Banana Bread (gluten free of course)

Banana Bread

 

2 cups gluten free flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt 3/4 cup butter 1 1/2 cup sugar 2 eggs (beaten) 1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed (3 medium)

1/2 cup buttermilk 1 tsp Vanilla 1 tsp Almond flavoring   Cream butter and sugar. Blend in bananas, eggs, vanilla and almond flavoring. Combine flour, soda, and salt together. Add flour mixture to banana mixture alternating with the buttermilk. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 325 deg. for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Sweet and Sour Meatloaf Meatballs in the Slow Cooker

     I'm going through a food rut.....nothing sounds good. I hate putting effort into meals when nothing sounds good. So I decided that I would adapt a recipe that I love into a crock pot recipe. I didn't want to try anything new while my taste buds were so blah!! I knew that I already loved these flavors and I thought I just may love them more if there was less effort involved! ha

Sweet and Sour Meatloaf Meatballs in the Slow Cooker

1 lb Ground Turkey
1/2 c. Minute Rice
1/3 c. Milk
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
1 T. Parsley
1 Egg
1/2 C. Diced Onion

Sauce:
1 8oz. Can of Tomato Sauce
1/2 C.  and 2 T. Brown Sugar
2 T. Vinegar
2 tsp. Mustard

Combine the ingredients together to make the meatballs. Don't over mix.

Form the meatballs and place into a slow cooker sprayed with cooking spray. Continue until you have used all of the meat mixture.

Combine all of the ingredients for the sauce. Whisk until combined. Pour over the meatballs.

Cook on low heat in the slow cooker for 3-4 hours.

Combine all of the meatball ingredients.

Mix until combined, but don't over mix (you don't want to overwork the meat)

I have an ice cream scooper that is my meatball scoop. It is ONLY used for that. It makes making meatballs SO much easier and less messy!!

Spray the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray and line the bottom with meatballs.

Mix the ingredients for the sauce.

Pour the sauce over the meatballs. Cook on low heat for 3-4 hours.

Mine ended up staying on "warm" for several more hours until I got home to eat....they still looked and tasted good!

I hope you like this yummy crock pot recipe. Enjoy!!

-Jessica

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham.....comfort food at it's best

     I love scalloped potatoes. I could eat them as a meal. However, just eating potatoes as a meal is sort of frowned upon. Sooooo I have found a way to get around that little rule. Adding ham to scalloped potatoes turns them into a main dish and makes them even more amazing!
    This recipe can be made with regular potatoes sliced or diced OR you can take a lazy route and use hash browns. I think they taste just as amazing with hash browns so 99% of the time I take the lazy route. I won't tell if you won't!

1 Bag Hash browns (approximately 30 oz.) I use shredded
2-3 C. Ham cut into chunks or pieces
1/2 C. Onion, diced
6 T. Margarine
3 C. Milk
6 oz. Velveeta
3 T Cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 C. Water
Ground Black Pepper (to taste)

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Combine the hash browns, diced onion, and diced ham in the 9x13 pan.

In a sauce pan. Melt the margarine. Add milk and Velveeta. Cook on medium heat until all of the cheese is melted. Add pepper. Slowly pour the cornstarch/water mixture into the sauce. Whisking the whole time so that no lumps form. Remove from heat.

Pour the sauce over the potatoes and ham. Stir to combine all of the ingredients. Cover the pan with foil. Bake at 325 deg. for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake for another 25-30 min.

I totally cheat and use hash browns :) Shhhh

Combine ham, onions, and hash browns in the 9x13 pan.

Cut the Velveeta into chunks. It will melt faster. Once it is melted add in the cornstarch mixture.

Combine the 1/2 C. water and 3 T. cornstarch. Whisk with a fork until combined. Slowly pour into the cheese sauce mixture.

Be sure to whisk the entire time you are pouring in the cornstarch mixture. Otherwise you will end up with lumps. ICK!

Pour the sauce over the potatoes and ham. Mix to combine. Cover with foil and Bake at 325 deg.

I hope you enjoy these cheezy creamy potatoes as much as I do.

-Jessica

Gorilla Bread...individual sized and gluten free!!!

     I'm super excited to share this recipe with you guys. I think you just may love it. I guess even if you don't love it, I still love it.
     I was Pinteresting (I may or may not have just made up that word) the other day and ran across this recipe for Paula Deen's Gorilla Bread. Well my gal Paula uses canned biscuits in her recipe and unfortunately those are SO not gluten free. However, she has this genius idea of using cream cheese. I'm a fan of cream cheese. I had run across a gluten free monkey bread recipe a while back (also on pinterest). SO I meshed these two ideas, added my own twists and I have come up with individual sized gluten free gorilla bread. GET EXCITED!!

Individual Size Gluten Free Gorilla Bread

3 egg whites
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup Gluten Free Flour Blend
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2  teaspoons xanthan gum
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:
4 Tablespoons Butter OR margarine (melted)
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream Cheese (6 teaspoon size pieces)

Preheat oven to 350 deg. Generously spray a 6 cup muffin tin with cooking spray.  In a small bowl beat egg whites until frothy and semi stiff. Add in the remaining dough ingredients and mix until thick. This will take a few minutes to get the dough thick. Keep that electric mixer going for a while. You will notice a change in the texture of the mixture.

Combine the filling ingredients in a small bowl. Using a spoon, put a small amount of the filling mixture into the bottom of the muffin tin holes. Layer about 3 drops of dough ontop of the mixture. Spoon a little more of the filling mixture ontop of the dough balls. Top with the small slice of cream cheese. Top the cream cheese with a couple more spoons of dough.Try to completely cover the cream cheese and make a "seal" with the dough.  Put the remaining filling mixture ontop of the last layer of dough.

Bake at 350 deg. for 20-25 min. You may want to place a cookie sheet or foil under the muffin tin. It may bubble over. Cook until browned.

Remove from the oven and serve warm. Pop the gorilla breads out of the muffin cups and drizzle the syrup that is in the bottom of the muffin cups ontop of the warm bread.

This recipe makes 6 gorilla breads, you could double or triple the recipe for a larger family.

This recipe moves pretty quick, it is easiest to just have everything you need out and ready to go.

Beat the egg whites until they are almost stiff (think meringue)

Put a little filing mixture in the bottom of the muffin cup and top with about 3 teaspoons of dough.

Add a little of the filling and top with the slice of cream cheese

Top the cream cheese with another layer of dough. Drizzle the remaining topping over the last layer and into the oven it goes!

Enjoy!!!

-Jessica

Christmas has come early.....I found something amazing.

     I found something amazing. However we are keeping this a secret between you and I. OK? OK! I don't want the world buying up all of these limited edition cinnamon and sugar chips. So keep it hush hush!!
    I had heard a little rumor that Mission had a cinnamon and sugar chip out for the holidays. So while at the store today I had to see if my store had them. YES!!! I bought two bags without even tasting them. However now after tasting them I am contemplating going back and clearing the rack! ha

    I am a huge Mission fan to begin with. Their tortilla chips are my fave! This new flavor is amazingariffic!! I am in hopes that it sticks around long after the holidays have passed. I would buy them year round and I'm sure I'm not the only person out there that would. So Mission Company if you are listening, KEEP THESE CHIPS YEAR ROUND!! OK? OK!
    One more great thing.....Mission has this bag clearly labeled gluten free. I LOVE companies that take the time to label things clearly. I will promote companies like that until the cows come home.

I love companies that clearly label!

     Now I just need to think of an amazing dip to go with these. Apple pie dip??? However, they are quite yummy on their own.

     So remember that you promised to keep quiet about this amazing find. And if you live in my town....save some for me!!

Enjoy!!!

-Jessica

Peach Bread Pudding with Vanilla Caramel Sauce

     I was trying to think of a way to use up my leftover rolls from Thanksgiving. I either wanted to do a french toast or bread pudding. I let the folks on my USASillyYaks facebook page vote and the winner was bread pudding. I warned them fairly that I have never made bread pudding, so this is totally experimental.

Peach Bread Pudding with Vanilla Caramel Sauce

6 slices day-old bread or 5-6 leftover dinner rolls torn into pieces
1 large can of peaches
 4 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

4 eggs, beaten

2 cups milk or 1 c milk and 1 c juice from the peaches

3/4 cup Brown sugar (divided)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon pie spice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large oven safe skillet melt the butter. Add peaches (drained) and cook for about 5 min on medium/high heat. Add raisins, 1/4 c of the brown sugar, and spices to the skillet. Mix well and turn heat down to medium. Cook another 5-7 min.

     Add bread crumbs into the skillet mixture. Stir and coat the bread crumbs with the peaches and spices.

     In a separate bowl beat the 4 eggs. Add the milk and juice from the peaches. Add in the remaining brown sugar (1/2 c) and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined.

     Pour the egg and milk mixture over the contents of the skillet. Let rest for about 20 min. This will allow the bread to soak up the liquids. Pre-heat oven to 350 deg. After the 20 min. rest time, then bake in a 350 deg. oven for about 40 min. or until the top springs back when lightly touched.

Vanilla Caramel Sauce

2/3 C Brown Sugar

1/4 C. Butter

1/3 C.  Evaporated Milk (1/2 of a 5oz. can)

1/2 Tsp. Vanilla

You will want to make the sauce while the bread pudding bakes. Whisk brown sugar and butter in a saucepan over medium/high heat until the butter is melted. Whisk in evaporated milk and stir until the sugar is dissolved and sauce is creamy smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract. Keep warm and serve over the bread pudding when it comes out of the oven. (I doubled this recipe because I love sauce)

Saute the peaches in the butter

Add raisins and spices and saute a little longer :)

Mix the bread in with the peaches, butter, and spices.

Pour the egg/milk mixture over the bread and let it sit to soak up the milk and eggs.

Bake at 350 deg. for about 40 min. It will come out golden brown.

While the bread pudding is baking, you need to make the caramel vanilla sauce.

Mmmmm Caramel Sauce

Dish up your warm bread pudding

Top with the amazing Vanilla Caramel Sauce and serve warm.

    Well the bread pudding turned out pretty yummy. I had never made bread pudding before, so I wasn't totally sure of what to expect. However, I liked it. I especially liked the sauce MMMMm. It would even make a great topping for ice cream!! (note to self). I hope you like my recipe!! Let me know what you think if you try it out!!

-Jessica

Ultimate Thanksgiving Pie..........let's use up those leftovers!!

     It is quite possible that this is my favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner. It happens a couple of days after you stuff yourself with turkey. You find your refrigerator full of Thanksgiving food and everybody is sick of eating the same leftover turkey. This recipe is the solution to those leftovers in your fridge.
     There really isn't a specific recipe to follow for this. You add in what you have. If you don't have it, then no worries!! Or if you just have a small amount of something that is ok too.
     Ok, so open that refrigerator door and gather up your Turkey Day leftovers!!! Here is what to search for:

Ultimate Thanksgiving Pie

Leftover Turkey cut into chunks
Leftover Green Bean Casserole or plain green beans
Corn
Peas
Carrots
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Stuffing/Dressing

Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 325 deg. Lightly spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. In your pan mix together the turkey, vegetables, and gravy. Top the mixture with a layer of mashed potatoes. Crumble the dressing on top of the mashed potatoes. Bake for 30-45 min. or until heated through.

Dice your leftover turkey into chunks.

Mix the turkey and veggies together in a 9x13 pan

I unfortunately didn't have gravy, but I did have a partial box of stock in the fridge that needed used. Soooo I made some gravy using the stock, bouillon, milk, pepper and cornstarch.

Pour the gravy in with the meat and veggies. Mix until everything is coated.

Drop the mashed potatoes by spoonfulls onto the mixture. Spread with the back of your spoon.

Crumble the stuffing on top of the mashed potato layer.

Bake at 325 until heated through and stuffing is crispy.

It is ready to come out of the oven when it's bubbly and crispy brown on the top.

I hope you enjoy my solution to using up those Turkey Day leftovers!!

-Jessica