Cooking Classy

Slow cooker meals, aren't they just amazing? Throw the food in, say goodbye, then several hours later say hello to dinner. It really doesn't get much easier. I saw this photo/recipe on foodgawker.com and new I had to try it. I think I've finally realized another reason I love slow cooker meals, because I always have dessert after dinner so if I'm making dessert it's nice to have a simple dinner to throw together. Also, I can never get over how tender and flavorful the meat is that's been slowly simmered all day in the slow cooker.  You will noticed if you follow the link that the recipe is nearly entirely different, yes I will admit rarely do I ever stick to someone else's recipe. It's just too fun to add my own twist. Feel free to try it either way I'm sure the original rendition is amazing too. Enjoy! Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki Yields 4-6 servings Ingredients: 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts 3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce (regular would wo

If you've been following my blog you've probably noticed by now breakfast is kind of my thang. I love a delicious breakfast meal served up any time of day. I mentioned before how I've posted all these main entrees for breakfast but I've never posted the sides I serve with them.  I've been making these potatoes for many years, so I'd hope I can say I've perfected the recipe. I've tried different cooking methods, different oils, played with seasonings and now here are the exact results I was looking for. Perfectly tender interior, with a gorgeously browned exterior, slightly moist, with just the right amount of flavor and seasoning. You can use plain old salt and pepper (if you want to be boring =) or you can add some pizzazz with the delicious seasoning blend listed. Below are a few things I wanted to list, that in my opinion, make the perfect breakfast potatoes: 1. Pre-bake the potatoes. If they are cooked halfway before you fry them then they don't

Everyone reading this, please, you need to make this bread! I'm telling you, this is the best loaf of yeasted bread I have ever made! I've baked many o' things, but funny thing until today I've never made my own loaf of no knead rustic bread. Seriously, why I have not tried it until now I can never tell you! I had no idea that such an incredibly quick and easy recipe could yield such amazing results. It is the perfect loaf of rustic bread, wonderfully crisp and chewy on the outside, while tender and even slightly moist on the inside. I can now officially say I've made a loaf of bread as good as a professional artisan bread baker thanks to the wonderful post over at  Simply So Good .  I'm so happy I found this recipe (from my countless hours of Pinterest gawking. Seriously I could spend my whole day on there, it's dangerous).   Never again will I pay $5 to buy a loaf of rustic bread at the store or bakery. Astoundingly I liked this even better and it had to c

Oh I don't even know where to start with these bad boys! This is one of my favorite posts yet! I had family over today and served these for dessert, I think they went quicker than any dessert I've ever made. Who doesn't love cookie dough? Okay okay so truthfully I wasn't that into it (what was wrong with me!? =) until just a few months ago, then I got a more refined palate and became obsessed with it, and now with these I'm dangerously addicted. I can't stop eating them! Of course I made these to be egg free, and to replace the moisture from the lack of eggs (I also didn't want to add more than a stick of butter) I decided to add what better than heavy cream! My life motto: every things better with cream haha kidding (kind of). If it wasn't so fattening I'd pour cream over my cold cereal replacing milk for breakfast, I love the stuff. The cream gives these cookie dough bites the perfect texture. Ah don't you just wish you had one now to sink your

After posting banana bread pancakes the other day I realized I haven't even posted the sides I always serve with my breakfast entrees. Well it's about time I do. Most often I serve the the entree with a side of these scrambled eggs and breakfast potatoes, then on special occasions with bacon.  This is one of those recipes I had to actually had to sit down and measure out what I put in it because it's always been a little of this and a dash of that. I believe one of the most important factors to perfect, fluffy scrambled eggs it stirring/folding them constantly. Every cook has their opinion on what temperature they should be cooked at, some say low and slow and other say high and quick. In my opinion medium - high is perfect.  The seasoning used for these is one I've been using a lot lately, most often in breakfast dishes. I think I would say it's slightly Italian. It compliments eggs perfectly. You can use the remaining seasoning for burgers or chicken. It's a q

Ahh chocolate cake, doesn't it just make life good? And what makes life really good? A moist, lightly fudgy, perfectly chocolaty, slightly dense, kissed with cinnamon piece of the perfect chocolate cake frosted in a rich, fudge-like frosting. Haha I'm kidding, kind of. I know if someone were to hand me a piece of this cake on "one of those days" it would rapidly change from being "one of those days" into being a fabulous day =). I got this recipe from my sister, whom got it from allrecipes . I'm quite certain it's a recipe for chocolate cake that cannot be topped. There's not outdoing this one. It is simply as it's named "The Best Chocolate Cake You Ever Ate." I may call it The Best Chocolate Cake You Will Ever Eat, because it's likely to be a lifelong favorite. Everything about this cake is divine. I made several of my own adjustments to the recipe, just follow the allrecipes link above to view the original recipe.  I almost f

Don't worry people, yes Cookies and Cream Chex Mix was a limited edition (Dear General Mills, why would you make the best Chex Mix you've ever created a limited edition?) but the good news, I've figured out how to make them at home! And it's so easy and think they are even better (everything fresh home-made is better isn't it?). Also, I never thought I'd say it but these are even better than muddy buddies! I could eat the whole batch on my own. It takes 4 ingredients and they can honestly be made in under 5 minutes! I made these twice in the last two days (yeah they are that good), the second time around I did an equal ratio powdered sugar to Oreo and it was perfect. I ate these while eating cookies and cream ice cream and I think I may just like these more, that is SERIOUSLY saying something! How could one of my easiest recipes be one of my favorite =)? Sometimes the simplest things are the best. Warning: the following recipe is highly addictive, prepare at you

My latest obsession... BROWNIES! I go through phases of dessert cravings lately, you'd think I was pregnant or something. A few weeks ago it was ice cream for a few weeks, then I moved on to cookie dough and now it's brownies. I'm in love with them, I can't stop thinking about them. I've been stopping by a local bakery way too often this past week to get one of their delicious brownies. I decided I needed to create my own brownie recipe at home rather than getting them from the bakery so often. Also, I happened to have some left over evaporated milk in the refrigerator I didn't want to just toss out and needed to find a use for it. Brownies + evaporated milk, it was meant to be. Hence the secret ingredient. This brownie has everything I want in a brownie. Its perfectly chocolaty, chewy, fudgy, dense, tender, sweet, decadent and it has that heavenly, thin, crisp layer on the very top (ahh) and last but not least it's such a convenient recipe using ingredients

If you like poppy seed salad dressing then this is the chicken salad of your dreams! This chicken salad is amazing and so simple! I was shopping at Sam's Club several weeks ago and taste tested some Sonoma Chicken Salad, it was delicious so I had to figure out how to make it at home. Following is the recipe I've come up with. It is my new favorite chicken salad. I'm going to start using the dressing to drizzle over green salads as well. My recommendation for the easiest way to make this is to cook the chicken in a slow cooker over night, toss it in an airtight container in the morning and refrigerate it, then by lunch time it will be cool enough to shred or chop and toss into the salad. I know this is going to be my new favorite dish for picnic lunches this summer. Just be sure after eating this chicken salad to smile real big... and check your teeth for poppy seeds =). Note: some other good substitutions for the dried cranberries would be diced apples or grapes and another

I admit it I'm pancake crazy =). I should start a food blog dedicated to pancakes. That's just how much I love pancakes. There are endless flavor possibilities and who doesn't love a warm fluffy pancake smothered in syrup to wake up to first thing in the morning? The great thing about this version is that they have all the flavors of banana bread but they are ready to eat in less than half the time. Plus you get this amazing Cinnamon Cream Cheese Syrup generously smothered over them which you don't get on banana bread. This pancake recipe will very likely keep you coming back for more. You can now have another use for the overripe bananas in your home, so move over banana bread you aren't the best thing for speckled bananas anymore.  Banana Bread Pancakes Yields about 1 dozen  Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 Tbsp granulated sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/8 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp salt 1 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp milk 1

Mac and cheese - comfort food at it's finest and with this recipe at it's fastest! I love how simple this recipe is. How could something so easy yield such rich, flavorful results? Who could ever make a box mix again after making it homemade?  When creating this recipe I added a few unusual ingredients because I love adding just a bit more excitement to food. The liquid smoke flavor, Dijon mustard, onion powder and garlic powder blend in so well you hardly know they are there. They just enhance the dish, not overpower it. I love the combination of Cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheese, they are my two favorite cheeses so of course they had to be the two cheeses I used to make this recipe. They both melt so smoothly to create a perfectly silky, decadent macaroni and cheese. Enjoy! 15 Minute Stove Top Mac and Cheese Yields about 4 servings Ingredients: 8 oz. elbow macaroni noodles 3/4 cup milk (I'd recommend 1% or 2%, whole was too rich) 1 Tbsp butter 1/4 tsp onion powder 1/8 tsp

Time to ditch that almond poppy seed muffin your having every other morning for breakfast and reaching for this healthier, equally as delicious almond poppy seed granola bar instead! I'm ecstatic about this recipe that I came across from Rachel Ray. You can make a full batch of better tasting (and better for you) than store bought granola bars at home in about 5 minutes. I now have no excuse for buying the preservative filled granola bars at the store =), but after trying these I no longer have the desire to buy the store bought ones either. The possibilities with the recipe are endless! I can't wait for all the variations I'm going to try on these in the future. Here are some ideas ahead of time because I can't resist sharing =): Chocolate chunks, freeze dried raspberries and chopped almonds Dried apples, chopped, baking caramel pieces (I'd freeze them first then add to oat mixture or press into the top) and cinnamon/nutmeg White chocolate chunks, dried cranberrie

Meet a new and exciting, melt in your mouth cookie... Coconut Lime Ricotta Cookies! They are purely divine! To put them in words, just imagine an Italian cookie meets a refreshing tropical or Latin cake doughnut (that was my thought, my husband said they remind him of Alfajore cookies).  If you want to be a good cook I firmly believe you have to be willing to take risks in the kitchen. It's about stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things, mixing new flavors. One of my dreams and aspirations is to be a great cook (on the Food Network may I add =), so this recipe is the result of me trying something daring and exciting in the kitchen. I knew it would either be an utter failure or something spectacular. I'm proud to say they turned out to be the later, they are completely spectacular. Someone please tell me, how do I stop myself from eating five at once? The combination of flavors in this cookie may be one that you question with the Ricotta cheese combine with coconu