Peanut Butter Balls (Buckeyes)

My favorite thing to make at Christmas are these chocolate covered peanut butter balls, also known as buckeyes, (which I have been making every year for well over 10 years now.) I generally only make them at Christmas because even though it's just a couple of super simple ingredients, they do take a little bit of time to assemble... you have to roll all the peanut butter balls, freeze them and then dip them in melted chocolate, (dipping that many at once in chocolate is definitely a labor of love!) However, it's TOTALLY worth it because it is a family favorite and everyone loooooooves them. I usually make two or three batches and once they are all finished I place them in the mini cupcake wrappers and box them up as little gifts for friends and neighbors! (One batch makes about 60 peanut butter balls.)

Ingredients:

2 cups creamy peanut butter (not reduced fat)

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

2 cups semi sweet or dark chocolate chips

2-1/2 Tbsp vegetable shortening, (I use the butter flavored)

Line baking sheets with waxed paper. Beat peanut butter and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in the powdered sugar until the mixture holds together. (If it's too sticky add in a little extra powdered sugar.) Roll in to about 3/4 to 1 inch balls and place on prepared baking sheet. Freeze for at least 1 hour.

Melt chocolate chips and shortening in the microwave on high for one minute. Stir and if necessary, microwave at additional 20-30 second intervals until just melted. Dip the frozen peanut butter balls into the melted chocolate using a fork and toothpick or chocolate dipping tool. Shake off excess chocolate and return to baking sheet. Refrigerate till chocolate is set. Drizzle with additional chocolate if desired. Store in covered container in the refrigerator.

(Note: To get the perfect, thin drizzle over the top, I put some of the melted chocolate in a little baggie and snip just the very, very tip of the bag off of one corner.)

Cheesy Funeral Potato Casserole

One of my families most favorite side dishes are these ooey, gooey, creamy, cheesy potatoes. They are often referred to as "funeral potatoes" here in Utah, but I usually just refer to them as cheesy potatoes because it sounds less morbid. (Though they are to die for!) I have had many different kinds of "funeral potatoes" in my lifetime but this is by far my favorite and one of my most requested recipes. I have been making these this way since my hubby and I got married and have never changed the recipe. They are requested for EVERY family gathering we have, and I usually have to take at LEAST two pans. Even when I take in dinner to friends or family, there is a 95% chance they are getting ham and these because I have yet to meet someone who doesn't love them. These cheesy potatoes are full of shortcuts including using a bag of frozen southern style hash browns so you don’t have to chop up all those potatoes!! Just mix everything together, dump in a

Instant Pot Turtle Cheesecake

It has been instant pot cheesecake world in my house for the past couple of weeks and believe me, no-one is complaining. My hubbies favorite cheesecake has always been turtle, so I thought, why not? Let's change up the crust and topping and see how it turns out! How it turned out was that this is his FAVORITE flavor thus far. (Not to mention it looked pretty impressive.) I'm telling you, instant pot cheesecake is my favorite texture cheesecake. I don't know that I will be able to buy store bought ever again. The number of flavor combinations you could do with this base is unlimited. (Think any kind of fresh fruit, pie filling, baking chips, nuts - what couldn't you do?) As always, remember that it is super important to have room temperature ingredients. This helps the cheesecake be smooth and creamy and NOT grainy! Also, you don't want to over mix the cheesecake batter once you are adding in eggs, so beat it as smooth as you can with the other ingred

Sweet Cream Pancakes (Copycat Black Bear)

I don't know what it is about Black Bears pancakes that make them so much more delicious than most pancakes, at least I didn't know until I did a little digging and and found out they are what they call "sweet cream" pancakes! Have you ever tried sweet cream pancakes? They are made with heavy cream which gives them a light, fluffy texture with golden edges that just melt in your mouth. I've never met anyone who doesn't love a good pancake. It's perfect for a crowd as you can just get out a big griddle and set out all kinds of different toppings to make it fun. These are my families favorite and we love sprinkling them with pecans, chopped bananas and pure maple syrup, or serving them with fresh raspberries and whipped cream. You do you though! The possibilities are endless!! My daughter, Dee, was very skeptical that we could recreate such deliciousness at home, but we both felt like this recipe absolutely nails it. Black Bear likes to make their

Goat Cheese and Roasted Tomato Puff Pastry Tartlets

Sometimes I want to feel like I'm eating fancy, but not put in a ton of effort. These goat cheese and roasted tomato puff pastry tartlets are SO easy and SO tasty!!!! You get the crisp of the puff pastry, the tangy creaminess of the goat cheese, the juiciness of the tomatoes and the herbaceousness of the basil all in one delicious bite. Take my advice and don't skimp on the goat cheese, (you can use plain or herbed... for me the more flavor, the better.) If for some strange reason you don't like goat cheese, (yes, there are people who don't), try substituting whipped cream cheese, mascarpone or ricotta. Ingredients: 1 sheet puff pastry dough 1 egg whisked with 1 Tbsp water Red & yellow cherry tomatoes, washed and sliced in half. (A minimum of 12 of each color.) 1 tsp olive oil Salt & Pepper Goat cheese Dried thyme Fresh basil, cut in to strips Preheat the oven to 400. Unroll your pastry dough and cut in to 24 equal squares. (6 cuts along th

Caramelitas

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Toll house Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

The only way I can describe this pie is "a little slice of heaven." This is the first pie I ever made for my hubby when we got married because how can you go wrong as a new bride with chocolate chips and chopped nuts in a pie topped with cream? It is so deliciously rich and decadent, but sooooooooooo incredibly easy to make. I got this recipe from Nestle Toll House years ago, in fact the original recipe was a cut out from somewhere and stuck on a piece of paper in a make shift recipe box because there were no recipe websites back then! I knew when I saw this recipe that it was something I had to try and that it would be something my hubby would love because he LOVES warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies. I was not wrong in my assumptions. This pie is definitely as good as you think it's going to be. A flaky crust, gooey filling and slightly crispy top makes it heavenly! Ingredients: 1 unbaked pie shell, (you can use a store bought or your favorite recipe OR t

Homemade Mac & Cheese

Now this is not the kind of meal you make every week. It's the kind of meal you make when you just need complete comfort food. I have been making homemade mac and cheese for years now and I always make it exactly the same, but for some reason I decided to switch it up a little bit this last time and make a couple of tweaks. All I can say is WOW... we were in gooey cheese heaven, so here is my new and improved recipe with a few tweaks from my original. It is hands down the best mac and cheese I have ever made. The family agreed. Note: If you want to add in some different cheese, feel free to switch out 8oz of the cheese in the sauce for your favorite. My two favorites are Gouda or Gruyere and if I have one of those on hand I will use 8oz of one of those, replacing half the sharp cheddar in the sauce. 18-24oz of your favorite pasta, (penne, cellentani and rigatoni are our favs) 1 stick butter (8 Tbsp) 4 Tbsp cornstarch 4 cups milk 16oz sharp cheddar ch

Copycat Lipton Dry Beefy Onion Soup Mix

I was in the middle of making beef with au jus for french dip sandwiches when I realized I was out of Lipton beefy onion soup mix, a main ingredient in my au jus drippings. Not wanting to stop what I was doing to run to the store, I decided I would quickly try and make my own. All I'm going to say at this point is that I will definitely not be buying those little packets again. I can make a TON of this with ingredients I already have in my spice cupboard, and it was soooooo good. The best au jus I have ever made! Ingredients: 8 Tbsp beef bouillon powder (I like the Knorr beef granulated bouillon for this) 1/2 cup minced onion flakes 3 tsp parsley 2 tsp onion powder 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp sugar 1/4 tsp black pepper Place all the ingredients in a mason jar or other airtight container, secure the lid and shake till well combined. Keep in your spice cabinet or another dark, cool place. 2 Tbsp of this mix should replace 1 package of soup mix

Easy No-Knead Artisan Bread

I've been wanting to try a no-knead overnight bread recipe for months but never tried it until Dee's sweet newly-wed friend, Addison, made us a loaf. I could kick myself for not trying this sooner!! I love artisan bread - the fermented flavor of it, the crisp chewiness of the outside crust and soft, delicious inside. Smother a piece of that bread with butter and jam and I'm in complete heaven. This bread is SO quick to throw together and requires simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. Just flour, salt, yeast and water! The hardest part is letting it do it's thing for a minimum of 8 hours but up to 24 hours. (Every recipe I have read says the best flavor starts with at least 12 hours of counter time.) Best practice for me is to just mix the ingredients together the night before you want to eat it, cover in saran wrap and leave it to do it's thing till you are ready to bake the next day! Is it bad that it's becoming a habit

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar & Balsamic Glazed Pork

The first time I ever made this pork I did a huge pork loin, almost doubling this recipe, and Mikey's band who were over for dinner demolished every scrap of it. It was so incredibly yummy that we cooked it again just a few days later and it's been a favorite ever since. What I love about this recipe is that getting it in the slow cooker is so simple... just a few ingredients to rub on the pork and you can throw it in and let it get started. Then when it's closer to dinner time, you can throw the glaze together and start basting while you are preparing your side dishes. It's perfect for those mornings when you are rushing to get out of the house, and you get to come home to the most divine smell! We have served this pork over mashed potatoes, with roast potatoes and even with rice and tortillas. Ingredients: 2 tsp ground sage 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed 1 cup water 3-5 pounds boneless pork loin Glaze: 1 cup

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