Outrageous Peanut Butter Candy Bars

This family loves peanut butter.  

Wait a second, let me clarify how we eat peanut butter in this household.

We have two different jars in the pantry at all times.  Both creamy. 

One jar is Brent's.  One jar the girls and I share.

There isn't a day when Brent walks through the door from work and doesn't go straight to the utensil drawer to grab a spoon.  That spoon is going directly into HIS peanut butter jar.  That boy has a spoonful of peanut butter every.single.day.

Now the girls and I don't care for peanut butter alone.  And don't even think about preparing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in this house.  Noses will turn up.  In fact, I don't think I've even purchased jelly in years. 

The girls will only eat peanut butter if it's mixed with chocolate.  So slap some of that peanut butter on a spoon with some nutella, and the girls are sold!

Me, I prefer peanut butter on a banana.  That's it.

And maybe some chocolate if I need a quick sweet fix.

Enough about our household peanut butter facts.

This treat below is a mix of LOTS of chocolate and peanut butter.

It's amazing!

Think nutter butters, reeses cups, butterfingers.....yep, amazing!

(photo and recipe courtesy of CookiesandCups)

Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package Nutter Butter cookies, finely crushed
½ cup Challenge butter, melted
10 full sized peanut butter cups, coarsely chopped
2 full sized Butterfinger Candy Bars, chopped
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C
Line a 9x13 baking dish with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Set this aside.
In a medium bowl combine the crushed Nutter Butters and melted butter, mixing evenly. Press this into the prepared pan and bake for 9-10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle evenly with Reese's cups, Butterfingers, chocolate chips and peanut butter chips.
In a separate bowl stir together the sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter and vanilla. Microwave this for 30 seconds until slightly warm and thinned. Pour this on top of the bars evenly.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until set and allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.

Crazy Delicious!

Corned Beef and Cabbage and Soda Bread

Hope you had a fantastic ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!

I made two recipes this year for St. Patrick's Day that I don't want to forget.

My husband was so thrilled about the meal that he said, "Please make this anytime for me.  Don't wait until St. Patrick's Day of next year to do it again!"

I made a Corned Beef and Cabbage in the crockpot and then made a side of Soda Bread.

Here are the recipes I used...

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Ingredients
2 pounds corned beef
1 tablespoon pickling spices
10 medium carrots, peeled and cut in half
2 small onions
8 medium red potatoes
1 12 oz bottle dark beer (I used a Guiness)
3 1/2 cups water
10 sprigs dried thyme
1 head cabbage, chopped

Directions
In a large slow cooker, place the corned beef on the bottom of the slow cooker (do not rinse off--allow all the juices from the packaging to go inside the slow cooker).
Sprinkle pickling spices on top of the corned beef.
Layer with peeled carrots and onions, followed by whole-medium red potatoes.
Place sprigs of thyme around the slow cooker then pour the beer and water over the ingredients.
Set on low and cook for 7 hours.
Once the corned beef and vegetables have cooked for 7 hours, move around the vegetables to make room for the cabbage.
Submerge the cabbage in as much liquid as possible, place the lid back on the crock pot and place on high for 1 hour.
Slice the Corned Beef against the grain and serve with a grainy mustard.

Irresistible Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients  

 3 cups all-purpose flour
 1 tablespoon baking powder
 1/3 cup white sugar
 1 teaspoon salt
 1 teaspoon baking soda
 1 egg, lightly beaten
 2 cups buttermilk 

1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). 

Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda. 

Blend egg and buttermilk together, and add all at once to the flour mixture. 

Mix just until moistened. Stir in butter. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 65 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the bread comes out clean. 

Cool on a wire rack. Wrap in foil for several hours, or overnight, for best flavor.

Stuffed French Bread

I feel like this recipe should have the word Beef Stroganoff in it somewhere.  This turned out to be just like Beef Stroganoff, except in sandwich form vs. egg noodles.

Anyways, it's a tasty recipe.  One warning: it is a little messy to eat.

(photo and recipe courtesy of Life-in-the-lofthouse)

INGREDIENTS
1 loaf french bread
1 pound lean ground beef
2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 Tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 Tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)


INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Slice the french bread in half, lengthwise, so you have two equal pieces.
Scoop out the bread in the center of each piece.
Place bread in a large bowl and tear into small chunks.
Set the two halves of french bread onto a large baking sheet. Set aside.
Brown the ground beef and onion in a large skillet, over medium-high heat.
Drain any grease.
Add the celery and garlic to skillet. Cook a few minutes until celery is tender.
Next, add soup, milk and Worcestershire sauce.
Season with salt and pepper.
Stir and cook mixture until heated; another 5 minutes or so.
Add the beef mixture to the bread in the large bowl. Stir to combine.
Pour mixture into the center of one half of the french bread. Spread out evenly.
Top the mixture with the shredded cheese.
Top with the other half of bread.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

I served the Stuffed French Bread with a side Caesar Salad.

Ham and Cheese Biscuit Sliders

This recipe caught my eye because it was a fun twist on the typical Ham and Cheese.

And double thumbs up to an easy-made recipe!

Ingredients

1 (16 oz) can of biscuits (I used Grands, flaky)
1/2 pound of deli sliced ham
1/2 pound thinly sliced Swiss cheese
Honey to drizzle


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake your biscuits per packaged directions.

Remove biscuits from oven and allow to cool a minute or two.  Keep your oven on and your baking sheet out.
Slice each biscuit in half and lay the two pieces out.
Top one half of each biscuit with a few pieces of ham and a few pieces of cheese.
Add the top back on the biscuit and place all 8 of your sandwiches back on a foil lined baking sheet.Drizzle a tablespoon or so of honey down over each sandwich.
Place your baking sheet full of sandwiches back in the hot oven and bake another 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and serve immediately.

These were delicious.  I served them with a salad on the side.

 When I asked Brent, "What do you think of these?  Blog worthy?"

(I always get his opinion on whether I should share a recipe or not....you'd be surprised how many I don't share!)

His response, "Yes, share it.  It's really good.  But warn people that your hands will get sticky eating these.  I didn't like that part."

So friends, I didn't notice too much sticky-ness, but he did.  If you are worried about this, then drizzle your honey inside the center of the biscuit on top of the ham and cheese, instead of on top of the biscuit.  

Problem solved!  

Either way, use the honey! It makes this dish! 

Green Chile Turkey Tacos

I just discovered one of the BEST items in the grocery stores right now:

Old El Paso™ Stand 'N Stuff™ soft tortillas

I never paid attention to these soft tortillas before, 

but I found this recipe that called for them and man, they are awesome!!!!

Make these tacos....exactly like the recipe says.  It doesn't disappoint!

My husband said, "Please make these again soon!"

(photo and recipe from TheGirlWhoAteEverything)

Ingredients
1 1b ground turkey
½ white onion, chopped finely
1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso™ taco seasoning mix
1 (4.5 oz) can Old El Paso™ chopped green chilies
1 (2.25 oz) can sliced olives, drained
8 Old El Paso™ Stand 'N Stuff™ soft tortillas
1 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese

Toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, guacamole


Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large skillet, brown the turkey and onion until done and no longer pink.
Add the taco seasoning (and a little water if needed) and stir to combine. Add the green chiles and olives and mix well.
Place the Stand 'N Stuff™ tortillas in a baking dish and spoon the meat mixture into shells.
Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the meat. Bake for 5-6 minutes or until cheese has melted.
Garnish with toppings and serve.

Between the four of us, every single taco was eaten!

Spring Confetti Bars

For those of you reading this, I have no clue where you live.  But if you live in Dallas like me, you're probably tired of the cold, wet days we've been having for weeks on end.

We've definitely been enjoying cold weather day meals....soups, chicken pot pies, warm homemade cookies, etc...  But we are d.o.n.e.  This family is ready for warmer Spring temperatures!

That being said, yesterday it was raining (still!) and I decided to surprise the family with some fun, festive, SPRING treats!  Maybe if I start cooking Spring recipes, it will help bring the sunshine out!

(photo and recipe courtesy of Chelsea's Messy Apron)

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 and 1/4 cup white chocolate chips, separated
3 cups miniature marshmallows
3/4 cup Spring M&M's
3 tablespoons sprinkles


INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the room temperature butter with the white and brown sugar in a medium sized bowl.
Mix the butter and sugars together with hand beaters or in a stand mixer until creamy and fluffy.
Mix in the egg and vanilla and beat until just incorporated.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt.
Stir together and slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
Mix until combined.
With a wooden spoon, stir in one cup of the white chocolate chips.
Press the cookie dough into a 9 x 13 pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.
Bake the cookie dough for 10-13 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.
Remove and immediately top with the miniature marshmallows and M&M's.
Return to the oven for 1-2 minutes or until the marshmallows become puffy.
Remove and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup white chocolate chips and sprinkles over the bars.
Let cool completely and then cut with a wet knife.

These bars are incredibly good!  The girls are enjoying them!

(Brent isn't a marshmallow fan, in general, but that didn't stop him from eating a whole bar vs. a bite)

Roasted Poblano Chicken and Corn Chowder

With all this wintry weather Dallas has been having recently, soups have been a favorite dinner dish for my family.  This is a recipe I found online at LetsDishRecipes.  I make so many of her recipes.

Below is a picture of the soup.  I took my own pictures of the soup I made, but accidentally deleted them the next day.  So I have no pictures of my own for you, 

but you can see the picture of the soup, from her website, below.  

It looks delicious because it is!!!

Ingredients
2 medium poblano peppers
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
4 1/4 cups chicken broth, divided
2 cups peeled, diced potatoes
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 cups half and half or light cream (I used half and half)
4 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup sour cream
4-6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional garnishes:
Additional bacon
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Cut poblanos in half and remove seeds. 

Place cut side down on a lightly greased baking sheet. 

Spray poblanos with non-stick cooking spray and roast for 8-10 minutes or until skins begin to blacken. 

Remove from oven and cool slightly.
In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. 

Add onions and garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes or until tender.
Dice roasted poblanos and add them to the pot along with chili powder and cumin and cook a few minutes longer.
Add 4 cups of chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. 

Add potatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until potatoes are just tender. 

Stir in cooked chicken and corn.
In a small bowl, whisk together the half and half, remaining 1/4 cup broth and 4 tablespoons of flour.
Whisk the broth/flour/half and half mixture into the soup until smooth. 

Add sour cream and stir until well blended. 

Simmer for 5-10 minutes to allow soup to thicken.
Stir in the crumbled bacon and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

Serve with optional toppings, if desired.

I served this with fresh baked bread sticks.  Delicious!!!

Apple Dump Cake

This takes very few ingredients and is seriously delicious!   I even made two batches within 12 hours of each other.  We ate an entire batch, and my neighbor ate an entire batch.  This cake tastes almost exactly like a cobbler but it's sooooo much easier to make!

Make this now!

Ingredients

I box of yellow cake mix
2 cans of Apple pie filling
chopped walnuts (I didn't use these)
1 stick of butter
cinnamon

apple pie spice (spice aisle and optional)

Instructions

I like to use a bundt pan when making my dump cakes. 

Take your Apple pie filling and add to the bottom of a sprayed with Pam (pan of choice).
Sprinkle cinnamon lightly on top of pie filling.
Take your yellow cake mix and sprinkle evenly over the pie filling. Make sure you have it nice and even.
Cut up one stick of butter pats and place around combination. 

Sprinkle lightly some apple pie spice {this is optional} 

Top with walnuts. 

You can use as many as your taste buds like. I just sprinkle a handful. 

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. Ovens vary. 

You will know when it is done when the top is lightly browned.

I let it cool for about 5 minutes then dumped my bundt pan upside down into a huge bowl and mixed well.

Serve with a scoop of ice cream if you want!

 ENJOY!