Spiced Chicken Bites With BBQ Ranch Dipping Sauce

This is the 4th recipe from Sandra Lee of Food Network fame and is a great appetizer or snack! This recipe is being published for the first time right here on 2 Hot Dishes - check back for more recipes soon!

INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup Hunt’s® Original Barbeque Sauce
¼ cup ranch dressing
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bag (26.5 ounces) Banquet® Original Chicken Nuggets

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a small bowl mix together barbecue sauce with ranch dressing . Cover and place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

In a small bowl, mix together garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper. Add the spice mix to the bag of frozen nuggets, seal bag and shake to coat the nuggets.

Cook chicken nuggets according package directions.

Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot with toothpicks and the BBQ Ranch Dipping Sauce on the side.

Yield: 6 servings (about 4 nuggets)
Hands on Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

The BEST Blueberry Muffins

INGREDIENTS:

Muffin Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk (approx)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries (can use a bit more if you want)

Topping Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, softened and cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder.

Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and beat then add enough milk to fill to 1 cup, add vanilla.

Pour the wet mixture into flour mixture stir until mixed (do not over mix, some lumps are good). Fold in blueberries.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake for 18-20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done. (My oven tends to cook things a bit faster so some ovens may need up to 25 minutes, start checking around 18 though to be safe)

Makes 10-12 regular size muffins or 5-6 jumbo muffins.

Variations:

Try using a cup of diced apples and adding 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the muffin mix rather than blueberries. Also try it with peaches!

Use a cup of semi sweet chocolate chips instead of blueberries for awesome chocolate chip muffins.

Delicious Onion Sauce for Hot Dogs

So simple - a friend's mom made this for a BBQ on Saturday and it was delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

Sweet Yellow Onions - Vidalias are good
Butter
Salt & Pepper
Ketchup

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cut the onions into strips about 1-2" long, melt the butter in a frying pan and saute the onions until they are soft and begin to carmelize. Add Ketchup until the entire concoction turns pink. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This stuff tastes FANTASTIC on hot dogs fresh off the grill - or - just eat by the spoonful.

Sorry for no exact measurements - it all depends on how many onions you are working with. But seriously try this it is killer!

Frosty Snack Packs

This is the 3rd recipe from Sandra Lee of Food Network fame and is a great summer treat! This recipe is being published for the first time right here on 2 Hot Dishes - check back for more recipes soon!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups (3.5 ounces each)Hunt’s® Snack Pack® Vanilla Pudding
2 cups (3.5 ounces each) Hunt’s® Snack Pack® Chocolate Pudding
1- 1/3 cups Reddi-wip® Original Whipped Light Cream

For Garnish:
Reddi-wip® Original Whipped Light Cream
1 teaspoon dry Swiss Miss® Hot Cocoa Mix

INSTRUCTIONS:

Scoop out vanilla and chocolate puddings and put in separate medium mixing bowls. Wash and thoroughly dry the plastic containers and set aside. To each bowl stir in 1/3 cup of Reddi-wip to lighten pudding. Add additional 1/3 cup of Reddi-wip to each bowl and gently fold in to incorporate.

Layer the pudding mixture into the clean plastic containers by alternating between each flavor 1/3 at a time, tapping to remove air bubbles and level out in between each layer. Put in the freezer for about 2 hours, or until set but not completely hard.

To serve; run each cup under tepid water. Invert each onto a dessert plate to remove from container. Top each with a serving of Reddi-wip and sprinkle with dry cocoa mix. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 cups
Hands on: 15 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Corn Dog Bites with Spicy Honey Mustard

This is the 2nd recipe from Sandra Lee of Food Network fame! This recipe is being published for the first time right here on 2 Hot Dishes - check back for more recipes soon!

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups Wesson® Canola Oil
½ cup Gulden’s® Honey Mustard
1 tablespoon hot sauce
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
1 box (8.5 ounces) corn muffin mix
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/3 cup milk
1 package (12 ounces) Hebrew National® Cocktail Franks
¼ cup flour


INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, hot sauce and pepper. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine corn muffin mix, garlic powder, paprika and mix according to package directions, adding an 1/3 cup milk to thin the batter slightly.

Lightly dust the franks with flour. Working in batches, place the franks into the corn muffin batter. Remove the coated franks from the batter and carefully place into the hot oil. *(see Cook’s Tips)

Fry until golden brown about 4 minutes. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.

Repeat with remaining franks and batter. Hold cooked corn dog bites in a 250 degree F oven until ready to serve. Serve with toothpicks and spicy honey mustard on the side.

Cook’s Tips:
*To keep things tidy, set up two stations, one for flour and the other for batter. Keep one hand for dry ingredients and one for wet, or use tongs to remove franks from the batter and place into the oil.

Yield: 6 servings (about 5 franks each)
Hands on Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Sloppy Joe Taquitos

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo - 2 Hot Dishes has been asked to publish some never before published recipes from Sandra Lee of Food Network fame!

The first one is Sloppy Joe Taquitos and we thought it was perfect for today - I haven't tried it yet but have all the ingredients on hand and LOVE taquito's so am whipping up a batch tonight!

Look for new recipes from Sandra Lee about once a week!

INGREDIENTS:

PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
1 pound lean ground beef
1 can (15.5 ounces) Manwich® Original Sloppy Joe Sauce
1 can (10 ounces) Rotel® Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles, drained, divided
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
12 corn tortillas
1 cup sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

Spray large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add ground beef and cook 7 minutes or until beef is no longer pink. Drain fat. Add sloppy joe sauce and half the tomatoes; cook until thickened about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, about five minutes. Mix in ¾ cup cheese.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

Wrap tortillas in a damp towel and heat in the microwave on high for 30 seconds. Place 3 tablespoons of the sloppy joe mixture on the lower third of a corn tortilla. Roll the tortilla up and place seam side down onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas and sloppy joe mixture. Top with remaining cheese and bake in oven for 20 minutes or until crispy.

In a small bowl combine the sour cream and remaining tomatoes. Serve as dipping sauce with taquitos.

Yield: 6 servings (2 taquitos each)
Hands On Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 32 minutes

White Sandwich Bread

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast or 1 pkg "highly active"
1 cup lukewarm water
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons butter softened
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
1/2 cup instant mashed potato flakes

INSTRUCTIONS:

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water - mix and allow to sit for up to 15 minutes. Add the butter cut into small cubes, add additional ingredients and mix well. I use the dough hook on my kitchenaid stand mixer on setting 1 - once the dough is well mixed, turn to setting 2 and allow to knead for about 5-7 minutes until dough is smooth, may stick a bit in the bottom of the bowl this is okay.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl (I spray mine with a canola oil spray) and cover with saran wrap, then place a towel over bowl. Put in your oven and turn on the oven light - this creates a nice small sealed space and the light warms it up enough to allow your dough to raise quickly even if your kitchen is cold (like mine). Allow to raise until doubled in size - this takes about an hour and a half.

Carefully punch the dough down to deflate. Move to a greased 5X9 bread pan, cover again with saran wrap this time spray the wrap with the canola oil too, put back in the oven for another hour to hour and a half. The bread should rise to at least an inch over the top of your pan - maybe a bit more. Take it out and preheat your oven to 350.

Once the oven is heated, remove the saran wrap and place in the center. Will bake for approx 30-35 minutes. When browned on top remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before turning out onto wire rack to finish cooling. Brush the top with butter if you'd like for a soft and delicious crust.

This bread has a slightly sweet taste, is moist and delicious and keeps well for several days in a sealed bag or container. It's perfect for sandwiches, toast, or just eating plain with butter.

Chewy Toffee Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup softened butter or shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 bag Heath Bar Bits (or 8 bars crushed)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add eggs, mix well. Sift all dry ingredients together and mix in a bit at a time. Finally add Heath Bar bits and Mini Chocolate Chips. Chill the dough for 30-60 minutes, then drop by teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Molasses Crinkle Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup white sugar


INSTRUCTIONS:

In a mixing bowl combine melted margarine, brown sugar and egg and beat until smooth. Add molasses and beat another minute.

Mix together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices, add to the molasses mixture and mix well.

Cover and chill dough at least one hour.

Roll dough into 1" balls and roll them in the white sugar. Place about 2" apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375 until tops are cracked. Allow to cool on wire racks.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies - these last quite awhile in a sealed container and freeze well.

Laura's Recipe for Fast White Bread

INGREDIENTS

2 cups Warm Water
2 T sugar
2 T butter (or stick margarine)
2 t salt
1 package active dry yeast
5 cups all purpose flour

INSTRUCTIONS

I made mine using my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer with the dough hook, but you can do this all by hand if you have a strong arm to beat the batter!

Pour 2 cups of warm water in your mixing bowl add sugar and salt , cut the butter into small pieces and stir into water until the butter is melted and the sugar and salt are dissolved. Add the yeast and mix well.

Stir in 3 cups of all purpose flour until mixture is smooth then add additional 2 cups of flour a bit at a time until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the side of the bowl.

At this point you can dump the dough out on a well floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes OR if you are like me you add flour a few tablespoons at a time and let the dough hook do the work. I dumped it out on the floured surface when the dough was smooth on the surface and no longer sticky to the touch. I kneaded a few more turns by hand - about 2 minutes.

Spray cooking spray in a glass mixing bowl, put the dough in and turn it or just spray some more cooking spray directly on the dough. Cover with saran wrap and a kitchen towel. Put it in your oven (not heated yet) and just turn the light on in the oven. Just that bit of heat coming off the light and the sealed oven will help the dough raise quickly.

After about an hour - or when dough has doubled in size - take the dough back out of the oven and punch it back down, split it in half and put in two loaf pans sprayed well with cooking spray. Cover again with saran wrap and a towel and put back in the oven for approx 45 minutes or until doubled again. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the saran wrap and return uncovered loaf pans to heated oven for 30-35 minutes. Once they are removed from the oven brush with melted butter. After about 5 minutes remove from pan to wire rack to finish cooling.

Attempt to wait until they are cool to cut off the first slice - FAIL miserably at this and eat your still warm slice smothered in real butter.

Enjoy!

For Laura's step by step instructions with photos this link will take you to this post on her blog Love at Home. While you are there be sure to bookmark her site because you will want to go back!

Tomato Tortellini Soup

Okay this is not rocket science - no real recipe needed but it is sooooooo delicious!

INGREDIENTS

1 can tomato soup
1 can milk for tomato soup
1 cup cooked cheese tortellini

INSTRUCTIONS

Boil water and cook the toretellini for approx 5 minutes. Then mix the tomato soup and milk and blend well. Stir in the cooked and drained tortellini- cook on low allowing the mixture to simmer for approx 20 minutes.

Enjoy - tomato soup with tortellini is easy to make and delicious - eat with fresh buttered bread or a grilled cheese sandwich or just all by itself. It is my new addiction.