Caramel Rolls

I was really excited to try this recipe! I love caramel/cinnamon rolls and have never made them from scratch! This recipe was very easy to do. I didn't refrigerate the rolls overnight before baking, but if you remember to do it beforehand I don't think it could hurt.  If I make these again, I would make them along with some cream cheese frosting (I"m more a fan of cinnamon rolls with the frosting than just caramel rolls). These would also probably be good with some toasted pecans.  This was taken from Kare 11's Cooking with Kare Cookbook.

Caramel Rolls
Serves 15
Prep 10 minutes  Bake 40 minutes

• 2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1/2 cup whipping cream of milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 loaves frozen bread dough, thawed
• Melted butter

In 13x9 inch baking pan, combine brown sugar, butter and cream; mix well. In small bowl mix together sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

On lightly floured board roll out bread dough to 15x6 inch rectangle; brush with melted butter. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over butter; roll up lengthwise. Pinch seam to seal; place seam on bottom. With sharp knife, cut into 15 slices, about 1 inch thick. Place rolls over brown sugar mixture; cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Turn out hot rolls onto plate. 

Beans and Franks Bake

At first I was very hesisitant to make this recipe. I'm normally not a huge fan of baked beans. This, however, was absolutely delicious! The cornbread topping is what definitely did me in! This was also super easy!!!

I used turkey sausage instead of normal hotdogs. This recipe is for two dishes, where you can freeze one for up to 3 months. This is for sure awesome for when you want to prepare stuff ahead of time. I just made one casserole since I didn't know if I would like it or not, but I would definitely make two in the future!

From Taste of Home's Easy Back to School Meals

Beans and Franks Bake
Makes 2 casseroles-8 servings
Prep 20 minutes  Bake 40 minutes

• 2 packages (8-1/2 ounces each) corn bread/muffin mix
• 1 can (28 ounces) baked beans
• 4 hot dogs, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1/2 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Prepare corn bread batter according to package directions; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the beans, hot dogs, bacon, ketchup, brown sugar and onion. Transfer to two greased 8-in. square baking dishes. Sprinkle with cheese; top with corn bread batter.

Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Bake the second casserole, uncovered, at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

To use frozen casserole: Remove from the freezer 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake 15-20 minutes longer or until heated through.

Feta Brunch Bake

 I have had a huge craving for eggs recently, so I was excited to make this recipe! It turned out great! If I made it in the future I would definitely add mushrooms (just 'cause I like them and they go well with everything), and probably some diced ham as long as no one was looking for a vegetarian dish.  I forgot my camera in my car, so no picture this time-sorry! Also, I finally remembered to cut the recipe in half this time (but I put the original recipe below), so I don't have  TON of left overs!

Feta Brunch Bake

•  1 red bell pepper
• 2 bags (10 ounces each) fresh spinach, stemmed
• 6 eggs
• 6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
• Dash black pepper

Preheat broiler. Place bell pepper on foil-lined broiler pan. Broil, 4 inches form heat, 15 to 20 minutes or until blacked on all sides, turning every 5 minutes with tongs. Place in paper bag; close bag and set aside to cool about 15 to 20 minutes. To peel pepper, cut around core, twist, and remove. Cut in half and rub off skin; rinse under cold water. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

Place 1 quart water in 2-quart saucepan over high heat; bring to a boil. Add spinach. Return to a boil; boil 2 to 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain; immediately plunge spinach into cold water. Drain; let stand until cool enough to handle. Squeeze spinach to remove excess water; finely chop.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 1 quart baking dish. Beat eggs in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until foamy. Stir in spinach, bell pepper, cheese, onion, parsley, dill and black pepper. Pour egg mixture into prepared dish. Bake 20 minutes or until set. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Garnish as desired.

Total Time: 40 minutes
Serves 4

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Cutlets

My parents always made Parmesan chicken when I was a kid and I always got sick of it. I don't actually know how they made it, but I think it was similar to this.  I really like this recipe because most of the time, you will have all of these ingredients in your cupboard!  I would definitely either buy the cutlets or  flatten chicken breasts for this recipe. I had some problems with the outside getting burnt while the inside was still pink. Other than that, it was great! This was from Real Simple's 'Meals Made Easy' cookbook.

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Cutlets

• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional)
• 2 1/4 cups (9 ounces) grated Parmesan 
• 1 cup dried bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds chicken cutlets
• 4 teaspoons olive oil

In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and mustard (if using). In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups of the Parmesan, the bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Rinse the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. Dip one of the cutlets into the egg mixture, allowing any excess to drip off, then coat it in the bread-crumb mixture. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken, batter, and bread-crumb mixture. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the cutlets. Cook, turning once, until browned and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Carefully wipe out the skillet, add 2 more tablespoons of the oil, and repeat with remaining cutlets.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: serves 4

Spaghetti with Beef and Mushroom Sauce

This recipe was simple and a little twist on typical beef sauce. It did, however, lack a little flavor. I definitely would add seasoned salt and garlic the next time I make this.  I prefer real mushrooms as opposed to cream of mushroom, and the cream made the sauce kind of pale, which made it look a little less appetizing. It still tasted good though!

Spaghetti with Beef and Mushroom Sauce

• 1 pound  lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup  chopped onion
• 1 10-3/4-ounce can  condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 15-ounce can  tomato sauce
• 1 4 -ounce can  sliced mushrooms, drained (optional)
• 1 teaspoon  dried Italian seasoning, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon  black pepper
• 12 ounces  dried spaghetti
• Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

In a large saucepan cook the ground beef and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain. Stir in the mushroom soup, tomato sauce, mushrooms (if desired), Italian seasoning, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain. Serve sauce over hot spaghetti. If desired, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Serving Size: 6 servings