Key Lime Pie

Um, yum!

Key Lime Pie
serves about 8-9
Adapted from Allrecipes and Allrecipes

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup white sugar
6 Tb melted, unsalted butter

3 cups sweetened condensed milk (if you come up like 1/3 cup short, it's not a bit deal)
1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
3/4 cup key lime juice (if you juice them yourself, get a designated lime juicer)
1 Tb lime zest (sorry I can't give an exact number of limes)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix crumbs, sugar, and butter, and press into a 8-9 inch pie pan.  Bake for 7 minutes.
2. Lower oven temperature to 350.  Mix condensed milk, sour cream/yogurt, lime juice, and zest.  Pour into crust, and gently tap pan on counter to remove air bubbles.  Bake for 5-8 minutes, until tiny bubble form in the middle, but do not let the pie brown.
3. Let cool, then chill for several hours.  Serve with lime slices or whipped cream.

Restaurant Quality Burgers

This burger is so good, you'll want to eat it plain.

Flavorful Burgers and Buns
serves 4 (but I suggest serving with sweet potato fries sprinkled with chipotle chile powder)
Adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride and Little Miss Momma

Buns: (makes 8)
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
2 Tbs canola oil
2 large eggs
3 Tbs sugar
3 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
6 oz shredded cheddar cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)

1. In a medium bowl, let yeast and water sit for 10 minutes.
2. Add 1 egg, oil, and sugar.  Then add flour, salt, and cheese.  Mix until it forms a consistent dough.
3. Kneed on a floured surface, until it is no longer sticky.  Transfer to an oiled bowl.  Cover with a damp towel and let rise for 1 1/2 hours.
4. On a floured surface, form in to 8 balls.  Place on parchment paper'd cookie sheets on top of oven, flatten the balls slightly, cover with a damp towel, and allow to rise for 20 minutes.
5. After the 20 minutes, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Allow the dough to rise some more.
6. Wisk one egg with 1 Tb water.  Brush onto the tops of the buns.  Bake for 20-30 min.
(more directions below)

Burger patties:
Around a pound of ground beef (90/10)
2 oz cheese of your choice grated (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
season salt
onion powder
ground black pepper

1. Mix everything and form into four balls.
2. Flatten them slightly, pressing in the center so that there is an indentation (this prevents the burgers from being to thick to fit your mouth around) Like this:

When the bread comes out of the oven to cool, fry up some bacon and put the patties on a grill.  Don't have a BBQ?  Not a problem!  A pan on medium heat will work well, but a panini maker or George Foreman grill will work better.
When the bacon is done, mop most of the grease off of the pan, and put the buns face-down on it, and cook until the insides are delicious, like this:  It will prevent the bread from getting soggy.  Yay!

Let the burgers cook for about 8 minutes, and then flip them.  Flipping them too early may cause them to fall apart.  Cook the other side for 8 minutes or so and serve.

Homemade White Cheddar Cheese-its

Yes, it's true.  You CAN make your own cheese-its at home!  They're way better than store-bought ones, and therefore disappear faster...
I had a giant block of free white cheddar cheese lying around from competing in the Grilled Cheese Invitational, so that's what I used for this.  Oh, and here was my sandwich that I entered:

It was called "A Cheesy Romance"

Anyway,

White Cheddar Cheese-its
makes about 2 cups
Adapted from A Golden Afternoon

8 oz white cheddar cheese (or really, most cheeses will work), shredded
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup flour
2 tbs cold water

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cream together cheese, salt, and butter.  Add flour, and mix until it looks like crumbs.  Add water, and mix so that a dough is formed, adding more water if absolutely needed.
3. Roll out dough on a floured surface so that it's 1/8 inch thick.  Cut as desired.  I made boring squares because I know they wouldn't make it off the pan.  However, my artist roommate painstakingly made fancy ones (see below)
4. Put crackers on a cookie sheet (I used parchment paper, but maybe you don't need it?) and bake for 12 minutes.  Try not to burn your mouth on the hot crackers!

They're best on the day you bake them but they're still good for a few days (If they last that long!)

(Habanero cheddar flower-shaped cheese-its)

Toasted Ravioli

Bored of pasta in sauce?  Have I got THE thing for you! (though you can dip them in marinara sauce if you'd like)  The yumminess to effort ratio here is fantastic!  Could be an entree or a finger food appetizer.

Toasted Ravioli
servings vary

Refrigerated ravioli (follow serving suggestions from the package)
Zesty Italian Dressing
Italian Bread crumbs

1. Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees
2. Pour Italian dressing and bread crumbs in to two separate bowls.
3. Dip each piece in dressing, roll it in bread crumbs and put it on a cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, and enjoy!

Lemon Garlic Spaghetti

 

Lemon and garlic is such a great combination, and this is really easy to make if you have only about 20 minutes to make a meal

Lemon Garlic Spaghetti

serves 1 (but it's easily doubled or quadrupled)

modified from i nom things

4 oz spaghetti (I approximately divide 16 oz packs in to 1/4's)

1/2 tsp minced garlic (1 clove)

2 tsp olive oil

2 tb shredded Parmesan cheese

1 tb lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best)

black pepper, to taste

1. Cook olive oil and garlic in a metal measuring cup (weird, right?) over medium-low heat, until fragrant

2. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package

3. Dump the non-spaghetti ingredients in a bowl and mix quickly so the cheese doesn't clump.  Add spaghetti, mix, and serve

Brownie-Candy Bar Hybrid

I got this originally from a friend of mine who calls them "Philanthropy Brownies" since they're irresistible at charity auctions. Seriously, these things are really addictive.

Brownie-Candy Bar Hybrid
serves around 18
Thank you Sara Ford for the idea, Brown Eyed Baker for the brownie/topping, and the Food Network for the frosting!

Brownie base:
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup + 2 tbs semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and generously butter a 9x13 pan
2. Melt unsweetened chocolate, butter, and 1/4 cup + 2 tbs chocolate chips, carefully, either in the microwave or over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Set aside to cool.
3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.  In bowl #3, whisk eggs well.  Add sugar and vanilla until well-mixed. Add chocolate mixture.  Stir in the powdery ingredients.  Add 1/4 cup (or more if you like) chocolate chips.
4. Pour into pan and distribute evenly into a thin layer.  Use a spatula to get as much batter as you can out.  Bake for 20 minutes.
5. Let cool for at least an hour, and then make the buttercream.

Buttercream frosting: (this is my go-to vanilla frosting recipe)
3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter 
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tbs heavy whipping cream


1. Cream butter (I find it's easiest to leave the butter out for several hours so it's really soft).  Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream.  Mix well, and add more cream, if necessary for a spreadable consistency.
2. Spread evenly on brownie pan.


Peanut butter crunch topping:
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup smooth (non-"natural") peanut butter
1 tb butter
1 1/2 cups rice crispies cereal


Melt chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in microwave or on stove, until just melted and smooth.  Stir in cereal, and spread over the brownie and frosting pan.  

Chill for several hours and cut into squares. 

Best Mac n' Cheese I know of

This is the greatest mac n' cheese I have ever eaten. Ever. You won't regret making this!

Awesome Cheddar Lover's Mac n' Cheese
serves 4 hungry people
Adapted from My Cooking Quest

8 oz (about 2 1/2 cups) pasta of your choice
Cheese Sauce (see below)
Additional 2 oz cheddar cheese (1/2 cup shredded)
1/2 tsp chipotle chile powder
3 strips cooked bacon (optional)

Cheese Sauce
2 tbs butter
1/6 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk
8 oz cheddar cheese (approximately 2 cups shredded)
1/4 tsp kosher salt (or table salt)
1/4 tsp chile powder
1 clove of garlic, minced

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a dish of at least 8 x 8, and no larger than 9 x 13.
2. Cook pasta according to package, but undercook it slightly.  Drain, and set aside.
3. Make sauce by melting butter in a pot over medium heat.  Mix in flour.
4. Slowly add milk to pot.  Wisk constantly for 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens and starts slowly bubbling.
5. Remove from heat, and mix in the 8 oz shredded cheese, salt, garlic, and chile powder until cheese has melted.
6. Add pasta and bacon to sauce, and gently mix.  Pour in to the buttered dish, and top with the 2 oz cheese and chipotle chile powder evenly.
7. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese starts bubbling in the middle.