Easy Homemade Garlic Knots

I don't know what took me so long to try this. We are in trouble now.

I stole some pizza dough and made garlic knots out of it, before rolling out the rest into pizza crusts. They were amazing and I'll have to triple my recipe forever now so I have enough extra dough to make garlic knots.

Garlic Knots

Make pizza dough as usual. I'll include the recipe below, and here is the link for the full directions in case you haven't read them before. The preheated pizza stone is the key to the pizza crust.

Preheat oven (I used a toaster oven) to 350*. 

When the dough has risen, pull off bits and roll into a snake between your hands until it's about 6 inches long. Then tie into a knot and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush with Garlic Herb Butter and bake for about 20 minutes or until light brown on the bottoms. The tops of mine did not brown much at all. Brush with additional butter, if desired, and serve.

Garlic Herb Butter

1/4 cup Butter
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Parsley
2 cloves Garlic, minced

Mix all ingredients well. I recommend making extra for dipping your garlic knots, and your pizza crust, and really you can just put it on top of your pizza....


Pizza Dough

1 tsp Active Dry Yeast
2/3 cup Warm Water (not hot)
2 cups Flour (white, whole wheat, or combo - if 100% WW I recommend whole wheat pastry flour)
1 tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Olive Oil

If you like a thicker crust, just double the recipe.  My pictures show a double batch.

Combine ingredients in mixer with dough hook, lock it down if your mixer has a locking mechanism, and let it go at low speed for 15 minutes.   Spray with olive oil and cover with a towel.  

Let rise for 1 hour in a warm area.  If your house is cold, go ahead and heat your oven, and set the bowl on the stovetop.  If you have laundry drying in the dryer, that's another place you could let it rise. I usually just leave mine in the kitchen but I'm in Florida and it's rarely cold in there.

Buffalo Chicken Bites

My mom made these boneless buffalo chicken bites for a football game this past season and they were SO amazingly good, we've had them multiple times since. 

Buffalo Chicken Bites

1/4 cup Ketchup
1/4 cup Frank's RedHot Sauce
1/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp Mustard
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 Onion, minced (or 1 tsp Onion Powder)
1-2 cloves Garlic, minced (or 1 tsp Garlic Powder)
4 Tbsp Butter
4 Boneless Chicken Breast halves, cut into strips

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.

*Note* If you really like wing sauce, like for dipping as you eat, you may want to double the sauce recipe*

In a small pan, combine ketchup, hot sauce, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder and butter. Cook over low heat, stirring, until well combined and smooth. Let cool.

Reserve 1/4 cup sauce in a separate bowl and set aside.

Place 1/2 cup sauce into a zip bag, and coat chicken pieces. Place chicken baking sheet and roast for 7-8 minutes, then brush with more sauce. Turn chicken over, brush with more sauce and roast 7-8 minutes longer or until done. When finished cooking, toss chicken with reserved sauce. 

Serve with blue cheese dip, carrot sticks and celery sticks.

Blue Cheese Dip / Dressing

This dip is so good with the Buffalo Chicken Bites, but also delicious on salad. It's become another favorite to rotate through so I don't get sick of salad.

Blue Cheese Dip or Dressing

4 ounces crumbled Blue Cheese (or more)
3/4 cup Mayo
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 small clove Garlic, minced or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for at least two hours to let the flavors meld. For dressing you may want to thin with some milk as the dip is very thick.

Pumpkin Muffins

This recipe is like my regular healthy muffin recipe, only subbing a can of pumpkin for the banana and adding a little pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon.

Pumpkin Muffins

1/3 cup butter, melted
1 egg beaten   
1/2 cup Sugar or Honey, or just a few drops of Liquid Stevia
1.5 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (or any combo of white/wheat)  
3/4 cup Flax Meal  
1 tsp Baking Powder   
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt 
1/2 tsp - 1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice or Cinnamon
1 can Pumpkin
2 Apples, peeled and diced
Raw Pumpkin Seeds, if desired
Milk, optional

Preheat oven to 350*.  Prepare muffin tin with paper cups or spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Mix butter, egg and sweetener with electric mixer until combined.  Add dry ingredients; blend well.  Add milk a tablespoon at a time to moisten if needed.  Spoon into prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle a few pumpkin seeds on the tops, if desired. Bake 20-25 minutes until they just start to brown and spring back when you touch them.

Jalapeño Poppers

Poppers are one of my favorite appetizers. I'm not a huge fan of super spicy food, so these little gems can be made mild or spicy, depending on your preference. They also reheat well so they can be made ahead or you can make a bunch at once for leftovers.

Jalapeño Poppers

15 or so fresh Jalapeño Peppers, sliced in half and all seeds removed. Rinse them out if you want to remove more of the spice.

1 pkg (8 oz) Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 cup Mozarella Cheese, shredded

2 Eggs
3 Tbsp Milk


1-2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs
1 tsp Paprika
1 1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Oregano

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
Dash Cayenne if you like

Preheat oven to 350*. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix cream cheese with shredded cheeses in a bowl. Mix eggs and milk in another bowl. Mix bread crumbs with seasoning in a third bowl.

Assembly Line:

Spread cheese mixture onto jalapeño halves - the amount depends on the size of the pepper. You can mound it up a little bit but you don't want too much or it will just melt and spill all over when it bakes.

Dip each stuffed pepper in the egg mixture, roll in bread crumbs, and then set it cheese side up on the prepared baking pan. Continue until all peppers are ready. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Easy Cheddar Garlic Biscuits

Oh yes, I bet you know what these are. They are just as good as the restaurant chain and you can make them yourself for cheap!

Cheddar Garlic Biscuits

2 cups Baking Mix (I use Pamela's which is gluten-free)
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated
1 cup Milk or Buttermilk
1/4 cup Melted Butter
1-2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/8 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Onion Powder
1/8 tsp Parsley


Preheat oven to 375*. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix the baking mix, cheese and milk well and scoop onto baking sheet. I used the large Pampered Chef and it made the perfect size biscuits. Bake for about 10 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Mix butter, garlic, salt, onion powder and parsley. When biscuits are done, brush butter mixture on each biscuit. Enjoy!

Layered Mexican Dip

 
This is our favorite GAMEDAY food!

Mexican Taco Layer Dip

1lb ground beef
Taco seasoning (use a packet or make up your own with cumin, chili powder, etc.)

Beans, optional - Black Beans, Refried Beans, whatever beans you like, or skip them

2 cups Sour Cream or Plain Yogurt or a combination
Taco seasoning (one packet's worth)

Tomatoes, diced and/or Salsa
Lettuce, shredded
Cheese, shredded (cheddar, monterey jack, colby/jack mix, whatever you like)

Green Onions, optional

Brown ground beef. Drain, add 1/4-1/2 cup of water and the taco seasoning. Stir well and let thicken. If using black beans, you can mix them in.

Mix taco seasoning with sour cream or yogurt. Spread into the bottom of a 13x9 inch casserole.

If using refried beans, you can add them here.

Layer on the ground beef, and then the tomatoes, lettuce, cheese and green onion. Add olives if you like. Anything goes!

Refrigerate if not eating right away. Serve with chips, or on a salad.

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

I brought this dip to a party and it got rave reviews! I brought my crock pot, put some water in the bottom and set it to "low", then set the dip dish in the top of it to stay warm. It worked perfectly. My favorite dipper for this is Stacy's Simply Naked Pita Chips but it was also good with wheat thins and crusty bread.

I double the recipe for my large dish.

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 10oz package of chopped frozen spinach, or 10 oz fresh spinach, cooked
1 jar marinated Artichoke Hearts, drained
2-3 cloves Garlic, minced
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Sour Cream
1 8oz pkg Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese

If using frozen spinach, thaw and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.

If using fresh spinach, sautee in a little butter or olive oil, or some juice from the artichoke hearts. You can throw the garlic in the pan with the spinach to cook too.

Combine all ingredients well in baking dish, and bake at 375* covered for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes to lightly brown the surface. Serve.

Crispy Tostada

 This is based off of one of my favorite low-carb recipes, taco pizza. I swapped the flax meal for chia seeds and added a little water to the dough. Then I flattened it more and baked it a little bit longer, so it's crispy. Delicious!

Crispy Low Carb Tostada

1 Tbsp Coconut Flour
1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
1 Tbsp Water
1 Egg
1 cup Colby/Jack, Cheddar or Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded
1 clove Garlic, minced
1/4 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Chili Powder
Taco toppings

Preheat oven to 350*. If you use a pizza stone, preheat it in the oven as well.

Mix all ingredients well and press onto parchment paper into a circle about 1/8 inch thick.

Bake for 20 minutes. If you didn't use the pizza stone method, bake about 10 minutes, then flip crust and bake another 10 minutes on the other side, or until crispy and done on both sides.

Top with desired taco toppings and serve! I used seasoned ground beef, shredded cheese, lettuce, salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

Salmon Cakes

This is one of my favorite quick meals and my daughter loves it too.  I mix up a quick dipping sauce to go with it.


Salmon Cakes


1 can Salmon, drained
2 Tbsp Mayo
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 Egg
1/4-1/2 cup Bread Crumbs (I use Panko)


Heat a pan on medium heat, and spray well with cooking spray.  Mix ingredients well and spoon into 4-5 mounds in the pan, flattening them a bit.  Cook for several minutes, and check for browning on the underside.  When they start to brown, flip them over to cook the other side.  Drain on paper towels.


For dipping sauce, mix a Tbsp of mayo with a squirt of ketchup and some Old Bay.  

Chicken Bruschetta

I was really in the mood for bruschetta with some nice crusty bread, and figured if I added chicken it would count for dinner. Yum! My meat-hating kid also liked it so that was a big plus.

Chicken Bruschetta

2 lbs Tomatoes, diced (4-6 medium tomatoes)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Basil
2 lbs Chicken Breast, diced or shredded
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, grated

1 Baguette, sliced

Preheat broiler.  Mix everything but the chicken and cheese, and let marinate while you prepare the bread and chicken. Arrange bread slices on baking sheet. Spoon some chicken on each slice, then top with bruschetta mixture.  Add shredded mozzarella and bake until cheese is melted.  Easy!