Baked Buffalo Fries

Fries plus buffalo.  YES PLEASE!  These fries were so good, I was hopeful but wasn't too sure how they would end up turning out.  They were totally winners.  Gray and I both flipped over them and I'm pretty sure I could have made three times what I did and we would have eaten all of them.  This recipe is adapted from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice.

3 Potatoes
1/3 Franks Buffalo Wing Sauce
1/2 Salt
Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce

Wash and slice the potatoes into fries.  Place the strips into an bowl with ice water for 20 minutes.  Drain the water and lay out the potatoes on paper towels for 2 or 3 minutes.   Place back in the empty dried bowl and add the Franks, toss until all of the fries are coated and let sit for 20 minutes.  Heat oven to 425.  Grease a cookie sheet and lay the fries out in a single layer.  Sprinkle with salt. Bake for 14 to 18 minutes then flip the fries. Bake for 10 to 12 more minutes and flip one more time.  Bake for 10 to 12 additional minutes.  Remove from oven and serve with extra wing sauce and blue cheese dipping sauce.  

Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits

Little cheese biscuits are stable at my Mom's house for big family meals.  For years and years she got them from this grocery store then one day the bakery lady that made them left!  It was tragic and there was much mourning.  That was, until this past fall when my mom found out the lady was now catering and my mom could order the cheese biscuits directly from her!   That saved thanksgiving...thanksgiving without cheese biscuits would not be the same.   Well a few months ago I decided to try some recipes, the first one I tried was a winner.  I have made this recipe more times than I care to admit! These biscuits are absolutely wonderful!  This recipe is slightly from Mom-Makes.


2 to 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (plus some extra for rolling out the biscuits)
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
6 tbsp cold unsalted butter (cut into small cubes)
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 tbsp unsalted butter (for greasing and brushing the biscuits)

Heat oven to 425.  In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ground pepper.  Cut in the butter with a pastry blender (or a fork if you don't have a pastry blender)  until it has become a coarse mixture with tiny lumps in it.  Stir in the buttermilk and cheese.   If the dough is still too sticky add 1/4 cup of flour.   Flour the a flat surface and place the dough on it.  Flour the top of the dough and press the dough out until it's about 3/4 inch thick.  Using a 1 inch biscuit cutter,  cut out the biscuits.  Gather the scraps, pat them back together and continuing cutting until all of the dough has been used. Grease a 9x13 pan with butter.  Place the biscuits down in the dish.  Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter.  Bake in the oven for 14 to 18 minutes or until biscuits are browned on top.  Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Veggie Loaded Quesadillas

Man, I totally disappeared didn't I?  I was hit with the flu followed by bronchitis so basically nothing has gotten done in my house for several weeks!  I am finally back and I have several delicious recipes that I can't wait to share with you! These quesadillas were so easy to make and full of flavor!  Recipe is adapted from The Garden Grazer.

1 15oz can Black Beans
1 cup Corn
1 Tomato (diced)
1 Onion (diced)
1 Red Pepper (diced)
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 cup Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
6 Flour Tortillas
2 tbsp Butter
Sour Cream
Green Onion (diced)

Place the black beans in a pot and add the cumin and chili powder then bring to a boil.  Once they have reached a boil turn down the heat.  In a large skillet melt a little bit of butter and place two tortillas face down.  On one add 1/2 of drained black beans, 1/3 cup of corn, 1/3 of the tomato, 1/3 of the onion and 1/3 of the red pepper.  Top with 1/3 cup of cheese. Place the empty tortilla on top of the loaded one once it starts to crisp up.  Remove and cut.  Repeat with the remaining tortillas.  Serve with sour cream and green onion. 

Pecan Pie Muffins

Years ago my cousin made these and brought them into our office.  She made mini ones and I don't even want to say how many of those little guys I ate.  I have thought about these muffins so many times since that day!  I finally made them a few weeks ago and they were just as great as I remembered.  I got the recipe from Tasty Kitchen.

1 cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
1/2 cups Flour
1 cup Chopped Pecans
2/3 cups Butter (softened)
2 Eggs (beaten)

Heat oven to 350.  Grease the muffin tin or line with muffin liners.  In a medium bowl combine the brown sugar, flour and pecans.  In a small bowl whisk together the butter and eggs. Stir into the pecan mixture.  Fill the each muffin cup up 2/3 of the way with batter.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.   

M&M Oatmeal Cookies

I had some M&Ms left from Christmas candy making and wanted to do something fun with them.  I thought the perfect thing would be M&M cookies so when I got on Pinterest I was even more excited to find M&M Oatmeal cookies!!!  In my opinion adding oatmeal to cookies is always a good idea. This recipe is slightly adapted from Life Made Simple.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
8 tbsp butter (room temperature)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup  chocolate chips
2/3 cup M&Ms

 In a stand mixer combine the butter, brown sugar and vanilla extract.  Beat for 3 to 4 minutes.  Add the whole egg and mix until combined then add in the egg yolk and mix until combined.  In a mixing bowl combine the flour, old fashioned rolled oats, baking soda and salt.  In a low speed slowly combine add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until fully combined.  Fold in the chocolate chips and M&Ms.  Place the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour.  Heat oven to 350 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Scoop the chilled dough onto the cookie sheet and press each cookie with your hand to slightly flatten. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown.  Remove from the oven and let them cool on the cookie sheet for 3 to 4 minutes then remove to a wired rack to remain cooling.  

Biscuit Pot Pie

For Christmas my mom gave me a great set of biscuit cutters. I had previously been using different round objects to make it happen and it wasn't working all that great!  After getting that present then seeing this recipe I just knew I had to make it!  This recipe is from Damn Delicious and that it is!


For the Biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp  unsalted butter (cut into cubes)
3/4 cup buttermilk

For the Filling:
 2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 small onion (diced)
3 carrots (peeled and diced)
2 ribs celery (diced)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 1/2 cups shredded chicken
1/2 cup frozen peas

Prepare a baking sheet.  In a medium size bowl combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda and salt.  With a pastry blender, fork or your hands, mix in the unsalted butter to form a crumbly mixture.  Stir in the buttermilk.   Roll out on a floured surface and cut with a 2 inch biscuit cutter.  Place on sheet plan and place in the refrigerator.

Heat oven to 450 and grease a 9x13 pan.  In a skillet melt the butter and saute the garlic, onion, carrots and celery for 3 or 4 minutes.  Whisk in the flour and let cook for 1 minute.  Slowly add in the chicken broth and milk while stirring.  Stir in the thyme, salt and pepper. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until it begins to thicken.   Stir in the chicken and peas.  Pour the mixture into the 9x13 dish.  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Top with biscuits and continue to cook for another 10 to 12 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown.  Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.