Cupcakes That Fill Themselves

Cupcakes-that-fill-themselves have become a birthday tradition in the Genereux family. I believe the recipe originated from our country church cookbook. As children, these are the cupcakes my mom would make to send to school with us on our birthday. As adults, these cupcakes are still requested for birthdays and special occasions. When we were invited to our friend's birthday party this week, I thought these cupcakes would be the perfect treat to bring.  What makes them so special is that they look like your basic chocolate cupcake, but once you bite into one, you discover a cream cheese and chocolate chip filling that resembles a burst of cheesecake. They are perfectly topped with cream cheese frosting (and a birthday candle).
Cupcakes that Fill Themselves
1 box chocolate cake mix, batter prepared as directed
1 8oz block cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. mini chocolate chips
In a large bowl, prepare chocolate cake mix as directed on box. Set chocolate cake batter aside. In a medium size bowl, beat cream cheese, egg, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Fold in chocolate chips. Place cupcake liners in your cupcake pan and scoop a tablespoon of the chocolate batter on the bottom of each. Next scoop a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture on top of the chocolate layer. Finish by scooping a heaping tablespoon of the chocolate cake batter for the last layer. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. (Makes 24 cupcakes)
Cream Cheese Frosting
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 c. butter, room temperature
4 c. powdered sugar
2-3 Tbs. milk
1-2 tsp. vanilla
Beat all ingredients in a large bowl until fluffy. You will have to add milk and powdered sugar as needed to achieve perfect consistency.
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Sweet Potato Pancakes

Like many days, I sat during my lunch break today wondering what to make for dinner tonight. I was torn.  I really felt like breakfast-for-dinner (a meal that seems like a treat when you make it about once a month). On the other hand, I had these sweet potatoes sitting in my pantry and I knew they weren't getting any younger. Then it dawned on me, "could it be...could my breakfast-for-dinner and my pretty sweet potatoes co-exist in one harmonious meal?" A quick google search later and I had sweet potato pancakes (courtesy of Joseph's on FoodNetwork.com). I added pecans to the batter because I love a pancake with a little crunch. These were slightly sweet and simply beautiful. The cinnamon and nutmeg add a warmth that tastes a lot like autumn. Try these pancakes for dinner or a weekend brunch!

Sweet Potato Pancakes
2 c. flour
4 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 c. milk
2 eggs
4 tsp. melted butter
1 sweet potato, cooked until tender, peeled and pureed (about 1 cup)
1/2 c. chopped pecans (for topping)
In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl blend the liquid ingredients, including the sweet potato. Pour liquid ingredients over dry and mix until just combined. (Batter will be slightly lumpy.) Heat electric skillet to 350 F. Butter skillet and using a 1/2 c. measuring cup, ladle pancakes unto skillet. Sprinkle each pancake with pecans. Wait for pancake to form bubbles on the surface and flip. Cook until golden brown.
Adapted from FoodNetwork.com
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Creamy Baked Chicken

Creamy baked chicken in a one-pot-wonder that can easily be put together for a week night meal in a hurry. It could also be assembled a day in advance and then baked the next day if you are really short on time. This is a classic "pantry meal" for us. I always have the ingredients for this on hand so when I do not have time for the grocery store, I have all of the components to a hot meal in my pantry (and freezer). This chicken is moist, the gravy is tasty, and the stuffing adds a crunchy topping that is unexpected (and my favorite part). I have also topped the chicken with crushed croutons when I don't have stuffing on hand. I always serve this chicken on a bed of mashed potatoes since it bakes in a rich gravy.  Creamy baked chicken is not only simple to prepare on a Wednesday night, it is a downright delicious pick-me-up in the middle of the week.
Creamy Baked Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 slices swiss cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 c. dry white wine
1 1/2 c. coarsely crushed seasoned stuffing mix (i.e. Stove Top)
1/4 c. melted butter
Arrange chicken in a shallow baking dish. (I use a 9x9 glass pan.) Place a slice of swiss cheese on each piece of chicken. Stir the soup and wine together in a small bowl and pour over chicken. Sprinkle stuffing mix over the chicken. Evenly drizzle with melted butter. Bake uncovered at 350 F for one hour. Serve with mashed potatoes.
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Good Spaghetti Sauce

It is easy to make delicious spaghetti sauce in the summer when ripe tomatoes are plentiful. But in the winter, I make a semi-homemade sauce that uses 2 cups of already prepared marinara sauce and then I soup-it-up with a bunch of extras that make it taste homemade and authentic. This sauce is robust and hearty. I like to use ground beef in my spaghetti with just a little Italian sausage. I buy Italian sausage links in bulk and then separate them into small bags and freeze them. That way I can add sweet Italian sausage in small amounts to my lasagna, pizza, pasta, etc.
Good Spaghetti Sauce

1 lb. ground beef

2 Italian sausage links, casings removed (about 1/4 lb.)
1/4 c. olive oil

1 sm. onion, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced (about 1/4 cup)

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

salt/pepper

1/4 tsp. savory

1/2 tsp. basil

2 tsp. parsley

15 oz. tomato sauce

1/4 c. red wine

2 c. marinara sauce

In a large skillet, brown ground beef and Italian sausage. Drain excess fat and set aside. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, pepper and garlic and saute for 5-6 minutes or until tender. Add remaining ingredients to the pot and simmer on low for 15 minutes. Add ground beef and sausage and simmer 15 minutes more. Serve over cooked spaghetti noodles.
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Chocolaty Goodness Cookies

Any time I have a dentist or doctor appointment, I spend my time in the waiting room immersed in the variety of food magazines lying around. I always bring a pen and paper because I never know when a recipe may catch my eye. These cookies are the result of this process. I couldn't tell you what food magazine they came from, but I do know that they are a Paula Deen recipe. These cookies are soft and chewy. The cream cheese helps keep them tasting fresh even a few days after baking - if, that is, they last that long in your household. You will be surprised at how rich they are for only having a few ingredients in them. Although Paula calls them "chocolate gooey butter cookies" we renamed them "chocolaty goodness" in our house because it was the first thing that came out of my mouth when I took my first bite.

Chocolaty Goodness Cookies
Paula Deen's Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies - slightly altered
1 box dark chocolate cake mix (dry)

1 large egg

1/2 c. butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. sugar

In large bowl, beat cake mix, egg, butter, cream cheese and vanilla until well mixed. Dough will be stiff. Roll dough into balls and coat in sugar. Place chocolate balls on a sheet pan and slightly press dough down with your fingers. Bake at 350 F for 8-10 minutes. Cookies will seem very soft but will set after cooling.

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Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

This is my families' all-time favorite soup. There is always an argument as to how thick this soup should be: my dad likes a thin broth; my husband likes his spoon to stand up in it; I like it somewhere in the middle. You can use more or less chicken broth to get it the thickness that you desire. I think this soup is so popular because it has ingredients that most people are comfortable with. The carrots, celery, chicken and rice soak up the cream making you feel warm and loved as you eat it.  You can speed up the cooking process by buying a roasted chicken from your grocery deli and buying your wild rice already cooked and plump in a can. I have been pefecting this recipe for probably the last ten years and I have found that this soup is pretty forgiving. As long as you have most of the ingredients on hand you will end up with a mini masterpiece.

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
1/4 c. butter
2 c. carrots, sliced
2 c. celery, sliced
1 c. onion
2 cans chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 c. half and half or cream
1/2 c. minute rice, white or brown, uncooked
2 c. cooked wild rice
1 sm. chicken, meat cut in medium size chuncks
salt/pepper
1 tsp. parsley
In a large stock pan, melt butter and add carrots and celery. Saute on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add onions and continue to saute and stir occassionaly for 5 minutes more. Add chicken broth and simmer until vegetables are tende but not too soft. Add cream of chicken, cream, minute rice, wild rice and seasoning. Simmer on low for 15 minutes. Add chicken and heat through.
Suggestions:
If you don't have cream, add another can of cream of chicken or mushroom soup and use 1 c. milk
If you want to thicken your soup, add more minute rice
If it needs more flavor, add a couple of Tbs. worchesteshire sauce
I like to use a cooked chicken from my grocery store but I have also cooked 2 fresh or frozen chicken breasts or a large can of shredded chicken
Freeze leftovers for a quick work lunch
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Game Day Potato Skins

Last week I made these bacon-cheddar potato skins for the Vikings game. Since I know almost all of Minnesota will be hosting or attending some sort of football party Sunday night I thought I would pass this recipe on for others to enjoy. Thanks to some bacon grease (sorry - but it works so well) the skins come out nice and crisp. I topped mine with bacon, cheddar cheese and green onions but you can do various toppings.  I should tell you that they are kind of a process to make with three different baking steps, but I did most of the work on Saturday so that on Sunday all I had to do was bake them a final time and cheer for Brett Favre - Skol Vikings!
Crispy Potato Skins
8 small - medium sized russet potatoes
8-10 strips bacon, diced
4 green onions, diced (green stem included)
3 Tbs. butter
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
salt/pepper
seasoned salt
1/2 c. sour cream (optional)

Wash potatoes and pierce 4 times with a fork. Bake at 375 for an hour or until soft. Meanwhile, cook bacon and then drain grease. Keep a small amount of grease for later. When potatoes are cooked and cooled slightly, cut in half, lengthwise and scoop out center of potato, leaving about a 1/4" of potato with the skin. Discard center or use for mashed potatoes. Brush the bottom, skin side of the potato with bacon grease and place on baking sheet. Now brush the center part of the potato with melted butter and season with salt, pepper and any other favorite seasonings. Bake at 425 F for 8-10 minutes. Fill potato boats with bacon, cheese and green onion. (If making in advance, you can now refrigerate filled potato skins and bake the next day). Place filled potato skins on baking sheet and bake at 425 for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and skins are crisp. Top with sour cream if using.
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