Monthly menu & favorite fall dessert recipes

If you've been looking at my recipes for a while, you might notice that I tend to repeat a lot of stuff. That is because I stick with things that we like, and also because I tend to get in ruts with my cooking. Who doesn't? I'm so thankful for the internet, food blogs, and pinterest because otherwise we would literally be eating the same thing all the time. So anyway, for my own sake and for those of you who are looking for new stuff to try, I have started making a note if it's a new recipe that I'm posting. If you have a recipe that is worth sharing, please post it in the comments. Also, in this list you'll notice that there is often 4 or 5 recipes in a row using the same kind of meat. In real life on my calendar I mix it up, so we're not eating chicken for a week in a row, unless I do it on purpose like roasting a chicken one night and then using the meat in another couple recipes that week. That just makes good financial and time sense. Enjoy!

Bowtie "lasagna" (new recipe)
Taco soup (Paula Deen recipe...thanks Heather for making this at book club! This is the best taco soup I have ever had.) with cornbread
Creamy chicken taquitos (I make this at least once a month and always wish I had made more.)
Lemon roasted chicken (I am going to make 2 of these and use the meat in the next couple recipes)
Lemon Chicken Soup with spaghetti
Southwest Chicken & Corn cakes
BBQ baked potatoes (I will probably make this around the same time I make the beef stew so I can use part of the stew meat to make shredded BBQ in the crock pot for the potatoes.)
Sub sandwiches with turkey, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, cheese, and sub dressing
Tasty pork tenderloin
Chicken huts
Pizza
Taco pile-up
Chicken, bacon & avocado quesadillas (new recipe)
Beef stew
Crispy southwest chicken wraps (a keeper from last month. I'll probably make Pioneer woman's basic mexican rice for the taco pile-ups and then use the leftovers for this recipe. It will boost the flavor and then I won't have to make rice again. It's not my favorite thing to do.)
Savory spiral stuffed rolls (new recipe...I will use Rhode's frozen bread dough instead of making my own dough. I'll make these close to when I make the lemon chicken soup since they both call for fresh shredded parmesan, NOT the grated kind in the green cylinder.)

Here are a few desserts I've made lately that you might enjoy trying...
S'mores bars

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups marshmallows
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Combine 1 1/2 cup crumbs and melted butter and press into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.
Top with chocolate chips, then marshmallows.
Pour condensed milk all over the marshmallows.
Top with the remaining 1/2 cup crumbs.
Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
Cool before cutting.

Sidenote: I love baking with canned pumpkin. I think it was last year that there was a pumpkin shortage when it wasn't fall, and I couldn't find pumpkin ANYWHERE. Obviously, not the end of the world, but when you want pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and there is no pumpkin to be found, it is a bummer. I learned my lesson and stockpiled last year, and just finished my last can of pumpkin making the two recipes below.  Time to stock up again in case we have Pumpkin Crisis of 2012.

Pumpkin cupcakes with salted caramel buttercream...YUMMMMMY!
Pumpkin Cupcakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the  brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Beat on medium speed until well combined.  Add dry ingredients, and mix on low until smooth. Fold in pumpkin puree.
Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.
Makes ~ 24 cupcakes.

Salted Caramel Buttercream

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 stick salted butter
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 cups powdered sugar

In a saucepan, stir together granulated sugar and water.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Cook without stirring until mixture turns a deep amber color.  Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla, stirring until very smooth.  Let caramel cool for about 20 minutes, until it is just barely warm and still pourable.

In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and salt together until lightened and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar.  Mix until thoroughly combined.

 

Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the caramel.  Beat on medium high speed until light and airy, and completely mixed (about 2 minutes).  Mixture should be ready to use without refrigeration.  If your caramel was too hot when added, it will cause your icing to be runny.  If this happens refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

Pumpkin bars
Bars:

• 4 eggs
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 15-ounce can pumpkin
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:

• 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.
To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.