Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup & Easy Homemade Noodles

Ingredients for Soup

• 3 chicken breasts
• 4 cans (14.5 oz) low or no sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1/2 cup peas
• 1 tbsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp oregano

Ingredients for Noodles

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 eggs beaten
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1/4 tsp salt

So when recently I made the Spicy Shell & Cheese Crescent Cups, I thought it might be fun to replace the mac & cheese with scrambled eggs & bacon. I made these Egg & Bacon Tartlets and they were perfect for Christmas morning, would be delicious served at a fancy brunch, and even work well as a grab-and-go meal for those busy mornings. Enjoy!

Egg & Bacon Tartlets

Ingredients

• 2 cans of refrigerated crescent rolls
• 4 eggs
• 4 slices of bacon – cooked and chopped
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Peanutty Chocolate Mallow Bars

Prep Time: 25 min. | Total Time: 3 hours 30 min. (incl. refrigerating) | Makes: 36 servings.

What You Need
4 squares BAKER’S Unsweetened Chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1 jar (7 oz.) JET-PUFFED Marshmallow Creme
1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped
1 cup PLANTERS Creamy Peanut Butter
3 cups crisp rice cereal

Make It

1. HEAT oven to 350°F.
2. MICROWAVE unsweetened chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted; stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Stir in flour. Spread onto bottom of 13×9-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray.
3. BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (Do not overbake.) Cool completely. Cover with marshmallow creme.
4. MICROWAVE semi-sweet chocolate and peanut butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min., stirring after each minute until mixture is well blended. Stir in cereal; spread over marshmallow creme layer. Refrigerate 2 hours before cutting into bars.

How to Remove Squares from Pan:
Run paring knife around edges of pan to loosen dessert. Remove dessert from pan; place on cutting board. Cut into bars.

How to Store:
Store bars in airtight container in refrigerator up to 3 days before serving.

Note:
If baking dessert in a dark pan, reduce oven temperature by 25ºF.

Thanks to Kraft Foods for providing the recipe.

Holiday Crunch Bars

Prep Time: 30 min. | Makes: 16 servings.

What You Need
35 PREMIUM Saltine Crackers
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped
1 cup chopped PLANTERS Pistachio Lovers Mix
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Make It
HEAT oven to 400ºF.
PLACE crackers in single layer in foil-lined 15x10x1-inch pan.
COOK butter and sugar in saucepan on medium-high heat until butter is melted and mixture is well blended, stirring occasionally. Bring to boil; cook 3 min. without stirring. Spread onto crackers.
BAKE 5 to 7 min. or until topping is golden brown. Immediately sprinkle with chocolate; let stand 5 min. or until softened. Spread over crackers; top with nuts and cranberries. Cool. Break into pieces.

Size-Wise:
Looking for something sweet? One serving of this crunchy treat is sure to hit the spot when served with a cold glass of fat-free milk.

Thanks to Kraft Foods for providing the recipe.

When I attended the KraftFoods BlogEats Conference, my team of mom bloggers created a variation of this recipe and it won the conference recipe challenge – so I know it’s delicious too!

Happy Holidays and Enjoy!

Holiday Surprise Cupcakes

Prep Time: 30 min. | Total Time: 55 min. | Makes: 24 servings.

What You Need
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
15 OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 1-1/4 cups)
1/4 cup PLANTERS Creamy Peanut Butter
1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
1 pkg. (3.9 oz.) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
1-1/4 cups water
4 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1 cup cold milk
1/4 cup ready-to-spread vanilla frosting
24 JET-PUFFED HOLIDAY MALLOWS Marshmallows
1/2 cup BAKER’S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut

Make It

1. HEAT oven to 350ºF.
2. MIX cream cheese, cookie crumbs and peanut butter until blended. Shape into 24 (1-inch) balls; set aside.
3. BEAT cake mix, dry chocolate pudding mix, water, eggs and oil with mixer until blended; spoon 1 Tbsp. into each of 24 paper-lined muffin cups. Place cookie ball in center of batter in each cup. Cover with remaining batter.
4. BAKE 20 to 25 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in pans 10 min. Meanwhile, beat dry vanilla pudding mix, milk and frosting with whisk 2 min.
5. REMOVE cupcakes from pans; place on wire racks. Spread with frosting. (No need to completely cool cupcakes first.) Top with marshmallows and coconut.

How to Store:
Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

Substitute:
For a snowy-white frosting, prepare using JELL-O Cheesecake Flavor or White Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding.

Thanks to Kraft Foods for providing the recipe.

I found a recipe on the Betty Crocker website for Skillet Ham & Vegetables Au Gratin and since I had a box of Betty Crocker Casserole Au Gratin on hand, it sounded perfect.

The recipe was really easy and I adapted it a bit.  Instead of ham I used diced rotisserie chicken (which I also love to cook with), and since I didn’t have a large onion, I used dried minced onion. After combining all of the ingredients in the skillet, I was able to cover it and let it simmer for 10 minutes. I came back to stir occasionally, but in between I was able to set the table and hang out with Kora and Logan while it cooked. I love these kinds of meals!

The dish turned out amazing! Kora & Logan said it reminded them of macaroni and cheese, but with potatoes, so they were thrilled. We all enjoyed the recipe so much that there were no leftovers and we added it to our list of favorites. I’m happy to share the recipe below and hope you find it as delicious and easy and we did!

Check out the recipe here and be sure to enter the giveaway below!

Skillet Chicken & Vegetables Au Gratin

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 cups diced rotisserie chicken
• 1 box Betty Crocker Casserole Au Gratin
• 2 1/2 cups of hot water
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tbsp minced onion
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 bag (12 oz) frozen mixed vegetables

Directions

1. Melt margarine in a large skillet over med-high heat.
2. Stir in chicken, Potatoes, Sauce Mix, hot water, pepper, salt, and onion.
3. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add cheese and froze vegetables, stir until well mixed.
5. Cover and simmer 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.
6. Let stand 5 minutes before serving, until sauce thickens.
7. Serve warm and enjoy!