Italian Grilled Cheese

Quick Meal Idea!

from: Taste of Home, Collector's Edition

4 slices Italian bread, 1 inch thick
4 slices mozzarella or provolone cheese
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
2/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

CUT a 3 inch pocket in each slice of bread, place a slice of cheese in each pocket.

IN a bowl, beat eggs, milk, Italian seasoning and garlic salt.

SOAK bread in mixture for 2 minutes on each side. Coat with bread crumbs.

COOK on a greased hot griddle until golden brown on both sides.

Makes 4 servings. Serve with Sausage Bean Soup!

Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread (Monkey Bread)

My husband this morning was talking about this. He said he went to the store and saw the pull-apart pepperoni bread, but couldn't find the cinnamon kind. And, since he is a serious lover of cinnamon, any chance I get to make him something with cinnamon in it is a good thing. So, I searched and found this recipe. It was really easy to make and the only things I had to buy were the biscuits and eggs (but I needed the eggs anyway since I am making chicken paprikas tonight for dinner.

As you can see, as soon as I put it on the plate, someone stole a chunk!

from: www.pillsbury.com; here is their direct link: http://www.pillsbury.com/Recipes/ShowRecipe.aspx?rid=45473

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cans Pillsbury Grands Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

HEAT oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a fluted bunt pan.

IN a large resealable plastic bag, mix granulated sugar and cinnamon.

SEPARATE dough and cut each biscuit into quarters. Shake in bag to coat. Arrange in pan.

MIX brown sugar and butter; pour over biscuit pieces.

BAKE 28 to 32 minutes or until golden brown and no longer doughy in center.

COOL in pan for 10 minutes. Turn upside down onto a serving plate; pull apart to serve. Serve warm.

Note: I greased my pan more than lightly, since I sometimes don't grease it enough. And, I used 2 tsp. of cinnamon (since my husband loves it), and I used a plastic container to shake the dough pieces in.

Sour Cream Cherry Scones

from: landolakes.com

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Baking Time: 25 minutes
Makes 16 scones

Toppings:

1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 tbsp. sugar

Scone Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2/3 cup dried cherries (or sweetened dried cranberries)

HEAT oven to 375 degrees. Combine all topping ingredients in small bowl; mix well. Set aside.

COMBINE flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

COMBINE sour cream, egg and almond extract in small bowl until smooth. Stir into flour mixture just until moistened. Stir in cherries.

TURN dough onto lightly floured surface; knead 8 to 10 times until smooth, adding small amount of flour, if necessary.

DIVIDE dough in half. Pat each half into a 7-inch circle. Place 2 inches apart onto large ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle topping evenly over dough. Score each half into 8 wedges; do not separate.

BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until scones are lightly browned. Cool 15 minutes; separate scones.

STORE leftover scones in airtight container at room temperature.

Jam-Filled Muffins

from: Taste of Home, 1997

Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 20-25 minutes
Makes 1 dozen

1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/2 cup raspberry or strawberry jam

IN a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

IN a small bowl lightly beat eggs. Add milk, butter and lemon peel.

POUR into dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Spoon half of the batter into 12 greased or paper-lined cups.

MAKE a well in the center of each; add jam. Spoon remaining batter over jam.

BAKE at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

Pizza Loaf

from Great American Home Baking

Prep: 45 minutes
Makes 8 servings

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. salt
4 cups flour

Filling and Garnish:

1/3 cup prepared pizza sauce
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (2 2/3 oz.)
1/4 cup chopped, pitted black olives
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

IN a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until foamy, 5-10 minutes.

STIR oil and salt into yeast mixture.

USING a heavy-duty electric mixer with paddle attachment on low speed, beat flour into yeast mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms.

ON a floured surface, knead dough until smooth and elastic, 5-10 minutes, adding more flour to prevent sticking. Place dough in a large greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover loosely with a damp cloth; let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 hour.

GREASE a 9-inch tube pan. Punch down dough. Cover again; let rest for 5 minutes.

ON a floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 15 x 10 inch rectangle. Spread sauce over dough to within 1 inch of edges. Sprinkle with parmesan chees, mozzarella cheese, olives, basil and oregano.

STARTING with a long side, roll up dough tightly, jelly-roll style; pinch edges to seal. Place dough in prepared pan with seam toward center. Pinch ends to seal. Cover again; let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 1/2 hours.

PREHEAT oven to 400 degrees. Bake loaf for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350. Bake loaf until top is brown and sounds hollow when tapped, 35 to 40 minutes more. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Turn loaf out onto rack. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

Best Ever Cheesy Biscuits

Bake: 15 minutes
Makes: 12

8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup milk
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup shortening

PLACE milk, cheese and lemon juice in a medium bowl and let stand for 15 minutes beforehand.

PREHEAT oven to 450 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.

CUT in shortening until it resembles coarse corn meal. Add milk and cheese and blend together.

SPOON by heaping tablespoons onto an ungreased baking sheet.

BAKE for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

SERVE warm.

I make these a lot. They go with lots of different meals and my family really likes them.

Poppy Seed Twists

from Great American Home Baking

Prep: 1 hour, 8 hours chilling
Bake 15 minutes
Makes 3 dozen

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water
2/3 cup butter-flavored solid vegetable shortening
2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 cup lukewarm mashed potatoes
7-7 1/2 cups flour

Glaze and Topping:

1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. poppy seeds

IN a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tsp. of sugar in warm water. Let stand until foamy, 5-10 minutes.

STIR remaining sugar, shortening and salt into yeast mixture.

USING mixer with paddle set on medium, beat in eggs. Beat in potatoes and 3 cups flour. At low speed, beat in enough remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to form a soft dough.

ON a floured surfae, knead dough until smooth and elastic, 5-10 minutes, adding more flour to prevent sticking. Place dough in a large greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, chill for at least 8 hours.

GREASE 2 large baking sheets. Punch dough down. On a floured surface, divide dough into thirds. Working with one-third of dough at a time (keep remainder covered), roll dough into a long rope, cut into 36 equal pieces.

ROLL each dough piece into a 3 1/2 inch rope. Place 3 ropes side by side on a prepared baking sheet. Braid ropes together, not stretching the dough. Pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Repeat with remaining dough.

COVER loosely with a damp cloth; let rise in a warm place until doubled, 45-60 minutes.

PREHEAT oven to 375. To prepare glaze, mix together egg yolk and water. Brush rolls with glaze. Sprinkle with poppy seeds.

BAKE rolls until golden, 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread

From: http://www.kraftfoods.com/

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Makes: 12 servings

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

3 cans (7.5 oz.) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 to 2 Tbsp. milk

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees. Mix granulated sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl; set aside. Cut each biscuit into quarters and roll in the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place half of the biscuit pieces in a greased 12 cup fluted tube pan; drizzle with half of the butter. Top with remaining biscuit pieces, then drizzle with remaining butter. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture.

BAKE 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. coll in pan for 5 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate.

BEAT cream cheese and powdered sugar in a small bowl on medium speed until well blended. Add 1 Tbsp. of milk and beat until blended. Beat in more milk for desired consistency. Drizzle over bread. Serve warm.