Recipes

Little Debbie® Cinnamon Honey Bun Monkey Bread
Ooey gooey monkey bread is a classic dessert around the holidays or for any special breakfast occasion. Now monkey bread is taken up a notch with Little Debbie Honey Buns! Pulled apart and mixed with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar, Honey Buns are baked and served up warm in this delicious creation. Make our scrumptious Honey Bun Monkey Bread for the holiday season or a weekend morning treat!

Makes 10-12 Servings

Ingredients:
1 Carton Little Debbie Big Pack Honey Buns, Chopped
1 Package Prepared Refrigerated Biscuit Dough
¼ Cup Butter, Melted
¼ Cup Granulated Sugar
¼ Cup Packed Brown Sugar
¼ Cup Honey
1 ½ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 4-oz. Block Cream Cheese, Chilled
2 Tablespoons Butter, Room Temperature
1/3 Cup Powdered Sugar
½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
6 Tablespoons Whole Milk

Directions:
     1.  Preheat oven to 325-degrees; Grease 9-inch Bundt pan and set aside.

     2.  Tear biscuit dough into 1-inch balls and combine with chopped Honey Buns.

     3.  Stir together butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, honey and cinnamon.

     4.  Toss butter mixture with Honey Bun mixture until well coated.

     5.  Press Honey Bun mixture into greased Bundt pan.

     6.  Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.

     7.  Let cool for 5 minutes; Invert onto serving plate and let cool slightly.

Cream Cheese Frosting Prep:
     1.  Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth.

     2.  Beat in butter until light and fluffy.

     3.  Slowly mix in powdered sugar and vanilla extract until well blended

     4.  Add milk in thin drizzles, beating until creamy consistency.

     5.  Drizzle over slightly cooled monkey bread.


Creation Tip: Make this delicious pastry a fall tradition by substituting pumpkin pie spice for ground cinnamon!


Cranberry Relish
2 - medium seedless oranges (or 1 large)
1 - 12 oz. fresh cranberries
2 - Cups golden raisins
1/3 - Cup of honey
1 - Cup of raw sugar
3/4 - Cup Chopped Pecans

1. Wash cranberries and check for any bad ones. Then pour into food processor.

2.  Quarter oranges. Check to make sure there are no seeds. Add to processor. Then process until both the oranges and cranberries are minced. I used the pulse setting.

3.  Add remaining ingredients and pulse to mix them well.

4.  It's best to make it beforehand and freeze it for a better flavor.

5. Thaw the day before, chill in refrigerator, and serve cold.

Fancy Mac and Cheese

(No-boil mac and cheese)

1 - 12 ounce bag of elbow macaroni
1 - 8 ounce bag of Velveeta shreds
1 - 8 ounce bag of Kraft Triple Cheddar with a touch of Philadelphia
1 - 8 ounce bag of Cheddar cheese
1 - 8 ounce container of sour cream
1 - quart milk (4 cups)
½ - stick of butter
1 - Tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce (I use lower sodium kind)
1 - teaspoon chili powder
1 - teaspoon garlic powder
1 - teaspoon ground mustard
2 - teaspoons paprika

Preheat oven or grill to 350 degrees.

1. Add butter to a large pan/baking dish. Melt butter

2. Add uncooked macaroni and stir into the butter with spoon. Try to work some of the macaroni up the sides to coat the pan with butter.

3. Add sour cream and stir until it’s evenly distributed with the macaroni.

4. Add bag of Velveeta, bag of Triple cheddar, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, and mustard. Stir to mix evenly. You should have bag of cheddar cheese, milk, and paprika left.

5. Add milk and stir again. Cover with lid and place in the oven.

6. Cook until all the milk is absorbed into the macaroni, about 50 minutes.

7. Remove pan from oven Evenly cover top of mac with last bag of cheddar. Sprinkle paprika on top of the cheese. Cook uncovered for about 10 minutes until the cheese melts. 

8. Remove from the oven. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.


Bread Pudding

3/4 - package King's Hawaiian Sweet Bread white rolls
3/4 - package King's Hawaiian Honey Wheat rolls

1 - stick real butter
1 3/4 - Cup sugar (we use raw sugar)
4 - eggs
Milk
2 - teaspoons Mexican vanilla
1/2 - teaspoon Mace

1 - bottle San Saba Pecan Company's Peach, Pecan, and Amaretto sauce

Set oven at 350 degrees. Grease a rectangular cake pan. I use the kind that has a snap-on plastic lid.

It's best if the bread is slightly stale. In a large mixing bowl, break up the rolls into small pieces.

Wisk the eggs until well beaten, then set aside.

In a 2 quart saucepan, melt the stick of butter along with the sugar and about a couple cups of milk, stirring frequently. When it is all melted and combined, stir in the eggs a little at a time. Set off the burner and add vanilla and mace. Then stir in more milk until the saucepan is about 3/4 full.

Pour over the bread and stir until all the bread is thoroughly saturated. Transfer the mixture to the prepared cake pan. Bake about 35 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes.

Empty bottle of sauce onto top of cake and spread until all the top of the bread pudding is glazed. Can server 20 or more people, according to how you cut it.


Lena’s Cornbread

Combine and stir together:

2/3 Cup white corn meal
1 1/3 Cup unbleached flour
1/3 Cup raw sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 rounded teaspoons baking powder

In mixing bowl, mix together well:

1 Cup milk
2 Eggs
1/3 Cup oil

Stir dry ingredients into liquids.

Bake at 375◦ for about 15 minutes if making muffins. Can also pour into square cake pan and bake.


Potato Chip Cookies

1 Cup butter
1 1/4 Cup unbleached flour
1 Cup crushed potato chips
½ Cup sugar
½ Cup chopped pecans

Cream butter and sugar. Add flour. Stir in potato chips and nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees, 8-10 minutes. Let stay on cookie sheet to cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.


Lena's Chicken and Spanish Rice Casserole
(James and I have to watch sodium. This recipe is a good way to get a lot of flavor without much sodium.)

2 -Cups uncooked brown rice (not instant)
2 - jars Clint's Texas Salsa ( I use mild. You can use which you prefer.)
1/2 cooked chicken, chopped into medium sized pieces
Grated Colby Jack cheese

I cook a whole chicken in the crock pot until tender, then remove the meat and save the broth for other dishes. I will use 1/2 the chicken at a time and freeze the other half for later.

Cook the rice according to the package directions. While this is cooking grease two casserole dishes. (I use cooking spray.)

When the rice is done, pour into large mixing bowl. Add chicken. Then pour both bottles of salsa over all this. Stir well.

Transfer into casserole dishes and bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with grated cheese. Return to oven for 10 minutes.

For James and me, I let one casserole cool and freeze it for later.


Beef Taco Spanish Rice Casserole


8 cups cooked rice
1 pound ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning
½ cup water
3 cups chunky salsa (I use mild. You can use whatever strength you like.)
Grated CoJack cheese

Brown ground beef. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Let simmer for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl combine rice, meat mixture, and salsa. Stir well.

Divide into two casserole dishes. Top with grated cheese. Microwave for ten minutes.

With the one I plan to freeze, I leave the cheese off. After I thaw it to use it, I add the cheese and microwave.

Voila! Two different dinners in one.

Shells and Cheese to the Max
1 – package Velveeta Shells & Cheese
1 – pound lean ground beef
1 – envelope taco seasoning (I used the Taco Bell brand.)
½ - cup water
1 – 8 ounce package sour cream
Grated cheese
¾ - cup salsa (I used mild, but you could use the hotter if you want.)
Crushed tortilla chips
Set oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare the Shells & Cheese according to package directions.
While it cooks, brown ground beef. When the meat is done, add the taco seasoning and water and simmer at least 5 minutes.
When Shells and Cheese are completely prepared, stir in the sour cream. In an 8 inch casserole dish, make a layer with half the Shells and Cheese. Top with the meat mixture. Sprinkle grated cheese over this layer, then top with the rest of the Shells and Cheese. Spread salsa over that. Bake for 20 minutes. Top with more grated cheese and tortilla chips. Bake an additional 15 minutes.
This is good the first day, but even better the next day. Enjoy!