White Chocolate Brownies

Gooey, chewy, and moist, these brownies will be the talk of your next potluck!

1 cup sugar 

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups white chocolate chips, divided

5 T butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, and vanilla, beating until smooth.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter and stir in ¾ cup of white chocolate chips, stirring constantly until melted. Pour the chocolate mixture into the sugar mixture and beat until smooth. Gradually add in flour, baking powder, and salt until all ingredients are incorporated. Stir in additional ¾ cup white chocolate chips. Spread batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, until brownies are set.

Allow to cool completely. In a small bowl, melt the remaining white chocolate chips in 30-second increments in the microwave. Use a whisk to spread strands of melted white chocolate on top of the brownies. Once chocolate has cooled, cut brownies into squares.

*Adapted from Cookies & Cups

Puffed Apple Cobbler

My family and I recently spent a fun afternoon picking apples at a local orchard. So much fun, in fact, that we ended up bringing home way more fruit than we knew what to do with! I devised this tasty dessert that tastes like a caramel apple cobbler but has the consistency of a bread pudding. Served with vanilla ice cream, it was a hit with the whole family!

4 large apples, peeled and chopped 

1 cup brown sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

2 cups Bisquick or other baking mix

½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 cups milk

1 cup margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine peeled and chopped apples with brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread apples onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

In a separate bowl, whisk together Bisquick, pumpkin pie spice, milk, and melted margarine until smooth. Pour over apples.

Bake 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and crust is golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Broiled Haddock Parmesan

This versatile, flavorful dish can be made with most any light white fish, from haddock to tilapia, and is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

½ cup shredded parmesan cheese 

¼ cup butter, softened

3 T mayonnaise

2 T lemon juice

¼ tsp basil

¼ tsp pepper

1/8 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp celery salt

1-2 lbs haddock filets (Tip: One haddock fillet is plenty for two people!)

Preheat the broiler over high heat. Prepare a broiler pan with cooking spray. (Tip: To avoid a messy clean-up, try covering the broiler pan with foil and then spraying.)

In a small bowl, whisk together parmesan cheese, butter, mayo, and lemon juice. Stir in basil, pepper, onion powder, and celery salt.

Arrange filet(s) on the prepared pan. Place under broiler, a few inches from heat, for 2-3 minutes. Flip the filet(s) and broil for 2-3 additional minutes. Cover the top of the filet(s) with the parmesan mixture and broil for 2-3 more minutes, until the topping is browned and the fish flakes easily with a fork.

*Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

2 cups  flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Cinnamon Sugar Topping
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8-by-8 baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In an electric mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time until combined. Beat in sour cream and vanilla  until combined.

3. Gradually add in dry ingredients and mix until combined. Once combined, pour half of batter into prepared pan.

4. In small bowl, combine topping ingredients (sugars and cinnamon). Sprinkle batter with 1/2 of topping and 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. Cover with remaining batter. Top with sugar mixture and chocolate chips.

5. Bake for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Recipe adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

Chicken Orzo Casserole

1 tsp. olive oil
1 lb chicken tenders, diced into bite-size pieces
1 tbsp butter
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 cup milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tbsp flour
1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese
Salt & pepper
1 cup orzo, cooked according to package directions
1/3 cup dried bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. dried parsley

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 9-by-9 pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Cook chicken in olive oil over medium heat in skillet until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from skillet.

3. Add butter and onions to skillet. Saute for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add milk, chicken brother and flour. Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

4. Reduce heat to low, add Mexican cheese and stir until melted and combined. Stir in chicken and cooked orzo.

5. Pour into baking dish. Top with bread crumbs, paprika, and parsley.

6. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Lemon Cream-Cheese Bars

These scrumptious bars have become one of my most-requested potluck favorites. So tasty and yet, so simple!

1 box lemon cake mix 

1 block (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil

1 T lemon juice

powdered sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix cake mix with 1 egg and 1/3 cup oil until crumbly. Set aside 1 cup of the crumb mix and pat the rest into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, and remaining egg with an electric mixer until creamy. Spread over the baked crust. Sprinkle reserved crumbs on top and bake for 15 minutes.

Allow to cool completely, then sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into bars.

*Recipe from Sweet Treats and More