Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Cookies

Hands down the best cookies I've ever made. The sea salt adds just the right touch to make these extra special! Thanks to my good friend Megan for passing this one along.

Also, if you don't have a Kitchenaid mixer, I highly recommend it! I never thought I needed one...but after getting one as a present from Brent for Christmas this year, I absolutely believe it changes my cookie game. I can't wait for more opportunities to bake now!

Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Cookies

2 sticks butter, room temperature
1/2 c white sugar
1 3/4 c light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 lb dark chocolate chunks
sea salt flakes

Cream the butter and sugar until well mixed. Continue mixing while adding eggs and scraping down sides of bowl. Add the vanilla. Combine the flour, salt, and baking soda in separate bowl, then add slowly with mixer on low. Fold in chocolate. Make 1 inch balls and place on nonstick baking sheet. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt flakes on each cookie before baking. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes.

Pumpkin Butternut Squash Bisque

This soup cooks all day in a slow cooker and makes a great cold winter night's meal! I served this as a starter for our annual Christmas dinner, but it can definitely be a meal paired with a salad or bread. And although it's a bisque, it is not too heavy using evaporated milk instead of cream.

Pumpkin Butternut Squash Bisque

4 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, coarsely chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 1/2 c chicken broth
drizzle olive oil
1/2 tsp each ginger, cumin, coriander, paprika, thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne, black pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 can pumpkin
1/2 c brown sugar
1 can evaporated milk
Place all ingredients in slow cooker (except last 3). Cook on high for 4 hours. Blend well with an immersion blender. Add pumpkin and brown sugar, blend well. Heat another 15 minutes, stir in evaporated milk. Heat another 15 minutes. Serve with fresh parsley.

Sausage and Spinach Gnocchi

This quick and easy one skillet dinner will taste like you've been cooking all day!

Sausage and Spinach Gnocchi

1 lb ground Italian sausage
sweet onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pkg gnocchi (find it in pasta aisle)
1 can diced Italian tomatoes
1/4 c chicken broth
4 c fresh baby spinach
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 c mozzarella
1/2 c parmesan
Brown sausage with onion and garlic, don't drain. Add gnocchi, stir 1 min, breaking up clumps. Stir in tomatoes, broth, and pepper, cover and cook 5 minutes on medium. Remove from heat, stir in spinach until wilted. Sprinkle with cheese and cover until melted.

Chicken and Rice Casserole

Chicken and Rice Casserole

2 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
2/3 c brown rice
1 c chicken broth
1 squash, sliced thin
1 small onion, diced
1 zucchini, sliced thin
1 4oz can green chiles, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
Cook rice according to package directions in chicken broth.  Mix all ingredients and 1 c cheddar in a large bowl and spread in a greased 9x13 casserole dish.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Remove cover and continue baking for 10 minutes.

Slow Cooker Hashbrown Casserole

Slow Cooker Hashbrown Casserole

1 32 oz bag frozen hashbrowns

1 8 oz container sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 large sweet onion, chopped

1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 c butter, melted

Salt and pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and pour into a slow cooker that has been lined or sprayed with cooking spray. Cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Fish Tacos

Fish Tacos

White fish, grilled or pan seared (we used fresh rockfish)
Slaw
1/2 c mayonnaise
1 tsp sriracha sauce
Avocado
Sour cream
Salsa verde
Soft taco shells

Season the fish with salt and pepper or a fish seasoning. Cook the fish in a large pan drizzled with olive oil or on the grill. Prepare the slaw with mayo and sriracha. Break up the fish on the taco shells, top with slaw, avocado, sour cream, and salsa verde.

Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Buffalo Chicken Sliders

4 chicken breasts, cubed
1 bottle Ken's buffalo sauce
1/2 bottle hot sauce
1 packet dry ranch mix
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp minced garlic
Slider buns

Add all ingredients except buns to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 2 hours. Serve with ranch dressing.

Prosciutto & Fig Crostini

Prosciutto & Fig Crostini

Crostini
Goat cheese
Fig preserves
Prosciutto
Fresh basil leaves

Top crostini with a small scoop of goat cheese, a small spoonful of fig preserves, a bite size piece of prosciutto, and a basil leaf. Serve immediately.

Salmon Cakes

Salmon Cakes

Vegetable oil, for frying
3 6-oz portions cooked salmon
1 1/2 c cracker meal
1/4 c panko breadcrumbs
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/2 red bell pepper, minced
20 blades fresh chives, snipped
2-3 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
3 tsp cayenne pepper sauce
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Salad greens
Coarse salt
Olive oil, for drizzling
1/4 c mayonnaise
1/4 c chili sauce
1 tbsp dill pickle relish

Flake the cooked salmon with a fork. Add cracker meal and panko to the bowl and work through the fish with your hands. Add the eggs, seasoning, pepper, chives, dill, 1 tsp pepper sauce, and the zest of one lemon to the bowl. Combine the ingredients well with your hands. Form 3 inch patties of salmon cakes about 1 inch thick. You should yield 8-10 cakes. Fry cakes until golden in a single layer 3-4 minutes on each side. Drain on a paper towel lined plate.

Toss salad greens with coarse salt and lemon juice. Drizzle the greens with a little olive oil and re-toss to coat.

Combine mayo, chili sauce, relish, and remaining pepper sauce in a small dish. To serve, place salmon cakes on a bed of greens and top with chili sauce.

Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c sugar

1 c dark brown sugar

1 c butter, softened (2 sticks)

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3 c flour

1 c chocolate chips

1 c toffee bits

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place sugar, brown sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl and beat until smooth. Add salt, baking soda, and flour to the sugar mixture and stir until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips and toffee. Drop dough by rounded spoonfuls onto a nonstick baking sheet. Bake 9-11 minutes.

Smothered Chicken Pasta

Smothered Chicken Pasta

2 chicken breasts

4 slices bacon

Caesar salad dressing

1 1/2 tbsp butter

1 1/2 tbsp flour

3/4 c heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 c chicken broth

4 oz sliced mushrooms

1 can diced Italian tomatoes, drained

Onion, chopped

1 c gruyere cheese

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped

8 oz angel hair pasta

Marinate chicken breasts in caesar dressing overnight. 

Cook bacon in large skillet until crispy, drain and crumble once cool. Cook chicken in bacon grease until browned (don't worry about it being cooked completely through). Move chicken to square glass baking dish, drain bacon grease. 

Melt butter in skillet, add onion and mushrooms and sauté for 5-7 minutes until starting to caramelize. Stir flour into skillet with onions and mushrooms, cook 1 minute. Stir in heavy cream and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add lemon juice, salt, pepper, gruyere cheese, and 1/8 c parsley; stir well. Pour sauce over chicken and top with diced tomatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

While baking, cook pasta and drain. After 30 minutes, top pasta with chicken and pour over sauce. Top with crumbled bacon and more parsley.

Greek Chicken

Greek Chicken

Chicken thighs, bone-in

1 c plain Greek yogurt

2 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves minced garlic

1/2 tbsp dried oregano

Lemon zest from 1 lemon

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1/2 tsp salt

Freshly cracked pepper

1/4 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

Mix all ingredients except chicken in mixing bowl. Place chicken in large ziplock bag, pour marinade over chicken and toss to coat. Marinade overnight. Bake for an hour at 375 degrees.

Tomato Bisque with Homemade Garlic Croutons

Tomato Bisque with Homemade Garlic Croutons

4 tbsp butter

1 sweet onion, diced

2 slices bacon, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

5 tbsp flour

5 cups chicken broth

28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp black pepper 

1 bay leaf 

1 c heavy cream

Grated parmesan cheese

1/2 loaf French bread - day old (I used a cheese French bread from the bakery of our local grocery store)

3 tbsp butter, melted

Garlic powder

Black pepper

Heat butter in large soup pot, add onion and cook until translucent. Add the bacon and garlic, cook until the bacon is crispy (be careful not to burn the garlic). Add the flour and stir continuously for 2-3 minutes. Add the broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add the seasonings and herbs, and simmer 30 minutes. Blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth (or in batches in a blender). Stir in heavy cream and top with parmesan and croutons (recipe below).

Cut bread into 1 inch cubes, place in mixing bowl. Melt 3 tbsp butter, pour over bread cubes. Sprinkle with garlic powder and black pepper, toss to coat. Brown croutons over medium-high heat in a nonstick skillet. Drain on paper towel.

Squash Casserole

Squash Casserole (from Southern Living magazine)

3 yellow squash, diced

2 zucchini, diced

1/4 c butter

1 large sweet onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 bag frozen corn or 1 can corn

1 1/2 c shredded white cheddar

1/2 c sour cream

1/2 c mayo

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 c panko breadcrumbs

1 c asiago, grated

Boil squash and zucchini for five minutes or until tender, drain. Melt 2 tbsp butter, sauté onion and garlic. Stir together remaining ingredients with 1/2 c breadcrumbs and 1/2 c asiago. Spoon into lightly greased baking dish. Melt remaining butter, stir in remaining 1 c breadcrumbs and 1/2 c asiago. Sprinkle over casserole and bake uncovered on 350 for 45-50 minutes.

Grilled Pizza

Grilled Pizza

Refrigerated pizza dough (from deli section)

Olive oil

Flour

Salt

Pepper

Nonstick grill spray

Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface. The dough will plump while grilling, so go thinner than you want the crust to be in the end. After rolling out the dough, brush one side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat grill to high heat, spray grill with nonstick grill spray. Grill dough olive oil side down for 2 minutes with grill lid open. While grilling, brush other side of dough with olive oil and salt and pepper. Flip the dough over after 2 minutes, then turn grill heat down to medium. Immediately put toppings on pizza, then close grill lid for about 5 minutes until cheese is melted and crust is brown.

Chicken (boiled and diced)

Bacon (cooked and crumbled)

Feta cheese

Olive oil

Minced garlic

Fresh oregano

Italian seasoning

Shredded mozzarella

Mix olive oil, minced garlic, and Italian seasoning in small bowl. Allow to sit for a few minutes. After flipping pizza over, spread olive oil mixture as sauce on crust. Top with mozzarella, chicken, bacon, feta, and oregano.

Pepperoni (lightly cooked)

Italian sausage (sliced and cooked)

Cappicola

Gorgonzola

Fresh oregano

Pizza sauce

Mozzarella

Spread pizza sauce on crust after flipping. Top with mozzarella. Add pepperoni, Italian sausage, and cappicola. Top with crumbled gorgonzola and fresh oregano.

Grilled Flank Steak

Grilled Flank Steak

juice from 1 lemon
1/4 cup soy sauce
2-3 tbsp olive oil
celery seed
garlic salt
Montreal steak seasoning
1 flank steak
Mix all ingredients in large ziploc bag.  Add flank steak and marinate over night.  Grill over medium high heat until medium-well (or until cooked how desired).

Sweet Potato Oven Fries

Sweet Potato Oven Fries

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into fries
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
After peeling and cutting sweet potatoes, arrange them on a large non-stick baking sheet.  Drizzle fries with olive oil (enough to cover, but not enough to drown them in oil).  Using tongs, toss fries to get them covered in olive oil.  Sprinkle sea salt over fries (we've been trying to cut back on salt, so I didn't use much, maybe 1-2 tsp).  Sprinkle a generous amount of black pepper over fries.  Finally, lightly sprinkle fries with cayenne pepper for a little spice (feel free to eliminate this step if you do not like a kick).  Toss fries again with tongs to cover, use more seasoning if you'd like.  Bake at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes.  Turn fries over and bake an additional 10 minutes.  Serve with ranch dressing.

Grilled BBQ Ribs

Grilled BBQ Ribs

4 lbs baby back ribs
3 garlic cloves, minced (I used the already minced kind)
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
For BBQ sauce:
1 small onion, finely diced
2 tbsp butter
1 c ketchup
1/4 c brown sugar
3 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp celery salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Rub ribs with garlic; place in a shallow roasting pan.  Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours.  Cool slightly.  Combine first 6 seasonings and rub over ribs.  Refrigerate covered overnight (or at least 8 hours).
In a small saucepan, saute onion and butter.  Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and cook 10 minutes or until thick.  Remove from heat, reserve 3/4 cup sauce.
Grill ribs, covered, over medium heat for 12 minutes, turning and basting with remaining sauce.

The Best Hotdog Chili

The Best Hotdog Chili

1 lb ground beef
1/2 c Heinz ketchup
3 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (use less if you don't like spicy food)
1/3 c water
Place uncooked meat and water in a medium saucepan on medium heat.  Break up meat into small pieces.  Add ketchup, stir well.  Mix in seasonings.  Continue to stir well until meat is broken up and chili is starting to boil lightly.  Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Jalapeno Popper Dip

2 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 c mayo 
1/2 c Mexican blend shredded cheese
1 4oz can diced green chiles, drained
1 4oz can diced jalapenos, drained
1 c panko breadcrumbs
1/4 c butter, melted
1 c grated parmesan, divided
Mix first 5 ingredients and 1/2 c grated parmesan in a large mixing bowl.  Spread into a 2 quart baking dish.  In a small bowl, mix melted butter, panko, and parmesan.  Sprinkle over top of dip.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Serve with crackers.