Cheesy Dutch Oven Bread

Cheesy Dutch Oven Bread (07/09/09)


I had seen a recipe for Dutch Oven Bread a while ago, and I finally decided to make it today. I had a big chunk of Muenster cheese leftover from another recipe, so I decided to create my own bread and see how it turned out. And here it is!

You will need:
1 cup water
1 tsp yeast
1 stick (8 TBSP) margarine
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt
4 cups all purpose flour (bread flour works too)
1 cup shredded cheese (I used muenster)

1. Combine water (110 degrees) and yeast in mixing bowl until the yeast is dissolved.
2. Melt margarine and combine with yeast mixture.
3. Mix in garlic powder and salt until dissolved.
4. Scoop in 4 cups of flour and mix until fully moistened.
5. Add in cheese.
6. Mix bread until a windowpane can be achieved. (This is when you can pull off a small chunk of the dough you’re kneading and stretch it gently to see if it is somewhat translucent. If you can do this without it tearing, it’s ready.) I used my stand mixture and it took about 12 minutes on level 2.
7. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let it rise until double in size (1-4 hours).
8. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
9. Grease a dutch oven pan with olive oil and place dough in pan.
10. Cut an 'X' in the dough to allow it to bloom.
11. Bake for 30 minutes with the cover on, then another 15-30 with the cover off. I sprinkled more cheese on top of the bread during the last 5 minutes of baking. I placed a cookie sheet under the pan to prevent the bottom of the pan from burning. If the bottom of the bread is too dark when it's done baking, just slice it off.
Enjoy!!!

*After tasting this bread, I was quite pleased, considering I just threw stuff together with no idea how it would turn out. However, there are a few changes I would make. I think I would use a stronger flavored cheese, maybe a sharp cheddar instead. The muenster was good, but Mike and I both thought it lacked flavor. I think I would also increase the amount of garlic powder, probably to 4 tsp instead of 2. I wish the bread had risen more, but from previous uses of the yeast I have, I think my yeast is going bad, so that would explain the lack of rising. I will definitely be making this bread again!

Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting (5/11/09)
Out of 3 recipes I made today, this was the only one that turned out the way it was supposed to. Of course it turned out so well that I just had to share it!


Cupcakes
You will need:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup whole milk

1. Mix together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

2. In a large bowl mix together butter and sugar until fluffy.

3. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each egg is added.

4. Mix in vanilla.

5. Alternate mixing in milk and dry ingredients.

6. Mix ingredients thoroughly, then scoop into muffin tin. I use a 1/4 cup measuring cup and the amount is just about perfect.

7. Bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes, until poufy but not brown.


Buttercream Frosting

You will need:
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup margarine or butter (softened)
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
4 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk

1. In a large bowl cream shortening and margarine.

2. Mix in vanilla.

3. Gradually add sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating at medium speed. Icing may appear dry, but that's okay.

4. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.


Decorate cupcakes
Allow cupcakes to cool completely. Scoop frosting into frosting bag or tube. I used a star shaped tip. I then circled around the cupcake with the tip, outside to inside.

Chicken Alfredo Pizza

Chicken Alfredo Pizza (5/06/09)

A week or so ago I made Fettucini Alfredo for dinner. We had lots of leftover Alfredo sauce so I had to make a dinner using it. We didn't have much in our house, so I had to be creative. Here's what I came up with...

You will need:
Alfredo Sauce (recipe below)
1 package of crescent rolls
1 boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and cubed
1 small can of mushrooms
parmesan cheese
garlic powder
shredded colby jack cheese (mozzerella or cheddar can be used as well)

1. Make alfredo sauce:
You will need:
1/2 cup butter
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
2 teaspoons garlic
2 cups milk
6 ounces Parmesan cheese

In a medium sauce pan, melt butter. Add in cream cheese and garlic. Stir until smooth. Add milk a little at a time until mixture is completely smooth. Stir in parmesan cheese.

2. Remove crescent rolls from package. Press on to 9x13 baking sheet to form crust. Seal seams together.

3. Spread alfredo sauce over crust. You will have plenty extra (you can use the rest over noodles).

4. Sprinkle parmesan cheese and garlic powder over sauce.

5. Top with chicken and mushrooms. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.

Cherry Danish Dessert

Cherry Danish Dessert (1/18/09)

I made this dessert the other night when my mom had her home group over. Mari requested that I put it up here because "It was so good!" And best of all, it's super easy!

You will need:
2 8 ounce cans of refrigerated crescent rolls
2 8 ounce boxes of cream cheese
1.5 cups powdered sugar (divided)
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla
1 21 ounce can cherry pie filling
1 to 2 TBSP milk

1. Unrolls one can of crescent rolls. Place in the bottom of a grease 9x13 pan. Press onto bottom of pan to form crust, press seams together to seal.
2. Beat together cream cheese, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, the egg white, and vanilla until well blended. Spread onto crescent roll crust.
3. Spread pie filling over cream cheese mixture. I think that I might try using strawberry or blueberry sauce sometime.
4. Unroll remaining can of crescent rolls onto sheet of wax paper. Press it out to form 9x13 crust and press seams together to seal. Flip crust over pie filling to form top crust.
5. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown. Cool at least 20 minutes.
6. Gradually add milk to remaining 3/4 cup sugar, mix until smooth. Drizzle over warm dessert.

Original source: Kraft Food and Family Holiday 2005

Donuts

Donuts (1/09/09)
















The donuts are so easy to make and they are absolutely delicious!!!


You will need: 1 cup sugar
3-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups flour
2 eggs (I only had 1 egg, so I substituted 2 T applesauce for the other egg...it turned out really good)
1 cup milk
3 T melted margarine (or butter)
Oil for deep frying


1. Mix together sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and flour.
2. Beat eggs (or egg and applesauce) and stir into dry ingredients.
3. Mix in milk and melted margarine.
4. Roll dough about 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface.
5. Cut with a donut cutter. If you don't have a donut cutter, use a glass and a pop bottle cap for the center cut-out.
6. Heat oil to 375. Fry several donuts at a time (I did 4 at a time, it depends on how big your deep fryer is).
7. Drain on cooling rack or paper towels.
8. Decorate as desired...powdered sugar, cinnamon and sugar, or frosting work well.

This recipe made me 31 donuts and 34 donut holes.






Mix ingredients















Roll out dough and cut circles




















I used an old play-dough circle cutter to cut out the donut holes






























Put them in the oil
















They should flip on their own

I let the donuts drain a bit before I put them on the cooling rack

Pizza Casserole

Pizza Casserole (10/24/08)

Mike and I made dinner together a couple Fridays ago. His mom gave us this recipe for Pizza Casserole and I thought it was delicious!

You will need:
1 pound ground beef
4 cups cooked noodles (your choice of which kind, we just used egg noodles)
1 can pizza sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 package of pepperoni

1. In a frying pan, over medium heat, brown beef until there is no pink left. Drain grease.
2. Cook noodles until al dente. (One minute less than recommended cooking time)
3. Mix pizza sauce and soup together in frying pan with ground beef.
4. In an oven safe pan, mix together noodles and meat mixture.
5. Add in 1.5 cups of mozerella cheese and most of the pepperoni.
6. Cover top of noodle mixture with remaining pepperonis and 1/2 cup cheese.
7. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is heated through.
Enjoy!!

Blueberry Bread

Blueberry Bread (09/28/08)

No pictures for this one either!! Sorry!

You will need:
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 T baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup blueberries (I always add more...depends on how many you want!)

1. Beat milk, oil, and egg.
2. Stir in flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Just until flour is moistened.
3. Fold in blueberries.
4. Pour into greased bread pan. Bake at 400 for 45-50 minutes, until golden brown.

Peach Cobbler

Peach Cobbler (9/28/08)

I apologize that I don't have pictures to show you for this recipe....I don't know where my head was today! :)

You will need:
4 peaches
1 cup brown sugar
4 tsp corn starch
2 T water

3 T shortening
1 cup flour
2 T sugar
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk

1. Peel and slice peaches
2. In a medium sauce pan, combine the brown sugar and corn starch over medium heat. Add in water. Bring to a boil.
3. Add in peaches and coat completely with sugar mixture. Set aside.
4. In a mixing bowl, cut shortening into dry ingredients. Stir in milk.
5. Grease a 8x8 baking pan. Pour in peach mixture.
6. Drop the biscuits on top by the spoonful.
7. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown.

This is delicious just warm from the oven, with a scoop of vanilla icecream! Enjoy!

Chicken Lasagna

Chicken Lasagna (08/04/08)

Last night I went to Mike's family reunion. His aunt made Chicken Mancotti...it was delicious! I knew I wanted to try to replicate it, so when someone else asked his aunt for the recipe, I listened carefully. So this afternoon when my dad asked me to make dinner tonight, I knew what I wanted to try. I realized that though I had listened carefully to the recipe, I didn't rememeber it, so I kind of made it up as I went! We didn't have an Mancotti noodles, so I decided to use the same basic idea and make Chicken Lasagna instead.

You will need:

1 box of lasagna noodles

8 ounces sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

3 chicken breasts

1/4 cup parmesean cheese

1 cup cheddar cheese

garlic powder

1. Cut chicken into cubes.

2. Mix together the sour cream and soup. I added a bit of water so it wasn't so thick. Stir in parmesean cheese.

3. Cook noodles (or follow directions for oven-ready noodles).

4. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Pour 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom. Put 1/3 of the chicken on top, spread evenly. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Cover with noodles. Repeat 2 more times, finishing with noodles on the top.

5. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

6. Remove foil and cover noodles with cheese. Bake for 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted. Enjoy!!!

Vegetables and noodles

Vegetables and noodles (05/01/08)










You will need:
1/2 box of linguini noodles
5 carrots
1 small onion
2 cups mushrooms
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup Italian dressing
parmesan cheese
parsley

1. Wash and peel the carrots. I julienned them, but you can cut them however you wish. Dice onion. Put a small amount of olive oil in a large frying pan. Saute the onions. Add the carrots. Add in the mushrooms and tomatoes. Stir frequently, keeping over medium heat until heated through.
2. Boil a pot of water. Cook noodles (I only used 1/2 a box for my family of 4), until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain.
3. Add noodles to vegetables. Stir in Italian dressing. Keep over heat until heated through.
4. Sprinkle the top with parmesan cheese and parsley.