Stuffing Muffins

I LOVE everything about Thanksgiving, the food, the family, the memories. I believe that we need a little bit of Thanksgiving all year round. So in honor of one of the tastiest holidays of the year I like to make my Stuffing Muffins all the time! These wonderful muffins combine everything I love about stuffing, lots of celery and onions and very crunchy bread crumbs. Since you cook them in muffin tins it makes the stock absorb easier and allows the tops of the muffins to get nice and crunchy while the bottoms are soft and more reminiscent of traditional stuffing. They are so tasty and allow you to enjoy a little bit of Thanksgiving any time you want! I have a habit of freezing any bread that we don't use and this is one of those recipes that make me happy I have that go to loaf in the freezer. So if you have your own bread in the freezer take it out the night before you plan to make these muffins and toast in the oven to dry it out well. If you don't have that day old bread don't fret, any of your favorite bread will work in this recipe, my favorite is a good sourdough. I also like to use half and half for the bread crumbs mixing my own toasted bread and store bought dried cornbread crumbs with Italian seasoning mixed in, so get creative and make your own special muffins!


Stuffing Muffins
1 1/2 sticks butter 
1 1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
3/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
7 cups dried bread crumbs 
2 cups Chicken stock (I love to make my own stock but if you aren't into boiling the bones to make it make sure you use a low sodium broth for this recipe)


1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet on medium heat, add celery and onion and cook until transparent, about 5 minutes. Stir in thyme, poultry seasoning, seasoned salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings.
3. Place bread crumbs in a large bowl, add celery mixture and broth. Toss gently until well blended. Spoon a generous amount in greased muffin tins pressing down so each cup is well filled.
4. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned and the bottoms are formed well.


Enjoy!!!!!

Manicotti

One of my favorite meals is stuffed manicotti. I love cheese and anything made with cheese so this is right up my alley. Although they take a little work they are more than worth it. If you want you can add ground beef but I like them just the way they are! For the spaghetti sauce I use my left over 5 Hour Spaghetti Sauce which makes this delicious recipe even better!

Manicotti

1 pint part-skim ricotta cheese

16 ounces shredded Mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

salt and black pepper to taste

16 ounces spaghetti sauce (this is where my left over 5 hour sauce comes in)

5 1/2 ounce box manicotti pasta, I like to use the shells because it is easier to stuff them than the manicotti noodles

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta in very salty boiling water for half the amount of time that is specified on the box, if it says to cook for 14 minutes only cook for 7, once it has cooked for half the time remove and drain and immediately immerse in a large bowl of ice water. This will shock the pasta and stop the cooking process so the shells will be easier to stuff and bake properly in the oven. 

2. In bowl combine ricotta cheese, 12 ounces of Mozzarella, and 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Add in eggs, salt, pepper, and parsley and mix until well blended.

3.  Pour spaghetti in the bottom of a 11x17 inch casserole dish filling until it is about an inch deep.

4. Stuff each shell with about 2 tablespoons of cheese mixture and arrange over sauce.

5. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce over the top of the shells and top with remaining cheeses. 

6. Cover shells with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes, remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned. 

MaMaw's Chocolate Fudge

Growing up I had some amazing family members around me. One of the most wonderful individuals I have been blessed to know was my sweet, loving, precious grandmother Maxine. Unfortunately she passed away when I was 15 and I will forever miss her but I was blessed to have some very special moments with her, most of which were spent in the kitchen. She is the reason I can't cook unless I cook for an army and I love to experiment because I grew up watching her throw things together and making the tastiest dishes. She will forever be in my heart and in my recipes and one of the most prized possessions I own is her cooking book. It's tattered and the pages are filled with her loving additions to her favorite recipes, not to mention lots of scrap pieces of paper with her inventions that I remember so well I can taste. So in honor of her strong sweet tooth, which I obviously inherited, I give you her wonderful chocolate fudge. This is a harder fudge and very chocolate-e so if you are not so wild about chocolate I would advise cutting down the amount of cocoa.


MaMaw's Chocolate Fudge
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
3/4 cup Pet milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)


Place all ingredients in a deep pot and bring to rolling bowl. Boil for about 6 minutes stirring frequently, the important thing about fudge is to make sure you don't over cook it, the best way to find out if it's done is to lift the spoon out and drop a few drops in a glass of very cold water, if it forms small balls and hardens up then it is done, if not cook a few seconds longer and try again. When it's done spread in a deep baking dish that has parchment paper in the bottom. Wait till it hardens and cools and cut with sharp knife. 
Enjoy!!!

Seafood Stuffed Crepes

For anyone who is a seafood lover this is the dish for you!! Use the leftovers in a casserole with rice topped with cheese and breadcrumbs and you can make several meals off of one dish!


Seafood Stuffed Crepes
1 cup flour
2 eggs
3 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 green onions 
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup ricotta cheese
8 ounces cream cheese
7 ounces smoked salmon chopped
1 can crab meat
1 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
lemon pepper seasoning


1. In large pot boil a few cups of water and add green onions, only the green parts. Boil for 20 seconds and remove, place on a plate to dry
2. Place flour, butter, sugar, milk, and salt in mixing bowl and mix until well blended. Let batter stand for 30 minutes.
3. In large saucepan heat olive oil and saute' onion and garlic until transparent, add ricotta cheese, cream cheese, salmon, crab and parsley. Leave pan over low heat to keep warm
4. Heat 9 inch skillet and spray with nonstick cooking spray, pour about 1/4 cup of batter and swirl until evenly spread in skillet, bake until set making sure not to burn and flip with spatula, repeat until all crepes are made.
5, Spoon about 2 tablespoons filling into each crepe and tie with a green onion, trim ends if needed
Enjoy!!!

Stuff Em' Up Baked Potatoes

Being a country gal I love my starches any way I can get them! So naturally potatoes are a staple at my house! I love finding new ways to dress up this versatile veggie, but my all time favorite way to serve it is stuffed to the brim with lots of yummy ingredients that make this comfort food the talk of the dinner plate. Although these little bundles of wonderfulness are somewhat time consuming I promise you will be so happy with the outcome you won't mind the work you put into it, not to mention the happy family members who will dote on you for such a tasty treat! This recipe usually will leave you with lots of leftovers but don't fret you will be excited to use the stuffing again. I like to mash up more potatoes later in the week and add it to them for excellent mashed potatoes or serve crock pot meatballs over them. The uses are endless, my hubby even likes them by themselves, so use your imagination and enjoy!!!


Stuff Em' Up Baked Potatoes
4 large baking potatoes
1 large sweet potato
1/2 cup sour cream
1 stick butter softened
3 green onions chopped (green onions are difficult to chop, the easiest way to cut these without bruising them is to cut with a pair of scissors into small pieces)
1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 pieces bacon crumbled
Pinch of nutmeg
Kosher salt and pepper
Olive oil for brushing the potatoes


1. Preheat oven to 400. Place the baking potatoes and sweet potato on the center rack and bake for 30 minutes. Remove and cut a few slits in each potato and continue to bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly. 
2. Peel the sweet potato and mash slightly in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Trim a thin slice off of each baking potato cutting lengthwise, use a spoon to scoop out the flesh of the potatoes leaving the shell intact. Place the flesh in a bowl and add sour cream and butter and mash, stir in the green onions, 1 cup cheese, nutmeg, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt,  bacon and pepper to taste. Fold in the sweet potato and stir until mixed well. 
4. Brush each potato shell with olive oil and season slightly with salt and pepper, generously fill each potato and top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
5. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly browned
Enjoy!!!!

Italian Breadcrumbs

I love to add breadcrumbs to anything I make but I don't particularly love the pre-made kind you find in the grocery store so my solution, make your own! It is super easy and will make any dish an instant hit! Just start with any breadcrumb from your store and spruce it up!

Italian Breadcrumbs
1 pound breadcrumbs, unseasoned
1 1/2 cup Pecorino cheese
1/2 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons dried parsley
3 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 tablespoon basil

Add all ingredients together, if you don't use all with one recipe (which I never do) you can put the remainder in Ziploc bags and keep them in the refrigerator. I like to keep a few bags all the time for back up just in case!
Enjoy!!!

Everything Good Comes Stuffed Chicken Breast

In the south we have many variations on comfort food. It seems like you can toss a rock and hit a fried chicken stand from just about anywhere. Growing up in the country I have tried my fair share of soul food and there aren't too many things I won't eat! But even though I appreciate and love fried chicken I also like a more refined take on the southern classic. My "Everything Good Comes Stuffed Chicken Breast" puts a twist on regular chicken. I also like to switch up the cheese in this recipe from time to time so get crazy and try your favorites!


Everything Good Comes Stuffed Chicken Breast
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast, place in a large Ziploc bag and pound till about 1/4 of an inch thick
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs (I like to make my own so I can add my own spices, I will also post that recipe)
1 small package frozen spinach 
8 ounces crumbled blue cheese (I like to add some feta as well)
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 onion chopped


Preheat oven to 350. Mix spinach, cheese, bacon and onion together. Beat eggs in a shallow dish to dip chicken in. You can either cut a slit lengthwise on the side of the breast and stuff there or simply place the filling on top and roll up, whichever you decide make sure you stuff with lots of filling and secure with toothpicks. Dip the stuffed chicken in the eggs and roll in bread crumbs. Place chicken in a skillet with a little olive oil and brown slightly. Place in greased casserole dish and bake for 45 mins.
Enjoy!!!

Crumble Coffee Cake

To say I am a coffee fanatic would be an understatement, in fact I strongly believe that without my daily cups I may just fall apart! I love anything to do with this magical drink; coffee candy, iced coffee, black coffee, coffee chocolate, etc, but the one coffee treat I love the most is a great coffee cake to pair perfectly with my warm cup of liquid gold! I have a few recipes all of which are equally yummy but the one I will post today is my favorite quick cake. It can be made on a weekend morning in no time and bake while you are completing other task. You could even make the batter the night before and refrigerate it so all you need to do is pop it in the oven and enjoy!


Crumble Coffee Cake
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cream of tarter
1/8 teaspoon coriander
1 1/4 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 stick butter softened
1/2 cup milk
1 egg


Preheat oven to 350. In small bowl mix baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cream of tarter, and coriander and put aside. In a mixing bowl mix the flour, salt, and brown sugar, add the butter and mix until large crumbles form, take out 1 cup of the crumbs and set aside. Add the baking powder mixture to the mixing bowl and mix, add the milk and egg and beat until mixed well. Pour into a well greased 9 inch baking dish and bake for 25 mins or until toothpick comes out clean.
Enjoy!!!!

Cold Day Baked Spaghetti

On nights like tonight when the temp drops and everyone is chilled to the bone it's nice to have something warm and filling to put on the table. My go-to yummy dish is Cold Day Baked Spaghetti. It will fill your tummy and make everyone happy! Pair it with green beans and crescent rolls and your sure to please the masses! 


Cold Day Bakes Spaghetti
1 pound ground beef 
1 pound spaghetti cooked for about 8 minutes then cold shock in ice water
1 large onion chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped 
1 10.75 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups water
2 10.75 ounce cans tomato soup
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning


Preheat oven to 350. Cook spaghetti and drain. In large skillet brown beef and saute with onion , bell pepper and garlic, drain and return to skillet. Stir in soups, pasta, salt, and Italian seasoning. Pour in 9x13 greased casserole dish. Top with cheese and bake for 20-30 mins. When done take out of oven and add bread crumbs, turn the oven to broil and bake until bread crumbs are slightly browned. 
Enjoy!!

My Mamma's Favorite Red Velvet Cake

My mom Sherry is nuts about red velvet cake, and I must admit it's one of my favorites as well! On her birthday she always request a red velvet cake and it has become somewhat of a tradition that I hope to keep going for a long time! I have tried lots of different red velvet cake recipes and they just haven't made me stand up and say that's it! So I decided to combine all of my favorite ingredients and see what the end result would be and low and behold it was wonderful! So now I pass on to you "My Mamma's Favorite Red Velvet Cake" and maybe you can make it for your mamma or someone special in your life! I have also included my absolute favorite cream cheese frosting recipe that will keep you coming back to the mixing bowl for more! If you plan to make cupcakes from this recipe make sure to add one packet of chocolate pudding so they come out moist and baked perfectly!!


Red Velvet Cake
2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs, make sure they sit on the counter for a while before adding so they are close to room temperature
3 tablespoons cocoa powder (yes in case your didn't know red velvet cake is just chocolate cake with red food coloring)
1 small bottle of red food coloring (now we have made it red velvet cake!)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup buttermilk (sit this out with your eggs too)
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vinegar
chopped nuts (optional)


Preheat oven to 350, generously grease and flour 2- 9 inch cake pans. In mixer cream butter, sugar and eggs until fluffy. In a separate small bowl mix the cocoa and food coloring well and add to mixture. Mix salt, vanilla and almond with buttermilk and add alternately with the flour on medium speed making sure the batter is never either too wet or too dry so it is mixed evenly. In another small bowl mix the baking soda and vinegar and add to the mix on the lowest speed until just mixed, do not over mix. Pour in pans and bake for 30 mins. Remove and let cool completely.


Cream Cheese Frosting
2 packages cream cheese frosting (and guys and gals this is a super fattening recipe so don't skimp and get the low fat kind, go all the way :)
4 cups sifted confectioners sugar sifted
1 cup butter softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract


Mix cream cheese, sugar and butter on low till fluffy. Add vanilla and almond and beat till nice and fluffy. This icing will store well in the refrigerator for 3 days.


Once the cakes have cooled ice and add nuts 
Enjoy!!!

Coming soon...

Hey everyone! I just wanted to let y'all know I will be posting a very yummy Red Velvet Cake recipe tonight after class! Complete with a cream cheese frosting recipe you will want to eat straight from the bowl! Hope y'all are having a wonderful Wednesday!

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

In honor of my sweet friend Lucy I am posting my favorite cupcakes, Reese Peanut Butter Cupcakes, although there are quite a few steps don't let that throw you for a loop. They are fairly simple and the end result is more than worth the effort. I made these for a class party at school and they were a major hit, not to mention my coworkers as well as Daniel's pretty much demolished them within minutes. I am not a huge fan of peanut butter so I don't indulge in the full flavor of the icing but that's up to your taste. 


Cupcakes
1 18.25 ounce packaged Devil's food cake mix
1 small package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon instant expresso dissolved in 1/2 cup hot water
24 mini Reese's cups, let these freeze for at least a day so they will not sink in the mix when they bake


Preheat oven to 350 and prepare 24 muffin tins. Beat the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, oil, eggs, vanilla, almond, and expresso on medium speed until mixed well. Pour mix into tins only filling about 3/4 of the way full. Press one Reese into the center of each cupcake. Bake for about 18 mins, they will have a small indent in the center from the cup but don't worry you can cover that with the icing. 


Frosting
2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (or more if you are all about the peanut taste)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon almond extract
1 large bag confectioners sugar, sifted
8 tablespoons Pet milk, if you use regular milk use a little less


Cream the butter and peanut butter together until fluffy, add sugar, vanilla, almond, and milk and beat till fluffy and peaks form. Store in fridge.


Make sure the cupcakes are completely cooled before icing. I like to top them with a little drizzled chocolate and some more crushed peanut butter cups.
Enjoy!!!

Cheese Biscuits

Any time I make the spaghetti sauce I posted I always like to have homemade bread to slop it up with! I very rarely make the same bread recipe back to back but these cheese biscuits are a favorite among my hubby Daniel as well as my mom and best friends Jenny and Courtney. So this recipe is for them :)

1 1/2 cup AP flour

1 heaping tablespoon white sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 egg

1 cup butter milk (if you don't keep butter milk on hand you can use regular milk, the butter milk adds a richness and sweetness to the mixture that balances well with the cheese)

3/4 stick butter, melted

3 tablespoons garlic powder

pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together. Add the shredded cheese and mix well. Beat the egg and butter milk together and add to the dry mixture. Add the garlic powder and a pinch of pepper and butter. Grease muffin tins very well and bake for 20 mins or until the bottoms are slightly browned. 

Enjoy!

Roasted Broccoli

My hubby Daniel loves, loves, loves broccoli, however he was use to only having it one way, steamed with cheese sauce. Although I agree that this is one of the best ways to enjoy such a great vegetable I was also getting annoyed with the blandness of it so I decided to put a spin on it. This is a very simple recipe but it is extremely important that the broccoli be very dry when it goes into the oven or it won't come out with the wonderful crispy edges that make it so delightful!


4 heads broccoli
pepper and sea salt (or whatever you have on hand) to taste
8-10 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup, or more, Parmesan cheese


Preheat oven to 425. Wash and dry broccoli very well. I recommend washing it a few hours in advance and letting it sit on the counter to dry out. It does not need to go back into the refrigerator once you have washed it or it will become soggy. Cut stems off and place in large bowl. Toss in olive oil, salt, pepper, and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Spray a cookie sheet VERY WELL and roast for 30 mins or until desired tenderness. Its very important that you stir the broccoli around occasionally so you don't get burnt spots. The key to this recipe is making sure you don't under or over cook it. I like the crispy edges so I let it bake until they are a little brown. Remove from oven and add the remaining lemon juice, or more to your liking, and the cheese. Place back in the oven for a few seconds to melt cheese.
Enjoy!!!

5 Hour Spaghetti Sauce

After months of being asked by family and friends to share my recipes I have finally decided to start a food blog. I will post my favorite recipes as well as the ones I am currently working on. Please send me any of your favorites so I can try them out! And please feel free to give me your feedback on any recipes I post as well as any changes you make so I can try them out too! I decided to start with one of my favorites recipes which I made this week, my famous 5 hour spaghetti sauce. Now don't let the name scare you, sure no homemade sauce becomes something special without lots of love and attention but I promise this is one of the easiest sauces you will ever make not to mention it makes so much you have plenty left over to freeze and apply to another recipe. I like to make manicotti with my leftovers and will post that recipe soon. So please give it a try and enjoy!

Tiff's 5 Hour Spaghetti Sauce

1 large chopped onion

5 cloves garlic chopped, my secret to wonderful garlic is so simple and goes great in any dish. Start with whole cloves of garlic, not the ones that come pre-chopped in a jar, place on a cutting board and smash with the blade of a large knife. This will loosen the skin and make them easier to peel since they are so sticky. Preheat the oven to 425 and place the whole, peeled, cloves in an oven safe dish and cover with olive oil, bake for about 35-40 mins. They will be slightly browned and somewhat crunchy when they are done.After they have cooled, chop and add. They smell and look so wonderful you will have a hard time not eating them out of the dish!

3 teaspoons olive oil, or safflower oil (make sure it is graded to cook at high heat)

2- 28 ounce cans of peeled, ground tomatoes in paste

4- 16 ounce cans of tomato paste

1 cup of water

3 heaping tablespoons Italian seasoning (I make my own but you can get a great one off the shelf at Publix)

2 heaping tablespoons chopped basil (Dried or fresh is ok)

4 tablespoons white sugar, or more to taste

1/2- 3/4  cup red wine, I recommend a dry wine since the sauce is sweet

3-4 bay leaves

In a large sauce pan over medium heat saute onion in olive oil until soft, about 5 mins. Stir in all remaining ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer for 4-5 hours stirring occasionally. I recommend using a lid since the sauce will pop and get all over the cabinets. Depending on my taste when I make it I will often add red pepper flakes to spice it up a little!

Enjoy!!!!