A post I've been thinking about writing anyway is to share some of the best recipes I've found on Pinterest, because they can really be hit and miss. I've made plenty that didn't live up to expectations, but these ones did. (I'm going to use the pictures from the original sources, since I don't have ones of my own.) Follow the links to get to the recipes. They are picky eater approved, and most can be made even while holding a baby!
*Notes: I made this for my sister's mission farewell. It was definitely more work than just using a cake mix, but in the end it was worth it--the cake held up and was still moist a week later when kept in the fridge, and it was SO good. I don't have a bundt pan, so I used a big jelly roll pan. I baked it for 20 minutes. The frosting was awesome. It makes a lot--if you use the bundt pan, you will only need half the frosting, but the sheet pan used it all up.
After making that recipe, I had about a half a small can of leftover pumpkin, so I searched for a way to use it up:
*Notes: I halved this recipe (because I only had 1/2 cup of pumpkin left) and it made about 8 substantial pancakes. My whole family loved them--even me--and I usually HATE pancakes. The texture was thick, fluffy and a little chewy and the flavor was so good. It uses dry pancake mix as a base, so it's fast and easy.
*Notes: This is a very simple recipe--I was surprised how much flavor it had. I used Old El Paso Mild Green Chile Enchilada Sauce and I think I used two 10 oz. cans. It made a lot of meat and the taquitos were devoured. I've made it twice, and I would recommend that you keep the roast in a big chunk and shred it at the very end. The meat tastes better a little dry with some sauce spooned over the top before baking in the tortilla and cheese. If you shred it halfway through cooking and let the meat soak up too much liquid, it gets mushy.
*Notes: I omit the onion flakes (only because I never seem to have any), and because the spaghetti sauce I usually have on hand isn't basil marinara sauce, I add basil flakes instead. I've made it with penne instead of spaghetti--so just use whatever pasta you happen to have. It is YUMMY. A family favorite. Next time, I should add some sauteed mushrooms to really take it over the top.
*Notes: This is one of our new all-time favorites. It just uses a bottle of doctored up, store bought BBQ sauce--I usually get a small 18 oz. bottle of Kraft Original. Unless you are cooking a dozen pieces of chicken, it makes enough sauce for two recipes. I pour half over the chicken and store the other half back in the BBQ sauce bottle. I've found that boneless, skinless chicken thighs stay juicier than other cuts, but make sure they're trimmed of all fat and gristle.
I only use half the amount of oregano the recipe calls for, and because Lawry's seasoning salt makes me have some sort of allergic reaction, I use 1 tsp. Montreal steak seasoning instead. Last time I made this, I cooked it in a slow cooker instead of the oven (on low for 6-8 hours or 4 hours on high) and shredded the chicken to serve on those hard rolls you buy at the bakery. It was absolutely delicious.
*Notes: I made this for a potluck and it was a big hit. You can buy a bag of candied pecans (sometimes with dried cranberries added, which I think is what I used) by the salad dressing at the grocery store. You can also substitute feta cheese for the goat cheese. It's served with poppy seed dressing. It made a huge salad and the entire thing was eaten--which is saying something.
Notes: I omitted the bag of mini marshmallows and everyone was still wanting to lick the bowl clean. An excellent potluck dish. I might just make it for Thanksgiving.
*Notes: I'm rarely on top of things when it comes to side dishes, but these are something I can make with common pantry items. They are done in about 20 minutes and are full of cheesy, buttery, garlicky goodness. Yum yum yum yum yum. I omit the cayenne pepper.
*Notes: This makes enough for two meals and is one of Madelyn's favorite things that I make. I am a huge fan of slow cooker meals. It does used canned soup--for best results, I've found that using Campbell's Healthy Request versions of Cream of Chicken and Cheddar Cheese soup makes a big difference in taste. Also, I don't have Cajun seasoning, so I just use a pinch of paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper and oregano.
*Notes: I actually found this recipe on allrecipes.com first--it makes double the amount that this Pinterest recipe does. (And it uses garlic powder instead of minced garlic). But if you make double, that means you can save half of it to make Pasta Primavera with sauteed mushrooms and shrimp, steamed broccoli, carrots and penne pasta. I have made this so many times I have the recipe memorized. My pin of this recipe has 747 repins and 72 likes--so join the crowd and try it out.
*Notes: We love the beef and broccoli from Panda Express but this is just as good, and cheaper. I use beef short ribs instead of chuck roast, and they come out incredibly tender. I reduce the amount of soy sauce to 1/3 cup (and use low sodium) and reduce the amount of sesame oil to 1/2 tsp. That stuff is so potent--I think a tablespoon would be way too much.
*Notes: Instead of using raw chicken breasts, I use chopped, leftover dinner ham (so then it has ham AND bacon. Yes.). And I use 1/3 cup heavy cream or half and half in place of the olive oil, and instead of cutting up potatoes I just use a bag of thawed country style hash browns. This is what Mark refers to as "man food".
*Notes: This is a convincing knockoff of the Olive Garden soup. It is worth a trip to the store to pick up the ingredients you might not have, like the gnocchi (potato pasta--like little dumplings). My family loves it but Mark and Madelyn prefer mini gnocchi or the big ones to be cut in half.
*Notes: The only cookie recipes I bother with anymore are from Sally's Baking Addiction. She has developed them so that even up here at 6,000 feet, the cookies are thick and fluffy--something I struggled to achieve for years! They are amazing with just semisweet chocolate chips, which is the way I usually make them. Do allow some extra time, because the dough has to be chilled for 30 minutes before baking. Double the recipe and freeze little balls of dough and you'll thank yourself later. (These are awesome pick-me-ups for new mothers. And husbands. And everybody.)
I have 514 pins on my Recipe Pinterest board, so I'd better start testing out some more!
