Recipe :: Cake Mix Banana Bread

The other day, I had two bananas leftover that were about to go bad.  So of course I made banana bread!  I started prepping and realized I was almost out of flour and completely out of baking soda which created a bit of a problem.  I remembered that I did have some cake mix in the pantry and thought I'd give it a try...and it worked out perfectly!

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz.) box of yellow cake mix

1 egg
1 stick butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk
2 overripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Crumb Topping:

3/4 cup flour

2 T brown sugar

2 T granulated sugar

4 T unsalted butter, melted

1/4 tsp vanilla

Pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a metal loaf pan.

Combine egg, softened butter and banana in a stand mixer until combined.  Mix in milk, vanilla and cinnamon.  Gradually add in cake mix until well combined.  Pour into greased loaf pan.

Melt butter in a medium size glass bowl in the microwave (I did mine for 30 seconds, stir and another 30 seconds).  Once butter has melted, add in remaining ingredients and mix with a fork making sure it crumbles.  Once you have it in crumbles, sprinkle over bread mixture in the loaf pan.

Bake at 350 F for 45-50 minutes.  Enjoy!

Recipe :: Million Dollar Spaghetti

This is one of our go-to recipes at our house.  It's so easy and SO GOOD.  Zach isn't a spaghetti lover, but even he goes back for seconds when I make this!

Adapted from Being Grown Up

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 jar spaghetti sauce (i always use one with garlic and basil, but feel free to experiment!)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup of sour cream
15 oz. of ricotta cheese
1 stick butter, cut in 12 slices
12 oz. wide egg noodles (like these)
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (feel free to use the pre-shredded)

salt + pepper

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350° F.

Prepare noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside.

Cook ground beef in a large skillet until brown and cooked through.  Remove excess fat and add the jar of spaghetti to the beef.  Mix together and simmer on low until heated through.  Remove from heat.

Combine cream cheese, sour cream and ricotta until smooth (I use my Kitchenaid mixer).  Add salt and pepper as needed.

In a 9x13 baking dish, evenly distribute half of your slices of butter on the bottom of the dish.  Layer half of your cooked noodles on top, then pour all of your cream cheese mixture on top of the noodles.  Then add your remaining noodles.  Add the remaining slices of butter on top of the noodles, and top with spaghetti sauce mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven, top with shredded cheese and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.  

You can totally thank me later.

Yum!  Enjoy!

Pineapple Angel Food Cake

This is the easiest, most delicious, and possibly one of the most healthy desserts you will ever make. Seriously, it's two main ingredients, plus two optional ingredients. 

Here's what you'll need: 

1 box of Angel Food Cake mix
1 large can of crushed pineapple
Shredded sweetened coconut (optional)
Light Cool Whip (optional)

Pour the cake mix and crushed pineapple into a bowl. Stir until well combined. That's all the mixing you have to do!! Have you ever heard of an easier recipe?

Pour the mixture into a 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

We may have gotten ours a little too brown...

You can stop there and enjoy a light, fluffy semi-healthy dessert. OR, you can add even MORE deliciousness by spreading the cool whip on top and sprinkling with shredded coconut. 

I'm telling you, you'll be shocked at how good this is. 

And, you could even substitute the shredded coconut for strawberries or another fresh berry and have a guilt-free dessert.

What do you think? Will you try this recipe for your next gathering? What's your favorite easy recipe?  

Recipe :: Sausage Stars

Y'all.  I can't even begin to describe how good these are.  They are a staple at any get-together.  I've even been told I couldn't come to people's houses unless I bring these.  This recipe makes quite a bit of them, but they always go fast so if it's more than 10 people I would absolutely double the recipe!

Ingredients:
1 pound sausage, cooked and crumbled
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese (do not use pre-shredded)
1 1/2 cups grated Monterrey jack cheese (do not use pre-shredded)
1 cup prepared ranch dressing mix (make sure to use the dry ranch packet and make it yourself)
1 can (2.25 oz) sliced olives
4 oz. diced pimentos, drained well
1 package fresh or frozen won ton wrappers (usually 36 or so in a pack)
Pam or other cooking spray

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cook the sausage according to package directions.  Once cooked, let it drain on a paper towel lined plate.  In a large bowl, combine sausage with cheeses, prepared ranch dressing, olives and pimentos.  Set aside.

Lightly grease a regular muffin tin and press one wonton wrapper in each cup.  Spray wonton wrappers lightly with Pam.  Bake for 5 minutes, remove and fill baked wonton wrappers with sausage mixture (I would say about 1 heaping tablespoon - 2 tablespoons).  Bake 5 minutes or until bubbly.

Enjoy!

Summer Pear Salad + Red Wine Dijon Dressing

R.B. loves to cook (thank goodness!), and he likes experimenting with different ingredients. Recently, he created the most delicious salad and dressing. We eat it almost once a week, so I thought I'd share so you can enjoy it too!

What you need for the dressing:

1 tablespoon dijon mustard
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

All you have to do is whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl, and chill before pouring over your salad.

What you need for the salad (for two servings):

1 6 oz. bag pre-washed butter lettuce 
1 or 2 Bosc pears, chopped
Honey goat cheese (found at Publix), or regular goat cheese crumbles to taste
Whole dried tart cherries to taste

Tips from Chef R.B.: 

1. Sprinkle lemon juice over chopped pears to prevent browning
2. Sprinkle a little extra pepper on the dressing after mixing
3. Pour the dressing over the lettuce first before adding other toppings

The taste is perfectly sweet and tart and goes well with anything on the grill. Hope you enjoy as much as we do!

Greek Marinated Chicken Recipe

This recipe is easy and fast, perfect for a weeknight!  I'm always looking for new ways to jazz up chicken and this turned out great.  

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. chicken breasts (I pounded mine to make them thin)
• 1 tablespoon salt-free Greek seasoning (I used Cavender's)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried minced onion (like this)
• 2-4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Add the first 6 ingredients to a gallon-size ziplock bag.  Seal the bag and squish the mixture around a bit making sure to coat the chicken well.  Place the ziplock bag with the marinated chicken in the fridge and let it marinate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Once you're ready to cook, add the butter and one tablespoon olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat.  Let the skillet heat up then add your chicken, cooking for about 5 minutes per size depending on thickness.  You'll need to cook in separate batches, making sure to add a bit of oil and/or butter with each batch.

EXTRAS: Once I was finished with the chicken, I added a bit of freshly diced tomatoes to the skillet and cooked them down a bit and added them on top of my chicken.  I paired the chicken with this couscous and did some sautéed spinach.  I also had some tzatziki sauce on hand and used it as a sauce for my chicken.

Enjoy!  Let us know if you make this delicious chicken!