Raspberry Fluff Salad

 I know this “salad” screams Utah funeral. And that’s exactly where I got this recipe. 😂 But it’s truly delicious and easy to throw together for any event, not just funerals. 

-1, 32oz Vanilla Yogurt 

-1, 16oz Cool Whip

-1, 5.1oz vanilla instant pudding mix (don’t make it according to box, just throw the powder in with the other ingredients) 

-1, 12oz frozen raspberries 

Directions:

Mix the first three ingredients together until it’s smooth. Fold in frozen raspberries.

My picture is right after I put the raspberries in. But once the raspberries get to room temperature it makes a nice pink swirl. Enjoy! 

UPDATE: Mom told me we had this all the time growing up and I didn’t even realize it was the same thing. She puts hers in a graham cracker crust and freezes it. 

Chicken Stir Fry

 

Sometimes you just need a good simple stir fry recipe. (Shelly) 

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

**Note: these are the vegetables I used but use your favorites and/or what you have on hand

Ingredients

2 cups cooked rice

Chicken Stir Fry Ingredients:

1# chicken cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 zucchini, sliced or cubed

2 Tbsp oil

1 Tbsp butter

1 cup broccoli, cut into florets

1 carrot, julienned or cubed

8 oz mushrooms, sliced

1/2 red pepper, cubed

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp fresh ginger, minced (or use ginger paste

1/2 onion, cubed

cashews

green onion and sesame seeds (Optional)

Stir Fry Sauce Ingredients:

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

1. Trim chicken thighs of excess fat and cut into bite-sized pieces. Cut the vegetables into even-sized pieces (about the same size as the chicken pieces).

2. Combine all of the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl.

3. In a large pan (or wok), on med/high heat, heat 1 Tbsp oil. Once oil is hot, add chicken in a single layer. Cook chicken until browned, mixing as needed. Once cooked, remove chicken from pan and set aside.

4. Add the remaining oil and the butter to skillet. Add vegetables one at time depending on the cooking time (ie onion; red pepper, carrot and broccoli; zucchini; mushrooms) Cook until vegetables are crisp tender, mixing frequently.

5. Add chicken back to the pan. Add the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.

6. Add the cashews then pour the sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and let stir fry simmer until the sauce thickens and is well incorporated with the remaining ingredients. Garnish with green onion and sesame seed before serving if desired.

Cinnamon Baked French Toasr

 Mom posting again. This the the delicious Butler breakfast from Bear Lake reunion. Jessica posted an equally delish similar one, but with a few different ingredients. 

Enchilada Bake

Mom here. Another great recipe from Shelly. Thanks, Shelly! Can’t wait to try it. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup salsa verde*
• 1 cup guacamole salsa* 
• 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts 
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 medium yellow or white onion, thinly sliced into half moons
• 2 medium bell peppers, cored and sliced into strips
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 to 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or sharp cheddar cheese, or a combo
• Fresh, chopped cilantro

Seasoning Mix:

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt, I use coarse, kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Extra toppings

avocados, fresh lime wedges, sour cream, additional cheese, tomatoes, etc

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch (or similar sized) baking dish. Spread one cup of guacamole salsa in the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine all the seasoning mix ingredients. Pat the chicken dry. If using chicken breasts, cut them into thinner strips (similar to chicken tenderloin size or slightly larger). Sprinkle the seasoning mix evenly over the chicken (both sides). Set aside.
• In a 12-inch skillet or saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Saute until the onions and peppers start to soften, 3-4 minutes (they’ll cook a bit more in the oven). Spread the onions and peppers over the salsa in the pan.
• Return the skillet to medium heat and add a drizzle of oil if the pan is dry. Add the chicken in a single layer (may need to do this in two batches) and cook for 30 – 60 seconds per side for some quick browning action – don’t overcook (the chicken will cook longer in the oven). Remove the chicken from the pan and place in a single layer over the vegetables.
• Sprinkle the black beans over the chicken. Pour one cup salsa verde over the beans. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes (bake for 35 minutes in this step if using chicken thighs).
• Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Add time, as needed, for the chicken to fully cook through.
• Remove from the oven, sprinkle with fresh cilantro, and let rest for 10-15 minutes. The sauce will thicken as the casserole rests. Serve over rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice, etc OR serve in tortillas (or roll up in burritos or enchiladas). Serve with additional toppings/garnishes as desired: avocados, fresh lime wedges, sour cream, additional cheese, tomatoes, etc.
• *If you don't want to buy 2 separate salsas you can buy one 16oz of either salsa verde or guacamole salsa and pour 1 cup on bottom and 1 cup over the top.

Beef Stroganoff

 

Prep Time: 15 minutes

 

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

From mom: Shelly’s recipe! I love these quick to prepare recipes! 

Ingredients

For the Beef Stroganoff:

• 1 lb top sirloin steak, thinly sliced into strips
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 lb brown mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 1 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup beef broth
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 
  

• To Serve:

• • 1 Tbsp green onion, to garnish
  • 8-12 oz egg noodles, to serve

  Instructions

  1. Place a large deep pan or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 Tbsp oil and once oil is very hot, add thinly sliced beef strips in a single layer, cooking 1 minute per side without stirring. Cook until just browned and no longer red. Sear beef in 2 batches so you don't overcrowd the pan. Remove beef to a plate and cover to keep warm.

  2. Add 2 Tbsp butter, chopped onion and sliced mushrooms. Sautee 6-8 minutes or until liquid has evaporated and onions and mushrooms are soft and lightly browned.

  3. Add 1 minced garlic clove and sautee 1 minute until fragrant. Add 1 Tbsp flour and sautee another minute stirring constantly.

  4. Pour in 1 cups beef broth, scraping any bits from the bottom of the pan then add 3/4 cup whipping cream and simmer another 1 to 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. 
  5. Stir a few Tablespoons of the sauce into 1/4 cup of sour cream to temper it so the sour cream doesn’t curdle then add it to the pan while stirring constantly.
  6. Stir in 1 Tbsp Worcestershire, 1/2 tsp dijon mustard, and season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, or season to taste and continue simmering until sauce is creamy. Add beef with any accumulated juices back to the pan and bring just to a simmer or until beef is heated through.

  7. Recipe Notes

     For best results, be sure your meat is either: Top Sirloin, Boneless Ribeye steak, Beef Tenderloin (Filet Mignon), or Filet Mignon tips.

Cinnamon Rolls

 These cinnamon rolls are to die for! We always make them for conference, Christmas Eve, or just because. The original recipe comes from Over The Big Moon but I made a few changes. 

Submitted by: Jessica 

Ingredients

-1/2 cup warm water 

- 1 1/2 Tbsp active yeast or 2 packages active yeast 

-2 Tbsp Sugar

-3.5oz instant vanilla pudding (prepared according to package) 

-(2 cups of milk for the pudding) 

-1/2 cup softened butter 

-2 eggs 

- 1tsp salt

-6 cups flour

Filling

-1/2 cup melted butter 

-2 cups brown sugar 

-4 tsp cinnamon 

Frosting 

-8 oz cream cheese, softened 

-1/2 cup butter

-1 Tbsp milk 

-1 tsp vanilla 

-2 cups powdered sugar 

Instructions 

1. Mix the water, yeast, and sugar together. Allow it to proof for 5 minutes. 

2. Mix the vanilla pudding according to the directions on the box (no need to let set up), add the softened butter, eggs, and salt. Mix well. 

3. Add the pudding mixture into the yeast mixture and combine. 

4. Slowly add the flour to the dough mixture. Adding about a cup at a time. Knead until combined. The dough will be sticky, add a little bit of flour as needed to make it more manageable. Place dough into a large greased bowl and allow it to rise for an hour. 

5. After an hour punch dough down and roll it out thin onto a well-floured surface  

6. For the filling, melt the butter and spread it over the top of the rolled out dough. 

7. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together and spread over the top of the butter evenly. 

8. Cut the dough down the middle to make it more manageable and easier to roll up. 

9. Slowly and tightly roll up the cinnamon roll. Then cut into about 1.5 inch sections. 

10. Place on a grease 9x13inch pan and allow them to rise again until doubled in size. You can also put them into the refrigerator overnight. 

11. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

12. While the cinnamon rolls cook, mix the softened cream cheese and softened butter together. Then add the milk, vanilla extract, then powdered sugar. Mix thoroughly. 

13. Frost your cinnamon rolls generously and while they’re still hot. 

Usually, I get about 26 rolls out of this recipe. I split it into two pans and make one and freeze one. If you choose to freeze some, it is best to freeze prior to the 2nd rise. 

Caramel Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I got this recipes off of Mel’s Kitchen Cafe. They were so good! The whole family gobbled them right up.
Submitted by: Jessica

Ingredients:
Chocolate chip cookie dough
-1 cup of melted salted butter
-1 1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar
-2/3 cup sugar
-1 tsp baking soda
-3/4 tsp salt
-2 large eggs
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
-2 cups chocolate chips

Caramel
-11 to 14 oz of soft caramel, unwrapped
-1 Tbl cream (I used milk because that’s all I had, it worked great)

Cheesecake
-8oz softened cream cheese
-1/2 cup powdered sugar
-1 large egg
-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions 
1. Preheat oven to 350° And grease a 9x13 pan
2. For the cookie dough, in a large bowl (or kitchen aid) add the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir together until we’ll-combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.
3. Stir in the flour and chocolate chips and mix until combined. Press half of the dough evenly on the bottom of the prepared pan.
4. For the caramel, combine the soft caramels and cream (or milk) and microwave for 1 minute intervals. Stirring in between until melted and smooth. Drizzle the warm caramel over the cookie dough and spread into an even layer.
5. For the cheesecake, in a medium bowl (or kitchen aid), add the cream cheese and powdered sugar and mix well until smooth. Spread the cheesecake filling evenly over the caramel layer.
6. Take the remaining cookie dough and flatten into disc shapes, about 1/8- 1/4 inch thick. It’s ok if there are small spaces. The entire top doesn’t need to be covered, just get as much as you can.
7. Bake the bars for 35-40 minutes until lightly browned on the edges and mostly set throughout. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate bars until well chilled, 2-3 hours. These bars taste even better the next day after chilling.
8. Cut into squares and serve!