Caramel Apple Crumble

This is a recipe that I came up with after looking through a bunch of recipes to use up some of the apples that we picked at the orchard.

Caramel Apple Crumble

Ingredients:
5 apples - peeled, cored & sliced
2/3 c. caramel topping
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
pinch salt
1 1/2 c. rolled oats
1 t. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375.

Place apples in an 8x8 pan. Pour caramel over top of apples. In bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Stir in flour, salt, oats, cinnamon and sprinkle on top of apples/caramel. Bake at 375 for about 35 minutes until bubbly and topping is browned.

Our Review: YUMMY! Very good cool weather dessert!

Pizza Bake

This one came from tasteofhome.com (with changes by me) and originally was call crock-pot pizza but I did this one in the oven to avoid cleaning cheese out of the crockpot :)

Pizza Bake

Ingredients:
1 pkg (16 oz) wide egg noodles
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion (I didn't use this)
2 jars (26 oz each) spaghetti sauce (recipe called for one jar, definately needs two)
2 t. Italian seasoning
1 pkg sliced pepperoni, halved
3 cups (12 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
3 cups (12 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
sliced black olives to taste
mushrooms (optional, I did not use)

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion (optional) over medium heat to done, drain.

Stir together noodles, beef, pepperoni, seasoning, spaghetti sauce, black olives. Pour half of mixture in 13x9 pan, cover with 1/2 cheese; repeat layers. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes until heated thru and cheese is melted.

CROCKPOT: If you want to do this one in the crockpot, cook the noodles and beef. Add spaghetti sauce, seasoning, black olives to beef. Coat the crockpot with cooking spray. Spread a third of the meat mixture on bottom, cover with a third of the noodles and pepperoni, sprinkle a third of the cheese. Repeat layers twice. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Our Review: This was LOVED by all!! Very tasty, full of flavor.

We served this with salad and grapes.

Weekly Menu

This weeks menu...

Meatballs (packaged), mac & cheese, peas, pineapple

Chicken 'n Noodles (homemade), mashed potatoes, corn, mandarin oranges

Crockpot Orange Chicken, rice, green beans, peaches

Pizza Bake, salad, strawberries

Sandwiches, chips, veggies and raisins (game night)

Desserts this week include Caramel Apple Crumble with apples we picked at the orchard and Thin Mint Cookies!!

Baked Ziti

This one comes from the back of the Hunts Four Cheese Sauce, with a couple of changes.

Baked Ziti

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef or mild pork sausage
16 oz. ziti noodles
8 oz. shedded mozzerella cheese
2 cans Hunts Four Cheese Spaghetti Sauce

Cook and drain beef or sausage. Cook ziti noodles according to package directions. Mix cooked ziti, beef/sausage and sauce and pour into 9x13 pan. Top with mozzerella.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes to heat through and cheese melts.

Our Review: We have had this one a couple of times and we really like it. We have tried both beef and sausage and both are equally yummy.

We serve this with salad, garlic bread and fruit.

Chicken and Cheese Crescents

I adapted this from a recipe at allrecipes.com. I think the recipe as is would be great and we will try it sometime but I knew for now my girls would eat it better in my adapted format. I'll put the original recipe first and then my adapted recipe!

Original Recipe...
Chicken and Cheese Crescents

Ingredients:
1 (4lb) whole chicken, cooked and deboned (I used 2-3 breasts)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 (8 oz) cans refrigerated crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 350.

In saucepan heat soup, milk and 4 oz. of the cheese over low heat. Meanwhile, separate crescent rolls into triangles. Place some chicken onto the large end of each rool and top with a little cheese. Roll up and place in a 9x13 pan. Pour 1/2 of soup mixture directly into pan, not on top of rolls.

Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, or until rolls rise slightly and are lightly browned.

Pour remaining 1/2 of soup mixture into the dish, laying any leftover chicken meat on top, ans sprinkle with any remaining cheese. Return to oven until rolls are browned and cheese has melted.

My adapted recipe...
Chicken and Cheese Crescents

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, cooked and deboned (I used 2-3 breasts)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
velveeta cheese
2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 350.

Cut some of the velveeta up into bite size pieces. Unroll crescents into triangles and place some chicken and a piece or two of velveeta on large end and roll each one. Place on baking sheet and bake according to package directions.

Meanwhile, combine soup, milk and a chunk of velveeta in a saucepan. Heat until cheese is melted.

Serve crescents with soup mixture over top (if desired).

Our Review: Mike and I really enjoyed these with the mixture over the top so I'm sure we would enjoy the original recipe. Brooke is against most sauces so she ate hers without the mixture.

We served these with green beans and

Weekly Menu

This weeks menu...

Taco Soup, tortilla chips, apples

Crockpot BBQ Pork, steak fries (frozen), corn, pears

Baked Ziti, salad, garlic bread, mandarin oranges

Chicken/Cheese Crescent Casserole, green beans, fruit cocktail

Sandwiches, raw carrots, chips, grapes - game night

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

I got this one from http://www.recipezaar.com/ but I changed some things, so here is mine...

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:
4-6 chicken breasts (or any chicken really, I used thighs)
2 (10 1/2 oz) cans cream of chicken soup
1 (10 oz) can Rotel tomatoes
1 (8 oz.) jar Cheez Whiz
1 (11 oz) bag Cheesy Doritos, crushed
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

Boil chicken (or put into crockpot) until chicken is cooked through. When cool, dice into bite size pieces (or shred).

In large saucepan over medium heat, mix soup, Rotel and Cheez Whiz until blended.

Preheat oven to 350.

Layer greased 13x9 pan with 1/2 crushed chips, 1/2 chicken pieces, 1/2 cheez sauce...repeat layers.

Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top.

Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

We served this with salad and peaches.

Our Review: We liked this one, it will be made again! Kind of a nice variation of our Nacho Casserole. Might try velveta next time (I like the flavor better).

Homemade Samoas Cookie Bars

Found this one at www.bakingbites.com

Homemade Samoas Cookie Bars

Ingredients:
crust...
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 t vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 t salt

topping...
3 cups shredded coconut
12 oz good quality chewy caramels
1/4 t salt
3 T milk
10 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate bars/chips

First, make the crust. Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9x13 pan or line with parchment paper. In large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Working at low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly. Pour dough into prepared pan and press into an even layer.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until base is set and lightly hesitates. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (or spray with cooking spray). Toast for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set asside

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on hight for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut. Put dollups of the topping all over the shortbread crust. Using a spoon/spatula spread topping into an even layer. Let topping set until cooled.

When cooled, cut into 30 bars with a large knife or pizza cutter. Melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of eac bar into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper. Use a spoon to drizzle remaining chocolate across the bars to finish.

Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Our Review: These were great!! YUMMY! We were impatient and tried to cut them before everything was cool and set so they were a little crumbly at first so we just drizzled chocolate on the top and ate some like that. After sitting awhile they were much easier to cut.

Weekly Menu

This weeks menu...

Hamburger Helper Lasagna, green beans, garlic toast, bananas

Smoked Sausage on grill, chips, carrots/cucumbers, pears

Baked Pork Chops, lipton noodles, green beans, mandarin oranges

Smothered Steak, mashed potatoes, corn, fruit cocktail

King Ranch Chicken Casserole, salad, peaches

and one night for dessert...Homemade Samoas Cookie Bars (like girl scouts)

Leftover Meat Salad

This is one of my favorite sandwich fillings for lunch.

Leftover Meat Salad

Ingredients:
Leftover Meat (I've tried chicken, turkey & ham)
2 T miracle whip
1 T mustard
2 T relish

Use a food processor (I have a mini one) to chop the meat finely. Put in bowl and add other ingredients. Mix and serve on bread. You may need to add/subtract from my measurements depending on the amount of meat you have!

Individual Chicken Pot Pies

got this one from http://www.daysofwhineandnoses.blogspot.com/ thanks! I changed a few things and doubled her recipe so here is what I did...

Individual Chicken Pot Pies


Ingredients:
1 (15 oz) pkg refrigerated pie dough
1/2 t salt
4 T all purpose flour
2 t dried rubbed sage
1/2 t black pepper
*1 lb. chicken (I used bone in and cooked in the crockpot then removed bones)
2 cups water
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (I used a little less, peas & carrots)
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup (red. fat)

Preheat oven to 425.
Unroll pie crusts and cut 8 circles out using your bowls as your guide. Spray 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray and place circles and extra pieces of crust on sheets. Spray dough with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. Pierce top of dough with a fork. Bake dough for about 8 minutes or until golden.

*Combine chicken, flour, sage and 1/4 t salt and pepper in a skillet*. Let cook for a few minutes. Add water, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in vegetables and soup. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes. Spoon 1 cup chicken mixture into each ramekin or bowl. Top each serving with a circle crust.

*In the original recipe, instead of cooking the chicken in the crockpot before it told to cut up raw chicken in bite size pieces, coat with flour, sage, salt, pepper and brown in skillet for about 5 minutes*.

Our Review: Mike and I liked these, they tasted like real pot pies! Brooke liked the crust but not the filling (probably b/c it had veggies). These would also be good with turkey in place of the chicken!

Weekly Menu

This weeks menu...

Taco Salad (w/fritos), fruit cocktail

Mac & Cheese w/beanie weanies or tuna, green beans, apple slices

Smoothered Steak, mashed potatoes, corn, pears

Biscuits & Gravy, sausage, eggs, hashbrowns

Subway

and homemade brownies!