Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Prep Tine: 2 hrs Cook Time: 14 Mins Total Time: 2 hrs 14 mins

Serving: 12 cinnamon rolls

Dough:

1 cup warm milk

1 Tbsp instant dry yeast

2 Tbsp white granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

3 Tbsp salted butter, softened

1 large egg

3 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

½ cup salted butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Glaze:

4 oz cream cheese, softened

¼ cup salted butter, softened

1 to 1 ½ cups powdered sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 to 2 tbsp milk

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine warm milk, yeast, sugar, salt, butter, and eggs. Add in flour. Using a dough hook, turn the mixer on to a low speed.
2. Once the flour starts to incorporate into the dough, increase the speed to a medium range. Add more flour as necessary so that the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough mixture should be tacky, but not stick to your hands. It should be soft. Add more or less flour until the dough reaches the desired consistency. The amount of flour you add in bread making is always an approximation and you should go by feel.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased mixing bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise until double in size, about 1 hour.
4. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Punch down the dough and roll into a 12 inch by 18 inch rectangle.
5. Brush the dough with ½ cup melted butter. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle on top of the melted butter. Roll up tightly lengthwise so you have one long roll. Use plain dental floss or a sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 one-inch slices.
6. Place the slices onto a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Cover an let rise 30 to 45 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake the rolls for about 14 minutes, until just kissed with brown on top.
8. While the cinnamon rolls are baking, make the cream cheese glaze by using a hand mixer to whip together cream cheese and butter in a bowl until light and fluffy. Whip in powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Add enough milk to achieve a drizzle-like consistency.
9. Frost the rolls while still warm. Serve immediately or cool and store. Stays good for 4 to 5 days.

Notes:

Some have reported under cooked rolls. Cooking time is dependent on the size of your rolls. You should cook the rolls until they have just a kiss of brown on the top. If they don't have a kiss of brown, they probably aren't done. Cooking time may be upwards of 18-20 minutes.

Make Ahead instructions:

These cinnamon rolls can easily be make ahead. For best results, choose one of the following two methods.

Overnight Instructions: After you've rolled and cut your cinnamon rolls and placed them into your lightly greased baking pan, cover with plastic wrap and place in your refrigerator. The next day, remove them from the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature (about 45 minutes to an hour depending on the temperature of your house) before baking.

Freezer Instructions: Roll and cut your cinnamon rolls and place several inches apart on a baking sheet to freeze rolls individually. Once frozen, transfer to a resealable plastic freezer bag. When ready to bake, place in a lightly greased baking dish and allow to come to room temperature before baking.

Easy Fried Cabbage

5-6 thick bacon strips, cut into small pieces

1/3 cup onion, finely chopped

½ head green cabbage, shredded or roughly chopped

1 Tbsp brown sugar (optional)

salt to taste

pepper to taste

¼ tsp smoked paprika

1. Cook bacon in a non-stick pan over medium heat until crisp. Use a slotted spatula to remove the bacon and place it on plate with a paper towel. Do not discard the bacon grease and drippings.
2. In the same pan, add onion and cook until translucent.
3. Add cabbage, salt, pepper, paprika and mix everything together. Cook for about 7 minutes or until cabbage is tender.
4. Add bacon back into the pan and mix it together with the cabbage and serve warm.

Crescent Roll Veggie Pizza

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time 30 minutes

Yield: 12-15 slices

2 tubes of refrigerator crescent rolls

1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened

3 Tbsp sour cream

1 envelope of dry ranch salad dressing mix

¼ cup of fresh dill, chopped small

1 small head of broccoli

3 large carrots

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 English cucumber

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees as directed on the crescent roll package instructions.
2. Spread crescent rolls across the cookie sheet, covering the cookie sheet and sealing the cuts between each of the rolls.
3. Bake according to crescent roll package instructions.
4. Cool completely before adding toppings (you can also cool it and lightly cover it with a paper towel and leave on the countertop overnight).
5. In a medium-sized bowl, add softened cream cheese, sour cream, ranch dip and fresh dill; stir until fully mixed.
6. Chop all veggies very small and toss them all together in a bowl.

To assemble the pizza:

1. Spread the ranch dill dip all over the baked and cooled crescent roll pizza base.
2. Add chopped mixed veggies.
3. Cut into equal squares and serve.

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 4 hours Total Time: 4 hours, 10 minutes

Serves: 6-8

1 (24 oz) package precooked frozen turkey meatballs

1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks, (drain and reserve juice)

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 cup brown sugar

3 Tbsp cornstarch

2/3 cup white vinegar

2 Tbsp soy sauce

6 cups cooked rice

1. Spray a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray
2. Place frozen meatballs in the slow cooker and top with drained pineapple (reserve the juice and set aside), green pepper and red pepper.
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together reserved pineapple juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, vinegar and soy sauce.
4. Pour sauce in slow cooker an mix everything to combine. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated through.
5. Serve over cooked rice.

Ramen Noodle Oriental Chicken Salad

Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 35 Minutes

Serves: 6

Dressing:

¾ cup vegetable oil

4 ½ Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

4 ½ Tbsp sugar

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Salad:

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 head cabbage,chopped

1 bunch green onions, finely chopped

¼ cup sunflower seeds

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 (2.5 oz) package slivered almonds

2 package Top Ramen noodles, crushed into small pieces

1. In a small bowl, whisk together vegetable oil, rice vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Cover and store in fridge until just before serving.
2. In a large bowl, combine cooked chicken, cabbage and sunflower seeds; set aside. In a pan over medium heat, warm up vegetable oil. Add Top Ramen noodles (without flavor packets) and cook until slightly brown. Add slivered almonds to the ramen and continue stirring over heat until golden brown. Once cool, add ramen mixture to the chicken/cabbage mixture and stir to combine.
3. Add dressing that you set aside and toss to coat before serving to avoid the noodles getting soggy.

Pistachio Muffins

½ cup salted butter, melted

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

3.4 oz package instant pistachio pudding mix

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ cup milk

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup granulated sugar for topping (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together melted butter with sugar, about 1 minute. Add in eggs and vanilla extract and beat until just combined.
3. Add in pistachio pudding mix, baking powder, salt, and milk. Mix to combine. Add in all-purpose flour and mix until flour has been incorporated
4. Divide batter amongst each muffin cup, filling ¾ full. Sprinkle tops with sugar crystals (optional).
5. Bake in the preheated 425 degree oven for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, reduce the heat in the oven to 350 degrees and continue baking 10 minutes, until muffin is cooked all the way through. Remove from muffin tin and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Brownies

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp salted butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup melted milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a metal 9x9 pan with parchment paper.
2.  Pour melted butter into a large mixing bowl.  Whisk in sugar by hand until smooth, 30 seconds.
3.  Add in eggs and vanilla extract.  Whisk 1 minute.
4.  Whisk in melted chocolate until combined and smooth.
5.  Use a rubber spatula to stir in flour, cocoa powder, and salt until just combined.  Stir in whole chocolate chips.
6.  Pour into prepared pan and smooth out.
7.  Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.  Let cool in pan 30 minutes before slicing.