Burgundy Mushrooms - The Pioneer Woman

"These are excellent.  These just might be the best thing I've EVER eaten!"

These were the words that came rushing out of Brad's mouth as he tasted these mushrooms for the first time.  Let me remind you, that this is also the same man that wouldn't touch mushrooms with a ten foot pole just a few years ago.  

Folks, these mushrooms are a.m.a.z.i.n.g...Seriously.

They are slowly simmered in red wine for a total of 9 hours, and yes...you read that correctly.  It seems like an incredibly long amount of time to simmer mushrooms, but it's worth the long wait in the end.  They come out still a little firm, but packed with intense flavor from the chicken and beef bouillon cubes, Worcestershire sauce (which I've never been able to pronounce correctly!), butter and garlic.

And don't even get me started about the delicious smell that fills the entire house while these babies cook!

Next time, I may even try making these in a crock pot because of the long cooking time.  I can imagine they would simmer away all nice and cozy in a crock pot just perfectly.  They are so easy to put together.  You literally just wash the mushrooms, throw them in a stock pot along with the other ingredients and let it all cook for hours.  I garnished them with a little minced parsley before serving.  How easy is that?

Just don't be like me and forget to put them in the fridge overnight.  Yes...it was a horrible, horrible mistake.  Brad and I were both disappointed the next morning when we saw them sitting on the counter...all lonely and abandoned.  Because of the beef and chicken bouillon, it wouldn't have been safe to eat them.  I guess I learned that lesson the hard way.  What can you do, though?  We just laughed and went about our day.

Make these soon...You'll be in love!

Bon Appetit!

Burgundy Mushrooms

Source:  The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds White Button Mushrooms
• 2 sticks Butter
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 liter Burgundy Wine (other Reds Will Work)
• 1 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 2 cups Boiling Water
• 4 whole Chicken Bouillon Cubes
• 4 whole Beef Bouillon Cubes
• 1 teaspoon Dill Seed
• 5 cloves Garlic, Peeled
• 2 teaspoons Salt

Directions: 

Thoroughly wash the mushrooms and throw them into a large stockpot. Add all the remaining ingredients except the salt. Stir to combine.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for six hours.

Remove the lid, then continue cooking, uncovered, for three hours. 

Add salt to taste at the end if desired. The mushrooms will be very dark in color. Simmer until needed. 

Serve straight from the pot or in a serving bowl. Dip crusty bread in the juice---yum!

Mushrooms keep for days in the fridge. You'll love 'em!

Absolutely Sinful Cinnamon Rolls - 2011!

Before baking...look at those pecan pieces...Yum!

What a wonderful, wonderful holiday season it's been around our home!  I can't believe that 2011 is coming to a close.  It's been an awesome year, and we are excited to see what 2012 will bring!

If you've been following this blog for a while, you may know that homemade Cinnamon Rolls are one of our holiday traditions on Christmas Day.  The Pioneer Woman's recipe is BY FAR the best!  In fact, I've blogged about these rolls every year since 2009.  The maple and coffee glaze really sends these cinnamon rolls over the top...After all, I called them "Absolutely Sinful Cinnamon Rolls" for a reason!

I tried something a little different this year...I added finely chopped pecans before rolling them up, which was incredible.  I have a feeling that pecans will be a regular addition in the future.

You can find the recipe and posts from previous years HERE. 

This recipe rocks because you can put the cinnamon rolls together on Christmas Eve, pop them in the fridge for their final "rising" overnight, and then bake them on Christmas morning.  That makes Christmas morning breakfast a breeze, because who wants to be stuck in the kitchen??  Plus, I'm convinced that the smell of these babies baking in the oven is quite possibly the most scrumptious smell in the entire world.

I hope that you and yours have a SAFE, WONDERFUL, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Bon Appetit, my friends!  :)

Before baking...

Maple and Coffee Glaze...Oh my!

The Pioneer Woman's Buttermilk Biscuits + Tips!

If you're a Southern gal like me, you've probably passed your fair share of buttermilk biscuits around the dinner table.  It's hard to beat those buttery, delicious layers that are accompanied so perfectly by your favorite fruit preserves, fresh honey or jam.  

I've made homemade buttermilk biscuits several times with pretty good results, but they don't always come out the way I want.  THESE from Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home cookbook were particularly yummy.   I do have to say that this recipe from Ree Drummond was excellent, and it was fun to watch them rise in the oven!


Here are a few tips for making delicious buttermilk biscuits:
1.  Don't overwork your dough, because it will make the biscuits tough.
2.  Cut straight down with the biscuit cutter...don't turn it as you cut, because that will seal the biscuits and prevent a high rise.  Also, use a sharp biscuit cutter!
3.  Keep your butter as cold as possible, and again...don't overmix!  When the biscuits are put into the oven, the cold butter will create steam and help those babies rise high!  Also, you may even want to pop your mixing bowl into the freezer for a few minutes before starting.
4.  Excess flour on the tops and bottoms may make the biscuits seem dry.  Be sure and brush it off before baking.
5.  You can use either a food processor or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour.  I've used both methods, and they work pretty good.  I used a pastry cutter on this particular recipe.
6.  Flours with less protein will yield a lighter, fluffier biscuit.  A lot of folks here in the South swear by White Lily brand flour.  It has a low % of protein and is perfect for buttermilk biscuits.
So, just remember:
Less Protein = Better for biscuits and other quick breads
Higher Protein = Better for yeast breads


Bon Appetit!

Buttermilk Biscuits

Source:  The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients:

4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup cold butter (5 1/3 tablespoons), cut into pieces
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450.

2. In large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and stir together. Add the shortening and cold butter pieces. With pastry blender, cut the shortening and butter into dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs.

3. Pour in the buttermilk and mix gently with fork until just combined. The biscuit dough will be sticky,  not overly dry or crumbly.

4. Lightly flour a clean surface. Turn the dough out of the bowl and roll to a 3/4″ thickness. Cut rounds with a biscuit cutter and place them on a cookie sheet. Bake for 11-14 minutes until golden brown.  Do not underbake, or the biscuits will be doughy.

 

Cowboy Calzones a la The Pioneer Woman

***A great friend of mine, Ashley, recently told me about some calzones that she had had at a friend's house.  At the party, everyone made their own calzones...sounds fun, doesn't it?  Basically, she said they all started with pizza dough, and then added the toppings of their choice from a big selection.  That sounds like my kind of party!

So, when I saw these calzones the very next day in The Pioneer Woman's new cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks, I decided that I just HAD to give homemade calzones a try.  It was just meant to be! 

Now, I have to warn you...These aren't the tomato sauce and pepperoni type calzones that you're probably used to ordering at your local Italian eatery.  These are truly "COWBOY" calzones...hamburger meat, sausage, onion, Rotel, and lots of cheese make up the filling.  And I also will admit that I used store-bought pizza dough...I just couldn't be bothered with making my own dough that night.  They still tasted fantastic!

I think you'll really enjoy these hearty calzones.  They'll fill ya up and leave you with a happy tummy!

Bon Appetit!***

Cowboy Calzones
Source:  The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond

Pizza Dough:

1 tsp or 1/2 packet of active dry yeast
4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
1. Pour 1 1/2 cups warm water in a bowl and sprinkle in yeast.
2. Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl.
3. With an electric mixer on low speed, drizzle in olive oil until combined
4. Add water and yeast mixture slowly until ball forms.
5. Let it rise for 1 to 2 hours or can be refriderated for 2 days.


Calzone Filling:
1/2 lb breakfast sausage
1 lb ground beef
1/2 diced onion
8 oz can of Rotel
8 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 egg, beaten
Salt and Pepper


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450.  In a large skillet brown ground beef, sausage and onion over medium heat. Drain excess grease
2. Add Rotel and cook for 2 mins. remove from heat and let cool slightly.
3. Combine ricotta, mozzarella, monterey jack, and egg in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Combine cheese mixture with meat mixture.
5. Divide dough into 8 equal balls. Roll into 6 inch circles.
6. Place one-eighth of the mixture in the middle of each circle.
7. Fold one half of the circle over and pinch the edges to seal. Brush with olive oil.
8. Bake for 12 to 15 mins

Penne a la Betsy...Food for a Broken Heart

Me & GrannyRene...Having fun in the kitchen.

***This post is going to be difficult for me.  I'm writing this entry at the end of what has easily been one of the hardest weeks I've ever been through.  On the morning of March 5th, I found out that my GrannyRene had been rushed to the hospital.  She passed away later that afternoon.  It was so unexpected.  We had to say goodbye way too early, and my heart is broken.

My GrannyRene was one of the strongest people that I've ever known...Strong in every way.  She was so kind and loving...and was incredibly involved in the community...especially her church.  She volunteered so much of her time, because she truly enjoyed helping people and doing her part to make this world a little brighter.  She's taught me so many things through the years, including the fact that we have to take one day at the time...and that's exactly what I'll have to do. I know she's smiling down on me right now.

GrannyRene had a knack for making everyone feel loved...and you were richly blessed to have her in your life.  She was beautiful, classy, and a tremendous cook!  In fact, she was famous around here for her Chicken & Dumplings.  You may even remember THIS POST, where I shared her recipe.  The hand-written recipes and photos from that particular post are things that I will treasure forever.  She was so proud of this food blog and told so many people about it. She was so excited when she read that post and saw those photos.

I do find peace in the fact that she's with my grandfather, Papa, right now.  They loved each other so much, and I can't imagine how happy they are to finally be together again.  I have also found that getting back into the kitchen has been soothing...it puts me at ease and reminds me of GrannyRene. 

This is the dish that got me back into the kitchen.  Cooking can calm the mind, and making this pasta did just that.  It was just what I needed...comfort food to the highest degree.  It's easy to put together, and the taste is truly outstanding.  The creamy tomato sauce is brightened by the fresh basil and parsley.  This is a meal that feels luxurious and would be a great dish for a dinner party...easy, stress-free, but sure to impress.

I'm so blessed to have such wonderful memories of my GrannyRene...I know she'll continue to live on in our hearts forever.  I love you, GrannyRene...

Until next time...Bon Appetit!***

Penne a la Betsy
Source:  The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

¾ pounds Penne Pasta
1 pound Shrimp
3 Tablespoons Butter
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 whole Onion (small)
2 cloves Garlic
½ cups White Wine
1 can Tomato Sauce (8 Oz)
1 cup Heavy Cream
Fresh Parsley, to taste
Fresh Basil, to taste
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Cook the penne pasta until tender-firm, also known as al dente.

Peel, devein and rinse (under cool water) 1 pound of extra large shrimp. Heat about 1 tbsp. butter and olive oil in a skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for a couple minutes until just opaque. Do not overcook them. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Now, put the cooked shrimp on the cutting board and pull off the tails. Chop the shrimp into bite –sized pieces and set aside.

Finely dice one small onion. Mince two cloves of garlic.

In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally. After the garlic and onions have cooked a bit add your white wine. Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. If you would rather not use wine, you can use low-sodium chicken broth instead (about ½ cup).

Now add an 8-ounce can of plain tomato sauce. Stir well until combined. Then add 1 cup of heavy cream. Continue stirring. Turn heat down to low and let simmer.

Now chop your herbs, about a tablespoon of chopped parsley and about the same amount of chopped basil, or if you’re feeling very proper, chiffonaded.

Now add your chopped shrimp back into the tomato cream sauce. Give it a stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Throw in your herbs and stir until combined. Finally add your cooked penne pasta and give it a good stir.

Edna Mae's Sour Cream Pancakes + Banana! - Pioneer Woman

***Ahh...pancakes...one of those quintessential, scrumptiously delicious breakfast foods....But wait a gosh-darn-minute....Who says you can't have pancakes for dinner, anyway?  That's exactly what I made tonight...Edna Mae's Sour Cream Pancakes, to be precise.  I took these over-the-top pancakes one step further by adding some mashed bananas.  WOW...that's all I can say!

It was one of those moments where I didn't have the exact ingredients that I needed.  But hey, sometimes those moments are just what you need for an awesome result!  The recipe calls for 1 full cup of sour cream, and I only had 1/2 cup.  Oh, what ever should I do??  I glanced around the kitchen, and my eyes fell upon the perfect solution...a few perfectly ripe bananas.  I peeled one of those suckers, put him in a bowl, and mashed him all to bits.  After adding the one banana to my 1/2 cup of sour cream, I had just the right amount.  Voila!

These pancakes tasted a lot like banana nut bread.  In fact, a drizzling of chopped pecans over the top would have made these pancakes even better.

While making these pancakes, I couldn't help but sing Jack Johnson's "Banana Pancakes" song to myself...

...Maybe we could sleep in
I'll make you banana pancakes
Pretend like it's the weekend now...

This recipe is certainly going in my regular repertoire...I KNOW you'll love these!!***

Edna Mae’s Sour Cream Pancakes
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Ree says this makes 12 4-inch pancakes; I got 6 that were closer to 5 inches

Ingredients:
7 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/ 2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream (I used 1/2 cup sour cream + 1/2 cup mashed banana)
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Butter
Maple syrup

Directions:
Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-low heat; you want it to slowly get nice and hot.

Stir the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together in the bottom of a medium bowl. Dump the sour cream in on top and stir it together very gently; it’s okay to leave the texture a bit uneven. Whisk the eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl and stir them into the sour cream mixture, once again, being careful not to overmix.

Melt about a tablespoon of butter in your skillet or griddle and pour the batter in, a scant 1/4 cup at a time. Cook for about 2 minutes on the first side, or until bubbles appear all over the surface [See Pancakes 101 for this and other tips], flipping them carefully and cooking for about a minute on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve in a stack, topped with a pat of butter and a cascade of maple syrup.

Pioneer Woman's Macaroni & Cheese

***I'm speechless...utterly speechless by the cheesy goodness that overwhelms you while indulging in this wonderfully scrumptious dish. I promise I'm not over-exagerating...LOL...This Mac & Cheese is sinfully yummy. I found it while perusing Pioneer Woman's new cookbook: The Pioneer Woman Cooks. By the way - You totally need this cookbook!!

Once you make this, you'll never, ever go back to the orange stuff in the box. There's just no comparison. I used a combination of Gruyere, Swiss, and Cheddar cheeses. That's just what I had on-hand, and the flavors worked great together....especially the Gruyere cheese, which has GOT to be one of my favorites! As you may have noticed, I also used shell shaped pasta...not the traditional elbow pasta. Again, it was just a matter of what I had in the pantry.

This recipe made a GIANT pot of mac & cheese....It was SO good, that Brad and I had it 3 nights in a row....Haha. Fortunately, it reheats wonderfully. I made the bechamel sauce in my Le Creuset dutch oven, added all the other ingredients, and then baked it all in the same pot...easy peasy! So, you don't necessarily have to end up with a sink full of dishes at the end of the night.

Make this tonight...You'll be in L.O.V.E.!!!

Bon Appetit!***

Macaroni & Cheese

Source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks; thepioneerwoman.com

Ingredients:

4 cups dried macaroni

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2-1/2 cups whole milk

2 teaspoons (heaping) dry mustard

1 whole egg, beaten

1 pound cheese, grated

1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt, more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Optional Spices: Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.

In a small bowl, beat egg.

In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for 5 minutes, whisking constantly. Don't let it burn.

Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for 5 minutes, until very thick. Reduce heat to low.

Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into the beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the egg. Whisk together until smooth.

Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.

Add in cheese and stir to melt.

Add both salts and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt as needed. DO NOT UNDERSALT!

Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.

Pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until bubbly and golden on top.

Olive Cheese Bread & ROLL TIDE!

***First of all, I just have to send a big "ROLL TIDE!!!" to all of my fellow University of Alabama Crimson Tide Fans! We won the National Championship last night, and it was awesome! I was so proud of our guys...they played hard in what turned out to be a fantastic game...they definitely deserved this historic win!! :-)

Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming:

I was so excited to receive Ree Drummond's new cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks, on Christmas day. If you're looking for a hearty, delicious, mouth-watering dish, I'm sure that Ree has just the recipe for you.

After reading through the cookbook, this Olive Cheese Bread both sounded and looked divine. We love, love, love olives around this house, so I couldn't wait to give this a try. It tasted scrumptious...cheesy, olive-y, goodness!

I couldn't find straight monterey jack cheese at the store, so I had to use a cheddar/monterey jack mix. A great tip that Ree suggests in her cookbook is freezing part of the recipe, if you aren't going to eat it immediately. This worked perfectly for Brad and me. I baked up one half of the french bread, and froze the other half. I simply placed the Olive/Cheese mixture on the second half and froze it whole. Ree promises that it will bake up perfectly after thawing, and it will last several months in the freezer. So, next time I need a quick side dish or appetizer, all I have to do is pull this out of the freezer...Gotta love that!

Bon Appetit!***

Ingredients:
1 loaf French Bread
6 ounces, weight Pimiento-stuffed Green Olives
6 ounces, weight Black Olives
2 stalks Green Onions (scallions)
1 stick Butter, Room Temperature
½ cups Mayonnaise
¾ pounds Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated

Directions:
Roughly chop both black olives and pimiento-stuffed green olives. Slice green onions into thin pieces.

Combine butter, mayonnaise, cheese, olives and green onions in a mixing bowl. Stir together until thoroughly combined. Spread mixture onto French bread that has been sliced lengthwise. Bake at 325ºF for 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and browning.

Mixture can also be refrigerated (up to two days) and used as a dip. Great with crackers.

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Merry Christmas!!!

What can I say...We had a wonderful Christmas this year. We started the day with Pioneer Woman's amazingly sinful, made-from-scratch cinnamon rolls. You might remember me making these last year on Christmas morning. Those things are so ridiculously good...It's hard to find the words to describe them...Hah.

Pioneer Woman says it best:
"If you begin making these for your friends and family during the holidays, I promise you this: you'll become famous. And, on a less positive note, people will forget everything else you've ever accomplished in your life. From that moment on, you'll be known - and loved - only for your cinnamon rolls."

Folks, she's not kidding...they're THAT good! You can find the recipe HERE.

I even surprised 3 of our neighbors with pans of these cinnamon rolls. They seemed very excited!

I also made another Red Velvet Cake. This time, I decorated the top and sides of the cake with candy canes. They added a wonderful, pepperminty taste to the cake that made it taste like Christmas! Click HERE for the recipe.

I'm so excited to report that I received 5 awesome cookbooks as part of my Christmas loot this year. They include:

A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes by David Tanis (of the famous Chez Panisse)

Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller (Famous chef of The French Laundry and Bouchon Bakery)

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl by Ree Drummond

(Her FOOD BLOG is awesome and this cookbook is even more awesome!)

The Lady & Sons Savannah Cookbook Collection by Paula Deen

The Christmas Tree...

It was mass chaos in our living room at 8:30AM this morning...hah...

Our pups...Lady & Hannah

MERRY CHRISTMAS and a very HAPPY NEW YEAR to you and your family!!!

Absolutely Sinful Cinnamon Rolls

***Alrighty, here are the cinnamon rolls that I mentioned in my previous post. I put these together on Christmas Eve, and then baked them on Christmas morning. Let me just tell you...there's nothing quite like the smell of yummy cinnamon rolls wafting through the house on Christmas morning...ahhhhh...so wonderful! This is going to be a new tradition for us...fresh, homemade rolls on Christmas. I thought that I might try this recipe, and then maybe try a new one next year...until I found one that I really loved. However, I hit the jackpot on the first try! This is THE recipe that I'll always use.

UPDATE:  Since originally writing this post in 2008, I've  made these cinnamon rolls every year for Christmas!  They are a holiday tradition that my family looks forward to all year!  You can see my other posts here, with lots more photos of these sinful cinnamon rolls:
CHRISTMAS 2009
CHIRSTMAS 2010
CHRISTMAS 2011

The great thing was that I could prepare them on Christmas Eve. Just put them together...all the way until the step where they're ready to go into the oven. Instead of popping them into the oven, just put them in the fridge and let them rise for the 2nd time in the fridge overnight (they'll rise VERY slowly in the fridge). Then, in the morning let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, and then pop them in the oven as directed.

I looked and looked online and in my numerous cookbooks for the perfect recipe. I think the thing that got me about this particular recipe was the coffee glaze drizzled over the rolls...omg. You had me at coffee! I didn't look much further after that.

I found this recipe over on Pioneer Woman's blog. She's got a great story that goes along with them, so be sure to check out her post.

I will say that I decreased the ginormous amount of butter that she called for in this recipe. I also halved the recipe to suit my needs. I didn't need 7 pans of rolls...neither do my hips! :)

Try these today...you won't be sorry! I promise!!!***

ROLLS:

Adapted from: The Pioneer Woman
Note:   The original recipe makes about seven 8" round aluminum tins of cinnamon rolls.  After cutting the original recipe in half, you'll end up with 3 - 4 tins full of rolls, with 7 - 8 rolls per tin...depending on how large you cut them.

Ingredients: (This is 1/2 the original recipe)

DOUGH:
2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sugar

1 pkg active dry yeast

4 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tablespoon salt

FILLING:

1 cup melted butter, plus more as needed

1/8 cup ground cinnamon for sprinkling
1 cup sugar, plus more as needed

Directions:

Mix milk, vegetable oil, and 1/2 cup of sugar in a pan. Scald the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point.) Remove from heat and let it cool 45 minutes to 1 hour.

When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in package Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute and then add 4 cups of flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.

Next, add 1/2 cup flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir mixture together. From here, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it—overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to rise out of the pan, just punch it down. Or, of course, you can just go ahead and make the rolls.

Sprinkle surface generously with flour and roll the dough into a thin rectangular shape, about 1/4" thick. Brush melted butter on top, then sprinkle sugar over the butter, and finish with a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.

Starting with the wide end, roll the dough tightly towards you in a neat line. Next, pinch the seam to the roll to seal it. Spread 1 tbsp of melted butter in each pan/dish. With a sharp knife, begin cutting the dough into 1 inch slices, and laying them in the pans. Let rest for 20-30 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 13 - 17 minutes, or until golden.

IF MAKING AHEAD FOR CHRISTMAS MORNING:   Instead of popping them into the oven, just put them straight  into the fridge and let them rise for the 2nd time in the fridge overnight (they'll rise VERY slowly in the fridge). Then, in the morning let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, and then pop them in the oven as directed.

FROSTING:

Ingredients:

1 lb. powdered sugar

1 tsp. maple flavoring

1/4 cup milk

1/8 cup melted butter

1/8 cup brewed coffee

Pinch of salt

Directions:

Mix together all ingredients, and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Go crazy and don't skimp on the frosting!

Crash Hot Potatoes

***Here's another great recipe from Pioneer Woman. You just have to check out her post about this recipe HERE. She's got some fabulously detailed photos. Next time I make this, I'm definitely going to use smaller potatoes. When I went grocery shopping, the only red potatoes available were really large. So, I had trouble mashing these down all the way. They still tasted great...just not quite as flat as they should be.***

Ingredients:

New Potatoes (or other small, round potatoes)

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

Rosemary (or desired herbs)...I used freshly chopped parsley

Directions:

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you would like to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.

On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet, leaving plenty of room between each one.

With a potato masher, gently press down on each potato until it slightly mashes. Rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each potato generously with more olive oil.

Sprinkle each potato with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available).

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Steak & Onion Sandwich (a.k.a. Marlboro Man’s Favorite Sandwich)

***I stumbled across Pioneer Woman's Blog the other day, and I loved it. She includes great photos for every single step of each recipe. I admire her for that...I would never have the time or patience to post a photo for every step. After browsing through her posts, I figured that this recipe would be the best place to start because it's her most requested one. I have to admit though, the amount of butter in this dish really scared me...lol. I used A LOT less! First of all, I sauteed both the onions and the meat in olive oil. I only added about 2 tbsp of butter to the sauce. I also added a minimal amount to the toasted buns. My arteries just couldn't handle 2 sticks of butter total. This sandwich was great though, and Brad really enjoyed it as well.***

Ingredients:

2 to 3 pounds cube steak (tenderized round steak that’s been extra-tenderized

1 large onion OR 2 small/medium onions

4 French/Deli rolls

Butter (about 2 sticks)...I used MUCH less!

Lawry’s Seasoned Salt

1/2 cup (approx.) Worcestershire Sauce

Tabasco sauce, to taste

Directions:
-Slice onions and cook in 1/4 stick butter until soft and light brown. Remove and set aside.

-Slice cube steak against the grain. Season with Lawry’s.

-Heat 2 TBSP butter over high heat (in same skillet) until melted and beginning to brown.

-Add meat in single layer. Cook one side until brown, then flip and cook until brown, about a minute on both sides.

-Add 1/2 (at least) Worcestershire sauce, 5 to 6 shakes Tabasco, and 2 TBSP butter. Add cooked onions. Stir to combine.

-Butter halved French rolls and brown on skillet.

-To assemble, lay bottom half of French roll on plate. Place meat mixture, followed by a spoonfull of juice from the pan. Top with other half of roll, cut in half, and devour!