Cookin With Brooke

Maybe you’re not a baker, and that’s okay. You can still provide homemade holiday treats! These are simple and the kiddos will LOVE to help!

Ingredients

• 16 oz Pretzel Rods
• 12 oz Chocolate Chips, dark or white chocolate or Candy Melts
• 1-2 TBS Shortening
• Sprinkles

Instructions

• Line baking sheets with parchment paper
• Microwave 2 cups of chocolate and shortening in a tall glass for 45 seconds. Stir. If necessary, microwave for additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until melted
• Dip the pretzel rods into melted chocolate, tilting the glass to easily cover as much of the pretzel as you want. Use the side and rim of the glass to remove excess. Place on baking sheet.  Sprinkle with sprinkles
• Let set up. Store in an air-tight container.

Let’s face it. Thanksgiving or not, not everyone is a fan of pumpkin pie. If you need a dessert for those chocolate cravers, but you still want to stay in theme, try these! A great blend of both!

Ingredients

• 1 batch of brownie batter (can be from a box)
• 1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 oz cream cheese softened
• 2 TBS sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Prepare brownies per box recipe and divide in half
3. To half, add pumpkin, oil, cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix until smooth
4. Pour the chocolate batter into the prepared pan (greased bottom per most brownie box recipes) and smooth
5. Pour the pumpkin batter over the chocolate in a swirl and drag a knife through to create a marbled effect
6. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until set and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the pan
7. Remove from the oven and allow the brownies to cool on a wire rack before cutting

This tastes like comfort and Thanksgiving and Christmas all rolled into one EASY dish! Seriously. All you do is put these 4 layers in a CrockPot and walk away. AND…it can be the whole meal! If you want to add a salad, great. But your veggies and starch and protein are all covered! We will definitely be making this one again!

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 box chicken stuffing mix
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 soup can water
• 10 oz bag frozen green beans (I used french cut)

Instructions

1. Spray crockpot with cooking spray
2. Season chicken with salt/pepper and place in the bottom of a crockpot
3. Top chicken with stuffing mix
4. In a separate bowl, mix together soup, sour cream and water.  Spread over stuffing
5. Place green bean on top
6. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours (or LOW for 6 hours)

Sometimes, CrockTober is a recipe. Sometimes, it’s more of an idea of what to make for dinner. I personally had NEVER had a Meatball sub in my life before this. It was messy (just as I thought, which was why I was avoiding them) but it was worth it! So delicious! And one of the easiest things I’ve ever made! (pro tip…once you’re out of buns if you still have sauce and meatballs left, just serve over spaghetti noodles!)

Ingredients:

• One 2 pound bag of frozen Italian Style Meatballs
• 8 hoagie rolls
• 2 jars of marinara (I added some extra garlic and basil)
• 14 Sandwich style sliced mozzarella cheese.  
• Grated Parmesan
• Dried or fresh basil

How to:

• Place frozen meatballs in a slow cooker
• Pour marinara over the top of the frozen meatballs
• Cover and cook on high for 4 hours
• During hour 3, preheat your oven to 350
• Open your hoagie rolls and place on a baking sheet
• Toast for about 5 mins
• Add 2 slices of Mozzarella cheese to each roll and return to the oven
• Continue to toast for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted
• Add about 4 to 5 meatballs to each
• Garnish with grated Parmesan and basil
• Serve with a side of extra sauce

CrockTober is HERE! I was super excited to try this recipe and it didn’t disappoint! This bread is easy and so so tasty. And by the way, your house will smell AMAZING!

Ingredients

• 2 TBS butter, melted (plus butter for the pan)
• 1 1/2 tsps active dry yeast 
• 2 tsps sugar 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt 
• 2 2/3 cups flour

Directions

1. Butter a 6-by-3-inch round pan and set aside (I used a casserole dish)
2. Combine the butter, yeast, sugar, salt and 1 cup warm water in a stand mixer using the dough hook attachment
3. With the mixer on low speed, add 1/2 cup of the flour at a time
4. Once all the flour is added, knead on medium speed for 8 minutes 
5. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and lower it into a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker and cover with the lid
6. Cook on high about 2 hours and 15 minutes
7. Turn off slow cooker and let it set for 30 minutes
8. Take the pan out of the cooker and let the bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes
9. Turn out onto a rack and let cool completely

I can’t wait to try adding garlic and basil or maybe doing a cinnamon loaf!

I’m a HUGE fan of cinnamon. I mean, I put it in almost anything! Baked beans, pancakes, pork roast, etc. So when I heard my sisters talking about my mom’s cinnamon bread, I just HAD to make it! I don’t know why I hadn’t before! It rivals the one you may have gotten from one of those membership stores! Only it will be YOUR house that smells amazing! And yes, you might have to give out samples if anyone stops by and smells it! haha

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk (If you don’t have buttermilk, substitute milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar to measure 1 cup)
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 TBS white sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 TBS butter (softened or melted)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350
• Grease one 9×5 inch loaf pan
• Add flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, salt, buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla into large mixing bowl.
• Beat 3 minutes
• Pour into prepared loaf pan
• Smooth top
• Combine 2 tablespoons white sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and butter, mixing until crumbly
• Sprinkle topping over smoothed batter
• Using knife, cut in a light swirling motion to give a marbled effect
• Bake for about 50 minutes. Test with toothpick. When inserted it should come out clean
• Remove bread from pan to rack to cool

I was craving Strawberry Pie and I asked my mom for her recipe. So we started digging in her recipe box and we found this treasure! Her mom’s handwritten recipe! I made it and it’s delicious. It’s messy, but it’s delicious! It’s worth all the steps. It’s easier than you think.

Ingredients

• 1 Quart Strawberries
• 1 Baked Pie Crust
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 3½ TBS Corn Starch
• 1 Cup Water

Directions:

• Wash and top strawberries
• Take out 1 cup for the glaze, crush, and add 2/3 cup water
• Simmer for 3 minutes and strain
• Mix sugar and cornstarch with 1/3 cup water, add to juice
• Cook until thick and clear
• Add 2-3 drops of red food coloring, if desired, then let cool
• Put the rest of the berries in a baked and cooled pie crust
• Pour cooled glaze over berries
• Chill at least 3 hours then top with whipped cream