Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

 Usually, when I want to post a decadent dessert for Valentine's Day, I immediately go for something chocolatey and gooey. But today I decided to go in a different direction. How about something that is still rich and decadent, but instead of chocolate, lets go for rich and creamy and laden with luscious swirls of cinnamon? Sounds like heaven, right? Well, let me just tell you it ABSOLUTELY is! Its beauty is in its simplicity, really. I feel like saying "why have we never done this?" It's genius! The cinnamon rolls are the perfect crust, the cheesecake is sinful, and the cinnamon swirl is the thing that takes it from good to GREAT. I got the recipe from a Tasty video, and this one is definitely a keeper. Yes, yes, I know it's a lot of cake for a romantic dinner for two, but just freeze the rest of it in slices! You'll definitely want to go back for more!


16 ounces cream cheese, softened 
1/2 cup sugar 
1/2 cup sour cream 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
2 eggs 
1/3 cup melted butter 
1/2 cup light brown sugar 
2 tablespoon. cinnamon 
1 (8 count) packages refrigerated cinnamon rolls with frosting


Preheat oven to 325°F.
 In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the sour cream and vanilla, and beat until there are no lumps. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing completely after each one. Set aside. In another bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until fully combined. Set aside. In a greased springform pan, press all of the cinnamon rolls flat, until they completely cover the bottom of the pan. Evenly spread the cheesecake batter, then drop spoonfuls of the butter mixture onto the cheesecake batter. Swirl the butter mixture into the cheesecake using a knife (try to keep it away from the edges!). Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the cheesecake is firm around the edges but still slightly jiggly in the middle. Remove from oven and cool completely. Top with frosting from the cinnamon rolls. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Tips:
Usually this is where I'd put recipe variations, or talk about what I'd do differently, but this cake is perfect as is! Just follow the recipe and you'll be a hit!
 

Cherry Cheesecake Chocolate Bundt Cake

 Ok here's a showstopper of a recipe that was brought to my attention by my niece, Kristin. It was a Tip Hero video that she posted on my FB page with a comment that said "This needs to happen!" She was absolutely right! This seriously needed to happen, and it will definitely need to happen again! There's a whole lot of "how can this not be good?" about this cake. Besides the whole wow factor, it's rich and creamy and delicious! Add the fact that I already had just about all of the ingredients on hand and this became a no-brainer for what to make for my family at a recent get-together. RAVE reviews from everyone! If you have a special occasion coming up, or maybe you'd like to make this for your special someone, THIS is just the thing! Yes, I know it looks like there are lots of steps and ingredients, but really, there's nothing difficult going on here. (I'm looking at YOU, Terri). Just follow the directions and you'll be good to go! I PROMISE you it'll be worth the extra effort!


Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup water
6 oz unsalted butter 
1/3 cup cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
1 heaping tbsp. espresso powder
6 oz bittersweet chocolate chips 
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp. brown sugar
16 jumbo maraschino cherries, drained 
3/4 cup cherry pie filling

Cheesecake filling:
2 – 8 oz. packages cream cheese 
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 egg

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1-2 tbsp. milk



Preheat oven to 350℉. 
Spray a 10-12 cup Bundt pan generously with baking spray with flour. Set aside.

Cake:
In a large bowl combine the flour, granulated sugar, salt, and baking soda. Whisk until fully blended.
In a small saucepan, combine the water and 6 oz. butter. Place over medium heat and cook until the butter has melted. Add cocoa and espresso powders and whisk until no lumps remain. Add the chocolate chips and continue stirring until completely melted and the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat. Add chocolate sauce to the dry ingredients, then whisk until just combined. Blend in sour cream. Add eggs and vanilla, then mix until fully combined, making sure not to over-mix the batter.

Cheesecake filling:
In a medium bowl with a hand mixer, beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add flour and egg and beat until smooth.

Assembly:
Evenly, pour 1 1/2 tbsp. melted butter into the bottom of the prepared Bundt pan. Evenly sprinkle 2 tbsp. brown sugar on top of the melted butter. Place 2 maraschino cherries each into the larger grooves of the Bundt pan.
Pour 3/4 of the prepared cake batter on top of the cherries. With a large spoon, evenly spoon the cheesecake filling into the center of the batter, not allowing it to touch the sides of the pan. Spoon cherry pie filling on top of the cheesecake filling, again not allowing it to touch the sides of the pan. Pour remaining cake batter over the filling. Bake 50 – 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes, then flip cake out of pan and cool completely.

Glaze:
​Once cake has cooled, prepare the glaze. In a large bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar and milk, whisk until smooth. Drizzle cake with glaze. Allow glaze to set and serve.



Tips:
Not a fan of cherries? Try a different kind of pie filling! How about raspberry or strawberry or even peach? It would all work!
For a little extra cherry kick, you could also add a little of the maraschino cherry juice to the glaze. It'll give it a lovely pink tint too! Another glaze option would be to add a little cherry liqueur instead of the milk. Works for me!
Another option would be to make a ganache to pour over the cake instead of the glaze. Just heat some heavy cream and then pour it over an equal amount of chocolate or white chocolate chips. Lets it sit so the chips melt, then whisk until smooth. Easy!
Btw, if you're out of sour cream, just use buttermilk instead! It's not the best substitute when you're topping a baked potato or nachos, but in baking it works perfectly well!

Joey's Slammin' Pork Sliders

OK, lemme start right off by saying I have no idea where I got the idea for this recipe. Somewhere, somehow, I saw a recipe for slow cooker pulled pork that used Catalina French dressing as its base. It sounded good, so I bought the pork and the salad dressing. Unfortunately, when I went back for it, I had NO IDEA where I had seen the recipe. Hmm. I googled and googled. Nope. Still couldn't find it. Actually, I did find a similar pork chop recipe, but my original inspiration was nowhere to be found. So of course, I figured, "well, I guess I'll make my own!" And this is the result!
 Basically, I added ingredients based on my hopes for the final product. I knew I wanted it to be sweet and spicy and tangy and saucy. The Catalina dressing was a great place to start the sauce, a little honey for sweetness, a few crushed red pepper flakes for some heat, soy sauce to balance the sweet, and onions and garlic for a savory depth of flavor. It all worked PERFECTLY! The end result is kinda like BBQ sauce, only not. And it definitely hits all the notes I wanted it to hit. Fun, huh? They're perfect for your Super Bowl party, actually ANY party, for that matter. And it's so easy, a cooking novice can do it! You simply MUST try 'em!



1 3-4 lb pork roast
1 medium onion, sliced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 8oz bottle Catalina French dressing
1/3 cup honey
1 tbs soy sauce
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook for 7-8 hours on low. Using two forks, pull the meat apart into shreds. Stir to coat the shredded pork with sauce. Serve on soft slider rolls.



Tips:
The amounts are just guidelines. If you like a lot of something, add a lot! Add extra onions or garlic, sweeten it up with a little extra honey. Want more heat? Add more pepper flakes! It all works!
I served this with a side of cole slaw and some sweet pickles, but you do you! Also a little drizzle of Sriracha is AMAZING here. Just sayin'!
I bet you could swap out other salad dressing for the Catalina. I think I might try regular French dressing or maybe red Russian dressing next time.
This makes just the right amount of sauce to go with a small roast. If you're making a large roast, you might want to double the amounts of the sauce ingredients.

Pizza Bombs

Ok, so, if you're one of my regular readers, you know I always see recipes on TV or social media and then I tuck them away until I get around to posting them. This is one of those posts! I saw this, (on FB, I think) and then I made them for a little get together. Great! Awesome! Delicious! Love 'em! Took the picture to save it until posting, perfect. But here's the thing... I have no idea what recipe I used! I specifically remember that the recipe called for brushing the tops with pizza sauce before baking (as you can see in the photo), but I can't seem to find that video anywhere. Ah well. What can ya do???
 So here's the deal. I'm gonna use the picture from when I made them, but I'm gonna share a different version, fair enough? This recipe is from a Tasty video, and it's pretty much the same thing I did, only they're brushed with seasoned garlic butter instead of pizza sauce. Works for me!! Either way, they're amazing and fabulous and they're perfect for Super Bowl parties or tailgating or just anytime you have a few friends over. And btw, you might consider making a double batch.
They seem to disappear quickly!


1 can (16.3 oz) biscuit dough
pizza sauce
pepperoni
mozzarella, cut into cubes
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
shredded Parmesan cheese, for topping
extra pizza sauce for dipping


Cut each biscuit in half. Press each half into a circle with your thumb. Place a small dollop of pizza  sauce, 1 pepperoni, and 1 cube of mozzarella on each biscuit round. Bring the edges up and over, pressing them together and being sure to leave no gaps for the filling to leak out. Lay the pizza bombs on a baking sheet lined with greased parchment paper.
 Combine melted butter, garlic, salt and pepper, and Italian seasoning in a small bowl. Brush the butter mixture onto each pizza bomb and top with Parmesan. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes (until biscuits have nicely browned). Once pizza bombs are cool enough to handle, serve immediately.

Tips:
There are as many variations as there are pizza toppings. Not a fan of pepperoni? Choose a different topping! Just cook whatever toppings you choose before you put them into the center of the biscuit dough. My favorites are mushrooms, bacon, peppers, and onions. Saute them in a skillet, drain them of any excess fat, then proceed as directed. The thing to remember is not to overfill them. Just be sure you're able to close the dough around everything, and they'll turn out fine!
Btw, if you want to brush them just as I did with pizza sauce instead of garlic butter, go for it!
Oh, and one other thing.. to turn regular marinara sauce into pizza sauce, just add oregano!!

Joey's Creamy Chicken and Potato Casserole

 During the winter months, I always find myself wanting something that's warm and cozy. Since casseroles always seem to hit the spot, it's not uncommon for me to just see what ingredients I happen to have on hand, and then throw them together. As long as you have a few basic components, it will work! Basically, if you have a creamy sauce, a protein, some veggies, and a topping, you have the makings of a fabulous casserole. I always find it's easiest if everything is already cooked before you assemble it, then it all comes together when you bake it. Yes, I guess you could put in raw potatoes etc, but they always seem to take far too long to cook in the casserole. It's easiest to just use up some leftover potatoes or just boil or microwave a few before you put it all together. Know what I mean?
 I've listed MANY variations following the recipe, so just see what you have in the fridge, and then run with it! This is usually how I cook. A little of this, a little of that, use up the leftovers, use what you have on hand. It's how my Mom always cooked and it's how I learned. BAKING is a completely different story. When I'm baking, it's always measure everything and follow the recipe. But when it comes to casseroles, you can improvise all you want!  So have fun, season as you go, taste as you go. Like I said, just be sure to hit all the main points and it'll be fabulous! I promise!!


1 onion, chopped
3 carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup peas

 4 tbs butter,
4 tbs flour
2 cups milk
1 tbs fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper

1 rotisserie chicken, pulled and shredded
3 boiled potatoes, diced

French fried onion rings


Heat oven to 350ºF.
 In a large skillet, saute onions in a little butter or oil until softened. While they're cooking, peel and slice your carrots, then add them to the pan along with the garlic. Saute for a few minutes more. (You're not cooking the carrots all the way through, but you're just getting them started). Remove to a large mixing bowl along with the peas. Set aside. In the same pan, add butter. When the butter melts, add flour. Whisk to make a paste. Cook for a couple minutes, then add milk, thyme leaves, salt, and pepper. Continue to whisk until it thickens. While the sauce is cooking, pull the chicken to shreds and dice the potatoes. Add to your bowl of cooked veggies. When sauce is thickened, add it to your mixing bowl and toss everything until coated. Adjust seasoning, if needed. Pour everything into a sprayed casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly. Remove foil, top with lots and lots of French fried onion rings, then place back in the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let it sit for a good 10 minutes before serving.


Tips:
Yes, yes, I know there's no cheese in the recipe. Some might even say "what is a casserole without cheese?" So if you'd like to add cheese, GO FOR IT! Any kind you like. Just add a few handfuls of shredded cheese when you toss everything together.
ok, so lets talk about variations.
Wanna add bacon? Great! Just saute it first, then cook your onions in the bacon fat instead of butter.
Not a fan of chicken? How about diced ham instead? or brown and drain some ground beef or turkey! Wanna make it vegetarian? Add more veggies and leave out the meat! You could do broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, or some sauteed fresh or frozen spinach. Anything you like! Wanna make it a seafood casserole? Add some cooked and peeled shrimp or imitation crab. Add a little old bay seasoning to it too. You could even do a can of Albacore tuna. Don't have any potatoes? Add some cooked macaroni or egg noodles or rice instead! Don't have French fried onion rings? Add a couple tablespoons of melted butter to some bread crumbs and then sprinkle them over the top. Could also add some Parmesan cheese too. That always makes a lovely gratin topping. Want some heat? Turn it up! Add some crushed red pepper flakes or diced chilis. You could also just serve it with Sriracha or Tabasco sauce on the side so everyone can add as much or as little as they prefer. Looking for some extra flavor? Add a splash or two of white wine to your cream sauce! Add fresh herbs! Add fresh basil or oregano. Or how about some fresh rosemary or parsley? They always add a burst of freshness that you just can't get from a frozen casserole.
The variations are endless. just remember, as long as you hit all the main components, it will work!

Salted Caramel Butter Bars

OK, ok, I know everyone has New Year's resolutions, and many are to lose weight or at least to start eating better, cutting out the junk, going on a diet, etc. Am I right? Well before you do that, I think you should make these bars!!! Otherwise you'll be missing out! They are ABSOLUTELY NOT something you want if you're on a diet, but OMG they taste amazing. I'm not even sure where I found the recipe. Someone probably posted it on Facebook, and I've seen it on several cooking blogs. I think it's from a blog called Cookies and Cups. It's got my name written all over it! I seriously have yet to meet a salted caramel anything that I didn't love. And these are now right at the top of my list. They're very similar in technique to the favorite Chocolate Chip Caramel Brownies. You make one dough for the top and the bottom, then you melt caramels for the filling. Easy! I once made them for the cast and crew of the show I was rehearsing and everyone LOVED them! (Sometimes you just need a little treat to help you through a 10 hour rehearsal!) So whether you're rehearsing for a show, throwing a party, or just craving a yummy sweet and salty treat, you should whip up a batch!

For the Crust:

1 lb. (4 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbs vanilla
4 cups flour

For the Filling:

1 bag (14 oz.) caramel candies (about 50 individual caramels), unwrapped
1/3 cup milk or cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

To make the crust:
Preheat oven to 325°.
In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugars. Using mixer on medium speed, beat together until creamy. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. Sift the flour into the butter mixture and beat on low speed until a smooth soft dough forms.
Spray a 9x13" baking pan lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Press one-third of the dough evenly into the pan to form a bottom crust. Wrap remaining dough in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator.
Bake crust until firm and the edges are a pale golden brown approx 20 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool about 15 minutes.
While the bottom crust is baking and the remaining dough is chilling, make the caramel filling. Place the unwrapped caramels in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the cream. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir until smooth. If caramels are not completely melted, microwave on high for 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until smooth. Once the caramel is melted add in your 1/2 tsp vanilla and stir until combined. Pour the caramel filling over the crust. If you are going to salt the caramel sprinkle it on caramel layer now.
Remove the remaining chilled dough from the refrigerator and crumble it evenly over the caramel.
Return the pan to the oven and bake until the filling is bubbly and the crumbled shortbread topping is firm and lightly golden, about 25 - 30 minutes. Let cool before cutting into squares.

Tips:

As I do with all bars baked in a 9x13 pan, line the baking pan with parchment paper and let it hang over the sides. Then you can use the paper as a sling to lift the entire batch out of the chilled pan before using a big sharp knife to cut into perfect squares.

Yes, yes, I know that's a crazy amount of butter. Let's just embrace it and move on, shall we? You're not going to eat them every day, right? And you're probably not going to eat the whole pan, right? So, you're fine!! 

 Since I like a extra salt with the sweet, I sprinkled a little extra sea salt over the baked bars as I took them out of the oven. You do you!

 If you'd like to bake them in a half sheet pan, simply increase the ingredient amounts by half. If you don't need as many, cut the whole recipe in half and bake in an 8x8 pan.

 I'm thinking this same recipe can be used with other fillings, yes? What do you think? Maybe a raspberry jam? Or blueberry jam and a little lemon or orange zest? Or some sweet orange marmalade? Or how about peanut butter? That would definitely be a good thing with some chopped roasted salty peanuts on top! Yum.

 

Slow Cooker Loaded Potatoes

  Ok, so lets talk about comfort food. You have your mac n cheese or lasagna or some other favorite pasta... You have your pizza and your deep fried EVERYTHING... You have your casseroles or your burgers... I love ALL of them. But for me, the one thing that will always be highest on the comfort foodometer is POTATOES! Any kind, any color, and every way you can possibly think of cooking them, potatoes are my go-to comfort food. I'm not even kidding. French fries are totally my undoing. I've literally never met a potato I didn't like. Now, add cheese and bacon and cook them in a slow cooker! BOOM. You've taken a simple potato and elevated it to something AMAZING. It's seriously the definition of comfort food, especially when you want something hearty to fill you up on a cold day.
 I first saw this recipe in a Delish video, and immediately added it to my Must List. I was originally going to make it as a side dish for a ham dinner, but then realized it goes GREAT as a breakfast or brunch side dish too!! Serve 'em up with a fried egg on top and it's heaven on a plate! It's the perfect thing if you want to free up some oven space, or if you'd like to avoid turning on the oven altogether! It's also convenient because you can assemble it ahead of time. It's so good, you could even have it as a main dish! If you don't own a slow cooker, this is definitely a good reason to buy one!


Cooking spray
2 lbs. baby potatoes, halved and quartered if large
3 c. shredded Cheddar
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
8 slices bacon, cooked
1/4 c. sliced green onions, plus more for garnish
1 tbsp. paprika
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Sour cream, for drizzling

 Line a slow cooker with foil and spray with cooking spray. Add half the potatoes, 1 1/4 cups cheese, half the garlic, 1/3 of the cooked bacon, half the green onions, and half the paprika. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat. Cover and cook on high until potatoes are tender, 5 to 6 hours. (The bigger your potatoes, the longer they'll need.) About 20 to 30 minutes before serving, top with remaining cheese and bacon (this is your moment to make the potatoes look pretty!) Garnish with more green onions, drizzle with sour cream, and serve.

Tips:
Ok, I know this is where I usually talk about everything I'd do to tweak the recipe or vary it in some way, but honestly, this recipe is just perfect the way it is! The only thing I'd say is.. just like Mom always said.. if you like a lot of something, add a lot! Want more cheese or maybe a different kind? How 'bout some more bacon? Are you a pepper monkey? Add as much as you want! Actually, come to think of it, I think I might add more scallions next time, and maybe a little less garlic. TBH, I didn't even measure. I just kinda threw everything in. You do you!

oh, and one other thing.. yes, my Pixar slow cooker is the envy of all who see it!!