Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

I have to say . . . this sounded like the strangest recipe to me, but I kept seeing it all over blog land.  How could ketchup, soy sauce and honey be good together?  I decided to read through the comments and shockingly everyone seemed to love this.  Comment after comment said I tried this and loved it, it's a new family favorite, it will be a weekly menu item and so on and so on.  Okay, either everyone is crazy or this must be really good.  I decided to go with everyone is crazy! Ha ha.  

I gave it a try.  

This stuff is DELICIOUS!  

It reminded me of the rice bowls from Teriyaki Bowl and Rumbi!  It was so EASY and I think kids will love it, as well as adults.  Like everyone else already said, this will become a frequent menu item.  

Honey Sesame Chicken

adapted from: Six Sister's Stuff
(Printable Recipe)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

pepper

1 cup honey

1/2 c. soy sauce

1/2 c. diced onion

1/4 c. ketchup

2 Tbl. vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

4 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tbl. water

sesame seeds

Season both sides of chicken with a little pepper.  Put in crock pot.  In a small bowl combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and red pepper flakes.  Pour over chicken.  Cook on low 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hours or until chicken is cooked through.  Remove chicken from crockpot, leave sauce.  Add cornstarch mixture; stir to combine.  Replace lid and cook sauce on high for 10 more minutes or until slightly thickened.  Cut chicken into bite size pieces and then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving.  Serve over rice or noodles and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Serves 4 - 5  

Jenn's Notes: I cut the recipe in half and cooked it in the oven.  I used dried onion flakes and I used a small pinch of cayenne instead of red pepper flakes.  Once my chicken was baked, I removed it from the pan and cooked the sauce over medium heat until it was thickened.  Instead of adding the chicken back into the sauce, I tossed a little over each dish, because it made quite a bit of sauce and I didn't want it to drown my chicken!  I served with steamed broccoli, but I actually preferred the broccoli on the side.  I really am a big fan of this dish - I thought it was so yummy!

Vanilla Bean Paste Winner Announced

Thank you so much to everyone who entered my Vanilla Bean Paste Giveaway!

I was shocked to read how many people have not heard of vanilla bean paste.  I love this stuff and everyone needs to have a bottle!  Don't worry if you didn't win, I will have another vanilla giveaway coming. 

The winner is . . . .

Comment #45 Briana Richardson 

who said. . . "I don't have a favorite yet"

Congratulations Briana!

Please contact me within 72 hours to claim your prize at eatcakefordinner@digis.net

Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies

I love Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies and I'm not afraid to admit it.  

Like any other sweet treat, homemade is almost always better than store bought. I had seen a ton of versions of this famous treat and they all sounded great and the photos were all mouth-watering that it was almost too hard to pick one to try and that is why it took me so long to finally just pick one and give it a go!  

I went with the recipe that didn't have the most butter, but didn't have the least and I went with one that had all brown sugar, because brown sugar makes a super soft cookie and that is what I was looking for.  I decided to ignore all of the cream filling recipes and go with one of my favorite frostings.  It is the original recipe that I based my Whipped Eggnog Frosting off of.  It is the lightest frosting and it has a great texture and flavor.  I know it is different than the store-bought version, because I saw an episode of Unwrapped and it showed us that the real cream filling is made with shortening, powdered sugar, corn syrup and vanilla flavoring and they whip air into that.  Whichever type of filling you decide to go with, these will be delicious either way!  

I LOVED these Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies!  

Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies

adapted from: Bean Town Baker
(Printable Recipe)

3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened

2 c. packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. salt

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 c. quick-cooking rolled oats

2 tsp. baking soda

3 Tbl. hot water

1 batch Whipped Vanilla Frosting

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.  Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and mix to combine.  In a separate bowl, sift together the salt, flour, baking powder and cinnamon.  Add to the creamed mixture.  Add the oats and mix until combined.  In a small dish, add the baking soda to the boiling water and stir into the rest of the batter.  Drop by the Tablespoon onto baking sheets, about 2-inches apart and bake until the cookies are just starting to turn golden around the edges, 8-11 minutes.  Cool the cookies on a wire rack.  Once completely cooled, spread vanilla frosting over flat side of one cookie and top with the flat side of another cookie.  Repeat.  Yield: around 44 cookies or 22 sandwiches. 

Jenn's Notes: I made a half a batch of both the cookies and the frosting.  I typed the recipe above with the measurements that I used.  The cinnamon is needed to help these taste like the store-bought ones, so don't leave it out.  I baked my cookies for 8-9 minutes.  (Remember you want them to be soft).  Don't judge the sandwiches the first night you make them, they really need to sit overnight in order to taste like a store-bought oatmeal cream pie.  They are delicious and I can't stop eating them!     

Cheesy Chili Mac

Can you guys see that string of cheese attached to the spoon!  Is it making you crave some cheesy, creamy, flavorful macaroni?  It is?  Well, you should make this pasta!  It was really good and it was done in less than 30 minutes!  Perfect weeknight dinner.   

This dish is right up my alley! I love each and every ingredient, especially the corn. I love biting into corn and getting that burst of juicy goodness.  This dish had a special ingredient that gave it some amazing flavor and I can't wait to try it in other savory dishes.  It was brown sugar and it added a perfect richness to this dish. 

Cheesy Chili Mac

adapted from: Tracey's Culinary Adv. (from Cook's)
(Printable Recipe)

1 Lb. ground beef or turkey 

1/2 onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbl. chili powder

1 Tbl. ground cumin

1 Tbl. brown sugar

salt and pepper

2 c. water

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

8 oz. elbow mac (about 2 cups)

1 1/2 - 2 c. Mexican cheese blend

corn, opt.

black beans, opt.

chopped cilantro, for garnish

Heat large skillet over medium heat; add the ground meat and cook until browned.  A few minutes before the meat is done, add the minced onion.  Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the chili powder, cumin and brown sugar.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the water and tomato sauce; stir well to combine.  If adding the corn and beans, add now.  Add the uncooked noodles, cover pan and cook until noodles are done, stirring occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom of the pan.  Don't be afraid of adding a little extra water if needed.  Turn off heat and add the cheese; stir to melt.  Garnish with chopped cilantro.   

Jenn's Notes: I used ground beef, but I think ground turkey would be delicious too.  I added a mixture of Pepper Jack and Cheddar cheese instead of Mexican, because that is what I had.  I probably added around 1/3 - 1/2 cup of both the corn and beans.  I think 2 cups of pasta was too much and next time I would probably only add 1 1/2 cups.  This dish was creamy, flavorful and super yummy!    

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bread Bowls

What is going on with my font today?  Is it all messed up when you see it or is it just on my computer?  Sometimes I have to wonder - what is going on?


I wanted to get this recipe posted before it gets too warm outside?  Or, is it already too warm?  One day it is snowing and the next day it is warm and sunny.  Again, I have to wonder - what is going on?  Ha Ha.  I have had this recipe saved forever.  It sounded good and different, but I wasn't sure how you eat it?  It is not a soup, but it has a creamy sauce?  Do I eat it with a spoon as if it were a soup or do I rip apart the bread bowl and spoon the sauce on top?  That was my dilema, but I decided what the heck, I'm just going to make it and see how it goes.  

Mel over at Mel's Kitchen Cafe says this dish will knock your socks off and that it is beyond delicious.  Well, It didn't knock my socks off, but it was good.  I only had one little issue and it was the yellow mustard.  Next time, I will either omit the yellow mustard or use a little less.  Maybe a dijon would be better?  Jake sure liked it and he kept telling me how good it was.  By the way, I did kind of eat it like a soup and ripped apart the bowl as I went - The bottom of the bowl is the best part!    

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bread Bowls
adapted from: Mel's Kitchen Cafe
(Printable Recipe)

For the chicken and sauce:
4 Tbl. butter
1 Lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
    (about 2-3 chicken breasts)
1/2 c. minced yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tbl. flour
1/2 c. apple juice
1 1/4 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. heavy cream 
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbl. prepared yellow mustard
1 tsp. dried thyme
2-3 c. broccoli florets, steamed
salt and cayenne pepper, to taste


*Note: You can omit the apple juice and increase the chicken broth to 1 3/4 cups*


To assemble:
4 medium bread bowls
8-10 slices smoked deli ham, cubed
1 c. grated Swiss cheese
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the chicken and saute until the chicken begins to brown, but isn't cooked all the way through, about 3-4 minutes.  Stir in the onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes.  Sprinkle the flour over the chicken/onion mixture and stir to incorporate.  Cook, stirring constantly, for one minute.


Gradually add the chicken broth and apple juice, stirring constantly to avoid any clumps from forming.  Stir in the cream, Parmesan cheese, mustard and thyme.  Simmer for about 5-6 minutes or until the mixture is thickened and bubbly.  Stir in the ham and broccoli; season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste.  Remove from heat.


Hollow out the inside of the bread bowls by cutting off the tops and tearing out the insides.  I like to leave about 1/4-inch edge along all sides of the bread bowl.  Compress the remaining bread together to firm up the sides and make room for the filling.  Place the bread bowls on a baking sheet and toast them for about 5 minutes in the preheated oven.


Remove the toasted loaves from the oven and using a slotted spoon, divide chicken mixture evenly between loaves, reserving about 1-2 cups sauce in the pan for serving.  Top the chicken mixture in each loaf with shredded Swiss and a spirinkle of Parmesan cheese.


Bake the bread bowls until the cheese melts, about 10 minutes.  Serve each bread bowl with reserved cream sauce.


Jenn's Notes: I made a half a batch.  I didn't add the apple juice, I used milk instead of heavy cream and I used the whole can of chicken broth.  So, I ended up with more of a thin and brothy sauce, than a thick and creamy sauce.  Next time, I will omit the yellow mustard.    

Vanilla Bean Paste Giveaway

**This giveaway is now closed**

Sorry, I am so late posting this vanilla giveaway for my vanilla giveaway extravaganza, but better late than never, right?  Believe me, this one was worth the wait.

I decided to go with vanilla bean paste again, because it is such a great product and I think every baker needs to have this in their cupboard.  I am giving away one, brand-new, 4 oz. bottle of Nielsen Massey Pure Vanilla Bean Paste.  

I had so much fun with my last vanilla giveaway, because I learned of many new uses for vanilla bean paste and I learned of many new brands of vanilla that I am dying to try.  I can't wait to see what you guys have to say this time!  

To enter the giveaway (2 Possible Entries)

Giveaway is open to U.S. Residents ONLY

Mandatory Entry: You must be a Follower of Eat Cake For Dinner (via Facebook, GFC or Linky)!  Links to Follow are on the right hand side of my blog. If you are already a follower, just leave me a comment and let me know!

Second Entry:  Leave me a separate comment with the brand or type of your favorite vanilla extract!  Is it Mexican, Tahitian or Madagascar, etc . . .  Or, if you don't have a favorite brand or type - just say "I use whatever" (If you already told me this on the last giveaway - that's okay - just tell me again!)

*If your name doesn't link me to your blog or an e-mail address, make sure to leave me your e-mail in your comment, so I can contact you if you win.

Giveaway will close on March 10, 2012 (next Saturday night). I will announce the winner on March. 11th and winner must contact me within 72 hours or a new winner will be selected! Good Luck! 

*Note - I am providing the product for this giveaway.  It is not sponsered by anyone, but myself!*

Peanut Butter, M&M and Marshmallow Cookies

Peanut Butter = rich and creamy goodness

M&M's = chocolate (need I say more?)

Marshmallows = ooey, gooey goodness

These are some triple-threat cookies - all three of those ingredients are combined in this one amazing little cookie.  They are soft and chewy and full of peanut butter flavor.  

I really can't stop eating these. I'm talking about 5 or more cookies in each sitting!  

Peanut Butter, M&M and Marshmallow Cookies

adapted from: Sweet Treats & More
(Printable Recipe)

1/2 c. butter flavored Crisco

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. light brown sugar

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 Tbl. milk

1 3/4 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 c. M&M's

3/4 c. mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl combine flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat shortening until smooth.  Beat in the peanut butter and both sugars and beat until light and fluffy.  Add egg, vanilla and milk and beat until smooth.  Slowly add dry ingredients.  Gently stir in M&M's and marshmallows.  Place rounded tablespoons of cookie dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 8-9 minutes (I baked mine 10-11 minutes).  Let cool for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack.  

Jenn's Notes: I didn't use parchment paper and the oozing marshmallows stuck to the baking sheet, which was fine as long as I let them cool on the b. sheet before removing them.  They don't flatten a whole lot during baking, so if you want a flatter cookie, make sure to press them down a bit before baking.  These are delicious and they stay chewy for several days.  I got 34 cookies out of the full batch.