Baked Apple Crisp

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If I need a walk down memory lane, all the way back to Kosciusko, MS, I just make this delicious side! I have always loved this dish. The soft, sweet, and tender apples topped with a warm, chewy, cinnamon, oatmeal crust. This really is the perfect brunch, breakfast, breakfast for dinner “brinner”, or dessert dish. It has also become my official late-night pregnancy craving!

I confess when I was growing up, I was not the biggest fan of breakfast for dinner. I was of the mindset that breakfast food should be served only in the morning. My change of thinking has completely transformed as I am now a wife and mother. I had the genius idea of cooking enough to supply a good helping of leftovers after supper time which would lead to a no stress morning with lots of breakfast options! I also use to be a morning person before I had two babies with another on the way!

I do not mind at all when I see apples on sale at the grocery store or have a few that are about to go bad. I generally have the rest of the pantry ingredients already on hand. And hey, what’s better than warm fruit topped with butter and brown sugar? What makes this dish even more desirable? That the “baked” part can be accomplished with a quick microwave. There is no need to heat up the house on those hot Mississippi days!

This delicious side should not be dedicated as only a breakfast option. It is also wonderful served with a warm ham steak or next to a melting scoop of vanilla ice cream! Next time you need a sweet fix (with a side of fruit) I hope you give this one a try!

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Baked Apple Crisp

A delicious baked apple dish complete with a warm and chewy oatmeal topping
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 people
Author: The Food Practitioner

Ingredients

  • 5-6 apples peeled, cored, and diced
  • 2/3 cup quick- cooking rolled oats
  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup butter

Instructions

  • Place the diced apples in the bottom of a greased 8 x 8 baking dish.
  • Combine remaining ingredients, except butter, in a mixing bowl.
  • Now cut the butter into the oatmeal mixture until crumbly.
  • Sprinkle the oatmeal mixture over the apples.
  • Microwave for 12-16 minutes, until apples are tender.

Notes

You can also substitute fresh apples for 2 cans of apple pie filling. Beware, this makes the dish a lot sweeter!

Deluxe Cake Mix Cookies

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If you are looking for an easy pantry dessert that can be whipped up in no time look no further! My basic cake mix cookie recipe takes me back to high school every time. I remember making them frequently for my high school basketball teammates!

I usually have an extra box of cake mix in the pantry just in case I am surprised by a unexpected gathering or I have a sweet tooth. I can easily whip these up in no time!

I posted my original cookies a while back but have found a way to make them even better! The cookie part is my original cake mix cookie recipe, but the deluxe part includes a center of sweetened condensed milk and white chocolate chips! Yes, that makes it richer, but I think it is also a gooey perfection!

This is also a good recipe to get help from my 3 year old and 18 month old! I do the cracking of the egg part and they can nearly handle the mixing with surprisingly minimal (usually) mess!

The variations for these cookies are endless! My daughter loves sprinkles, so this variation is with a Funfetti cake mix and white chocolate chips. There are so many ways you can try this like: red velvet cake with white chocolate chips, yellow cake mix with milk chocolate chips, and German chocolate cake mix with peanut butter chips to name a few!

Next time you go to the grocery store make sure you pick up some boxes of cake mix and condensed milk then as long as you have chocolate chips, eggs, and vegetable oil (or butter) you can be enjoying these whenever the mood strikes!

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5 from 3 votes

Deluxe Cake Mix Cookies

Easy cake mix cookies with a gooey center
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 box Cake Mix (yellow, white, chocolate, or Funfetti)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 stick butter melted
  • 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Mix together the cake mix, eggs, and melted butter.
  • Press half of dough into an aluminum foil lined then greased 9 x 9 pan.
  • Pour condensed milk and chocolate chips over dough.
  • Place remaining dough on top.
  • Bake at 350 degrees about 25 minutes or until top is lightly golden brown.
  • Let cookies cool completely in pan. Once cooled lift out aluminum foil, discard foil, then cut cookies into bars.

Notes

I have found that using the greased foil is imperative when having the condensed milk center. The condensed milk spills out around the edges and would otherwise stick to the side of the pan. The foil also makes clean up a breeze!  
The easiest way I have found when placing the remaining dough on top of the condensed milk and chocolate chips is using my hands and flattening smaller pieces in my palm then gently just placing on top trying to cover most of the middle layer. As the cookie bakes it usually fills in the gaps. 
1/2 cup of vegetable or canola oil can be substituted for the butter.  
If the cookies are not completely cooled when trying to cut them they will fall apart easily. 
 

Stuffed Banana Peppers

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I have officially found a new summer food love!

Cream Cheese. Sausage. Cheddar. Ranch. Banana Peppers!

The best quarantine decision I made was getting a weekly vegetable box from a local farm. I do not know what I’m getting until a few days before pickup, but it has yet to disappoint. It has also afforded me the opportunity to try new recipes with the freshest ingredients, some of which are not carried in my local grocery store. When I think back on these veggie boxes the recipe that makes my mouth water the most is Stuffed Banana Peppers!

I must admit, I have not ever bought or prepared fresh banana peppers before this summer. I was under the impression that banana peppers where generally about the size of a jalapeno or straight from a jar. Boy was I wrong! Also, if I’m being honest the only way I have really eaten banana peppers is from a jar prepared on a pizza or Mississippi Roast (you should defiantly give that if try if you haven’t already!).

Look how huge!

When I opened my vegetable box and saw the beautiful nearly foot long peppers. I knew these where too pretty to just chop up but should be stuffed…with cheese, cheese, and sausage! I am seriously getting excited just typing this out!

After that first taste I immediately ordered three extra pounds for the next week and have been enjoying them ever since!  

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Stuffed Banana Peppers

Banana Peppers stuffed with Sausage, Ranch, and Cheese! A delicious summer side!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Author: The Food Practitioner

Ingredients

  • 6-7 Banana Peppers large size
  • 1 pound sausage cooked, crumbled, and drained
  • 8 ounce cream cheese
  • 1 pkg dry ranch mix
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese

Instructions

  • Slice Banana Peppers in half then scoop out and discharge the seeds. Place in a large, sprayed baking dish with center facing up.
  • Mix together the cream cheese, cooked sausage, dry ranch mix, and cheddar cheese.
  • Spoon filling into the Banana Peppers.
  • Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes.

Notes

The inside sausage filling made enough for me to fill 14 halves of the large peppers (depends on size). You can easily freeze sausage mixture for a later usage. 

I will certainly be keeping this recipe for many years to come! Some helpful tips I found, If there is a curved edge to the pepper half the pepper with the curved part in the air then slice down the exposed center that way the pepper will lay flat in the baking dish. Also the filling does make a lot. I froze my remaining mix and we made two meals out of these peppers and I was not mad about that! The filling would also be amazing baked on top of a crescent roll dough. Just bake until the dough is cooked through!