Cracker Barrel Fried Apples

I grew up eating fried apples and then as an adult I discovered Cracker Barrel and their fried apples. This recipe is from another site and is as close as I have seen to Cracker Barrel. The recipe says you can freeze the cooked apples. I have never done this as there is never any left 🙂

Cracker Barrel Fried Apples

Ingredients:

• 2 cups apple juice, plus
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 4 large golden delicious apples, with peel,cut 1/2 inch wedges
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
• 4 tablespoons sugar

Instructions:

1. In a medium skillet, combine the 2 cups apple juice and sliced apples.
2. Simmer gently until apples are fork tender but not mushy, turning apples frequently.
3. Remove apples from juice using a slotted spoon and place in an oven safe dish.
4. In a blender, combine the remaining 1/2 cup apple juice, cornstarch, apple pie spice and sugar.
5. Blend a few seconds until smooth.
6. Whisk mixture into hot apple juice in skillet and cook, stirring constantly on medium high heat until it bubbles and becomes thickened and smooth.
7. Pour thickened mixture over apples and serve.
8. Please note the cooking time is an approximate.

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White Almond Wedding Cake

A secret ingredient of sour cream makes this cake so moist, dense, and delicious! I use this recipe for my kids’ birthdays, but it’s a favorite for wedding cakes, too! This recipe can easily be doubled

White Almond Wedding Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 egg whites

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour an 11×13 inch cake pan.
2. Stir together the white cake mix, flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until well mixed. Pour in the water, sour cream, vegetable oil, almond and vanilla extracts, and egg whites, and beat with an electric mix on low until all the ingredients are mixed and moistened but some lumps still remain, 4 minutes.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and bake in the preheated oven until the top is a light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool before frosting.

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Jalapenos’ Spinach Enchiladas

Jalapenos is a popular Mexican restaurant in Houston, Texas. Their spinach enchiladas is one of the most popular entrees on their menu. This recipe was posted in the Houston Chronicle.

Jalapenos’ Spinach Enchiladas
Ingredients:

Enchiladas

• 4 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach or 4 bunches fresh spinach, cooked
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 lb fresh mushrooms, halved
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 slices white bread, crusts removed
• salt
• 2 teaspoons white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups grated monterey jack and cheddar cheese blend, divided
• 10 -12 flour tortillas

Cilantro Cream Sauce

• 3 cups half-and-half
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch, plus
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch, dissolved in a small amount of cold water
• 3 cups chopped cilantro

Instructions:

1. For enchiladas, cook the spinach according to the package directions, if using frozen.
2. While spinach is cooking, combine garlic, onion and mushrooms in food processor, and process until coarsely chopped.
3. Melt butter in sauté pan, and sauté onion mixture until onion is translucent.
4. Remove pan from heat, and set aside.
5. Drain spinach, squeezing out excess water.
6. Make bread crumbs in food processor from sliced bread.
7. Add spinach, salt, pepper, nutmeg, chili powder and eggs.
8. Process until blended thoroughly.
9. Transfer to mixing bowl, and stir in onion mixture and 6 tablespoons cheese.
10. Preheat broiler.
11. Spoon a portion of filling onto each tortilla and roll it up.
12. Place each enchilada in casserole dish, seam side down.
13. Repeat until you’ve used up filling.
14. For cream sauce, mix half-and-half, cayenne, salt and a little of the dissolved corn starch in medium saucepan, and heat until thickened.
15. The sauce should be creamy, not runny; add more cornstarch mixture as necessary.
16. Off the heat, stir in cilantro.
17. Pour Cilantro Cream Sauce over tortillas, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
18. Broil until cheese melts and turns a nice golden color.

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Peanut Butter Cheesecake with a Brownie Crust

It’s so easy and quick, it serves a lot, most people really like it, and there are endless flavor combinations!  And it can be made ahead of time, perfect for parties!  You could definitely serve this on an oreo crust if you prefer, but I really like the brownie texture.

Brownie Base

Ingredients:

• 12 tablespoons (6 ounces) unsalted butter 
• 1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour (or spray with baking spray) a 9 x 9 square or 10″ round springform pan.

Melt the butter and stir in the cocoa powder. Cover, and set aside to cool.

Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs for 3 minutes (longer if you’re using a hand mixer), then gradually add the sugar, beating 2 to 3 minutes more. Stir in the butter/chocolate mixture. Gently fold in the flour and salt, just until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. Cool completely.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds (32 ounces) cream cheese
• 1 cup peanut butter (not the natural kind that you have to stir)
• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 cup heavy cream

Be sure to have all ingredients at room temperature, especially the eggs and cream cheese. This will help keep cracks from forming in the top of the cheesecake.

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 325°F (if you’re doing the cheesecake the next day; otherwise just reduce the oven temperature). Put a kettle of water on to boil for the water bath. Wrap springform pan in 3-4 layers of aluminum foil to prevent (or lessen at least!) leakage.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese at medium speed for about 4 minutes, until soft and creamy. Add the peanut butter and beat for another 2-3 minutes.  Add the sugar and beat for another 4 minutes. Beat in the salt and vanilla.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (about 1 minute) and scraping sides of bowl after each addition. Beating at low speed, add the sour cream and heavy cream.  The batter will be thin.

(Note: If you’re using a hand mixer, you will want to increase the mixing times).

Pour the remaining batter on top of the cooled brownie base. You’ll want to leave a little room (half-inch or so) at the very top of the pan, but it should be nearly full (depending on your pan size and your base, you may have a little extra batter which can be cooked in small cake pans or muffin tins).

Place the cheesecake in the pan for the waterbath, and place in the oven.  Pour the boiling water in for the water bath, it should come about halfway up the side of the springform.  Bake the cheesecake for about 55-65 minutes: it should hold together and appear set at the edges, but there will still be a lot of jiggle in the center. Turn the oven off, and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another hour. After one hour, remove the cake from the water bath, and let it finish cooling on the counter top. Remove the foil, and refrigerate overnight.

Ganache Topping

Ingredients:

• 5 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 3 fluid ounces heavy cream

Instructions:

Place the chopped chocolate in a medium-sized bowl.  Bring the heavy cream to a boil, and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for one minute, then stir until smooth.  Let the ganache cool to lukewarm or even room temperature, and then pour over the chilled cheesecake.  Spread the ganache evenly over the entire cheesecake, and return to the fridge to set.

Bring the cheesecake to room temperature before serving.  Run a thin sharp knife around the edge of the spring form pan before removing the outer rim of the pan.

A warm knife works best for cutting the cheesecake, you may want to wipe it clean between slices.

How To Keep Your Cheesecake from Cracking

1.  The water bath greatly helps prevent cracks in your cheesecake, because it makes the cheesecake cook more slowly.  The problem is that water almost always leaks into the springform pan.  You can use a regular cake pan, rather than a spring form – no leaks, but you have to flip the cheesecake out, and then flip again to make it right side up.  That’s kinda scary.  When using an oreo or brownie base, the small amount of water that leaks in can make the crust a little fudgier which I like.  So I usually use the water bath, and wrap it with at least 3 layers of aluminum foil.

2.  It’s very important to have all ingredients at room temperature.  Take the eggs, sour cream, and cream cheese out of the refrigerator way ahead of time.  But, of course, life happens, and sometimes you forget!  You can fake it if you have to:  let the eggs rest in warm water for 10-15 minutes to bring them to room temperature.  You can also microwave the cream cheese (not too much!  use 5-10 second increments and low power) to bring it to room temperature.

3.  Don’t overbake the cheesecake.  The middle should still jiggle a lot when you turn the oven off.

4.  Some people swear by just reducing the oven temperature and letting the cheesecake bake for longer (with no water bath).  I’ve never tried this method, but let me know if you do!

5.  Cracks come from quick and drastic temperature changes.  The water bath keeps the cheesecake from baking too quickly, and leaving the cheesecake in the oven keeps it from cooling too quickly.  Placing a warm cheesecake in the fridge may also cause cracks.

6.  Even if it cracks, it still tastes great, so don’t worry about it!  And if it really bothers you, make a sour cream or chocolate ganache topping and cover it up.  No one will ever know. 

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Nancy’s Prayer Bars

This recipe came from a Junior League Cookbook from Louisiana–published in the seventies–cookbook entitled “Talk About Good” similar to a Nanaimo bar–BUT…Better!!!

Nancy’s Prayer Bars

Servings: 60

Ingredients:

First Layer

• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 tablespoons cocoa
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 slightly beaten egg
• 1 -2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped nutmeats     (pecan,walnut etc.)
• 2 cups crushed graham crackers
• 1 cup finely shredded coconut (optional)

Second Layer

• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons dry vanilla pudding mix (not instant)
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Third Layer

• 1 (9 3/4 ounce) Hershey chocolate candy bars     ( I have used a 10.2 ounce bar-and that works well)

Instructions:

For the first layer:.

1. Melt butter and cocoa together over hot water(double boiler) or in a saucepan over very low heat.
2. Add powdered sugar, egg and vanilla;continue to cook for a minute or two longer over low heat.
3. Set aside.
4. Mix nuts,crumbs and coconut if desired and add to first mixture.
5. Mix well and press into a 13×9 pan.
6. Chill for about 30 minutes.

For the second layer:.

1. Melt butter, cream and vanilla.
2. Add pudding mix and cook for one minute, stirring constantly.
3. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar.
4. Blend and spread over first layer.

For the third layer:.

1. Melt Hershey’s Chocolate Bar and spread carefully over the top.
2. Chill for 30 minutes.
3. Bring to room temperature before cutting into 2 inch squares*this helps to prevent crumbling.
4. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.Makes approx 60 bars.
5. *****Cook time is actually chilling time****.

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Eggs in Clouds

This popular 5-ingredient egg recipe looks harder to make than it actually is. Make it for breakfast or brunch and you’ll be sure to impress family or friends alike.

Eggs in Clouds

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup grated pecorino-romano
• 1/4 cup chopped chives
• 1/4 cup crumbled bacon
• Pepper

Instructions:

Separate eggs, putting whites in 1 large bowl and yolks in 4 separate small bowls. Whip whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in cheese, chives and bacon. Spoon into 4 mounds on parchment-lined baking sheet; make a deep well in center of each. Bake at 450 degrees for 3 minutes, then and 1 yolk to each well; season with pepper. Bake until yolks are just set, 2 to 3 minutes.

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Marsala Chicken-and-Mushroom Casserole

My cousin brought this to my potluck and WOW its so good! I’m glad she made too much because I have been enjoying it for dinner the past 3 nights! This will be in my recipe file!

Marsala Chicken-and-Mushroom Casserole

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 10 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup marsala wine or white wine
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup long-grain rice
• 2 cups coarsely chopped rotisserie chicken
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees . In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat until just melted. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top and stir in for 1 minute. Stir in the marsala and cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in 2 cups water, the parsley, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

In a greased 9-inch-by-13-inch casserole, spread the rice in an even layer; top with the chicken. Pour the mushroom gravy on top. Cover snugly with foil and bake until bubbly, about 35 minutes. Discard the foil, sprinkle the parmesan on top and bake for 5 minutes more.

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Caramelized Baked Chicken Legs/Wings

Delicious! Yummy caramelized legs, kids love these! So quick and easy and no marinating required. Just prepare the sauce, pour over the chook and pop in the oven! I actually like this with wings better 😉 VERY IMPORTANT TO LEAVE IT IN THE OVEN UNTIL IT HAS CARAMALISED TO AVOID DISAPPOINMENT. Try adding Sambal Oelek as Uncle Bill has suggested in his review. What a great idea 😉

Review ( by William (Uncle Bill) Anatooskin ):

This recipe is so easy to make and turns out absolutely fantastic. I used chicken legs with back attached and the only addition to your recipe was 1 teaspoon of Sambal Oelek. I baked the legs at 350 F for 52 minutes, then turned the heat up to 375 F for 8 minutes. They caramalized to perfection. We had a visitor just as the chicken was finished and even though he had his dinner, he wanted to try the chicken. Well, talk about devouring the chicken and for a moment I thought he was going to eat the bones. Smackin his lips, and wanted the recipe immediately. Thank you so much for a real yummy, yummy chicken recipe. “Uncle Bill”

Caramelized Baked Chicken Legs/Wings

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 lbs chicken legs
• 1 2/3 tablespoons olive oil (to help it stop sticking to the pan)
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 2/3 tablespoons ketchup
• 3/4 cup honey
• 2 -3 garlic cloves, minced
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Place chicken in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Mix together the oil, soy sauce, ketchup, honey, garlic, salt and pepper.
3. Pour over the chicken.
4. Bake in preheated oven for one hour, or until sauce is caramelized.
5. Could also use wings or pork ribs.

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Gluten Free Cheese Garlic Biscuits

Craving a warm cheesy biscuit but you’re eating gluten free? Try this easy cheesy biscuits thanks to Bisquick® Gluten Free mix. I love these biscuits. I have craved them for so long and now these are a staple at most of my meals. Don’t be afraid to cover these biscuits with the melted garlic butter, it adds the pop to the flavor.

Gluten Free Cheese Garlic Biscuits

SERVINGS: 10

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Bisquick® Gluten Free mix
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup firm butter or margarine
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (2 oz)
• 3 eggs

Garlic-Butter Topping:

• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions:

Heat oven to 425°F. In medium bowl, combine Bisquick mix and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder. Cut in 1/4 cup butter, using pastry blender or fork, until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in milk, cheese and eggs until soft dough forms.

Drop dough by 10 spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Mix 1/4 cup melted butter and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; brush on warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

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Weight Watchers Parmesan Chicken Cutlets

This chicken tastes so great that it is great to have for dinner even when you’re not on a diet. Made this for dinner tonight and it was exceptional! Really loved the ease plus the flavor, who knew eating healthy could taste so good!

Weight Watchers Parmesan Chicken Cutlets

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In resealable plastic bag, combine cheese, crumbs and all seasonings; shake well.
3. Transfer mixture to plate; dip each chicken breast in cheese mixture, turning to coat all sides.
4. Arrange on nonstick baking sheet.
5. Bake until chicken is cooked through, 20-25 minutes.

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