Mini Oreo Turtle Cheesecakes {Crazy Cooking Challenge}

Hello there my pretties.

This month's Crazy Cooking Challenge is here! It's the last month, you know. I'm sad about it. The theme for this month was cheesecake. Eaten many, but never made one myself. Nonetheless, I was up for the challenge. That's what these challenges are about anyways, right? Challenging yourself. Myself. Whatever.

Would I say I challenged myself? Not exactly. But I did make some adorable little mini cheesecakes. Not a whole one. Still a bit intimidated there. But one day, I will conquer that intimidation.

But for now, these mini cheesecakes count as cheesecakes. And not only are they just adorable to look at, they have oreos... and nuts.... and chocolate.... and caramel. Yes, I'd say Lauren is a genius for this one.

Mini Oreo Turtle Cheesecakes

from Lauren's Latest

• 12 Oreos
• 8oz. package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup caramel sauce

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Place one oreo cookie in the bottom of each tin and set aside.

In a large bowl, whip the softened cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Scrape sides and whip again until there are no lumps. Spoon cheesecake batter over oreos evenly. Depending on how deep your muffin tins are, you should get anywhere from 9-12 individual cheesecakes. Top with chopped pecans and mini chocolate chips. Bake for 15 minutes or until completely set. Bring to room temperature. Refrigerate until cold. To serve, remove liners, place on serving platter and top with caramel sauce.

Printable Recipe

PJ liked these more than I did (shocker, because there is caramel and nuts!). Next time I'd make more of the cheesecake filling because mine didn't turn out as deep as Lauren's, so there was more oreo than cheesecake. And I may play with the cheesecake recipe a bit more.

But overall I'm happy with my first cheesecake recipe.

Even if they are only minis  :)

Be sure to check out all of my other Crazy Cooking Challenge recipes. 

Peace, and bacon grease! 

Apple, Bacon, and Sharp Cheddar Grilled Cheese Croissant {Crazy Cooking Challenge}

It's time for this month's Crazy Cooking Challenge!! And this month it's all about the grilled cheese. Who doesn't like a grilled cheese?


Takes me back to my childhood days when my mama used to slather the bread slices with butter and when I bit into my grilled cheese, butter used to literally ooze from it. Oh, the things my mama fed me  :)

I made my usual list of possibilities, and finally settled on this recipe from Creative Culinary, but wanted to change it up a tad. I used bacon instead of pancetta, and dijon mustard rather than whole grain mustard. And I didn't use that exact kind of sharp cheddar - I used Cabot extra sharp. No major changes.

Apple, Bacon, and Sharp Cheddar Grilled Cheese Croissant

slightly adapted from Creative Culinary

• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon dried cranberries, chopped
• 2 teaspoons butter, divided
• 1 large croissant, sliced in half lengthwise
• 2 slices of sharp cheddar
• 2 slices bacon, cooked
• One half apple, cored and sliced

For the cranberry spread, mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, honey and dried cranberries in a small bowl and set aside.

Cook bacon in a skillet on medium-low until brown and starting to crisp. Drain.

In a separate large skillet on medium-low, melt 1 teaspoon of butter. Place cut edges of sliced croissant face down on butter until slightly toasted; approximately 1 minute. Remove from pan.

Melt another teaspoon of butter in skillet and place bottom of croissant in pan, toasted side facing up. Layer 1 slice of cheese, apple slices, bacon and a 2nd slice of cheese on top of croissant. Spread the inside of the top piece of croissant with the cranberry spread and place it spread side down on layered ingredients. Lower heat and cover the sandwich with a lid until the cheese starts to melt, carefully watching the underside so as not to burn. Carefully flip the sandwich over and repeat. Remove from heat, cut in half and enjoy. Makes one sandwich.

Printable Recipe

 























When I told PJ that I was making this for myself while he was at work, he said it didn't sound good. Honestly, his judgment had me a bit worried. How would I like this on a croissant grilled instead of bread? I've tried bagels before and wasn't too impressed. How would this mustard and cranberry mixture taste on a grilled cheese? Does the grilled cheese even need that? Apples and cranberries? Is this a bit much?

Um, no Desi... are you crazy?!?! It wasn't too much at all. In fact, it was amazing. It was delicious. It was one of the best grilled cheeses I've ever had. 

That croissant. Oh, I just may use you every time for grilled cheese from now on. The buttery, flakyness definitely outdid any plain old white bread for sure. Usually I can't really tell a difference in different kinds of cheddar, but the sharpness really really stood out. It was a perfect cheese for this sandwich. 

I did have problems photographing these, so I do apologize that the pictures aren't all pretty to show you just how delicious this really was. I'm really sorry for that. But I'm not sorry that I made this and am now sharing it with you all. 

You're welcome for that. 

And the little tang from the mustard and cranberry mixture added that extra somethin too. I even liked the apple slices on it! What the? If you are if-y about the apple slices, I'd say try it with them and you just may surprise yourself on how much you like it. But if you don't wanna get all bold and risky, then this grilled cheese croissant is just as amazing without the apples. 

Now I've got to make these for PJ one day when he's home! I love when he thinks he doesn't like something and therefore I get to prove him wrong. That's always fun :)

Oh, and maybe... just maybe, you can scroll down to the blog hop below and click on my recipe - it's #17 - we've got a contest going on and the grilled cheese that gets the most clicks is crowned the Ultimate Grilled Cheese! Please? I'll love you for life.

Peace, and bacon grease!

Linking up here.

Blueberry Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling {Crazy Cooking Challenge}

Hey yall! 

I'm back for April's Crazy Cooking Challenge, and this month's theme was blueberry muffins!

So many to choose from in this big blogging world! But I eventually decided on Baking Glory's Blueberry Muffins with Cream Cheese. These muffins were amazing. I loved the cheese cheese filling, and the light lemon flavor from the zest. I initially just looked at the ingredient list and didn't read the note about blueberry jam too, so next time I'd definitely try the blueberry jam addition.

  

Blueberry Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

from Baking Glory

• 1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sugar
• zest from 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 3 tbsp cream cheese, softened
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp zest from 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place muffin liners on the bottoms of the muffin tray. If you don't have liners, just butter or spray the tray well to prevent sticking.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add sugar and zest from 1 lemon to the flour mixture and mix well. 

In a separate small or medium bowl, mix vegetable oil, egg, milk, and vanilla extract together. Slowly incorporate wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, but don't overmix. Mix in the blueberries.

For the cream cheese filling, in a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, 1 tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp lemon zest until smooth. 

Fill each cup up halfway with half of the muffin batter. Next add 1 tsp cream cheese filling into each cup and cover with the remaining muffin batter. 

Bake for 20 minutes, until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in comes out clean. Let cool on rack. Makes 12 muffins.

Printable Recipe

This was a great breakfast treat for our lazy Saturday morning, without school or work. I usually prefer savory breakfast foods over things like muffins and pastries and such, but these muffins will change a girl's mind. Oh, and they're perfect with a little butter too. 

Check out all the other blueberry muffin recipes in the blog hop below:


Linking up here.

Peace, and bacon grease!

Chocolate Carrot Cake {Crazy Cooking Challenge}

Hey yall! 

I didn't participate in January's Crazy Cooking Challenge... chicken noodle soup just isn't my thing. And you know what? This month's pick - chocolate cake - isn't really my thing either. Never been much for chocolate cake. 

Or so I thought.

At first, I wasn't too excited about picking a chocolate cake recipe. Then I came across some with Bailey's and Kahlua and white chocolate and strawberries and butterfingers and all kinds of goodness. And I started to get more excited about this challenge. Then I saw it. Chocolate Carrot Cake. I absolutely love carrot cake, and so does PJ, so it was a no-brainer. Chocolate Carrot Cake was the golden one.

Oh, and this is my first homemade cake! Woot woot, go me. Not difficult at all when you've got a recipe to follow. Except when you don't follow it correctly. Leave it to me to read a recipe wrong. We only added 2 cups of carrots instead of 3 cups which the recipe called for. While the cake was delicious, it definitely needed the full 3 cups of carrots. It didn't taste carrot-y enough. (Um, what crazy person says that they want more carrots? Me, Me!). This only applies to carrot cake. This is not the norm for me to want more carrots. But for this carrot cake, it is a must.... use the 3 cups! 


And it was still so good. Though it lacked the full on carrot cake flavor, it was a delicious chocolate cake. Especially with the chocolate buttercream frosting filling and topping. I also liked the crunchy walnuts on top; they added a nice texture. Next time I may try toasting them a bit first, or experiment with other crunchy toppings.

Chocolate Carrot Cake

ever-so-slightly adapted from Burn Me Not

Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 and 1/4 cups canola oil
• 3 cups finely shredded carrots

Frosting:

• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 and 3/4 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 8-inch round baking pans with baking spray. 

In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs and oil and beat until combined. Mix in carrots. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. 

For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Beat in confectioners sugar, cocoa, and vanilla until smooth.

Level cake layers with a serrated knife. Place one layer on a serving plate; top with half of the frosting. Place remaining cake layer on top of the other frosted layer, and then top with remaining frosting. Sprinkle with nuts.

*Note: I didn't line the baking pans with parchment paper. It just wasn't working right so I just baked the cakes directly in the greased pans. I carefully used a spatula to release the sides and bottom from the pan once cooled and removed to a cooling rack. I'm not sure if baking it in the parchment paper would make a difference, or how to even do it properly. I couldn't figure it out, that's why I baked it directly in the pan. You can line pans in parchment paper like the original recipe says, or bake directly in the pans like I did. Whatevs.

Printable Recipe

It's after midnight and I'm about to go have a slice, or two. Please tell me this is normal.


Check out the other chocolate cakes in the blog hop below... and maybe click on mine - the one with the most clicks wins the ultimate chocolate cake title.








Linking up here.


Peace, and bacon grease!

Raspberry Truffle Fudge {Crazy Cooking Challenge + Week 9 of The 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies and Sweets!}

Hey yall!

This month for the Crazy Cooking Challenge, we are all trying to find the ultimate fudge recipe. I have bookmarked a ton that were in the running, but I finally settled on this recipe because I thought it was pretty unique, plus I can always count on Cassie's recipes.

Yes, friends. Raspberry Truffle Fudge. Doesn't it sound fancy and amazing all on its own? I think so.

Raspberry Truffle Fudge

from Cassie Craves

• 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch or two of salt

• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup raspberry preserves
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Spray a 9x9 inch pan with cooking spray and line with wax paper. 

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine 3 cups chocolate chips and condensed milk. Heat in microwave until chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Don't let it scorch. Stir in the vanilla and salt. Spread into pan and cool to room temperature.

Now, in a microwave-safe bowl, heat raspberry preserves until smooth. Strain seeds using a fine mesh strainer. Stir in cream and 2 cups chocolate chips. Heat in the microwave until the chocolate melts and stir until smooth. Cool to lukewarm, then pour over the fudge layer.

Refrigerate until both layers are completely set, about 1 hour. Cut into 1 inch pieces.

Printable Recipe

*Note: I used a loaf pan instead of a 9x9 inch dish. I did spray it with cooking spray but didn't line it with parchment paper because I didn't have any, and because I'd tried using foil before and didn't like how it stuck to the fudge. So I just poured the mixture directly into the loaf pan. I would recommend using parchment paper if you can though, because it was difficult cutting it out of the loaf pan and getting perfectly serrated pieces. 

Basically, do it like Cassie does it.

Also I had problems removing the seeds through a fine mesh strainer. None of the raspberry preserves would filter through the strainer, so I ended up not being able to de-seed the preserves. So some of my fudge pieces had little seeds in them. I just ignored them when eating the fudge, which is otherwise delicious! But definitely de-seed if you can. Wonder if I just had a crappy strainer or how others got that to work well??



Vote for The Ultimate FUDGE recipe by clicking on the "like" buttons in the blog hop below. I sure would appreciate a vote from you... I'm #73  :)




And since I can, I'm also submitting this as my week 9 entry of The 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies and Sweets, cuz it's also a perfect holiday treat! Your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, ANYONE who receives these as gifts will love you forever. I know I would.

And check out the blog hop below for tons of Christmas baking ideas. Thanks for hosting, Brenda!





Peace, and bacon grease!

The Crazy Cooking Challenge... and Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole

I'm backkkkkk! I missed last month's Crazy Cooking Challenge, because my chocolate chip cookie recipe didn't turn out so well so I had to drop out at the last minute. But I'm back this month, baby! With a tasty one, too.



This month we all had to post about a mashed potato recipe. I was all over that.... as you know I'm a potatoes kinda gurl. I love mashed potatoes, so it was so much fun trying to find the perfect mashed potato recipe to make. Man, I saw so many good ones. One day, I asked PJ which recipe he wanted to make... and listed like 5 mashed potato options which had made my final cuts, and he said he wanted to make all of them!!! (I agree!). But he ended up picking this delicious mashed potato casserole.

It's everything you love about a loaded baked potato... in mashed potato and casserole form. Plus I used evaporated milk, which made the mashed potato very creamy. And you guys already know my affinity for bacon. So this was a perfect side for us. We also didn't peel the potatoes due to laziness, but there's nothing wrong with a little potato skin in some mashed potatoes. And we seasoned the potatoes with salt and pepper to taste, once served. The recipe makes plenty, a full casserole dish worth, so we had some for leftovers the next day, too.

Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole

from Simple Daily Recipes

• 8 medium red potatoes (about 2.5 lbs total), cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 cup Carnation evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups (8 oz package) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled, divided
• 5 green onions, sliced

Place potatoes in a large pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat for 20 minutes or until tender; drain.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a casserole dish with cooking spray.

Return potatoes to pot; add evaporated milk, sour cream, salt and pepper. Beat with hand held mixer or mash by hand until smooth. Stir in half the cheese and half of the bacon. Spoon mixture into the prepared casserole dish.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through. Top with remaining cheese and bacon, and green onions. Bake for an additional 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Printable Recipe

*Note: the original recipe says that this can be assembled ahead of time up until the point of baking and refrigerated. When time to cook, cover it with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover, top with cheese, bacon and green onions and then bake for an additional 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Shout out to Tina from Mom's Crazy Cooking for hosting this great challenge. Thanks for all you do... we couldn't do it without you! 


And if you would, please vote for your favorite (ahem) so the ultimate mashed potato recipe can be determined. Just click on the "like" button on my recipe your favorite mashed potato recipe in the blog hop below :) I'm #71!! (Yes, that means I am a procrastinator and finished my post later than most people).





And feel free to join in next month's Crazy Cooking Challenge... the theme for December is fudge! Oh yay, I have been in a fudge kinda mood lately. Won't you join me?


Peace, and bacon grease!

The Crazy Cooking Challenge - and Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

I'm very happy to be participating in a fun monthly linky party hosted by Tina from Mom's Crazy Cooking, called Crazy Cooking Challenge, where each month there is a different food item featured and we each make a recipe using that featured food item and blog about it on the same day. But it's gotta come from a fellow blogger, which is totally fine by me because I have tons of mac and cheese recipes bookmarked from blogs that I stalk visit. Kinda like the Secret Recipe Club that I'm in, except that it's not a secret, and it's a personal challenge instead of being tied to someone else's blog. Either way, I'm game!

The first month, we are all making macaroni and cheese recipes. I couldn't pass that up, as I'm definitely a mac and cheese kinda gurl. Like, I'll try pretty much any kind of mac and cheese. And I'll expect it to be good, because it's mac and cheese for crying out loud! :) I chose a wonderful mac and cheese recipe from Christy's blog, The Girl Who Ate Everything. Have you guys checked out her blog? If you have, I'm sure you've fallen in love with all of her creations like I have. I love her food, I love her photography, I just love her site! So it was no surprise when I found this delectable mac and cheese dish on her site.

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

slightly adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

• 3.5 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 lb (8 oz) elbow macaroni
• 1/2 of a small Vidalia onion, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3/8 cup hot sauce, divided
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp ground mustard
• 1 and 1/4 cup half and half
• 1/2 lb sharp cheddar, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch dish with cooking spray.


In a large pot, cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain. Return pasta to the large pot.


Melt 1.5 tbsp butter in a skillet on medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked chicken and garlic and cook for 2 minuets. Add 1/4 cup hot sauce and simmer until thickened for about a minute.


Melt 1 tbsp butter in a medium pot on medium heat. Add flour and mustard, stir. Add half and half, and remaining 1/8 cup hot sauce and stir for 2 minutes. Add cheddar and pepper jack cheese, then sour cream and whisk.


In the large pasta pot, add the the chicken mixture and cheese sauce in with the pasta and toss to combine well. Pour into the 9x13 greased baking dish.


Melt remaining 1 tbsp butter in a bowl and microwave until melted. Add panko bread crumbs, blue cheese, and parsley and stir. Pour over the mac and cheese and bake for 30-40 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Printable Recipe

The only change we made was to half the original recipe, as well as up the chicken amount by a bit. We halved it, and we still got a casserole dish-worth out of it! So it was plenty for the both of us. We loved this macaroni and cheese so much. I love the addition of the blue cheese and panko topping - I always enjoy blue cheese to my buffalo anything, and the panko added a nice texture. I was surprised how much I loved the crunch from the celery, because usually I'm not too keen on celery. But it worked great in this dish. I've tried a different buffalo macaroni and cheese recipe also which I still need to blog about, and this one is my favorite so far. Definitely a keeper!

Won't you come join me at the Crazy Cooking Challenge? October is Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes!  

I'm linking up to a new linky that I was just told about - Simply Delish Saturday. Thanks for inviting me over, KB and Whitesnake! I'm also adding this to Miranda's Mac and Cheese Quest.

Oh, and don't forget to visit these other awesome blogs and click "Like" to vote for the Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese Recipe! I'd appreciate a vote.... I'm #16 on the blog hop below :)

Peace, and bacon grease!