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Parmesan Chicken Nuggets

Parmesan Chicken Nuggets

Chicken nuggets are a staple around here. My 3 year old goes through stages where he won’t eat anything but chicken nuggets so when we’re dealing with that, I prefer to make them so that I know exactly what goes into them.

These are our favorites nuggets! My husband and I were eating them long before our kid started eating solid foods so you know they’re good. Before I discovered panko bread crumbs, I used the regular kind and they worked fine so if you don’t have panko in your pantry, don’t make a special trip for them. Also, a little dried thyme is delicious in these – just mix it into the bread crumb mixture.

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Parmesan Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size cubes
  • 3 tablespoons butter melted
  • 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together Panko, Parmesan, and salt; set aside. Put melted butter in a pie plate or other shallow dish.
  3. Dip chicken into butter and then coat with Panko mixture. Place on baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.


Breakfast Pizza

Breakfast Pizza – pizza with bacon, 2 kinds of cheese, runny eggs, and chives on top! Perfect for breakfast for dinner!

Breakfast Pizza - pizza with bacon, 2 kinds of cheese, runny eggs, and chives on top! Perfect for breakfast for dinner!

We are loving the pizza right now, huh?

It’s a quick dinner to pull together (as long as you remember to get the crust going early enough) and it’s always a crowd pleaser. I’ve been trying to make one once a week because it’s also an inexpensive meal, especially one like this Breakfast Pizza where the main ingredients are eggs and a few slices of bacon.

Breakfast Pizza!

I have always wanted to make a pizza with eggs on top but I was afraid of how my husband would react. He’s been happy with all of my pizza creations so far but eggs? On pizza? I thought that might just be too much for him.

He loved it. I loved it. My 3 year old specifically requested a piece with an egg and then tore it up. You could have knocked me over with a feather. Next time I will add more chives (there’s something you’ll never hear me say again) because the chives totally made the whole thing.

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Cream Cheese Banana Bread

Cream Cheese Banana Bread is moist and delicious banana bread with walnuts. The cream cheese gives this banana bread the best texture!

It’s been a long time since I made banana bread. I got into the habit of only buying enough bananas to get us through the week and what’s the fun in that? The best thing about bananas is knowing that there’s going to come a time when the bananas are so brown that you absolutely have to bake something.

I haven’t really been on that quest to be the perfect banana bread. I mean, sure, I enjoy trying new recipes and get excited when I find a good one but odds are I’ll never go back and make the same recipe again. Anyway, even though I wasn’t on that quest, I did find it. The best banana bread ever.

The only way to describe the texture of this bread is silky. It bakes up completely different from any other quick bread I’ve made and I guess I can thank the cream cheese for that. The flavor is perfect, not too much banana or too little, and the nuts add the perfect contrast to the silky smooth bread. This is one banana bread recipe that I actually can see myself making over and over again.

How To Make Cream Cheese Banana Bread

This Cream Cheese Banana Bread recipe is a pretty standard banana bread recipe but with the edition of cream cheese. You simply soften cream cheese just like you do butter and then cream it with the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. From there, you add eggs and vanilla and all the dry ingredients. 

And finally, before you scrape it into a loaf pan, you fold in walnuts. Of course, you can use pecans or the nut of your choice if walnuts aren’t your thing. 

The loaf gets baked for about 50 minutes and if it starts to get too brown, just tent it with some aluminum foil. Let it cool for a few minutes in the pan before you turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Make sure it’s completely cool before you slice it!

How Long Does Cream Cheese Banana Bread Last?

Banana bread should be fine up to a week if stored in an airtight container on the counter. It’s at it’s best within the first few days of baking but it is fine to consume for up to 1 week. 

Can You Freeze Cream Cheese Banana Bread?

Yes! I love keeping banana bread in the freezer for emergency breakfasts or if we have surprise guests. 

I like to slice it so I can pull it out a slice at a time if I need to but you can leave it whole if you prefer. Just pop it in an airtight, freezer-safe container (like a freezer ziploc bag) and consume within 2 – 3 months.

More Banana Bread Recipes

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📖 Recipe

Yield: 12 servings

Cream Cheese Banana Bread

Cream Cheese Banana Bread

Cream Cheese Banana Bread is moist and delicious banana bread with walnuts. The cream cheese gives this banana bread the best texture!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup mashed bananas, about 2 medium
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

  1. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, until well mixed
  2. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in banana and walnuts. Spoon batter into a greased and floured 8- x 4-inch loafpans.
  3. Bake at 350F for 50 - 60 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and sides pull away from pan, shielding with aluminum foil last 15 minutes to prevent browning, if necessary. Cool bread in pan on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool 30 minutes on wire racks before slicing.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 257Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 118mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 1gSugar: 19gProtein: 4g

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© Amanda Livesay
Cuisine: American / Category: breads

Cheddar Crackers

Homemade Cheddar Crackers are such a delicious salty snack that you won’t be able to stop eating! Crispy crackers full of sharp cheddar cheese and walnuts.

Homemade Cheesy Crackers - easy and delicious cheese crackers with walnuts for the perfect crunch.

What I’m about to say may shock you: I prefer salty snacks over sweet. Sure, I make cupcakes, brownies, and cookies most days but given the choice, I’d take a handful of crackers over any of those. Especially these amazing homemade cheddar crackers.

I’ve made crackers a handful of times but never anything like these. These crackers are buttery and cheesy and have just a hint of spice from the cayenne. The nuts provided a bit of sweetness that really just put them over the top. I know it’s a big statement to make but I’m pretty sure these are the best crackers ever – not surprising considering they come from the Tartine cookbook though, right?

Easy to make, baked up quickly, the only thing that will slow you down is the chill time. I suggest going to the kitchen and mixing up the dough right now. You won’t regret it.

Homemade Cheesy Crackers - easy and delicious cheese crackers with walnuts for the perfect crunch.

📖 Recipe

Yield: 12 servings

Cheddar Crackers

Cheddar Crackers

Homemade Cheddar Crackers are such a delicious salty snack that you won't be able to stop eating! Crispy crackers full of sharp cheddar cheese and walnuts.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 ⅓ cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ⅔ cup walnuts, chopped

Instructions

  1. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a wooden spoon or your hands in a large bowl), combine the cheese and butter and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until incorporated. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Mix in the walnuts on low speed. The dough should be fairly stiff, with small chunks of cheese and walnut visible.
  2. Transfer the dough to parchment paper, waxed paper, or plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1 inch in diameter. Wrap well and freeze until hard, about 2 hours. Or, gather the dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap well in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until firm but still pliable, about 1 hour.
  3. Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick liner.
  4. Unwrap the log and cut crosswise into slices ⅛ to ¼ inch thick. If you have shaped the dough into a disk, unwrap, place on a flour work surface, and roll out into a square or rectangle ⅛ to ¼ inch thick. Using a pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut the dough into 1-inch squares, 1-by-2-inch rectangles, or whatever shape you like. Arrange the crackers on the prepared pan, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
  5. Bake the crackers until golden brown on the edges and lighter in the center, 7 to 10 minutes, depending on size and thickness. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 195Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 320mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 7g

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© Amanda Livesay
Cuisine: American / Category: snack

Watermelon Lemonade

Another Sunday, another Project Pastry Queen post! This recipe was chosen by Ashley of Delish and she chose Watermelon Lemonade.

I don’t feature a lot of drinks on here because I’m strictly a Diet Coke or water kind of girl but I have to say, this watermelon lemonade is worth talking about. I’™s tart like lemonade should be but filled with watermelon and whatever other fruits you want to throw in. I included strawberries, white peaches, and grapes along with lemon, lime, and orange slices. It was so refreshing and perfect for the ridiculous summer we’re having down here.

If you’re intimidated by the amount of time a drink like this takes, don’t be. Cutting all of the fruit took the longest but at the end, I had a large bowl of leftover cut fruit to put in the fridge which made for quick, healthy snacks.

Make sure you check out Ashley’s blog to get the recipe and then visit the Project Pastry Queen blogroll to see everyone else’s lemonade. Next week is my pick so you better join the group this week if you want to bake some deliciously rich corn muffins with us!

Cookies & Cream Cupcakes

I haven’t made cupcakes in over a month. Can you believe it?!

These Cookies & Cream Cupcakes are my new favorite cupcakes. I love all things cookies and cream – ice cream, Hershey’s bars, everything – so of course I love these. They have a white cake base with chopped Oreo’s stirred in and they also sit on half an Oreo cookie. Cream cheese frosting and more Oreo’s for decoration make them one of the best looking cupcakes I’ve ever made.

My husband said they were like “a quadruple stuffed Oreo” because the cream cheese frosting really does taste like the Oreo cream! I cannot wait to make these again!

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Cookies & Cream Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

  • 24 Oreo halves with cream filling attached
  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 8 tbsp. unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 ⅔ cup sugar
  • 3 large egg whites at room temperature
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 cup milk
  • 20 Oreo cookies coarsely chopped

For the frosting:

  • 8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
  • 6 tbsp. unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 4 cups confectioners’ sugar sifted
  • 2 tbsp. heavy cream

For the garnish:

  • 24 Oreo cookie halves

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line the wells of two cupcake pans with 24 paper liners. Place an Oreo halve in the bottom of each liner, cream side up. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir together with a fork to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Blend in the egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, beat in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Add the milk and beat just until combined, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Gently fold in the chopped Oreos with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated, being careful not to over-mix.
  2. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  3. To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Blend in the vanilla extract. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar until incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Add the heavy cream to the bowl and beat on medium-low speed just until incorporated, then increase the speed to medium-high and whip for 4 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  4. Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired. Garnish with Oreo halves.

Oatmeal Cream Pies

I hate whoopie pies. I think they are the lame cousin of the moonpie and have no place in this world. But, I think I accidentally made some recently.

It never even occurred to me that the Little Debbie oatmeal cream pies that I love so much were whoopie pies until I started making this knockoff. With their soft cakes and sweet frosting inside, they fit all both of the whoopie pie requirements even if Wikipedia wants to say that whoopie pies can only be chocolate or pumpkin.

These guys rocked my world last week. The cake part is so close to the Little Debbie kind! The only difference I can taste is the cinnamon which just makes them better. The frosting is spot on. There’s nothing you could add or take away that would get it any closer to the original. It’s perfect.

A few things to note: the batter is finicky. I had to throw away the first 2 pans that came out of the oven because they spread so much. Refrigerating the batter for about an hour solved the problem but it was just a pain that I hadn’t expected. Also, the cakes are very soft and need to be stored with parchment paper between them so they won’t stick. And finally, you should probably double the batch. They’ll go fast.

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Oatmeal Cream Pies

from Buns in my Oven

Ingredients

For the cookies:

  • 1 cup butter
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ cups quick oats

For the filling:

  • ½ cup vegetable shortening
  • 1 ½ cups marshmallow cream
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

To make the cookies:

  1. In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Beat in vanilla and the eggs, one at a time until well incorporated. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and oats. Beat into the cream mixture. Refrigerate cookie dough for 15 minutes.
  2. Drop about 1 tablespoon of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. The centers should still be slightly underdone when you remove them from the oven. Cool completely on a wire rack.
  3. Spread about 1 tablespoon of cream filling (recipe below) on the bottom of one cookie and then top with another cookie.

To make the filling:

  1. Cream the shortening with the marshmallow cream, then add the powdered sugar and vanilla, beat on low for about a minute. If it’s too thick, add a little water. You want it to be spreadable but not runny.

Thai-style Chicken Flatbread

Thai Chicken Flatbread is naan topped with peanut sauce, marinated chicken, cheese, chopped peanuts, and cilantro. Easy weeknight dinner recipe!

Thai Chicken Flatbread - naan topped with peanut sauce, marinated chicken, cheese, chopped peanuts, and cilantro. Easy weeknight dinner recipe!

I love an easy pizza hack. I am queen of tortilla pizzas with just marinara and shredded mozzarella. Especially after a day of work and soccer practice and homework.

This Thai-Style Chicken Flatbread is a bit more of an elevated pizza hack. It starts with naan which make the best chewy pizza crust. The naan gets topped with homemade peanut butter (or use a jarred sauce!), chicken, mozzarella cheese, chopped peanuts, and fresh cilantro.

It’s so delicious and so easy!

Why You’re Going To Love This Recipe

  • There is so much flavor in this simple flatbread! The chicken itself is marinated in soy sauce and honey. Plus, peanut sauce, cheese, cilantro – it has so much going on and it’s all so delicious.
  • This is a very quick dinner! The flatbreads only need about 8 minutes to bake. You can cook the chicken and make the peanut sauce the night before and all you have to do is assemble and bake when you get home.

Ingredients

  • Boneless skinless chicken breasts – you can use thighs if you prefer.
  • Soy sauce – I recommend low sodium soy sauce so you can control the saltiness of the chicken.
  • Honey – it just adds a hint of sweetness to the chicken.
  • Cornstarch – cornstarch in a marinade helps to keep the moisture in the chicken as it’s cooked.
  • Olive oil – you are going to use olive oil to brush the naan before baking and also for the peanut sauce.
  • Naan – you can use plain or to add more flavor to the dish, grab the garlic naan!
  • Mozzarella cheese – I like mozzarella for flatbreads because it melts so well.
  • Cilantro
  • Peanuts
  • Garlic – this is going in the peanut sauce.
  • Fresh ginger – if you don’t have fresh ginger, ground ginger will be fine.
  • Sweet chili sauce – this is widely available at all large grocery stores. I think Trader Joe’s makes the best one.
  • Hoisin – you can find this in the Asian food section of any grocery store.
  • Peanut butter – I like a more natural peanut butter for this sauce. I find the Jifs or Skippys to be a little too sweet for peanut sauce.

How To Make Thai Chicken Flatbread

  1. Marinate chicken. Combine the chicken with the soy sauce, honey, and cornstarch and let marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  2. Make peanut sauce. Heat the oil in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the sweet chili sauce, hoisin sauce, water, and peanut butter and stir until smooth. Simmer until thickened.
  3. Cook chicken. Cook chicken pieces in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  4. Assemble. Brush the olive oil all over the edges of the naan. Spread the peanut dipping sauce on each naan. Top with the mozzarella and cooked chicken.
  5. Bake. Bake at 375F for 5 to 8 minutes.
  6. Add toppings. Top with cilantro and roasted peanuts.

How Long Is It Good For?

The flatbreads are best when they are fresh out of the oven. They will be good up to 3 days in the fridge. Make sure to store them in an airtight container.

You can reheat them in the oven or microwave.

More Thai Inspired Recipes

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📖 Recipe

Yield: 2 servings

Thai-style Chicken Flatbread

Thai-style Chicken Flatbread

Thai-Style Chicken Flatbread - naan flatbread with peanut sauce, chicken, cheese, cilantro, and chopped peanuts!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • ½ pound boneless (skinless chicken, cut into bite-size pieces)
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 medium naan
  • ½ cup peanut dipping sauce (below)
  • 8 ounces mozzarella cheese
  • cilantro
  • ½ cup roasted peanuts (chopped)
  • For the peanut sauce:
  • 1 teaspoon cooking oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 ½ tablespoons sweet chili sauce
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • ⅓ cup water
  • 1 ½ tablespoons peanut butter

Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 375F.
    2. Combine the chicken with the soy sauce, honey, and cornstarch and let marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes.
    3. Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken pieces and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until cooked through.
    4. Brush the olive oil all over the edges of the naan. Spread the peanut dipping sauce on each naan. Top with the mozzarella and cooked chicken. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the edges are golden brown.
    5. Remove from the oven, top with cilantro and roasted peanuts.

To make the peanut sauce:

  1. Heat the oil in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the sweet chili sauce, hoisin sauce, water, and peanut butter and stir until smooth. Simmer until thickened. Let cool.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1340Total Fat: 90gSaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 56gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 2204mgCarbohydrates: 86gFiber: 10gSugar: 23gProtein: 56g

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© Amanda Livesay
Cuisine: Asian / Category: chicken

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Yesterday was National Ice Cream Day. Better late than never, right?

Cheesecake ice cream is my favorite kind (after birthday cake, of course) and I hate how most store-bought ones contain strawberries but for some reason I couldn’t bear to leave out the strawberries that I had sitting in my fridge.

The ice cream turned out great! If you get a bite of the strawberry with a cream cheese piece it really does taste like a frozen cheesecake. You could definitely make it more cheesecake-y if you were willing to actually make a cheesecake and cut it up but I think that’s kind of unnecessary. The tanginess of the cream cheese provided a nice contrast which would be almost lost if you used an actual cheesecake.

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

2 egg yolks
2 cups heavy cream
⅓ cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup strawberries (diced)
2 ounces cream cheese (cut into small pieces)

Whisk egg yolks in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat cream and sugar until sugar dissolves and cream is almost boiling. Pour a small amount of the mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Pour eggs into the cream while you continue to whisk the entire thing. Cook at low heat until the mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Chill in refrigerator.

Once chilled, freeze in ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. About 10 minutes it, add strawberries and cream cheese. Store in airtight container.

Blueberry Crumb Bars

Oh berry season, the best time of the year. It rivals the holidays in my book. There’s nothing prettier than bright strawberries nestled in a pie crust or like this bar, blueberries covered in a streusel topping.

These bars were delicious, easy, and took no time to make which means these are pretty much perfect. The streusel is made from the same dough that the bottom is made of which makes it that much easier. As always, I used my fingers to make the dough because I don’t own a food processor and I threw my pastry cutter out the first time I used it, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t own either of them. The one complaint I have, which isn’t really even a complaint, is that the crust and topping got soft after sitting overnight. I think these would be great for a potluck or an office party or somewhere where they would all be consumed in one day.

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Blueberry Crumb Bars

Ingredients

  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • zest of two lemons
  • 4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 3 teaspoons cornstarch

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, salt, lemon zest and baking powder.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and vanilla together until combined.
  4. Use pastry cutter or your food processor to blend the flour mixture with the butter and egg/vanilla mixture. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.
  5. In another bowl, stir together ½ sugar and cornstarch. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.
  6. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Julie and Julia Bruschetta

Julie and Julia Bruschetta – fresh tomatoes and basil on top of buttery toasted bread slices. Just like from the Julie and Julia movie!

Julie and Julia Bruschetta - fresh tomatoes and basil on top of buttery toasted bread slices. Just like from the Julie and Julia movie!

A few weeks back I confessed my love of the movie Julie and Julia and almost immediately started getting comments, emails, and even tweets telling me that I just had to try the bruschetta that Julie prepares makes at one point during the movie.

If you’ve seen the movie, there’s no way you didn’t notice this bruschetta. Julie fries the bread and chops up these big, plump tomatoes, then she and her husband talk about how amazing it is. And holy geez, did it look amazing.

So when my mom gave me a huge bag of fresh tomatoes this past weekend, I knew some were destined to become the Julie and Julia bruschetta. There are many recipes out there claiming to be the one but the general idea of all of them is tomatoes, basil, and the fried bread.

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Chicken Pesto Pizza

Homemade pizza is one of our favorite meals. It’s easy, inexpensive, and everyone loves pizza! I took a big chance with this one though. I mean pesto? What are the odds that my 3 year old would eat pizza with pesto on it?

Well, we loved it! My kid ate pizza covered in green stuff! I know! Even my husband said, “I like that… stuff you put on the crust” and I definitely expected him to turn his nose up at it. I normally find pesto to be too strong a flavor but it was seriously delicious on this. The melted cheese kind of toned down the strong flavor I think.

I will have a great pizza crust recipe for you eventually. I’m having trouble finding one that my husband and I agree one. He prefers one like I used on this pizza, chewy and thick, and I like the super thin crispy ones. So still searching. Send me any recipes you love!

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Chicken Pesto Pizza

Ingredients

  • 1 pizza crust either a premade crust or homemade
  • ½ – ¾ cup pesto
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 ½ cups cooked shredded chicken
  • ½ cup mozzarella shredded
  • ½ cup Parmesan shredded

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven according to package or recipe instruction.
  2. Roll out crust onto pizza pan that has been dusted with cornmeal or semolina flour. Spread pesto over crust and sprinkle Italian seasoning over it. Place chicken all over crust. Sprinkle cheeses over top. (If you want, you can brush the outside crusts with either oil or butter to get them brown and crispy in the oven.)
  3. Bake according to package or recipe instruction.


Snickerdoodle Blondies

Chewy blondies topped with a cinnamon sugar mixture. Snickerdoodle Blondies are a fun twist on the classic cookies.

There are certain recipes that, as much as I love them, I only make them around the holidays. Like snickerdoodles. They just scream Christmas to me – I think it’s all the cinnamon.

But sometimes, bloggers influence me and after seeing several of my favorite bloggers make them in the last few weeks, I had to make them!

Snickerdoodle blondies are regular blondies with some cinnamon and nutmeg mixed it and then topped with cinnamon sugar. The cinnamon sugar up top reminded me of cinnamon toast and the blondie part was soft and cake-like.

I do have to say that it was weird having all the spicy smells in my kitchen in the middle of July but it was well worth it.

Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking powder
  • Cinnamon – this is going in the blondies themselves and the topping. This is what makes a snickerdoodle a snickerdoodle.
  • Ground nutmeg – this is also going in the blondie batter and the topping.
  • Salt
  • Brown sugar – these blondies only have brown sugar (instead of granulated) inside to make sure they are super soft and chewy.
  • Butter
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla extract
  • Granulated sugar – this is going to slightly caramelize in the oven and become the crispy topping.

Instructions

  • Mix dry ingredients. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and set aside.
  • Mix wet ingredients. In large bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar for 3-5 minutes. Add in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, and beat until smooth.
  • Combine. Stir in the flour mixture until well blended.
  • Transfer to pan. Spread evenly in prepared 9×13-inch pan.
  • Make topping. Combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a little bowl. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter.
  • Bake. Bake at 350F 25-30 minutes or until surface springs back when gently pressed.
  • Cool and serve. Cool before cutting.

How Long Are They Good For?

Blondies are good for up to 3 days at room temperature. Make sure to store them in an airtight container.

If you choose to store them in the fridge, they will stay good for up to a week. Keep in mind that the fridge may dry them out faster than keeping them at room temperature.

Can You Freeze Them?

You can freeze these blondies for up to 3 months. I recommend wrapping each blondie indiviudally in plastic wrap and then placing them in a freezer ziploc bag.

When you are ready to enjoy them, let them sit at room temperature for several hours.

📖 Recipe

Yield: 20 blondies

Snickerdoodle Blondies

Snickerdoodle Blondies

Chewy blondies topped with a cinnamon sugar mixture. Snickerdoodle Blondies are a fun twist on the classic cookies.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup butter (room temperature)
  • 2 eggs (at room temperature)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • a pinch nutmeg

Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and/or line a 9-13 inch pan. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and set aside.
    2. In large bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar for 3-5 minutes. Add in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, and beat until smooth.
    3. Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan (mixture will be somewhat cookiebatter-ish, so it's best to spread it out with a greased spatula or your hands).
    4. Combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a little bowl. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter.
    5. Bake 25-30 minutes or until surface springs back when gently pressed.
    6. Cool before cutting.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

20

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 181Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 240mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 0gSugar: 19gProtein: 1g

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© Amanda Livesay
Cuisine: American / Category: bars

Roasted Garlic and White Cheddar Pasta

I’m kind of obsessed with quick, easy pasta dishes right now. This pasta seems fancy because it has wine it in but as long as you already have some chicken cooked, you’ll only need 2 pans and about 30 minutes to make it.

The pasta seems decadent but it actually has no cream in it – just wine and broth. I recommend that you search out a great cheese to use. I used the Cabot stuff and wish I had used either a sharper white cheddar or a stronger kind of cheese.

To make the garlic paste, take a few bulbs of garlic (I used 3 small ones) and chop off the tops, exposing each clove. Rub some olive oil on each clove and then wrap in aluminum foil. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.  Once they cool a little, squeeze the bulbs and the cloves will pop right out. Mash to make a paste.

📖 Recipe

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Print

Roasted Garlic and White Cheddar Pasta

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ziti
  • 3 tablespoon butter
  • ½ cup roasted garlic paste
  • 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1 large head of broccoli cut into florets (about 2 cup)
  • 2 cups cooked chicken cubed or shredded
  • 3 ounce aged reserve white cheddar grated about 1 ½ cup
  • 4 – 6 thin strips of parmesan cheese optional
  • salt and ground pepper

Instructions

  1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in large pot and cook ziti according to box directions to only al dente and set aside.
  2. At the same time, lightly steam broccoli florets on to of pan in steamer and set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When just coming to foaming, add garlic paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add flour and whisk until beginning to turn golden. Add vermouth and cook until evaporated. Stir broth into pan and simmer sauce until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add cheddar and stir constantly while returning to a boil. Fold in ziti cook for one minute additional and remove from heat. Add broccoli and chicken and fold until sauce covers uniformly.
  4. Plate and top with one or two strips of parmesan (optional) and serve.

Pretzel Dogs

Homemade Pretzel Dogs are going to be your new favorite! Hot dogs wrapped around homemade soft pretzel dough with chunky salt on top.

Three pretzel dogs on a square white plate

I know what you’re thinking. You just can’t handle the gourmet dish I’ve got for you today. It’s too much, I know.

But yes, your eyes do not deceive you – those are soft pretzels wrapped around hot dogs. And I have to say, they were pretty delicious. But what’s not delicious with soft, chewy, salty dough wrapped around it?

If you’re looking for a way to spice up those hot dogs that I know you have on your 4th of July menu, try these! I guarantee they’ll be eaten up before you even know what’s happening.

Homemade Pretzel Dogs are going to be your new favorite! Hot dogs wrapped around homemade soft pretzel dough with chunky salt on top.

How Long Are They Good For?

Pretzel dogs are best eaten soon after being baked which the pretzel still has a bit of crispness to it. They will be fine to eat for up to 3 days afterwards.

I would probably warm them up in the oven or a toaster oven to get the pretzel to feel more pretzel-y and less like regular bread.

Can You Freeze Them?

You can freeze these pretzel dogs for up to 3 months. I would wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer ziploc bag.

When you are ready to eat them, let them thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat in the oven or a toaster oven.

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📖 Recipe

Yield: 8

Pretzel Dogs

Pretzel Dogs

Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups warm water
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 package dry active yeast
  • 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
  • 10 cups water
  • ⅔ cup baking soda
  • 1 large egg yolk (beaten with 1 tablespoon water)
  • Pretzel salt (or kosher salt, for topping)
  • 8 hot dogs

Instructions

  1. Combine the warm water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes, until the yeast is foamy and begins to smell of yeast.
  2. Add the flour and butter to the yeast mixture. Attach the dough hook to the stand mixer and, on medium-low speed, combine the mixture until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and appears shiny, roughly 4 to 5 minutes.
  3. Spray a large bowl with non-stick spray (or lightly grease with vegetable oil) and place dough in greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Place bowl in a warm area and let dough rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
  4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Spray parchment paper with non-stick spray. Set aside.
  5. In a large pot, bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a roiling boil.
  6. Place the dough on a greased surface, and divide into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope, roughly 12 inches long. Carefully wrap each piece around a half hot dog. Pinch the ends together to seal the dough.
  7. Boil the shaped pretzels and pretzel dogs, one at a time, in the baking soda water for 30 seconds each. Using a slotted spatula, remove each pretzel dog from the water and place it on a drying rack to allow any extra baking soda mixture to drip off.
  8. Place the boiled pretzel dogs back on a parchment lined baking sheets.
  9. Brush with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with pretzel or kosher salt.
  10. Bake until golden brown, roughly 14 to 15 minutes. Transfer pretzel dogs to a cooling rack for a few minutes before serving. Serve with a variety of mustards.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 473Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 5925mgCarbohydrates: 60gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 15g

Did you make this recipe?

Tag me in your Instagram photo - @fakeginger

© Amanda Livesay
Cuisine: American / Category: sandwich