No Bake Peanut Butter Bars Recipe

What You'll Need:

• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1½ cups peanut butter
• 2 cups milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup melted butter
• ¼ cup peanut butter
• 2 cups Ritz crackers, smashed into crumbs

How to Make It:

1. Combine your butter, cracker crumbs, sugar and 1 1/2 cup peanut butter in a large bowl and beat at medium speed until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Pour into a 9×13 baking dish and set aside while you make the topping.
2. Combine 1/4 cup peanut butter and the milk chocolate chips in a microwave-safe glass bowl, and cook in 45 second increments, stirring between each increment, for about 2 minutes. Do not over cook the chocolate, as once you burn chocolate, there is no going back!
3. Pour on top of your peanut butter mixture in the banking dish and swirl with a toothpick until you reach your desired pattern.
4. Refrigerate for a few hours until your peanut butter bars are set. Once chilled and firm, cut into bars before serving.

Mounds Candy Bars

What You'll Need:

• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey
• ¾ cup chocolate chunks
• ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

How to Make It:

1. Melt chocolate in a small pan over very low heat; you can use a double boiler if you wish and temper the chocolate
2. Using a small paint brush, coat the bottom and sides of a mounds candy mold
3. Place mold in freezer for 10 minutes to allow chocolate to harden
4. In a small bowl, combine shredded coconut, coconut oil and agave
5. Remove mold from freezer
6. Fill chocolate lined molds with coconut mixture
7. Paint chocolate over coconut mixture to cover bars
8. Place in freezer for 10 minutes to harden
9. Remove from freezer, turn mold upside down and pop mounds out of mold
10. Serve

Italian Herb Baked Meatballs

What You'll Need:

• 1 pound lean ground beef (I used 88%)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
• ½ small onion, grated (or minced)
• fresh ground pepper
• ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons marinara
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed (or minced)
• ¼ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

How to Make It:

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well, do not over mix or you will have tough meatballs.
3. Using a 2 tablespoon scoop, portion out meat and place on baking sheet. After all meatballs have been scooped onto tray, roll into balls.
4. COOK'S NOTE: If you lightly wet your hands the meatballs will form better and crack less.
5. Bake for 20-22 minutes.
6. Remove and transfer to sauce or serve immediately.

Oven Roasted Potatoes

What You'll Need

• 3 1/2 lbs Yukon GOLD Potatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
• coarse salt
• fresh ground pepper
• fresh parsley
• 1/2 lb hickory smoked, thick sliced bacon
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

How to Make It

1. Scrub potatoes and place in a large pot. Fill pot with water until potatoes are covered by 2-3 inches of water. Bring water to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. My potatoes were fairly large, so this took close to 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, partially freeze bacon for easier cutter. (Ten minutes in the freezer works well.) Slice bacon strips in half, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces. I like to cut my bacon prior to cooking. It's easier to work with in the skillet and easy to drain with slotted spoon.
3. Cook bacon in a skillet until golden, but still flexible. You don't want it crunchy. Remove cooked bacon onto a plate lined with paper towels. Reserve the bacon drippings.
4. Check potatoes and if fork tender, drain and allow to cool. If making this recipe again, I would peel the potatoes before I boiled them or try leaving the skins on all-together. Yukon GOLDS have a relatively thin skin, so I think this would have added a nice look and texture to the potatoes.
5. While potatoes are cooling, preheat the oven to 425° and mince the garlic and parsley. Also, grate the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
6. Next, prepare the baking sheet by brushing 1 tablespoon of olive oil and half the bacon drippings on the bottom of the pan. I used a fairly large cookie sheet for this and it worked well.
7. Once the potatoes are cool, peel and cut in half, or quarter if potatoes are large.
8. Place cut side down on prepared pan and sprinkle with course salt and fresh ground pepper. Place in 425° oven for 35-40 minutes. Rotate potatoes halfway through the baking time to ensure an even color. I did not do this and some of mine were more golden than others.
9. Reduce temperature to 375°, turn potatoes over and sprinkle with the bacon, garlic, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
10. Add more salt and pepper if desired. Return to oven for an additional 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are evenly browned and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Makes 4-6 servings, depending on serving size. Serve immediately!

What You'll Need:

4 slices cooked bacon

2 slices tomato

1 tablespoon butter

2 slices egg bread

4 slices cheddar cheese

1-2 slices lacy swiss

How to Make It:

Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread, then stack buttered sides together. Layer 2 slices cheddar on top of bread stack, then bacon slices, then lacy swiss cheese, then tomato and finally the remaining slices of cheese. Place bread buttered side down in a fry pan over medium-high heat. Cover with lid and let cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden.

Reduce heat to medium and flip sandwich to other side and cook for 2-3 minutes or until bread is toasty golden and cheese has melted. The second side will cook faster than the first so watch carefully.

Cut in half and enjoy with homemade tomato soup!

Get Decadent with Reese’s Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies

What You'll Need:

Brownie:

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup unsalted butter

2 cups granulated sugar

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 (12 oz) bag mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, cut into quarters (divided)

Peanut Butter Fudge Frosting:

4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 (15 oz) jar natural peanut butter

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

½ tsp salt

1 (8 oz) block cream cheese, softened

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

6 oz milk chocolate chips, melted

How to Make It:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper, set aside.

Place butter in a large microwave safe mixing bowl, melt completely. Add sugar, cocoa, vanilla and eggs. Whisk to combine well. Add remaining ingredients. Whisk until completely combined, but do not over mix.

Pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle 10-15 mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups cut into quarters over batter, press into batter with a spatula until they are covered. Bake for 20 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean. Place in the freezer to cool, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile: Combine cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add sugar. Beat on low until combined, then switch to medium speed and eat until light and creamy. Add peanut butter, vanilla and salt. Beat mixture until well combined.

Spread frosting over top of cooled brownie. Sprinkle remaining peanut butter cups over the top of the frosting.

Drizzle melted chocolate over top of brownies. Serve and enjoy.