Campfire Sliders

Summer is winding down, my daughter starts school next week!  I'm not looking forward to it.  But there is still time for another camp out or cookout up the canyon or in your back yard to celebrate a wonderful end of summer.  These Campfire Sliders are perfect! You can make them ahead of time and take them where ever you want to cook them.  In the oven, on the grill or on the coals of your fire. These are sure to be a easy, delicious dinner for the family to enjoy! Catch the recipe and printable of our favorite fillings on Rhodes Kids Baking Blog today. 

Blender Salsa

We have a favorite salsa recipe and we want it to be your favorite, too.  It's ridiculously easy and so addictive.  We have both been making it for years now and we have tweaked the recipe so now we can declare it perfect.  Lu shared the original a couple of years ago, but since we both have made slight changes from the old recipe and we got some new pictures we decided it deserved a new post.  

Declaring it perfect may seem pretty bold, but one taste and you'll understand.  Oh, and did we mention that it uses canned tomatoes? In my opinion, that is one of the best things about this salsa--you can enjoy it all year! Originally I was worried it wouldn't taste as fresh using canned tomatoes, but the cilantro, lime, and jalapeno do an excellent job of making the whole thing taste fresh and I didn't miss dicing all those tomatoes one little bit. 

Just try to plan ahead at least an hour before you want to eat it so that the flavors can get happy before you eat it....although I've never been one to be able to but off my salsa craving for a whole hour!

Blender Salsa

Printable Version

Ingredients:

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1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 cans (10 - 14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 jalapeno, roughly chopped with seeds and membranes removed
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped *
juice of 1/2 lime

Directions:

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In a blender, or blending cup if using an immersion blender, combine Rotel with all ingredients besides diced tomatoes. Blend until smooth or desired consistency is reached. Add in diced tomatoes and pulse a couple of times leaving a little bit of texture. Chill for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld. Serve with chips, taquitos, quesadillas, enchiladas or any way your salsa-loving heart desires!

Notes:

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*I don't bother removing the majority of the stems. I know some people use only the leaves though. Just chop off the bottom and give the rest a rough chop before throwing it in the blender.

Recipe Source:

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Adapted from the Pioneer Woman Cooks; Originally shared on landeelu.com

Perfect Deviled Eggs

It's a few days after Easter and we still have a dozen plus boiled eggs hanging around.  Last night my husband said, are we going to have Deviled Eggs sometime? We really love this recipe. It's my Grandma King's recipe - and I tell you what, these things are addicting. I ate 3 whole eggs without thinking about it last time I made these and then my hubby polished off the last 3. Grandma has some of the best recipes and I love keeping them alive in the family.  This recipe is simple and sure, and everyone loves them. They are perfectly seasoned, and if you're feeling fancy and want to give them a pop of color you garnish them with chives or green onions.  

Every Easter my favorite foods are Carrot Cake, Deviled Eggs and Egg Salad Sandwiches. So far I've had all but the Deviled Eggs, but I'll be fixing that right after I publish this post.  

Enjoy!

Deviled Eggs

PRINTABLE VERSION {CLICK HERE}
Yield: 6 whole eggs (12 halves)

Ingredients:

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6 eggs

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

¼ teaspoon onion salt (or ⅛ teaspoon onion powder and ¼ teaspoon salt)

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

½ teaspoon lemon juice

Dash of white pepper

Dash of tabasco sauce

Directions:

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Hard boil 6 eggs. Our preferred way is to cover them in large sauce pan with water and bring to a boil, once boiling, turn heat off and cover the pot with the lid and let them sit for 10 minutes. Once 10 minutes is up, drain the warm water and fill pan with water and ice to cool.

Once cool peel and cut in half lengthwise.  Remove yolks and place in a small mixing bowl, add the mayo, onion salt, mustard, lemon juice, pepper and tabasco sauce - mix until smooth.  Pipe or scoop the yolk mixture back into the hole of the egg white.  Garnish with paprika or chopped chives if desired.

Recipe Source:

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From our grandma, Kathy King - Originally shared on Landee Lu

Baked Pastrami Sliders

There are a few reasons why these heavenly baked pastrami sandwiches are so perfect.  1) You can make them ahead of time (or not.).  We're all about make-ahead meals here and anything that makes dinnertime less hectic.  2) They all come out of the oven at the same time and are ready to serve.  This may not seem like a big deal, but it seems like when we have panini or other hot sandwiches for dinner they are never all ready at the same time so it makes it harder to sit down and enjoy dinner together.  And last but not least, 3),  they come together super quickly--no slaving over a hot stove all afternoon.

Click here to head to Or So She Says where we are sharing this scrumptious recipe!

Greek Chicken Pita Pockets

Have you ever tried making pita bread? Lu and I have both given it a try recently and maybe I'm easily entertained, but it was so thrilling watching it puff up to form those pockets.  But whether or not you make your own pita bread isn't important here.  In fact the bread isn't important in this conversation.  It's merely a vehicle to get the deliciousness that is this chicken salad into your mouth.  

You must try this recipe.  It is light, fresh, filling, and the perfect quick dinner as the weather begins to warm up--or any day really! Click over to OSSS where we're sharing the recipe and grab the printable.  You won't regret it!

P.S.  This dressing from Sprouts is amazing!!

Mini S'mores

Everything is cuter in a miniature version, right?  These little guys are no exception.  Some might argue that s'mores are a thing of summer, but I would argue that these are exactly what February needs.  These cuties are perfectly packable and would make awesome Valentine's day goodies for someone you love.

Plus, they are super fun and fast to make and a great project to keep little hands busy.

Break apart your grahams.  Add some mini mallows.

Pop them under your broiler on low for 30 seconds to 2 minutes.  

When they are golden brown, pull them out... 

...and top with another graham cracker piece.

Melt some chocolate and dip away!

Garnish with sprinkles, nuts, toasted coconut, or whatever your little heart desires.  Let the chocolate set up then package them up for the lucky recipients! 

 Quick little tip: an inexpensive way to buy sprinkles is at a grocery store bakery. These 8 oz containers are $1.98 at my Walmart.  They usually have a better variety of seasonal/holiday sprinkles at the bakery, too.

 

 

Mini S’mores

Printable Version

Ingredients:

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Graham crackers, each sheet broken into 4 individual crackers

Miniature marshmallows

1 cup chocolate chips

1 tablespoon coconut oil or shortening

Directions:

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Preheat your broiler to low.  Lay half of the graham crackers, dimple side down, on a baking sheet.  Top each cracker with 3 miniature marshmallows.  Broil on low for 30 seconds to 2 minutes (time will vary by oven, but watch them closely while they’re in there.  It won’t take long.  When the marshmallows are puffy and golden brown, remove them and quickly top them with the remaining graham crackers.  Press each one down until the sticky insides of the marshmallow begin to ooze.  The stickiness will help the top crackers stay put.  

In a small microwave safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips and the coconut oil or shortening in 30 second increments until they can be stirred smooth.  (It should only take about 1 minute.  Be careful not to overheat the chocolate or it will seize up.)  Dip one end of each graham cracker marshmallow sandwich into the melted chocolate.  Set on waxed paper or a sheet of parchment.  Add sprinkles or other garnishes, if desired.  Allow the chocolate to set up before serving.  

Recipe Source:

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My cousin, Emma.
Originally posted on landeelu.com

Lemon Parmesan Salmon

I'm always on the hunt for quick, tasty meals that don't take a lot of time or effort to prepare.  This salmon dish wins in all of those departments.  Salmon is definitely my favorite kind of fish, and this is hands-down my favorite way to eat it.  I love the flavors and the creamy, bubbly delicious coating on top acts to prevent the fish from drying out and provide incredible flavor.

I've always liked salmon, but I didn't love it until I had it prepared this way at a friend's house.  Don't cringe when you read what the secret ingredient it.  Had I read the recipe before I tasted it, I never would have known it had mayonnaise in it.  Now, I'm not a mayo lover and to me it seems like it doesn't belong here....BUT it's only a small amount and it helps the fish stay moist and get the bubbly browning on the top that makes it oh-so-tasty.  And trust me, it won't taste mayo-y.  

It's the perfect meal any time of the year.  I love it in the summer, but it's also a refreshing break from the heavy casseroles in the colder months and still hearty enough to fill you up.   

Click here to visit OSSS where we're sharing the recipe and the handy dandy printable!

Honey Chicken & Veggie Stir-Fry

We're down to single digit days on our Christmas countdown.  For me that means lots of last minute errands, gift wrapping, and not tons of extra time to spend in the kitchen.  Lu shared this recipe with me and we had this for dinner last night.  It was so yummy!  I told my kids it was Christmas stir-fry and they ate it right up.  The best part is that is was on the table in under 30 minutes.  Also, it was pretty much a one pan meal...well, one pan + a rice cooker--but still pretty minimal in the dirty dishes department.  

We're sharing the recipe over at Or So She Says today.  Head here to get the handy dandy printable and give it a try.  Also, bonus points if you can find Lu in the picture below:

French Bread Pizza

 

 Hey friends, we are still alive, we've just really been enjoying family and the holidays, sorry for being MIA for so long. Today I want to share a fun family involved recipe. It's easy, quick to make, and the whole family can be involved! 

So I shared this recipe on Real Imprints a few months ago. They were looking for recipes that involve the family and I was happy to share this one.  I love their mission and theme. There is lots to be found on their website to help inspire and lift others.  It's such a neat place to visit! 

I hope that the recipe I'm sharing today will help you to draw closer to the ones you love. After my son passed away (you can read more about him here and here), I realized even more how extremely important family is.  I want to cherish my moments with my family as much as I can.  Leesh and I love to let our kids be included in our recipe making adventures.  It's a fun way to learn and grow together.  What do you do to be close?

So this recipe for French Bread Pizza is a simple meal the whole family will enjoy.    My mom used to make this for us when we were kids and I always loved it.  I've learned a few tricks that have helped the pizza be even better too (e.g., no soggy bread for the crust). So follow the instructions, involve your kids as much as possible and enjoy! I hope you have a fun time making it and that you will really enjoy it! 

French Bread Pizza

Printable Version {Click Here}

Ingredients:

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1 loaf french bread, sliced in half lengthwise (like a sub sandwich)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Garlic salt, for sprinkling

½-⅔ cup Parmesan cheese, fresh grated.

1-2 cups pizza sauce, depending on how saucy you like it

1-2 cups Mozzarella/Colby jack cheese blend, depending on how cheesy you like it

Pizza toppings of choice (we used pepperoni, olives, green chile and roasted red pepper)

Directions:

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Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the loaf of french bread in half lengthwise the way you would a sub sandwich) and place on a foil lined baking sheet.  Press the bread down on the cut side with your finger tips to kind of compress the bread. This helps it not be soggy.  Lightly brush each open face of bread with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with garlic salt and Parmesan cheese. Try to get good coverage of the Parmesan cheese, this will help create a barrier between the bread and sauce so you don’t get the soggy crusted pizza. Place in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 4-5 minutes until lightly golden (including the Parmesan cheese, it will be slightly hard to the touch). Don’t burn the cheese though. Remove from the oven.

Spread sauce over each half and sprinkle with ½-1 cup of mozzarella cheese.  Top with your desired pizza toppings.  And if you’d like a little extra cheese on top add 2-3 tablespoons.  

Bake for 6-10 minutes or until the cheese is starting to bubble and brown slightly and the edges of the bread are turning a nice deep golden brown. Let it rest for a few minutes before slicing and enjoy!

Recipe Source:

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Originally posted on Real Imprints. Recipe inspired by our mom, and a few extra tips from Mel. 

Soy Sauce Chicken {Electric Skillet, Stove-top or Crock-pot}

Almost 2 years ago my friend, Cynthia, offered to bring me a meal when I was 40+ weeks pregnant with baby 3.  I hadn't ever thought to bring someone a meal when they were late in their pregnancy. I had only thought to do that after the baby was born. But she was on to something.  I was HUGE, my back hurt and making dinner was very low on my priority list.  So she brought my family a big pot of this soy sauce chicken.  We were all smitten!  It was seriously delicious! It was the most tender, flavorful chicken I had ever had.  And it was seriously appreciated late in my pregnancy.  She deserves some kind of awesome friend award!

The next day I emailed her thanking her for the amazing meal and requested the recipe.  She kindly shared it and has agreed to let me share it with you! She's a real friend! :)  

Needless to say, we've been enjoying this chicken dish ever since. 2 years and counting this has hit the dinner table at least monthly.  I love a lot of things about this meal.  Here are a few reasons: 

1) It's super tasty!  That is my main reason for loving any food. But really, this chicken is loaded with flavor. 

2) It's tender and moist.  I seriously, with a passion, HATE dry grainy chicken. This is not that way at all.  It's fall apart tender and I go nuts for that kind of chicken.  

3) It's super quick to make in an deep dish electric skillet or deep dish stove top  (like 30 minutes and dinner (and this side of sesame noodles and some steamed veggies) can be made and ready to serve. I love quick, easy, yummy meals! 

4) You can also make it in the crock pot (4-6 hours on low and wah-lah).  The sauce is so quick to mix up (we're talking 5 minutes or less) and then you add some chicken and let it simmer away. It's almost too easy!  I have made it all these ways and it works great.   

There really are so many reasons to love this meal.  I mentioned 2 weeks ago when I posted the Sesame Noodles that we'd had some requests for quick meals that can be made ahead or in a jiffy.  This is another one of those.  Check out our labels for "Quick" and "20-Mintue Meal" and "30-Minute Meal" These labels will continue to grow as we share more, so keep tabs on them.  

Enjoy!  

-Lu

 

Soy Sauce Chicken

Printable Version {Click Here}

Ingredients:

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½ cup soy sauce

1-1 ⅓ cup water

3 tablespoons brown sugar

4 cloves of garlic, minced or 1 teaspoon granulated garlic

½ tablespoon fresh ginger, grated or 1 teaspoon ginger powder

2-4 lbs skinless chicken (we prefer chicken thighs, although drumsticks and breasts work well too)

Directions:

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Mix soy sauce, water, brown sugar, garlic and ginger together in the bottom of an electric deep-dish skillet, deep-dish stove-top skillet or 4 quart crock pot. This makes up the sauce for the chicken.   Heat the sauce and let sugar dissolve and then add the chicken.  Cover it and let it simmer for 30-35 minutes on the stove or in the electric skillet (about 300 degrees for the skillet) or let is cook in the crock pot on low for 4-6 hours.  Flip the chicken over about half way through so both sides get nice and soaked in the soy sauce mixture.  If the mixture starts to look at all dry, add more water.  Check temperature to make sure the chicken is done before serving, should be at least 165 degrees F.  Serve warm.  

We enjoy eating this with the sesame noodle recipe on our blog (or shred this chicken and add it to the noodles) or some steamed rice and veggies.  

Recipe Source:

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lightly adapted from my good friend, Cynthia T.  

Sesame Noodles

A few weeks ago I asked on facebook what kind of recipes our followers would like to see. We had some requests for easy dinners that can be made ahead of time.  Dinners that are nice to have when you have kids to run from practice to lessons, to whatever and you get home and want to eat quickly.  Leesh and I have sweet tooth's, there is no denying that, so we have shared more dessert recipes than anything else.  So we're going to try to share some of our favorite meals, especially those quick ones that we are loving right now.  But don't fret, the desserts will still come.  We will just try to have some more moderation. 

These soy sauce noodles are a quick meal or side, you can make it as fast as you can cook a package of noodles.  And I'm serious.  If you are like me, you probably have the ingredients on hand too. I'll share a main dish I love to go with this next, something with some meat for my protein loving people (it can be in the crock pot or a quick 20 minute simmer).  Do you guys eat meat with every dinner? We generally do.  I need some protein to keep me going. 

In fact, you can really turn this into it's own meal by serving it with some shredded chicken (I'm thinking a rotisserie chicken for those hectic evenings) on top, or other other meat (sliced beef). You can also use whatever kind of long noodles you have, Asian noodles, linguine, angel hair or spaghetti. I've used plain old spaghetti here. 

The sauce is what makes this, as you might have guessed.  A little soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, vinegar, chili or chili oil, and some green onions and sesame seed (optional) for garnish.  These noodles are loaded with flavor and are so satisfying.  Me, my husband and my kiddos gobble these up.  

Server em' plain or with any Asian side you desire! Enjoy! 

Sesame Noodles

Serves 4

Printable Version {Click Here}

Ingredients:

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8 oz of thin noodles (spaghetti, angel hair, Asian noodles, etc)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

½ tablespoon sugar

¼ teaspoon granulated garlic

1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or ½ teaspoon hot chili oil

1-2 green onions, sliced for garnish

Sesame seeds (optional), for garnish

Directions:

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Bring a large pot of water to boil for the noodles.  While the water is getting hot, in a large bowl, mix the soy sauce, sugar, garlic powder, vinegar, sesame oil, and red pepper/chili oil. Set aside.  

When water is boiling add noodles and cook as directed by the package.  While they are cooking slice the green onions.  

Once noodles are done, drain them, and dump them in the bowl of sauce and toss to coat them.  Top with green onions and sesame seeds and serve. These are best warm.  Enjoy!

Recipe Source:

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Adapted from the Pioneer Woman, Simple Sesame Noodles, cut the oil way back, use red pepper instead of chili oil, and use granulated garlic in place of fresh garlic (I tried that once and it was too strong for me).