Bacon-Cheddar Muffins

Photo courtesy of Maggie Armstrong.

    Breads are one of my weaknesses, I love them. So when I saw this recipe for muffins with bacon and cheddar, I couldn't think of anything better. This recipe was submitted for a recipe contest at our local grocery store last week. It was chosen as one of the finalist because it's a tasty, hand-held snack that's easy to make. Thank you Wanda Schwartz of Mt. Carmel, Illinois.

Bacon-Cheddar Muffins

Wanda Schwartz - Mt. Carmel

2 cups Bisquick mix

Mrs. Schwartz.

2/3 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 cup sharp cheddar (shredded)

8 bacon strips (cook crispy - crumbled)

Combine Bisquick mix, milk, oil, egg until moistened. Fold in cheese, bacon. 

Fill greased muffin tins - fill 3/4 full. 
Bake at 375º for 30 min., or until golden brown. 

Cool 10 minutes, remove from pan. Yields 10 or 12 muffins.

Strawberry Bread

Photo courtesy Taste of Home

    One of our local farmers has fields of strawberries. During the early summer they are full of sweet goodness. The nice lady that has these strawberry fields also supplies people that come to pick the berries tips on how to take care of them and some recipes to try out. One of the recipes that caught my eye was a banana-style quick bread made with strawberries. It sounded just too good not to share. 

Strawberry Bread
recipe courtesy of Decker's Berries

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 T. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 cups frozen slice sweetened strawberries, thawed and mashed

1 pkg. (3 oz.) strawberry flavored gelatin (dry)

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup oil

Put all dry ingredients together into large bowl. Stir to mix. 

Make a "well" and add eggs, oil and strawberries. Mix until just blended. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake in two 9x5 pans for 1 hour. 

Makes 2 loaves.

*To make spread combine 1-8oz. pkg. softened cream cheese with 1/2 cup strawberry juice.

Blueberry Corn Bread

Photos the Cooking Corner.

     When I have blueberries on hand one of the things I often make is blueberry banana bread. It's easy, moist and a favorite at my house. However there were no bananas on hand this time so I tried something new, adding a little cornmeal to mixture. This created a courser texture to the bread but it retained all the moisture. It was a favorite with my coworkers and is a quick bread I'd do again.

Blueberry Corn Bread

1-1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

Bread ready for oven.

1-1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 stick softened butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup honey

2 eggs

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp. lemon juice

1-1/2 cups blueberries (frozen is fine) mixed with 1 T. flour

In medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In large mixing bowl add butter and sugar. Whip with mixer until light and fluffy.

Add eggs , vanilla and lemon juice beating well. Slowly add milk and mix until well blended.

Slowly add dry ingredients. Pour into sprayed 9x5-inch loaf pan. 

Bakes 55-60 minutes. Insert thin knife to check if done (knife will be clean.

Let cool 1 hour in pan. Run knife around edge of bread and then invert onto plate to cool. 

Serves 8-10.

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Honey Quick Bread

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

     One of my favorite things to bake is a quick bread. Banana bread is my favorite because it's so easy, cheap and everyone in the family just loves it. It fills the house with the smell of an ultimate comfort food.
    Quick breads are quick to my way of thinking, because they are easy to assemble with a few basic ingredients. However the variety of flavor options are endless. 
    This is a basic quick bread where honey is substituted for some of the sugar. The bread has a light flavor, toasts well and is great with a jam or butter. It's simple yet versatile.

Honey Quick Bread
1-3/4 cups flour
1-1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs

Honey bread ingredients.

 
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350.

In medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In large mixing bowl add butter and sugar. Whip with mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add in honey and combine well.

Add eggs, vanilla, beating well.

Slowly add dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Pour into sprayed 9x5 inch loaf pan.

Bakes 55-60 minutes. Insert thin knife to check if done. The knife should come out clean.

Let cool 1 hour in pan. Run knife around edge of bread and then invert onto plate to cool.

Drizzle honey over warm bread while cooling on plate.

Serves 8-10.

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Blueberry Banana Bread

Photo courtesy Taste of Home

    Banana bread is one of my favorite things to bake. The whole house smells delightful. So when my daughter had the idea to make blueberry banana bread, I was all in for the experiment. My favorite part is that the blender does all the mixing for you and that makes this so easy and quick to do. This is like a combo of blueberry muffins and banana bread - it's the best of both.
 
Blueberry Banana Bread
For 1 loaf you will need:
3 very ripe large bananas
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1-1/2 Tbsp. sour cream
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 cup blueberries

Preparation:
   Place bananas, eggs, butter, sour cream, lemon juice and sugar into a blender and whirl until smooth.
  Mix together flour, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl.
  Pour banana mixture over flour mixture and stir just until flour is just moist. Gently fold in blueberries.
  Turn into greased a 9-1/2 x 4-1/2 inch bread loaf pan, or into (2) 3-1/2 x 7-1/2 inch bread pans.
  Bake at 350F for 60 to 65 minutes or until bread is done, when a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
   Cool in pan 5 minutes, then run knife around edges of pan and turn out onto wire racks or plates.

Tip: Blueberry Banana Bread is very moist and is best refrigerated for longer shelf life.

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Ham and Cheddar 7-Up Biscuits

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

     I am not a good biscuit maker. They always turn out thin, pale and dry (baby hockey pucks). I tend to roll them out too thin and over work the dough. I figured I was just cursed.
    This biscuit recipe was the first time I have ever made biscuits that I thought passed the test. They were soft, flaky and moist (I'm sure the sour cream helps out there.) 
    Since I tend to like those little breakfast sandwiches - some type of meat and cheese piled on a biscuit, I opted to use some leftover holiday ham and chipolte cheddar cheese slices. Sausage patties with cheese and/or egg would have worked well, too.

Ham and Cheddar 7-Up Biscuits
2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup 7-Up
1/4 cup melted butter (2 heaping T. )
9 pieces of ham, cut in 3 inch pieces
3 slices of cheddar cheese, cut in thirds.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place butter in baking dish. Put baking dish in oven to melt butter. 

Mix Bisquick, sour cream and 7-Up in a medium bowl until moistened and incorporated.

Turn dough out onto a flat surface dusted in baking mix. Knead and fold dough until coated with baking mix.

Pat dough out into a 3/4-inch thick round. Cut 9 biscuits using a round cutter or glass.

Place biscuits on top of melted butter and bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until brown.

Remove from oven and let cool 10-15 minutes, until cool enough to handle. 

Meanwhile heat slices of ham in microwave or skillet. Layer cheese on warm ham to melt. Split biscuits and insert ham and cheese. Serve warm. 

Feeds 3-4 people. Recipe easily doubled using 13x9x2 baking dish.

Biscuits out of oven.

Note - I would flip the biscuits once you put them in the pan, so that both sides get coated in butter and brown better - just a thought.

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Orange Cranberry Bread

Photos courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    The highlight of my baking extravaganza a few weeks ago was an orange bread. I had stocked up on baking supplies with visions of a "Dreamsicle cake". (This is one of the easiest cakes I've ever made - orange cake mix, orange soda and cream cheese frosting - and that's all.) However on the back of the box, I saw an idea that inspired one of the best breads I've made and I love breads. This is simple, moist and easy. Even better it's also an interesting new flavor combination.

Orange Cranberry Bread
Streusel topping -
2 T. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 t. cake mix
1 T. butter
1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Cake -
1 pkg. orange cake mix
1 pkg. vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 to 2/3 cup of Craisins*

Glaze -
1/2 cup cream cheese frosting
2 T. orange juice

Preheat oven to 350. Spray coat 2 - 9x5x2 loaf pans.

In small bowl, combine topping ingredients and mix with fork until crumbly. Set aside.

Ready for oven.

In medium bowl, break eggs and beat with fork. Add oil, dry mixes and sour cream. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed or until completely combined. Stir in Craisins* until well blended.

Pour batter into bread pans, dividing evenly. Sprinkle with topping. Bake 50-60 minutes. Test with knife to make sure it comes out clean and bread is done.

Let rest in pan 15 minutes. Put a plate over the pan and invert. Let bread completely cool.

Mix glaze ingredients.

Cooling on a plate.

Stir until smooth and drizzle over top of both loaves.

*Craisins are a dried cranberry made by Ocean Spray. Feel free to substitute raisins, if desired.

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Green Chili Cornbread

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    One of my favorite quick side dishes is cornbread. It's just perfect hot out of the oven, slathered in butter and served as a side for soups and stews. This dish is not of the homemade variety, but a "semi-homemade" quick fix. Often I dress this up a little with chunks of cheese, a sprinkle of chili powder, or in the case, some green chilies. It's nice sometimes to give an old standby a new twist.

Green Chili Cornbread
1 box of Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1/2 can diced green chilies, drained

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a small 8-inch skillet that will can be put in the oven.

Crack an egg in small bowl and beat lightly. Add muffin mix, green chilies and milk, stirring lightly to combine. Don't over mix. The batter will be thick and slightly lumpy, like pancake batter.

Pour into skillet and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges or just golden. Slice into 6 wedges.  Serves 4.

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Braided Spaghetti Bread

A slice of spaghetti bread. Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    Our daughter was coming home from the Navy on leave and she sent a message asking if we could make this recipe she'd found for spaghetti bread. What's a mom to say? 
     I put the ingredients on my shopping list and made a plan. I knew we'd be busy and friends and family would be stopping by to visit, so I thought thawing the dough and making the sauce ahead of time would be a good idea.
    This turned out to be relatively easy to assemble. I rolled out the dough, layered the toppings and then made slices in the dough for braiding. The bread really rises when baked, so stuff it well. One tip though, is don't cut your strips too close to the center or the filling will leak (I only had one small hole). You just need enough to overlap the top. The thicker the sauce the better. It's worth the try.

Braided Spaghetti Bread

1 loaf frozen bread, thawed to room temperature
6 ounces spaghetti, cooked
1 cup thick spaghetti sauce
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes
1 egg white, beaten
Parmesan cheese


 Directions:
Spray counter lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Roll loaf into a 12x16-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 10-15 minutes.

Cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain and let cool slightly. 
Remove wrap from dough.

Place spaghetti lengthwise in a 4-inch strip down center of dough. Top with sauce and cheese cubes. Make cuts 1-1/2-inches apart on long sides of dough to within 1/2-inch of filling.

Begin braid by folding top and bottom strips toward filling. Then braid strips left over right, right over left. Finish by pulling last strip over and tucking under braid. Lift braid with both hands and place on a large, sprayed baking sheet.


Brush with egg and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley. Bake at 350°F 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly and slice to serve.

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