Place the milk in a medium-size sauce-pan and whisk in the pudding mix.  Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil, 4-5 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chocolate chips and butter.  Stir until the pudding is smooth and thickened and the chocolate has melted.  Set the pan aside.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly mist a 12-cup Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour.  Shake out the excess flour.  Set the pan aside.

Place the cake mix, oil, sour cream, water, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.  Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.  Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again, if needed.  The batter should look thick and well combined.  Fold in the walnuts, making sure they are well distributed throughout the batter.

Reserve 2 cups of the batter.  Pour the remaining batter into the prepared pan.  Spoon the pudding filling in a ring on top of the batter, making sure it does not touch the sides of the pan.  Spoon the reserved batter over the filling, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula.  Place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and is just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, 45-50 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.  Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack to cool completely, 20 minutes more.

Meanwhile, prepare Martha's Chocolate Icing.

Place the cake on a serving platter and pour the warm icing over it.  Let the cake rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Slice and serve.

Recipe Note: You can also top this cake with your favorite chocolate glaze or dust it with powdered sugar.  Or simply serve it as is.

Store this cake, wrapped in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, or in a cake saver, at room temperature for up to 1 week, or freeze it, wrapped in foil, for up to 6 months.  Thaw the cake overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0

Martha's Chocolate Icing

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Place the sugar, butter, and milk in a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat.  Stir until the mixture comes to a boil, 3-4 minutes.  Still stirring, let the mixture boil until the sugar dissolves, 1 minute.  Remove the pan from the heat.

Stir in the chocolate chips, and continue to stir until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate has melted.

Spread the icing over the cooled cake or cupcakes of your choice.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0

Chocolate Orange Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain butter recipe fudge cake mix
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
Fresh Orange Drizzle (recipe below)

Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Lightly mist a 10-inc tube pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour.  Set the pan aside.

Place the cake mix, cream cheese, orange juice, oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and orange zest in a large mixing bowl.  Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.  Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed.  The batter should look well combined.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula.  Place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and is just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, 60-65 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 25 minutes.  Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack, then invert it onto another rack so the cake is large side up.  Allow to cool for 25 minutes more.

Meanwhile, prepare the Fresh Orange Drizzle.

Spoon the glaze over the cooled cake, letting it drizzle down the sides and center of the cake.  Let the cake rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Slide the cake onto a serving platter.  Slice and serve.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0

Chocolate Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain butter recipe fudge cake mix
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Lightly mist a 10-inch tube pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour.  Shake out the excess flour.  Set the pan aside.

Place the cake mix, cream cheese, water, oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.  Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.  Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed.  the batter should look well combined.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula.  Place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and is just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, 58-62 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.  Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack, then invert it onto another rack so that it is large side up.  Allow to cool for 20 minutes more.

Slice the cake onto a serving platter.  Slice and serve.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0

Above: White Chocolate Pound Cake with Fresh Orange Drizzle

Fresh Orange Drizzle

Ingredients:

1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1-2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange zest, or 1/4 teaspoon orange extract

Directions:

Place the confectioners' sugar in a small mixing bowl and whisk in enough orange juice to make the glaze smooth and spoonable.  Fold in the zest or extract.

Spoon the glaze over the cooled cake of your choice, letting it drizzle down the sides and into the center of the cake.  Let the cake rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0

Milk Chocolate Cherry Pound Cake

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain Swiss chocolate or devil's food cake mix
1 package (3.9 ounces) chocolate instant pudding mix
3/4 cup water
2/3 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
Milk Chocolate Glaze (recipe below)

Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Lightly mist a 10-inch tube pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour. S hake out the excess flour.  Set the pan aside.

Place the cake mix, pudding mix, water, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl.  Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.  Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed.  The batter will be very thick.  Fold in the chocolate chips and cherries, making sure they are well distributed throughout the batter.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula.  Place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and is just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, 55-60 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.  Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack, then invert it onto another rack so the cake is large side up.  Allow to cool for 20 minutes more.

Meanwhile, prepare the Milk Chocolate Glaze.

Place the cake on a serving platter and pour the warm glaze over it.  Let the cake rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Slice and serve.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0

Milk Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients:

4 bars (1.55 ounces each) milk chocolate
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup whole milk or heavy (whipping) cream

Directions:

Break up the milk chocolate bars into 1-inch pieces, then place them in a medium-size glass bowl.  Microwave them at medium power for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, stirring until smooth.  Or melt the chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth, 2-2 1/2 minutes.  Stir in the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and milk.  Mix the frosting until it is smooth.

Spoon this glaze over the cake of your choice.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0

Easy Hershey Bar Swirl Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) yellow cake mix with pudding
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1 large Hershey's milk chocolate bar (7 ounces)
1/2 cup chocolate syrup

Easy Milk Chocolate Glaze:

1 large Hershey's milk chocolate bar (7 ounces)
2 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly mist a 12-cup bundt pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour.  Shake out the excess flour.  Set the pan aside.

Place the cake mix, water, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.  Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.  Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed.  The batter should look thick and well combined.

Measure out 2 cups of the batter and place it in a medium-size mixing bowl.  Stir in the corn syrup and pecans.  Set the bowl aside.

Break the chocolate bar into pieces, and place those pieces in a small microwave-safe bowl along with the chocolate syrup.  Microwave the chocolate at high power for 1 minute and then stir until smooth; return the bowl to the microwave for a few seconds if needed.  Fold the melted chocolate into the remaining plain batter until well incorporated.

Pour the chocolate batter into the prepared, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula.  Spoon the pecan batter evenly over the top.  Place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and is just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, 43-47 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.  Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack to cool completely, 20 minutes more.

To prepare the glaze, break the chocolate bar into pieces, and place those pieces and the shortening in a small microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave at high power for 1 minute, and then stir until the chocolate has melted; return the bowl to the microwave for a few more seconds if needed.  Stir in the vanilla.  Spoon the glaze over the cooled cake, allowing it to drip down the sides of the cake.  Let the cake rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Slide the cake onto a serving platter.  Slice and serve.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0

Chocolate Banana Pound Cake

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
2 ripe bananas
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain German chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup cinnamon chips
Chocolate Cinnamon Glaze (recipe below)

Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly mist a 12-cup bundt pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour.  Shake out the excess flour.  Set the pan aside.

Peel the bananas and place them in a large mixing bowl.  With the electric mixer on low speed, blend them until mashed.  Add the cake mix, buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla to the bananas.  Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.  Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed.  The batter should look thick and well combined.  Fold in the cinnamon chips, making sure they are well distributed throughout the batter.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula.  Place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and is just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, 38-40 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.  Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack to cool completely, 20 minutes more.

Meanwhile, prepare the Chocolate Cinnamon Glaze.  Spoon the glaze over the cooled cake.  Let the cake rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Place the cake on a serving platter, slice, and serve.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0

Chocolate Cinnamon Glaze

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
5 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 cup cinnamon chips
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Place the sugar, butter, and milk in a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat.  Stir until the butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil, 3-4 minutes.  Still stirring, let the mixture boil for 1 minute.  Remove the pan from the heat.

Stir in the cocoa powder, cinnamon chips, and vanilla until the cinnamon chips are melted and the glaze is smooth.  stir, and let the glaze cool for a few minutes, until it thickens slightly.

Spoon this glaze over the cake or cupcakes of your choice.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0

Milky Way Swirl Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
2 1/2 Milky Way bars (2.05 ounces each), sliced
2 tablespoons plus 1 cup water
1 package (18.25 ounces) yellow cake mix with pudding
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Glaze:

2 1/2 Milky Way bars (2.05 ounces each), sliced
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons water

Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Lightly mist a 12-cup bundt pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour.  Shake out the excess flour.  Set the pan aside.

Place the Milky Way bars and 2 tablespoons water in a medium-size saucepan over medium-low heat.  Heat, stirring, until the candy bars melt and the mixture is smooth, 3-4 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.

Place the cake mix, 1 cup water, melted butter, and eggs in a large mixing bowl.  Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.  Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed.  The batter should look thick and well combined.

Measure out 2/3 cup of the batter and pour it into the cooled candy bar mixture.  Add the flour and stir until the mixture is smooth.  Pour the plain cake batter into the prepared pan.  Spoon the Milky Way mixture in a ring on top of the batter, making sure not to touch the sides of the pan.  With a dinner knife, swirl through the batter to create a marbled effect.  Do not scrape the bottom of the pan.  Smooth out the top with the rubber spatula.  Place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and is just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, 45-50 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.  Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack to cool completely, 20 minutes more.

For the glaze, rinse out the saucepan and wipe it dry.  Place the Milky Way bars in the saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the butter and water.  Cook, stirring, until smooth, 3-4 minutes.  Let the glaze cool for 10 minutes.

Slide the cake onto a serving platter.  Spoon the glaze over the cake so that it drips down the sides.  Let the cake rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0

White Chocolate Pound Cake

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
2 large oranges
Carton orange juice as needed
6 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain white cake mix
2/3 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
Fresh Orange Drizzle (recipe found above with the Chocolate Orange Cream Cheese Pound Cake recipe, however we used the White Chocolate Glaze recipe found below)

Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly mist a 10-inch tube pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour.  Shake out the excess flour.  Set the pan aside.

Zest the oranges, and measure out 2 teaspoons grated zest for the cake batter.  (If you have extra, save it for making the Fresh Orange Drizzle.)  Juice the oranges.  You will need 1/2 cup juice; add carton orange juice as needed to make up the 1/2 cup.  Set the juice aside.  (If you have more than 1/2 cup juice, save it for making the Fresh Orange Drizzle).

Melt the white chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, 3-4 minutes.  Or microwave the white chocolate in a small glass bowl on high power for 1 minute, then stir with a small rubber spatula until smooth.  Let it cool slightly.

Place the cake mix, ricotta, oil, eggs, egg whites, almond extract, reserved 1/2 cup orange juice, reserved 2 teaspoons orange zest, and the white chocolate in a large mixing bowl.  Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.  Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed.  The batter should look thick and well combined.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula.  Place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and is just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, 38-42 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.  Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack, then invert it onto another rack so the cake is large side up.  Allow to cool for 20 minutes more.

Meanwhile, prepare the Fresh Orange Drizzle.

Spoon the drizzle over the cake so that it runs down the sides of the cake.  Let the cake rest for 10 minutes.

Slide the cake onto a serving platter.  Slice and serve.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0

Notes: The picture has the cake labeled as White Chocolate Almond instead of White Chocolate Pound Cake because it has almond flavoring in it and we wanted the almond to be labeled because of my son's tree nut allergy.

Above: We made a groom's cake for my brother and used the White Chocolate Pound Cake recipe.

White Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients:

1/4 cup milk

5 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

Place the milk, butter, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil, 2-3 minutes.  Continue boiling and stirring until the butter is melted, 1 minute more.  Remove the pan from the heat, add the white chocolate chips, and stir until they are melted.

Allow this glaze to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then spoon it over the cake of your choice.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0

Mom! What's for Dinner?!

Ahhh, the age-old question.  And sometimes it's not just the kids or your husband asking the question. More often than not, you're asking yourself the very same question! (Though you probably don't call yourself "mom" when you talk to yourself)

Depending on the day, your pantry, and your creativity, sometimes the answer to that question is a good answer and sometimes it's a bad answer.  :)

Well, I had a day like that last week.  I knew I had plenty of ingredients in my pantry, fridge, and freezer, but I didn't exactly know what I wanted to make for dinner.

I knew I wanted to try an easy rice pilaf recipe that I had found.  Plus, I figured that some kind of chicken would pair well with the rice.  So, I looked through a few cookbook indexes under "chicken" and found my answer for the evening...Chicken with Creamy Dijon Sauce.  Ahhhh, so pantry friendly.

So, without further adieu, let me share my recipe find with you!

Chicken with Creamy Dijon Sauce

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup light mayonnaise (or reduced-fat sour cream)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced or 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

Directions:

Preheat broiler.

Coat chicken with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika.  Place chicken on broiler pan coated with cooking spray.  Broil 5-6 minutes on each side or until done.

Combine mayonnaise and remaining 4 ingredients in a small bowl.

Serve chicken with sauce.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 1 tablespoon sauce).

Nutrition information: 179 calories, 6.5 g fat, 26.4 g protein, 2.1 g carb, 0.2 g fiber, 71 mg chole, 1 mg iron, 357 mg sodium, 18 mg cal.

Source: Cooking Ligh Superfast Suppers, ISBN: 0-8487-2628-6.

Notes: My son is allergic to eggs, so I am currently not using mayonnaise (and keeping my fingers crossed that he grows out of his egg allergy!).  I almost decided to skip this recipe as a result...but then I thought I'd check my fridge and see if I could find a good substitute.  I had plain yogurt, but I thought it would make it too tangy.  I had buttermilk, but that would have been too runny of a sauce...and then I saw my sour cream.  Eureka!

The sauce was fantastic with the sour cream.  Probably a little more tang than the sauce that the recipe intended, but it worked wonderfully.

Also, my broiler is super slow, so it took longer for my chicken to cook than 5-6 minutes per side.  If that is the case for you too, broil until the chicken is no longer pink (check by cutting into the center with a knife) and the juices run clear.

One final change...I used a lot more paprika than 1/2 teaspoon.  I sprinkled the paprika right onto the chicken until it was to my taste.

This recipe was a great find.  Really easy, flavorful, and kid friendly too!

Rice Pilaf with Thyme

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 cups canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 springs fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium.  Add onion; season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden, 8-9 minutes.  Add broth, and bring to a boil.  Stir in rice and thyme.

Reduce to a simmer; cover, and cook until rice is just tender, 15-17 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes; fluff with a fork.

Source: Everyday Food, October 2008.

Notes: Holy cow this was so easy and really flavorful.  What a great recipe to add to my repertoire of sides!

Above; I also made some super easy Irish Soda Bread (without currants and caraway seed).

Good to Know! How to Cut a Watermelon

You can find some pretty cool things on Pinterest.  I found a great tip on how to cut watermelon.  I wish I had known about this ten years ago!  It is so easy, a lot less messy, and makes for some very uniform and pretty cubes of watermelon!

Above: I had a very large watermelon.  I sliced it in half and then sliced each half in half (this is only half of the whole melon).  Place the watermelon on a jelly roll pan to catch the extra juices as it is cut.

Above: Start by slicing rows on top.

Above: The width of the slices depends on how big you want your watermelon cubes to be.

Above: When the top is sliced, slice the side in rows (so that it looks like the watermelon is striped any way you look at it).

Above: Once the top and side of the watermelon has been sliced (make sure to make deep cuts that reach all the way to the rind), make slices on the top of the watermelon in the opposite direction to make watermelon cubes.

Above: This is what it looks like.  You can see the cubes.  See the cubes?  You can see the cubes, right?  Please tell me you can!  :)

Above: Turn the watermelon upside down over a large bowl.  The loose pieces (that have been completely cubed) will fall out easily into the bowl.  Doesn't that make nice little uniform watermelon cubes?

Above: Some pieces will stay in because they are still attached to the sides of the watermelon (the rind) or because they need to be removed with a little more persuasion than the other cubes.  :)

Above: Cut between the watermelon and the rind all the way around the watermelon to finish loosening the fruit.

Above: Keep cutting...

Above: Almost done...

Above: Nice comparison shot.  You can see half of the watermelon that hasn't been cut yet and the other half that has been cut and removed from the rind.

Above: And here's the whole thing in a bowl.  The number of pictures might make this process look much more time consuming than it actually is.  But trust me, this is the quickest, easiest, most mess-free way to cut a watermelon that I've ever encountered!

Perfect for Summer

My mother has had a great zucchini yield so far this summer.  I took two very large zucchini off her hands.  I really love zucchini.

I got to use the zucchini in a few recipes that I have been wanting to try for a long time.  I already posted this great zucchini pasta recipe. The second recipe that I used the zucchini for was a yummy no-bake lasagna recipe.  I had seen it in my Everyday Food magazine two summers ago and thought it looked both delicious and beautiful...but I didn't get an opportunity to make it then.  But when those lovely zucchini were given to me, I knew I needed to try this recipe.  It sounds so simple, but the flavors together were absolutely wonderful.  I would even suggest that it would work great tossed with any favorite pasta (penne, rigatoni, spaghetti, linguine, etc.--I'll expound on that in the recipe notes).

I hope you like it!

No-Bake Summer Lasagna

Ingredients:

1/2 cup ricotta
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
coarse salt and ground pepper
8 lasagna noodles, broken in half crosswise
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 pints grape tomatoes, halved
2 zucchini (about 1 pound total), halved if large and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon torn fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, and 2 teaspoons oil; season with salt and pepper.  In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles according to package instructions; drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high.  Add garlic and tomatoes; season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring, until slightly broken down, about 3 minutes.  Transfer tomatoes to a bowl.  Add 1 tablespoon oil and zucchini to skillet; season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring, until zucchini are tender, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to another bowl and stir in basil.

Place some tomatoes on four plates; top with a noodle and small spoonfuls ricotta, zucchini, and more tomatoes.  Repeat layering twice, then top with remaining noodles and tomatoes.  Garnish with basil.

Source: Everyday Food recipe, June 2010, found here.

Notes: I cooked the noodles whole and used kitchen shears to cut each lasagna noodle into thirds.  I also probably used a little more ricotta than 1/2 cup.

The garlic, grape tomatoes, and zucchini were such a flavorful combination.  If you don't want to make this as a lasagna, I would suggest following the instructions for making the ricotta mixture and cooking the garlic/tomatoes and zucchini.  Cook whatever kind of pasta you want, according to package directions (penne, rigatoni, campanelle, spaghetti, linguine, etc. would all work with this).  Place pasta in a large bowl and top with tomato/garlic mixture and zucchini/basil mixture.  Toss to combine.  Place on serving plates and top with a dollop of the ricotta mixture.  Yum!

Above: I finally tried it.  And yes, the lasagna easily converts to a tossed pasta.  I used rigatoni here, but penne, campanelle, bow ties, shells, etc. would also work.

Everyone Loves Pizza

I'm not sure that I've ever met anybody who doesn't love Pizza.  But it's one of those things that is always better purchased than made at home.  But this recipe is an easy knock off...again using pantry ingredients.

4-Ingredient Pizza Bake

Ingredients:

2 pouches (7.5 oz each) Bisquick Complete buttermilk biscuit mix (See cook's note)
1 c. water
1 jar (14 oz) pizza sauce
1 pkg (8 oz) sliced pepperoni
2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray 13x9 inch (3 qt) glass baking dish with cooking spray.  In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix and water until soft dough forms.  Drop half of dough by spoonfuls evenly in bottom of baking dish (dough will not completely cover bottom of dish).

Drizzle about 1 c. pizza sauce over dough.  Arrange 1/2 of the pepperoni slices evenly over sauce.  Top with 1 c. of the cheese.  Repeat layers with remaining dough, pizza sauce, pepperoni, and cheese.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.  Cut into square to serve.

Makes 8 servings

Variation:  To make half or recipe, divide ingredients in half, bake in sprayed 8 inch sq baking dish for 22 to 25 minutes.

Special Touch:  Add your favorite pizza toppings to the layers.  Try cooked sausage crumbles, chopped green pepper, onions, or olives.

Cooks note:  Frankly, I had trouble finding the Bisquick Complete.  I used Marie Callendar biscuit mix that came in pouches.  It worked great.  Source, Betty Crocker, of course.  She's my best friend!

Surprise From the Garden

Due to the extreme heat, this hasn't been a good year for tomatoes.  But this recipe was really a fun one and a surprise ingredient.  To be frank, most everyone loved it, except for Clayton who really couldn't make the switch.  It was originally published in the Deseret News.

Mock Raspberry Jam 
(Green Tomato Jelly/Refrigerator)

Southern depression-era cooks longed for the taste of raspberries were scarce.  So they improvised.

Ingredients:

5 cups finely chopped green tomatoes
4 c. sugar
6 ounces (2 small packages) raspberry Jell-O

Directions:

Measure tomatoes into a large saucepan.

Add sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat; let cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Skim foam from the top and discard.

Add the Jell-O, and stir well so the mixture doesn't stick to the pan.  Bring to a low boil, and boil for 1 minute.

Pour into sterilized jars or plastic containers, and cover tightly.  Let cool before refrigerating.

Keeps in refrigerator about 3 weeks.  Makes 4-6 half-pint jars.

(Originally in Jams & Jellies in 30 Minutes by Pamela Bennett)

I loved making this and thinking about my sisters who lived through the depression.  But this is a great use of green tomatoes.  I found that the jam kept a lot longer than 3 weeks in the fridge.  Would be a fun gift for visiting teaching sisters.

Too Hot for Soup

Contrary to what Laurie thinks, sometimes it is just too hot for soup.  However, while it is 90+ degrees right now, the time is coming and not to far distant when you will want soup.  I know it.  You know it.  So let's prepare now!
Besides I am way behind on posting and I promised Sarah I would get some recipes on here.  These are beyond easy soup recipes, some using pantry ingredients, and all dependable!

Here are some recipes from very different cuisines.  Bon Appetit!

Beefy Nacho Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean (at least 80%) gound beef
1 T. Old El Paso 40% less sodium taco seasoning mix (from 1 oz. pkg)
1 can condensed nacho cheese soup
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
1 1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 c. crushed corn tortilla chips

Directions:

In 2 qt. saucepan, cook ground beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain.

Reduce heat to medium.  Stir in remaining ingredients except shredded cheese and tortilla chips.  Cook 8 to 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently.  Top individual servings with shredded cheese and tortilla chips.

Makes 4 servings.

Tip:  Offer other favorite nacho toppings for the soup, such as tomatoes, bell pepper, green onions, sour cream, guacamole and/or ripe olives.  Source Betty Crocker website....of course.  :)

This is such an easy soup and my husband just loves it.  Keep some hot sauce by if you like the heat.

Spaghetti and Meatball Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups water
4 oz. (1 cup) uncooked ready-cut spaghetti (short curved pasta)
20 frozen cooked meatballs
1 (27 to 30-oz.) jar spaghetti sauce
Grated Parmesan (for garnishment)

Directions:

Bring water to a boil in large saucepan.  Add spaghetti and meatballs.  Cook about 10 minutes or until spaghetti is tender.  Do no drain.

Stir in spaghetti sauce.  Cook until thoroughly heated.  If desired, sprinkle individual servings with grated Parmesan cheese.

Makes 5 (1 1/2 c.) servings

Cajun Crab Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 c. unsalted butter
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. all purpose flour
2 c. clam juice
2 c. chicken broth
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen white corn
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
2 c. heavy cream
1 lb. lump crab meat, drained (canned, fresh, or imitation can be used)
4 green onions, chopped

Directions:

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Saute onion and garlic until onion is tender.  Whisk in flour, and cook 2 minutes.  Stir in clam juice and chicken broth, and bring to a boil.  Mix in corn, and season with salt, white pepper, thyme, and cayenne.  Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.

Stir in cream, crab meat, and green onions.  Heat through, but do not boil once the cream has been added.

This came from All Recipes website.  It was beyond yummy, but obviously not the lowest in fat.  But sometimes you just have to have a creamy based soup and this is worth the calories...just be moderate.  It was so good!

Garlic Basil Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon butter
2 cans (14 1/2 oz) reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/3 c. water
1/3 c. minced fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 c. frozen cheese tortellini
1 can (19 oz) white kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a large saucepan, saute garlic in butter until tender.  Stir in the broth, water, basil and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Stir in tortellini.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for about 3 minutes or until tortellini begins to float.  Stir in beans and vinegar; heat through.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Yield:  4 servings.  Source Taste of Home Light & Tasty Magazine

This soup is a basic and really loved by Emily and Laurie.  So easy and light.

Pow! That Packs a Punch!

Sometimes, nothing is easier than doing some sort of Chinese chicken over rice.  It's usually easy to have the ingredients on hand and if you cook the rice while making the chicken, it all gets done at the same time.  It's an easy method for dinner, that's for sure.

I'm going to share two favorites that just so happen to fall into the lighter/healthier for you category.

Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
4 cups broccoli florets
1 tablespoon ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World), divided
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped salted peanuts

Directions:

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add broccoli and 2 teaspoons ginger to pan; saute 1 minute.  Add water.  Cover; cook 2 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender.  Remove broccoli from pan; keep warm.

Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in pan; add remaining 1 teaspoon ginger, crushed red pepper, and chicken.  Cook 4 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned, stirring frequently.

Combine broth and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl, and stir with a whisk.  Add broth mixture to pan; cook 1 minute or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly.  Return broccoli mixture to pan; toss to coat. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Nutrition information: 239 calories, 7.9 g fat, 30.9 g protein, 11.4 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 66 mg cholesterol, 1.8 mg iron, 389 mg sodium, 60 mg calcium.

Source: Cooking Light, December 2005, found here.

Notes: I like a lot of sauce (more than a recipe usually calls for).  So, I made one batch of sauce and threw it in with the stir fry.  I made a second batch of sauce to spoon extra onto my rice as needed/wanted.  I also skipped the peanuts since one of my sons is allergic to them.  Finally, I simply sauteed the broccoli in the water and ginger (without covering it).  I removed the broccoli while I cooked the chicken and then added the broccoli back in once the sauce was added.  I did this because otherwise, I have a tendency to overcook the broccoli and end up with mushy veggies.

Weight Watchers General Tso's Chicken

Ingredients:

3/4 cup(s) canned chicken broth, reduced-sodium
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp peanut oil
2 medium uncooked scallions, chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 2-inch pieces
2 cups cooked white rice for serving

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together broth, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and ginger; set aside.

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add scallions, garlic, and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes.  Add chicken; saute until browned all over, about 5 minutes.

Add reserved sauce to pan and simmer until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes.

Serve chicken and sauce over rice.  Top with additional sliced scallions, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.  8 WW points.

One serving is about 1 cup of chicken with sauce and 1/2 cup rice.

Source: Weight Watchers (from an email newsletter), can be found here.

Notes: I usually double this because that serving size isn't enough for my husband.  In addition to that, I often increase the sauce.  Because as I said above, I like my rice saucy!

I am going to be making this for dinner tomorrow night and I'll post a picture of it then!

I like to serve this with a side of stir-fried broccoli.  Found here.

Above: I have seen this spelled two ways: "General Tso's" and "General Tsao's."  So, spell it however you want!  I have served it with Stir-Fried Broccoli.

Straight From the Garden

In my quest to prove to my husband that I am not only going to cook Mexican food from now on (since we've had an awful lot of Mexican food lately), I decided to make this lovely pasta dish.  My mom gave me some zucchini from her garden (I took two nice and large ones).  With one of the zucchini (which would probably equal 4-6 zucchini size-wise that you would normally find at the grocery store), I made this pasta that I have wanted to try for awhile.  It was worth the wait!

Hopefully you don't have to wait as long as I did before trying it.

Zucchini Pasta with Ricotta

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
2 pounds zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound linguine
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup ricotta

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Brush two rimmed baking sheets with oil.  Arrange zucchini in a single layer on sheets and brush tops with oil; season with salt and pepper.  Roast zucchini until tender and lightly golden in parts, 25-30 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook linguine according to package instructions.  Drain pasta and return to pot.  Add oil, lemon zest, and zucchini and toss to combine.  Serve pasta topped with ricotta.

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food, April 2010, found here.

Notes:  This was fantastic.  I did make a few changes, however.  I didn't have any lemons, so I used lemon juice, to taste, in place of the lemon zest.  I like lemons, so I probably used about 1/4 cup of lemon juice.  I also used PLENTY of coarse salt and ground pepper.  And you have to use freshly ground pepper.  I can't emphasize that enough.  This pasta doesn't have many ingredients, so the ingredients that you have need to shine through.  The ground pepper tastes totally different than the pepper you usually put in your salt and pepper shakers.

Also, while it doesn't look pretty to stir in the ricotta previous to serving the pasta, I would suggest stirring the ricotta into your personal portion before digging in.  It ensures that you get ricotta cheese in every bite.  The combination of the ricotta, lemon, and zucchini is to die for.

Yes, I Have a Hispanic Heritage...

I have an interesting bloodline.  From my father's side, he's half Irish and half Swedish.  From my mother's side, she's half Hispanic and half Irish.  So, that makes me 1/2 Irish, 1/4 Swedish, and 1/4 Hispanic.  As for the Hispanic portion, from doing some family history work, it appears that half of that was directly from Spain and the other half is from Mexico.

Lately, I have been making a lot of Mexican food.  I don't know.  It just
sounded good!  But it got to the point that my husband started teasing me about being fully Hispanic now because of how much I was cooking it.  My reasons for making so much Mexican food have been three-fold.  First, it's so yummy and it's really easy to replicate good Mexican food at home.  Second, it's easy to keep Mexican ingredients on hand in the pantry.  Third, I was finding recipes that fit the ingredients that I had.  So, voila!  Lots of Mexican food.

So, let me share the latest installment of Mexican recipes!

Now, I'm off to make some Italian food for dinner to prove to my husband that I can make other kinds of food! 

Southwestern Chicken

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup cubed cooked chicken or turkey
1 (8-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chili peppers, drained
2 beaten eggs
2/3 cup skim milk
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt or sour cream

Directions:

Spray a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. 

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together chicken or turkey, corn, and green chili peppers.  Spread mixture in pie plate.

In the same bowl, stir together eggs and milk.  Beat in flour, salt, and pepper.  Pour over chicken mixture.

Bake, uncovered, in a 400 degree F. oven for 25-30 minutes or till top is set and lightly browned.  Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 2-3 minutes more or until cheese melts.

Serve with salsa and yogurt or sour cream.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition information: 333 calories, 22 g protein, 36 g carbohydrate, 11 g fat, 181 mg cholesterol, 1,019 mg sodium, 302 mg potassium.

Source: This recipe comes from the Better Homes and Gardens New Dieter's Cook Book: Low-Calorie Home Cooking.  ISBN 0-696-01974-4

Notes: This recipe is so great.  It's so easy, so pantry friendly, and so satisfying.  This is a recipe that my Mom and I discovered when I was a teenager.  Yum!  It is shown above without toppings.  Oh, and FYI, it holds its wedge shape better if you let it cool for a few minutes after getting it out of the oven.  All of the other pictures aren't really in a wedge shape because I couldn't wait that long!  I was hungry!

Chile-Colorado Burritos (original recipe)

Ingredients:

1 1/2-2 pounds stew meat or other beef cubed (shredded works too)
1 large can mild enchilada sauce (19 oz)
2 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 can refried beans (optional)
8 burrito size flour tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Put beef, bouillon, and enchilada sauce into a crock pot and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until meat is very tender.

When beef is done (very tender and flakes off when stirred), taste and add salt to taste, if desired.  Heat up refried beans in the microwave and set your oven to broil on high.

Place 1/2 cup of the meat (drained with a slotted spoon) and a spoonful or two of beans.  Roll into a burrito.  Place in a broil-proof baking dish or jelly roll pan.  Pour the remaining enchilada sauce from the crock pot over the burritos.  Sprinkle with some cheddar cheese.  Broil until cheese is bubbly, about 2-4 minutes.

Source: I found this recipe on Pinterest.  It is from a blog called "Food Pusher," and you can find the original post (with much prettier pictures than mine) here.

Notes: The original author notes that tortilla chips are a fantastic way to make sure none of the sauce goes to waste!  It's a great way to dip into the extra sauce and cheese.

Above: before pouring the remaining sauce/meat mixture on top.

Chile-Colorado Burritos (my version)

Ingredients:

Mexican-Style Shredded Beef (recipe originally found here and posted below for your convenience)
Enchilada sauce (recipe found below. Canned can also be used)
1 can fat-free refried beans
8 burrito-size tortillas
Shredded cheese

Directions:

Make enchilada sauce (recipe below).

Mix leftover shredded beef into the enchilada sauce.

Preheat oven (you can either broil the enchiladas until the cheese is melted, or you can bake at 350 degrees F. until bubbly and the cheese is melted--about 25-30 minutes).

Spread 1-2 tablespoons refried beans onto each tortilla.  Top with about 1/4 cup beef (served with slotted spoon to drain some of the liquid).  Roll into a burrito.

Place in broil-safe baking dish or foil-lined jelly roll pan.  Repeat until all eight burritos have been rolled up.

Top with remaining beef/enchilada sauce mixture.  Top with shredded cheese and broil or bake until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Source: See original recipe above.  Again, this came from a blog called "Food Pusher."

Above: after pouring the remaining sauce/meat mixture on top and before adding the cheese.

Notes: I made the changes I did based on the ingredients I had.  I made a homemade enchilada sauce because I didn't have a can of enchilada sauce, yet I had all of the ingredients to make enchilada sauce from scratch. I used Mexican-Style Shredded Beef because I had a TON leftover from a family gathering.

But let me tell you, holy cannoli these were good!  The enchilada sauce I made tasted almost like a mole, but it added such a smoky richness.  I will be making these enchiladas each and every time I have leftover Mexican-Style Shredded Beef, let me tell you!  Last time, I used the beef to make quesadillas, but never again!  Burritos from here on out!

Above: After broiling.  My broiler is slower than mud, so I got a little too comfortable and accidentally broiled it longer than I would have liked.  I would have liked the cheese to be more melty and less browned, but it still tasted great.

Mexican-Style Shredded Beef

Ingredients:

1 boneless beef chuck shoulder roast (about 3 pounds)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 cup salsa or picante sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions:

Place roast in slow cooker.  Combine cumin, coriander, chili powder, salt, and red pepper in a small bowl.  Place beef in slow cooker.  Pour spices over beef and top with salsa.

Cover; cook on low 8-10 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove beef from slow cooker.  Trim and discard excess fat from beef.  Shred meat with two forks.

Let cooking liquid stand 5 minutes to allow fat to rise.  Skim off fat.  Blend water and cornstarch until smooth.  Wish into liquid in slow cooker.  Cook, uncovered, 15 minutes on High until thickened.  Return beef to slow cooker.  Cover; cook 15-30 minutes or until hot.  Adjust seasonings.

Serve as a meat filling for tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, quesadillas, or burritos.  Leftover beef may be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 monhts.

Source: This recipe came from a cookbook called "Simple 1-2-3 One Dish" ISBN-13: 978-1-4127-2323-7.

 

Above: Oooh, this was tasty.

Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup diced onion
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons hot chili powder
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate

Directions:

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Saute onion until tender.  Stir in garlic, oregano, cumin, and cinnamon; saute for a few minutes.

Stir in flour and chili powder, stirring until evenly coated.  Slowly whisk in chicken broth; reduce until sauce reaches desired consistency.  Stir in chocolate until melted and well blended.

Source: Allrecipes.com recipe submitted by Anna Marie.  Found here.

Notes: I added 3 tablespoons of sugar because I worried that it would be too spicy for my little boys.  It tasted fantastic.  As I mentioned before, it tasted more like a mole than an enchilada sauce, but it worked beautifully for these burritos.  It was really good.