Texas Toast Grilled Cheese

I saw this on Instagram and was immediately intrigued. It's not a recipe - but a couple quick tips really help on this one!

Texas Toast Grilled Cheese
Texas Toast - freezer section*
Butter
Tillamook cheddar cheese slices

*New York Bakery Texas Toast 5 cheese blend

Put your Texas Toast on a cookie sheet (lined with aluminum foil), top each toast with a slice of cheese and bake according to directions but only for about half the time suggested. This will get your bread thawed without cooking it too quickly.

After the toast has been thawed, put one slice of toast (with cheese on top) cheese side down on top of another piece of toast (cheese already on top) so the cheese sides are together. 

Put a pat of butter into your grilled cheese pan and cook as you normally would until the cheese is all melty and the toast is nice and crispy on the outside!

I made this as a quick weeknight dinner for the little girls (16 and 12) and I and it was a HIT!! 

Sick Soup

This is not a recipe - but as my kids are all capable of cooking themselves - I was asked to share my tricks for this boxed soup I make every time we get sick.

I'm not sure when I started eating this - sometime in my childhood because my younger brother does the same thing when he is sick - AND we both call it Sick Soup...

Lipton Noodle Soup
Chicken Stock
Cholula Sweet Habanero to taste*
Salt and Pepper to taste

I always make it in the microwave - because I'm either the one that is sick - or I'm the one making it for the sick kid in between doing everything else for them! Cook per directions on box. I always add chicken stock, salt and pepper before I microwave it.

*After it comes out of the microwave, I add Cholula - usually if it's a cold - not if it's the flu.

Chocolate Chip Pie

Chocolate Chip Pie

1 unbaked 9-inch deep dish pie pastry
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Beat eggs in large mixer bowl on high speed until foamy and pale in color. Beat in flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Beat in butter until combined.
Stir in morsels. Spoon into pie shell. The mixture will be thick.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean. You may want to make a foil tent over the pie towards the end so the crust doesn't brown too much. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Cornbread Waffles & Chili

I watched this on Studio 5 and my mouth was absolutely watering. I knew my family would LOVE it!! The Cornbread Waffle recipe is from Alex Daynes - you can see her original recipe and her chili recipe HERE

The first picture is how my son made it - waffle on bottom, chili on top. The second picture is how I made it - chili in a bowl with waffle "chips" on the side.

Cornbread Waffles

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs *1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 
5 cups (1 per serving) homemade chili**

Preheat waffle iron to medium heat.
In a large bowl combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
Add milk, oil, and applesauce and stir until incorporated, but don’t over-mix. Leave it a little lumpy.
Spray waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter onto hot waffle iron and bake in batches.
Serve with chili over top and garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado and chopped green onion.

*I substitute applesauce for the eggs because of Jack's egg allergy

**See my AWARD WINNING Runnin' Utes Tailgate Chili HERE

Homemade Hot Chocolate

It's March 2nd and all our hopes and dreams of Spring right around the corner have been dashed. It is snowing right now and it's accumulating at an alarming rate! We decided to stay in and watch movies until the storm passed. I decided to make hot cocoa - as it may be our last cold and snowy day for a while (here's hoping!!)

I found this recipe online but tweaked it a little to suit our tastes and it turned out delicious! Honestly, the best hot chocolate I've ever had!

Homemade Hot Chocolate

6 cups milk
12 oz can sweetened evaporated milk  
1/4 cup heavy cream 
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder

In a medium sized bowl whisk together sugar and cocoa. Slowly whisk in evaporated milk - get it as incorporated as you can. 

In a large saucepan, heat milk and heavy cream over medium heat, stirring often. When it starts to bubble around the edges, slowly add cocoa mixture about 1/3 at a time whisking to combine. Stir constantly to prevent scorching until mixture is hot and slightly thickened. Serve with whipping cream