Best Restaurant Rolls Ever

Have you ever been to the Magleby's restaurant in Utah County? Well, if you haven't...you MUST! And, you HAVE to get one of their meals that comes with their specialty rolls.

Heaven. HEAVEN!!!

One of the blogs that I follow recently posted a copycat recipe for those rolls, and I just had to try it. I did the process a little bit differently than she did, but feel free to do either method.

Here is what you need:

• 12 frozen dinner rolls (I used Rhodes.)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise (I know...who woulda thought?)
• 1 TBS garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 melted butter
• (parsley--I didn't have any, so I didn't use any, but her copycat recipe calls for it.)

Here is what you do:

• Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.
• In one small bowl, combine mayo, garlic powder, onion powder, and garlic salt.
• In another small bowl, put cheese.
• Dip each frozen roll in the mayo until half of it is covered.
• Then dip the mayo covered roll in the cheese.
• Place each roll in the muffin tins.
• Let them rise until double in size. It takes about 3 or 4 hours depending on the temperature of your home. If you want things to go quicker, turn the oven on to the lowest temp and open the door slightly. Place muffin tip on top of stove.
• When they are the size you want, dab each one with a bit of melted butter until the tops are all covered.
• Bake according to package instructions.

They are so delicious! I just ate three for dinner with nothing else. Shhh. Don't tell.

Here they are all proofed and ready for their butter bath.

Baking in the oven! Almost ready--yay!

Pigs in a Blanket?

Sorry, no pics for this post...the meal was too good to not gobble up right away.

Anyway, remember when you were little and you loved to eat pigs in a blanket? Well, I have a grown-up version for ya. Enjoy!

Here is what you need:

• 1 pkg crescent rolls
• 1 cubed steak
• 8 slices cheese, your choice
• seasoning, your choice

Here is what you do:

• Season and cook the cubed steak, as desired. Cook it until it is almost done. It will finish cooking in the oven. (I used lemon pepper and cooked it on a George Foreman grill.)
• Slice steak into 8 strips.
• Roll out crescent triangles.
• Place one piece of cheese across largest section of crescent triangle.
• Layer strip of steak.
• Roll up as usual to form a crescent.
• Cook according to package instructions.

Yum!!!

Grilled Asparagus

I've never made asparagus before, but I really like it when I have it at restaurants. So I decided to give it a shot this weekend. I tell you what...it was delicious and light and had a nice crunch to it. Not a chip-type crunch, but the kind of crunch asparagus is supposed to have.

Here is what you need:

• 1 pkg asparagus (mine had about 20)
• 1/8 cup light cooking oil
• 3 Tbs lemon juice
• garlic pepper, to taste (I used about 1 1/2 tsp)
• lemon pepper, to taste (I used about 1 1/2 tsp)
• 1 long, shallow dish
• indoor grill

Here is what you do:

• Mix oil, lemon juice, and seasonings until well combined.
• Clean asparagus and cut off about 1" to 1 1/2" of the stem end (its the side that isn't as pretty).
• Put asparagus in shallow dish and cover with the mixture. Toss asparagus to make sure each one is completely covered.
• Leave the asparagus in the dish for about 15 minutes.
• Season your thin steaks, as desired. (I used a mixture of garlic pepper and lemon pepper to carry the flavors over from the asparagus.)
• At minute 11 of the asparagus marinating, cook the steaks for 4 minutes on the indoor grill. (This is for well done.)
• Remove steaks and cook asparagus for 3 minutes on grill. (This cooking time lets the steaks rest so the juices stay inside and keep it from going dry.)
• Remove asparagus and serve immediately.
• Pairs nicely with a light side salad.

Let it marinate in the flavor-packed mixture.

Then grill it for 3 minutes on one of these types of indoor grills.

Serve and enjoy!

Mexi Steak and Potato

I've always loved steak and potatoes, but I haven't ever had steak and potatoes with a Mexican flair. But, when I saw the idea in my low-cal cookbook, it made my mouth water. I just had to try it!

Below is the cookbook that gave me the inspiration. I showed it to you in the Fajita Lettuce Wraps post I did last week.



This is the cookbook.

This is what I made. Yum!
The recipe called for ground beef, but I used steak instead because that's what I had on hand.

Here is what you need:

• medium red potato (I cooked three for the week)
• 1/4 refried beans
• 4 oz lean steak (or hamburger flavored with taco seasoning)
• shredded lettuce, as desired
• chopped tomatoes, as desired
• diced green peppers, as desired
• sprinkle of grated cheese
• dollop of mexi-sour cream
• taco seasoning, as desired

Here is what you do:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Clean and poke holes in potato and wrap in foil. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• At the end of the cooking time for the potato, cut steak into strips and lightly coat in a little taco seasoning. Cook in a little bit of butter spray.
• While steak cooks, chop tomatoes, green peppers, and lettuce.
• When potato is done, allow it to cool for 5 minutes and then open it and pile on the toppings.
• Sprinkle a little bit more taco seasoning on top of everything. It makes it pretty. :-)

Did you notice that I didn't use any butter on my potato? And, I didn't even miss it since I had so many other flavors going on. Delish and incredibly filling!

Creamy Chicken, Broccoli, and Bacon Bowls

Remember the Pillsbury contest I am going to enter? Well, I played around with the presentation again and came up with little bowls. And, I'm about to hit the SUBMIT button on the entry form! YAY!!!

I'm baking the biscuits on the BOTTOM of the muffin tin. Cool!
(Thanks for the idea, Paula Dean.)

Baking the bowls that way makes the little bowls. So cute!
You can see the leftover biscuits flattened out together to make a 6" pizza with the rest of the chicken mixture.

Fill 'em up with the good stuff! 

Ready to eat. Delicious!

I'll let ya know when I hear back about the contest. Wish me luck!

Fajita Lettuce Wraps

I'm participating in a weight loss contest at work for the next two months, so I've been on the hunt to find low-cal, but not low-flavor meals. Well, lucky me, I stumbled upon this bargain book last week and have been so happy with it. It was less than $10!!! YAY!

I marked a few recipes to try over the next week or two, and this (shown below) is the first one I tried. It's called Lettuce Wrap Enchiladas. I changed it up a bit, though. So, that's what I'll share with ya. I also made up my own sour cream concoction, and it is SO delicious! I'll give ya that recipe, too.

Here is what you need for the filling:

• 1/2 cup green bell peppers, sliced
• 1/2 cup onion, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbs water
• 5 oz. chicken breast, cut into 2" long strips
• 1/2 cup fat-free, low-sodium refried beans
• 1 tbs salsa (or a little more, if you'd like)
• taco seasoning, to taste; reserve a dash for refried beans
• fajita seasoning, to taste; reserve a dash for refried beans
• grated cheese, as desired
• diced tomatoes, as desired
• 2 large lettuce leaves

I made the sour cream in bulk so that I have it for the rest of my Mexican themed menu items. So, here is what you need for my mexi-sour cream:

• 1 medium container fat-free sour cream
• 1/2 packet taco seasoning
• 1 tbs fajita seasoning
• 2 tbs lime juice (or if you're like me and you LOVE lime flavor, add a bit more to taste)
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Here is what you do:

• Cut bell pepper and onion into strips. Mince garlic.
• Add water, bell peppers, onion, chicken, garlic, and filling seasonings in skillet. Cover with lid and cook on medium-high until chicken is done and veggies are tender but still have a little crunch. Stir occasionally. (You do NOT need to add oil or butter. The water steams inside the closed skillet and cooks the ingredients.)
• While fajita fixins cook, mix refried beans, salsa, and a dash of seasonings in bowl. When fajita fixins are almost done, heat refried beans in microwave.
• Mix all ingredients for mexi-sour cream.
• Layer beans in center of lettuce leaf then layer fajita fixins on top.
• Top with mexi-sour cream, cheese, and tomatoes.
• Wrap leaf around filling like a burrito. (The pic shows one, but it makes two!)
• Eat and enjoy! (Careful, it gets a little messy, but it is still delicious!)

I just had to share these next two pics with ya, too, because they are precious.

This is my puppy, Sullie. He is like my little shadow. As I was washing dishes, he came over and slept by my feet. Too cute!

And, here he is sleeping next to me as I type this blog post. I felt his little paw on the back of my neck as I sat in my chair typing. (Awe, he was saying he wanted to sit with me!) So, I picked him up, put his blanket on the table next to me, and put him up there. He immediately laid down to take a little nap while I finished typing. Precious! (Since he is all black, its hard to see where his face is. lol. Its on the far right of the pic.)

Mexican (Mildly) Spicy Chicken

Don't let the name of this dish fool you. Even though it has the word "spicy" in the name, it is not that spicy. In fact, if you don't want any kick at all, then you can leave out one of the ingredients. (I'll tell you which one.) Leaving it out will slightly alter the flavor, of course, but not so much that it ruins the dish. But trust me, I am not a spicy food lover and I LOVE this dish; that's how mildly spicy it is.

My friend and former roommate introduced me to her delicious recipe.

Thanks, Natalie! Now I make it all the time.



Here is what you need:

• 2 cups shredded chicken, pre-cooked and thawed
• 24 oz. whipping cream (The original recipe calls for 16 oz, but I like a lot of sauce so I add an additional 8 oz.)
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup, 98% fat free
• 3/4 tsp of each of the following spices: salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, curry powder, and chili powder (The original recipe calls for 1/2 a tsp of each, but since I add more whipping cream I add more spices. Leave the chili powder out or reduce the quantity if you want an even milder flavor.)
• 1 bag No Yolk noodles

Here is what you do:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• While oven is heating, mix whipping cream, condensed soup, and all spices.
• Place chicken in 9 x 13 baking dish.
• Pour creamy spice mixture over chicken.
• Bake creamy mixture for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Stir it half way through the cooking time.
• When the creamy mixture has been in the oven for 15 minutes, start boiling water for noodles. Add noodles to boiling water.
• When creamy mixture is finished baking, let it rest for a few minutes before serving it over the noodles.
• Serve with your favorite veggie side dish.

This dish makes a bunch, and I love that because then I have delicious lunches for the whole week!

Let me know what you think of it when you make it. I'm sure it will become a staple in your family like it has become in mine. (Thanks again, Natalie!)

Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pizza

Here it is, in all its glory. Here is the story of how I came up with it...


Remember this delicious recipe?

Well, I entered it into the Soul Food and Southern Cooking contest. And, I'm so excited to find out the results in the beginning of May.

Then, I started to think of ways I could enter it into the Pillsbury Bake Off contest. In order to qualify, you have to include some specific ingredients, like pizza crust or dinner rolls from Pillsbury.

One problem...that delicious recipe doesn't call for pizza crust or dinner rolls. It calls for noodles. But, it is just so delicious, I wanted to see what I could come up with.

Drum roll please...






I came up with this! My Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pizza. 

I savoured every bite of my slice for dinner tonight. The rest is for lunch tomorrow! YUM!!!

It isn't very pretty yet because it was my first try, but I'll keep practicing and get it down to a science before I enter it into the contest. Who knows...maybe I'll get lucky and be a contestant out of the thousands of entrants.

I can't say the recipe details quite yet because of contest rules, but if you want some pointers, send me a message, and I'll help ya out!

Peanut Butteriffic Popsicles for Dogs

Want to spoil your puppy? Make this sweet treat and throw it in the freezer. Then when you need to reward him (or distract him for 5 minutes), give him one of these popsicles.

Here is what you need:

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, reduced fat and low sodium
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt, reduced fat
• 2 tbs honey, no sugar added
• 1 ice cube tray

Here is what you do:

• Mix peanut butter, yogurt, and honey until well combined
• Portion the mixture into the spaces in the ice cube tray
• Place in freezer for 8 hours
• Serve one cube to your dog as a reward or as a distraction
• Keep remaining cubes in tray in freezer until you need to use them

Super Durable Dog Toys

For added minutes to the distraction, place cube inside a toy with a little bit of it sticking out the top and have dog try to get it out or lick it to death. (lol) Just make sure it doesn't fall inside the toy otherwise you AND your puppy won't be able to get it out.

Your puppy will LOVE this treat! (And you'll love the 5 minutes you have to do the dishes while he is distracted!)

Goldenrod Eggs and Toast

My friend, Tresha, shared this recipe with a group of our friends, and I have to admit that I was a little worried at first. I even said so as she was teaching us how to make it. (lol) However, I also have to admit that I LOVED it when I tasted it! I bet you will, too.

Doesn't that look delectable? Trust me, it is!

Here is what you need:

• 12 eggs (I use 8)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 4 cups milk

Here is what you do:

• Be ready to multi-task while making this dish. It isn't difficult; I just wanted to prepare you. :-)
• Boil eggs. As eggs boil, get the rest of your ingredients measured out and ready to go. (See my How-To post about making perfectly boiled eggs.)
• When you have about 5 minutes left of cooking time for your eggs, melt butter in a large, deep skillet for your gravy.
• Whisk flour in butter and cook on medium heat for 1 min, whisking constantly.
• Gradually whisk in 1 cup of milk until thickened. Continue adding 1 cup at a time, waiting each time until that round gets thick. (This is also when you multi-task, so keep reading...)
• Whisk in a little bit of pepper and salt with each cup of milk that is added.
• While you wait for each cup of milk to thicken in your gravy, separate egg whites from yolks. Place in two separate bowls. (Keep an eye on your gravy.)
• Peel the eggs; let your kids help!
• Chop whites into chunks and smash yolks until crumbly. Set aside. (Keep an eye on your gravy.)
• Stir in egg whites to the gravy. By now, you should be finished adding the milk. 
• Serve over two pieces of buttered toast that have been broken into pieces. Let your kids help break the toast into pieces, after they wash their hands, of course. :-)
• Sprinkle yolks and salt and pepper on top, as desired. 

This breakfast is super filling and makes several servings based on how much gravy you want over your toast.