Monday, June 1, 2026

Bread Maker Banana

 If your bread machine has a Cake, Quick Bread, or Quick Cake setting, this recipe works well:

Bread Machine Cake Mix Banana Bread

Ingredients

  • 1 box yellow cake mix (15.25 oz)

  • 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1½ cups)

  • 3 large eggs

  • ⅓ cup melted butter or vegetable oil

  • Optional: ¾ cup chocolate chips or 1 cup chopped walnuts (Bread Dad)

Directions

  1. Remove the kneading paddle if your machine's manual recommends it for quick breads.

  2. Add mashed bananas, eggs, and melted butter/oil to the bread pan.

  3. Add the cake mix on top.

  4. Select the Cake, Quick Bread, or Quick Cake cycle.

  5. After mixing begins, scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula if needed.

  6. Add chocolate chips or nuts when the machine beeps for add-ins (or about 5 minutes into mixing).

  7. Bake through the cycle. Test with a toothpick; it should come out mostly clean.

  8. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely. (Bread Dad)

Tips

  • Yellow cake mix gives the most traditional flavor, but butter pecan, spice cake, or vanilla cake mix also work well. (Bread Dad)

  • Use very ripe bananas with lots of brown spots for the best flavor. (Bread Dad)

  • If your machine does not have a Cake or Quick Bread setting, use the Dough/Mix cycle to combine ingredients, then bake in a loaf pan in the oven at 325°F for 60–70 minutes. (Allrecipes)


Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Honey Garlic Chicken with Mushrooms

 Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts (sliced thin)
1 cup mushrooms (sliced)
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
Salt & pepper to taste

Thursday, February 12, 2026

Crock pot spinach and artichoke dip

 To make a delicious crock pot spinach and artichoke dip, follow these simple steps:

  1. Combine 8 oz of chopped spinach and 8 oz of chopped artichokes in the crock pot.
  2. Add 16 oz of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of sour cream, and 1/2 cup of mayonnaise.
  3. Mix in 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.
  4. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste.
  5. Cook on low for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally until creamy and heated through.
  6. Serve warm with tortilla chips, bread, or veggies for dipping.

Thursday, February 5, 2026

Slow Cooker Loaded Chicken and Potatoes

 

  • 1/2 cup chicken broth

  • 3 1/2 tablespoon ranch dressing mix

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

  • 1 1/2 pounds yellow baby new potatoes

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 6 ounces cream cheese, cubed at room temperature

  • 1/4 cup ranch dressing

  • cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided, plus more for garnish

  • cooked and crumbled bacon to taste

  • thinly sliced scallions for garnish


1. Stir together chicken broth and ranch dressing mix in the bottom of a 5-quart slow cooker until combined. Add chicken breasts in an even layer over broth mixture, followed by an even layer of potatoes. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are fork tender, about 2 hours and 45 minutes on HIGH or about 3 hours and 45 minutes on LOW.

3. Remove chicken breasts from the slow cooker and place them on a cutting board. Let them cool slightly for 5 minutes. Coarsely shred the chicken using 2 forks.

4. Add cream cheese, ranch dressing, and 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese to slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH until cheeses begin to melt and potatoes are fully tender, about 10 minutes. Uncover and stir cheese mixture until just about fully combined.

5. Add shredded chicken back to slow cooker and stir until evenly coated in cheese mixture.

6. Divide among 8 shallow bowls. Garnish with remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese, top with bacon and scallions. Serve immediately.

Prep Time:
10 mins
Cook Time:
2 hrs 55 mins
Total Time:
3 hrs 5 mins
Servings:
8
Yield:
8 cups

https://www.allrecipes.com/slow-cooker-loaded-chicken-and-potatoes-recipe-8678923

Breakfast Casserole

 

ingredients


directions

  • Combine 1 3/4 cups cheese and next 6 ingredients.
  • Fold in potatoes.
  • Spread half of the mixture into a baking dish (9x13 inches).
  • Top with sausage.
  • Top with remaining potato mixture.
  • Top with remaining cheese.
  • Cover.
  • Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes.

Shepherd's Pie

https://www.facebook.com/reel/25928172983446939 


3 pounds of ground beef, precooked and drained

2 McCormick brown gravy mixes

1 can mushroom soup

peas

carrots

onion

Frozen corn

paprika

onion powder, garlic powder

cut baby potatoes or mashed potatoes


Half way through cooking, add 2 cups beef broth



Saturday, January 31, 2026

Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole


32 ounces frozen hash brown potatoes (1 bag)
1 lb bacon, sausage or ham cooked, crumbled or diced
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 green onions sliced
1 small white onion finely diced, or 1/2 cup 
12 eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper

1. If using bacon or sausage, cook and crumble. Drain fat leaving 1 tablespoon in the pan.
2. If desired, soften the onion in the fat. This is optional but will soften the flavor of the onion
3. Grease a 6 qt slow cooker. Place half of the hash browns, meat, onions, peppers, and cheese in the slow cooker. Repeat layers ending with cheese. Do not stir.
4. Whisk eggs, milk and seasonings in a medium bowl. Pour the egg mixture over the ingredients in the slow cooker.
5. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Once cooked, uncover and rest for 15 minutes. 

 

Friday, January 23, 2026

Air fryer chicken wings

 

How to Bake Wings So They Get Crispy

  1. Heat oven to 425°F. Place a wire rack over a rimmed sheet pan.
  2. Pat wings completely dry with paper towels.
  3. Toss wings with oil and salt.
  4. Arrange wings skin-side up on the rack.
  5. Bake 25–30 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
  6. For extra crispiness, raise oven to 450°F for the final 5 minutes.
  7. Rest briefly, then sauce.

Monday, November 10, 2025

Pork Chops and Sweet Potatoes

 

  • 4 pork chops

  • salt and pepper to taste

  • 2 onions, sliced into rings

  • 2 sweet potatoes, sliced

  • 2 apples - peeled, cored, and sliced into rings

  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar

  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

  2. Season pork chops with salt and pepper to taste, and arrange in a medium oven safe skillet. Top pork chops with onions, sweet potatoes, and apples. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Season with 2 teaspoons pepper and 1 teaspoon salt.

  3. Cover, and bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, until sweet potatoes are tender and pork chops have reached an internal temperature of 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

For crockpot, add broth and cook on low 8 hours. 

Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

 This slow cooker macaroni and cheese takes less than 10 minutes to get into the Crock Pot and then it’s ready to go!

  1. Boil pasta for about 2 minutes less than the package indicates.
  2. While pasta is boiling, shred the sharp cheddar cheese.
  3. Put all of the ingredients into the slow cooker and cook per the recipe below.

Tips for Perfection

  • Pasta – Do not overcook the pasta, it should be very firm after boiling. Rinsing the pasta stops it from cooking.
  • Cheese – Shred the cheese from a block, pre-shredded cheeses do not work as well.
  • Cooking time – Check the pasta early, slow cookers can vary.
  • Double the recipe – A single batch of this slow-cooker mac is cooked in a 4qt slow cooker. To double this recipe, cook in a 6QT crockpot.  Cook on high for 2 1/2 hours, stirring after 1 hour and 2 hours.  (When stirring, try to do it as quickly as possible to keep the heat inside).
  • Make ahead –  To prepare this ahead of time, mix all of the ingredients except the pasta. The pasta can be cooked ahead, rinsed, and cooled. Combine the pasta and sauce ingredients in the crock pot just before cooking.
  • Baking in the oven –  If you prefer or if you are short on time, you can bake this in the oven (and I have many many times!) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake 30 minutes covered and 30 minutes uncovered.


Credit: https://www.spendwithpennies.com/ultra-cream-mac-n-cheese-in-the-slow-cooker/

Baked Apples

 

Recipe Ingredients

  • Apples (about four Granny Smith apples fit comfortably into my slow cooker).
  • Dried cranberries (or raisins, or leave these out entirely).
  • Brown sugar 
  • Butter (or margarine)
  • Cinnamon and allspice (you can leave the allspice out if you like but I love how it enhances the cinnamon. Also, if you are a nutmeg lover you can add that as well. I’ve never been a nutmeg fan so I avoid it).
  • You can also add pecans, walnuts, oats, or anything else you come up with! 
  1. Place your brown sugar, dried cranberries or raisins, and cinnamon and allspice (or whatever spices you are using) in a small bowl and stir them up really well.
  2. Now place the cored apples in the bottom of your slow cooker and use a spoon to fill each apple with your sugar mixture.
  3. Top each one with a pat of butter. 
  4. Add in 1/2 cup of water and cover with lid. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours for large apples. I used five small to medium apples, so I cooked mine on high for 2.5 hours, or until tender.

  5. I recommend checking them after 3 to 4 hours on low and after 1 hour on high.

Credit: https://www.southernplate.com/crock-pot-baked-apples/

Sunday, March 5, 2023

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

YIELDS: 8 serving(s)

  • PREP TIME: 
    15 mins
    COOK TIME: 
    4 hrs
    TOTAL TIME: 
    4 hrs 15 mins

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb. 

      Diced Butternut Squash, Peeled And Seeded

    • 5 

      leaves Fresh Sage, Minced

    • 2 tsp. 

      Fresh Thyme Leaves

    • 1 

      Small Onion, Chopped

    • 3 

      cloves Garlic, Chopped

    • 1/2 c. 

      Vegetable Stock

    • 1 lb. 

      Dry Elbow Macaroni, Cooked According To Package Directions

    • 1 tbsp. 

      Salt

    • 8 oz. 

      weight Shredded Cheddar

    • 4 oz. 

      weight Cream Cheese


    • Directions
    • Place butternut squash, sage, thyme, onion, garlic and vegetable stock in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours. Use an immersion blender or regular blender and puree the vegetables.

      Make sure the slow cooker is set to warm. Add puree, pasta, salt, and cheeses to the slow cooker. Stir until well combined and cheeses have melted. Season with salt to taste and serve.

Thursday, February 2, 2023

Traditional Greek Salad

 

  • 4 Tomatoes, diced
  • 1 Cucumber, peeled & diced
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
  • 4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Oregano, Dried or Fresh, season to taste
  • Kosher Salt, season to taste
  • 1/2 cup Feta Cheese (or nondairy cheese like Kite Hill), cut into chunks
  1. Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl and gently mix well.
credit to: https://www.fitfabfodmap.com/traditional-greek-salad/

Sunday, January 8, 2023

Kayla's dinner 1

 Ground chicken

Sweet onion
Water chestnuts
Hoisin sauce
Rice vinegar
Soy sauce
Siracha
Salt/Pepper/Garlic powder

Romaine lettuce, cucumbers, avocado, green onions

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Perfect Prime Rib

 

Ingredients

  • 1 prime rib roast with or without bone (any size)
  • Garlic powder
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 550F degrees.
Make a rub of salt, pepper and garlic powder and apply to meat. Place meat in a shallow roasting pan fat side up.
Roast at 550 at 5 minutes per pound for RARE, or 6 minutes per pound for MEDIUM and 7 minutes per pound for WELL DONE.
Turn off oven at the end of cooking time and DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR

FOR TWO HOURS.
At the end of the 2 hours, remove meat from oven to slice; it comes out perfect everytime.


https://recipesandkitchen.com/perfect-prime-rib/