Meatball Pizzettas - "Low Maintenance Monday"

Hands on Tim: 5 min
Total Time: 20 min
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 pkgs of (8.8 oz. each) Naan - either white or whole-grain

3/4 cup pizza sauce, divided

1 pkg (12 oz.) pre-cooked Italian meatballs

1 Cup pre-shedded pizza blend cheese

Chopped fresh basil and red onion (optional garnish)


Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Lay naan on 2 baking sheets, 2 per sheet
3. spread 3 TB sauce over each naan
4. Divide meatballs between naan - half meatballs if they are large
5. Scatter cheese over the entire naan
6. Bake until cheese bubbles and meatballs brown slightly (about 15 min); rotating baking sheets half way through
7. Garnish with basil and red onion
8. cut into slices.

Chicken Puffy Things

Chicken Puffy Things 

- aka Easy Chicken and Cheese Stuffed Crescent Rolls

Ingredients:

• 2 tubes of refrigerator crescent rolls (8 count each)
• 1-2 cups shredded cooked chicken (5 Costco frozen chicken tenders boiled & shredded)
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese 
• 1 cup of cream cheese
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup  - divided in half
• 1/2 can of milk (use soup can to measure)
• 1/4 package of Lipton Onion Soup Mix
• 1/2 cube of melted butter
• 1+ cups of Italian Bread Crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Prep 2 baking sheets with PAM
3. Stir the 1/2 of condensed soup, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, Lipton mix, and shredded chicken together
4. Heat remaining soup and milk over heat together - let slowly heat to make sauce
5. On a plate, separate crescent rolls and roll them out
6. Place a couple of spoonfuls of the chicken mixture on top of each roll
7. Roll each piece and shape into crescents
8. Dip into bowl of melted butter and then roll in bowl of bread crumbs
9. Place each crescent on baking sheet (8 per sheet)
10. Bake, uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes or until rolls are hard on the outside and look set.
11. Pour soup mixture over rolls - after baked and as you serve them
12. Serve with rice and/or veggies  

Book Club Drip Beef

This recipe was so good. We ate it on sandwich rolls at book club. 

Drip Beef   by Jolyn Raleigh

1  3-4 lb chuck roast
Salt and pepper
2 T butter
Canola oil (I used Olive Oil)
2 C. Beef Broth
2 T  Fresh Rosemary
1 jar pepperoncinis
2 onions (I only used 1)

Season roast with salt and pepper.

Brown roast in pan with bottom covered with oil and add butter.  

When browned put it in a crock pot. (I used a One Pot and browned it in the same pot I was cooking in ).

Put Broth and 1 C of water over roast.

Put all the other ingredients on top of the roast.
Cover and cook 4-5 hrs in crockpot. ( In the one pot use the recipe for cooking a roast )
Remove beef and shred.  

Return to pot to keep warm.
(I let mine simmer another hour in my one pot.)

from Maylene - to make for Brubaker Christmas Eve Dinner 2017


Smoky Bacon Bites

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 lb. bacon, chopped into small pieces

1 large onion, finely chopped

Pepper

Flour, for dusting

1 sheet puff pastry dough, defrosted

1 6 oz. container herb garlic cheese (like Boursin)

1 C Swiss cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat with about 1 Tbsp olive oil.  Once hot, add bacon and cook stirring every now and then, until crispy—about 5 minutes.  With a slotted spoon, remove bacon and drain on a plate. 

Remove all but 2 Tbsp of the fat from skillet, return skillet to heat and add the chopped onion and cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes.  Remove onions from heat, and combine them with the bacon and season with pepper and let cool.

Lay the pastry dough out on a non-stick baking sheet (or line a baking sheet with parchment paper).  Spread the Boursin cheese evenly over the dough then top with bacon-onion mixture and sprinkle with swiss cheese.

Place in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.  Let cool, and cut into 1 ½ inch squares.  Serve slightly warm. 

Gingerbread Plywood

Deni's Gingerbread Dough (Oven Plywood)

adapted from: http://www.gingerbreadexchange.com/recipes/deni's-gingerbread-dough-(oven-plywood)/

Also known as oven-plywood - The recipe that follows makes excellent, stiff gingerbread dough. It is NOT your basic gingerbread dough. Please read the instructions thoroughly BEFORE starting - this is a very intense recipe. Once you start on the heat section - you can't stop.

NOTE: An electric mixer is NOT recommended. This dough is VERY stiff and could easily burn-up a mixer motor.

I have found this is easier to do in half batches. Makes it easier to get stencils and molds cut out and keep dough warm. Plus the amount is easier to manage in the kneading phase. 

Equipment needed for full batch (4 cookie sheets): 13 Qt. stainless steel mixing bowl (must be stainless steel - it will need to be placed on direct heat - I use a large pot), 9 qt mixing bowl, smaller bowl, measuring cups and spoons, whip, large spatula.

STEP ONE: Prep cookie sheets and have knifes, stencils, and texture mats ready
STEP TWO:
7 cups All Purpose Flour (1/2 = 3.5 cups)
7 cups Rye Flour (1/2 = 3.5 cups)

*her recipe calls for 6 cups each - but that is never enough 

Measure All Purpose Flour and Rye Flour into the 9 qt. bowl. Sift flours together to blend, set aside.

*I usually make all the flour mixture all at once and then set aside 1/2 for round 2 - easier to sift all at the same time

STEP THREE:
2 tsp. ground Ginger (1/2 = 1 tsp)
2 tsp. ground Cinnamon (1/2 = 1 tsp)
2 tsp. ground Cloves (1/2 = 1 tsp)
1/2 tsp. ground Nutmeg (1/2 = 1/4 tsp)
1 tsp. Salt (1/2 = 1/2 tsp)

Remove about 1 cup of the blended flours and place in small bowl. Measure Ginger, Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg and Salt into the small bowl. Blend this small amount of flour and spices together, then add to large bowl of flour. Sift (or stir well) to blend.

STEP FOUR:
2/3 cups Lemon Juice (1/2 c)
2 beaten Eggs (1)
2 beaten Egg Yolks (1)

Combine Lemon Juice, Beaten Eggs and Egg Yolks in another bowl. Set aside, near stove.

STEP FIVE:
1/2 cups Margarine (1/4)
1 1/3 cups Honey (1/2 + half of 1/3)
3 1/3 cups Sugar (1.5 cups + half of 1/3)

Combine Margarine, Honey and Sugar (in that order) in the 13 Qt. mixing bowl or pot. Place over medium heat - do not leave unattended. Stir with large spoon while heating until Margarine and honey are melted and sugar can easily be stirred into them. (Sugar does not need to dissolve, just blend). Remove from heat.

STEP SIX:

Combining:

While Margarine/Honey/Sugar mixture is sill warm, add Lemon Juice/Egg mixture. Stir with a wire whip until well blended.

Begin adding Flour/Spices mixture to the Honey Mixture. As the dough gets stiff quickly, change to a large sturdy spoon. Stir in as much of the flour as you can, then begin kneading the remaining flour. Dough will be sticky at first, then becomes very stiff as you continue adding the flours (I start with 6 cups of flour mixture and usually end up using 6.5 by the time I am done kneading).

Very useful: I put the 13 qt. bowl in the kitchen sink,  and knead the dough directly in the bowl. It is much easier on the arms and a lot less mess.

STEP SEVEN:
Knead the dough until it makes a smooth ball. Keep it covered with plastic wrap. I divide it in half to finish the kneading and to cover with plastic (one for each cookie tray).

Use the rest of the flour mixture (variable amount) to be used to "dust" your rolling pin and surface.

I roll each ball out on the foil that is pre-measured. Then I fit the stencils to the pan. I preheat the oven to 350 when I start the first pan of stenciling. 

Break off amount of dough to be used for house piece to be cut. Knead again to make smooth. The dough is very difficult to roll if it becomes cool/cold. You can keep the covered dough in the stainless steel bowl on top of stove while oven is on OR if the dough cools down, pull off a piece you intend to roll, wrap it in plastic wrap and microwave 15 - 30 seconds at a time. This re-heats the honey slightly and makes it easy to handle. (I use the microwave method - works great). Dust surface and rolling pin, roll to desired thickness.

Cut pieces and bake at 350 degrees for 15 min for 1/4" thick, 20 - 25 min for 3/8" thick. Check pieces - different sizes may need different settings.

All pieces may be returned to the oven to bake more if necessary (if they didn't get brown or hard enough).

Tips for Rolling, Cutting and Baking

THICKNESS: You can use a gauged rolling pin, that is, one that has interchangeable rings so your dough is the proper thickness - this is helpful if you have 2 different pans of the same building support pieces.

Larger structure/support pieces should be rolled 3/8". Pieces that are not support can be rolled 1/4" or thinner.

Dough rolled paper-thin must be watched closely while in the oven - maybe 5 min. Thin dough can be used for shingles. Use a small cutter. Then use a knife to score each in half (not all the way through). This allows you to snap them apart when cool.

MOLD: By the time you get the dough rolled the size you need, it is cool enough to actually pick the whole sheet up and drape and shape over a mold if desired. Pieces that are draped over a mold may need to be set at 200 for about 45 min - 1 hr. They MUST be completely baked or they will cave-in. The low temp will dry, but not brown the surface further.

ROLLING ON FOIL: Lightly wipe the counter with water then spread a sheet of aluminum foil down (the water keeps the foil from moving, but can also cause your gingerbread to bubble up a bit while cooking). Roll dough directly on foil. You can either cut pieces now or lift foil and place on baking sheet, then cut your pieces (prevents misshapen pieces).

CUTTING: For the straightest and cleanest edges, especially windows and doors, leave your scrap dough in place after cutting. Trim it, but leave 1/2" or so strip all the way around the piece. This prevents the edges from baking darker or spreading. (I tried this and it works great, but you really have to be quick when pieces come out of the oven and run a knife or pizza cutter across cuts again to make sure they separate well).

When the piece is baked and is still hot to very warm, you can pull those pieces away from the edges and out of the windows and doors. You can also press  or repress additional patterns into place. ie - hatching

DRY IT OUT: At this point I leave the pieces for a half hour or so and then I separate them and move them to cooling racks for a day or 2.

Anytime BEFORE you apply any royal icing, if you feel a piece is not completely dry or you see that it is slowly bending out of shape at room temperature, PUT IT BACK IN THE OVEN at 250 - 300 degrees. Pieces that are draped over a mold may need to be set at 200 for about 45 min - 1 hr. They MUST be completely baked or they will cave-in. The low temp will dry, but not brown the surface further.

CANDY WINDOWS: To make melted candy windows, allow the piece to cool completely. Brush crumbs from all cut edges, square the corners. Lay on sheet pan on top of a piece of foil. Spread cracked/crushed candies in window hole, brush any candy flakes off surface around window. Place back in the oven and heat only until candies melt and fill corners (Push it into the corners with a toothpick if necessary). If bubbles occur, use a straight pinto pop while the candies are still liquid. These windows won't fall out. If you use different colors in a window, you can swirl them while it's hot. Use: jolly ranchers, hard suckers, etc.


Notes

This gingerbread is NOT conventional. Most recipes instruct you to refrigerate the dough. DO NOT REFRIGERATE THIS DOUGH. It is tough and dense so must be warm to knead and roll. Your hands and arms will be better off. It will cool quickly enough to make clean cuts and be able to manipulate. This is the result of using Honey instead of Molasses, and the additional 50% Rye Flour.

Sweet Potato Casserole

This recipe was altered from the Pioneer Woman recipe found here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/if_you_think_you_dont_like_sweet_potatoesthink_again/

Feeds: 20 people for a Brubaker Cabin Thanksgiving 2016

Prep time: 45 minutes; I did mine in stages. I baked and peeled the potatoes the day before.

Cook time: around 30 minutes or until the topping is browned and crunchy

Ingredients

Casserole Portion

6 - 8 large sweet potatoes

1 - 2 cups of white sugar (depending on how sweet you want it and how many potatoes you use)

2 cups of milk (I used skim)

4 whole eggs

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of salt

Topping

1 - 2 cups of brown sugar

1 - 2 cups of granola

1 cup of flour

1 1/2 sticks of butter chilled and cut into small squares

Directions

Step 1: Wash medium sweet potatoes and bake them in a 375-degree oven until fork tender, about 30-35 minutes.

Step 2: When they are finished cooking slice them open and scrape out the flesh into a large bowl. I did this while they were still hot so that they could slide right out of the skins. I held the hot potatoes with a silicone hot pad.

Step 3: Cut up the potatoes into chunks and the start mashing them.

Step 4: Add 1 cup of (regular granulated) sugar, 1 cup of milk, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of salt. With a potato masher, mash them up just enough—you don’t want to be perfectly smooth.

Step 5: In a separate bowl, add brown sugar, granola, flour, and 1 1/2 stick of butter. With a pastry cutter or fork, mash together until thoroughly combined.

Spread the sweet potato mixture into a regular baking dish and sprinkle the crumb mixture all over the top.

Bake in a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Zucchini Bread

From the Betty Crocker Cookbook! Yum!

Ingredients:

3 cups of shredded zucchini (2 to 3 medium)
1 2/3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 large eggs
3 cups of all-purpose or whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
(you can add nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips)

1. move oven rack to low position so that the tops of pans will be in the center of the oven.
2. Heat to 350
3. Grease bottoms of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2 x 4 1/2
4. Mix zucchini, sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs in large bowl.
5. Mix in the rest of the ingredients; except the add-ins
6. Divide batter evenly between the pans
7. Bake loaves for 50 - 60 minutes
8. Cool 10 minutes in pans
9. Remove from pans and allow to cool on side for 2 hours