Resurrection Rolls for Easter

We decided to make these sweet rolls an Easter tradition last year.  The kids help me make them for breakfast after they finish checking out their Easter baskets.  I love these because they are quick, easy, delicious and celebrate the true meaning of Easter.

To make them, you simply dip a large marshmallow in butter, roll it in cinnamon and sugar then wrap refrigerated crescent roll dough around it and bake according to the directions on the crescent roll package.  The marshmallow will melt, leaving an sugary sweet hollow roll.  The empty roll resembles the empty tomb on Easter morning because Jesus has risen!

For another fun Easter treat, click this recipe for Cupcakes (EF) topped with egg candy!  Happy Easter everyone!

Resurrection Rolls - Click here for step by step pictures. 

Betty Crocker Muffins {made Egg-free}

Almost a year ago, I posted Betty Crocker Muffins {made Egg-free}.  Just prior to that post, I posted Pillsbury Cupcakes {made Egg-free}.  The cupcakes were and still are far more popular than the muffins.  I am a little surprised by this.  At my house, we eat muffins a lot more frequently than cupcakes.  I would like to eat cupcakes regularly, but they just are not that good for you.  I realize that muffins really aren't the ideal health food but at least they don't have icing!  Haha.  So, I am going to re-post the muffins, in hopes that your family can enjoy a quick delicious egg-free breakfast treat!  

I like to make the Wild Blueberry for breakfast and the Chocolate Chip for a quick dessert!

Betty Crocker Muffins {made Egg-free} -  Click here to see the original post.    

          

Chicken Spaghetti

I got this recipe from one of my best friend's growing up.  It was a family favorite at their house and I was able to enjoy it with them on several occasions.  Chicken Spaghetti is one of my favorite comfort foods.  Maybe that is because it reminds me of fun times growing up with my friend or maybe creamy chicken and pasta are just my thing!

I like to use cooked chicken from my Shredded Chicken {Slow-Cooker} recipe, fresh or frozen!

Chicken Spaghetti

1 ½ pounds cooked chicken, chopped or shredded

½ onion, chopped

1 T butter or margarine

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 c milk

1 small can whole green chilies, chopped

12 oz Velveeta cheese, cubed

1 t garlic powder

½ t seasoned salt

½ t freshly ground pepper

1 pound dried spaghetti

Preheat oven to 350^o.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  While waiting for water to boil and for pasta to cook, heat butter or margarine in a large sauce pan and sauté onion until translucent.  Add both soups, milk, chilies, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until cheese is melted and all ingredients are combined.  Add chicken, stirring until incorporated. 

Once pasta is cooked, drain and rinse with cool water.  Then stir in chicken sauce mixture and spread into a lightly greased 9x13 baking pan.  Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes or until lightly browned on top and bubbly.   Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 10

Hot Fudge Sundae Cake {Egg-free, Dairy-free}

I am always looking for new recipes to try.  Most of the time, I am looking for something that can easily convert into an egg-free recipe.  I was looking through one of my Mom's new cookbooks and I found this recipe and it was even egg-free!  I was a little suspicious when I read the instructions.  Once it cooks, there is a cake-like layer on top and a chocolate fudge layer on bottom.  I was so pleasantly surprised!  My husband loved it!  He suggested that I rename it Hot Fudge Sundae Brownies.  I agree it is more like a brownie than cake but I am leaving the title as is since I am posting the recipe as originally written.

If you like this recipe, you may also like Brownies (EF, DF).

MMmmm . . . warm chocolate goodness with vanilla ice cream!

This is what it looks like fresh out of the oven.

Hot Fudge Sundae Cake

Source:  A Grandmother’s Legacy:  Amish & Mennonite Cooking

1 c flour

¾ c sugar

2 T cocoa

2 t baking powder

¼ t salt

½ c milk or dairy-free substitute

2 T vegetable oil

1 c chopped nuts, optional

1 c brown sugar

¼ c cocoa

1 ¾ c hot water

Ice cream or dairy-free substitute

Preheat oven to 350^o.  Mix first five ingredients in an ungreased 9x13” pan.  Mix milk and oil.  Add to mixture in the pan, stirring with a fork until smooth.  Stir in nuts.  Spread evenly in pan.  Mix brown sugar and cocoa together and sprinkle over top.  Pour hot water gently over batter.  Bake 40 minutes.  Serve warm with ice cream and spoon “topping” left in pan over ice cream.
Serves 8-12

Dairy-free notes:  Because this cake only has ½ c of milk, I think it could easily be made dairy-free and topped with dairy-free ice cream.  I am labeling it as dairy-free, even though I have not tried it.  Please let me know how it turns out.

Chocolate Chip Scones {Egg-free}

My husband's aunt made these delicious scones for brunch several years ago.  The recipe was found in her sister's cookbook, written by a woman who ran a small town bakery.  I do not have record of the author's name, so I apologize for not giving proper credit.  I was so excited to learn that these scones did not contain egg.  As you can see from the ingredient list, these butter and cream filled delights are not exactly good for you.  So, I put off making them for quite some time.

Recently, we made them for breakfast.  They are so good but boy are they rich!  I think these are the perfect sweet treat for a brunch or big breakfast when you are entertaining guests.  They are actually much better at room temperature so you could easily make them the night before.

If you like this recipe, you may also like Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (EF).

Chocolate Chip Scones

3 c flour

1 c sugar

1/2 t salt

1 T baking powder

1 stick unsalted butter, chilled

1 t vanilla

1 ½ c heavy whipping cream

1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c pecans, chopped (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350^o.  Arrange the pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast them in the oven for 7 to 9 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic.

Increase the oven temperature to 425^o. 

Process the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder for about 30 seconds in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Cut the butter into 1/2 " cubes and add to the flour mixture. Pulse, until the butter-flour mixture is crumbly.

Stir the vanilla into the cream.  With the food processor running, slowly pour in the cream. Stop the processor as soon as the cream has been added. If the dough has begun to come together into a ball, remove it. If not, add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough gathers into a ball.  With your hands, gently fold in the pecans and chocolate chips.

Place the dough on a floured surface form the dough into a 3/4 " thick round, handling the dough as little as possible.  Cut into 8 wedges (or you can form it into two smaller rounds, for smaller scones).  Bake on ungreased pans for 10 minutes, or until the scones are golden brown.  These scones are best served at room temperature.

Serves 8

Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken

This recipe is a very popular pin on Pinterest.  I have had a couple of friends say they actually made it and it was good.  So, we gave it a try.  My husband and kids gobbled it right up.  What makes this recipe delicious is the honey mustard dressing!  We will be making the dressing frequently, with or without the rest of the recipe!

I made it pretty much as the recipe instructed but reduced the amount of olive oil by half.  It still tasted great but my pretzel crust didn't brown as well as the picture on Pinterest.  I also found that you don't need quite as much crushed pretzel as the recipe suggests and I cooked mine about 10 more minutes than suggested in the recipe. Because most pretzels are dairy-free, this is a great egg-free, dairy-free main dish.  I served mine with  fresh green beans.

Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken - I made this recipe pretty much as originally described.  Please click here for the recipe.

Smothered Steak {Slow-cooker}

I was a bit of a skeptic when I first saw this recipe.  I am not a lover of gravy.  But I wanted to try a new recipe with cubed steak and the fact that this used the slow-cooker made it even more appealing.  I was so pleasantly surprised by the results and my husband LOVES this recipe.  I serve it with one of his favorite sides, mashed potatoes, and another less starchy vegetable.  This night I made Sugar-kissed Carrots.

One of my husband's favorite meals before his egg allergy diagnosis, was chicken fried steak with brown gravy. You get some of the same flavors here.  I have also made a breaded steak or steak fingers that can also satisfy his craving.  I will share that one, eventually . . .

I made this recipe pretty close to the original version found on Tasty Kitchen.  I added onion and black pepper.  I also sautéed the onion and mushroom before adding them to the slow-cooker.  I think this makes sure they are tender and improves the flavor.  I also added the amount of steak.  The first time I made this, I thought there was way too much gravy for the amount of steak.

If you like this recipe, you may also like Roast, Carrots and Potatoes (EF).

Smothered Steak {Slow-cooker}

This recipe was adapted from Slow Cooker Melt in Your Mouth Cube Steak andGravy  from Tasty Kitchen.

1½ - 2 pound cubed steak (about 6-8 pieces)

flour for breading 

3 T olive oil 

1 8 oz package fresh mushrooms, sliced 

1 onion, halved and sliced 

3 cups water, divided 

3 envelopes brown gravy mix (I used one low-sodium beef gravy, one mushroom gravy and one onion gravy.) 

½ t freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet.  Roll cubed steak in flour.  Place floured steak in hot skillet and sear until just browned on each side.  Place steak in crock pot.  Add mushrooms and onions to the same skillet and sauté until both are tender.  Spoon mushrooms and onions over steak in slow cooker and sprinkle with black pepper.  Cover with two cups of water. Cook on low for 8 hours.  Half an hour before serving, mix the gravy packs with the remaining cup of water.  Pour the gravy mixture over the cubed steak. Let cook for 30 minutes more or until the gravy has thickened. 

Serves 6