M&M Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all purpose Gold Medal Flour
• 3 Tablespoons Instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 or 1-1/2 cups Mini M and M's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and line a large baking sheet with a silpat liner or parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, cream your butter and sugars until well combined. Add your egg and vanilla mixing to combine. Add your flour, pudding mix, baking soda and salt, stirring to combine. Add chips and M and M's stirring to combine.

With a medium cookie scoop, place dough 1 inch apart from each other. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cooked through. Let cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Enjoy!

Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Mom's Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 large can whole tomatoes (28 oz.)
• 1 small can tomato paste (6 oz.)
• 1 small can tomato sauce (8 oz.)
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp basil
• 1 box dry lasagna noodles
• 16 oz. ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 package shredded Parmesan cheese (6 oz.)
• 2 packages sliced mozzarella cheese
• 1 package shredded Italian cheese blend (6 oz.)

Sauce: Brown ground beef and onion in a large pot on the stove-top. Puree the large can of whole tomatoes and add to the pot. Next add tomato paste, tomato sauce, garlic powder, oregano, and basil. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pasta: Bring water to a boil. Add pasta to boiling water and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.

Ricotta cheese mixture: Mix 16 oz. Ricotta cheese with 1 egg slightly beaten. Add 4 oz. Parmesan cheese to the mixture.

Lasagna: Assemble lasagna in baking dish by layering 1/2 sauce, 1/2 pasta, 1/2 Ricotta cheese mixture, 1 package Mozzarella cheese slices, 6 oz. shredded Italian cheese, remaining sauce, remaining pasta, remaining Ricotta cheese mixture, 1 package Mozzarella cheese slices, and remaining 2 oz. Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Crock Pot Pesto Ranch Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

• 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 6 ounce jar of pesto
• 1 package Ranch Dressing Seasoning Mix
• 1/2 cup chicken broth

Turn crock pot to high setting. Place chicken thighs, pesto, ranch dressing and chicken broth into crock pot. Stir gently to combine all seasonings. Close with lid and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.

Brown Sugar Pork Chops with Onions

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. vegetable oil
• 4 boneless pork rib or loin chops, 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar

In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Sprinkle chops with black pepper. Cook chops in hot oil for 6 to 8 minutes, until brown on outside and slightly pink in center, turning once halfway through cooking time. Remove chops from skillet; cover and keep warm.

For sauce, in same skillet cook onion over medium heat for 3 minutes or until tender. Push onion aside. Remove skillet from heat; add orange juice and brown sugar. Return to heat. Cook and stir for 1 minute or until sugar is dissolved. Stir onions into sauce.

Spoon sauce over chops. Serve with steamed green beans. Makes 4 servings.

Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki

Ingredients

• 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 Tbsp orange marmalade
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 Tbsp cold water
• 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
• Cooked long grain white rice or brown rice, for serving
• Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

• Place chicken in a slow cooker, set aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, light-brown sugar, honey, orange marmalade, ginger, garlic and pepper. Pour mixture over chicken in slow cooker, cover with lid and cook on low heat 4 - 5 hours.
• Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred. Strain sauce from slow cooker through a fine mesh strainer into a medium saucepan. In a small mixing bowl whisk together 1 1/2 Tbsp cold water and cornstarch. Pour cornstarch mixture into liquid in saucepan and heat mixture over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to gently boil. Allow mixture to gently boil about 20 seconds until thickened. Return chicken to slow cooker and pour teriyaki sauce from saucepan over chicken. Toss mixture gently to evenly coat. Serve warm over cooked rice garnished with optional sesame seeds and serve with diced fresh pineapple if desired. Yield 4-6 servings.

Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients

• 1 eggplant, peeled and sliced thin
• 2 cups Italian bread crumbs
• 3 eggs
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce (Ragu- sauteed onion and garlic)
• 6 oz. Mozzarella

Dip eggplant slices in egg. Then dip in bread crumbs. Place eggplant slices on cookie sheets. Bake at 450 degrees for about 5 minutes. Then flip eggplant slices over for 5 minutes. Make sure eggplant is lightly brown on both sides. Place eggplant in a casserole dish. Top with spaghetti sauce and sprinkle cheese over sauce. Bake at 350 degrees until warm. (Do not grease cookie sheets.) Serve over pasta.

Baked Cheese Grits

Ingredients

• 4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup grits (not instant)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/3 cup butter
• 6 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Bring milk to a boil. Add 1/2 cup butter. Stir in grits very slowly or will get lumpy. Cook, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes until consistency of oatmeal. Remove from heat. Add salt, egg, 1/3 cup butter and grated cheddar cheese. Pour into 2-quart greased casserole. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or less, depending on the depth of the dish. (Cool until knife comes clean when struck in deepest area.) Serves 8-10