S'more Cookie Balls Please!

Afriend from work celebrated her birthday on the 16th, and I needed something quick and easy to make as I was limited on time. I decided to scroll through my deserts recipe box on Allrecipes.com for an idea that would suit my needs and be super delicious. The scrumptious spherical cookie delights pictured below were inspired by this Cookie Ball recipe.

Having recently watched a commercial involving S'mores, I was craving the gooey chocolate marshmallow-i-ness only a S'more could provide, so I decided to tweak the Cookie Ball recipe just a bit.

You will need:

1 (15.5 oz) package chocolate sandwich cookies. I use Oreos.

1 package graham crackers.

1/2 bag (5 oz) marshmallows

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese

4 T. butter

I started by separating the chocolaty cookies from their sweet frosting insides. I twisted the cookies and used a butter knife to remove any frosting. I had a plastic bowl to put all the frosting in to save for later. 

Next, I crushed the cookies. I used a morter and mixing bowl to crush mine, but it took a bit of time. Next time I am bagging those babies and running them over with a rolling pin. 

Once you have the cookies into a nice fine powder, mix in the package of cream cheese. I tried using a hang mixer for this, but it did not work very well. It is really best to get down and dirty and kneed that baby with your hands.

Once the dough is nice and mixed, put it in the refrigerator to chill for a little bit. I did not think to do this originally, and I regretted it. The dough kept falling apart on me when I went to dip it. Learn from my mistakes; chill your dough!  =)

Once your dough is chilled, melt your butter in a dutch oven over low heat. While the butter is melting, make with the crushing on the graham crackers. Place them in a medium bowl and set aside. 

Once the butter is melted, add your marshmallows to the pot to begin the transformation to gooey sugar awesomeness! Do not forget to stir those delicious

While your marshmallows are working on transforming into the goopy goodness, start rolling your dough into balls. You may want to place your completed spheres on a cookie sheet in the fridge to keep them nice and firm before they get rolled in the hot marshmallow bath.I also reccomend sticking them with a tooth pick for easy handling.

Once your marshmallows are completely melted, take your cookie balls out of the fridge and roll in the melted marshmallow goodness.  It may be easier to spoon the 'mallows over the balls. Once finished with the marshmallow, throw the balls in the the graham cracker and toss to coat. Reinsert toothpick and place on parchment.

You may want to place the cookies in the fridge again after coating, as the marshmallow like to follow the laws of gravity and will puddle at the bottom.

I got great reviews on these sweet little treats and will absolutely make these again. Someone said that these were the best thing that they had eaten in quite some time. Talk about a feel good compliment!

Colored Ravioli Surprise

I Like going to Costco. How can you not like a place that sells a bunch of great stuff in bulk? The only downside is that everyone feels the same way I do, so the place is always so crowded.

When I was in Costco last, stocking up on my canned foods and nommy stuffs, I cam across Four Color Five Cheese Ravioli. After a small amount of contemplation, I decided it was necessary for me to have it. As soon as the pasta hit my cart, I was thinking about what to do with it.

1 package Four Color Five Cheese Ravioli
2 cups broccoli
1/2 onion, diced
Can Diced tomatoes
Can tomato sauce
1/2 lb bacon
1 lb ground beef
Packet of Parma Rosa sauce mix.
      -1 1/4 cups milk
      - 1 T. butter

Put a pot of water on to boil for the Ravioli. The package from Costco comes in pairs; you only need one for this recipe.

Dice your onion, and toss it into a large frying pan. Chop your uncooked bacon into smallish pieces and add to the pan with the onions and ground beef.

Cook over medium heat until *almost* fully cooked. Once at this point, add the frozen broccoli in the frying pan with the meat. Cover and continue to cook, letting the steam within the pan help cook the broccoli. Turn the heat down for the frying pan if necessary to keep anything from burning. Stir occasionally.

While the broccoli is cooking, start the Parma Rosa sauce. Whisk the sauce mix with milk in a medium sauce pan and continue cooking per instructions. It says that adding a tablespoon of butter is optional, so I added two.

Once the sauce is thickened, drain the diced tomatoes and add to the Parma Rosa. Add the tomato sauce as well and heat through.

Your water should now be up to a boil. Add the ravioli and let boil three to four minutes.

Once cooked, drain the ravioli, and add with the sauce.

Once the meat and broccoli are done, add to the ravioli.

Mix well, serve, and enjoy! I topped mine with parmesan cheese, as there was not enough cheese to begin with =)

Peppertizer Fettucine

There is this little produce store not too far from me, and while there one day and I saw this Zergut appetizer red pepper dip. I like me some red peppers, and I like dip, so I figured 'Why not?' and I put it in my basket. 

And then the dip sat in my pantry, waiting to be eaten. Finally, after decorating the self for awhile, I decided it was time to introduce the potential deliciousness to some new friends. 

10 oz. Zergut Peppertizer: Roasted Pepper Appetizer

1/3 Lb. Chipotle Pepper Fettuccine

1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces. 

1/2 lb bacon

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 C. milk

1/4 C. water (use water from boiling the pasta)

Prep work:
Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta.
Chop up the onion
De-seed the green pepper and chop into medium sized pieces.

While the water is getting up to boiling, fry up the bacon in a good sized pan until it is beautiful and crispy (but not burnt). Keep in mind that the bacon will loose some of its crispiness once added to the sauce.

Bacon is the deliciousness. I don't eat it as much as I should. I think I'll change that.

Anyway, moving on.

Once the bacon is cooked up, place it on a paper-towel lined plate out of the way. The paper towel should help soak up some of the grease.

If your water is up to boiling, add your pasta to the water and cook it all nice and tasty-like.

In the same pan you cooked the bacon, throw in your chicken and onions. You may also want to season your chicken at this point. I used a pit of ground pepper and seasoning salt. I recommend going easy on the salt if you choose to use any as the bacon grease you are frying the chicken in should supply a nice salty flavor.

In a medium pot, add the milk, water, and about half the jar of the Zergut Peppertizer: Roasted Pepper Appetizer. The jar I had was 19 oz, I used about 10. If at this point the sauce seems to thick, add extra milk. Adding milk will make it the sauce more creamy, so if it gets too creamy for you add water instead. Make sure you add the additions a little at a time; you can always add more, but you cannot take it back out. Well, you can try... but it never ends well for me...

Once you get your sauce up to a nice simmer, add your chopped bell peppers and let those babies soften up. Once your bell peppers are cooked to your liking, add your cooked fettuccine.

Chop up your bacon into nice little bits.

Pour your sauce into the pan with the cooked chicken. Stir until everything is evenly mixed. Top with the bacon-y amazingness, and enjoy.

Cornbread Casserole

When I first got my new apartment, my Nana parted with several cookbooks to help me build up my own collection. One book she gave me is called The One-Dish Bible.

I love this book! I am a lover of casseroles and skillets and this book is full of them! It also has many recipes for a slowcook too, but unfortunately I currently do not have a slowcooker. This is something that will be remedied in the nearish future.

This recipe is loosely based on the "Tamale Beef Squares" recipe in the book.

½ lb ground beef
1 green pepper, chopped
½ an onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, diced
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can tomato sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 pkg jiff corn bread
            -1/3 C. milk
            -1 egg

Step one! Follow the instructions for making the corn bread. I have a love for corn bread, so for this recipe I made a double batch. Depending on the size of the pan you have to use, and how much you <3 corn bread, you may want to make a double batch as well.

While your cornbread is in the oven, season your ground beef and brown it with your onions, pepper, and jalapenos. For seasoning I used salt, habenaro garlic pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. I love a good bite, so much of what I make, I make hot. Best thing about spices, add what you like and make it your own. Just remember that when adding spices, you can always add more, but you cannot take it back out.

Stir the veggies around while browning to make sure they don’t burn. Once your meat is cooked, add the drained diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.

Once the bread is finished breaking, and the beef mixture is heated through, smother the mixture on top of the cornbread.

Coat the sauce nice and evenly over the corn bread.

And then, the best part; Top with Cheese!!

Mmm.. Cheese. I love cheese. The recipe says to use about one cup of cheese, and that’s on account of most people don’t have as big a love for cheese as I. I probably used about 2 cups. Top that amazing dish with however much cheese makes you happy.

Then, stick that dish of amazing under the broiler until it is nice, bubbly, and browning on the top. Once you have that perfect melty cheese look, pull it out of the oven.

You may want to let it sit for a bit, but once you’re ready serve up and enjoy!

Just as a side note: I get really really grossed out by soggy bread, and I was worried that the left over corn bread would be soggy the next day, but it wasn't! It remained crumbly and amazing and delicious!.