Category Archives: Monday Menu

Monday Menu – Levian Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies

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I love cookies so much… they’re so easy to make. So easy to take and grab as you walk past them because they’re calling to you from their plate on the counter. Especially chocolate chip cookies and even more so these ones.

When I first started blogging I caught an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay and he went up against the ladies from Levian Bakery in NYC and they made these amazing cookies. Well, since a trip to NYC to get some of the cookies wasn’t in the budget I set out to make my own batch of Levian Bakery chocolate chip cookies and as far as I was concerned it was pretty successful But after making them a few times I decided that I needed to change it a little bit because they seemed too sweet to me.

Levian Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know what you’re thinking… a cookie? Too sweet? Yes, it is possible. Although it still tasted good the sugar seemed to over power the cookie. I decided to cut back some of the sugar and see how it worked out.

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Monday Menu – Levian Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cold butter – cubed *
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 large eggs, cold
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips – I used Ghiradelli Semi-Sweet
  • * I used salted butter. You can also use unsalted just add 1/4 tsp of salt.

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 and make sure the rack is in the middle. If it’s to close to the bottom of the oven the cookies will be way to dark on the bottom.
  2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy and then add eggs one at a time and mix well after each one, then vanilla and mix until well incorporated.
  3. Sift together the dry ingredients and slowly add it to the butter mixture until it is combined. Add chocolate chips and stir by hand.
  4. Scoop the cookies onto the baking sheet. I used the medium scoop from Pampered Chef which is about 2oz. Two scoops make about a 4oz cookie which is perfect.
  5. Bake 10 – 15 min (up to 20 depending on how big your cookies are) and are lightly brown on the bottom.
  6. Place on a rack to cool.
https://withjustabitofmagic.com/levian-bakery-chocolate-chip-cookies

Levian Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies - 2

The end result was just about perfect and my family loved them. They gobbled them up and there are but a few left.

Now, if you feel like waiting a little bit longer for your cookies, after scooping them onto the cookie sheet chilling them for about 20 – 30 minutes will help them stay a little thicker… fuller. I haven’t done this yet simply because I can’t wait for a warm, soft, gooey chocolate chip cookie and even without waiting the cookies are been perfect.

They’re slightly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

Oh! I almost forgot… most of the other recipes out there call for adding walnuts to the cookie dough. I leave them out since most of my family (me included) doesn’t like nuts in their cookies.

Since I first tried to make the Levian Bakery chocolate chip cookies I have had the chance to actually try one. A friend of mine went to NYC and brought me back one of the famed cookies. It was delicious and my knock off was almost just as good!

What is your favorite cookie recipe?

Have you every tried to recreate a recipe that you’ve seen on TV?

Monday Menu ~ Baked pasta with béchamel & tomato sauce

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When I was growing up we would go to my grandparents house for the weekend and my grandma would always make dinner. Coming from an Italian background dinner was always together as a family, at the table, and full of delicious food. One of my favorites was my grandmas homemade tomato sauce with Italian sausage and polenta.

I remember the smell of olive oil and garlic wafting through the house as she cooked. To this day it’s one of my favorite smells… warm, inviting, and full of memories. Now, my house has those same smells filling the house on days I make tomato sauce and even more so with this baked pasta with béchamel and tomato sauce.

Baked Pasta with Bechamel & Tomato Sauce

Nothing is better on a cold fall day than a baked pasta dish full of rich tomato sauce, cheese, and a creamy béchamel sauce.

Béchamel is also known as white sauce, is made with a roux of butter and flour cooked in milk. It is one of the mother sauces of French cuisine. Béchamel is traditionally made by melting butter, and adding an equal part of flour in order to make a roux, which is cooked under low heat while stirring. Because it’s a white sauce you have to be careful to not brown the flour mixture. Then heated milk is gradually whisked in, and the sauce is cooked until thickened and smooth.

béchamel sauce

Béchamel is also the starter for a smooth and creamy sauce for mac & cheese!

Over the summer I grew my own tomatoes again and spent a lot of time making homemade sauce. So I made a big pot of it with homegrown green peppers, onions, garlic, hamburger, and of course Italian sausage.

Homemade Tomato Sauce

It was so tasty!  But the addition of Béchamel sauce made it better. It adds a layer of depth and creaminess that isn’t normally in a pasta dish.

Layering the pasta and sauces

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Baked pasta with Béchamel & Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

  • Béchamel Sauce
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • Tomato Sauce
  • (For this you can make your own or use a store bought.)
  • 1/2 lb hamburger
  • 1/2 lb Italian sausage
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 green pepper chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic finely diced
  • 3 - 4 cups of fresh tomato sauce or 1 jar of sauce from the store.
  • Olive oil
  • 1 box of your favorite pasta - I used mostaccioli
  • Parmesan cheese

Instructions

    Béchamel Sauce
  1. Warm the milk in the microwave.
  2. In a sauce pan melt the butter over low heat and then whisk in the flour. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes but do not let it brown.
  3. Slowly add in the warmed milk whisking the entire time. Don't stop whisking! You want the sauce to smooth. The mixture will thicken as you stir & cook.
  4. When it's thick remove from the heat and set aside.
    5. Tomato Sauce
  5. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a large pan and let it warm slightly. Add in the hamburger and Italian sausage and brown. Toss in the onions, peppers, and garlic and continue to cook for 5 - 7 minutes until the veggies are softened.
  6. Pour in your tomato sauce and cook for 10 minutes so all the flavors meld together. If you're using a homemade tomato sauce you'll want to add in some basil, oregano, salt, and pepper for lots of flavor.
    7. Pasta
  7. Cook according to the package direction
    8. Put it together
  8. You'll layer this a lot like lasagna. Tomato sauce on the bottom, then pasta, Béchamel, tomato sauce and then repeat the layers until you're left with just Béchamel and tomato sauce on top.
    9. Bake it
  9. In a preheated 350 degree oven bake the pasta for 20 minutes covered until warm and bubbly. Top with some parmesan cheese and enjoy.
https://withjustabitofmagic.com/monday-menu-baked-pasta-with-bechamel-tomato-sauce

As this baked the house filled with such a wonderful smell that I didn’t have to call the kids down for dinner! To say that they loved this baked pasta might be an understatement and for once I was happy that I made too much.

Have you made a béchamel sauce before? 

How did it turn out?

What did you use it for?

Monday Menu ~ Cider Glazed Pumpkin Donuts

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I’ve mentioned it about a half dozen or more times but I love fall & pumpkin treats! One of my favorite treats lately has been pumpkin donuts… crisp on the outside, soft and warm on the inside, a little spicy, and a sweet from the cream cheese frosting that is spread over the top… the downside is that those delicious deep friend treats are pretty high in calories and it can get expensive to buy them every day.

cider glazed pumpkin donuts

So what did I do? I baked some up cider glazed pumpkin donuts this weekend to have for breakfast with some fresh cider that we picked up at the the local farmers market. Baked donuts can be just as delicious as their deep fried siblings but are a little healthier and a lot easier since you don’t have to deal with a vat of super hot grease.

cider glazed pumpkin donuts batter    cider glazed pumpkin donuts in pan
To try and keep the calories down a little more I substituted fresh applesauce for the oil and egg substitute for the regular eggs. The only downside is that the donuts tend to be a little more dense but the flavor is exactly the same and they are very moist, full of pumpkin & spice flavor.

cider glazed pumpkin donuts cooling   cider glazed pumpkin donuts cooling
As these baked the house filled with the smell of spices and pumpkin. It was such a warm, inviting smell that I couldn’t wait to eat one… or two.

cider glazed pumpkin donuts glazed

I think that the cider glaze gives them a little extra flavor… and it’s better than just a regular glaze made with water. The flavor is delicious but subtle enough that it doesn’t overpower the pumpkin, which is the star of these tasty donuts. You also leave them plain for dipping in coffee, rolled in powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or topped with a bit of cream cheese frosting.

These might just become a weekend staple around here this fall and winter.

Adapted from Can You Stay for Dinner’s recipe.

Monday Menu ~ Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

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Over the weekend I got this craving for some peanut butter cookies. But not just regular ones… they had to be a little thick, soft, and chewy and that meant making them myself and experimenting a little bit to get them exactly the way I wanted.

Usually, experimenting means that I have to try it a couple times before I get things right (like with the black bean brownies but that’s another story). This time it all worked out the first time! I was impressed and everyone loved them…. but who doesn’t love cookies?

There is just something about cookies that I love so much. They’re so fast and easy to make, you can eat them right away, you don’t need a plate or silverware, and you can pop one in your mouth quickly after you’ve told the kids that they can’t have anymore. See… perfect.

peanut butter cookies

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Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

  • 3/4 C cream peanut butter - I used Jiff
  • 1/2 stick or Crisco Butter flavored baking stick (or 1/2 C out of the container)
  • 1 1/4 C firmly packed brown sugar
  • 3 Tbsp milk
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 3/4 C all purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Combine the peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed until it's well blended and then add in egg. Blend until just mixed in.
  3. Combine the dry ingredients and then add to the peanut butter mixture at low speed until blended together.
  4. Scrap down the edges of the bowl and then cover with plastic wrap and chill for an hour.
  5. Drop by rounded tablespoons on to a cookie sheet (I used a scoop for this). Flatten slightly with a fork dipped in sugar to make a crisscross pattern.
  6. Bake for 7 - 9 minutes, or just until set and the edge is beginning to brown. Cool for 2 minutes before removing the cookies from the sheet. Cool completely (if you can wait that long) on a rack.
https://withjustabitofmagic.com/soft-chewy-peanut-butter-cookies

These are probably not the most healthy cookies but that’s fine as long as you don’t eat all of them at once. Now that I think about it what cookie is really healthy?

I think that what really gives them that softness and extra flavor is the butter flavored Crisco and the full tablespoon of vanilla. You can use real butter if you want to and I don’t think that it’ll change to much but I knew that the Crisco would keep them soft and chewy like I wanted.

When I was younger I remember my grandma and mom using Crisco to bake with… cookies, pie crusts, and to even make the most creamy, delicious frosting ever. I make that frosting to this very day on occasion. I suppose that it’s little things that bring back memories… like cookies.

Give these peanut butter cookies a try and I think that you’ll like them.

Monday Menu – Super Simple Jello Salad

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It’s been a long time since I shared a recipe with you guys. I suppose that’s because I haven’t been baking or making anything all that exciting lately and that’s because I’ve been trying to cut back on the sweets and stick with a more healthy diet.  You know… that whole lifestyle change thing as opposed to a diet.

But I consider this to be a sweet treat and someone what healthy at the same time. My super simple jello salad is so easy that your kids can make this one all by themselves!

super simple jello sald

Next to the jello salad that I make with Vernors (a Michigan favorite) and cream cheese this one is at the top of my favorite jello salad list! As you can see from the picture the ingredient list is easy… cottage cheese, jello, and whipped topping. Can it get any easier than this?

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Super Simple Jello Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 lb container of cottage cheese - use any kind you want
  • 1 (3oz) box of jello - any flavor
  • 1 C whipped topping
  • 1 (4oz) can of well drained, crushed pineapple - I left this out because not everyone likes this at my house.

Instructions

  1. *Mix the ingredients together in the order given in the list of ingredients.
  2. *Chill 2 hours.
  3. *Enjoy!
https://withjustabitofmagic.com/monday-menu-super-simple-jello-salad

Now, I used the sugar-free version of jello and I think that because of that mine turned out a little more runny than it has in the past. So I’d recommend using the regular jello instead of trying to save those few extra calories. Besides… it’s just jello salad and delicious and mostly healthy anyway. You can mix it up with various flavors of jello, tossing in some coconut, using the crushed pineapple, or mandarin oranges.

This is perfect for every day, potlucks, and picnics. I plan on making it for the next picnic that we go to because I really want to use the chiller bowls that I have and want to see how well they work.

What’s your super simple go-to dish?

Monday Menu – A few of my favorite things

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Almost more than cooking and baking I love finding some kitchen tools, gadgets, pans, and bakeware to use or not use if it’s too pretty. I decided that there is more to tasty recipes than just the recipes and pictures of the delicious food.

You see without some of the tools & cookware I wouldn’t be able to make stuff… right? So, I thought that I’d share a few of my favorite things with all of you. The options out there are endless really and you can get any number of gadgets and cookware from really rock bottom cheap stuff  (like what we all got when we first were out on our own) all the way up to elite lines of products that we all drool over and dream of one day owning.

One of the gadgets that I absolutely love and can not live without anymore is the mix & chop tool from The Pampered Chef. This thing is awesome! Seriously, I have no idea how I ever managed breaking up ground beef as it cooked or stirring up frozen orange juice before!

mixchop

It can be used in so many ways, but honestly I use it mostly when I’m cooking ground beef or ground turkey for spaghetti sauce or something like that. It breaks the meat up perfectly every time and I love that because I hate huge chunks in my sauce. Funny thing… I only got this because a friend of mine was having a Pampered Chef party and I always feel obligated to buy something at those home parties. I thought that it was kinda cool and that it might be useful… oh, little did I know how I’d love it.

When I first started blogging I entered a giveaway and won it! It was the first giveaway that I had ever won and was so excited because it was a $150 gift card… I can’t remember to where but I used it for some Rachael Ray cookware. I got a few things because 1) I needed the pan and 2) because the others looked really cool.

RRbubble RR Pan

Okay, so on the left we have the the bubble and brown stoneware bake set and over there on the right we have 6qt non-stick saute pan. Of course, I have them both in the blue but I couldn’t find a picture of the pan in blue. That pan is a staple and I use it almost every single time I cook. It’s perfect when you have a large family like I do and you’re cooking dinner… I can fit 5 -6 small chicken breasts in there and still have room leftover.

The stoneware baking pans are great for casseroles or using them as serving dishes. Those two I rarely use for some reason… maybe because  I’m lazy and don’t want to wash another dish. The only thing that I don’t like about them is the handles and that’s because I tend to overfill them and the food oozes out over the edge when I bake it.

What are some of your favorite gadgets or cookware?

Is there something that is your go to kitchen accessory that you can’t live without?

Monday Menu – Beefy Nacho Soup

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Dinner around here can be a pain in the butt at times with 4 kids and a husband that tends to be picky. This means that they all don’t like the same veggies, fruits, salad dressing, meat, and the list goes on and on and if it happens to be something that they all like it’s not what they wanted for dinner that night.

The odd thing is that when I ask what they want for dinner for the week they tend to answer that they don’t know or it doesn’t matter (this is mostly from my husband). So I shop based on what I think sounds good and/or easy. Oh, and when they do give me ideas it’s probably the most unhealthy food you can think of. Like nachos hot coney dogs!

This week I gave in and am making nachos for them, but I’m mixing in some of my favorites and healthier meals. As a matter of fact… I am making nachos not once but twice! For an easy Sunday dinner I made a Beefy Nacho soup that is literally a 30 minute meal including prep time!

beefy nacho soup ingredients

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Beefy Nacho Soup

Ingredients

  • 2lbs of ground beef
  • 1 medium onion - chopped
  • 1 10oz can of diced tomatoes with chilies
  • 1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
  • 2 cans of Progresso cheese recipe starters
  • 3 Tbsp taco seasoning

Instructions

  1. Brown the ground beef in a large pot and then drain. While that is draining start cooking the onions in the pan and then add in the beef.
  2. Now, this is the easy part. Stir in the taco seasoning and then all of the canned ingredients. Stir well and let simmer for about for about 10 minutes until it's all hot.
https://withjustabitofmagic.com/monday-menu-beefy-nacho-soup

beefy nacho soup

It turned out pretty good for something so simple and fast. You can even top this with some of your favorite taco toppings like shredded cheese, green onions, sour cream, avocados, and to spice it up a little some sriracha hot sauce. Oh… spoons are not required either! You can use some tortilla chips if you want to scoop it up.

Psssttt…. guess what? I was visited by the Fairy Hobmother! How awesome is that?!?! The Fairy Hobmother spreads light and joy across the blogosphere with the help of talented bloggers like you and I! If you would like the Fairy Hobmother to come and visit you and leave you an amazing gift then simple leave a comment here on this post.

Yes, I was visited by the Fairy Hobmother and for simply spreading the word about him was was give an Amazon gift card. All thoughts, opinions, odd ball recipes, and ideas are all here are mine.

Monday Menu – Mini BBQ Meatloaves

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I’m back!!

I’d love to say that I’m happy to be back but that’s a lie. I loved Florida and all the sun & warm weather… I am happy to get back into the swing of this blogging thing though. I feel like I’ve been gone forever even though it’s only been a week… I haven’t opened my reader yet and am a bit worried what that’ll look like!

My original idea for today’s post was going to be sharing some of the delicious food I had while at Disney and the recipes for them. I was told by our waiter that the recipes for all the food we had and for most of the other Disney restaurants were available on the website but I have yet to find them. So that’ll have to wait for another post I suppose.

We got back and first thing I had to do was (not unpack… the suitcase is still sitting by the back door) hit up the grocery store because my kids expected to eat breakfast and all that the next day. It was a pretty nice shopping trip since I was able to go all alone… it’s the little things in life that make it special.

Anyway, this recipe is so simple and delicious that I had to share it with you. Oh, I should tell you that I didn’t create this one on my own. It’s all courtesy of the Taste of Home magazine that I was reading in the urgent care office while waiting for them to look at my daughter’s pink eye and give us a prescription (that’s another story).

mini bbq meatloaves

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Monday Menu – Mini BBQ Meatloaves

Ingredients

  • 1 box of Stove Top stuffing - any flavor you like will work
  • 1 C water
  • 2 Tbsp hickory smoked bbq sauce or whatever kind you have on hand
  • 1 lb ground beef - I used a 96/4 blend
  • 1/4 - 1/2 lb ground pork - this wasn't in the orignal recipe but I always add it to my lean ground beef
  • 1 C shredded cheddar cheese
  • Other things that I threw in because I like them...
  • pepper
  • dried onions
  • garlic

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl mix the stuffing, water, bbq sauce and any extras you want to throw in together. Mix in the ground beef and pork if you're using it.
  2. Scoop 1/3 cup into each of 12 ungreased muffin cups.
  3. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes in a pre-heated 375 degree oven.
  4. Top each little meat loaf with the shredded cheese and put them back in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese is melted.
https://withjustabitofmagic.com/monday-menu-mini-bbq-meatloaves

mini bbq meatloaves ingredients mini bbq meatloaves in pan
I wasn’t sure how the stuffing would turn out in mixed in with the meat but you could hardly tell that it was in there and it was delicious! Everyone loved it…. even Andrew who usually refuses to eat any kind of stuffing. He even told me that he was hungry and wanted another one!

I think that I’ll give this a try with some ground turkey and leave out the bbq sauce and cheese and then top them with some gravy. It’ll be like Thanksgiving made super simple!

Mini bbq meatloaves are perfect for a busy night because they really don’t take much more than 30 – 40 minutes from beginning to end. Beat that Rachael Ray!

What is your go to, super fast dinner?

Monday Menu – Pumpkin Cheesecake

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I love baking and I think that if I had a choice I would open a bakery. All day I would make delicious pies, cakes, cookies, and all sorts of other delicious treats! But for now I will settle for making all of those things in moderation for my friends and family.

Fall and winter are the perfect times to bake because those warms smells of fresh baked good fill your house and fill you with joy…. Maybe that’s just me. As soon as the cold weather hits I start baking again in full force.

This year I was tasked with bringing dessert for Thanksgiving and one thing that I knew for sure was that it had to include pumpkin. There are a couple reasons for that too. First because it is one of my favorite fall foods and second because it simply is not Thanksgiving without it.

I wanted to change things up though and instead of the traditional pumpkin pie I decided on a pumpkin cheesecake. The mere thought of the creamy cheesecake mixed with the spicy pumpkin pie had my mouth watering.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

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Monday Menu – Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients

    Crust
  • • 1 package of Biscoff (http://www.biscoff.com/) Cookies (You can use gingersnaps or a regular graham crust if you want)
  • • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
  • • Nonstick cooking spray, for the sides of the pan
    • Cheesecake
  • • 4 8-ounce bars cream cheese, at room temperature
  • • 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
  • • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • • 3 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
  • • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • • 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350° F.
  2. In a food processor, pulse the cookies until fine crumbs form. Add the butter and pulse to combine. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan (preferably nonstick), using a straight-sided dry measuring cup to help. Spray the sides of the pan lightly with the cooking spray.
  3. Now, you can use a water bath for this cheesecake if you want but it isn’t absolutely necessary. If you choose to then you will need to wrap the springform pan in a double layer of heavy-duty foil. This will prevent water from getting into your cheesecake and ruining it.
  4. Place the springform pan on a cookie sheet if you are not using a water bath.
  5. If you are using a water bath place the springform pan in a large baking dish.
  6. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and brown sugar on medium until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, and salt and then beat to combine. Add the pumpkin and beat to combine again.
  7. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
  8. Pour hot water into the baking dish (if you use a water bath) so it comes up about 1 inch on the sides.
  9. Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes. You want the cheesecake to be set but still a bit wiggly in the middle. If the top starts to get to dark while baking cover it loosely with foil.
  10. Let the cheesecake cool completely in the pan, and then refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
  11. When you’re ready to serve run a knife around the outside edge to loosen it from the pan.
https://withjustabitofmagic.com/pumpkin-cheesecake

Serve with whipped topping!

I will tell you that this is very rich and creamy, but so delicious. You should be able to get at least 12 slices out of this cheesecake and the calories on this one simply don’t count!

pumpkin cheesecake

When I started out pondering this recipe I knew that I didn’t want the traditional graham cracker crust. It would not do a pumpkin cheesecake justice so the next thought that I had after that was to make the crust with gingersnaps.

Gingersnaps are a bit spicy to me and I knew that all of my kids would not like it and that led me to one of our favorite cookies, Biscoff. The best way that I can describe them is that they are like a cross between graham crackers and gingersnaps. Regardless, they are very good and I knew they would make the perfect crust.

Now, I am one of those people who really like pumpkin so I see no reason why you couldn’t service this anytime of the year.

What about you? Pumpkin anytime of the year or not?

 

Monday Menu – Minute Rice Ready to Serve

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I’ve tried time and again to make fried rice and every time I have failed. It’s always turned out… crappy and then I started some investigation into what makes it perfect.

Well, first and foremost the rice can’t be freshly made and this has been my biggest mistakes. You need to cook the rice ahead of time, like a day or more, and then let it hang out in the fridge because it gives the rice a chance to dry out a little bit.

A wok. This is important too or a really big non-stick skillet that is super hot so that the cold rice can get hot and just a little bit crisp.

A few other things that I learned is that cooking all the ingredients separately and not stirring all the time is important. I’m terrible at just letting things sit there and cook but I guess all that moving, poking, and stirring can cause the rice to break down, release more starch and make your fried rice goopy.

So now that I knew all the things that I was doing wrong I was ready to make my awesome fried rice. But I wasn’t because I didn’t have any pre-cooked rice. This is where Minute Rice came in and helped me out.

I bought some Minute Rice ready to serve packs and used that to make my fried rice and it was amazing!

Fried Rice

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Monday Menu – Minute Rice Ready to Serve

Ingredients

  • This recipe made enough for my family of 6.
  • 3 packages of Minute Rice ready to serve - I used white rice
  • 1 - 1 1/2 lbs of chicken tenders
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 1 - 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1/2 bag of frozen peas & carrots
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 -3 tbsp tamari (soy sauce)
  • salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat the wok or skillet over high heat and add a tablespoon of vegetable or olive oil to the pan.
    2. For the chicken
  2. Season with salt & pepper and cook until about 8o% done. Remove from the pan and put it on a plate.
    3. For the eggs
  3. In a bowl beat the eggs well and then add a bit more oil to the pan and pour the eggs in. It's best to let it coat the bottom of the pan and swirl it around until it's almost done and then remove to another plate or bowl.
    4. For the veggies
  4. Sautee the onions for a couple minutes, add in the garlic & and then stir in the carrots & peas. Stir just till warm and then remove them from the pan and then pour them into a bowl.
    5. For the rice
  5. Make sure that the pan is screaming hot! Add in a tablespoon of oil and then put the rice in the pan making sure that it covers the bottom evenly. Now, like I said before let it sit for a couple minutes and you'll hear it sizzle and pop... it's okay I promise. After a few minutes go ahead and give it a quick stir and then let it cook for a few more minutes.
  6. I let mine cook for several minutes.
    7. Put it all together
  7. While the rice is cooking dice up the chicken and stir it back into the pan. After a minute add in the veggies and then the eggs (after slicing it up). Once that's all together gently stir in the tamari/soy sauce.
https://withjustabitofmagic.com/minute-rice-ready-to-serve

My family loved it! They told me that this one was a keeper and that I needed to make it again and they never knew my little secret of buying the rice pre-made. This is making into our dinner rotation but maybe we’ll add in shrimp or pork for a change once on a while.

Minute® Ready to Serve Rice is an ideal portable solution for lunch or breakfast because you can eat it on the go, straight from the cup. In just 60 seconds, you have fully cooked rice for any meal or snack. You’ll never get bored with your lunch since there are 10 flavorful and wholesome varieties. If you’re looking for a healthy option, Minute® Ready to Serve Rice provides easy portion control since it’s conveniently packaged in two individual single-serve cups.

It’s available in many varieties including: whole grain options of brown rice, brown & wild rice, and multi-grain medley, new jasmine rice, Italian rice mix, chicken rice mix, yellow rice, Spanish rice, and pilaf mix.

Visit http://www.minuterice.com/ for recipes, including Minute® Ready to Serve Stir it Up recipe ideas and more information about the Minute® Rice family of products.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Minute® Ready to Serve Rice.