Spaghetti Lasagna

-  spaghetti noodles (enough to cover bottom of 9x13 pan)
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 container cottage cheese
- 1 lb. ground beef, browned
- favorite spaghetti sauce (I like Ragu thick n chunky mushroom)
- shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Cook noodles and drain. Add eggs and parm cheese; beat well.  Put on bottom of greased 9x13 pan.
2. Cottage cheese on top of noodles.
3. Brown meat, drain fat, and add spaghetti sauce (eyeball it)!
4. Top with mozza cheese!
5. 350 for 30 min.

Serve with garlic bread or Red Lobster biscuits (see below)!

Red Lobster Biscuits

-  2 cups Bisquick
-  2/3 cup milk
-  1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
-  1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/4 tsp garlic salt

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Mix Bisquick, milk and cheese until soft dough forms (beat vigorously). Drop dough by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 8-10 minutes.
4. Mix melted butter and garlic salt; brush over warm biscuits (I put some on before I cook and after - I like garlic)!
Best served warm!

Buttermilk Cornbread

-  1/2 cup butter
-  2/3 cup white sugar
-  2 eggs
-  1 cup buttermilk (I put 2 tbsp of lemon juice in the 1 cup and then fill the rest with regular milk)
-  1/2 tsp baking soda
-  1 cup cornmeal
-  1 cup flour
-  1 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease 8 inch square pan.
2. Melt butter in large skillet. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Add buttermilk, baking soda, cornmeal, flour and salt until well blended. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until toothpick test comes clean.

Baked Chicken Nuggets. Kid tested, Mother approved (because they are delicious).

I got this recipe off of skinnytaste.com. The kids loved them and so did I.

Baked Chicken Nuggets

16 oz (2 large) skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into even bit sized pieces
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp olive oil
6 tbsp whole wheat Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tbsp panko (Japanese bread crumbs, found mine on the baking isle)
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
olive oil spray

Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray.Put the olive oil in one bowl and the breadcrumbs, panko and Parmesan cheese in another
Season chicken with salt and pepper, then put in the bowl with the olive oil and mix well so the olive oil evenly coats all of the chicken
Put a few chunks of chicken at a time into the breadcrumb mixture to coat, then on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the top with olive oil spray then bake 8 - 10 minutes. Turn over then cook another 4 - 5 minutes or until cooked though

You could double or even triple this and freeze the rest for quick reheat lunches.

Black Family Recipe Book

Here is the download to the Black Family Recipe book that I gave to Kaye and Lori for the weddings.
When you have different fonts, they don't upload on the web, so the formatting is a little strange, but hopefully all of the recipes are readable. Maybe over the next year we can continue to add our favorites and then I'll get it printed off for everyone. What do you think?
xoxo
Brook
Click Here to Download

The. Best. Cookie. Period.

I stumbled upon this recipe for Hot Chocolate Chip Cookies completely at random. I was searching for something to bring to go along with a Bunco theme, Hot Stuff. (Yeah. I'm in a bunco group. Just cool like that, I guess).

Anywho, I can't count how many times I've been asked for the recipe. Scott asks for nothing more than a batch every Sunday.

The recipe says to chill the dough for an hour--I never have. Also, the recipe says to drop the dough by the quarter cup. What?! That must have been a typo--Just do rounded tablespoons. I think the smaller, the cuter...

ENJOY!!

Chicken Taco Soup

Black beans not pictured (poor black beans).

This is a really easy recipe all you need is six ingredients!

Chicken Taco Soup

2 large chicken breasts cooked; cubed or shredded

1 can Rotell

1 can Ranch Style Beans

1 can Black Beans

1 can corn

1 can Chicken and Rice Soup

Pour all ingredients into crock pot and cook on low 4 hours. You can also do this on the stove just simmer on low for 20 minutes. Top with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips

This is so yummy! If you want you can strain the juice and make burritos with the chicken and beans. I usually do this the next day or the day after. It disguises the leftovers for David.

Cake Mix Trick!

A caterer friend of mine passed on this tip when making cakes or cupcakes from a box:
- add 1/4 cup more oil than is called for
- add a box of instant pudding (if chocolate cake mix, then add chocolate pudding; if yellow cake mix, then add vanilla pudding - you get the gist).
- add a cup of sour cream
This ensures a deliciously moist cake every time!

BBQ Ranch Chicken and Cheddar Roll-ups

BBQ Ranch Chicken and Cheddar Pizza Roll em’ Ups
1 Roll Pillsbury Pizza dough in can (or use other pizza dough of choice)
1/4 Cup prepared ranch dressing
2 Cups prepared shredded BBQ Chicken
1/4 Cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 1/2 Cups shredded smoked cheddar cheese
Ranch Dressing for dipping
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Open can of dough and press into rectangle. Spread or drizzle ranch dressing evenly over dough then top with evenly with chicken, cilantro and cheddar cheese. Starting at long end roll dough into a log shape. Using a sharp knife, cut 1 inch pieces and place onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with a side of ranch dressing for dipping.

This has become one of our favorites- we make Kristin's pizza pocket dough instead of buying the dough in a can. The best way I have found to cutting them into the 1" pieces (cinnamon role style) is to get about 15" of dental floss and slide it under your rolled up dough and then cross your floss so it cuts through the dough. Call me if that was very confusing!

ENJOY!