Eggs in purgatory

 This was yummy, could have done with more Parmesan and maybe some mozzarella too. We had it in the oven with tater tots and breakfast sausages so it was at 425 convection for about ten minutes. I didn’t have fresh basil so used dried instead.

https://www.wellplated.com/wprm_print/recipe/33491

Ingredients

  

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small red onion diced (about 1 cup)
• 3 cloves garlic minced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 can reduced-sodium chickpeas (15 ounces), rinsed and drained
• 1 jar good-quality tomato pasta sauce (24 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 5 ounces baby spinach
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Chopped fresh basil
• Baguette slices for serving

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Instructions

 

• 1. Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• 2. Heat the olive oil in a large, ovenproof, nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the chickpeas, tomato sauce, oregano, salt, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and let cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach a few handfuls at a time, letting it wilt. With the back of a spoon, make 4 indentations in the sauce. Crack one egg inside of each, then sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the whole dish.
• 4. Carefully transfer the pan to the oven. Bake until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with fresh basil. Serve hot with baguette slices or with sausages and tater tots.

Pot roast chicken

I made this and it was great! I substituted cornstarch for the thickener and poultry seasoning rather than just thyme (added sage and rosemary). It’s quite a bit of work but hey.

https://thedefineddish.com/wprm_print/18324

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thigh
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 large yellow onion halved and cut into ¼-inch slices
• 3 large carrots cut into 2-inch pieces
• 4 stalks celery cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbsp arrowroot flour
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 5-7 sprigs of thyme tied into a bundle using kitchen twine
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 lb yellow potatoes cut into 2-inch pieces

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Pat the chicken dry and season on both sides with the salt and pepper.
• Heat the olive oil in an oven-safe large, deep skillet (I use the Made In 3.5 quart saute pan) over medium-high heat.
• When hot, in batches so as to not overcrowd the skillet add the chicken, and cook until golden on each side (about 2 minutes per side) transfer to a plate and set aside.
• Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
• Add the dijon, tomato paste, and paprika and toss until well combined.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the broth and the arrowroot flour until well combined. Slowly pour in the broth mixture while stirring until well combined. (*Your sauce will almost immediately thicken. Don’t worry-- when the chicken cooks down, it will add additional juices to the sauce and it turns out perfectly in the end).
• Remove from the heat and stir in the apple cider vinegar, add the bundle of thyme and the bay leaves. Place the chicken on top of the veggies, skin side up. Cover and transfer to the oven and bake for 40 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, and increase the heat to 400 degrees F.
• Remove the cover and carefully nestle the potatoes into the sauce, tucking them under the chicken (just be delicate moving around the chicken so the skin doesn’t fall off!). Transfer back to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the skin is a deep golden brown and crisp, the potatoes are tender, and the sauce has thickened, about 30 more minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes prior to serving. Garnish with parsley, if desired, and enjoy!

Mince pies

 https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/mince-pies

I used my moms pastry recipe and temperature for cooking - 25 minutes at 350. Two coffee cups were good for cutting the circles out of dough.

For the pastry

• 375g plain flour
• 260g unsalted butter, softened
• 125g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1 large egg, plus 1 beaten egg for glazing

Method

• STEP 1

  Place 375g plain flour and 260g softened unsalted butter in a bowl and rub together to a crumb consistency.

• STEP 2

  Add 125g caster sugar and 1 large beaten egg, and mix together.

• STEP 3

  Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and fold until the pastry comes together, be careful not to over mix.

• STEP 4

  Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill for 10 mins.

• STEP 5

  Scoop the large jar of mincemeat into a bowl and add 2 segmented satsumas, 1 finely chopped apple and zest of 1 lemon.

• STEP 6

  Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.

• STEP 7

  Roll out the pastry to 3mm thick.

• STEP 8

  Using a round cutter (about 10cm), cut out 16 bases and place them into muffin trays. Put 1½ tbsp mincemeat mixture into each. Brush the edge of each pie with a little beaten egg.

• STEP 9

  Re-roll out the pastry to cut 7cm lids and press them on top to seal. Glaze with the beaten egg, sprinkle with the extra caster sugar, then make a small cut in the tops.

• STEP 10

  Bake the mince pies for 15-20 mins until golden brown. Leave to cool before releasing them from the muffin trays and dusting with a little more icing sugar before serving.

Quiche Lorraine

 https://natashaskitchen.com/quiche-lorraine/#jump-to-recipe

Classic Quiche Lorraine Tart 

Ingredients

• 1 deep dish frozen pie crust 
• 1/2 lb bacon, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 yellow onion  diced
• 1 cup shredded cheese 
• 1 3/4 cup half and half 
• 4 eggs large
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper finely ground 
• 1/4 tsp paprika

1. • Place oven rack in middle position, place cookie sheet on oven rack and preheat to 375 degrees F. Take pie crust out of freezer and let stand 10 minutes, then prick crust 25 times with fork. Place pie crust on the preheated cookie sheet in the oven, and bake for 9-11 minutes, or until light golden brown.
     
     
     Then put a large skillet over medium heat and add chopped bacon. Cook, stirring often until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a separate dish. Add the diced onions to the bacon fat and cook stirring often until the onions are golden. Remove with a slotted spoon to the dish with the bacon. 
     
     
     In a large bowl whisk 4 eggs, then add 1 3/4 cups half and half, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp paprika and whisk together for about a minutes to incorporate a little bit of air into the custard. Stir in the cheese, prepared bacon and onion then pour the filling into the frozen crust.

Bake the Quiche Lorraine:

1. Bake the quiche Lorraine in a preheated 350˚F oven for about 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean and the center jiggles slightly. The quiche will continue cooking after it is removed from the oven. Cool slightly before serving and garnish with parsley if desired.

• 
  

Keto breadsticks

https://greenandketo.com/easy-keto-cheese-garlic-bread

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (divided) 
• 3 tbsp cream cheese 
• 1 egg 
• 1/2 cup almond flour 
• 2 tbsp coconut flour (see notes) 
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder 
• 1/2 tsp oregano 
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 1/4 tsp pepper 
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese 
• 1 tbsp chopped basil (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large microwave-safe bowl, add 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella and the cream cheese. Melt in the microwave in a series of short, 30-second intervals. After each interval, stir the cheeses until they are completely melted and uniform. This should take around 1-2 minutes total, depending on your microwave. Do not overcook.
3. To the melted cheese, add the egg, almond flour, coconut flour, herbs, salt, and pepper. Stir with a spatula until well combined. The dough will be sticky. (You can also mix the dough in a food processor fitted with the dough blade attachment.)
4. Allow the dough to cool slightly in order to make it easier to work with. Place the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Either use wet fingertips to pat the dough out -- or cover with plastic wrap and roll the dough out to a 1/4 inch thickness.
5. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, pop any large air bubbles if necessary, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes until the edges of the dough are golden brown.
6. Garnish with basil, and serve with tomato sauce for dipping.

Cheddar Corn Dog Muffins

 

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cheddar-corn-dog-muffins/

The kids won’t actually eat corn dogs, but they ate these! I used the Jiffy mix and it was pretty easy. You can put the hot dogs in as one big piece but we prefer them chopped up small and mixed in with the batter.

Ingredients

1 package (8-1/2 ounces) cornbread/muffin mix

1/2 cup milk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 hot dogs, diced small

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions 

Preheat oven to 400°. Line 9 muffin cups with foil liners or grease 9 nonstick muffin cups.


In a small bowl, combine muffin mix, milk and egg; stir in cheese. If dicing hot dogs add the pieces to the batter then spoon into muffin cups.

If putting hot dogs in one piece, Put one spoonful of batter in each of the prepared cups, then stand up one of the hot dog pieces in the middle, or spread out the diced bits. Carefully spoon the rest of the batter around each hot dog piece. 

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 14-18 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers. 

• Freeze option: Freeze cooled muffins in freezer containers. To use, microwave each muffin on high until heated through, 30-60 seconds.

Spinach artichoke dip

Spinach Artichoke DipThis dip is deliciously rich and creamy, perfectly cheesy, brimming with spinach and artichokes and it's always a crowd favorite! This version is so easy to make. It's oven baked and served warm and melty.Servings: 8Prep10 minutesCook20 minutes
Ready in: 30 minutes
Ingredients

• 8 oz. cream cheese, well softened

• 1/4 cup sour cream

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

• 1 garlic clove, minced (1 tsp)

• 2/3 cup (76g) finely shredded parmesan cheese

• 1/2 cup (56g) finely shredded mozzarella cheese

• Pepper, to taste

• 1 (14 oz) can quartered artichoke hearts, can liquid drained, squeeze artichokes to drain excess liquid, chopped

• 6 oz. frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain excess liquid

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a small (1 quart) baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
In a mixing bowl stir together cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, parmesan, mozzarella and pepper.Stir in artichokes and spinach.Spread mixture evenly into prepared baking dish. Bake in preheated oven until heated through and melty, about 20 minutes.
Serve warm with tortilla chips, crackers or toasted baguette slices

https://www.cookingclassy.com/wprm_print/42812/

Bekah’s version:

45 minute dip: 
2 bags of chopped spinach
1 can quartered artichoke hearts (drain the brine) 
8oz shredded pepper jack
8oz cream cheese, softened
8oz sour cream (I used Full fat Greek yogurt in the one I made for us Bc I didn’t have sour cream) 
1/4-1/2 cup shredded Parmesan (the shaky kraft stuff works) 
1 yellow onion
1/2 stick salted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste 
(Original recipe calls for a bit of cayenne but that’s up to your preference) 
Steam spinach, or just do what I did and dump it frozen into the glass dish you’re going to cook in and put it in the microwave until it’s heated through. While it heats, sauté your onion in the butter until soft and clear. Add garlic and sauté another minute or so. 
Remove spinach from microwave or steamer basket and 1) press water out with paper towels to remove as much excess moisture as possible or 2) press in a strainer. 
Combine onion mixture, cream cheese, sour cream, Parmesan and 1/2 the shredded pepper jack into glass dish with spinach. Use a fork to combine well. Then I put the artichoke hearts in but I break them up a bit my roughly chopping them or just kinda squishing them apart with my fingers so they distribute more evenly? Haha. 
Combine the mixture again, tasting and seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. After well seasoned, flatten out in dish with utensil. Top with remaining pepper jack in even layer. Clean up edges of glass dish with paper towel so cheeses don’t get crusted on and make clean up more of a bitch. Bake in 400 degree oven until bubbly and cheese on top starts to brown. Or heat in microwave for 4-5 minutes until heated through and bubbly! 😉

Nutella chocolate chip cookies

 https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/nutella-chocolate-chip-cookies/#tasty-recipes-73949-jump-target

These came out amazing... soft and delicious. I didn’t measure the Nutella just eyeballed it both times. It’s too sticky for a measuring cup in my opinion. I baked them 11 minutes as they were a little big and I don’t like them underdone. I didn’t rotate the pan (???) or add any extra chocolate chips or sea salt at the end.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (148g) Nutella, divided*
• 2 and 1/3 cups (291g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
• 1 and 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 1/4 cups (225g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
• sea salt, to taste

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat on medium high speed until fluffy and light in color. Beat in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla on high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in 1/4 cup (74g) of Nutella until combined.
3. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined. Add 1 cup (180g) of chocolate chips and mix on low for about 5-10 seconds until evenly disbursed. Turn the mixer off and add the remaining Nutella. Beat for 5-10 seconds so the Nutella streaks through the cookie dough and is not fully mixed. Dough will be a little crumbly, that is OK. Dough will be extremely crumbly if the remaining Nutella was mixed in too much.
4. Scoop and roll balls of dough, about 1 Tablespoon of dough each, into balls. The warmth of your hands will help them come together. Arrange 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
5. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes or until slightly golden brown around the edges. My oven has hot spots and yours may too– be sure to rotate the pan once during bake time. The baked cookies will look extremely soft in the centers when you remove them from the oven.
6. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. During this time, if the cookies are too puffy, try gently pressing down on them with the back of a spoon. They will slightly deflate as you let them cool. As the cookies cool, grab the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips. Gently press a few chocolate chips into the tops of the slightly warm cookies (this is for looks and optional, of course!) and finish each with a sprinkle with sea salt. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
7. Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Chicken taquitos

 

This came out delicious, and one out of two kids ate it! We saved some of the chicken mix for lettuce wraps for a low carb option instead of eating a bunch of tortillas. I served it with a very simple salad on the side and salsa mixed with sour cream for dipping the taquitos.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast (use slow cooker and hand mixer for easy shredding)
• 6 ounces cream cheese , softened
• 1/4 cup salsa , your favorite kind
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• salt and freshly ground black pepper for taste
• 15 corn tortillas

For serving:

• guacamole, sour cream, salsa, hot sauce

Instructions

• Add cream cheese, salsa and sour cream to a mixing bowl and stir until smooth. Add remaining ingredients (except the tortillas) and toss to combine. Taste and add more seasoning, if needed.
• For corn tortillas, heat a non-stick griddle over medium high heat. Cook tortillas for about 15 - 30 seconds on each side until soft and pliable. Remove tortillas to a plate covered with tinfoil to keep them warm and pliable.
• Place a large spoonful of filling in a line along each tortilla and roll tightly. Secure with a toothpick if needed.
• Baked Taquitos: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray the tops of the tacos with cooking spray , or brush them lightly with oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the shells are crispy.
• Fried Taquitos: Add about 1 1/2 inches of oil to a large skillet and heat to medium-high. Once hot (the tortillas should sizzle immediately when added to the oil). Fry the taquitos in small batches, for a few seconds on each side, rotating them as they cook, until they are golden and crispy on all sides. Place them on a paper towel lined plate.
• Serve taquitos with guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

Notes

Make ahead Instructions: Make the filling up to 1 day in advance and store in the refrigerator.  Roll in tortillas before baking.

Freezing Instructions:  Taquitos make a great freezer meal.  Make the filling as instructed and roll up in tortillas. Place in a freezer ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Remove from freezer and place them on a lined or greased baking sheet. Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until warmed through and crisp on the outside.