Hawaiian Turkey Sliders

This next recipe is a hit as an appetizer, late night snack or even a full blown meal. I've made this recipe several times and have always been asked how to make them. The original recipe actually calls for ham, but those of you that know me, know I don't eat that so we switched it up to use honey turkey and I've never gotten a complaint. You could easily do the recipe all ham though, or a little bit of both. This recipe just calls for turkey but switch it up however you like. One more disclaimer, the recipe below is for a full recipe but the pictures are only for half since we didn't need 12 sandwiches for just the two of us. If you want to make only six, just halve the written recipe below.

What you need for the sliders:
1 package of 12 Hawaiian rolls
1 pound of honey turkey (or 1/2lb turkey, 1/2lb ham)
10 slices of swiss cheese
1 stick of butter
1/2 of an onion, chopped
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce


To make the sandwiches:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. First, I like to make the sauce that goes on top of the sandwiches. Melt one stick of butter, add the onion, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Cook until bubbly and hot.

3. Slice your Hawaiian rolls in half the long way. Place the bottoms of the rolls in a 9x13 pan. Put a little of the butter/onion sauce (maybe about a 1/3) on the rolls.

4. Arrange meat and cheese on top. Place tops of rolls over the meat and cheese. Top with the remaining butter mixture.

5. Bake in oven for about 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted and sandwiches are warmed through. 

ENJOY!!

Cinnamon and Sugar Nuts

Hi Everyone!! Hope you're all getting into the holiday spirit. This recipe is an easy, tasty and fun one to share with family and friends over the next few days. Plus, if you serve them up in little baggies they'll last for at least a week and you can enjoy them for a few days (if you can get them to last that long!) Since they're prepared in a crock pot, you can get these going while you work on other recipes...they take a little supervision but nothing extraordinary so you can definitely multitask- a necessary thing when baking in my household!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

CINNAMON AND SUGAR ALMONDS (or whatever kind you want ;) 

What you need for the cinnamon and sugar nuts:
1.5 cups of white sugar
1.5 cups of brown sugar
3 T of ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1 egg white
1 T vanilla extract
4 cups of almonds or pecans (or two of each)
1/4 cup of water, warmed (to be added at hour 2)

To make the cinnamon and sugar nuts:
1. In a large bowl, mix the sugars, cinnamon and salt together.

2. Whisk the egg white and vanilla extract in a bowl until frothy.

3. Add the almonds to your egg mixture and mix until well coated. This is what will help the cinnamon and sugar adhere to the nuts.

4. Spray your slow cooker with a non-stick cooking spray and add the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Next, add the nuts and mix well until thoroughly coated. 

5. Turn your slow cooker to low and let the nuts go for 3 hours, stirring every 20 minutes. At hour 2, add the 1/4 cup warm water and mix well until all your nuts are evenly coated and glossy looking. This is what prepares the crunchy coating. 

Right after mixing in the water.

6. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the almonds on the sheet when they're done cooking. They tend to stick together so try to spread them apart while they're still warm to prevent large clusters. (Although you may want a lot at once- they're SO yummy!)

I made another batch of these a few days later and did 2 cups almonds, 2 cups pecans- they were just as amazing!!

ENJOY!!

Zucchini Brownies

It's that time of year when everyone is trying to find new ways to use up zucchini from their garden! Luckily I am taking advantage of all the surplus since we don't have a garden this year. I've previously posted chocolate zucchini muffins, and everyone knows about zucchini bread but this time I tried something new- zucchini brownies. I promise can't taste the green stuff...it just makes them super moist. They're also actually quite light and fluffy and a great evening treat! So go on, try this new goody with the excess zucc's you've got sitting on your counter!

ZUCCHINI BROWNIES

What you need for the brownies:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups zucchini, grated and drained (I used a paper towel to help dry it out)

To make the brownies:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease and flour a 9x13 baking pan.
3. In a large bowl mix together the oil, sugar and vanilla extract.
4. In another bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.

5. Mix the dry ingredients into the oil mixture until combined (it might still seem a bit dry). Then fold in the zucchini- this will moisten the mixture. 

6. Spread your batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until brownies spring back a bit when you touch them.

ENJOY!

Granola Bars

Good Morning!! In preparation for our overnight Relay for Life walk this evening, I've been making us some snacks to keep us fueled up! I've already got a trail mix bagged up but decided I also wanted to try my hand at some granola bars, too. I looked at about a dozen recipes before deciding to just mix up my own batch...probably not the best of ideas since I got more of a square than a bar and some of it crumbled into just plain granola. Oops! However, I will say that the flavor profile is really, really good! With the crumbling in mind, I've updated the recipe below to make yours a bit more stable and sticky. I think adding some extra peanut butter and whatever syrup you choose will most definitely help. Just use this recipe as a base and swap in what you have on hand or other flavors that your family loves! A yummy, healthy way to keep your family fueled all week long!

HOMEMADE GRANOLA BARS

What you need for the bars:
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds or other chopped nuts (I used cashews)
2 cups dried fruit, chopped (I used 1 cup raisins and 1 cup figs)
2 cups rolled quick oats
2 cups rice or other grain cereal (I used Rice Krispies)
3/4 cup creamy or crunch natural peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup corn syrup or honey (I used 1/4 cup pure maple syrup and 1/4 cup natural honey since the original recipe called for 1/2 cup...in hindsight the maple syrup may have been too thin for this and corn syrup may help hold things together better.)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

To make the bars:
1. Preheat your oven to 275 degrees F.
2. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray or grease.
3. Mix all of the dry ingredients (nuts, fruit, oats and cereal) in a large bowl. 4. Be sure to chop your nuts and/or fruit if needed.

5. In a small sauce pan, heat the peanut butter, brown sugar, and syrup/honey.

6. Stir until bubbling and hot. Take off the heat and mix in the teaspoon of vanilla.  

7. Pour peanut butter mixture over your dry ingredients and mix until combined. 

8. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes until golden brown.

After baking.

8. Let cool about an hour and then cut into bars or squares. Store in an airtight container for about 2 weeks.

I got about half of it to break into squares or chunks.

Some more of the chunks... 

The rest I just bagged up and will use for grab and go snacking!

Hope the revised version works for you! ENJOY!!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Hello and Happy Monday! I meant to post this over the weekend but I wasn't feeling quite as on top of my game as I would have liked. I think all the travel last week got to me more than I had hoped. Oh well, I had some time to recover and am feeling better- ready for another busy week back in the office. I have made this dip probably a dozen times and it's a HUGE hit- everyone always asks for the recipe so I figured it was probably about time to blog it. I originally had this at my friends Krista's house and asked for the recipe right away...over time I've adapted it a bit (the garlic, Alfredo sauce and types of cheese) but have pretty much come back to the same variation listed below. Please give this a try- it's SO easy and a definite crowd-pleaser. You can even prepare this a day or two in advance, pop it in the fridge and then just pull it out to bake when you're ready.

What you need for the dip:
2 cloves of garlic (I used one big one)
1 (10 oz) package of frozen chopped spinach (thawed)
1 (14 oz) can of quartered artichokes, drained
10 oz of Alfredo sauce (I usually use the Classico light as I don't think you can tell and it saves a few calories)
1/2 of an 8 oz package of cream cheese (softened)
1 heaping cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I even go up to 1.5 sometimes!)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (plus a little extra for topping)

To make the dip:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a small casserole dish with non stick cooking spray.
2.Place garlic in a small piece of foil- leave skins in tact. Bake in the preheated oven 15-20 minutes, until soft. 

3. In the meantime, drain your artichokes and chop into bite size pieces.

4. Now, spend some time draining your thawed spinach. This can take a while but be patient because you don't want watery spinach in your dip. I use paper towels and push down several times into a colander until I feel it's pretty dry.

5. Once your garlic is roasted, remove from heat and let cool. When it's cool enough to touch, squeeze softened garlic from skins into the bottom of your casserole dish. Spread it around with the back of a spoon. 

6. In a large bowl, mix your spinach, artichoke hearts, Alfredo sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and cream cheese. 

All mixed up!

7. Transfer to your casserole dish and top with a little extra Parmesan cheese.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until cheeses are melted and bubbly. Serve warm with tortilla or pita chips! I often transfer mine into a small crock pot so we can keep it warm while we munch!

Before baking...

and after!

ENJOY!

Chocolate PB Crunch Balls

OMG...these things are out of this world. I don't know how I haven't come across this recipe sooner. They're like a light and fluffy version of a buckeye- so much so that you CAN'T. STOP. EATING. THEM. Danny hasn't felt good this weekend- he didn't want to try one. I forced him. He went back for seconds and thirds...then I put the pan back in the fridge and he asked where they went!

Enough talk- let's get down to business so you can make these little bad boys ASAP!

What you need for the balls:
*Quick note- I halved this recipe because we did NOT need 70 of these sitting around!
2 cups creamy peanut butter
3 cups rice krispies
1lb (3cup) powdered sugar 
1/4 cup melted butter
2 packages semi-sweet chocolate chips (1T shortening)

To make the balls:
1. In a microwave safe dish, measure out your peanut butter and butter. 
2. Microwave on low for about 30 seconds (until butter is melted) and it's easier to mix.

3. Mix in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Scrape sides of bowl as needed.

The mixture is thick once all powdered sugar is in there.

4. Once all sugar is fully mixed in, pour in your rice krispies. At this point, the mixture is pretty thick. The original blogger noted that it was easier to mix in the krispies with your hands so I took her advice! You can use a spoon, it just might take a little longer.

Everything is mixed in.

5. Pop the bowl in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes to cool it down.
6. In the meantime, pour your chocolate chips in a microwavable container. I always add a tablespoon of shortening because I think it melts better this way.

7. Once your peanut butter mixture is chilled enough, take it out of the fridge and roll 1-inch balls. Place on a wax-paper lined cookie sheet.

8. Dip your balls one at a time in the melted chocolate. Place back on the wax paper and pop in the fridge until hardened (this was the hardest part- waiting!!)

Don't you just want to pop one in your mouth right now?

ENJOY! 
This recipe is modified from the original found here.

Jalapeño Poppers!!

Hi Everyone! Welcome to Mexican day in the Hlavek household! We love making fajitas here over the weekend...nothing like grilling up some already marinated flank steak and chicken, making rice, queso and peppers with onions. Maybe even some guacamole if we're ambitious. Yum! Today we tried an appetizer to our regular feast- jalapeño poppers! And boy were this little bad boys HOT! Don't get me wrong, they were amazing but be prepared for a little extra heat with these puppies. I saw this recipe while watching the cooking channel the other day and was inspired. The only real change-up was that we made a lot more than the recipe called for and I switched the cheeses. Do give these a shot during your next get-together...the recipe is super easy to throw together and I know you'll impress your guests!

What you need for the poppers:

6-7 fresh jalapeños

1 cup shredded cheese (we used a variety of white cheddar cheese, sharp cheddar cheese and marbled cheddar cheese- if you have the time, buy the blocks and shred it up yourself...it melts and oozes so much better)

1 can of beer

1 egg

1 cup of flour

To make the poppers:

1. Turn on your fryer and heat oil to about 350-375 degrees. If you don't have a deep fryer, you can use a shallow pan filled with vegetable or peanut oil. Turn it on early so you can get your oil to temperature.

2. Slice your jalapeños down the center/side of the pepper. Clean out all of the seeds (and I mean ALL the seeds- we left a 'couple' thinking that would add some spice and we can barely breathe right now!)

3. Shred your cheese or measure out 1 cup from your bag of shredded.

4. Stuff the peppers really full of cheese...keep shoving it in there until no more can fit!

5. Make your batter by mixing the 1 cup of flour with half of a beer (about 6oz) and one egg. Whisk it together in a bowl until there are no more lumps.

6. Dip your cheese filled peppers into the batter by holding the top of the pepper. Twirl it around until the pepper is completely coated. 

7. Drop your stuffed and battered jalapeño peppers into the hot oil. Let them go about 5-7 minutes until brown, then flip for about another 3 minutes. Pull them out and place on a paper towel to allow excess oil to drip off.

8. They are both temp hot and heat hot so be careful before you...

ENJOY!! 

Goat Cheese Baguettes

Hi Everyone! Hope your November has been off to a great start! I have a fun new appetizer recipe to share with you! I would be honored if you’d give this one a try at your Thanksgiving feast this year. Now I know many of you may be skeptical of the goat cheese but I promise that the other ingredients really tone down the flavor and these little guys are just out of this world!

This is an adaptation of a recipe that Danny and I learned at Adelinos Old World Kitchen here in Lafayette, IN. They offer cooking classes during the fall-spring and Danny bought me a couple for Christmas last year (not that I need any help, mind you! Just to ‘broaden my horizons’ so to speak. ;) When the class starts, there is a list of recipes that will be made that evening; we go around the room and pick one that sounds appealing and/or interesting to us. Danny was last and no one wanted this little bugger- my guess is because of the goat cheese! However, at the end of the class, we all had to go around the room and talk about the recipes we liked; this one was by far the class favorite and everyone said they couldn’t believe how much they enjoyed it!  As an added bonus, I’ve thrown in a homemade candied walnut recipe that you can use with this. I think it goes a long way so if you have the time to make them, do it! This recipe will not only impress your guests but develop their palettes along the way!

GOAT CHEESE BAGUETTES

What you need for the goat cheese baguettes:

French Baguette (you can make your own but I used store bought- take and bake variety)

1 cup goat cheese

~1/2 cup diced figs (this is about 7-9 whole figs)

~1/2 cup candied walnuts (recipe below- or you can buy them)

Honey

To make the goat cheese baguettes:

1. If you use the take and bake variety of the French baguette, go ahead and cook it to packaged directions. When it’s done, take it out and let cool for about 10 minutes. You can make the goat cheese mixture in the meantime.

2. Measure out about 1 cup of goat cheese and crumble it in a bowl.

3. Chop up your dates and walnuts, then measure out about 1/2 cup of each.   

 Add to the goat cheese bowl.

I know it looks strange but it tastes great!

4. Mix it up with a spoon and then pop it in the fridge while you go back to work on your bread.

5. Slice your French bread into 1-inch thick pieces. Place evenly on a cookie sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes at 350 degrees until the tops get nice and golden and crusty.

6. Take your goat cheese mixture out of the fridge and evenly place a scoop on top of your crusty bread.  (Side note, this mixture can be made up to a week ahead of time as long as you keep it covered in the fridge…makes this a really easy appetizer to throw together at the last minute.)

7. Place slices back in the oven and bake for another 7-9 minutes until the mixture is nice and hot.

8. As soon as you pull the bread out of the oven, drizzle each slice with a little bit of honey. 

I swear- you are not going to believe how amazing this is!!

ENJOY!

BONUS: CANDIED WALNUTS

What you need for the walnuts:

(Note, you don’t need this many for the recipe above but you can keep the extras to snack on-they are good!)

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups raw walnut halves

To make the walnuts:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lay walnuts out on a baking sheet in a single layer on parchment paper (if you have it). Bake for 5 minutes. As soon as you can smell them- they’re done! If not quite toasted enough, toast for 1 or 2 more minutes. Be careful not to burn-this can happen pretty easily!

2. Remove from oven and let cool.

3. Pour sugar into a medium saucepan. (Have your walnuts nearby, ready to quickly add to the pan at the right time.)

4. Cook sugar on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon as soon as the sugar begins to melt. 

Not quite done...

Keep stirring until all the sugar has melted and the color is a medium amber.

Perfect!

5. As soon as sugar is melted and the color is a medium amber, add the walnuts to the pan, quickly stirring and coating each piece with the sugar mixture.

6. Once the walnuts are coated with the sugar mixture, spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet, lined with parchment paper (you can use the piece you just used from toasting).

7. Use two forks to separate the walnuts from each other, working quickly. (It’s okay if they don’t all separate- you can chop them up later!)

8. Let cool completely.

Yummy!!