Cinnamon Muffin Melts & Apple Pie Bites

My kids requested Cinnamon Muffin Melts as a Valentine's Day breakfast today.  Many of you know that I'm not one of those Mom's who 'makes' breakfast in the mornings.  (Well, that is unless you count putting frozen waffles in a toaster or boiling water for instant oatmeal.)  However, since it's a special day AND they only take 9 minutes to make...I obliged :)  After all...how can you resist this act of happiness?

I don't follow the exact directions for the preparation of Cinnamon Muffin Melts, so thought I would post how I make them here.  I find that if you use as much butter as indicated, they're a bit too crumbly.

Ingredients:
1 box Tastefully Simple Cinnamon Muffin Melts
1 cup water
2 Tbsp butter, melted

Add Cinnamon Muffin Melt mix with water.  Lightly grease mini muffin pan.  (You can also make 12 regular size muffins, but we prefer the bite-size version.)  Use a small cookie scoop to fill the muffin tin's 1/2 full.  Bake at 400 degrees for 9 minutes.  Cool for 2-3 minutes.  Place one pan of mini muffins in gallon size ziploc bag.  Melt 1 Tbsp of butter and drizzle over muffins.  Seal ziploc and roll muffins in butter.  Once coated, pour 1/4 of the cinnamon sugar packet into the ziploc.  Seal and roll muffins again.  Repeat process for 2nd batch.

NOTE:  You will only use 1/2 the cinnamon sugar packet with this preparation method.  Use the other 1/2 of the package to make the Apple Pie Bites recipe.

Apple Pie Bites
1 pkg (15 oz) refrigerated pie crusts (the kind in tubes you roll out)
2-3 Tbsp butter
2 apples, I used Granny Smith
Cinnamon Sugar
Parchment paper
(I recommend serving w/ Breyer's Vanilla Bean Ice Cream!)

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Thaw the pie crusts.  Core apples and cut each one into 8 pieces (you can leave skin on or peel).  Unroll one pie crust and brush with melted butter.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Cut pie crust into 8 strips.  Roll each strip around one slice of apple and place on parchment paper.  Once you've wrapped all the apple slices, brush tops with remaining butter and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.  Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or pastry is golden brown.

Many of you have probably viewed this recipe on Pinterest - it's originally a Taste of Home recipe as well.  FANTASTIC use of your leftover cinnamon sugar!  The only down side was that while I was taking this picture shown above - ALL the rest of them were devoured!

Shredded Chicken Taco's Ole!

Today was one of those days when I try a new recipe and think...how is it possible I've been selling Tastefully Simple for over 9 years and never tried this?  Not only were these taco's FABULOUS, but there was NO work involved other than placing everything in the slow cooker and turning it on!  (And the kids didn't even try to pick out the black beans or tomatoes)

Shredded Chicken Taco's Ole!
Ingredients
3-4 chicken breasts
1 jar Tastefully Simple Corn, Black Bean Salsa
1 large spoonful sour cream
soft tortilla shells
avocado, lettuce, cheese, etc.

Directions
Place chicken breasts in slow cooker and pour entire jar of Corn, Black Bean Salsa over top.  Turn slow cooker on low for 6 hours.  Just before serving, shred chicken with fork and stir in a large spoonful of sour cream.  Add your favorite toppings.  DELISH!

Cranberry Apple Wild Rice Casserole

Last November I posted my favorite stuffing recipe using Tastefully Simple's Creamy Wild Rice Soup.  This recipe is a casserole using similar ingredients.  Now, you may be thinking...cranberries, apples and wild rice?  Believe me...they work wonderfully together!

Cranberry Apple Wild Rice Casserole
 
Ingredients
Tastefully Simple Creamy Wild Rice Soup Mix
5 cups hot water
14 oz. seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 large unpeeled, chopped Granny Smith apple
2 cups cooked, cubed turkey or chicken
3 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Prepare soup as directed on package with water; cook 30 minutes. Place breadcrumbs into bowl, add cranberries, apple and meat. Lightly beat eggs; pour over dry mixture. Mix well. Pour soup over stuffing mixture. Mix thoroughly and place in a large greased baking dish; season to taste. Bake, covered, at 350° for 1 hour. Remove cover for last 15 minutes. Makes 4-5 servings.

I have Creamy Wild Rice Soup in stock should you need to purchase some - or as always you can order directly from my website www.tastefullysimple.com/web/kkeninger.

Mmmm....Slow Cooker Tender Pot Roast!

Happy New Year!  I officially hit the 'sugar wall' a few days ago, and am ready to get back on track with some healthy eating.  I do enjoy indulging over the holidays, but by the time New Years hits - my body is always telling me ENOUGH!  I generally take a break from cooking much the week between Christmas and New Years, and after a week of eating out - the entire family is ready for home cooked meals also!

However, considering today is still a 'holiday' in our household, that means a no fuss meal was on list.  This January and February I'm showcasing a Slow Cooker Meal Plan with my Tastefully Simple parties.  I've been working on this for the past couple months - trying new recipes, deciding which ones were worthy of the list, etc. 

So, for today's meal, I picked one of my favorites that's extremely low maintenance.  Tender Pot Roast with potato, carrot and onion.  If you'd like to try this for yourself and you don't have any of the sauce on hand, contact me and I can hook you up!  (Or you can always order directly from my website too.  www.tastefullysimple.com/web/kkeninger)

Slow Cooker Tender Pot Roast
2-3 pound beef roast (whatever your preference or what's on sale!)
1 jar Tastefully Simple Tender Pot Roast Sauce
5-6 potatoes, peeled and quartered (I prefer yukon gold)
carrots (I used baby carrots - no peeling!)
1 onion, chunked

Place roast and entire jar of sauce in Slow Cooker.  Cook on low 6-8 hours.  Last couple hours add potatoes, carrots and onion.  It's that easy and oh so good!

Slow Cooker Garlic Beef Stroganoff

Decided to do something different for my January Tastefully Simple parties this year - due to my new found love of slow cooker recipes!  Each Host will get to choose some specialty Slow Cooker recipes to serve and each guest is receiving a Slow Cooker Meal Booklet - complete with grocery list.  I want to show everyone how EASY, INEXPENSIVE and TASTY cooking can be!

So...this means I'm tweaking my Slow Cooker Meal booklet and working to find the best recipes to share.  Below is one I tried this evening that received a THUMBS UP from everyone in the family!  Definitely making the cut :)

(P.S. - If you're interested in hosting a Tastefully Simple Slow Cooker party, let me know.  I've got four dates left!)

Garlic Garlic Beef Stroganoff
Submitted by Rosemary (MN) HQ Resident Chef

Ingredients
1 Tbsp. Garlic Garlic™
2 Tbsp. Onion Onion
1 1/2 lb. cubed beef stew meat
2 cups sliced mushrooms (I used an 8 oz. can instead)
14.5 ox. can beef broth
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. cold water
8 oz. chive and onion cream cheese spread
Prepared wide egg noodles

Directions
Combine first 5 ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Combine cornstarch and cold water; stir until smooth. Whisk cornstarch mixture into slow cooker; stir until thickened. Add cream cheese spread just before serving; stir until well blended. Serve over hot noodles. Makes 6-8 servings.

The BEST Stuffing EVER!

Continuing the Thanksgiving recipe theme...this is one of my favorite recipes!  It has been posted on the Tastefully Simple website for years, but I'd never tried it until a couple years ago when a good client of mine recommended it to me.  Before this recipe, I'd never really been a 'stuffing' kind of gal.  HOWEVER, this won me over!  The flavors all blend so well and the soup makes it very moist.  I make it ahead of time and then place in crockpot on warm - that way you can leave the stove top & oven available for other items.

I hope you give it a try!  Please post your comments if you do...would love to hear what you think also :)

Creamy Wild Rice Stuffing
Submitted by Rosemary (MN) HQ Resident Chef

Ingredients
Creamy Wild Rice Soup Mix
5 cups hot water
2 tsp. Garlic Garlic™
2 - 3 Tbsp. Onion Onion™
6 - 8 slices diced bacon
4 stalks diced celery
14 oz. bag seasoned breadcubes
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Saltand pepper to taste

Directions
Combine first 4 ingredients; simmer 60 minutes. Sauté bacon in large skillet until browned; add celery. Cook until celery is tender. Toss bread cubes in large bowl with bacon mixture and cranberries. Add prepared soup, season to taste with salt and pepper; mix well. Place dressing in greased 9 x 13 baking dish; cover with foil. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Remove foil, bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 10-12 servings.

Note: Add 3-4 cups cubed leftover turkey before baking for main dish casserole; drizzle with leftover hot gravy just before serving.

Oh My Chai Pumpkin Pie!

I can't help it...as soon as I flip that calendar to November, I'm consumed with thoughts of our Thanksgiving Feast!  Why is it there are some recipes I ONLY make on Thanksgiving when I love them so much?  I decided to break my pattern last night and made some pumpkin pie.

As I was reading my oh so complex recipe for making pumpkin pie (yes - sarcasm there - you know the recipe on the label of the can of pumpkin? :) I thought to myself...all these spices are similar to what's in Oh My Chai.  Why not experiment a little?  Okay...so maybe I was also being a bit lazy too and didn't want to riffle through my seasonings to find the cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.  I've always mixed Oh My Chai with Cool-Whip to put on top of my pumpkin pie, so this could just be an added bonus.

SUCCESS!!  Here's the recipe, and then I'm off to finish the last piece of pie.  Yep - it's 9:30 am, but I'm going to eat it anyway :)

Oh My Chai Pumpkin Pie
2 heaping scoops Oh My! Chai^® (divided) - each scoop is approx. 3 Tbsp

1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
9 inch deep dish pie crust
8 oz. tub Cool Whip®

Directions
 Combine 1 heaping scoop Oh My! Chai^® with 8 oz. tub Cool Whip®.  Place in refrigerator for flavors to blend.  
 
Whisk pumpkin and milk. Add egg, sugar and 1 heaping scoop Oh My! Chai^®; mix well. Pour into crust. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350° and continue baking for 40-50 minutes. Top with whipped topping. Makes 6-8 servings.