Cheeseburger Pie

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Cooks Note: I have made this one several times, and it is really good. It is easy, it tastes JUST like a cheeseburger and it takes about 15 minutes to put together. I always wonder, who comes up with these things? Pickle juice? But hey, it works, so I won't question it. The kids love it of course and it is good served with baked fries. To make it a little healthier, you can use ground turkey, reduced fat crescents and LF cheese and I am sure it will be just as tasty. Enjoy!
Ingredients:

• 1 can crescent rolls
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion, OR 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/3 cup chopped dill pickle slices
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 cups shredded American cheese, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Unroll crescent rolls and press into the bottom and up the sides of an 8 inch pie pan.
3. Cook ground beef in a skillet until browned. Drain well.
4. Stir in onion, chopped pickle, ketchup and mustard.
5. Sprinkle with flour and add pickle juice and milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.
6. Remove from heat and add 1 cup of shredded cheese.
7. Pour into the prepared crust and bake for 15 minutes, or until edges of crust are golden brown.
8. Remove from oven and top with remaining cup of cheese. Let stand until cheese melts.
9. Garnish with extra ketchup, mustard and pickle slices.

Pinspiration from Disney Family

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Cook’s Note: For my husband’s birthday, he requested specifically “Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes”, which took me by surprise! So, I scoured the internet and my favorite site (Pinterest) for a recipe. Of course, I found a TON of recipes for this cupcake request, but all of them looked so complicated! Most of them called for making your own cookie dough and making your own cupcakes from scratch. Well, I just didn’t have time for all of this non-sense, but… I didn’t want to disappoint my husband either – so this recipe below was born… I improvised and it turned out great. Now, please note that I got the icing recipe from the Pizzaazzerie and it is HANDS DOWN the BEST ICING/FROSTING that I have ever tried in my entire life!
Enjoy the below and you’re welcome in advance!!

What You Will Need:

1 Box Yellow Cake Mix (follow directions on the Box, so you'll need those ingredient too)

Immaculate Baking Company Chocolate Chunk Cookie Dough (In the Refrigerated Cookie Dough section)

Miniature Chocolate Chip Cookies for the topping

Directions:

Line your cupcake pan with CUTE cupcake liners. Fill each cup about 1/3 full with cupcake batter, place a small cookie dough ball in the middle and then cover with more batter.

 Bake per directions on the box. When done, let cool completely, then frost the cupcakes and top with a miniature chocolate chip cookie for decoration.

 My “Pinspiration” for this recipe came from Something Shiny

Coffee Creamer Frosting (from Pizzaazzerie)

·         8 Tbs (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

·         4-5 cups confectioner's sugar

·         1/3 cup Flavored Coffee Creamer of your choice (I used International Delight Cinnabon Coffee Creamer – OMG!)

Frosting Instructions:

In an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter until fluffy.

Slowly add powdered sugar until well combined.

Add coffee creamer

Add more powdered sugar for a thicker frosting and more creamer for a looser frosting.

Now place frosting in a frosting bag and frost those cupcakes!

 *** Here is the KEY to this entire cupcake recipe…. After you have frosted all of your cupcakes, place these cupcakes in the fridge for a few hours. The magical part here is that the cookie dough inside of the cupcake hardens back up and the icing sort of “sets”. TRUST ME, you don’t want to skip this step!

 When ready to serve, top each cupcake with a mini-chocolate chip cookie! (See my pics for an example of how the end product should look!)

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

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Cooks Note: This was a simple throw together type of meal and it was good. But, I would change a couple of things to better suit my family. I would add some chicken broth to the pot, because it was a little too thick even for chili. I added cheddar cheese on top when serving, and served it with chips, because it just seemed to be a good compliment, but corn bread would be very good too. Also, I let it cook for 5 hours on low and let me tell you, that crock pot was a BEAR to clean. So I think, depending on the age of your crock pot, less time may be required. I will make it again for sure. Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili
1 can black beans
1 can corn, undrained
1 can Rotel, undrained
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 8 oz package light cream cheese
2 chicken breasts

Drain and rinse black beans. Place chicken at bottom of pot, then pour out whole can of corn (undrained), Rotel, and black beans. Top with seasonings and ranch mix. Stir together. Place cream cheese on top. Cover with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir cream cheese into chili. Use 2 forks to shred chicken. Stir together and serve.

Original Pinspiration from Plain Chicken

Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Turkey Burgers

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Cooks Note: These were GREAT! They were very juicy, and I was surprised since I find that turkey gets dried out easily. The sauce was easy and delicious, and even my kids raved. (I didn't tell them that there was yogurt on their burgers!) As you can see, I served it with lots of veggies on the side and I was pleasantly full even though the dinner was light. I didn't change anything in this recipe, it was perfect the way it is. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb fat free ground turkey
• 4 ounces fat free feta cheese
• 4 ounces roasted red peppers, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup plain fat free Greek yogurt
• 4 whole wheat hamburger buns
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1/2 cup cucumber, sliced

Directions:

1. Warm a pan over medium heat and coat with cooking spray.
2.  In a bowl, combine first 5 ingredients and shape mixture into 4 patties. Place in pan, cover, and cook for 7 minutes. Uncover, flip, and cook for 5 more minutes.
3.  In another bowl, combine lemon juice with yogurt. Set aside.
4. Serve burgers on rolls, topped with yogurt sauce, spinach, and cucumber.



This Pinspiration comes from Food.com

Homemade Egg Salad Sandwiches

Cook's Note: This is a family favorite recipe of my own that I wanted to share you with you guys! I have heard that its best to use older eggs for the perfect hard boiled egg - so if you want to plan ahead, buy your eggs several days in advance, supposedly they peel easier. I hope you will enjoy this as much I have for years!

What You Will Need: 

6-8 Hard Boiled Eggs
3 Tbsp Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp Mustard
1 Tbsp Pickle Juice
Salt and Pepper to Taste
1 tsp Paprika

Directions: 

Peel hard boiled eggs, wash and chop into small pieces. I highly recommend using this little kitchen tool - you can find this in a kitchen store or places like Marshall's or Home Goods. It makes cutting things up like eggs, super simple!

Now mix all ingredients together and VOILA! you have delicious egg salad. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. 

Serve on toasted hearty bread such as a bagel or ciabatta... 

Tuscan Pasta With Tomato Basil Cream Sauce

                                                                 Find it on Pinterest

Cook's Note: This pasta was not only very easy to throw together, but also very delicious and rich in flavor! I highly recommend making this for dinner. It tastes "restaurant fancy". This recipe  is an example of what we are all about here at Suburban Epicurean - easy and delicious meals for your family without a lot of work!


What You Need: 

• 1 package of refrigerated cheese tortellini 
• 1 (16-oz.) jar Classico Sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce 
• 2 tablespoons white wine 
• 2 medium-size fresh tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Garnish: fresh basil strips

Directions: 

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, pour Alfredo sauce into a medium saucepan. Pour wine into sauce jar; cover tightly, and shake well. Stir wine mixture into saucepan. Stir in chopped tomatoes and 1/2 cup chopped basil, and cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Toss with pasta, and top evenly with 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Garnish, if desired.

This "Pinspiration" comes from My Recipes via Southern Living

1. 
   

Lucky Duck Valentine for Kids

So I know this is a FOOD blog, but occasionally, we will share with you some ideas we have for crafts, for the home, etc.

I made these ADORABLE Valentines for my daughter's daycare class tonight and I wanted to share with you because it is JUST too cute!!

                 I got these adorable miniature Valentine rubber duckies from Oriental Trading Company and they came in a bag of 12, which was perfect for gifting! She LOVES rubber duckies and so I thought other kids her age might too!

So, I put one little rubber duck in each little Valentine Bag, cut out little paper hearts and wrote a  note on each one ....

Here you can see the note close up....

I just thought that these were cute and I had to share with you all. 

~ ENJOY & HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! ~

Chicken Parmesan

A Suburban Epicurean Original

Cooks Note: I made this at the request of my son who names this as one of his Top 10 Dinners Mom makes. I guess I should be thankful there are 10 that he actually likes! This is a classic, and easy enough to make on a weeknight. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4-5 Large Chicken Breasts

1 1/2 Cups of flour

1T Garlic Powder

1 t Basil

1T Dried Parsley Flakes

1t Salt

1t Pepper

1 egg

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

2 T Butter

1lb spaghetti noodles

1jar of pasta sauce (fresh or homemade)

2 Cups Mozzarella cheese

Parmesan Cheese to taste

Instructions:

1. Mix flour and spices in a shallow bowl, set aside

2. Place egg in another bowl and beat with a fork till broken up

3. Place olive oil and butter in a frying pan, heat to a sizzle

4. Dredge each chicken breast in egg then in flour mix, coating thoroughly, place in pan.

5. Cook till golden on each side

6. Transfer chicken to a greased 13x9 in baking dish.

7. Top each breast with 1-2 T of pasta sauce (your preference) and a generous sprinkling of mozzarella cheese.

8. Place in oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 min or until browned and bubbly.

9. Cook pasta according to package directions, mix with remaining pasta sauce and serve under chicken. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.

Pinspiration found on Suburban Epicurean





Nutella Crescent Rolls

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Cooks Note: Well, this will be quick. These rock, don't change a thing. Eat warm and enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 8ct. pkg of Crescent Rolls
• Nutella, Lots
• ¼ c. Powdered Sugar

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Open the crescent rolls, separate and roll them out on a flat surface. Spread them generously with Nutella.

Roll the crescent per the package directions – starting at the wide area and ending at the point.

Place them on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for between 10-12 minutes, checking frequently once you get to that 10 minute mark.

Remove them from the oven and sift powdered sugar across the top. Eat them warm.

Original Pinspiration from The Daily Dish



Rosemary and Strawberry Scones

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Cook's Note: I made these about 3 years ago after seeing an episode of Giada at Home on the Food Network (she inspires me truly!) and I loved these scones so very much that I have dreamed of these scones ever since! Don't ask me why it took me 3 more years to make them again. I got a whim to make these last night after everyone had gone to bed and again, I am in LOVE with these scones. This is PERFECT for Valentines Day or any day really. If you are a rosemary fanatic like I am, you will love these scones. I always change SOMETHING about a recipe, but this recipe is perfect (just like Giada!), so you don't need to change anything really.

This is a perfect flavor combination with the rosemary and strawberry and if you have this with a nice cup of tea - you will be in scone heaven. ENJOY! 

What You Will Need:

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup strawberry jam

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper (or Pam for Baking!)  Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary, salt, and butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.

Gradually stir in the cream until the mixture forms a dough.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 1/2-inch thick, 10-inch circle.

Using a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out heart-shaped pieces of dough and put on the prepared baking sheet.

Gently knead together any leftover pieces of dough and roll out to 1/2-inch thick.

Cut the dough into more heart shapes and add to the baking sheet. Using an index finger or a small, round measuring spoon, gently make an indentation in the center of each pastry heart. Spoon a heaped 1/2 teaspoon of jam into each indentation.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Transfer the cooked scones onto a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes.

Again, this recipe is from Food Network ~ Giada De Laurentis, I take absolutely no credit, other than to share with you!

** You see my picture above and here they are on a platter:

Pesto Ranch Crock Pot Chicken

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Cooks Note: This is the first one the crowd was not raving about. And not because it wasn't good, but because it was too salty. I think the whole packet of Ranch and the whole 6 oz. jar of Pesto was just a little too much. I have gotten a little ahead of myself, I did do a couple of things different than the original recipe called for, I used chicken breasts instead of thighs to make it a little healthier and I used 1 cup of chicken broth instead of 1/2 because the 1/2 just didn't seem like it would produce enough sauce. I am glad I went with more broth, because that was good, but next time I would suggest using 1/2 the packet of ranch and maybe 1/2 of the pesto. So, while tasty, I would change it up a little more next time. Let me know if you have any additional suggestions. 

Ingredients

• 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 6 ounce jar of pesto
• 1 package Ranch Dressing Seasoning Mix
• 1/2 cup chicken broth

Directions

1. Turn crock pot to high setting. Place chicken thighs, pesto, ranch dressing and chicken broth into crock pot. Stir gently to combine all seasonings. Close with lid and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.
2. Serve with a side of mashed potatoes and a simple salad.

Makes 8 servings

Find the original "Pinspiration" from Picky Palate

Easy Crock Pot Chicken Lasagna

                                                                       

                                                                 Find it on Pinterest

 

Cook's Note: I saw this recipe on Pinterest and thought it looked intereting because I really didn't think you could make Lasagna in the Crock Pot - totally expecting this to not turn out very hot....

 

WOW! Was I wrong? This was one of the best Lasagna's that I have ever made and can I just say... EASY!!??? It took about 5 minutes to throw together and I will make this again and again! I have modified the below recipe (as I always do), you be the judge!

 

What You Will Need:

1 lb. ground chicken breast

2 24 oz cans of tomato sauce

8 oz pkg. lasagna noodles, uncooked

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

 

2 cups shredded italian blend cheese

1 1/2 cups cottage cheese

 

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Spray the inside of the crock-pot with cooking spray. Brown the ground chicken breast in a skillet. (I threw in a little Cavendar's Greek Seasoning to taste)

In a seperate bowl, stir the tomato sauce in with the ground chicken.

Spread 1/2 of the meat sauce on the bottom of the crock-pot

Arrange 1/2 of the uncooked noodles over the sauce (and be sure to break them up if you need to!)

Combine the shredded cheeses and cottage cheese in a bowl. Spoon 1/2 of the cheeses over the noodles.

Repeat these layers and top with remaining sauce

Cover and cook on low for 4hrs (Iusually put it on HIGH for the first hour, then turn it down to LOW).

Find the original "Pinspiration" from Creating Through Life

Holy Moly Italian Chicken in the Crock Pot!

                                                                                          Find it on Pinterest

Cook's Note: I modified this recipe from the Pinterest version (as usual), only because I didn't have Cream of Chicken soup on hand. The link to this recipe on Pinterest was a completely different recipe than what was written underneath the actual pin. The one on the link seemed WAY more complicated, so I went with the simple direction, changing it to suit my needs of course! 
This dish was SUPER SIMPLE and really delicious. My entire family enjoyed it and I will add this one to list of "keepers" ! 

What You Need: 

3-4 chicken breasts (I Like to use Frozen)
1 packet Zesty Italian dressing seasoning
1  8 oz. package neufchatel  cream cheese (softened), 
2 cans cream of celery soup; 
1/3 cup milk

Directions: 

Place chicken in bottom of crock pot, in a seperate bowl mix softened cream cheese, Italian seasoning, cream of celery soup and milk in a bowl - then pour over top of the chicken. Now, put your lid on the crock pot.... 

If using frozen chicken breasts, cook on high for 3-4 hours, then on low for 1 additional hour. If using fresh chicken breasts cook for 4 hours on low.

 ** Serve this chicken and the sauce over pasta. I used Rotini Garden Delight Pasta - because it's healthy and has an extra serving of vegetables that we all need, plus it's pretty! 


Original Recipe "Pinspiration" can be found at Homemade by Holman 

Raspberry Oatmeal Cookie Bars

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Cooks Note: I feel like eventually I am going to have to post about something I didn't like, but this would not be that time. These were really good. I followed the recipe almost to a T, but I used seeded raspberry jam instead of seedless and I used a cup instead of 3/4 of a cup because it just didn't look like enough raspberry, and let's face it, that is the best part. I recommend this one for the whole family, just be ready to vacuum up your floors if the kids eat em' cause they are very crumbly. Enjoy! 

 

Original recipe makes 1 8x8-inch pan                  

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

What You Will Need:

                       

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar                                                    

1 cup all-purpose flour                                                    

1/4 teaspoon baking soda                                                    
1/8 teaspoon salt                                                    

1 cup rolled oats                                                    

1/2 cup butter, softened                                                    

3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 8 inch square pan, and line with greased foil.
2. Combine brown sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and rolled oats. Rub in the butter using your hands or a pastry blender to form a crumbly mixture. Press 2 cups of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the jam to within 1/4 inch of the edge. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the top, and lightly press it into the jam.
3. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.

Original "Pinspiration" from Allrecipes

Herb Crusted Chicken with Parmesan Cream Sauce

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Cooks Note: This was really, really good. It really did taste like it came straight out of a restaurant kitchen. It was not hard to make, but it did require several dishes and cooking utensils, so my kitchen was sort of a mess, but well worth it. I did do a few things different, but I can't imagine it coming out any tastier than it did. 

Instead of the Roasted Garlic and Bell Pepper seasoning, I used Garlic Powder and a little bit of Crushed Red Pepper flakes. Also, I omitted the chives.  Everything else I followed the recipe, and it was pretty simple.  I served this with cheddar mashed potatoes and broccoli, but it would work with a pasta too. In fact, with the left over sauce (forgot to say I doubled the recipe for my family of 4) I think it would be excellent on some pasta too. Let me know if you like it. Enjoy!

Serves: 2

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 15mins

496/cal per serving

What you Will Need:

• 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, pounded thin
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup Progresso Garlic & Herb Bread Crumbs
• 2 teaspoons 'Perfect Pinch' Roasted Garlic and Bell Pepper Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon freeze dried chives
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup Chicken Broth
• 1/4 can of Italian diced tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese blend
• 2 Tablespoons freeze dried (or fresh) basil
• dash of fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

• Place bread crumbs, Roasted Garlic and Bell Pepper Seasoning and freeze dried chives in a shallow bowl; mix thoroughly.
• Place milk in a separate shallow bowl.
• In a skillet, heat butter on medium heat. Meanwhile, pound chicken flat and thin for even cooking (if you haven't done so already).
• Dip the chicken in the milk, then coat with crumb mixture.
• Cook chicken in butter until browned and cooked through (about ten minutes). Remove and keep warm
• In the same skillet, add garlic and saute for approximately 1 minute. 
• Add chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir occasionally to loosen browned parts from the pan.
• Stir in cream and tomatoes; bring to a boil and stir for one minute.
• Reduce heat to low; add Parmesan cheese, basil and a dash of pepper, stir sauce and cook until heated through and thickened. (about 5 minutes)
• Serve by pouring the sauce over the chicken. For added flair, serve the chicken and sauce over cooked pasta. 

Original Recipe Pin can be found on Our Kind of Love