Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower
2-5 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 teaspoons garlic salt
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Separate cauliflower into florets. Place in bowl and toss with oil and garlic salt. Season to taste. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes, flipping once during cooking. Remove from oven when cauliflower is golden brown.
I made this for my graduation party last month and it was a big hit! Simply cream together all ingredients and let chill in fridge at least 30 minutes before serving. We ate ours with freshly picked strawberries!
1 8oz package cream cheese
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Ingredients:
1 box Barilla pasta, almost any shape (I chose colored rotini)
1 jar Classico meat sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse.
Return pasta to pot. Add sauce and mix well (on warm burner). Pour mixture into 8×8 baking dish.
Top pasta with cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and pasta is hot.
Remove from oven and enjoy.
Try cooking ground meat and adding it to regular sauce OR use different sauce/cheese combinations
These truffles are the ultimate chocolate-lover treat, and with so many variations you can make a special batch for everyone!
Ingredients:
18 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 and 1/2 standard bags)
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For Coatings:
colored sugar, colored sprinkles, nonpareils, cocoa, powdered sugar, chopped nuts, etc…
Stove-top Instructions:
In medium saucepan, heat chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk over low heat. Remove from heat. Add vanilla.
Microwave Instructions:
In 1-quart glass bowl, combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Microwave on high power for 3 minutes, stirring at 1 and 1/2 minutes. Remove from microwave and stir until smooth.
Continued Instructions:
Chill mixture in bowl until firm, about 2 hours. Remove from refrigerator and let sit until you can work with mixture.
Roll dough into small balls (you can determine which size is best). You can place your colored sugar or other coatings in small bowls. Roll the truffle in coating of your choice and place on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
Once all truffles are done, place tray in freezer about 5 minutes until truffles are set. Transfer to freezer-safe container and store in freezer until ready to serve.
Variations:
I like to mix confectioner’s sugar with a little unsweetened cocoa as one of my truffle coatings. The possibilities for coatings are endless. Try some of these:
chopped toasted almonds
flaked coconut
finely grated orange rind
You can also replace vanilla extract with different extracts or even liqueurs. Try these instead:
3 tablespoons amaretto or other almond-flavored liquor + 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons orange-flavored liquor
1/4 cup dark rum
3 tablespoons bourbon
This is a great crust recipe for a double-crust pie. Not making a two-cruster? Just cut the recipe in half!
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar (I only used 2)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
6 tablespoons ice-cold water
Instructions:
In large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, and salt. Cut butter into small cubes, and add into flour mixture.
Blend at medium-low speed until the dough resembles cornmeal. Butter chunks should be no larger than a pea.
Add water and mix on low speed until dough is formed. Do not over mix!
Roll half of the dough onto lightly floured surface, then place in pie pan. Reserve remainder of the dough for the top crust, or roll between parchment paper sheets and store in a Ziploc bag. Place dough in the freezer until ready to use.
Here you are, friends! My first Christmas goodie…These “spiders” are the only ones I’m not the teensiest bit scared of! This is also possibly the simplest dessert I have made, and it has several variations.
Ingredients:
One 12-oz package of chocolate chips (I use semisweet)
One 5-oz can of crispy chow mein noodles (about 2 1/2 cups)
Instructions:
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. Pour chocolate chips in microwave safe bowl. Melt in microwave, stirring occasionally. (Microwave times will vary. Mine takes about 5 minutes with stirs every 30 seconds or so). Melt completely and stir until smooth.
Empty can of noodles into melted chocolate. Stir the noodles gently, until just coated with chocolate. Drop by spoonful onto prepared baking sheets. The “spiders” can be as big or as small as you want, and don’t have to look pretty!
Place trays in the freezer for 5-10 minutes or until set. Store in Ziploc Freezer Bag in freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw slightly before serving.
VARIATIONS:
try other morsels or types of chocolate chips
sprinkle with colored sugar or crushed nuts before freezing
Tasteful Tidbits 