Our Favorite Family Recipes

Cinnamon Roll Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 (12.4 ounce) cans refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

Directions:

1. Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F Pour melted butter into a 9×13-inch heat-resistant glass baking dish.
2. Cut each cinnamon roll into 8 pieces and spread over the bottom of the dish. Set icing aside.
3. Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in heavy cream, cinnamon, and vanilla until combined; pour over cinnamon rolls. Sprinkle with pecans and drizzle with maple syrup.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.
5. Microwave icing for 10 to 15 seconds; drizzle over cooled casserole.

Serve warm!

• I omit the nuts as the kids don’t care for them.

• 1 pound ground spicy Italian sausage 
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium white onion, peeled and diced
• 5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 4 cups water
• 3 cups chopped fresh kale
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream (tempered)
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste).

Directions:

1. Cook sausage in a large pot over medium-high heat, breaking the sausage into small pieces until browned and cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a separate plate, reserving 1 tablespoon of grease in the pot.
2. Add onions to the reserved grease and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
3. Add garlic, and sauté for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. 
4. Add the potatoes, chicken stock, water and cooked sausage, and continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer. 
5. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.  Stir in the kale and tempered cream, and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
6.   Season with salt and pepper to taste.

No Bake Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ cups white sugar
• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup milk
• 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ cup  peanut butter
• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Combine sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa in a medium saucepan; bring to a rolling boil, stirring often. Boil for exactly 1 ½ minutes.
2. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla
3. Add peanut butter until melted and quickly and oats; stir until well combined.
4. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let cool until hardened.

Once the no-bake cookies are cooled and completely hardened, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. 

• These are my kid’s favorites. A batch never makes it 24 hours in our house.