Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

These are delicious and so fun to make for special occasions!

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

For Pancakes:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten

(OR use a boxed pancake batter)

Cinnamon Filling:
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Glaze:
4 Tablespoons butter
2 ounces cream cheese 
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


DIRECTIONS:
Prepare Cinnamon Filling first: In a medium bowl, mix butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Scoop the filling into a small zip baggie and set aside. (You want this to rest and 'set up' while your preparing the other ingredients. Its best if it gets a little thicker, you dont want it liquidy)

Prepare Pancake batter:  In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in milk, oil and egg just until batter is moistened.  (a few small lumps are fine)
OR If using a boxed mix, prepare according to package directions.

Prepare Cream Cheese glaze: In a medium glass or microwave-safe bowl, heat the butter and cream cheese until melted. Whisk together until smooth, then whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla. Set aside.


Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Scoop about 1/2 cup of pancake batter onto the skillet. Snip the corner of your cinnamon filling baggie and squeeze a spiral of the filling onto the top of the pancake. When bubbles begin to appear on the surface, flip carefully with a spatula and cook until lightly browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer pancake to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you make the rest of the pancakes.

When ready to serve, spoon warmed cream cheese glaze on top of each pancake. Enjoy!

Bowtie Skillet Lasagna

This is an instant kid favorite!  I made it last night and Halle asked for thirds!  Then she requested it for breakfast this morning!  It is super easy to make and one of those meals you can have on the table in less than 30 minutes.  Great for busy week nights.

Bowtie Skillet Lasagna

10 ounces Bowtie or Farfalle noodles
1 pound lean ground beef
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
1 (24 ounce) jar Spaghetti sauce ( I use 'Ragu' Traditional)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning mix
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup sour cream




Directions: Boil noodles in a large pot of water, according to package directions. Drain water.

Meanwhile, cook ground beef in a large skillet until browned. Drain grease. Add cooked noodles to ground beef and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Stir together. 

Add spaghetti sauce, garlic powder, italian seasoning, mozzarella cheese and sour cream to the beef and noodles. Carefully stir together to combine.

Turn heat to low, and continue to cook and stir until mixture is thoroughly heated. About 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

These are amazing!  I instantly devoured two!  They have such great flavor.  So easy to make too!  My new favorite dinner.

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes (drained)
1 large onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced (seeds removed)
1 green bell pepper, sliced (seeds removed)
12 small flour tortillas

Toppings:
cheese
cilantro
salsa
sour cream

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray. 

Place chicken strips into the baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the olive oil, chili powder, cumin, oregano and garlic powder. Pour the mixture evenly over the chicken and stir to coat.

Add the tomatoes, peppers and onions to the dish and stir to combine.

Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are fork tender. Serve with tortillas and you favorite toppings! Enjoy ♥

Chicken Soup With Asian Noodles

1 Tbls. Olive Oil
3 med carrots, thinly sliced
2 small red bell peppers, thinly sliced
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 med onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 thin slices fresh ginger (be sure to use the fresh ginger, not the powdered)
1 bay leaf
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
5oz. Thai-style flat brown rice noodles, broken in half
3 cups pulled cooked chicken
seasonings of choice:  garlic and herb seasoning, garlic salt, garlic pepper

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat.  Add carrots, bell peppers, celery, garlic, ginger and bay leaf.  Cook, stirring, until vegetables have softened, about 6 minutes.  Stir in broth and 3 cups water.  Bring to a boil.  Add noodles and cook at a strong simmer until just tender, about 5 minutes.  Stir in chicken and simmer until heated through, about 3 minutes.  Remove bay leaf and ginger with a slotted spoon and discard.  Season soup to taste.  (Makes 8 1/2 cups.) 

This soup is a twist on traditional chicken noodle soup.  The thin Thai noodles and ginger give this soup a unique and delicious flavor.  The soup is best a day or two after it is made. 

Broccoli/Potato Cheese Soup

 This soup is really good and my kids love it.  We especially love to eat it in bread bowls.

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped carrot

1 celery stick, finely chopped (feel free to add more celery if you like celery; I don't, so I don't add much)

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

4 cups chicken broth (I usually use a mixture of low-sodium chicken broth and broth made with chicken soup base because it gives it such nice flavor)

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 Tablespoon flour

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup milk

2 cups chopped broccoli

2 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large soup pot.  Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender.  Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes.  Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are tender.  Mix flour with water, add, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened.  Add milk and broccoli and cook until broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through.  Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

Birthday Cake Pancakes

 

These are really good!  I thought it would be a fun tradition to have these on birthday mornings. 

 

 

Birthday Cake Pancakes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 6-8 servings

Serving Size: 2 pancakes

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cake mix 
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup (1.75 oz bottle) sprinkles
 
For the icing (optional):
• Whipping cream
• Powdered sugar

Heat a griddle or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the flour, cake mix, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt; set aside.

In a separate medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a whisk. Add the milk, butter and vanilla and whisk to combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until fully mixed. Fold in the sprinkles.

Scoop portions of a scant 1/3 cup batter onto the griddle, leaving room for the batter to spread into larger rounds. When the pancakes begin to bubble, flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover with a kitchen towel to keep warm until serving. Serve with syrup or optional icing.

 

Optional Icing:

Mix together powdered sugar and whipping cream to reach desired consistency and taste. Pour over top individual stack of pancakes.

Pumpkin Better Than Anything Cake

I have not tried this yet, but I love Mom's better than anything cake and I love Pumpkin so I thought this looked good!  I will have to try it out soon. Sorry if you try before me and it doesn't taste good!

1. DO NOT USE PUMPKIN PIE FILLING. YOU MUST USE PUMPKIN PUREE IF YOU WANT THE CAKE TO BAKE CORRECTLY.
2. The cake mix + pumpkin puree version of pumpkin cake may not be for everyone. I like it just fine, especially when it's soaked in SCM and caramel. But if you're not sure about it, feel free to substitute your own pumpkin cake recipe as the cake base.
3. DO NOT mix together the pumpkin, cake mix, and the other ingredients on the back of the cake mix box!!!! ONLY mix the cake mix and the pumpkin puree.
4. You must let the sweetened condensed milk soak in all the way. Letting it sit overnight will yield best results.
5. Use the bottom of a wooden mixing spoon to poke the holes in the cake-- it's just the right size.

Ingredients:

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 small can pumpkin puree
• 1 - 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 - 8 oz. tub cool whip
• 1/2 bag Heath Bits
• Caramel Sundae Sauce

 Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix and pumpkin puree until a smooth batter forms.
2. Pour batter into a well greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350º according to the directions for a 9x13 cake on the cake mix box.
3. Let cool for about 10 minutes after baking. Using the bottom of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the top of the cake.
4. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the cake, filling the holes. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Spread the cool whip over top of cake. Sprinkle on the heath bits, and drizzle caramel over top (just to your liking). Refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or overnight (best).   ( You could probably pour the caramel over the cake with the sweetened condensed milk before you put the whip cream on, like mom does with her cake.)