Jan
2022

Buttermilk Cornmeal Biscuits

categories: Breads
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Make a small batch of buttermilk cornmeal biscuits to serve with a favorite soup or meat dish. Recipe makes 5 delicious, fluffy biscuits.
Make a small batch of buttermilk cornmeal biscuits to serve with a favorite soup or meat dish. Recipe makes 5 delicious, fluffy biscuits.

Today I want to share a lovely biscuit recipe I found in a mailer that was sent to our home from our grocer a few months ago. The recipe is pretty straightforward, and the result is five light and fluffy biscuits (3″ in diameter).

You can also make the recipe yield eight biscuits if you cut the dough into 2″ in diameter rounds, if you need more!

We really enjoy these cornmeal-infused biscuits served with chili or soup, but they can stand on their own, as well, with butter and jam.

They are not too difficult to make, and require no rising time, which makes them a great choice on a busy day. Let me show you how easy it is to make them:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Mixing The Dough For The Biscuits

Before beginning, preheat your oven to 425°F. You will also need to coat a baking sheet with non-stick baking spray OR line it with parchment paper. Okay- now it’s time to begin making the biscuit dough!

Measure flour, yellow cornmeal, baking powder, granulated sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Cut in very COLD chunks of butter, by using two forks OR a hand-held pastry blender.

Continue to work the butter into the dry ingredients, until the butter has been reduced to roughly the size of peas.

Flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar and salt are combined in mixing bowl.Cold chunks of butter are cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender, for the biscuits.

Pour in one cup of buttermilk. Stir the liquid into the flour mixture only until it is just combined. It is important that you do not overmix the dough ingredients!

Buttermilk is added to the biscuit mix and stirred until combined.

Time To Make The Sticky Dough Pliable

The dough will be VERY sticky! Place the dough mixture onto a generously floured, clean surface. Sprinkle a little flour on top and then knead the dough by hand 5-6 times until the dough becomes a “non-sticky” ball.

TIP: I found that I need to lightly sprinkle with flour as I do this, because this dough is really quite sticky!

When done, the dough should be very cohesive and much “drier in texture”. Add additional flour to the work surface if necessary, then roll the dough ball out to about ¾” thickness.

The sticky biscuit batter is placed on a floured surface for kneading.After kneading, the dough for the buttermilk cornmeal biscuits is ready for the next step.

Cut Out The Buttermilk Cornmeal Biscuits And Bake

After rolling out the dough, it’s time to cut out the buttermilk cornmeal biscuits! Here you have a choice about the size biscuits you want. You can cut out the biscuits with a biscuit cutter, a drinking glass, or you can do like I do and cut them out, using a caning jar lid!

NOTE: If you wish to have about 8 small biscuits, cut them out with a 2″ biscuit cutter. If you want 5 slightly larger biscuits, use a 3″ biscuit cutter. (I make 5 using a 3″ cutter).

Place the buttermilk cornmeal biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet, being sure to keep them about 1-2 inches apart for baking. Bake the biscuits at 425°F. for 12-15 minutes. When done, the top of the biscuits should be nice and golden brown.

 

Buttermilk cornmeal biscuits being cut out before baking.Five biscuits on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, ready to bake.

Time To Serve The Buttermilk Cornmeal Biscuits!

Remove the baked biscuits from the oven. We like to brush the tops with a little bit of melted butter right before serving, but that is optional. You can always slice the biscuits and spread them with softened butter and/or jam if you prefer.

We enjoy these biscuits served along with a nice, hot bowl of soup or chili. They are light, fluffy, and taste wonderful! I think you’re gonna like them as much as we do!

Golden in color, the buttermilk cornmeal biscuits are ready to enjoy.One of the buttery biscuits, ready to enjoy eating, alongside a bowl of chili.A close up of one of the buttermilk cornmeal biscuits, about to be eaten.

 I hope you will have the opportunity to make these buttermilk cornmeal biscuits, and trust you (and those you love) will enjoy them, too.

Thanks for stopping by today. Please come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes… and have a GREAT day!

Looking For More Bread, Rolls, Or Biscuit Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have quite a few delicious bread, roll and biscuit recipes you might enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Author's signature

Original recipe source: Chef Alissa Weldy, via the Fred Meyer magazine mailer called “My Magazine”, Summer edition, page 12

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Buttermilk Cornmeal Biscuits
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

Make a small batch of buttermilk cornmeal biscuits to serve with a favorite soup or meat dish. Recipe makes 5 delicious, fluffy biscuits.

Category: Bread, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: buttermilk cornmeal biscuits
Servings: 8 (2" biscuits)
Calories Per Serving: 251 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups all purpose flour
  • ½ cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup COLD butter (one stick)
  • 1 cup buttermilk
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a baking sheet with non-stick baking spray OR line it with parchment paper.

  2. Measure flour, cornmeal, baking powder, granulated sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Cut in COLD chunks of butter, using 2 forks OR a hand-held pastry blender. Work butter into dry ingredients, until butter has been reduced to roughly the size of peas. Pour in buttermilk; Stir into flour mixture only until just combined. Don't overmix dough!

  3. Dough will be VERY sticky! Place dough on a generously floured, clean surface. Sprinkle a little flour on top; knead dough by hand 5-6 times until it becomes a "non-sticky" ball. TIP: I found I need to lightly sprinkle dough with flour as I do this, because it's quite sticky! When done, dough should be a cohesive ball. Add additional flour to work surface if necessary; roll dough ball out to ¾" thickness.

  4. Time to cut out the buttermilk cornmeal biscuits! Here you have a choice about the size biscuits you want. You can cut out the biscuits with a biscuit cutter, a drinking glass, or you can do like I do and cut them out, using a caning jar lid! NOTE: If you want 8 small biscuits, cut them out with a 2" biscuit cutter. If you want 5 slightly larger biscuits, use a 3" biscuit cutter.

  5. Place biscuit rounds on prepared baking sheet, keeping them 1-2 inches apart. Bake at 425°F. for 12-15 minutes. When done, biscuits should be golden brown.

  6. Remove biscuits from oven. OPTIONAL: brush biscuits with melted butter right before serving. Serve, and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Buttermilk Cornmeal Biscuits
Amount Per Serving (1 biscuit)
Calories 251 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 34mg11%
Sodium 280mg12%
Potassium 253mg7%
Carbohydrates 29g10%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 404IU8%
Calcium 107mg11%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Make a small batch of buttermilk cornmeal biscuits to serve with a favorite soup or meat dish. Recipe makes 5 delicious, fluffy biscuits.

 


Jan
2022

Homemade French Salad Dressing

categories: Sauces and Dressings
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Make delicious homemade French salad dressing in a few minutes, with common pantry ingredients, a saucepan and a blender! It’s great on salads!
Make delicious homemade French salad dressing in a few minutes, with common pantry ingredients, a saucepan and a blender! Great on salads!

I love to make homemade salad dressing in the comfort of my own kitchen! For some reason, they always seem to taste better… maybe that’s just wishful thinking on my part, but they sure are GOOD!

This quick and easy recipe for French salad dressing is a delicious favorite of ours, and I want to share it with you today. When made as written, you should end up with about 16 servings of salad dressing (2 Tablespoons per serving). The recipe can easily be doubled, too!

Over the years I’ve made quite a few salad dressings from scratch (at least 10 different kinds), and this recipe ranks right up there near the top! Tangy, sweet, and filled with great flavor, I think you will love this dressing on your favorite mixed green salad! Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make French Salad Dressing

The first thing you will do is combine granulated sugar, oil, and white vinegar in a medium saucepan. Bring this mixture to a boil, stirring often, and let it boil for 3 minutes. When finished, the sugar will be completely dissolved. Set the pan aside.

Sugar, oil, and vinegar are boiled in saucepan to begin making the French salad dressing.

Place ketchup, salt, Worcestershire sauce and finely grated onion in a separate medium bowl. TIP: Use the small holes on a box grater to finely grate the onion, because you want to have very tiny pieces of onion to pulverize in the blender later.

Stir well, to fully mix these ingredients. Once mixed, you are ready to blend all the ingredients together to make homemade French salad dressing!

Ketchup, salt, Worcestershire sauce and grated onion are combined in a bowl.Small holes in a box grater are used to finely grate onion for the salad dressing. The base for the French salad dressing is combined in bowl.

Time To Blend!

Place the ketchup and onion mixture into a blender. Pour the sugar/oil/vinegar syrup into the blender, as well. Put the lid on the blender. Begin to blend the ingredients on LOW speed, just until combined.

Once lightly blended, increase speed to medium, and let the French salad dressing blend for 3-4 minutes. The blending will allow the ingredients to fully blend and let the oil emulsify and incorporate with the other ingredients.

When done, the salad dressing will be smooth and creamy! HOORAY! You just made your very own homemade French salad dressing! Let the salad dressing cool just a bit (still in the blender), and then transfer it into a serving bottle (I use a funnel).

 Cover and refrigerate the salad dressing until ready to use. You can store the salad dressing in any kind of container as long as it has a lid and is airtight.

The salad dressing is blended for several minutes to fully combine the ingredients.Once fully blended, the French dressing is creamy and smooth.The homemade French salad dressing is transferred to a serving jar once done.

Time to Enjoy The Homemade French Salad Dressing

When you’re ready to use it, simply pour or drizzle (with a spoon) the salad dressing onto your mixed green salad, serve and enjoy!

It has wonderful flavor, and I truly believe you will love this salad dressing! Store any leftover salad dressing (covered) in the refrigerator.

A Tablespoon of salad dressing is drizzled onto a mixed green salad on a white plate.Green salad, ready to eat, topped with French salad dressing.

I really hope you enjoy serving this delicious French salad dressing on your favorite green salads! We sure do. Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope you will come back soon for more family-friendly recipes! Have a great day.

Looking For More SALAD DRESSING Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have some wonderful homemade salad dressing recipes you’ll enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original recipe source: unknown (recipe found written on an index card in an OLD recipe box)

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Homemade French Salad Dressing
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 

Make delicious homemade French salad dressing in a few minutes, with common pantry ingredients, a saucepan and a blender! Great on salads!

Category: Condiments, Salad Dressing
Cuisine: French
Keyword: French salad dressing
Servings: 16 (2T. per serving)
Calories Per Serving: 96 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup white vinegar
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ medium yellow onion finely grated
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Combine granulated sugar, oil, and vinegar in a medium saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Let boil, stirring often, for 3 minutes; remove from heat. Set pan aside.

  2. In separate bowl, combine ketchup, salt, Worcestershire, and finely grated onion. Tip: use small holes on a box grater to finely grate onion. Stir well.

  3. Combine ketchup mixture and oil/sugar mixture in blender. Put on lid. Blend on LOW speed until combined (without splashing). Once lightly blended, increase speed to medium, and blend 3-4 minutes. When done, salad dressing will be smooth and creamy! Let cool slightly, then transfer to covered container.

  4. Refrigerate until ready to serve, then drizzle over green salad. Store leftover dressing (covered) in refrigerator. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Homemade French Salad Dressing
Amount Per Serving (1 (2 Tablespoons))
Calories 96 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Sodium 145mg6%
Potassium 32mg1%
Carbohydrates 9g3%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 39IU1%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 3mg0%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Make delicious homemade French salad dressing in a few minutes, with common pantry ingredients, a saucepan and a blender! Great on salads!

 

 


Jan
2022

TexMex Turkey Meatloaf

categories: Main Dishes, Turkey
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Make a yummy, cheese-topped TexMex Turkey Meatloaf, with onion, bell pepper, and Mexican spices. This EASY TO MAKE main dish has great FLAVOR!
Make a yummy, cheese-topped TexMex Turkey Meatloaf, with onion, bell pepper, and Mexican spices. This EASY TO MAKE main dish has great FLAVOR!

Today I want to share a recipe I created for TexMex turkey meatloaf. When I first made this dish, I had a pound of ground turkey I wanted to use up. I added ingredients I thought would enhance the flavor. My husband and I are the only ones still in our home, so I make this meatloaf with one pound of ground turkey, and it yields 4 servings. It’s a perfect meal for the two of us (and for leftovers). The meatloaf freezes very well, and can easily be doubled.

Turkey tends to be very mild in flavor, so I add garlic powder, ground cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt, pepper, and taco sauce to season the meat. Several veggies are included (carrots, onion and red bell pepper) to add additional flavor. Egg and bread crumbs are also included to bind it all together. The meatloaf is topped with grated cheddar cheese, which melts during baking. The result is a delicious, Southwest-inspired meatloaf! YUM!

With only about 10 minutes of prep work, this truly is a simple, quick dish to prepare and pop in the oven. TexMex meatloaf bakes for about 40 minutes, and then it’s ready to serve! Let me show you how easy it is to make this dish:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Meatloaf

Preheat your oven to 350°F.  The meatloaf takes only a few minutes to prepare, so you want your oven hot and ready! Mix the ingredients for the meatloaf together in a large mixing bowl. To form the meatloaf you will need ground turkey, egg, shredded carrots, yellow onion, red bell pepper, bread crumbs, spices and taco sauce. The spices I use to season the ground turkey are garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper.

Combine these ingredients together. I find it easiest to use my clean hands to do this. Once combined, realize you FORGOT to put in the taco sauce so add the taco sauce (forgot to add it before taking the first photo!). Yep, this meatloaf has taco sauce in it. You can use your favorite brand. Make sure the ingredients for the meatloaf have been thoroughly combined.

Ingredients for the TexMex turkey meatloaf are combined in a mixing bowl.Taco sauce is added to the meatloaf mixture to enhance flavor.

Bake The Meatloaf

Lightly grease or spray an 8½” or 9″ loaf pan . Spoon the meatloaf mixture into the prepared pan and press it down slightly to fill the pan. NOTE:  You will notice the pan will only be filled about half way up the sides (this recipe will yield 4 servings).

The meatloaf mixture is packed into a loaf pan for baking.

Place the pan on a middle rack into your preheated oven.  Bake, UNCOVERED, at 350°F. for 40-45 minutes. NOTE: When the meatloaf has baked for 25 minutes, remove the pan from the oven. Sprinkle the top of the meatloaf with grated cheddar cheese. Return pan to the oven and finish baking the remaining 15 minutes (uncovered). When done, the meatloaf will be browned and the cheese on top will be melted.

NOTE **If you double this recipe, bake the meatloaf for 55-60 minutes total, due to the increased volume. Add the grated cheese 15 minutes before it is finished baking.

Grated cheddar cheese is added to the top of the meatloaf during baking time.

Slice And Serve The TexMex Turkey Meatloaf

Transfer the pan from the oven to a wire rack to cool for a couple of minutes. You can cut the meatloaf right in the pan OR you can remove the entire loaf from the pan after it cools a bit.  I typically remove the TexMex turkey meatloaf from the pan (with 2 spatulas), and find it easier to cut and serve that way.

Slice the meatloaf into 4 equal-sized portions, and serve. We enjoy this meatloaf with creamy mashed potatoes and a green veggie on the side. It is a delicious comfort food style meal. The spices and taco sauce provide a nice twist, giving this meatloaf great TexMex flavor.

Topped with melted cheddar cheese, the baked TexMex Turkey Meatloaf is ready to slice and eat.A slice of the TexMex turkey meatloaf, served on a plate with potatoes and green beans.

I hope you have a chance to make this delicious turkey meatloaf for yourself and those you love. Thank you for stopping by today. Please come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care and have a great day.

Looking For More MEATLOAF Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have a couple more meatloaf recipes you might enjoy, including Cheesy Italian Meatloaf and Really GOOD Meatloaf. If you enjoy meatloaf, you might also enjoy trying my recipe for Easy Beef Stuffed Rolls.

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

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TexMex Turkey Meatloaf
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
50 mins
 

Make a yummy, cheese-topped TexMex Turkey Meatloaf, with onion, bell pepper, and Mexican spices. This EASY TO MAKE main dish has great FLAVOR!

Category: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: TexMex turkey meatloaf
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 250 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • ½ cup plain bread crumbs
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup yellow onion ,chopped
  • ¼ cup red bell pepper , chopped
  • ¼ cup shredded carrot
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 Tablespoons taco sauce
For Topping:
  • ⅓ cup shredded cheddar cheese
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or spray an 8½" or 9" loaf pan.

  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients (EXCEPT cheese) together. I find it easiest to use my clean hands to do this.

  3. Spoon the meatloaf mixture into prepared pan; press mixture down slightly to fill the pan. NOTE:  Pan will only be filled about half way up the sides.

  4. Place pan on middle rack in oven.  Bake, UNCOVERED, at 350°F. for 40-45 minutes. **When meatloaf has baked for 25 minutes, remove pan from oven. Sprinkle top of meatloaf with grated cheese. Return pan to oven and finish baking the remaining 15 minutes (uncovered). When done, meatloaf will be browned and cheese will be melted.

  5. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool 2-3 minutes. Slice into 4 portions and serve.

Recipe Notes

NOTE: If you double this recipe, bake meatloaf for 55-60 minutes due to the increased volume. 

Nutrition Facts
TexMex Turkey Meatloaf
Amount Per Serving (1 slice (1/4 of total))
Calories 250 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 119mg40%
Sodium 563mg24%
Potassium 470mg13%
Carbohydrates 13g4%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 33g66%
Vitamin A 1914IU38%
Vitamin C 13mg16%
Calcium 113mg11%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Make a yummy, cheese-topped TexMex Turkey Meatloaf, with onion, bell pepper, and Mexican spices. This EASY TO MAKE main dish has great FLAVOR!


Dec
2021

Creamy Chicken Primavera

categories: Chicken, Main Dishes
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Creamy Chicken Primavera is an all in one dish, with chicken breasts, pasta, zucchini, carrots and onions in a velvety Parmesan cheese sauce.Creamy Chicken Primavera is an all in one dish, with chicken breasts, pasta, zucchini, carrots and onions in a velvety Parmesan cheese sauce.

Years ago I bought a cookbook in a used bookstore. This particular cookbook was over 600 recipes for chicken that were submitted by “celebrities” from around the world. The recipe for creamy chicken primavera was contributed by Connie Chung, a famous news anchor from NBC News (back in the day).

I made a few changes to her original recipe, and we enjoy this delicious, all in one chicken meal. How can you go wrong with pasta, chicken, veggies and cheese in a creamy sauce. Right? Anyways, the recipe is fairly straightforward and simple to prepare, but has great flavor! Today I want to share the recipe for this yummy meal with you. Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepare The Chicken And Pasta

Cut three boneless, skinless chicken breasts into cubes, about 2″ each. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, and set aside, while you begin cooking the pasta.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are cut into bite-sized cubes.

Cook the spaghetti noodles in a large saucepan in boiling water, according to the time given in the package instructions.

Spaghetti noodles are cooked in boiling water per package instructions.

While the pasta is cooking, you can finish preparing the rest of the dish. Heat oil in a medium skillet until very hot, but not smoking. Add the chicken cubes and cook in the hot oil, turning to cook on all sides. the chicken is done when heated through and light golden brown in color. Stir in minced garlic and continue cooking, stirring often, for about 30 seconds.

Add white wine, onion, and sliced zucchini and carrots to the skillet. Cook only until the zucchini is tender (3-4 minutes). Remove from heat and keep warm until pasta is done cooking.

Cubes of chicken breast are cooked in hot vegetable oil until lightly browned.Garlic, onion, zucchini and carrot slices are added to the cooking chicken pieces.

Time To Put This Dish All Together!

When the pasta is done cooking, drain the water off in a colander, but don’t rinse the pasta. Place the hot spaghetti back into the large saucepan, then add the chicken and veggie mixture from the skillet.

Top the pasta with grated Parmesan cheese, pimientos (optional), and half and half. Mix well using tongs, until all ingredients are evenly distributed and covered with the creamy sauce. Cook on low heat for 1-2 minutes, tossing often, only until heated through and cheese has melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and then it’s ready to serve.

Spaghetti noodles are cooked, drained and then placed back into large saucepan.Chicken mixture, Parmesan cheese, pimiento and half and half are added to the pasta.After ingredients are combined and cheese melts, creamy chicken primavera is ready.

Serve The Creamy Chicken Primavera

Place portions of the creamy chicken primavera into individual serving bowls. Top each portion with additional grated Parmesan cheese, if desired, for extra flavor. Serve the creamy pasta primavera immediately while hot!

A bowl full of creamy chicken primavera with veggies, ready to eat.A close up photo of the creamy chicken primavera in the bowl.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have the chance to make this delicious all in one dish, and trust you will enjoy it as much as we do. Take care, and have a wonderful day.

Looking For More CHICKEN Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have LOTS of delicious chicken recipes you will enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Recipe adapted from the cookbook: “Celebrity Chicken”, page 177, contributed by Connie Chung, published by Celebrity Cuisine, 1987.

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Creamy Chicken Primavera
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
11 mins
Total Time
26 mins
 

Creamy Chicken Primavera is an all in one dish, with chicken breasts, pasta, zucchini, carrots and onions in a velvety Parmesan cheese sauce.

Category: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: creamy chicken primavera
Servings: 5
Calories Per Serving: 537 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 3 medium chicken breasts (boneless/skinless) cut into 2" cubes
  • 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 3 Tablespoons white wine
  • 1 medium zucchini thinly sliced
  • 1 medium carrot peeled/thinly sliced
  • 1 medium yellow onion peeled/chopped
  • ¾ pound spaghetti pasta =12 ounces
  • 1 cup half and half
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese + more for garnish, if desired
  • ¼ cup diced pimiento (optional)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Cut chicken breasts into 2" cubes. Pat chicken dry with paper towels; set aside.

  2. Cook pasta in boiling water in large saucepan, following package instructions.

  3. While pasta cooks, prepare rest of the dish. Heat oil in a medium skillet until very hot, but not smoking. Add chicken; cook on all sides until chicken is cooked through and light golden brown. Stir in minced garlic; continue cooking, stirring often, for about 30 seconds. Add wine, onion, zucchini and carrots to skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, only until zucchini is tender (3-4 minutes). Remove from heat; keep chicken warm until pasta is done cooking

  4. When pasta is done cooking, drain in a colander, but don't rinse the pasta. Place hot pasta back into saucepan. Add chicken/veggie mixture. Top with Parmesan, pimientos (if using), and half and half. Mix well using tongs, until all ingredients are evenly distributed and covered with sauce. Cook on low heat for 1-2 minutes, tossing often, only until heated through and cheese has melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

  5. To serve, place portions in individual bowls or on plates. Sprinkle each portion with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve immediately while hot!

Nutrition Facts
Creamy Chicken Primavera
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/5 of total))
Calories 537 Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Fat 20g31%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 6g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 70mg23%
Sodium 268mg12%
Potassium 660mg19%
Carbohydrates 58g19%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 29g58%
Vitamin A 2395IU48%
Vitamin C 11mg13%
Calcium 197mg20%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Creamy Chicken Primavera is an all in one dish, with chicken breasts, pasta, zucchini, carrots and onions in a velvety Parmesan cheese sauce.


Dec
2021

Chocolate Mint Cookie Bites

categories: Cookies, Desserts, Holidays!
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Chocolate Mint Cookie Bites are shortbread-like cookies, with peppermint flavoring in the cookie and the frosting! They’re easy and delicious!
Chocolate Mint Cookie Bites are shortbread-like cookies, with peppermint flavoring in the cookie and the frosting! They're easy and delicious!

Okay… these yummy cookies are probably not the fanciest cookies you will ever eat, but they sure taste good! Who needs PERFECT looking cookies anyways? Chocolate mint cookie bites are so easy to make, and when topped with pretty green frosting and some sparkly sprinkles, they are amazing! I adapted the recipe from an old cooking magazine I’ve had for years, and want to share it with you today.

The combination of flavor from chocolate AND peppermint shines in these shortbread-like little cookies! These cookies are light in texture and big in flavor, and I think you will really enjoy them. Kids can help with the frosting and sprinkles, because they really don’t have to be fancy! Let me show you how easy these little cookies are to make, in practically no time at all!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Cookie Dough

Before starting to make the cookie dough, remember to preheat your oven to 375°F. It only takes a few minutes to make the dough, so to save time, you will want your oven preheated and ready to go!

Using an electric mixer (or stand mixer), cream together softened butter and powdered sugar (confectioners sugar) until smooth. Add melted (but cooled) unsweetened chocolate and peppermint extract to the bowl and beat again, until fully combined. Beat in the all purpose flour, adding 1/3 cup at a time, until all the flour is incorporated into the dough.

Butter is creamed with powdered sugar for the cookie dough.Melted chocolate and peppermint extract are mixed into the cookie dough.All purpose flour is gradually beaten into the cookie dough mixture in the bowl.

Now add regular sized (or miniature-sized) semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter. STIR the chocolate chips into the batter until fully combined. This cookie dough is now ready and it will be quite thick.

Semi-sweet chocolate chips are stirred into the cookie dough until combined.

Ready To Bake The Chocolate Mint Cookie Bites!

Drop the dough for the chocolate mint cookie bites by Tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Leave a couple inches of space between each cookie. I usually try to use a small cookie scoop for this, so the cookies are all about the same size. You should have enough cookie dough for about 30 cookies, so you need a couple baking sheets or you will need to cook them in batches.

Bake the cookies at 375°F. for 6-8 minutes or until the cookies are firm and set. Oven temps can vary quite a bit, and in our oven this takes 7 minutes, so keep an eye on them. They don’t spread out too much, either. Once done, let the cookies cool (on the pan) for 3-4 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Tablespoons of dough for the chocolate mint cookie bites are placed on baking sheets to cook.

Time To Make The Frosting For The Cookies

While the cookies are baking OR cooling, make the green peppermint frosting. In a medium bowl, beat together softened butter, powdered sugar, milk, peppermint extract and a couple drops of green food coloring. Mix until the frosting is a beautiful green color and is completely smooth, with no lumps!

Once the chocolate mint cookie bites have completely cooled, it’s time to frost them. I frost the cookies one at a time, so the frosting is still a bit “wet” and the sprinkles can adhere to it. Spread a small amount of frosting onto the top of each cookie, and them immediately add a pinch of sprinkles on top. I hold the cookie in one hand, and add the frosting with a small knife. Then, holding the cookie over a small bowl of sprinkles with one hand, I add the sprinkles using my other hand. That way, any “wayward” sprinkles fall back into the bowl of sprinkles!

Place the frosted/sprinkled cookie back on the wire rack, and repeat with the next cookie, continuing until all cookies are frosted and sprinkled. Let the frosting set tp (firm up) slightly before serving the cookies.

Green peppermint flavored frosting is mixed together in a bowl while cookies bake.After the cookies cool, they are topped with some of the peppermint green frosting.Colorful sprinkles are added to the top of the frosted chocolate mint cookie bites.

Ready to Eat Some Chocolate Mint Cookie Bites?

Once the frosting has firmed up, the cookies are ready to be enjoyed. The insides are light in texture, and each of the chocolate mint cookie bites is filled with chocolate chips! The frosting AND the cookies themselves, have a wonderful chocolate mint flavor, which I think you’ll enjoy!

Chocolate mint cookie bites rest on wire racks while frosting firms up.A look at the inside of one of the chocolate mint cookie bites, which has been cut in half.

I really hope you enjoy these delicious cookies! At Christmas time red, green and white sprinkles are the way to go, but you can also highlight these for St. Patrick’s Day, and use only green and white sprinkles. However you make them, I think you’ll enjoy the quick, easy recipe, and their great taste! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you will come back soon for more family-friendly recipes. Have a great day.

Looking For More COOKIE Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have lots of yummy cookie recipes for you to enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Author's signature

Recipe adapted from: “Taste of Home” magazine, December/January issue, 2004, pages 27-28, contributed by Anne Revers, published by Reiman Publications

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Chocolate Mint Cookie Bites
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
7 mins
Total Time
17 mins
 

Chocolate Mint Cookie Bites are shortbread-like cookies, with peppermint flavoring in the cookie and the frosting! They're easy and delicious!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate mint cookie bites
Servings: 30 cookies (approx.)
Calories Per Serving: 138 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Cookie Dough:
  • ¾ cup butter (no substitutes) softened (room temp.)
  • ½ cup powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
  • 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate (2 squares) melted, cooled
  • ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 1½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (regular or mini)
For Frosting:
  • 2 Tablespoons butter softened (room temp.)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
  • 1 Tablespoon milk
  • ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 2 drops green food coloring
  • COLORED SPRINKLES (approx. 2-3 Tablespoons)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

  2. Make Dough: Using electric mixer (or stand mixer), cream softened butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Add melted, cooled unsweetened chocolate and peppermint extract; mix until combined. Beat in flour gradually, adding 1/3 cup at a time, until all flour is incorporated into dough. STIR in the chocolate chips, until combined. Dough will be thick.

  3. Drop the dough by Tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Leave 2" between each cookie. There's enough dough for approx. 30 cookies, so you need to use a couple baking sheets or bake the cookies in batches.

  4. Bake at 375°F. for 6-8 minutes or until cookies are firm and set. Oven temps can vary, so keep an eye on them. When done, let cookies cool (on the pan) for 3-4 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

  5. Make frosting while cookies bake or cool: In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together softened butter, powdered sugar, milk, peppermint extract and a couple drops of green food coloring. Mix until frosting is a beautiful green color and is completely smooth (no lumps).

  6. Once cookies have completely cooled, it's time to frost them, one at a time, while frosting is a bit "wet" and sprinkles can adhere to it. Spread a small amount of frosting onto the top of a cookie; immediately add a pinch or two of sprinkles on top. Place frosted/sprinkled cookie back on wire rack. Repeat process, continuing until all cookies are frosted/sprinkled. Let the frosting set up (firm up) slightly before serving the cookies. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Mint Cookie Bites
Amount Per Serving (1 cookie)
Calories 138 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 15mg5%
Sodium 49mg2%
Potassium 59mg2%
Carbohydrates 15g5%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 169IU3%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 9mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Chocolate Mint Cookie Bites are shortbread-like cookies, with peppermint flavoring in the cookie and the frosting! They're easy and delicious!


Dec
2021

Roasted Sweet Potato Fries

categories: Appetizers, Side Dishes, Vegetable Dishes
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Roasted sweet potato fries with a sweet/spicy seasoning are a yummy treat! They’re a great side dish, served with burgers and sandwiches.
Roasted sweet potato fries with a sweet/spicy seasoning are a yummy treat! They're a great side dish, served with burgers and sandwiches.

Do you like sweet potato fries? We sure do! There are many ways to make them, and this is the method I came up with to roast sweet potatoes fries for our meals. You will need to plan ahead, because the fries are first soaked in water for an hour before roasting to remove some of the starch from the potatoes. I know people lead very busy lives, so if you don’t have that kind of prep time, simply leave that step out, and your fries will still turn out really tasty!

The oven-roasted fries have a wonderful spice mix on them. This seasoning is a little “sweet” thanks to brown sugar, and a tiny bit spicy, from chili powder, salt/pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. These ingredients give the roasted sweet potato fries really nice flavor! They pair wonderfully with burgers, hot dogs, hot sandwiches and a variety of meals, and I think you will enjoy them! Here’s how to make them:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Preparing The Sweet Potatoes

Before beginning, preheat your oven to 450°F.  and line a large (13×9) baking sheet with parchment paper. You will want your oven to be really hot before adding the sweet potatoes.

Now it’s time to prepare the sweet potatoes for roasting. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the peel from the sweet potatoes. Once peeled, cut the sweet potatoes into thin slices lengthwise. The slices should be around 1/4″ thick. Once sliced, cut each piece into fries by cutting lengthwise again. Try to keep the size of the fries about the same, so they will roast more evenly.

Sweet potatoes are peeled, then sliced into thin wedges.The sweet potatoes are cut into french fry-sized pieces.

Soak the potatoes, covered with water, in a large bowl for about an hour. This will help to remove some of the starch from the sweet potatoes. This does take a while, but it really is inactive prep time. Let the sweet potato fries soak, and do whatever else you want while they “take a bath”. NOTE: AGAIN… I know we all have busy lives, so if you don’t have that kind of time, simply leave this soaking step out, but still toss the fries with the cornstarch. Your fries will still turn out really tasty!

After soaking, drain the potato fries, and pat them dry with paper towels. Once dry, toss the fries with cornstarch (this helps them crisp up a bit more).

Soaking the sweet potatoes in water helps remove starches.Cornstarch is tossed with the fries to coat them before baking (to help crisp them).

Seasoning The Sweet Potato Fries

Now it’s time to season the fries. In a small bowl, stir and combine chili powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and brown sugar. Toss the sweet potato fries with vegetable oil until coated, and then add the seasoning mix. Continue to mix until all the sweet potato fries are coated with the seasoning mix.

Spices are combined in bowl to season the roasted sweet potato fries before cooking.Spice mixture covers the sweet potato fries.Lay the seasoned fries out on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Be sure to keep them all in a single layer for best results when roasting.

Fries are cooked on a single layer on parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Anybody Want Some Roasted Sweet Potato Fries?

Bake the sweet potato fries at 450°F. for 20-23 minutes, flipping them over halfway through the roasting time. Oven temps can vary greatly, so keep an eye on the fries! When done, the roasted sweet potato fries should be slightly browned, a bit crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. They are now ready to serve, alongside a favorite main dish!

Roasted sweet potato fries are fully cooked, and ready to enjoy!

We really enjoy these fries, especially when served with burgers or a yummy hot sandwich! I hope you enjoy them, too! Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope you will come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Have a great day.

Looking For More SIDE DISH Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have some really delicious side dish recipes you might enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

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Roasted Sweet Potato Fries
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
INACTIVE SOAKING TIME
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 35 mins
 

Roasted sweet potato fries with a sweet/spicy seasoning are a yummy treat! They're a great side dish, served with burgers and sandwiches.

Category: Appetizer, Side Dish, Vegetable
Cuisine: American
Keyword: roasted sweet potato fries
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 138 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes
  • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
  • ½ teaspoon brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F.  Line a large (13x9) baking sheet with parchment paper.

  2. Remove peel from sweet potatoes. Cut sweet potatoes into ¼" slices lengthwise. Slice each of these wedges into fries by cutting lengthwise again. Keep fry size about the same, so they'll roast evenly.

  3. Soak fries covered with water, in a large bowl for about an hour. This helps remove some starch from the potatoes. NOTE: We all have busy lives, so if you don't have that kind of time, simply leave the soaking step out, but still toss the fries with the cornstarch. Your fries will still turn out really tasty! After soaking, drain the fries; pat dry with paper towels. Toss fries with cornstarch (this helps them crisp).

  4. In a small bowl, stir/combine chili powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and brown sugar. Toss sweet potato fries with vegetable oil until coated. Add seasoning mix. Continue to stir until fries are coated with seasoning.

  5. Lay seasoned fries in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake at 450°F. for 20-23 minutes, flipping them over halfway through roasting. When done, roasted sweet potato fries should be slightly browned, a bit crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Serve, and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Roasted Sweet Potato Fries
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/4 of total))
Calories 138 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Sodium 210mg9%
Potassium 391mg11%
Carbohydrates 25g8%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 16131IU323%
Vitamin C 3mg4%
Calcium 36mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Roasted sweet potato fries with a sweet/spicy seasoning are a yummy treat! They're a great side dish, served with burgers and sandwiches.

 


Dec
2021

Classic Pizzelle Cookies

categories: Cookies, Desserts, Holidays!
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Classic pizzelle cookies are beautiful, delicious treats made in a pizzelle press. They are light, crisp, and imprinted with amazing designs!
Classic pizzelle cookies are beautiful, delicious treats made in a pizzelle press. They are light, crisp, and imprinted with amazing designs!

A couple of years ago I got a pizzelle press using a gift card I was given. I had been “looking” at them for quite some time, and was thrilled to be able to get one online (without using my own money-yay!). The very first recipe I made using this appliance was this one for classic pizzelle cookies. YUM!

Pizzelle cookies are known for their beautiful, intricate designs which are cooked onto both sides of a thin round cookie. We enjoy their crispness and uniqueness, too! Pizzelle press appliances are very reasonable and there are a variety of models (and price ranges) available online. There’s many flavors and types (sweet and savory) of pizzelle recipes available, but today I want to show you how to make basic pizzelle cookies.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Pizzelle Cookie Dough

Place the eggs and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat well on low speed, using a hand mixer, until well combined and slightly thickened. Add melted (but cooled) butter and vanilla extract to the bowl, and mix only until just combined (about 15 seconds).

Three eggs and granulated sugar are placed in mixing bowl.Cooled, melted butter and vanilla extract are added to the pizzelle batter and combined.

In a large separate bowl, whisk together all purpose flour and baking powder. Add these “dry” ingredients to the “wet” ingredients and mix only until the ingredients are combined. Be careful NOT to overmix the batter.

All purpose flour and baking powder are whisked together in bowl.

Dry ingredients are added to the bowl of wet ingredients and combined.

Time To Cook Classic Pizzelle Cookies!

Preheat your pizzelle press (lid closed) following the manufacturer’s instructions for your model. Once the machine has thoroughly preheated, place a dollop (about a Tablespoon) of the thick cookie batter onto the center of each circle. Remember to follow the instructions for your particular appliance as to the quantity of batter to add! Once the lid has closed, the batter will spread out onto the gridded design, much like a waffle.

Cook classic pizzelle cookies for the time specified in the directions for your particular appliance (usually only a couple minutes). When done, remove the cookies immediately from the machine. Bring the machine back to heat before continuing to cook the remaining cookies.

A pizzelle press being preheated before adding batter.Pizzelle cookie batter will be added to the center of each circle and then will be cooked.

Trim And Cool The Cookies

When you take the pizzelle cookies off the press, place them on a wire rack to cool. If there are any extra bits of cookie around the edges, simply use kitchen scissors or a knife to remove them while still warm. Think of it as giving these cookies a little trim around the edges, if necessary. As the cookies cool, they will become crisper.

Continue cooking until you have used all the batter up. Don’t fret if some of your classic pizzelle cookies aren’t perfect… it happens. If it is your first time making these delicious cookies, know that they still taste absolutely delicious!

Classic pizzelle cookies cooling on wire rack after being removed from machine after cooking.

Time To Enjoy Some Classic Pizzelle Cookies!

The beautiful imprint of the patterns on the pizzelle cookies is what gives them their charm! Crisp, light and delicious, they are a perfect food gift for the holidays (or any time). Who wouldn’t enjoy receiving a Christmas plate stacked with these little beauties! YUM!

Beautiful designs are imprinted on both sides of classic pizzelle cookies.A side view of how thin the classic pizzelle cookies are.Holding up one of the crisp, classic pizzelle cookies, which is ready to be enjoyed!

I hope you have the opportunity to make these unique, yummy, classic pizzelle cookies for those you love! Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you’ll come back again soon. Take care, and enjoy your day!

Looking For More COOKIE Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have lots of yummy cookie recipes for you to enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original recipe source: Cuisinart Pizzelle Press instruction manual (came with the appliance), page 5, published by Cuisinart, 2017

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Classic Pizzelle Cookies
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
3 mins
Total Time
13 mins
 

Classic pizzelle cookies are beautiful, delicious treats made in a pizzelle press. They are light, crisp, and imprinted with amazing designs!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: classic pizzelle cookies
Servings: 24 cookies (approx.)
Calories Per Serving: 101 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 3 large eggs
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 8 Tablespoons butter (1 stick) melted, and cooled
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1¾ cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Place eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat on low speed, using a hand mixer, until combined/slightly thickened. Add melted (but cooled) butter and vanilla to bowl; mix only until just combined (about 15 seconds).

  2. In a large separate bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Add to egg/sugar mixture. Mix only until combined. Do NOT overmix.

  3. Preheat pizzelle press (lid closed) following manufacturer's instructions. Once preheated, place about a Tablespoon of batter onto the center of each circle. Follow instructions for your appliance as to quantity of batter to add. Cook for time specified for your particular appliance (usually a couple minutes). When done, remove cookies immediately from machine. Bring machine back to heat before continuing to cook remaining cookies.

  4. When you take cookies off the press, place them on a wire rack to cool. If there are any extra bits of cookie around the edges, use kitchen scissors or a knife to remove them while still warm. As cookies cool, they will become crisp. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Classic Pizzelle Cookies
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 101 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 33mg11%
Sodium 43mg2%
Potassium 54mg2%
Carbohydrates 13g4%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 150IU3%
Calcium 21mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Classic pizzelle cookies are beautiful, delicious treats made in a pizzelle press. They are light, crisp, and imprinted with amazing designs!


Nov
2021

Mexican Shredded Chicken (crock pot)

categories: Chicken, Main Dishes, Slow Cooker Recipes
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Make Mexican Shredded Chicken in a crock pot to use in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, taco salads, enchiladas, etc. It’s easy to make and delicious!
Make Mexican Shredded Chicken in a crock pot to use in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, taco salads, enchiladas, etc. It's easy to make and delicious!

Today I want to share a recipe I use often for Mexican shredded chicken. There are only a couple simple steps to prep the chicken before adding it to a slow cooker to finish cooking. The meat is seasoned well, and adds great flavor to quite a variety of dishes! You should end up with enough shredded chicken for at least 8 servings (depending on how you choose to use it)

I’ve made shredded chicken this way for years now. I love it’s simple added ingredients that I almost always have in my kitchen. This recipe uses boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you can make it with a combination of breasts and thighs, if that’s what you have. The recipe can also be easily doubled, and it freezes well! Here’s the way I make Mexican shredded chicken:.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepare And Pan-Sear The Chicken

Cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts into cubes, about 2″ in size. Use paper towels to pat the chicken dry (drying the chicken helps it brown quickly instead of steaming it). Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet.

Add the dried chicken pieces, and quickly sear them until browned on all sides. You do not have to cook them all the way through, because the crock pot will do that. You just want the outside of the chicken pieces to be nicely browned. 

Chicken breasts are cut into cubes, then dried on paper towels before cooking.Boneless, skinless chicken breast cubes are lightly browned in hot oil in a skillet.

Into The Crock Pot It Goes!

When done, transfer the chicken pieces from the skillet into a crock pot. Reserve the remaining liquid in the skillet. Add a half cup of water to the “drippings” in the skillet, and cook for about a minute. This helps de-glaze the skillet and adds in any little browned bits of chicken to help flavor the sauce. Pour this liquid over the chicken pieces in the crock pot.

Water is added to skillet to help deglaze the pan after browning chicken.Water and pan drippings are poured onto the browned chicken pieces in crock pot.

Add The Seasoning Sauce Then Cook!

Now it’s time to make the easy seasoning sauce. Combine soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, chopped green onions, red pepper flakes, cumin, chili powder and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Stir well, until the brown sugar has dissolved and the ingredients are fully incorporated.

Once combined, pour the seasoning sauce into the crock pot. Stir well, to coat the chicken with the sauce. Put the lid on the crock pot and cook the Mexican shredded chicken for 4-5 hours on LOW heat, OR  for 3 hours on HIGH heat.

A seasoning sauce is mixed together and poured over the chicken in the crock pot.Mexican shredded chicken is cooked in a crock pot for several hours.

Time To Shred The Cooked Chicken

Once the chicken has finished cooking, transfer the chicken to a large bowl using a slotted spoon. There will still be quite a bit of liquid left in the crock pot. Hang on to that, because you can use some of it, okay?

Shred the cooked chicken using two forks. It should shred very easily and only takes a couple of minutes. Add a couple spoonfuls (or more, if desired) of the reserved crock pot sauce to the chicken. This will help ensure your Mexican shredded chicken is juicy (and not dry). Now the shredded chicken is ready to be used in your favorite recipes.

Two forks are used to pull apart the Mexican shredded chicken after it has been fully cooked.Mexican shredded chicken is now ready to use in a favorite dish like tacos, burritos, etc.

Serving Mexican Shredded Chicken

There are LOTS of ways to use Mexican shredded chicken. You can use this well-seasoned chicken for enchiladas, tostadas, flautas, taco salads, burritos and chimichangas. Some of our favorite ways to enjoy this shredded chicken are pictured below. The chicken is the featured ingredient in our chicken taco salad bowls, quesadillas and tacos.

Mexican Shredded Chicken is featured in a Taco Salad Bowl.A chicken quesadilla is served, using the shredded chicken inside.The Mexican shredded chicken can be used to fill tacos for a quick dinner.

I hope you have the chance to try this recipe for Mexican Shredded Chicken. Once made, it is very versatile and can be used in a multitude of dishes. The shredded chicken also freezes well (if wrapped well and stored in an airtight container). Thanks for visiting my blog, and I hope you will come back soon for more family-friendly recipes. Have a good day!

Looking For More CHICKEN Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have a LOT of yummy chicken recipes for you to enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

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Original recipe source: unknown (written down years ago on a piece of paper-no original source noted)

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Mexican Shredded Chicken (crock pot)
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
4 hrs 30 mins
Total Time
4 hrs 45 mins
 

Make Mexican Shredded Chicken in a crock pot to use in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, taco salads, enchiladas, etc. Easy to make and delicious!

Category: Entree
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Mexican shredded chicken
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 185 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts approx. 2 lbs.
  • ⅓ cup water
Seasoning Sauce:
  • ⅓ cup light soy sauce
  • 1 Lime Juice of 1 lime
  • 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 stems green onions (scallions) sliced (green + white parts)
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Cut chicken into 2" cubes. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add chicken; quickly sear until nicely browned on all sides. Do not cook them all the way through (crock pot will finish).

  2. Transfer browned chicken from skillet into crock pot. Reserve remaining liquid in skillet. Add water to "drippings" in skillet; cook/stir for one minute. Pour this liquid over chicken in crock pot.

  3. Make the seasoning sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir well, until brown sugar has dissolved and ingredients are fully incorporated. Pour seasoning sauce into crock pot. Stir well, to coat chicken with sauce. Put the lid on the crock pot. Cook for 4-5 hours on LOW heat, OR 3 hours on HIGH heat.

  4. Once done cooking, transfer chicken to large bowl using a slotted spoon. There will still be liquid left in the crock pot. Shred chicken using two forks. Add a couple spoonfuls (or more) of reserved crock pot liquid to the chicken. This helps ensure the shredded chicken is juicy (and not dry). Now the shredded chicken is ready to be used in your favorite recipes. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Mexican Shredded Chicken (crock pot)
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/8 of total))
Calories 185 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 73mg24%
Sodium 678mg29%
Potassium 463mg13%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 25g50%
Vitamin A 115IU2%
Vitamin C 3mg4%
Calcium 15mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Make Mexican Shredded Chicken in a crock pot to use in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, taco salads, enchiladas, etc. Easy to make and delicious!


Nov
2021

Green Beans and Bacon

categories: Side Dishes, Vegetable Dishes
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Green Beans and Bacon is a simple, yet delicious veggie side dish to serve with a variety of main dishes! This recipe makes 4-5 servings.
Green Beans and Bacon is a simple, yet delicious veggie side dish to serve with a variety of main dishes! This recipe makes 4-5 servings.

I don’t know about you, but in our home we really enjoy eating green beans! Our little backyard raised bed garden has been our source of fresh green beans every summer for the past 10 years. A large part of our harvest of beans is home-canned each summer and lasts us until the following year. HOWEVER, nothing beats using fresh green beans in other dishes, so we always save a lot of them to eat fresh!! I’ve been making fresh green beans like the ones in this recipe for years.

When I was growing up, I didn’t really like green beans that much. My mom was a great cook in every way, but she would BOIL our green beans for a LONG time before serving. The beans were always a greyish green color and were really soft by the time we got to them… ugh… not a fan! I prefer them to be nice and green with a tiny bit of firmness to the bite.

The recipe I am sharing today is a delicious way to cook fresh green beans and bacon together for a nice side veggie side dish. These green beans are first blanched, then sautéed in a skillet to finish the dish. I will also share a tip (below) for ensuring your green beans stay a nice shade of GREEN, and don’t turn a pale olive/grey color while being cooked.

Scroll Down for A Printable Recipe Card At the Bottom Of The Page

Cook The Bacon And Onions First

The first thing I do when making this dish is to cook the bacon and onions first. Cut the strips of bacon into small pieces (I use kitchen scissors, but a knife will do just fine). When I cut the bacon into small pieces, it really helps it to cook faster!

Cook the bacon and chopped onion for about 4 minutes, then add minced garlic and continue cooking for 30 seconds (don’t burn the garlic). Remove from heat. Drain off any accumulated grease and set aside. The bacon may only be about ¾ of the way cooked at this point, but that is okay. It will finish cooking later in the process.

Bacon pieces are cooked in skillet along with chopped onion.

Tip For Cooking Green Beans So They Keep Their Color

Did you know that cooking fresh green beans with a lid on the pan will result in loss of some of the green color pigment? Much like tree leaves, green beans have chlorophyll in their cell structure which give them their nice green color. For example, in the Fall, we see the leaves on trees lose a lot of their natural chlorophyll (these nutrients are stored in the trunks for the following Spring). This results in the leaves changing color from green to orange, red, yellow or brown.

The same thing happens to green beans when heated with a lid on, because their green pigment is heat sensitive. Heating will reduce the amount of natural chlorophyll, which then changes their color. When a lid is placed on a pot of cooking green beans, any natural acids present in the green bean cell structure will condense on the lid. and then drip back into the pan full of green beans. This diminishes the natural green color even more to a more greyish olive green color. By cooking the beans without putting a lid on the pan, you will end up with a more vibrant true green color.

Now… there’s nothing different about the taste, but the color sure looks better when green beans are cooked this way. So, there you have it… a simple tip to keep those green beans GREEN. The End. And now… back to your regularly scheduled recipe.

Time To Cook the Green Beans And Bacon

Now we’re on to blanching the green beans. Be sure to trim off the stem end, then snap or cut the beans into approximately 3″ pieces. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil, then add the green beans and the bacon/onion mixture.

Cook the green beans for 5 minutes UNCOVERED in the boiling water. After 5 minutes, pour the beans into a strainer to drain off the water. Immediately after draining put the hot green beans into a bowl of ice water and let them chill for 3-4 minutes. This ice bath prevents the beans from continuing to cook, and the process is called “blanching” the beans. After 3-4 minutes, drain off the water and ice from the green beans.

Green beans and bacon are cooked in boiling water for 5 minutes.Immediately after cooking, the green beans are immersed in ice water to stop the cooking.Draining the green beans in a colander.

Time To Sauté The Green Beans And Bacon

Melt a teaspoon of butter in a large skillet. Add the strained green beans (with bacon and onion) to the skillet. Sauté the beans on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes. When done, they should be tender to the bite, with just a little bit of firmness. As it cooks, the bacon will “brown up” more as it cooks in the skillet.

When the green beans and bacon have heated through and are at your desired tenderness, add a Tablespoon of butter to the skillet. Stir until butter melts, then season to taste with salt and pepper (approx. ½ teaspoon each, or as desired).

The green beans and bacon are cooked in butter in a large skillet.Butter is added to the green beans in the skillet.

Time to Eat!

Transfer the hot green beans and bacon to a serving bowl and serve immediately (while hot) alongside your favorite main dish. The green beans pair well with chicken, pork, turkey, beef and fish. You typically will get 4 nice sized servings, and you can get 5 servings if the portions are a bit smaller.

The hot green beans and bacon are served in a white serving bowl.You can see the nicely browned bacon with the green beans.

I hope you have a chance to try this recipe for green beans and bacon. Basically it is a simple veggie side dish that is fairly easy to make, and I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you will come back soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care!

Looking For More VEGETABLE SIDE DISH  Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have lots of wonderful veggie recipes to check out, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

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Green Beans and Bacon
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

Green Beans and Bacon is a simple, yet delicious veggie side dish to serve with a variety of main dishes! This recipe makes 4-5 servings.

Category: Side Dish, Vegetable
Cuisine: American
Keyword: green beans and bacon
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 136 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 2 slices bacon
  • ¼ small yellow onion , chopped
  • ½ teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1½ pounds fresh green beans , de-stemmed, cut or snapped in 2-3" pieces
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • ½ teaspoon salt , approx., season to taste
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper , approx., season to taste
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Cut bacon into small pieces. Cook bacon and chopped onion for about 4 minutes, Add garlic; continue cooking for 30 seconds (don't burn garlic). Remove from heat. Drain grease; set aside. Bacon will finish cooking later.

  2. Trim off stem from beans; snap or cut into approx. 3" pieces. Bring a large saucepan half full of water to a boil. Add green beans and bacon/onion/garlic mixture to boiling water. Cook beans for 5 minutes UNCOVERED. Remove from heat; pour beans into a strainer to drain water. Immediately after draining put hot green beans into a bowl of ice water for 3-4 minutes. . After 3-4 minutes, drain off water and ice from beans.

  3. Melt a teaspoon of butter in a large skillet. Add green beans (with bacon and onion) to skillet. Sauté uncovered on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes. When done, beans should be tender to the bite, with just a little bit of firmness. Add a Tablespoon of butter. Stir until butter melts, then season beans to taste with salt and pepper (approx. ½ teaspoon each, or as desired).

  4. Transfer hot green beans and bacon to a serving bowl; serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Caloric calculation made based on 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts
Green Beans and Bacon
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/4 of total))
Calories 136 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 17mg6%
Sodium 408mg18%
Potassium 394mg11%
Carbohydrates 13g4%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 1298IU26%
Vitamin C 21mg25%
Calcium 68mg7%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Green Beans and Bacon is a simple, yet delicious veggie side dish to serve with a variety of main dishes! This recipe makes 4-5 servings.


Nov
2021

Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts

categories: Desserts, Pies/Tarts
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Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts are mini (4″) decadent desserts, drizzled with homemade caramel topping (2-3 small servings per tart). THEY’RE SO GOOD!
Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts are mini (4") decadent desserts, drizzled with homemade caramel topping (2-3 servings per tart). SO GOOD!

Oh boy… this is one delicious dessert! Many, many years ago, I ripped a page out of one of my Sunset magazines because the dessert I saw was calling to me. Ha Ha! This is that dessert! I don’t even know which issue it was in, because I ripped the page out (oops). All I know is I LOVE this dessert.

I modified the original recipe to make two cute chocolate caramel pecan tarts. This was done to use my mini tart pans AND because you can never go wrong with smaller sized portions, especially when the dessert is so decadent. My husband and I cut each tart into small portions, but we can’t stay out of them, going back again and again for another bite. Dangerous!

Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts taste like a chocolate chip pecan pie… on steroids! This treat features a buttery shortbread bottom crust, chocolate pecan filling, and is drizzled with a homemade (easy) caramel sauce. Oh my goodness- it tastes AMAZING! Rich, dense, cute looking and sweet, this is one dessert you’ll enjoy serving to those you love. Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make And Bake The Crust

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place flour, sugar, and COLD chunks of butter in a small mixing bowl. Rub these ingredients together with your (clean) fingers (or use a pastry blender) until the mixture becomes coarse crumbs You will need to use cold butter so it doesn’t melt between your fingers. Add, and stir in a teaspoon of water.

Work the dough into a ball, squeezing dough together as you form the ball, to hold it together. Lightly butter two 4″ tart pans (the kind with removable rims). Divide the dough into two equal parts and place in the two tart pans. Firmly press the dough down to form a bottom crust, and let the dough extend up about 1″ around the sides of the pan.

NOTE: Don’t have 4″ tart pans? This recipe can also be made using one 6″ wide cake or tart pan (with removable rim). General directions and bake time are the same, and will yield one tart that you can be sliced into 6 small portions.

Bake the crust at 350°F. until the crust becomes golden brown. This will take about 20 minutes, and the crust should be firm to the touch when pressed lightly. Remove from the oven and transfer the pans to a wire rack.

Cold butter, flour and sugar are rubbed together to form coarse crumbs in bowl.Dough is divided into two 4" tart pans and pressed to make crust on bottom and sides.Crust is baked for about 20 minutes until golden brown.

Make The Chocolate Chip Pecan Filling

While the crusts are baking, make the filling for the chocolate caramel pecan tarts. Place the filling ingredients into a large mixing bowl. These ingredients are egg, granulated sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, chopped pecans and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Stir to fully combine the filling.

When the crusts come out of the oven, let them sit for 1-2 minutes to cool slightly. Carefully pour the filling onto the warm crust, dividing evenly between the two pans. Once filed, put the tarts back into the oven. Bake the chocolate caramel pecan tarts for approximately 30 minutes. When done, the surface will be golden brown and when the pan is lightly shaken, the filling will be set. Transfer the pans to a wire rack, and let the tarts cool for AT LEAST half an hour or more before removing the pan rims to serve.

Ingredients for the chocolate pecan tart filling are combined in a large mixing bowl.Filling for the chocolate caramel pecan tarts is poured onto baked crust.After baking 30 minutes, the chocolate caramel pecan tarts cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Make The Caramel Sauce For Drizzling The Top Of The Tart

While the tarts cool, make the decadent, EASY caramel sauce to drizzle over the dessert for serving. Place a Tablespoon of butter and 5 Tablespoons of granulated sugar in a 1½ quart saucepan. Cook on HIGH heat, stirring often until the sugar has melted and turns amber in color. This will take about 3 minutes, and you will need to keep a close watch on it, so the sugar doesn’t burn.

When the sugar turns amber in color, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream, and continue stirring until the mixture becomes smooth. When you add the whipping cream it will “sputter” a bit (that’s normal). Once fully combined, the warm caramel sauce is ready to drizzle on the finished tarts.

Collage showing making caramel sauce with butter, granulated sugar and whipping cream.

When the chocolate caramel pecan tarts have cooled for at least half an hour, you’re ready to serve this yummy dessert. Release the outer rims of the pans to reveal the tart. Doesn’t it look scrumptious? The buttery shortbread crust goes part of the way up the sides of the tart, and holds together very well.

Once the tart pan rims have been removed, you can see the golden brown crust on the side.

Serving The Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts

The decision will have to be made about how many pieces to cut the tart into for serving. The chocolate caramel pecan tarts are VERY RICH in flavor, so we have found a small piece always satisfies. Each tart can be cut into either 2, 3 or 4 small pieces. We usually end up slicing 3-4 small portions per tart because it is so rich tasting, but the decision on serving size is up to you.

Below is a photo of one entire tart. To serve you can garnish the whole tart or you can make each individual slice look good with it’s own garnish. Again… your choice. For the sake of the photo, I am showing you an entire tart, garnished for serving.

To serve, drizzle the top of the tarts (or slices) with caramel sauce, allowing it to run down the sides. Dollop with whipped cream, and add a fresh sprig of mint for color! The second photo below is included to show you what the filling looks like inside the tart. It is dense and thick, and tastes quite amazing!

Each of the chocolate caramel pecan tarts is served with caramel sauce, whipped cream and a mint sprig.The inside of each the tarts is thick, rich in taste and dense in texture.

I really hope you’ll give the chocolate caramel pecan tarts a try. There are a few steps involved for the recipe, but trust me… you will love this dessert! Thank you for stopping by, and I invite you to come back again for more family-friendly recipes. Have a GREAT day!

Looking For More DESSERT Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have LOTS of yummy dessert recipes you’ll enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Recipe Adapted From: Sunset magazine (edition unknown), page 114 (page ripped out from an old magazine)

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Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
50 mins
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
 

Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts are mini (4") decadent desserts, drizzled with homemade caramel topping (2-3 servings per tart). SO GOOD!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate caramel pecan tarts
Servings: 6 small servings
Calories Per Serving: 352 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Crust:
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 4 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons cold butter , cut in chunks
  • 1 teaspoon water
For Tart Filling:
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 Tablespoons chopped pecans
  • 3 Tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips
For Caramel Topping:
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 5 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup whipping cream
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or butter 4" tart pans (with removeable rims) on bottom and sides.

  2. Make Crust: Place flour, sugar, and COLD chunks of butter in a small mixing bowl. Rub together with your fingers (or use pastry blender) until mixture becomes coarse crumbs Add/stir in a teaspoon of water. Work dough into a ball, squeezing dough to hold it together. Divide dough into two equal parts; place in pans. Firmly press dough to form bottom crust, letting dough extend up about 1" around sides of pan. Bake crust at 350°F. for about 20 minutes, until it becomes golden brown. Crust should be firm to the touch when pressed lightly. Remove from oven; transfer pans to a wire rack. Let cool 2 minutes before filling.

  3. While crusts bake, make the filling. Place egg, sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, pecans and chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl. Stir to fully combine. Pour filling onto warm crust, dividing evenly between pans. Put tarts back into oven. Bake for 30 minutes. When done, surface will be golden brown and when pan is lightly shaken, the filling will be set. Transfer pans to wire rack; let cool AT LEAST half an hour (or more) before removing pan rims to serve.

  4. While tarts cool, make caramel sauce. Place butter and sugar in a 1½ quart saucepan. Cook on HIGH heat, stirring often until sugar melts and turns amber in color. This takes about 2-3 minutes; keep a close watch so sugar doesn't burn. When sugar turns amber colored, remove pan from heat. Stir in whipping cream; stir until sauce becomes smooth. **When you add whipping cream it will "sputter" a bit (that's normal).

  5. To serve, drizzle caramel on top of tarts (or slices), allowing it to run down the sides. Dollop with whipped cream, and add a fresh sprig of mint for color! Serve, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: Don't have 4" tart pans? This recipe can also be made using one 6" wide cake or tart pan (with removable rim). General directions and bake time are the same, and will yield one tart that you can be sliced into 6 small portions.

Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/6 of total))
Calories 352 Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Fat 19g29%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 65mg22%
Sodium 92mg4%
Potassium 97mg3%
Carbohydrates 45g15%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 35g39%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 431IU9%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 25mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts are mini (4") decadent desserts, drizzled with homemade caramel topping (2-3 servings per tart). SO GOOD!