Sweet Roll Sandwich w/ Poppy Seed Onion Spread

Once upon a time a girl moved to rural America and learned how to improvise recipes. Improvising is one of the quick traits you learn to adapt too when the closest grocery store is 15mins away, and the next grocery store is 45mins away. I'm not complaining, the local grocery store is amazing... I just think people go in and stock up on supplies that they know I am wanting to buy. Yup it is a horrible conspiracy against me :P

Ok this recipe calls for poppy seeds, you don't have to add them. If you do random drug testing you might not want to use them. After all you don't want to have an Elaine from Seinfeld moment ha!

This has been another pinterest find: http://beyerbeware.net/2011/04/hunk-of-meat-monday-game-time-favorites.html

I followed the gist of it, however .. well just read and you'll see!

Poppy Seed Onion Spread

2 onions, finely diced

2 sticks butter

1 small jar of dijon mustard

6 tsp poppy seeds (I just kept shaking until I liked the look of it

Melt butter in pan, add onions, cook until tender

Add mustard, and poppy seeds

Simmer several minutes

Cool slightly, and spread on rolls

This was enough to make both batches of sandwiches below. You can top any remanding spread on top of the rolls, I didn't do this. I thought it would be too much.

King Hawaiian Sweet Roll Sandwiches w/ Ham & Swiss Cheese

16 king hawaiian sweet sandwich rolls, need to be sliced

Roughly 16 slices of ham sandwich meat

16 slices of swiss cheese

Poppy Seed Onion Spread

Line a cookie sheet with foil

Place bottom of rolls on pan

Spread Poppy Seed Onion Spread on buns

Top with ham slices

Top with swiss cheese

Place top of rolls on sandwiches

Cover with foil

Refrigerate until ready to be baked

Bake at 350F for 20mins covered

Roast Beef & Cheese Roll Sandwiches

16 sandwich rolls, sliced

16 slices of roast beef

16 slices of cheese, I used chipolte cheddar it gave a nice kick

Poppy Seed Onion Spread

Line a cookie sheet with foil

Place bottom of rolls on pan

Spread Poppy Seed Onion Spread on buns

Top with roast beef slices

Top with  cheese

Place top of rolls on sandwiches

Cover with foil

Refrigerate until ready to be baked

Bake at 350F for 20mins covered

Chimichangas & Sopapilla Cheesecake

Chimichangas:

I am wrap challenged. Seriously, if my life depended on successfully wrapping food in a soft tortilla shell, I would die. By some miracle I was able to get all of these wrapped correctly that the filling didn't fall out. Ok so I might have cheated, and exactly measured out the filling, but it worked. Victory is victory right :P
Now when I think chimichangas I think thinner, neater, than what these turned out to be. Mine were like short fat burritos, but the taste was amazing. I have even made these a few times. Only thing I did different was add cheese, and the second batch I made I added refried  beans. Ok I lied, I did something else different. I didn't butter them until I was ready to bake. I placed them in the fridge to firm up, and then buttered them as I went. If you want to rock out the deliciousness top them with sour cream and salsa.
These do freeze well, do not butter, and wrap individually. Place in fridge to defrost, butter, and bake.
http://www.food.com/recipe/streamlined-chimichangas-16371


Sopapilla Cheesecake:

I wanted a Mexican dessert, and found this gem! Even better it was super easy, and totally wonderful. It is a 100% cheatable recipe, I mean there is really nothing homemade about it. Flavour is amazing, and you can even have it as a sweet breakfast, with a nice cup of coffee. I did add more cinnamon, I love me some cinnamon!
http://myellowumbrella.blogspot.com/2010/10/sopapilla-cheesecake.html

Mexican Inspired Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers are amazing. Typically with rice, tomatoes, seasonings, onions,  and ground beef. I wanted to try to mix it up a little. Who doesn't like to mix it up every once and awhile? I know I do.
Now this might be a shocker but I never really had Mexican / Tex-Mex before moving to the USA, and let me tell you it's some good food. I thought it's about time I try to make some more Mexican inspired dishes, why not? If it turned out bad, I can just blame it on my inexperience right. Happily this was not the case, and I was thrilled. I love stuffed peppers.

Ingredients:
16 bell peppers (I used yellow and green), sliced half from stem to tip (longways, vertical)
4 c cooked rice, any kind
2 onions, diced
4 - 15oz canned black beans, drained and rinsed
2 or 3 15oz canned tomatoes with chilies
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
4 c taco blend shredded cheese
3 or 4 - 28oz cans of red enchilada sauce, or if you can rock homemade go with that.
Large baking pan/s

Method:
Now when I cooked the rice, I added all the diced onion to it, and threw in a dash of red chili flakes.
Place rice / onion mixture in bowl, stir in black beans, tomato, salt, pepper. If it seems too dry you can add some olive oil, but I didn't need to.
Divide enchilada sauce into baking pans. To determine how many pans were needed I placed cleaned out peppers in pans. You want them to fit snugly.
Fill peppers with rice mixture.
Nestle stuffed peppers into enchilada sauce, and cover with shredded cheese.
Cover with foil, bake at 375 for about 20-30mins.
Remove foil, and bake until cheese is fully melted.

These do freeze well.
Do all steps but enchilada sauce, flash freeze in pan, and place into more airtight containers.
To bake: thaw in fridge (overnight), add enchilada sauce, and bake. Might need to add a few extra minutes.

Crock Pot Curried Vegetable and Chickpea Soupy Stew

No surprise that we like chickpeas, vegetables, and curry. Less of a shocker that I love soup. Seriously I could have it everyday. Maybe that is because I am from wonderful British Columbia, which just screams "soup is good!". Ok BC screams all food is good. BC is awesome :P :P

Anyways here is where I spied the recipe: http://www.thekitchn.com/slowcooker-recipe-curried-vege-67520

Now knowing me I didn't follow the ingredient list, sometimes it's because I like to switch things up, and other times it is because I cannot find all ingredients in our lovely grocery store. Either way it's a good soupy stew and you should make it!

Ingredients:
About 1 tsp olive oil
1 large diced onion
2 peeled and diced potatoes
1 tbsp salt
3 tbsp curry powder
2 tsp ginger, I only had powdered
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 c vegetable broth
2 - 16oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 medium cauliflower, washed and cut into bite size pieces (or 1 bag of frozen chopped)
1 - 28oz can diced tomatoes, do not drain
1 tsp black pepper
10oz baby spinach
1/2 can sweet and condensed milk (couldn't find coconut milk)

Method:
Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Saute onion with salt, about 5 mins.
Add potatoes, and saute about another 5 mins.
Stir curry, ginger, garlic, and cook for about 30 seconds.
Pour some vegetable broth, and scrape bottom of pan to deglaze.
Pour onion / potato mix into crock pot
Add rest of vegetable broth, chickpeas, bell pepper, tomatoes (with juices), and cauliflower.
Cover and cook for 4 hours on high.
At about 3 hour to 3 1/2 hours add condensed milk and mix well.
Stir in the spinach (after 4hrs), cover and allow to wilt (about a minute or two).

We just had it as soup, it is rather filling, and super delicious. However you can even pour it over rice, cous cous, or orzo pasta.

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

Have you noticed how much it is to purchase good chocolate syrup in the store? It's crazy expensive. So why not make it. Yah I was skeptic at first, could it really be as good? Yes, yes it can. Plus you can adjust the sweetness to your taste, and you know what is actually in the recipe.

You can add it to coffee, milk, ice cream, milkshakes, etc. Whatever you use chocolate syrup for you can use this. Now I didn't craft some magical recipe, but did come across two that are great, and easy to double, if you have some chocolate sauce fiends in your household ;P

These recipes need to be refrigerated, and if you want to feel like a super star re-use a glass jar, or container you already have. Want to be fancy, you can buy something stylish to put it in. I never turn down a shopping trip!

The first recipe comes from Retro Housewife Goes Green (plus she is a friend of mine) so I knew I would like it ha! http://retrohousewifegoesgreen.com/2012/08/homemade-chocolate-syrup
Seriously 5 easy ingredients, and if you like to bake, I bet you have them all on hand to give it a go.

The second recipe I spied from one of my favorite sites, pinterest. Seriously I think I have a problem.
http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/03/homemade-chocolate-syrup.html
This one has the same 5 easy ingredients, but a lot more sugar, and a tad more water.

What one will you try?! I have made both, and both are great.

Fiesta Chicken Casserole

I found this recipe on pinterest, I know shocking. However I went back to click on the recipe and a wonderful "this recipe is no longer available" page showed up. Thanks http://www.tasteofhome.com. Luckily, I have some ocd moments and saved it on the computer.

Ingredients:
1 package of refrigerated pie crust (make sure there are 2 crusts). I am not gifted at making pie crust, if you are (I secretly hate you because I am jealous of you.. yah it's an odd complement, just take it and lets move on)
16oz of chunky salsa, any kind, any heat, homemade rocks too
10 3/4oz condensed cream of chicken soup or 1 small can. I make my own, you can too if you'd like check out: http://nomnomwarrior.blogspot.com/2012/08/condensed-cream-of-whatever-soup.html
1 C sour cream
2 C shredded cheese, can use sharp or fancy blended melodies
24 oz frozen whole kernel corn
2 cans (9.75 oz) white chunk chicken breast in water, drained. I know, I know what in the world. If you want chicken just cook up a breast or two, and dice. Or omit it, I left it out, and it was delish.
1 - 15oz can black beans, rinsed, and drained. I doubled the beans because I left out the chicken.
1 - 9x13 casserole dish

Directions:
1. If using refrigerated pie crust let them stand at room temperature for 15mins
2. Mix salsa, condensed soup, sour cream, cheese, corn, chicken (if using), and beans in a large bowl
3. Spoon mixture into your 9x13 casserole dish
4. Unfold pie crusts on lightly floured surface, lay crusts side by side so they overlap by 3 inches in the center. Press the seam to seal.
5. Place over the mixture in your casserole dish, trim off excess crust, and cut slits in the crust
6. Bake at 400F for 40mins or until crust is golden brown

Sausage, Biscuit & "Gravy "Casserole

This is the easiest, most laziest, most non-homemade casserole every, for reals. It's like cheating on every level, but it's good. Hey sometimes we all need a nice easy thing to make for the family, this is it.

Now "gravy" isn't really gravy, it's cream cheese. If you are like me cream cheese is never wrong, never.

Ingredients:
2 pkgs of crescent rolls
1lb breakfast sausage
1 pkg cream cheese
1 small onion, optional
9x13 pan

Method:
1. cook sausage, add onion, do not drain
2. remove cream cheese from fridge
3. add cream cheese, mix until melted.  helpful hint: cut cream cheese into smaller pieces
4. grease 9x13 pan
5. roll out 1 pks of crescent rolls to fit in pan, pinch seams together
6. add meat mixture
7. to with other pkg of crescent rolls, same method as bottom layer
8. you can refrigerate this, I had it in the fridge for 4hrs before baking
9.  bake at 350F for 22-28 minutes, go for shorter time and check. rolls can get crisp rather fast.

Enjoy! It's easy, and good.  Can serve it with fresh fruit, eggs, or any other breakfast food you like. When I made this, I also made the french toast bake (http://nomnomwarrior.blogspot.com/2012/09/french-toast-bake.html), crockery  pot breakfast (http://nomnomwarrior.blogspot.com/2012/09/crockery-pot-breakfast.html), had fresh fruit and more. Yup I cooked for a lot of people.

French Toast Bake

This is amazing, easy, and delicious. It is sweet, like sugary sweet, no syrup is required, but hey if you have an uber sweet tooth go at at. I bet your dentist will love you for it ha!

Now the original recipe can be found here: http://sheldonrachel.blogspot.com. I will be writing what I did to it. It was a huge hit with adults, and children too. Think of it as an upside down french toast bake, since the sugary topping is actually on the bottom of the pan.

Ingredients:
1/2 C melted butter, 1 stick
1 C brown sugar
1 loaf of Texas toast (thickly sliced toast), I cut crusts off
4 eggs
1 1/2 C milk
1 tsp vanilla, if you believe in measuring vanilla
Cinnamon
9x13 pan

Method:
1. Melt butter on stove top, and add brown sugar, stir until well mixed. You can do this in the microwave
2. Pour buttery sugar mixture into 9x13 pan, spread evenly as possible
3. Beat eggs, milk, and vanilla (can add a dash of cinnamon if you like)
4. Lay single layer of bread in pan
5. Spoon half of egg mixture onto bread
6. Can sprinkle a light layer of cinnamon... I like cinnamon
7. Add the second layer of bread
8. Spoon remaining egg mixture over bread
9. Add more cinnamon, yup I really like cinnamon
10. Cover, and place in fridge up to 24hrs but minimum 1hr.
11. Remove from fridge while you preheat oven to 350F
12. Bake 30mins covered
13. Bake uncovered for 15mins, I would do 20mins next time.
14. Serve warm, with syrup if you have an extra sweet tooth.

If your family loves french toast, or pancakes they will love this. My pan made 14 small size pieces, but I had a lot of other breakfast foods being served too.

Crockery Pot Breakfast?!

I love my crockery pot, it's easy, it's good, and most importantly it's a time saver. You need to save time when you have two adorable active children (2 + 4 years old), a baby on the way, and a ton of volunteer work. Let's just say I would cry if my crock pot broke, compared to my electric mixer (yes it just broke).

I have spied many breakfast crock pot recipes, and have heard just as many horror stories on how they turned out. I finally saw on one pinterest (you vixen of a site), it lured me in with it's good looks, and I had to try it. Ok to be fair I tried it for the Wednesday evening bible study that I cook the dinner meal for. I figured if it turns out bad, my family won't have to suffer alone with it. Bad, sneaky, smart.. or all of the above haha?!

Anyways the original recipe comes from http://www.allkindsofyumm.com. After all I am not a carrot stealin' bunny or anything. 

Ingredients:

1 bag of frozen hash browns. I used the diced kind. Why? That is what the store had, and that I could reach on the top shelf in the freezer. I have short arms and a big round baby belly, if I can reach it I will buy it! You can use peeled, and diced (about kidney bean size) or shredded potatoes

1 dozen eggs

1 cup milk

1lb breakfast sausage, I used maple, it just tastes good. Adds a great flavour to the mixture

Salt / Pepper, to your tasting

Any other seasonings you like with your eggs. (I added a dash of garlic, and some onion)

4C shredded cheese, whatever you like

*Original recipe called for 1 tbsp ground, dry mustard. I didn't have it so I didn't use it

Method:

1. I took the hash browns out of the freezer about an hour before they went into the crock pot. They were a frozen solid brick, and you have to be able to stir/mix all ingredients

2. Add hash browns (or diced / shredded potatoes) to greased crock pot 

3. Cook sausage, if adding diced onion cook now, drain off grease

4. Beat dozen eggs, milk, and seasonings all together

5. Add cooked sausage to crock pot

6. Add all cheese

7. Stir / mix

8. Add egg mixture, stir to coat ingredients 

9. Now put the lid on, turn to low, and cook on low for 8 - 10 hours. I cooked for 9hrs.

I use a 6-quart oval crock pot with removable, dishwasher safe stoneware with locking lid for transporting. Yes I am fancy. This mixture will go up to about the half way point. I didn't think it would be enough, but glad I didn't double the recipe. The eggs cook, shocking I know, and fluff up the mixture. Once cooked it is just a few inches below the top of the crock pot. It will be a lot of food for your family, and filling.

Honesty time: I didn't have that much faith in this. I know bad right?!  I kept spying the crock pot mixture (through the lid, dear gawd don't open it), and though at 6 through 8 hours of cooking no way this is going to turn out. I was wrong, I admit it, contrary to belief I do admit when I am wrong haha. It was delicious. It fed about 7 adults, and a handful of kids, with some leftovers. I love me some leftovers. I did also make a french toast bake, worlds easiest (or laziest) biscuits, sausage and "gravy" (cream cheese), no-bake chocolate peanut butter oat bars, had fresh fruit, and items for toast. Yes I make enough food to feed a small army, or a hungry bible study group.

Make this, I dare you to not like it.