These pizza bites are the perfect appetizer to serve at a casual get-together. I’ve made them for both New Year’s Eve and Super Bowl parties, and recommend making a double batch if you’re feeding a crowd because they disappear quickly! I filled my pizza bites with slices of pepperoni and mozzarella cheese, but you can get creative and use your favorite pizza toppings. The pizza bites are great served with some homemade pizza sauce for dipping, too.  Throwing or attending a Super Bowl party?  Then please make some of these pizza bites to enjoy and share.  You’ll be glad you did. 

One year ago:  Cheesecake-Swirled Brownies

Pizza Bites

Printable Recipe

Makes 20-24 pizza bites

Ingredients:

• 1/2 batch pizza dough (enough for 1 pizza)
• 4 oz. mozzarella cheese, cubed (about 20-24 pieces)
• Sliced pepperoni

For topping:

• Olive oil
• Italian seasoning
• Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate or cake pan.
2. Divide the dough into 20-24 roughly equal sized pieces. Take on of the dough pieces, top with a slice or two of pepperoni and a cube of cheese. Pull the edges of the dough around the fillings and pinch closed. Place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.
3. Lightly brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Serve warm, with dipping sauce as desired.

Recipe from Annie’s Eats, inspired by Chaos in the Kitchen

While I’ve been making homemade pizzas for years, pizza sauce is something that I’ve never thought too much about. I used to buy pizza sauce at the store, but didn’t like paying $4 for something that I only used a small amount of, and that wasn’t that good to begin with. Recently I’ve just been using a can of plain tomato sauce as pizza sauce, topped with a sprinkling of Italian seasoning if I was feeling fancy. But now that I’ve tried this homemade pizza sauce, I’m sure that I’ll be taking a few extra minutes to make my pizzas that much better.

The sauce can be made ahead of time and refrigerated, saving you time when you’re ready to assemble your pizza. This recipe makes more sauce than you need for one pizza, and while I haven’t tried it yet, I’m sure that it would freeze well. Just freeze pizza-sized portions individually and defrost as needed. Homemade pizza sauce also works well as a dipping sauce, and next I’ll be sharing an appetizer that’s perfect with this sauce.

One year ago:  Chicken with White Beans and Tomatoes

Pizza Sauce

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (or 2 tsp. if you want more heat)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow to cook for at least 15 minutes. Once finished cooking, remove from the heat. If you prefer a smoother sauce, use a potato masher or immersion blender to break up the chunks of tomato. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Recipe adapted from Annie’s Eats.

Growing up, Reese’s peanut butter cups were always one of my favorite candies. Not surprising, since chocolate and peanut butter is a flavor combination loved by most. One of my favorite ice cream treats is vanilla ice cream with peanut butter cups mixed in. This Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream takes that idea and subtracts the vanilla- here we have pure chocolate and peanut butter ice cream.

In this ice cream, both the chocolate and peanut butter flavors stand out. (It’s not just chocolate ice cream with a hint of peanut butter.) This is one creamy, rich ice cream that’s totally worth pulling out your ice cream maker in the middle of January.

One year ago:  Chocolate Almond Bundt Cake

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Printable Recipe

Makes about 1 quart

Ingredients:

• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1/4 cup (25 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup (130 g) smooth peanut butter

Directions:

1. Whisk together the half-and-half, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it comes to a full, rolling boil (it will start to foam up). Remove from the heat and whisk in the peanut butter, stirring until thoroughly blended.
2. Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Recipe from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

This recipe has appeared on a number of my favorite food blogs, and for a while now I’ve been meaning to try it myself. For one reason or another, though, it never made it onto my weekly meal plan- until now. If I had known how much we would enjoy these taquitos, I would have made them much, much sooner.

The taquitos are surprisingly easy to put together, especially if you have leftover cooked chicken from the previous night’s dinner. Plus, they freeze really well so you can make a double batch and have a few more delicious, homemade meals on the table in minutes. Directions for freezing the unbaked taquitos follow the recipe below.

As I’ve mentioned recently, more and more Julia is enjoying helping me in the kitchen. I’m finding that the more involved she can be in the preparation of a meal, the more likely she is to want to eat it once we’re at the dinner table. For these taquitos, Julia helped me scoop the filling onto the tortillas before rolling them up. And when dinner time came, she took a bite of her taquito without hesitation and proceeded to eat it up and even ask for seconds!

One year ago:  Baked Falafel Sandwiches with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce and Chicken Pot Pie

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Printable Recipe

Makes 12 taquitos

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice (juice from half a lime)
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tbsp. sliced green onions
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 cup shredded Mexican flavored cheese
• 12 small flour or corn tortillas
• kosher salt
• cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic. Once combined, stir in the cilantro and green onions. Add the chicken and cheese; mix thoroughly. (If you decide to prep this in advance, refrigerate the mixture at this point until ready to continue.)
3. Working with a few tortillas at a time, heat them in the microwave between two paper towels until they are soft enough to roll (about 20-30 seconds).
4. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto the lower third of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can.
5. Place the rolled tortilla seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas until the mixture is gone. Make sure the taquitos are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and golden. Serve with salsa, sour cream, or guacamole.

*Note: To freeze taquitos, before baking, flash freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet then place in a labeled freezer bag and store up to 3 months. To bake a frozen taquito (no need to thaw first): Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. and bake for 20 minutes.

Recipe from Pennies on a Platter, who adapted it from Our Best Bites

Steel cut oats are something that I’ve been meaning to try for a while. I enjoy a warm bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, especially in the cooler months, and often hear about how good steel cut oats are for you. Steel cut oats are less processed than rolled oats, made by taking the whole oat kernel and cutting it into small pieces. They have a chewier texture and a nuttier taste than rolled oats, making them a nice change for variety’s sake.

To cook steel cut oats on the stovetop, it takes about 35 minutes. Some mornings that is just too long to wait for breakfast, which is why I like this overnight recipe. It takes about 5 minutes to combine the ingredients in the evening, and then you refrigerate the mixture overnight. In the morning, the oats cook quickly since they’ve soaked overnight, and you can have a hot breakfast on the table in about 10 minutes.

These overnight oats are spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg and are slightly sweetened from some milk and applesauce. If you prefer your oatmeal on the less sweet side, I suggest omitting the brown sugar. Add some chopped apple and pecans for a little crunch, and breakfast is ready!

One year ago:  Coffeecake Muffins

Overnight Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats

Printable Recipe

Makes 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup steel cut oats
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar (I sometimes omit this as I don’t like my oatmeal very sweet)
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 large apple, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/3 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:

1. In a nonmetal bowl combine oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and applesauce. Stir in milk and water; cover and chill for 8 to 24 hours.
2. To serve, transfer oatmeal mixture to a medium saucepan. Stir in 1 cup of apples, reserving the remaining 1/2 cup for serving. Heat just to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until oatmeal is done, adding additional milk or water if desired and stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
3. Spoon into bowls; sprinkle with apples and pecans. Serve with additional milk, if desired.

Recipe adapted from Good Life Eats

If you love Oreo cookies, then these are the cupcakes for you. To start, half of an Oreo is hidden at the bottom of the cupcake. Then, chopped Oreo pieces are mixed into a delicious cupcake base. Finally, the cupcakes are topped with Oreo whipped cream and half of an Oreo cookie. These cupcakes are definitely indulgent, but I’m sure you won’t have any trouble finding friends to share them with!

One year ago: Vanilla Ice Cream, Philadelphia-Style

Oreo Cookie Cupcakes

Printable Recipe

Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

• 24 Oreo halves, with cream filling attached
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk
• 20 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped

For the frosting:

• 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tbsp. whipping cream
• 3 tbsp. powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 6 tbsp. Oreo cookie crumbs

For garnish:

• 24 Oreo cookie halves

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the wells of two cupcake pans with 24 paper liners. Place an Oreo half in the bottom of each liner, cream side up.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to blend and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Blend in the egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, beat in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Add the milk and beat just until combined, then add the remaining dry ingredients.
4. Gently fold in the chopped Oreos with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated, being careful not to over-mix. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. To prepare the frosting, in the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until the whipped cream holds stiff peaks. Gently fold in the cookie crumbs with a spatula.
6. Scoop the mixture into a pastry bag and pipe frosting decoratively on top of the cupcakes. Garnish with Oreo cookie halves.

Recipe from Cooking with Karen, adapted from Annie’s Eats

Slow Cooker Beef Chili

I love to cook. I do have a cooking blog, after all. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy having dinner prepared for me once in a while. With this slow cooker chili, it’s almost like someone else is cooking dinner. The slow cooker works away all day and you end up with a delicious-smelling house and a delicious-tasting dinner. All you have to do is throw in a few ingredients in the morning and then let it cook away.

I’ve been making this chili for years and it could not be easier. Slightly spicy and super satisfying, it’s the perfect meal to warm you up on a cold day.

One year ago:  Waffles of Insane Greatness

Slow Cooker Beef Chili

Printable Recipe

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound beef boneless round steak, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (or often I’ll use already cut up stew meat)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 medium stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 tbps. chili powder
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 cans (14.5 oz. each) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
• 1 medium bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 can (15 to 16 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• Shredded cheddar cheese, if desired

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients except bell pepper, beans, and cheese in 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low heat setting 6 to 7 hours or until beef and vegetables are tender.
3. Stir in bell pepper and beans. Cook uncovered on high heat setting about 15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Serve with cheese, if desired.

Recipe from Betty Crocker: Slow Cooker Meals

Homemade Granola Bars

Blogging, and reading others’ blogs, has inspired me to try making homemade versions of things that I never would have considered before. Some perfect examples are these homemade burger buns, pita bread, homemade rolls, and now these granola bars. (Next I can’t wait to try my hand at homemade chocolate croissants- I just came across a recipe that has me craving them!)

It took me a few tries to get these granola bars just how I wanted them before sharing them with you. The great thing about these is that you can substitute out ingredients to customize them to your own liking. I love this version, filled with oats, dark chocolate chips, dried cherries, and a touch of peanut butter. I’m sure I’ll still play around with my recipe though, changing the ingredients up for variety.

Katie of Good Life Eats has a great formula for making your own homemade granola bars. She’s broken down the ingredients into 5 categories, listing amounts of each that you’ll need. Then you choose what type of rolled grains, nuts, seeds & spices, sticky sweeteners, dried fruits, and binder you prefer. So try my recipe or create your own- whatever you choose to do, I do hope you’ll try making some homemade granola bars of your own. They are super easy, and the great thing about homemade is that you get to choose exactly what goes into your food.

One year ago:  Nutty Granola and Spicy Chicken Enchiladas Verde

Homemade Granola Bars

Printable Recipe

Makes 12 bars

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup chopped dried pitted dates
• 2/3 cup applesauce
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
• 2/3 cup chopped almonds
• 1/3 cup dried cherries
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In the bowl of a food processor combine the dates, applesauce, honey, maple syrup, peanut butter, cinnamon, and salt. Process until smooth. Add oats and quickly pulse 2-4 times to incorporate (I prefer some larger pieces of oats so I’m careful not to process too much here).
3. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Stir in sunflower seeds, almonds, cherries, and chocolate chips.
4. Put mixture into the parchment-lined baking pan, pressing down to make sure it evenly fills the pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting. To cut, remove the granola bars and parchment together and place on a cutting board. Cut into 12 bars.

Individually wrapped, granola bars store well in the freezer for up to a month.

Recipe inspired by Good Life Eats

As we get ready to begin 2012, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite recipes that I’ve made over the past year. I always have such a hard time narrowing down my favorites, but these are the recipes that we enjoyed so much that I will make them again and again (and in most cases I already have). I hope you’ll find something that inspires you to spend some time in your kitchen in 2012!

Nutty Granola: I’ve made this granola more times than I can count, and it’s always a treat to have some for breakfast. Slightly sweetened with maple syrup and filled with nuts and oats, this granola is the best.

Waffles of Insane Greatness: Easy to prepare, this recipe is my favorite whenever I want waffles for breakfast.

Everyday Cinnamon Rolls: When a cinnamon roll craving hits but you don’t want to spend too much time baking (and waiting!), these everyday cinnamon rolls are the perfect solution. Warm and gooey, and filled with cinnamon flavor, these cinnamon rolls are made with less butter and part whole wheat flour, so you don’t have to feel too guilty about eating them.

Fish Tacos with Mango Slaw: Deliciously seasoned fish is wrapped in a tortilla with crunchy mango slaw and creamy avocado. So good.

Vegetable Enchiladas: These enchiladas are healthy and full of vegetables, black beans, and cheese.

Restaurant Style Salsa: The only problem with this salsa is that after making it, you’ll have a really hard time eating the jarred kind again. That’s ok, though, because this homemade salsa can be made in a matter of minutes.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins: This may be my new favorite muffin recipe. The combination of peanut butter and chocolate is just right in these muffins.

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling: Delicious vanilla bean cake with a surprise raspberry filling.

Black Bean Burgers: These vegetarian burgers have so much flavor that once you try them, you’ll make them again and again.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes: Delicious made with either fresh or frozen blueberries, these pancakes are my go-to recipe.

Grilled Chicken Fajitas: An amazing marinade makes these fajitas something special. Add in grilled peppers and onions and whatever other toppings you like, and you have a great meal.

Golden Winter Soup: Butternut squash, potato, and leeks with a touch of cream. Served with a green salad and some rolls or Gruyere toasts, this soup is the perfect fall or winter dish.

Merry Christmas!  Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, so I’ve baked up some special cookies for Santa.  These Chocolate Crinkles are a family favorite, and we bake some every year.  This year, Julia rolled all of the balls of dough in the powdered sugar before baking.  She was such a big helper, and completely enjoyed every minute of cookie making.

I wish you a very merry Christmas and lots of time spent enjoying your family.

Chocolate Crinkles

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 ounces melted unsweetened chocolate, cooled slightly
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Mix granulated sugar, oil, melted chocolate, and vanilla.  Mix in eggs, one at a time.  Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt.  Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours (dough will be very soft and sticky).
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Roll teaspoon size pieces of dough into balls and roll in powdered sugar to coat.  Place about 2 inches apart on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake until almost no indentation remains when touched, 10 to 12 minutes.

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