Hot Chocolate Cookies

Hot Chocolate Cookies 1 cup butter, room temperature 1 cup light brown sugar ½ cup hot chocolate mix 2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla ½ tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 2¾ cup flour 1 cup chopped milk chocolate (or milk chocolate chips) 1 cup Marshmallow Bits Preheat oven to 350 Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Cream butter and brown sugar together on medium speed for about 1 minute until combined. Add in hot chocolate and continue mixing for about 30 seconds. Add in eggs and vanilla and continue mixing until incorporated. Turn mixer to low and add in salt, baking soda and flour. Mix until just combined. Finally, add in milk chocolate and Marshmallow Bits, stirring until evenly mixed in. Drop by heaping tablespoon onto lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9­-11 minutes, until edges are set and slightly golden. Transfer to wire rack to cool Note Store airtight for up to 3 day

MEATBALL CASSEROLE

MEATBALL CASSEROLE 1 (16 ounce) package Barilla uncooked rotini 1 (25 ounce) jar marinara sauce 3 cups water 1 (14 ounce) package fully-cooked miniature (cocktail-size) meatballs (if using frozen meatballs, make sure that they are completely thawed before using) 2 cups Kraft shredded mozzarella (or Italian blend) cheese Optional: Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped herbs (such as basil, oregano, and parsley) for garnish Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a large baking dish, stir together uncooked pasta, marinara sauce, water, and meatballs. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover; stir. Sprinkle mozzarella over the top and bake uncovered for 10 more minutes (or until cheese is melted and pasta is tender).

Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Garlic Shrimp Pasta 1 lb medium shrimp, deveined and tails removed 1 lb spaghetti noodles (more or less, depending on family size) 6 -8 garlic cloves, according to personal taste, minced 1/4 cup butter olive oil (3 drizzles) italian seasoning fresh ground pepper red pepper flakes salt herbs (according to taste) Boil pasta in water till tender, save 1 cup of pasta water for use later. I always put some oil, salt, and fresh herbs in with my pasta when I boil it. Drain and set aside when done. While pasta is boiling, wash shrimp. Melt butter over medium heat. Add shrimp. Let cook till a little pink and starting to curl. Then add garlic. Cook 5-7 min., add oil. Continue to stir till shrimp is pink and curled. Add pasta to skillet. Add seasonings. Add just enough saved pasta water till it is not dry but not swimming in liquid either. Depending on amount of pasta this requires 1/2 the cup or all of it. Start with adding 1/4 of it then work up from there. Keep tossing all ingredients around in skillet till all is incorporated and hot.

Salisbury Steak Garlic Mash Potatoes Mushroom & Onion gravy

Salisbury Steak Garlic Mash Potatoes Mushroom & Onion gravy For the Steaks: 1/3 cup breadcrumbs 1 egg 1 small yellow onion grated 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 lb. lean ground beef such as 90/10 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil For the Mushroom Gravy: 2 tablespoons butter 8 oz. sliced mushrooms I used baby portobellas (cremini) 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups beef broth kosher salt to taste black pepper to taste In a large bowl, mix together the grated onion (and its juices), the breadcrumbs (1/3 cup), the egg, the kosher salt (1 teaspoon), and the black pepper (1/2 teaspoon) until well combined. Add the ground beef to the bowl and mix to combine with the breadcrumb and onion mixture. I recommend using your hands for this. Divide the beef mixture evenly into four. The easiest way to do this is to press the beef mixture into the bottom of the bowl and use your finger to “draw” lines dividing it into four quadrants. Form 4 oval shaped patties with your hands about 3/4ths of an inch thick. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Only after it’s searing hot (after about 2 minutes), add the olive oil (1 tablespoon) to the pan and swirl to coat. Add the patties to the hot pan and cook for 2 minutes on each side- they should a have nice brown color. To get the best color, don’t move them until the two minutes are up. Remove the patties to a plate. Add the butter (2 tablespoons) to the skillet, then add the sliced mushrooms after it’s melted. Cook the mushrooms for 2 minutes, until golden. Then, sprinkle the flour (2 tablespoons) over the mushrooms. Stir the mushrooms, coating each of them in the flour, and continue to cook for 1 more minute. Add the beef broth (2 cups), stirring constantly to incorporate the flour, and bring it to a simmer. Add the steak patties back into the gravy mixture and simmer, uncovered, for 5 more minutes, or until they’re fully cooked and the gravy has thickened. Notes Time saving tip: Form the patties ahead of time and store in your refrigerator for up to two days. Money saving tip: Look for ground beef on sale or buy it in bulk to store in your freezer. Take it out of the freezer 24 hours before making this recipe. You can also make your own breadcrumbs easily by toasting two slices of bread and using your food processor to crumble them. For a dairy-free version: use more olive oil instead of butter to make the gravy. For a gluten-free version: use gluten-free breadcrumbs in the steaks and use cornstarch instead of flour (added after the broth in a slurry) for the gravy.

Jambalaya

Jambalaya 2 chicken breastsskinless, boneless, cut into chunks 1 pound andouille sausage linkssliced 1 can diced tomatoes 28 ounces 1 large onionchopped 1 red bell pepperfinely chopped 2 stalks celerythinly sliced 2 cups chicken broth 1/2 teaspoondried thyme 2 teaspoons dried oregano 1 tablespoonCajun seasoning 1/2 teaspooncayenne pepper 1 pound shrimp13-15 count Add all the ingredients except the shrimp into the slow cooker and stir. Cook on low for 7-8 hours (high for 3-4 hours), in the last 15 minutes add in the shrimp. Serve over rice.

Chicken Teriyaki Bowls

Chicken Teriyaki Bowls 1 lb. chicken, cut into 1" pieces 3 Tbsp. teriyaki sauce 2 c. uncooked white, long-grain rice 3 1/2 c. water Kosher salt, to taste 1/4 c. teriyaki sauce 3 Tbsp. soy sauce 1/2 c. carrots, chopped 1/3 c. green onion, chopped 1/3 c. peas (optional) 1 c. broccoli, chopped Teriyaki Sauce, to taste In a large, deep skillet, over medium-high heat, cook chicken in 3 Tbsp. Teriyaki sauce until just white on the outside (doesn't need to be cooked through). Add remaining ingredients, except broccoli and extra teriyaki sauce, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover with lid. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Add broccoli, cover again, and simmer an additional 5 minutes or until rice is cooked through. Spoon extra teriyaki sauce, to taste, over the rice and serve immediately.

HAMBURGER CASSEROLE

HAMBURGER CASSEROLE 1 lb box medium shells 1 lb ground hamburger, cooked with garlic, onion, salt and pepper to taste 2 cans tomato soup 1 cup cheddar cheese 1 cup mozzarella cheese Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain. After browning hamburger, add 2 cans tomato soup to the frying pan (with the hamburger). Add ½ can water. Stir and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Pour noodles in a greased 9×13 baking dish. Pour hamburger mixture over noodles and stir. Sprinkle cheese over casserole and cover with foil. Bake in a 375* oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10 minutes longer. Can bake under broiler for 3-5 minutes to brown cheese, if desired