Jalapeño Cheese Grits

 6 cups boiling water

1 1/2 c quick cooking grits

1 stick butter

1 T salt

1 lb Mexican Velveeta cheese

4 oz can chopped green chiles

3 beaten eggs

Add grits to boiling water and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often. Add butter, salt, cheese, and chiles. Let cool, then add beaten eggs. Transfer to 2 qt baking dish and bake at 350* for 1 hour. 

White Chocolate Cake

Cake: 

 1 box white cake mix

1 3 oz pkg white chocolate pudding mix

1 1/3 c water

1/3 c oil

2/3 c egg whites (about 5 eggs)

2 oz white chocolate, melted

Frosting:

1 stick butter, softened

4 c confectioners sugar

6 T heavy cream

2 oz white chocolate, melted

Preheat oven to 350*. Grease and flour two cake pans. Beat all ingredients of cake together well. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely. 

Frosting: Beat butter and sugar together. Gradually add in heavy cream and white chocolate. 

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Batter:
1 box white cake mix (Betty Crocker SuperMoist)
1 T pumpkin pie spice
1 t cinnamon
15 oz pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1/3 c. milk
2 t vanilla

Snickerdoodle Topping:
6 T melted butter
1/4 c. sugar
1 T cinnamon

Cinnamon Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/2 c. softened butter
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 1/2 t cinnamon
2 t vanilla
3-4 c powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.
Sift cake mix, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon in bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake about 15 min or until knife comes out clean.

Melt butter in small bowl. Combine cinnamon and sugar in another small bowl. Once cupcakes are mostly cooled, brush tops of cupcakes with butter then roll in cinnamon sugar mixture for that "snickerdoodle" look.

Beat softened butter and cream cheese. Add cinnamon and vanilla; slowly add in powdered sugar until you reach desired consistency. Add a tad of milk if it becomes too thick. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Fat Head Pizza Crust- Low Carb

2 T softened cream cheese
3/4 c. almond flour
1 3/4 c. mozzarella or a blend of cheeses
1 egg
seasonings (Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper)
toppings

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all together in bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds to make it more pliable if necessary. Put parchment paper on baking sheet. *Parchment paper is a must!* Bake for about 12-15 minutes. Then put desired toppings on- tomato sauce, sausage, pepperoni, cheese, etc.

We have made traditional with sausage and pepperoni, BBQ pizza with jalapenos and banana peppers, and also mini breakfast pizzas with scrambles eggs, cheese, and chopped bacon! Use your imagination. I often double it and make two.

Skillet Cookie

1 roll of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
8 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
10-15 regular sized marshmallows
vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In cast iron skillet, smush half the cookie dough roll on bottom of cast iron skillet. Arrange peanut butter cups and marshmallows on it then smush other half of cookie dough on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until it is just under cooked. Serve with Vanilla ice cream while cookie is still warm.

I used Reese's this time. Next time I will try some kind of caramel candy. Maybe chopped Twix bars would be good!?

Crockpot Meatballs

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1/4 c. parmesan cheese
1/2 onion, chopped finely
garlic powder, salt, pepper
1 egg
3/4 c. milk

Mix all ingredients in bowl and mix with hands. In pan, heat some olive oil and sear each meatball on each side. Put in crockpot when done. I had to do mine in batches. Then add sauce on top.

Sauce:
Jar tomato sauce or favorite spaghetti sauce
lots of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
jar of mushrooms, drained

After you sear all meatballs in pan, add cherry tomatoes and cook for a few minutes. Transfer on top on meatballs in crockpot and add mushrooms also. Add sauce. Cook on low for 3-4 hours. You can serve with pasta, spaghetti squash, or just by themselves.

Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Burgers

2 lb. ground beef
4 oz. cream cheese
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped finely
bacon
buns
condiments of choice

Microwave cream cheese until soft. Stir in cheese and jalapenos. Divide meat into 8 portions. make a patty out of 4 of the ground beef portions. Put a big blob of cheese mixture on each patty. Put other 4 patties on top of cheese and seal in edges of burgers. I did mine in the cast iron skillet to save any cheese that oozed out instead of the grill. Sear both sides of burger on med high heat then put in 400 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes.