Ooey gooey Chex mix (that tastes like a scotcharoo)

If you're from the Midwest you know that Scotcharoos are a staple at any potluck, tailgate or holiday. They are one of my favorite desserts, but I have to be honest, I don't make them very often. They’re not overly difficult but something about making them isn’t my jam. So when my friend Dayna had this Chex mix concoction at their tailgate party that tastes just like Scotcharoos (without the chocolate frosting on top) I had to get the recipe from her. And it is literally the easiest recipe ever.

Ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup honey

1 package butterscotch chips

1 box Corn Chex 

In a large microwave safe bowl, melt honey, peanut butter and butterscotch chips together. Once melted, stir in the cereal.

Dump it onto some parchment paper and let it dry for a couple hours. Break into clumps and eat with friends! You can also add nuts, granola, M&M’s, chocolate chips, Reese’s pieces, drizzle some dark chocolate over the top…get creative!

This makes a huge batch so store the leftovers in a plastic container.

Crab Cakes (clean eating)

I love seafood. I also love quick and easy lunches I can reheat in my air fryer. This recipe nails both. I was nervous they wouldn’t turn out since I’ve never made them before but they were great. Tons of flavor and the perfect size. Pair with a side of veggies and lunch is served.
 
Makes: 7 servings - Serving size: 1 crab cake
Each serving contains: 1 Protein, 0 Carbohydrates, 0 Vegetables, 0 Fat
 

INGREDIENTS
1 lb lump crab meat
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp onion powder
Black pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil
 
DIRECTIONS
Combine crab, egg, breadcrumbs, yogurt, Old Bay, lemon juice, onion powder and pepper in a large bowl. Mix well. Form into 7 patties. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Cook about 5 minutes per side, or until browned.
 
Optional: garnish with lemon wedges and fresh parsley.
 
Note: some people use mayo and crushed saltines instead of Greek yogurt and panko breadcrumbs.

Air fryer cheese stuffed garlic crescent rolls

They other night my friend told me that they made crescent rolls in the air fryer. “You can do that?”, I asked. I use my air fryer pretty much every day but I’m still learning to think outside the box for ways I can use it. Apparently TikTok knows all the ways so I may need to start opening that app more often. Anyway, she says they made them in the air fryer and they were amazing. And then mentions you can do fun things with them. I had to find out for myself because I am a bread lover! I decided to do Italian style crescents with mozzarella, Italian seasoning, garlic and butter. Basic but essential when having pasta, right? I paired these with a homemade cajun chicken broccoli fettucine alfredo. The combination was amazing!

INGREDIENTS

1 - 8 ounce can refrigerated crescent rolls
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons butter melted
1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp Italian seasoning

DIRECTIONS

Spray air fryer basket with non-stick spray. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Open the crescent rolls and separate the triangles. Add a pinch of shredded mozzarella cheese to the widest part of the crescents. Roll the crescents and pinch the ends together so that no cheese spills out. Brush each crescent with the butter garlic mixture.

Add crescent rolls to air fryer at 375 and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until golden brown. Air fryers vary so be sure to check on them halfway through. Once done, remove the crescents from the air fryer and brush with additional melted butter.

I have so many recipes I want to try for these crescents now like adding pepperoni, stuffing with buffalo chicken dip, ham and swiss, jalapeno popper, Nutella and a chocolate syrup drizzle…mind blown.

Makes: 8 servings

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

I’ll be the first to admit, the name of these pancakes sounded sketchy to me. But they were super easy to make and seriously tasted so awesome. I topped mine with a few raspberries, blackberries, one Tbsp 100% maple syrup and served with a scrambled egg (with spinach) for a protein packed breakfast.

Makes: 6 servings - Serving size: 2 pancakes

Each Serving Contains: 1 Protein, 0 Carbohydrates, 0 Vegetables, 1 Fat

INGREDIENTS

1 cup full-fat cottage cheese

3 large eggs

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

 

DIRECTIONS

In a blender or food processor, combine cottage cheese and eggs. Pulse until mixture is smooth.

In a mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese and egg mixture with flour and melted butter and mix with a spoon until combined.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Pour out a small amount of batter and let the pancakes cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side.

I think this could easily be done in a waffle maker too! 

Cheesy Chicken Penne Pasta (clean eating)

If you think clean eating can't be delicious, this recipe will prove you wrong. I can’t say enough how phenomenal this pasta dish was. Also, it says 4 servings, but it makes a very large batch. It ended up being 6 servings for me. I’ve never cooked the spinach this way and I was nervous it wouldn’t work but it did. New cooking hack! This is definitely going into my dinner rotation. Also, feel free to add mushrooms or other veggies that you enjoy too.

Makes: 4 servings

Each Serving Contains: 2 Proteins, 1 Carbohydrate, 2 Vegetables, 1 Fat

INGREDIENTS

1 cup whole wheat penne pasta, uncooked

1 tsp olive oil

1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

5 cups baby spinach

1 tsp dried basil

1 14.5-oz jar spaghetti sauce (I used organic)

2 cloves garlic

1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, liquid drained

2 oz ricotta cheese

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook pasta according to package directions (omit salt). Add spinach to boiling water for the last minute of cooking.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and basil. Cook 3 minutes. Stir in spaghetti sauce, garlic and drained tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat for 3 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in ricotta cheese.

Drain pasta and return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Spoon into 2-quart baking dish. Bake 20 minutes. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese and bake 3 minutes more, or until cheese is melted.

5-Ingredient Bread (clean eating)

When it comes to bread I am so very picky. I’m a bread lover to the core but I’ve always been anti-wheat bread (or pasta or tortillas for that matter). It’s just a nasty taste to me. So when I saw this recipe on a clean eating website I did not have very high expectations, despite the great reviews. The bread turned out pretty dense but it was actually really good! Especially toasted! I sprinkled some everything but the bagel seasoning on the top before I baked mine. Because there’s no preservatives, if you’re not going to eat it up in 3-4 days, I would suggest freezing half and pulling it out as needed. As a party of one, I take out 1/3 of a loaf from the freezer at a time. I can’t wait to try it as rolls next time to use with sandwiches.

Makes: 12 servings - Serving size: 1 slice

Each Serving Contains: 0 Protein, 1 Carbohydrate, 0 Vegetables, 0 Fat

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp yeast

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp honey

1-1/2 cups warm water

3 cups whole wheat flour

 

DIRECTIONS

Add yeast, salt and honey to water and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Gradually mix in flour until dough forms and is not sticking to your hands. Add flour in increments of 1 Tbsp at a time, if necessary.

Put in lightly oiled bowl and cover with damp towel for 20-30 minutes. Mine didn’t seem to rise much after 30 minutes so I did an hour.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place in lightly oiled loaf pan and bake 15-20 minutes, until hollow when tapped.

Note: Optional toppings / additions before baking:

• Everything but the bagel seasoning
• Sprinkle with garlic powder
• Herbs: oregano, parsley, rosemary
• Sun-dried tomato
• Olives

You can also roll into 12 individual rolls instead of using a loaf pan.

Peanut Butter Brownie Puppy Chow

 

Be warned - this is super addicting! 

Ingredients

·         6 C. rice Chex cereal (I found peanut butter Chex and used that)

·         1 C. milk chocolate chips or melts

·         1/2 C. peanut butter creamy

·         1 tsp. vanilla extract

·         1 to 2 C. brownie mix from the box (dry) 

·         Optional: Brownies, Reese's Pieces, or Peanut butter cups (chopped)

Instructions:

Place cereal in a large bowl and set aside.

In a microwave proof bowl, melt chocolate, peanut butter and vanilla extract and stir until smooth. Pour over cereal and fold until covered.

Dump into a large plastic bag and add brownie mix, seal and shake until coated. (If you don't have a large plastic bag, pour brownie mix over cereal and stir well. Or you can use a pot with a lid to shake it in.)

Toss in whatever chocolate or peanut butter candy pieces you want. I did peanut butter M&Ms, fudge brownie M&Ms and Reese’s pieces.  Shake again.

The original recipe called for 1 cup of boxed brownie mix. I found that didn’t coat the cereal mixture very well, so I added more. Then I made an 8x8 pan of brownies with the remaining mix. You could crumble those into the puppy chow too.