German Apple Cake

There are a few recipes that I always go to when I need to make a good dessert that travels well.  This is one of those recipes.  Because I use my Pampered Chef Apple Peeler Corer Slicer machine, this cake is easy to assemble.  It's not pretty to look at, but the flavor more than makes up for it.

I made this cake to send to a reception following a funeral and forgot to take a picture once I had it frosted.  I also didn't get a photo of it once it was cut, sorry.  More than 20 years ago, the little church I was attending was putting on their first ladies' luncheon and we decided to share our favorite recipes with those in attendance.  This recipe was shared by Cheri Walters, our pastor's wife and my friend.  It has been a hit every time I've made it over the years.

This cake is unusual in that it doesn't begin by creaming butter and sugar together.  After I preheat the oven to 350°F, I begin by combining the oil and eggs in a large bowl.

Using a hand mixer, I beat the eggs and oil until foamy.

Then I add the sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, vanilla and cinnamon.

These ingredients need to be mixed in my hand, as the batter will be thick, almost like a cookie dough in consistency.  I like to use my Pampered Chef Mix 'N Scraper (I call it a spoontula!) because it works like a spoon while acting like a rubber spatula to keep the sides of the bowl scraped.  It's one of my favorite utensils!

After peeling, coring and slicing my apples using my Pampered Chef tool, I add them to the batter.  I've found that 1 regular medium size Granny Smith apple equals 1 cup of sliced apple for this recipe.

Using my spoontula, I fold the apples into the batter, trying not to break too many of the apples.

I transfer this mixture to a greased 9- x 13-inch baking dish (in this case an aluminum pan so nobody had to worry about returning my pan) and place it in the oven to bake at 350°F for 55 minutes.  After that, I check the middle for doneness by sticking a cake tester in it, before removing it from the oven.  Sometimes it needs an additional 5 minutes baking time.

I place the cake on a cooling rack to cool completely before adding the cream cheese frosting.

To make the frosting, I combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl using a hand mixer.

To that, I add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing until smooth after each addition.

The last thing I add is the vanilla, beating until smooth.  I then spread the frosting evenly on top of the cooled cake.  It's ready to take to a pot luck meal or any other event.  Depending on how big the pieces are cut, it serves a minimum of 15 people.  This cake is a great way to end any meal!  Enjoy!

German Apple Cake

1 cup vegetable oil

3 small or 2 large eggs

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups thinly sliced green apples (Granny Smith or Pippin)

Preheat oven to 350°F.  In  large bowl, beat oil and eggs with a mixer until foamy.  Add sugar, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and vanilla; stir by hand.  Batter will be thick, almost like cookie dough in consistency.  Fold in apples carefully.  Transfer to a 9- x 13-inch baking dish.  Bake at 350°F for 55 minutes, or until done in the middle.  Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

½ stick (4 tablespoons) butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients until smooth.  Spread on cooled cake.

Skillet Pizza

This has got to be one of the quickest and easiest pizzas I've ever put together, and any of the toppings can probably be substituted with your favorites! 

I found this recipe in one of my recent Reiman Publications, probably Simple & Delicious.  I couldn't put my hands on the exact one before adding this to my blog, so I can't give full credit where it is due, and I can't tell you exact amounts of ingredients.  It's so easy anyone can figure it out!  This dish gets almost all 9's on the Melnarik rating scale.  My husband doesn't care for thin crust, so he gave it an 8!

In a small skillet, heat about 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil.  Add some thinly sliced yellow bell pepper and red onion.  Begin to saute vegetables over medium-low heat.

In the meantime, very thinly slice about 3 fresh mushrooms.  When the onion and pepper are beginning to soften, add the mushrooms and cook until vegetables are tender and the mushrooms are reduced.  Remove vegetables to a plate.

In the same skillet, add another 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil.  Add one medium (soft taco size) tortilla and warm about 30 seconds or so, or until it feels slightly hot to the touch.  Do not let it get really crispy.

Flip the tortilla over (you can see that it got a little crispy on the first side).  It will be on this side longer as the toppings are added and the cheese needs time to melt.

 

As soon as you flip it, spread some prepared pizza sauce on top.

Then add the pepperoni slices.  When first making this, I thought it was odd to have the pepperoni under the cheese, so I experimented putting on top.  But, it's better closer to the source of heat to get the  pepperoni hot.

Sprinkle some Mexican cheese blend (cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses) on top of the pepperoni.

Add the sautéed vegetables on top of the cheese.

Sprinkle a some diced tomato on top of that, cover the skillet and let it cook until the cheese is melted (about 1 - 2 minutes).

How simple is that?  In my house, I have two young men, who are hungry often.  This pizza can be on a plate in front of them in about 15 minutes!  And it's oh so tasty!  Enjoy!

Clean the Freezer Soup

It seems kind of silly to post a recipe for soup in late April, but I was ready to type this up when we experienced major computer problems for about 3 weeks.  Some days it seems like Spring and others it feels chilly enough to still be Winter, so I decided to go ahead and post this soup recipe.  This is a hearty soup made primarily of vegetables, so it's perfect if you need to make something to share with vegetarians.  There is cheese in it, so make sure their diet includes dairy.

I cut this recipe out of a magazine years ago and make it at lease once each Winter.  My guys give this soup all 8's on the Melnarik rating scale.

I begin by melting the butter in a Dutch oven.

To the melted butter I add the chopped onions and celery.  I cook these vegetables over medium heat until the vegetables are tender and the onions are translucent.

Once cooked, I add the flour to the vegetables and stir to combine.  I cook this for an additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly until the flour is no longer raw.

As I stir and it cooks, the flour adheres to the vegetables.

I slowly add the chicken stock, stirring the entire time.  Adding the stock a bit at a time at first helps prevent lumps of flour in the soup.

Next, I add the frozen mixed vegetables, corn, and hash browns, stirring to combine.  I do not defrost these vegetables before adding them.  Also, I couldn't find the mixed vegetables with the carrots cut in cubes, which is what I prefer to use.  It was a little weird to find a "baby carrot" when eating the soup.

After defrosting the chopped spinach and squeezing it dry, I add it to the soup.

Then, I add the seasonings - fresh parsley, dried thyme, black pepper, and salt.

I turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil.  Because I've added frozen vegetables, I let the soup boil for about 3 minutes, then I reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

The last step is to add the cheese, stirring until it is completely melted.  I like to use the extra-sharp cheddar cheese and it adds the most flavor.

This soup is pretty simple to make and it freezes well!  It's also a great way to get kids to eat spinach as it's hidden in the middle of vegetables they are most likely used to.  Enjoy!

Clean the Freezer Vegetable Soup

¼ cup butter

1 onion, chopped

1 cup chopped celery

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 (32-oz.) boxes chicken broth

1 (32-oz.) pkg. frozen hash-brown potatoes, thawed

1 (16-oz.) pkg. frozen niblet corn, thawed

1 (16-oz.) pkg. frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

1 (10-oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat.  Add onion and celery; cook 7 minutes, stirring frequently or until tender.  Add flour; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Sitr in broth, hash-brown potatoes, corn, mixed vegetables, spinach, parsley, thyme, pepper, and salt.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat; reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.  Add cheese, stirring until smooth.

Yield:  10 – 12 servings

Note:  I defrost only the spinach so that I can drain it and squeeze it dry.  Otherwise, I put in the hash-browns, corn, and vegetables while still frozen and let the soup boil a few minutes before reducing the heat to simmer.  I also use extra-sharp cheddar cheese for more flavor.

Crock Pot Mexican Chicken

I love using my crock pot to fix meals when I have to feed my family members at different times.  This particular dish is super easy to assemble, because there is no browning, or chopping required in getting this meal started.  This is also a good meal to make if you're on a tight budget.

I always like to give credit for the source of the recipes I make, but in this case, I don't have any idea where I got this one.  I think someone shared it with me, so if you recognize this as a recipe you gave me, let me know and I'll add your name to this post!  This dish gets all 8's on the Melnarik rating scale.

I begin by placing the chicken in my crock pot.  The recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but I used chicken tenders this time, because they were on sale!  Helpful tip:  When using a slow cooker, always put cold or room temperature foods in a cool crock pot, and if they are warm (browned meat, etc.) put them in a pre-warmed crock pot.  It takes a little while for the crock pot to come up to full temperature, so this helps ensure that the food cooks well from the beginning of the cooking time, and helps avoid bacteria from beginning to grow.

Directly on top of the chicken, I add the frozen corn (no need to defrost), the black beans which I drain and rinse, the canned tomatoes, as well as the seasonings (chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, and minced garlic).  I place the lid on the crock pot and turn it on low for 8 hours.  If you don't have that much cooking time, it can be cooked on high for 4 hours.

About half an hour before the end of the cooking time, I cook 3 cups of white rice according to the package directions.  At the end of the cooking time, I remove the chicken and, using two forks, shred it and return it to the crock pot.  I thoroughly mix it into the vegetables and replace the lid to keep it warm while I shred some cheese and chop some cilantro.

To plate this dish, I put some white rice on the bottom, then add the Mexican chicken.  I top that with some shredded cheddar cheese and some chopped cilantro.  It's nice to come home to a dinner that needs very little attention to get it on the table!  Enjoy!

Crock Pot Mexican Chicken

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 (16 oz.) jar salsa

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained

½ pound (8 oz.) frozen corn

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 ½ teaspoons cumin

1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic

½ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 cups dry rice

8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

½ bunch cilantro, optional

Place chicken in a cool crock pot.  Add salsa, black beans and corn, making sure the chicken is covered.  Sprinkle chili powder, cumin, minced garlic, oregano, cayenne, salt and pepper on top.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.  About ½ hour before the end of the cooking time, prepare rice according to package directions.  When fully cooked, remove chicken from crock pot and shred with 2 forks.  Stir back into ingredients in crock pot.  Serve over hot rice, adding shredded cheese and chopped cilantro to the top.

Italian Sausage Casserole

As I thought about what I should make for dinner on Valentine's Day this year, I realized that my blog would be celebrating it's 1 year anniversary!  My first posts were about the meals I made a year ago on Valentines Day.  One of the easiest ways to make a Valentine's themed main dish is to make a pasta dish with a red sauce, making sure the sauce shines through a heart-shaped hole in the mozzarella cheese.

This year I decided to try a new recipe from my February/March 2013 issue of Simple and Delicious.  My guys are always up for any dish that has pepperoni and pasta.  This dish got all 8's on the Melnarik rating scale.

To begin, I began cooking the penne according to the package directions and preheated my oven to 350ºF.  Then, in a Dutch oven I combined the Italian sausage, chopped onions and bell peppers, and sliced mushrooms.  I cooked this mixture over medium heat until the sausage was browned and the vegetables were tender, breaking up the sausage as it cooked.  I then drained off the fat.

I added the pepperoni and continued to cook on medium until the pepperoni was heated through.

Then, I added the spaghetti sauce mix, stirring to thoroughly combine.

To that, I added the tomato paste, making sure it was fully incorporated.

Next, I added the water, garlic salt and olive oil, again, stirring to combine.  In the future, I would add the garlic salt at the same time as the spaghetti mix.  It just makes sense to me to add all the dry ingredients at the same time and by adding it directly to the meat, the heat of the pan will sear them to the meat.

Finally, once the penne was fully cooked, I drained it and added it to the sauce.  I mixed it until all of the pasta was covered in the sauce.

I then transferred the mixture to my baking dishes.  In this case, I was feeding my oldest son before he left for class, so I used one small casserole dish for him and a larger one for the rest of the family.  Pictured here is the small one I put together for him.  The entire recipe should fit in a 9- x 13-inch baking dish.  I placed a metal (important that it's metal as it will go into the oven!) heart-shaped cookie cutter in the center of the casserole.

Next, I added the shredded mozzarella cheese, making sure it touched the outside of the cookie cutter.  This ensures a perfectly shaped heart once the cookie cutter is removed.

Of course, in my larger casserole dish I had to use a larger cookie cutter.

I put the casserole in the oven and baked it at 350ºF for 25 minutes.  When I removed it from the oven, I took a sharp paring knife and cut around the outside of the cookie cutter and, using a paper towel to protect my fingers from the heat, I removed the cookie cutter.  I paired this dish with a Savory Biscuit Bubble Bread (see post below) that I baked in a heart-shaped pan.  It's just a simple way to show my family that I love them on Valentine's Day!  Enjoy!

Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza Pasta

1 (14.5 oz) package uncooked penne

1 pkg. (1 lb.) Italian sausage

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 pkg. (3 ½ oz.) sliced pepperoni

3 ½ cups water

2 cans (6 oz. each) tomato paste

2 envelopes thick and zesty spaghetti sauce mix

¼ cup olive oil

½ teaspoon garlic salt

2 cups (8 oz.) shredded part-skin mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Cook penne according to package directions.  Meanwhile, cook the sausage, mushrooms, pepper and onion in a Dutch oven over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender; drain.  Add pepperoni and cook until heated through.  Stir in water, tomato paste, spaghetti sauce mix, oil and garlic salt.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4 – 5 minutes or until heated through.  Drain pasta; sir into sausage mixture.  Transfer to a greased 9- x 13-inch baking dish.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake uncovered, at 350ºF for 25 – 30 minutes or until bubbly.