Mini Caramel Pull-Apart Rolls aka Monkey Bread

I got a free Pillsbury calendar and this is one of the recipes it came with. Very good for portion control since it's make in a muffin pan & not one big bundt cake pan. One was enough for me with a side of fruit.

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cans (7.5oz each) Pillsbury refrigerated biscuits

Grease/Spray 12 regular sized muffin cups. Mix butter & brown sugar; spoon 1 Tbsp mixture into each muffin cup.

Mix granulated sugar & cinnamon in 1 gallon bag. Separate dough into 20 biscuits; cut each into 6 pieces. Shake pieces in bag to coat. Place 10 pieces in each muffin cup.

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute; turn upside down. Serve warm.

Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage

Yet another casserole dish. . . I made this with my favorite precooked chicken sausage. I actually forgot one of the ingredients. . the crushed tomatoes. . and I think it came out excellent. Maybe forgetting an ingredient isn't so bad. I didn't take any pictures though :(

I got this recipes on What Megans Cooking.


1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 cup heavy cream
1lb pasta
10oz frozen spinach, thawed
12oz precooked chicken sausage
8oz mozzarella cheese, cubed
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Cook pasta al dente.

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, cook until translucent. Add garlic. Stir in tomatoes,(the diced AND the crushed) oregano & basil. Simmer 8-10 minutes. Add cream. Cook until warmed. Add tomato sauce, sausage, spinach & half mozzarella to pot with drained pasta. Toss to coat. Spread into 9x13 pan. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese & parmesan cheese. Bake 20-30 minutes.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I recently bought a silpat and what better way to test it out than to make cookies! I found this low fat recipe on Recipe Girl. These cookies are so chewy! I love them.

I LOVE the silpat. It cooked the cookies more evenly than my regular old cookie sheet. This recipe make 22 cookies. I cooked 8 of them on a regular cookie sheet and I could see the difference right away. The cookie sheet had browned the bottoms and if I had left them in any longer they might have burnt. I will definitely be buying another silpat!

Here's the cookie recipe:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. allspice
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups oats
2 Tbsp. mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with non stick spray (or invest in a silpat!)
In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and allspice.
In a separate bowl, whisk together melted butter, applesauce, sugars, egg and vanilla until well blended. Add flour mixture to applesauce mixture. Mix well. Fold in oats. You can add the chocolate chips into the mix or you can top the dough with a few chips per cookie once the dough is on the cookie sheets.
Drop rounded Tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven and cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 22 cookies

Rice Ball Casserole

I am a HUGE fan of Gina's site. She shares great "lightened" recipes on her blog & no matter how often I go to her site I am always writing down 1 or 2 new recipes to try. I made this one last week:

2 cups uncooked long grain rice
4 cups water
1 sweet Italian sausage link, casing removed
10 oz lean ground turkey
1/4 cup onion, minced
salt and fresh pepper
5 oz frozen peas
16 oz tomato sauce
1/3 cup egg beaters or egg whites
1/2 cup pecorino romano
cooking spray
4 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs, divided
1 1/4 cup shredded part skim mozzarella

Cook rice in water according to package directions. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, sauté sausage meat; cook until brown breaking up into pieces as it cooks. Add turkey and onions and cook until browned. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add peas and 8 oz tomato sauce and simmer on low, covered, about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl combine rice, pecorino romano, eggs, and 3-4 oz tomato sauce and mix well.

Spray a 9 x 12 casserole dish with cooking spray, making sure to spray sides too. Add 2 tbsp breadcrumbs to the dish and roll around to coat the bottom and sides.
Take half of the rice mixture and cover the bottom of the dish, press to form the bottom layer. Add the meat and peas. Sprinkle mozzarella on top. Top with remaining rice and press until even. Top with remaining 4 oz of sauce, remaining 2 tbsp breadcrumbs, and remaining mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 more minutes.

Serves 8. I cut ours into 6 portions. Served it with caprese salad. I really enjoyed it & will make it again.

Bubble Up Enchilada Casserole

Another great casserole recipe from Emily I often go to her site looking for new Weight Watcher friendly recipes. This one was a hit.

1lb ground turkey
10oz can enchilada sauce
8oz can tomato sauce
1 can refrigerated biscuits
1 1/2 cups fat free shredded mexican cheese (I used cheddar)
I also added a can of green chilis, some shredded zucchini & taco seasoning.

Preheat oven to 350.
Brown turkey in skillet. Slowly stir in enchilada sauce & tomato sauce. Quarter biscuits & stir into meat mixture. Add 1/2 cup shredded cheese, mix well. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake 25 minutes. Top with remaining cheese & bake an additional 10 minutes.

The combinations for this kind of casserole are endless. Can be cut into 6 or 8 portions.

Ginger Lime Shrimp & Noodles

I haven't posted in a while but that doesn't mean I haven't been cooking. I've got 4 new recipes to post! Let's start with the first one I got from Jessica's site


2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 tablespoon lime zest
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce


1lb shrimp
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic
1 cup sugar snap peas
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons peanuts, crushed
1/2 pound whole wheat pasta of your choice (I used Chinese rice noodles)
salt and pepper to taste

Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Add to a ziplock bag, along with the shrimp and marinate for 2 hours.

Heat pan on medium heat and add olive oil. Add peppers and mushrooms to the pan and saute until soft, about 6-8 minutes. Cook pasta according to directions. Add garlic to the peppers and mushrooms and stir for 30 seconds. Add shrimp to pan and cook on each side for about 2-3 minutes. Add snap peas and pasta, thoroughly stirring until everything is mixed. Season with salt and pepper if desire and serve.

This dish came out delicious. Brad had been sick of shrimp & raved about this dish. We had no leftovers!

Chicken Pot Pie

After making the Arroz con Pollo I had 4 leftover thighs. I decided to take them & make my first Chicken Pot Pie. Originally I thought I'd make a fresh crust & all that. But then I took the quick & easy route & looked up a Bisquick recipe. I was able to throw this meal together in a few short minutes.


2 cups cooked cut up chicken
1 2/3 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1-2 cans cream soup (I used cream of celery & cream of mushroom)
1 cup Heart Smart Bisquick
1 egg
1/2 cup milk

Combine chicken, veggies & soups in a bowl. Pour into a greased pie plate. Whisk together Bisquick, egg & milk. Pour over chicken mixture. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Serves 4.