Author: cookinwithbrooke

INGREDIENTS:
– 8 oz cream cheese, softened
– 1 cup crushed pineapple with juice
– 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
– Small pistachio pudding
– 1/4 cup toasted coconut (plus more to sprinkle on top)

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Combine cream cheese, pineapple with juice, yogurt & pudding until smooth & creamy (if too thick, add more juice)
2. Stir in 1/4 c. toasted coconut.
3. Spoon into a serving bowl; top with additional toasted coconut.
4. Serve with vanilla wafers or graham crackers.

Puppy Chow is just one of those yummy snacks you can’t stop eating. I love making a big batch and giving it away. Try this cookie butter version for a new twist to one of your favorite treats!

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups Chex cereal
• 1/2 cup cookie butter (make sure it’s SMOOTH!)
• 2 tbls butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup cinnamon chips
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Place Chex cereal in a large bowl
2. In a separate small bowl, microwave the cookie butter, butter, vanilla, and cinnamon chips on half power in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until mixture is melted and smooth
3. Scoop melted cookie butter mixture on top of Chex cereal and very gently mix to combine, being careful not to crush the cereal (you can use your hands).
4. Place cereal mixture and powdered sugar in a large plastic bag (a clean kitchen bag will do), hold the top firmly closed, and shake like crazy.
5. Spread your puppy chow on a wax paper-lined baking tray to firm up and dry a bit. Can be stored in a sealed zip-loc bag.

If you’re looking for a tasty easy holiday appetizer, you’ve found it. These taste JUST like I wanted them to. …like the holidays! Oh…and it’s like the BEST thing to ever happen to one of those cans of Cranberry Sauce that looks like the can…even when it’s not in the can!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 14-oz can Ocean-Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce
• 1 12-ounce bottle Sweet Chili Sauce
• 2 TBS Orange Juice
• 1 TBS Brown Sugar
• 2-pound bag frozen, pre-cooked, cocktail-size meatballs

DIRECTIONS

• Combine everything but the meatballs in a large saucepan
• Cook over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth
• Place meatballs in a slow cooker
• Pour sauce over meatballs
• Cover and cook 4 hours on medium

Saw this recipe on Pinterest and made it IMMEDIATELY! Now…you must know from the title and the picture, these are NOT a low-fat veggie option. BUT…if you want a really tasty, gourmet-looking side dish. Cook these instead of the old green bean casserole for Thanksgiving! YUM!

And bonus…it is a way to get the pickiest of eaters to eat their green beans!

1 pound fresh green beans
5-6 slices bacon, cut in half
2 tablespoons butter
1 T brown sugar
1 T garlic powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Place a cooling rack on a large cookie sheet (or use a broiler pan like me).
2. Wash and dry green beans. Snap off the ends. Grab a small handful of beans (anywhere from 5-10 green beans) and lay them on a half-strip of bacon. Roll the bacon up and around the green bean bundle and place it in the pan, seam side down. Repeat with remaining green beans.
3. Melt the butter in a sauce pan on the stove. Add the brown sugar and garlic powder and mix together until well combined. Remove from the heat and brush over the tops of the green bean bundles. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Cover with foil and roast for 35 minutes. Remove foil and roast for another 10-15 minutes or until the bacon gets nice and crisp. Enjoy!

Will there be any tailgating around your place this weekend? Try this easy tasty recipe!

Ingredients

• 1lb Jimmy Dean bulk hot sausage
• 2 (10-oz.) cans Rotel tomatoes & chilies, undrained
• 2 (8-oz.) bricks cream cheese (not light…it doesn’t melt as well)
• Scooping-style tortilla chips, for dipping

instructions

1. Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces
2. Drain off any excess oil
3. Transfer the browned sausage to your CrockPot
4. Dump in 2 cans of Rotel
5. Cube cream cheese and add
6. Cover and heat about an hour on low heat, stirring occasionally
7. Turn heat down to warm for serving
8. Serve warm with chips

Fall in a bite. Here you go. I love making pumpkin-y things this time of year, but I don’t like when a recipe only uses part of the can of pumpkin! This uses the whole can AND it makes two loaves! One to eat and one to give away! Yay!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1½ sticks butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 15-oz can 100% pure pumpkin
• ½ bag English toffee bits (like Heath)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325°
2. Generously grease two 8 x 4-inch loaf pans with butter and dust with flour or line with parchment paper (which is a better idea so the bread for sure comes out!)
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. Whisk to combine; set aside.
4. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until just blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until light and fluffy. Beat in the pumpkin.
5. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined.
6. Stir in the brickle
7. Turn the batter into the prepared pans, dividing evenly, and bake for 65 – 75 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the loaves cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then turn on to a wire rack to cool completely.

For some reason, I was craving this the other day, so I looked up a recipe. There were several. So I took my favorite parts of all of them and created this.

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 3 TBS sugar
• 2 TBS red wine vinegar
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• 7 cups broccoli florets, chopped
• ¼ cup chopped roasted almonds
• 8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled

Directions

• Mix the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar together in a small bowl for the dressing
• Stir the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl
• Fold in the dressing and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours
• Serve cold

Ultra Crispy Smashed Potatoes

I’ve been hearing and seeing that everyone is making these lately, so I had to give them a try! And I’m glad I did! These are SO delicious. They’re extra crispy on the outside but nice and fluffy on the inside. These might be my new favorite way to make potatoes! (and being Irish, you know I LOVE me some potatoes!)

Ingredients

• 12-14 small potatoes
• 1 tbsp sea salt (for boiling)
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 tsp salt (for sprinkling)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Finely chopped parsley, optional garnish

Instructions

• Bring a pot of water to a boil, add 1 tbsp salt. Cook potatoes until soft – about 20 to 25 minutes. (It’s ok if the skin splits.)
• Preheat oven to 400°
• Drain the potatoes and let them set in the colander for 5 minutes
• Place on the pan and use a large fork or potato masher to smash them, trying to keep them in one piece. The thinner they are the crispier they will be!
• Leave on the pan for another 5 minutes
• Drizzle with melted butter, then olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Bake for 45 minutes or until deep golden and crispy. Don’t flip!
• Sprinkled with parsley if desired. (we dipped in sour cream!)