Golden Graham Bark

Golden Graham Bark 

4 cups golden graham cereal 

2 cups white chocolate wafers 

1 cup chopped cashews 

1 tsp butter 

Place white chocolate wafers and butter in a mixing bowl and microwave 1 minute. Stir until smooth, heating an additional 15 seconds as needed. 

Mix in cereal and nuts and spread on a waxed paper lined baking sheet.  Chill in fridge until set, then break apart and store in an airtight container until serving. Freezes well for make ahead, ready to serve treats. 

Fiddle Diddles

 Fiddle Diddles 

Aka Fudgies or Haystacks 

1/2 cup butter 

2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk 

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup coconut

1/2 cup cocoa 

In  a double boiler over medium high heat combine butter, sugar, vanilla, salt and milk, bring to a boil for 5 minutes. 

Remove from heat, add remaining ingredients and mix until well combined. 

Drop by teaspoonful on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper, parchment paper or silicone mat until set. 

Bailey’s Fudge

Bailey’s Fudge 

3 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk 

1/2 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream 

1 tsp vanilla 

1/2 cup Andes mint baking chips 

Combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk, microwave 1 minute, stirring and microwave an additional 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. 

Pour in Bailey’s Irish cream and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Pour into a 9 x 9 baking pan. Sprinkle with mint baking chips, pressing in slightly. 

Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. 

Muffuletta Dip

 Muffuletta Dip

Olive Salad 

1/2 cup chopped green olives 

1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives

1/3 cup chopped roasted red pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp red wine vinegar 

Dip

2 - 8 oz cream cheese 

1 tbsp garlic powder 

1/4 lb deli ham, diced 

1/4 lb deli salami, diced 

1/4 lb mortadella, diced 

2 cups Italian blend cheese 

Olive salad 

Mix olive salad ingredients and refrigerate until needed.  

Blend cream cheese with garlic powder until smooth. Add olive salad, 1 1/2 cups cheese and diced meat and stir until well combined. 

Turned into a greased 9 x 9 baking dish. Top with remaining cheese and bake 20 minutes until melted and heated through. 

Serve with bread or crackers. 

Muffuletta Pinwheels

 Olive Salad

1/2 cup chopped green olives 

1/2 cup chopped Kalamata olives 

1/3 cup chopped roasted red peppers 

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion 

1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp red wine vinegar 

Pinwheels 

2 - 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened 

1/4 tsp garlic powder 

5 large flour tortillas 

1/2 lb thinly sliced deli ham

1/2 lb thinly sliced genera salami

1/2 lb thinly sliced mortadella

1/3 lb sliced provolone cheese 

Combine all olive salad ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate until needed. 

Beat cream cheese and garlic powder until fluffy and smooth. 

Spread tortillas with cream cheese, dividing it evenly between the 5 tortillas. Spread a layer of olive salad on each tortilla and top with layers of ham, salami, mortadella and provolone dividing evenly, between the tortillas. 

Roll each tortilla up tightly and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, overnight is fine. 

Slice each tortilla roll into 1 1/2“ slices and serve. 

Homemade Croutons

Homemade Croutons 

 4 hot dog buns, day old or 40 small cubes 

2 tsp garlic powder 

1 tsp onion powder 

1 tsp sea salt 

1 tsp parsley flakes 

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp thyme 

1/2 tsp basil

1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Cut hot dog buns into small cubes, about 20 per roll using a serrated knife. Place in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with spices and gently toss using your fingers. 

Drizzle with olive oil and toss again. 

Arrange seasoned bread crumbs in a single layer on a rimed baking sheet.  

Bake 10 - 15 minutes until lightly browned. 

Remove and allow to cool slightly before tossing into a salad.  

Chicken Cacciatore

 Chicken Cacciatore 

2 - 3 lb fryer chicken, separated 

1/2 cup flour 

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sliced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped  pepper, green or red - your preference 

1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced 

16 oz canned diced tomatoes 

8 ox can tomato sauce 

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp oregano

Rinse and pat chicken dry & coat with flour. 

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook 15 - 20 minutes until lightly browned. Remove chicken and set aside. 

Add onions, pepper, garlic and mushrooms to skillet and cook until tender. Stir in remaining ingredients until well combined. 

Return chicken to skillet, cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer 30 - 40 minutes until chicken is tender. 

Serve over rice or pasta. 

Whipped Pumpkin Spice Mousse

 Whipped Pumpkin Spice Mousse

8 oz cream cheese

1/4 cup sugar 

15 oz can pumpkin 

3,4 oz instant vanilla pudding mix

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves 

1 cup cold milk

16 oz heavy cream 

1/4 cup sugar

2 dozen ginger snaps, crumbled 

In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream for 3 - 5 minutes until thick. Add the sugar and mix until well combined and whipped cream holds it shape. Spoon into a bowl and refrigerate until needed. 

In a large bowl beat the cream cheese until whipped. Add the sugar and beat until smooth. Add the pumpkin, pudding mix and spices and mix well. Gradually add in the milk mixing well. Fold in 1 3/4 cups of the whipped cream. 

Spoon 1/4 cup into 6 - 8 small dessert bowls or half into a medium size dessert dish. Sprinkle with some crumbled ginger snaps. Top with the remaining mousse. Add the remaining whipped cream on top, then the balance of the ginger snaps. 

Outback Steakhouse Sweet Molasses Bread

 Outback Steakhouse Sweet Molasses Bread 

1 cup warm water 

1 tbsp active dry yeast

1 tbsp sugar

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 egg

2 tbsp butter, room temperature 

2 tbsp molasses 

1/4 cup honey

1 1/2 cups white flour

1 tbsp cocoa 

1 tsp salt

Place warm water, yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and allow to proof for 10 minutes (mixture will bubble).  

Add whole wheat flour, egg, butter, molasses and honey & turn on low, using the dough hook. Add 1 cup white flour, cocoa and salt & continue to mix on low. Gradually add in remaining white flour 1/2 cup up to 1 cup if needed until dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl. 

Continue to mix on low until dough for 10 minutes until dough is soft and elastic. 

Turn dough out, fill into a ball and allow to rise in a warm place, covered for 60 - 90 minutes until doubled in size. 

Shape into 6 small loaves on a cookie sheet OR 16 rolls in a 9 x 13 pan OR 4 baguettes on cookie sheets and rise again until doubled in size covered 45 - 60 minutes. Score the tops of the loaves. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes for loaves or 20 minutes for rolls OR baguettes. 

Chicken Wings Air Fryer

 Chicken Wings Air Fryer

2 lbs split chicken wings

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Mix flour, paprika, salt, garlic powder and cayenne  pepper in a medium sized mixing bowl. Rinse and pat wings dry and add to flour mixture, tossing well to coat. Place wings in refrigerator for at least an hour to ensure coating adheres to wings prior to cooking. 

Spray air fryer basket with olive or vegetable oil to prevent sticking, place in air fryer and preheat at 400 degrees for 3 minutes. Lightly spray wings with oil to help ensure crisping during cooking and place in a single layer in the basket. 

Set temperature to 400 degrees and timer to 10 minutes. Once done, turn wings and spray lightly with oil again. Reset temperature to 400 degrees and timer for an additional 10 minutes. 

Remove from air fryer and serve with sour cream, blue cheese or ranch dressing for dipping. 

Roasted Garlic Potatoes

 Roasted Garlic Potatoes 

5 - 6 red potatoes 

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Rosemary 

18 cloves garlic 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees . 

Quarter the potatoes lengthwise and slice into smaller pieces depending on the size of your potatoes. Toss in olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary. 

Arrange potatoes in muffin tin, lengthwise facing up. Toss garlic in leftover oil, salt, pepper, rosemary.  Place garlic cloves in the middle of the potato quarters. Drizzle with remaining oil mixture.  

Bake for 30 - 40 minutes. 

Air Fryer Bacon

 Air Fryer Bacon 

1 lb Bacon 

Preheat air fryer for 3 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Prepare bacon by separating individual pieces and slicing in half if necessary for your air fryer to fit.  

Place bacon in a single layer in air fryer and cook at 350 degrees for 8 - 9 minutes for crispy results on regular sliced bacon and 10 - 12 minutes for thick cut bacon. Adjust bacon at the halfway mark. 

Cook in batches to ensure no overlap during the process.