Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

The title says "bars", but make no mistake, this is cake. You can make it in a jelly roll pan or two 9-inch rounds. If you like banana bread, this really takes it up a notch.

Cake:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 bananas, mashed

1. Move oven rack to the middle and preheat to 350. 

2. Mix cake batter in order given. Spray a jelly roll pan (15x11 inch) with baking spray.

3. Pour batter evenly into jelly roll pan and smooth with spatula. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool for 45 minutes before frosting.

Frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

2 tsp. vanilla

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

4. Combine cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in small bowl. Slowly add powdered sugar. Mix well.

5. Spread evenly on cooled cake and chill in refrigerator before serving.

Optional: Add 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts on top 

(I don't do this because nuts ruin desserts) 😜

Bow-Tie "Lasagna"

(Disclaimer: I got this one off the Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen blog)

We love this meal -- it's easy and we will all eat it.  It legit tastes like lasagna too without the hassle.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
5 cups bow-tie noodles
3 cups spaghetti sauce (or marinara)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt (I often salt the beef while browning and salt my pasta water, so I usually skip adding this tsp. of salt later)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Italian seasoning (I usually do a tad less)
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

Brown the ground beef and set aside. Cook the noodles according to package directions. After the noodles are cooked, drain and return to pot. Drizzle with olive oil. Mix in spaghetti sauce.  Add cooked ground beef, seasonings, cheese, and sour cream.  Fold together and allow it all to combine and melt together, over low heat, for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.  Enjoy!!

Mel's Kitchen Cafe's Grilled Island Chicken

I know we don't really even use this blog anymore, probably because of Pinterest, but I made this recipe last night and it was so good, I just had to share it!  Dave even said he would eat leftover cold chicken because he liked the flavor so much.  I served it with some grilled yellow squash and watermelon.  Such a yummy, summery meal.  This is a definite keeper at our house, and it doesn't hurt that I usually have all the ingredients on hand.  Thanks to Mel's Kitchen Cafe (and, of course, Pinterest -- the best way of finding recipes these days :))!

Grilled Island Chicken
Printable Version with Picture
Printable Version

*Serves 2-4, depending on how many chicken breasts are marinaded

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1-2 lemons)
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, finely minced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2-4 chicken breasts

DIRECTIONS:
Combine all ingredients except chicken in a mixing bowl or large airtight plastic bag. Whisk or shake well until the marinade is well mixed. Add the chicken breasts to the bowl or plastic bag so that they are covered by the marinade. If using a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap. If using a plastic bag, press out all the excess air and seal the bag tightly. Refrigerate and marinate up to 10 hours (I would suggest marinading for at least 3 hours at the minimum).

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium heat. Grill the chicken for 6-7 minutes per side (depending on how thick the chicken breasts are), until the chicken is no longer pink in the center (if you have a meat thermometer, the chicken should register 165 degrees). Tent with foil and let the chicken rest for about five minutes before serving.

Alternately, the chicken can be baked using the following directions:
When ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 350° F. Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish and pour the excess marinade over them. Bake in the oven until cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165° F, about 45 minutes (exact baking time will depend on the size of your chicken pieces.) Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Annie’s Eats

Granny's Waffles

These are usually reserved for Christmastime but anytime is a good time for strawberry and whipped cream smothered waffles.  And don't forget the side of bacon!

1 c skim buttermilk + a little
1 c flour
dash of salt
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 Tbsp vanilla
1 egg or egg substitute
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Mix all ingredients lightly (a little on the lumpy side) and let sit for at least 20 mins before baking.  Bake in waffle iron.  Serve with strawberries and whipped cream (and bacon.)

Yield:  4 big waffles
Note:  Granny usually quadruples or quintuples this recipe to feed all of us!

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

GG and YoPapa have had a bumper crop of zucchinis this year and we have been searching for some new recipes to use them up.  Granny (Mom) found this one and tried it out today.  Super yummy plus a healthy dose of zucchini.  My kids ate them without any complaints or questions at all. . . well, except for the weirdo, Cash.

3 1/2 c white flour
1 c wheat flour
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 c oil
1 1/2 c milk
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 c shredded zucchini (this was about 2 medium to large zucchini - about the size of a typical cucumber)
1 1/2 c chocolate chips (semisweet)

Mix wet ingredients including sugar and zucchini.  Then in separate bowl mix all dry ingredients.  Add dry to wet and stir until just combined and then add chocolate chips.  Put in muffin liners filled almost full and bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes.  (Or 13-15 minutes for mini muffins.)

Yield:  about 40 standard muffins

These would also be good sprinkled with some sugar before baking but we forgot! 

Seriously Good Mac 'N Cheese

I will never (OK, maybe almost never) make Kraft Mac 'N Cheese again.  This recipe is so yummy and really pretty easy.  It does take a little longer than the Kraft version but it's totally worth it!!!  I got this recipe from Keeping Up Cookbook, which I'd highly recommend.  I've made several yummy things from it.

1 lb. whole grain pasta, any shape, cooked al dente (I usually use good ol' elbow macaroni)

1 3/4 cups whole milk (I've used 2% and it came out fine)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese or 1- 8oz. package (I also grate some extra to put on top - can't ever have too much cheese)
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

In a saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups milk to a simmer over medium heat.  Whisk cornstarch into remaining 1/4 cup cold milk.  Stir this mixture into simmering milk and continue cooking and stirring until sauce begins to bubble and has thickened.  Remove from heat and stir in cheese.  Add salt to taste and cayenne if desired.  Stir cheese sauce into cooked pasta.  Here's where I deviate from the recipe a bit:  Add mixture to greased 9x13 pan and top with shredded cheese and sprinkle with some bread crumbs.  Pop in 350 oven until cheese is melted.  You could probably use the broiler if you wanted it done quicker you'd just have to watch it VERY closely!

BBQ Chicken Braid

This is actually a very versatile recipe and you can fill it with just about anything.  I've made it with chicken, spaghetti sauce, green bell peppers, and mozzarella; shredded chicken mixed with cream cheese and stuffing; grocery store rotisserie chicken pieces and cheddar cheese with a little Ranch dressing - the possibilities are really endless.  Plus it looks fancy!  I've used Pillsbury French Bread Dough (the natural kind without any "extra" ingredients/preservatives) with this recipe before and it's great that way too.  Just follow the directions on the package for cooking time if you use that.  This dough recipe is great for pizzas too. 
Basic Pizza Dough                                                                                         
(I can get one bread braid out of this recipe or one 16-inch crust pizza)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 cup warm (105-115 degrees) water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1⁄4 teaspoon salt (I actually used 1 tsp of garlic salt because I thought it needed more seasoning)
3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour (I used 2 cups white flour and about 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour)
Mix the yeast and water in a small bowl, cover, and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.  Mix the oil, honey, salt, and yeast mixture in a large mixing bowl. Mix in 3 cups of flour.
If the dough seems too wet, mix in more flour, 1⁄4 cup at a time, until the dough is soft. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead in more flour, 1⁄4 cup at a time, until the dough is moderately stiff and somewhat firm to the touch, about 6 minutes.  (I just use my mixer.)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Roll out into a rectangle about as long as your cookie sheet.  Place dough on greased cookie sheet and assemble ingredients down the middle lengthwise.  You want to build the braid on the cookie sheet or it will be too heavy to move to your cookie sheet once you've built it.  Trust me - it ain't pretty.  :(
BBQ Chicken stuffing
BBQ’d chicken or cooked shredded chicken
BBQ sauce
Cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, cojack - whatever you've got on hand)
Purple onion, thinly sliced (I only used about 1/4-1/2 an onion)
Grated parmesan cheese
Garlic salt
Egg wash (one beaten egg mixed with about 1 TB water) or melted butter
Layer BBQ sauce, cooked chicken, sliced onions, more BBQ sauce, cheese and cilantro down the middle of the dough.  Using a pizza cutter make some cuts along the edges of the pizza up towards the center where all the ingredients are layered (I usually make about 9-11 fringe pieces on each side.)  Starting at one end pinch the first fringe, top or bottom, closed over the end so that all your ingredients don't spill out then alternate fringe pieces and pinch end over to the bottom of the opposite side's fringe piece. Sorry, it's really hard to explain but here's a picture of mine about halfway through.
It's really easy to do - just impossible to explain!  Once you get to the end just pinch one of the fringes closed again.  Once you're finished, brush the egg wash over the top of the braid and sprinkle a little garlic salt over the top and then a little parmesan cheese.
Bake in a 450 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until it looks done.  Here's the finished product!
 
Just slice it like you would bread and serve.  My kids LOVE it when I make this!

Baked Parmesan Chicken

I am again stealing this from my friend Laura, but I think she stole it too, so I don't feel too bad :) And I don't have a picture, even though I made this last night. Sorry. This is another meal with ingredients I pretty much always have on hand. Dave really likes Chicken Parmigiana, and I feel like this is a tasty, more healthy take on that dish. This recipe is originally from Just Cook Already, but Laura modified it slightly. It calls for fresh thyme, basil and oregano, but she just used dried - which still tastes great.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
2 cloves garlic, minced - or 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 chicken breast halves (I usually just use 2 big breasts -- so about 4 breast halves)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter with garlic over the stove. When butter starts to bubble, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Stir breadcrumbs, parmesan, thyme, basil, oregano and salt and pepper in bowl. Dip chicken halves in butter, and then in bread crumb mix. Place chicken in baking dish. I sprinkle some extra bread crumb mix on top, and then drizzle with extra melted butter. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. (I usually take it out at 50 minutes and cover the dish with foil to let it "rest." It keeps the chicken nice and moist. Serve with marinara sauce and pasta. I used whole grain rotini pasta (Mason's fave, without sauce of course -- who is this kid?!)