Oatmeal Bread Rolls

If you like Hawaiian Bread Buns, you will love these dinner rolls. Oatmeal Bread Buns stay moist, yet they are light, fluffy, and tender. They have a slightly sweet and nutty taste, perfect to serve with any meal. These are definitely one of our favorite dinner bread rolls to make!

Ingredients

2 c. water
1 c. oats
3 Tbs. butter
1/3 c. very warm water
1 pkg. yeast
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
4 1/2 to 5 c. flour

Directions

Grease two 9-inch round baking pans. Set aside.

In a saucepan, bring water to a boil.  Stir in oatmeal and butter.  Cook and stir for 1 minute, then remove from heat. Let stand until it cools a bit, but is still warm. You don't want it too hot because it will kill the yeast.

In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast and granulated sugar together. Place in a warm location for 10 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom. That will let you know that your yeast is active.

Stir in the oatmeal, brown sugar, and 1 1/2 c. flour into the yeast mixture. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth, or you can use your mixer.  

Stir in more flour until you have a soft dough. **see below 

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.  Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes, adding more flour as necessary.  

Lightly grease or oil the bowl you were mixing the dough in. Place the dough into the bowl, turning once to make sure that all sides are oiled or greased.  Cover the bowl and place in a warm location until doubled in size. This takes about 1 hour. 

Punch the dough down. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Divide the dough into 18 equal pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a ball and place in the prepared pans. If you want smaller buns, divide the dough into 24 equal portions.

Cover and place the pans in a warm location. Let rise until doubled in size. This rising can take about 45 minutes.

Heat oven to 350°. What I do is I have the pans already in the oven to rise, because my stove has a pilot light. Then, after they are doubled in bulk, I turn the oven on.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Brush the tops with some butter.  We just take a stick of butter and run it over the tops of the hot rolls. Remove the buns from the pans and cool on a wire rack. Or put them in a bowl with a tea towel to keep warm if you are serving them with your meal. 

Serve with honey butter if desired.

Notes

Don't just dump all the flour in at once. When you make bread, you never use the same amount of flour.  The weather, humidity and liquid you added will make the amounts of flour different every time.  

You can also use this recipe to make 1 loaf of bread, or 2 mini loaves of bread.

Single Crust Peach Pie with Crumb Topping

This is one of the simplest pie recipes ever.  You can either make your own pie crust or purchase one already made at the store.

Ingredients

1 pie crust, bought or homemade for 9" pie
6 c. peaches, sliced
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
3 Tbs. cornstarch
3 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 c. oatmeal
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°.

In a large bowl, mix peaches, sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Mix well. 

Pour the peaches over the prepared pie crust in the pie pan.

In a medium bowl, combine oatmeal, brown sugar, and flour for the crumb topping. Mix well. Cut in the butter until it resembles small peas in size.  

Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the top of the peaches.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Allow the pie to cool. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.

Notes:

Place the pie pan on top of a cookie sheet. You can line the cookie sheet with aluminum foil for easier cleanup.  This will catch any juices that may bubble out and keep your oven cleaner.

You can use frozen peaches. Be sure to thaw them first. Put them in a strainer to allow the juices to drain away. Canned peaches are another option as well. Be sure to drain them first by putting them in a strainer and allowing the juices to drain away.  Don't throw out the juice. Keep it and use if for cooking, or to use it in place of water in your jello.

Unstuffed Bell Peppers

 Sometimes there just isn't time to make stuffed peppers the way my mama did. But that doesn't stop us from enjoying this delicious meal!  By cutting up the peppers and cooking it on the stove top, it makes fixing this dish super easy. 

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño hot pepper, chopped (optional)
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 oz.) can beef broth
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 Tbs. Worcestershire
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1 c. rice
1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded (optional)

Directions

In a cast iron skillet, add ground beef, onion, bell peppers, garlic and jalapeño pepper.  Cook until the vegetables are softened, and the ground beef is no longer pink.

Stir in diced tomatoes, beef broth, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder and Italian seasoning. Cook and stir until the mixture begins to bubble. Add the rice and mix well. 

Cover the skillet with a lid and turn the heat down to a simmer.  Let the mixture cook for 20 to 30 minutes for white rice, or 35 to 45 minutes for brown rice. Cook until the rice is tender. Stir the mixture occasionally, so it does not stick to the bottom of the skillet. If you need to add more liquid, pour in tomato juice or more beef broth. 

Season with salt and pepper. 

Mix in the shredded cheese. Cover with the lid until the cheese melts. It won't take long, maybe a minute or two.

Serve and enjoy.

Baked Marinated Pork Chops

 

This recipe is so easy. Marinating the pork chops beforehand makes them flavorful and tender.  This sauce is what makes this recipe stand out. We serve the marinated pork chops with mashed potatoes, and baked beans. You can also serve this over a bed of rice.

Ingredients

6 pork chops
3 Tbs. oil or olive oil
4 Tbs. ketchup or BBQ sauce
4 Tbs. brown sugar
2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 tsp. lemon juice or vinegar
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, sliced

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a medium bowl, combine oil, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, lemon juice, pepper and garlic. 

Place the pork chops in a large bowl, or bag, and pour in half of the sauce, turning them to make sure they are covered in the marinade. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or longer.  Set the other half of the sauce aside. You will need it later.

Add the sliced onion over the bottom of the baking pan. Arrange the pork chops in a single layer on top of the onions. 

Pour the sauce or marinade over the top of the pork chops. Cover the baking dish or pan with a sheet of aluminum foil, or a lid.

Bake for 20 minutes.  Turn the pork chops over after. Pour the rest of the sauce over the pork chops, and continue baking for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 145°.

Notes

You may want to make extra sauce. Just double the recipe ingredients. 

If your pork chops are thick cut, increase the baking time to around 30 minutes per side. 

You can also grill the pork chops and brush the marinade over the meat as it grills.

Crispy Baked Parmesan Garlic Chicken

 

We love crispy chicken, and we usually bake it in the oven instead of frying it. By dipping the chicken in garlic butter and coating it in the Parmesan cheese and herb blend, your chicken is taken to the next level and it tastes delicious. The chicken meat is tender and juicy.

Ingredients

1/2 c. butter
4 lbs. chicken
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. parsley
1 Tbs. oregano
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a cookie pan or baking dish. You can also line it with aluminum foil.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the garlic. Cook and stir for 4 or 5 minutes.  Pour the mixture into a low sided bowl or pan.

In a shallow dish or pan, add the Parmesan cheese, parsley, oregano, paprika, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Mix thoroughly.

Dip the chicken pieces in the melted butter and garlic mixture. Allow the excess to drip off and then dip the chicken in the Parmesan cheese mixture. Lay the chicken on the prepared pan. Repeat the process with the remaining pieces of chicken. If you have any butter left over, pour the remainder over the chicken in the pan.

Bake for 1 hour, or until the chicken is browned and the juices run clear.  The internal temperature of the chicken should be 165°.

Serve with hot homemade rolls, mashed potatoes and a salad.

Cheese Breadsticks

Cheese Breadsticks

Going to a pizza place, they always have good breadsticks.  We could just eat those and not order pizza. But it is just as easy to make your own breadsticks at home and they taste just as good or even better then the pizza places.

Ingredients

1 c. warm water
2 tsp. yeast
1 tsp. sugar
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 Tbs. cooking oil, or olive oil
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. butter, very soft
1/2 to 1 tsp. Italian seasoning *see notes below
1/2 tsp. garlic or more
3/4 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
3/4 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese

Directions

Lightly grease or spray a cookie pan or baking pan or a half sheet pan.

In a large bowl, combine water, yeast and sugar. Stir to combine and place in a warm location to proof for about 10 minutes.

Add 1 cup flour, Stir the mixture to combine. Then mix in add the oil and salt.  Continue adding the rest of the flour until it becomes soft, but it should still be sticky. Knead the dough about 15 to 20 times, adding more flour as necessary. You will want a dough that is slightly sticky.

Lightly grease or oil the bowl that you mixed the dough in. Place the dough inside, turning once so that all sides of the dough is oiled. Cover the bowl and place it in a warm location. Let rise until doubled. This takes about 60 to 90 minutes, depending how warm it is. 

Preheat the oven to 400°. Place a cookie sheet in the oven to heat.

Punch the dough down and place the dough in the center of your prepared pan. Press the dough out to fit in the bottom of the pan. If the dough springs back while you are trying to press it out, let it rest for abut 10 to 15 minutes and it will work better for you and stay in place.

Brush the softened butter over the top of the dough going to the edges. Sprinkle the garlic and Italian seasoning evenly over the top.

Top with mozzarella cheese, cheddar and Parmesan cheese.  Set in a warm location for about 15 minutes.

Bake for 15 to 18minutes, or until the breadsticks are golden brown and the cheese is melted. 

Allow the dough to cool for about 5 minutes before cutting into cheese sticks with a pizza cutter.

Serve with marinara sauce, pizza sauce ow whatever sauce you like best.

Notes:

If you don't have Italian seasoning, you can use 1 tsp. basil, 1 tsp. oregano, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder,  1/4 tsp. thyme.

Use more garlic if you like a more garlic flavor. 
Use the cheese you like best. We like Cheddar and Pepper Jack cheese. You can mix them for different flavors.

Hamburger Rice Soup  

On cool days, this is one of our favorite recipes to make. It is a warm and comforting soup that reminds me of my mama's cooking. 

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
3 bell peppers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 (32 oz.) carton beef broth
2 (10 3/4 oz. ) cans condensed tomato soup
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 or 2 carrots, cut in rounds, or diced (optional)
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 c. raw rice*

Directions

In a cast iron Dutch oven, brown the ground beef, bell peppers, and onion. Drain off excess grease.

Stir in the beef broth, condensed tomato soup, diced tomatoes, carrot, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper and rice.  Bring to a boil. Cover the Dutch oven and lower the heat to a simmer.  Cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the rice is tender. If you need more liquid, add some water, tomato juice or more beef broth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve in bowls. You can add some shredded cheddar cheese into the soup as well.

Use your favorite rice. We like Jasmine Brown rice.  If using brown rice, it will need to about 45 minutes.