3 Favorite recipes: Enchiladas. Pumpkin Cheesecake. Pizza Sauce.

It's been a while since I shared some of the winners in the kitchen. Mainly because there are a lot of losers as well, and some so-so ones thrown in the mix.

But I couldn't help but share these three recent recipes—some old, some new, and all definite keepers.

1. Pizza Sauce
Servings: 6 pizzas.

I always make 2 pizzas for a dinner, so this lasts me for 3 dinners. I make one batch and then put two separate batches in containers to freeze for later use.

It is seriously the easiest to make, with minimal ingredients, and definitely better than any store bought out there. And cheaper!

Ingredients

1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
1.5 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning { mix of thyme, oregano, and basil}----original recipe used just 1 tablespoon of Oregano, so you can do that as well.

Directions

Mix together and serve. One step process. Love.

2. Pumpkin Cheesecake

 Serving size: 1 standard size pie.

Recipe directly from here: Allrecipes.com {see below snapshot}

No changes made!

It is perfection {although the picture shows otherwise}, and my only suggestion is to bake it about 10 minutes longer! 

3. Enchiladas.
 Serving size: 10 enchiladas

I apologize for the lack of after picture, but I just had to share this delicious recipe that is easy {but time consuming}. I would be sure to start about 1.5 hours prior to dinner time {because rice takes 45 minutes to cook}, and then prep while the rice cooks. This made 10 large enchiladas, and my plan is to next time cook one pan and then freeze the other.

Recipe directly from: Allrecipes.com

No changes made!

EASY Banana Walnut Bread Recipe

Probably one of the easiest recipes I have ever made, and definitely one of the tastiest. A friend of mine passed this recipe down to me, and now I {and everyone else} in my family has been hooked. Now, the great thing is that even if you don't like walnuts---you don't have to add them. If you want to add a different fruit? That works! This recipe is one of those that you can just start throwing stuff in and it would taste great regardless. Even chocolate chips.

Ha.

Okay, but really, I did not mean to be one of those people that starts to write a novel for a recipe. I love that people have stories behind the recipes that they make and all, but I'm just not one of those people. All I care about is that it tastes good, scratch that, phenomenal.

This. This recipe is that good.

But as my husband likes to say.... it's better to say "it's okay" rather than it's great. Because then you are pleasantly surprises.

So...

It's okay.

Ingredients

1 stick of unsalted butter {or 1/2 cup as they like to say}, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups of flour
1/2 cup walnuts
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups of bananas mashed {about 5 bananas on average---but do measure}
2 eggs, beaten

Directions

1. Mix your flour, baking soda, and salt together in one bowl.
2. In another bowl, mix your melted butter and brown sugar. Add in the beaten eggs, and then mix in the bananas. Throw in walnuts {or any nut that you prefer} at this time.
3. Now add the wet mixture to the dry {flour, baking soda, and salt}. Only stir to mix in the dry, and be sure to stop once it is mixed in. Over stirring may cause the bread to become too hard in the oven.
4. Bake at 350 for 60-65 minutes. Take out of oven, let sit for 10 minutes, then serve!


As easy as pie.
Except it's bread.

An Easy Dinner Recipe; Skinny Baked Chicken Parmesan and Asparagus Orzo

I love to cook. I'm not the best at it, but I sure do love it when I find a really great recipe or I get a "Mmm that's good" out of the husband. And trust me, he's a tough critique.

So if the recipe makes it on the blog, then that means that I definitely received the approval of the husband.

Both of these recipes were found on my pinterest {you can follow me here}

First, the Skinny Baked Chicken Parmesan. The picture shows it with spaghetti and marinara {which would be a great side as well}, but I wanted to make something different for the sizd so my second recipe that I did with this meal was the Asparagus Orzo.

*Both links will take you to the original recipes which are posted below as they are found on the website. I make notes in red on what I changed or did differently.

Baked Chicken Parmesan { I have an all-time favorite chicken parmesan recipe, which is more delicious, however this is by far the easiest and great for a quick whip-up dinner}



Image Credit


Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1 piece • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 6 pts 
Calories: 224.5 • Fat: 8.6 g • Protein: 25 g • Carb: 14 g • Fiber: 1.5 g


Ingredients:  

• 4 (8 oz) chicken breast halves, sliced in half to make 8
• 3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp butter, melted (or olive oil)
• 3/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese (I used Polly-o)
• 1 cup marinara or Filetto di Pomodoro
• cooking spray

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 450°. Spray a large baking sheet lightly with spray.

Combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Melt the butter in another bowl. Lightly brush the butter onto the chicken, then dip into breadcrumb mixture. Place on baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken.

Remove from oven, spoon 1 tbsp sauce over each piece of chicken and top each with 1 1/2 tbsp of shredded mozzarella cheese. 

Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

*I followed all these instructions with the exception of the fact that I used chicken tender strips {what I happened to have} instead of actually cutting chicken breasts in half. They were great as tenders as well if you prefer those!*

Creamy Asparagus Orzo

Image Credit

Ingredients:

1 cup orzo

1 cup asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 tbsp butter or margarine

1/4 to 1/2 cup cream

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Bring a large sauce pan of water (filled about halfway) to a boil over medium heat. Cook the orzo until tender, about 10 minutes.

After the orzo has been cooking for about 5 minutes, add the asparagus to the same pot (this will allow the orzo and asparagus to cook in the same pot and keep the clean-up to a minimum!).

Once the orzo and asaparagus are cooked and tender, drain and return to the pot.

Quickly add the parmesan cheese and butter. Stir thoroughly, allowing both the cheese and butter to melt. Slowly add the cream to the mixture, while stirring. Continue to stir and add cream until you reach your desired consistency.

Season with salt and pepper.

**This is my first time making orzo, and I have to say, I am impressed! It's a lot easier to cook than rice and I loved it. The only things that I changed about this recipe is that I used whole wheat organic orzo and I barely used any cream. I wouldn't measure out the cream, just pour it until you get your desired mixture! SUPER easy recipe!**

Two MUST-TRY Pumpkin Recipes

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There is something about the fall season, the Thanksgiving holiday, and the cool weather that makes me whip up recipes left and right in my home. Especially when they involve the word pumpkin in them.

One thing that I like to focus on when I am cooking, whether it's dinner or dessert, is substituting some of the ingredients in a recipe with healthier versions.

For instance, we do not eat butter at our home. I don't even remember the last time I tasted it {except maybe at a restaurant}. What do we use? Always? Country Crock. With 70% less saturated fat, and 30% less calories, it's an easy winner for us. Plus? It tastes great! I always buy the large tubs of it, and it lasts us for quite some time.

Country crock is also gluten free!

And with Thanksgiving around the corner, I am always looking for new recipes to try, perfect, and make as "family favorites" for he holidays. I decided to try two new recipes this weekend and they were the pumpkin cookies and the pumpkin cream cheese swirl bars {recipes below}. And as you guessed it, both dessert.

I'm usually not a fan of anything pumpkin besides pumpkin pie, but the recipes that I have tried lately have made me completely change my mind. They're both easy. Delicious. And definitely a great unique treat to bring over to grandma's house come Thanksgiving day.

I keep trying new recipes so I can pick my favorites, and I think the pumpkin cookies are definitely at the top of the list, as well as the pumpkin bars. Anyone have any go-to recipes that they make on Thanksgiving day? Anything besides dessert? Do share!

Pumpkin Cookies

•       2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup country crock, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar

• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 
  
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon melted country crock 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of country crock and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.
4. To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon country crock, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.
5. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Cover with whipped topping before serving.

Recipe Source: ALLrecipes.com

Elliana stole the whole batch ;)

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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Bars

Author: Cookie Madness

Serves: 24

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons melted Country Crock
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (288 grams)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin (240 grams)
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (220 grams)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Swirl:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (48 grams)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large egg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 15×10 inch pan with non-stick foil or just spray with cooking spray.
2. Pumpkin Batter: Mix together the Country Crock and sugar. With a mixing spoon or whisk, beat in eggs, pumpkin, and water until well blended, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and nutmeg together; stir into batter. Spread all but a few tablespoons batter evenly in prepared pan. Reserve the few tablespoons of batter
3. Swirl: In a second bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add egg and beat just until it’s mixed in. Drop tablespoons of cheese mixture over pumpkin batter, then drag a knife through to make marbles. Drop reserved tablespoons of pumpkin batter over top. The reason for this is, there’s a lot of white batter, so putting a few tablespoons of pumpkin batter on top gives more of a contrast.
4. Bake on center rack until pumpkin batter springs back when touched, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely in pan, then chill for an hour or more. Cut into 24 bars.

Thank you to Good to Know & Unilever Spreads for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member ofClever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.