Bacon Cornbread Muffins

Cornbread with bacon and cheese? Yes, please!

Bacon Cornbread Muffins
Category: Baked Goods
Sub Category:
Source: Dallas Morning News

½ c unsalted butter, softened at room temp
¼ c sugar
2 eggs
1 can creamed corn
¾ c yellow cornmeal
¾ c flour
1 1/2 T baking powder
¾ t salt
½ c shredded cheddar
½ c cooked, crumbled applewood smoked bacon

1. Preheat oven to 400. Grease 12 muffin cups

2. Cream butter and sugar in an electric mixer. Add eggs, beating well after each addition. Add creamed corn.

3. In separate bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture and combine on low. Stir in cheese and bacon.

4. Spoon evenly into cups and bake until muffins are set and golden brown, about 18 minutes. Muffins are best served warm.

Queso

Going along with the Mexican Dishes I made this weekend, I made some GREAT Queso! I wish I had taken a picture of this because it looked sooo good. I actually made it because the picture with the recipe looked outstanding. I was not disappointed. This stuff is GONE!

Spinach Queso
Category: Eggs & Cheese
Sub Category: Cheese
Source:

10 oz frozen chopped spinach,
thawed & drained
16 oz Velveeta, cubed
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
10 oz Rotel, undrained
8 slices bacon, cooked &
crumbled

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Microwave on high 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture
is well blended, stirring after three minutes

Note: I get that Queso is unfriendly enough to your health before bacon and this recipe would probably still be awesome without the bacon, though after a day in the fridge you really could taste the bacon.

Mexican Dishes

I haven't posted in a while because nothing has really rocked our world, but we did have some success this weekend! I made King Ranch Chicken Mac & Cheese from last month's Southern Living. So good! Two of our favorite things - yes, please! I see Macaroni and Cheese recipes all the time that look sooo good, but then I look at the ingredients (heavy cream, whole milk, four kinds of cheese) and I just can't bring myself to call that dinner. As far as macaroni and cheese goes, this recipe wasn't too bad, though I certainly wouldn't enter it in any Heart Healthy Recipe Contests. Plus, it had chicken and some veggies and it really did seem like a meal. We ate it with salad and tortilla chips and it was excellent.

King Ranch Chicken Mac & Cheese
Category: Main Dishes
Sub Category: Chicken
Source: Southern Living

8 oz cellentani pasta
2 T butter
1 med onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
10 oz Rotel
8 oz Velveeta, cubed
3 c chopped cooked chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
½ c sour cream
1 t chili powder
½ t cumin
1 ½ c shredded Cheddar

1. Heat oven to 350. Prepare pasta according to package directions

2. Melt butter in large Dutch oven over med-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper and sauté 5 min or until tender. Stir in Rotel and Velvetta; cook, stirring constantly, 2 min or until cheese melts. Stir in chicken, next four ingredients and hot cooked pasta until blended.

3. Spoon mixture into lightly greased 11x7 baking dish; sprinkle with shredded Cheddar cheese

4. Bake at 350 for 25-30 min or until bubbly.

Notes: 1. I used penne pasta. Partially because that's what I had and partially because I don't know what that other pasta is. I also used whole wheat pasta and it was still good.

2. For the onion and green pepper, I used a cup of frozen diced Mexican blend (onions, celery and green bell peppers). It worked great. I'm a lazy cook.

3. I used canned chicken. Also worked fine. Still lazy.

No Bake Desserts

The following are two of the most popular desserts I make. I make them a lot for families with kids. I used to be embarrassed because they don't actually involve cooking, but no one seems to mind! The Mock Eclair is a graham cracker and pudding dessert that is unbelievably good. The pudding is just a good banana pudding recipe. Enjoy!

Mock Éclair
Category: Desserts
Sub Category:
Source:

2 (3.4 oz) pkgs instant vanilla pudding mix
8 oz cook whip
3 c milk
1 (16 oz) box graham crackers
1 (16 oz) tub chocolate frosting

1. In medium bowl, mix 1st 3 ingredients w/electric mixer for 2 minutes.
2. Place single layer of graham cracker squares in 13x9 in pan. Evenly spread ½ of the pudding mixture over crackers. Top w/another layer of crackers & remaining pudding mixture. Top w/final layer of crackers.
3. Heat tub of frosting 35 seconds in microwave. Pour over top layer of crackers. Spread to the pan’s edges.
4. Cover and chill at least 4 hours. Best if prepared 24 hours in advance.

Banana Pudding*
Category: Desserts
Sub Category:
Source:

1 large box instant vanilla pudding
1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip
1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 oz) container sour cream
1 box Vanilla Wafers
3-4 bananas, sliced

1. Prepare pudding as directed. Refrigerate for approximately 5 minutes.

2. Mix together Cool Whip, Eagle Brand milk and sour cream. Mix into pudding.

3. Arrange a layer of Vanilla Wafers on bottom of 13x9 baking dish. Arrange a layer of banana slices on top of the cookies. Pour ½ of pudding mixture over bananas. Repeat. Top with more cookies.

4. Refrigerate for at least a couple of hours.

More of the Recipe Project

I am very slowly working my way through the entrees posted by readers of Kelly's Korner as their favorites. I continue to not be wowed. I tried Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese and would have thought this was mis-posted as an entree, but recently had someone bring me a casserole dish of Macaroni and Cheese as a meal. I did not make it as an entree, though. I made it as a side dish for a group dinner. It was fine, but it tasted like macaroni and cheese. Nothing made this dish special.

I did make Pasta Weesie as a meal and was confused by this on multiple levels. It is basically Fettuccine Alfredo with shrimp and mushrooms. And I did get it made and it was fine, but it didn't blow our socks off and I probably wouldn't make it again.

Some of my new favorites

I have been way behind on Blogging, but I am caught up on cooking and here are some new recipes I am loving right now:


Blueberry Muffins
Category: Baked Goods
Sub Category: Muffins
Source: Self – Gwyneth Paltrow

½ c butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 eggs
½ c whole milk
2 c flour
¾ c plus 1 t sugar, divided
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 ½ c blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line 12 muffin cups with liners.

2. Whisk butter, eggs and milk. Combine flour, ¾ c sugar, baking powder and salt in another bowl. Stir wet ingredients into dry. Fold in berries.

3. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Sprinkle with remaining 1 t sugar. Bake 25-30 min until golden and a knife comes out clean.

Coconut Layer Cake
Category: Desserts
Sub Category: Cake
Source: More

3 ¼ sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 c cake flour
1 ¼ c sugar
4 eggs
1 ½ t vanilla
2 ½ t baking powder
3/4 t salt
3 c shredded sweetened coconut
¾ c milk
1 lb box powdered sugar
2-4 T coconut milk

1. Preheat oven to 350. Prepare two 9-in cake pans

2. Cream 1 ¼ sticks butter with the sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Add 1 t vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, ¼ t salt and ½ c coconut. Add to mixer alternating with the milk just until combined. Do not over mix.

3. Divide batter among pans. Bake 25 min until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool.

4. Cream remaining 2 sticks of butter with powdered sugar, ½ t salt and ½ t vanilla until creamy. Gradually add enough coconut milk to reach spreadable consistency.

5. When cake is cool, spread 1/3 of the frosting on one layer all the way to edges and sprinkle with ½ c coconut. Top with other layer. Spread on 1/3 of the frosting and use the rest to cover the sides. Press 2 c coconut onto top and sides of cake.

Note: I don't do well with layer cakes, so I did this in a 9 x 13 pan and it worked great. I baked it an extra five minutes.

German Chocolate Cake
Category: Desserts
Sub Category: Cake
Source: Food and Wine

2 ½ c cake flour
1/8 t cinnamon
1/8 t nutmeg
¼ t salt
1 c buttermilk
1 t vanilla
1 t baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 c sugar
4 eggs, separated
6 oz semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
Frosting
1 c pecans, coarsely chopped
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 lb confectioners’ sugar
1 ½ T cocoa
1 t vanilla
¼ c hot coffee
½ c packed sweetened shredded coconut

1. Preheat oven to 325. Prepare two 9-in cake pans. In small bowl, whisk flour w/cinnamon, nutmeg & salt. In a cup, stir buttermilk w/vanilla and baking soda until combined. In stand mixer, beat butter & sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolks; beat until incorporated; beat in chocolate. Beat in dry and wet ingredients in three alternating batches.

2. Transfer batter to a large bowl and wash out mixing bowl. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold beaten whites into batter until no streaks remain.

3. Divide batter b/w pans and bake 45-50 min, until toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Cool completely.

4. Beat softened butter w/powdered sugar and cocoa until combined. Add vanilla & coffee; beat until fluffy. Fold in coconut and pecans. Frost layers and sides of cake.

Note: Don't make this if you are looking for style points. It is SO good, but it did not look very pretty. At first I thought it was because I have bad luck with layer cakes, but I tried it in a 9 x 13 and it still baked up weird. Again, it was very, very good, but not very pretty. I noticed that the magazine didn't have a picture, either, so I don't think it is just me.

Recipe Project

I have been working my way through the main dish recipes on Kelly's Blog. I have to say that I haven't been wowed by anything yet. I did do a remake on Kelly's Chicken Supreme. I turned it into a healthy casserole and it was really good. All three of us loved it and it was easy. I have to tweak it a little bit to get a better consistency, but I have high hopes. You can read about the original recipe here.

Here is the run down of the other recipes I have tried. Like I said, I have not been won over, but these have all been easy and inexpensive and probably things most kids would eat. That is likely the criteria in a lot of households, so these may work for you if you have similar standards.

Girl Scout Casserole - This was okay. My friend's 10 year old daughter was staying with us and she loved it - she took several servings home for her family. And Aaron enjoyed it, as well. My husband and I thought it was okay. It is definitely something kids will eat, but the top two layers are store bought biscuits and American Cheese slices. So I'm not sure if it's what you want your kids to eat. Being that the bottom layer is ground beef (no big servings of vegetables hidden in there) there just aren't a lot of redeeming qualities to this dish. If I did make it again I would make homemade drop biscuits and spread the dough on top of the casserole instead of using the store bought biscuits. The way this recipe comes out each serving has a big biscuit and a slice of cheese on top. I would probably also use shredded cheddar instead of American Slices.

Mexican Tortilla Stack - This recipe was posted by the same person who posted the Girl Scout Casserole. It was very underwhelming, but it was cheap and easy. There's nothing very healthy about it, but it's not horrible - it is beef, beans, cheese and tortillas. The only flavor comes from chili powder which I thought was a strange choice. It over powered the dish a bit. I cared very little for this and my husband thought it was okay, but dumping salsa on it helped tremendously.

Crescent Ring - Wow. This was posted as an entree and the recipe indicates that it serves 6. That means that each person is eating almost three store bought crescent rolls and three slices of bacon for dinner. That's just not dinner in the boring Allen household, so I made this as an appetizer for a group and turned it into 14 servings. It was popular, but I still wouldn't consider it an option for a meal.

Hawaiian Meatloaf - This was different. The recipe does indicate that this can be made into meat balls and I could see that as an appetizer at a party - a bit like Sweet and Sour Meatballs. But for dinner, it was a little strange. This is beef baked with pineapples and covered in a very sweet sauce. It was okay, but not something we would have again.

Pizza Bites - This is another one that seemed like an odd choice for an entree for me. It is basically pizza muffins. I made them for an appetizer for a group. They were alright, but no one asked for the recipe.

That's where I am so far. Hopefully soon I'll have some recipes I can recommend!