Our Best Bites Cookbook Giveaway Plus Baked Oatmeal

**Giveaway is now closed**
Click HERE to see the winner!

(Image from Amazon)

Today is a Happy Day!  I recently got Our Best Bites new cookbook in the mail, but not only did I get one copy, I got two copies and I would love to share one of them with you.

This new book is a little different than their first book.  Rather than dividing it up into sections like appetizers, main dishes and desserts, they divided it up into Seasons.  Hence the name . . . Savoring the Seasons!  That way, you get a little bit of everything in each section.  I loved their first book, but a part of me wished it had more desserts.  This new cookbook is loaded with desserts.  They have also included a drool-worthy photo of EVERY SINGLE RECIPE.  Plus, they have a "Rollover Ingredients" section that includes several ingredients that are used in multiple recipes and it lists those recipes.  That way, if you buy a big thing of celery, you will have 9 other recipes to make that will help you use it up.

Today, I am going to share their Baked Oatmeal recipe with you.  It comes from the "Winter" section of the book and it made my house smell amazing while it was baking.  They described it as almost tasting like a warm oatmeal cookie, but I personally thought it tasted like banana bread.  I thought it was yummy, but I did feel kind of guilty about eating that much butter in something that wasn't a dessert.  The good news is, they did include a way to make it lower-fat and I would like to try that next time.  The recipe says it serves 6-8, but I thought, no way, it probably only serves 4.  So, I filled up a huge bowl and I ended up only finishing 1/3 of it, so yeah, it will probably serve 6-8.

 I really think your kids would love this oatmeal.  

Next thing on the list to try . . . Orange Rolls, no wait . . . S'mores Hot Chocolate . . . or maybe Peppermint Mousse Cake???

Baked Oatmeal

adapted from: Our Best Bites
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

3 c. rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 c. raisins, dried cherries or other dried fruit

1 c. milk

1/2 c. butter, melted 

   (or 1/4 c. applesauce and 1/4 c. butter)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

Optional Toppings:
  chocolate chips, shredded coconut, toasted nuts, 
  honey, almond or coconut milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, baking powder and dried fruit.  In a smaller bowl, mix together the milk, butter, vanilla and eggs.  Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture and whisk to combine.  Pour into an 8x8'' or 9x9'' baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake for 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown.  Serve immediately with a splash or two of warmed milk.  Serves 6-8

Jenn's Notes: I used old-fashioned rolled oats.  I omitted the dried fruit and served mine with sliced bananas, sliced almonds and a little coconut.  It is a must to serve with a little milk.  

Here are some of my other favorite Our Best Bites Recipes

World's Best Dinner Rolls

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches

***TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY*** 
Giveaway is only open to U.S. Residents

MANDATORY ENTRY:  You MUST be a follower of Eat Cake For Dinner via Google Friend Connect, Facebook, Pinterest OR E-mail.  All of which can be found on the right hand side of my blog.  Leave me a comment and let me know which way you follow.  If your name does not link me to a blog, be sure to leave me your E-mail address, so I can contact you if you win!

FOR A 2ND ENTRY:  Leave me a separate comment letting me know what your favorite Season is!  Mine is Fall!

FOR A 3RD ENTRY:  Leave me a separate comment telling me what your favorite Fall-Time recipe is!  Mine involves anything with Pumpkin!

*Giveaway will end on Friday, October 12th and I will announce the winner the next day.  Winner must contact me within 72 hours or a new winner will be selected*

I was provided a copy of this cookbook by the publisher, but the opinions expressed here are my own.  Cookbook will be shipped by me. 

Shelley's Chicken Enchiladas - No Canned Soup

These are the BEST chicken enchiladas I have EVER eaten.  I am talking restaurant quality!  I have never been a fan of the popular chicken enchilada recipe that uses cream of chicken soup and sour cream.  Too much creaminess in each bite and not enough texture to cancel it out and because of that, I rarely get to eat chicken enchiladas.

Now that I have this amazing recipe, I will be eating chicken enchiladas A LOT!
They are easy to make and come together pretty quick.  I served mine with a side of Mexican Rice and I was one happy girl!

Shelley's Chicken Enchiladas

adapted from: Shelley C.
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

3 Tbl. unsalted butter

3 Tbl. flour

1 (14.5 oz.) can low-sodium chicken broth

1 c. sour cream

1/4 - 1/2 c. green salsa, depending on how spicy you want it

    or 1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

    or season a few chicken breasts with taco seasoning

    and bake until done, then shred

2-3 c. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
8-10 corn or flour tortillas

chopped cilantro, opt.

For the enchilada sauce: melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet.  Whisk in the flour, one Tablespoon at a time, to prevent lumps from forming.  Cook a minute or two to cook off the flour taste, stirring occasionally.  Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and whisk until smooth.  Continue cooking until thickened, about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Once it reaches desired thickness, remove from heat and stir in the sour cream and green salsa; set aside.  Heat tortillas for 10-15 seconds in the microwave until pliable.  Divide shredded chicken between tortillas, top each with a little bit of cheese and cilantro.  Roll up and place seam-side down in a 9x13-inch  pan.  Cover with the enchilada sauce and top with remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until bubbly.  Broil for a minute or two at the end if you want the cheese to brown.  Yield: 4-5 servings.    

Jenn's Notes: I cooked two Costco chicken breasts that I seasoned with taco seasoning and I had enough chicken for 6 enchiladas.  I used 1/2 cup of green salsa in the sauce and I made half with corn tortillas and half with flour tortillas. These were way good and I plan to make them a lot.    

Cheesy Broccoli Orzo

I thought this orzo was seriously yummy!  I LOVE broccoli, so this dish was a winner in my book.  If you like broccoli, then I think you will love it too.  You see . . . it tasted mostly like broccoli and a little like Parmesan.  There really isn't that much cheese in it and if you divide the amount of cheese by the number of servings, it's hardly any at all, so you don't have to feel guilty about eating this on a weekday.  It is so fast and easy to make that you could even whip up a batch on your lunch break!  With all that said, if you want the dish to live up to the "Cheesy" part in the title, you may want to add more cheese.

I see myself serving this side dish A LOT.

Cheesy Broccoli Orzo

adapted from: Iowa Girl Eats
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

1 c. orzo pasta

1 1/2 c. chopped broccoli florets

1/4 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

2 Tbl. grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tbl. butter

1/4 - 1/2 c. milk

salt and pepper

Add orzo to a large pot of salted boiling water.  Cook for three minutes, then add the chopped broccoli; cook two more minutes or until orzo is tender.  Drain very well.  Return to pot and stir in the Cheddar, Parmesan, butter and enough milk to reach desired creaminess.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serves: 3-4 

Jenn's Notes:  I made recipe "as is" and it was delicious!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread with Chocolate Drizzle - It's Low-Fat and Amazing -

I am pretty sure this bread is my new BFF.  I can't stop raving about it.  I love it not only because it tastes so good, but it is LOW-FAT (compared to other pumpkin breads).  I promise you would NEVER KNOW IT.  The recipe only calls for 1 TABLESPOON of oil, but it is just as moist as other pumpkin breads that call for up to 1/2 cup of oil.

Now, I am questioning all my other pumpkin bread recipes, why have I been adding so much oil if it is not even needed?  I think it is time to start experimenting!  

This bread is so good by itself that it doesn't even need the chocolate drizzle on top (and it would have even fewer calories, of course).  In fact, I ate half the loaf before I even added the drizzle.  It still tasted perfect on the 4th day when I enjoyed my last slice.

This recipe also comes from my new Favorite Family Recipes Cookbook that I told you about the other day.  They said they prefer this low-fat recipe over regular recipes and I totally understand why.

You better try this so you can rave about it too!  

Hopefully by now you have already printed out the recipe and are heading into the kitchen to whip this up!

**Update (8/22/2013) - I have made this several times and it turns out perfect every time.  I have also made this into mini muffins.  You will get 48 mini muffins - bake for 10-11 minutes.** 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread 

with Chocolate Drizzle

adapted from: Favorite Family Recipes   
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 c. canned pumpkin puree

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. low-fat buttermilk

1 egg

1 Tbl. canola oil

1/2 c. chocolate chips 

Chocolate Drizzle

1/4 c. chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.  In a small bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; set aside.  In a large bowl, beat pumpkin, brown sugar, buttermilk, egg and oil.  Add dry mixture, stirring just until moistened; do not overmix.  Fold in chocolate chips.   Pour into pan.  Bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool for 15 minutes.  

For chocolate drizzle: Add chocolate chips to a small bowl.  Microwave 30-45 seconds until chocolate is melted.  Drizzle over warm bread. (My bread was completely cool when I added the drizzle and I used a fork to drizzle the chocolate)  

Jenn's Notes: This bread browns pretty quickly in the oven thanks to all that brown sugar.  It will look very dark like you burnt it, but it doesn't taste burnt.  You could always tent a little foil over it the last 10 minutes of baking if you don't want it as dark.  Mine was done at 50 minutes.       

Sweet Dijon Pork Chops

Oops . . . I did it again . . . I bought ANOTHER cookbook.  This one is a real winner! 

It started when I came home with a new set of stainless steel measuring spoons.  Everyone needs a set of stainless steel measuring spoons.  My mom gave me her Kohl's cash, because she wasn't going to make it over there before it expired.  So, I didn't actually have to pay anything for these spoons.  

The problem is, that I kind of have a little obsession with measuring cups and spoons.  So, "The Mr." opened my drawer and said okay then, you need to get rid of one of these sets you already have, because you don't have anymore room.  Then he said, anytime you come home with something new, you have to get rid of something you already have. 

In my mind, I heard It's okay honey, go ahead and go shopping all you want, but you might want to give away something in return.  So, I got rid of a cookbook I have never used and I went and bought a new one! 

I found a new blog back when I was searching for a Copycat Cafe Rio Tortilla Soup recipe and I have been a fan ever since.  When I saw they were coming out with a cookbook, I had to pick up a copy.  One of the sisters lives in Utah and I have to support my fellow Utahns.

I am loving this new book, lots of yummy things I want to try.  I love that the majority of the recipes are from scratch, yet still really easy to make.  I found these pork chops in that new book and adapted them to my taste.  They turned out WAY GOOD.  The flavor was incredible and I know I will make this recipe a lot.

Sweet Dijon Pork Chops

slightly adapted from: Favorite Family Recipes
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

4 pork chops

Marinade:

1 large lemon, juiced

1/4 c. light brown sugar

2 Tbl. Dijon mustard

1 Tbl. soy sauce

a few dashes Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbl. vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tbl. water

salt and pepper, to taste

Place pork chops in a large plastic zip-top bag.  Combine all marinade ingredients and pour over the pork.  Squeeze bag to release excess air before sealing.  Marinate the pork in the fridge at least two hours (the longer the better), flipping the bag over partway through.  Grill pork over medium heat until internal temperature registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.

Jenn's Notes:  I marinated my pork chops for around four hours and they tasted amazing.  I grilled them on the George Foreman.  If you would like, you could set aside a small amount of the marinade before adding the pork and drizzle it over the pork chops before serving.  

Curly Noodle Skillet Dish

This dish is fast, super easy and very budget friendly.

I picked up a giant box of beef-flavored ramen noodles during a case lot sale last year or so.  

I was like . . . oh my gosh . . . 50 packages of Top Ramen for $1 . . . what a deal.

Then I got home and I was like . . . oh my gosh . . . what am I going to do with 50 packages of Top Ramen?

(okay, it was really more like 12 packages, I may have exagerated a little)

A year later and I still have that big box of ramen noodles in my pantry.  Time to start using them up. 

This dish turned out pretty good.  I wouldn't say it's the best meal out there, but for as fast and easy as it was, I will make it occasionally and I think kids would really like it.

Curly Noodle Skillet Dish

adapted from: Rush Hour Recipes
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

1/2 Lb. ground beef
1/2 an onion, finely chopped

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 c. water

2 pkgs. beef-flavored ramen noodles, crushed

1 can beans (pinto, black, kidney), drained and rinsed

1/2 - 1 tsp. chili powder, to taste, opt.

Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat; season with salt and pepper.  Add the onions and saute another few minutes.  Add the can of tomatoes, water, crushed ramen noodles, both seasoning packets from the noodles, beans and chili powder.  Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes or until the noodles are tender.  Serves 4-5.  

Jenn's Notes: The chili powder is not in the original recipe, but I felt like it needed a little kick.  I think this dish would be great with some Cheddar cheese on top.    

Double Decker Beef Tacos

Every once in a while, I see commercials advertising a taco that is a crunchy shell and a soft flour shell stuck together with cheese.  I have always wanted to try one and when I finally got around to it, the place didn't have them anymore (or maybe I was at the wrong place?).  It must be a limited edition menu item or something that they bring back occasionally?  I was recently reminded of those tacos and figured I would try and make my own. 

I used my favorite ground beef taco recipe for the filling.  I'm not sure if the kind you buy are sandwiched together with just cheese or if it is a cheese sauce?  I opted to go the lazy route and use regular shredded cheese.  I thought these turned out yummy, but next time I do want to try a cheese sauce.  I like the idea of having the cheesy sauce ooze out when I take a big bite.  I have also seen some sandwiched together with refried beans, so that would be great too.  I served these with a side of this easiest Mexican Rice using green salsa instead of regular salsa.

Double Decker Beef Tacos

From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

1 batch of your favorite taco meat

crunchy corn taco shells

small flour tortillas

shredded Cheddar cheese

chopped lettuce

diced tomato

salsa

chopped cilantro
any other desired toppings

Cut flour tortillas, using a pizza cutter, to fit around the corn shells.  Top entire surface of flour shell with shredded cheese and place in the microwave for 5-10 seconds or until cheese is melted.  Immediately fold the flour shell around the corn shell, pressing together to seal.  Fill corn shell with taco meat and top with desired toppings.  Repeat with remaining shells.  Serve.    

My Favorite Taco Meat

1/2 Lb. ground beef

1/4 c. onion, finely chopped

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

2 Tbl. fresh cilantro, minced

1/2 Tbl. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder

juice of 1/2 a lime

salt and pepper

Brown ground beef in a large skillet; add onion and saute a few minutes or until tender.  Add tomato sauce, cilantro, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder and fresh lime juice.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  If mixture starts to look too dry, add 1 or 2 Tablespoons of water and stir to combine.  Yield 5 tacos