4 Cheese with Bacon Mac

Ingredients:

• 1 box (1lb) cavatappi or macaroni
• 6 slices bacon, diced
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 1/2 teaspoon onion flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 pound sharp cheddar cheese shredded
• 1 cup shredded colby jack cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 8 slices American Cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Coat a 3 quart broiler safe baking dish with nonstick spray
• Cook your pasta and drain
• Cook bacon in a medium saucepan until crisp
• Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain
• Pour off all drippings except 2 tablespoons
• Add butter to bacon drippings
• Whisk in flour until smooth
• In a thin stream whisk in milk
• Stir in onion flakes, salt and pepper
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat then reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes
• In a large bowl toss together cheddar, colby jack, mozzarella
• Remove milk mixture from heat, whisk in American cheese and 1 1/4 cup of cheese mixture
• Toss bacon in with remaining cheese mixture
• In pasta pot combine cooked pasta and cheese sauce
• Pour half into prepared dish
• Sprinkle with a generous cup of cheese and bacon mixture
• Repeat layering
• Bake at 350 for 20 minutes
• Increase oven temp to broil and broil 3 minutes until top is lightly browned.

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this was delicious. it made so much. we had tons of left overs. it was good as a main dish but my husband would have preferred it as a side!

Pistachio Cake

Ingredients:
1 pkg white cake mix
3/4 c vegetable oil
1 c lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage
3 eggs
2 pkgs of instant pistachio pudding mix
2 envelopes whipped topping mix (i used Dream Whip brand)
1 1/2 c milk

Directions:
1. Beat cake mix, oil, soda, eggs, and 1 pkg of pudding mix until smooth. Pour batter into greased 9x13 pan.

2. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes, or until cake tests done.

3. Beat whipped topping mix, milk, and the other pkg of pudding mix until stiff.

4. Pour over cooled cake, Refrigerate.
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I made this cake for my uncle for his birthday per his request. My grandma used to make it for him all the time. So needless to say there was a lot of pressure for this to turn out good. It was actually very good. It doesn't taste like pistachios or at least I didn't think so. Delicious for sure!

S'mores Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ingredients:
1/2 gallon chocolate ice cream (in a brick form)
1 container of marshmallow cream
1 container of chocolate icing
1 pkg of graham crackers, halved

Directions:
1. Spread chocolate icing on one half of the graham cracker.

2. Spread marshmallow cream on the other half of the graham cracker.

3. Undo the paper packaging around the ice cream. Cut ice cream in to 1inch by 2inch pieces.

4. Place on top of the frosted cracker then place the marshmallow covered cracker on the top.

5. Put in freezer for 2 hours.

6. Once they are firm either wrap each sandwich individually in tin foil or just enjoy!
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Hopefully this recipe makes sense. I am sure the pictures will help. It is so easy, fast, and inexpensive!

Thick and Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese

(the mac and cheese is actually more yellow than the picture makes it look)

Ingredients:
1 can Campbell's condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
1/2 soup can of milk
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 c bread crumbs
2 tsp butter, melted
2 c cooked, hot noodles (elbow noodles recommended)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Boil water. Cook noodles. Drain.

3. In a 1qt baking dish, mix soup, milk, pepper, and noodles.

4. In a separate bowl, mix bread crumbs and butter. Sprinkle on top of noodles.

5. Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through.
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This recipe was delicious. It was like a good ol' southern mac and cheese. This only makes 2 cups though which was perfect for just my husband and I so you may want to double the recipe.

Pizza Rolls

Ingredients:
1 can of refrigerated pizza crust
1 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 bag of large pepperonis
basil
oregano
garlic powder
optional: marinara for dipping

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Roll out pizza dough. Sprinkle with cheese. Place pepperonis into 3 rows. Sprinkle with spices as desired. It should look like this except I didn't use fresh basil.
3. Roll as tight as possible from the long side. After spread a little bit of water along the edge to create a seal.

4. Cut into 3/4'' rounds and place onto a foil covered cookie sheet. Similar to how you cut a cinnamon roll.

5. Bake for 10 minutes. Do not over cook!!
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I made these for my sisters birthday and individually wrapped them. I placed them on a cupcake rack and used it as a centerpiece. Not only did it look cute but tasted amazing!

Strawberry Upside Down Cake

Ingredients:
2 c crushed fresh strawberries
1 6oz pkg strawberry flavored gelatin mix
3 c mini marshmallows
1 18oz pkg yellow cake mix batter prepared as directed on pkg
(need oil, water, and 3 eggs for cake batter)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Spread crushed strawberries on the bottom of a 9x13 inch non greased baking pan. Evenly sprinkle strawberries with the dry gelatin powder. Top with marshmallows.

3. Prepare cake batter as directed on pkg. Pour on to the top of marshmallows.

4. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle.

5. Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen the sides from the pan. Turn the cake out on to serving platter. Store in fridge.
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This was a very cheap dessert and very little ingredients. I chopped my strawberries pretty small instead of crushed. It was a hit for our 4 of July BBQ!

Jalapeno Popper Dogs

Ingredients:
8 Hotdogs
8 Buns
2 jalapenos
8 slices of bacon
2 tbsp butter
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
salt and pepper
1 rounded tbsp flour
1 1/2 c milk
1/2 c shredded pepper jack
3/4 c shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
Optional Toppings: sliced jalapenos, mustard, onions, tomatoes, chopped deli pickle

Directions:
1. Place hot dogs in simmering water to plump and heat through. Can be grilled too if you like them crispy.

2. Fry bacon in a skillet. Set out to drain.

3.While the dogs heat, place a pot over medium heat. Melt butter then add peppers and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to liking. Cook 2-3 minutes then sprinkle with flour and cook for 1 more minute. Whisk in milk and let thicken. Melt in cheeses, stir constantly. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

4. Put dogs in bun add a slice of bacon. Top with cheese sauce and optional other toppings!!
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This meal was way too good to be true. I toasted my buns in the oven under the broiler for the extra crisp. Also don't be in a rush to add the cheese to the milk mixture. The milk needs to thicken. Mine was a little running but all tasted the same going down!!

Twice Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:
Potatoes
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Bacon Bits (fresh or not doesn't matter)
Seasoned Salt
Garlic Salt
Black Pepper
Butter
Milk
Oil

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wash potatoes. Pierce with fork a few times.
3. Place on foil lined cookie sheet. Bake for about an hour until the can be pierced easily with a fork and skins are a little crispy.
4. Take out and cool until they are just warm. Slice of a side of the potato. Scoop out potato leaving about 1/4'' of potato on skins.
5. Place skins open side down back on foil. Brush on a little olive oil, sprinkle on garlic salt and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes.
6. While those are baking, mash up potatoes add butter and milk to desired consistency. I did mine a little chunky. Add seasoned salt, garlic salt, black pepper, cheese and bacon all to your liking.
7. Once skins are done, place mixture inside each shell. Topping with a little bit of cheese and bacon bits.
8. Turn on broiler. Place in for about 10minutes until the top of the potatoes is a little crunchy.
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These were pretty easy to make. I used red potatoes so they were small and could have been used for appetizers too. I made them for a BBQ with some friends as a side for steaks!

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:
1 (1/4 ounce) package dry yeast
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup margarine
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
4 cups flour

FILLING
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/3 cup margarine, softened

ICING
8 tablespoons margarine
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. For the rolls, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl.
2. Add sugar, margarine salt, eggs, and flour, mix well.
3. Knead the dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour.
4. Put in a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
5. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, until it is approx 21 inches long by 16 inches wide.
6. It should be approx 1/4 thick.
7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
8. To make filling, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
9. Spread the softened margarine over the surface of the dough, then sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the surface.
10. Working carefully, from the long edge, roll the dough down to the bottom edge.
11. Cut the dough into 1 3/4 inch slices, and place in a lightly greased baking pan.
12. Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown.
13. While the rolls are baking combine the icing ingredients.
14. Beat well with an electric mixer until fluffy.
15. When the rolls are done, spread generously with icing
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this recipe was delicious. (thanks to a friend of mine) I cooked mine in a pyrex and had to cook them for about 15 minutes. This recipe made 9 rolls!

Mud Puddles

Ingredients:
1 pkg. refrigerated cookie dough
1 bag of mini reeses peanut butter cups
cup cake liners

Directions:
1. Scoop a small spoonful cookie dough into each liners.

2. Bake at 350 for 7 minutes. 9 minutes if you are using mini cupcake liners.

3. Immediately after you take them out of the oven, place a reese into the middle of the cookie.

4. Let candy melt and cookie cool and then ENJOY!!

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This recipe was from a friend of mine and she used the mini cupcake pan and liners. I think that the mini ones maybe a better idea.

Mickey Mouse Carmel Apples

Ingredients:
10 Granny Apples
2 bags of carmels
10 sticks
2 bags of chocolate melts
1 bag of white chocolate melts
2 bags of M&Ms
Red Sprinkles
1 bag of Large Marshmallows

Directions: (in pictures)


after this... you dip just the bottom in white chocolate, place the 2 M&Ms, sprinkle with red sprinkles and let dry!!

Grilled Veggies

Ingredients:
Any fresh cut veggies you want. I like to use green beans, squash, zucchini, asparagus, red and green bell peppers, onions, and jalapenos.
Tin Foil
Olive Oil
*Garlic Salt
*Black Pepper
*Seasoning Salt
*Any type of grilling seasoning
*you can really use any type of seasoning and as much as you want. this is just what I use.*

Directions:
1. Cut all the veggies.

2. Drizzle oil on to foil. Place veggies on foil.

3. Sprinkle with seasonings and stir.

4. I add just a tablespoon of butter cut in to chunks to help them cook. Not needed though.

5. Fold foil around veggies and place on the grill.

6. Cook for about 30 minutes. Or until veggies are softened to your liking.
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We have had this for dinner 3 times this week. I just cut up a whole bunch in the beginning of the week and put them in zip loc bags to make the next day.

Jalapeno Chicken Bacon Kabobs

Ingredients:
chicken breast, boneless and skinless, chopped
jalapenos, sliced
bacon, cut in half
cheese (optional)

Directions:
1. Place jalapeno on top of chicken.

2. Wrap bacon around both jalapeno and chicken.

3. Insert kabob stick to hold bacon secure around chicken.

4. Place kabob on grill chicken side down. The bacon doesn't have to touch the grill. The heat will cook it through.

5. Turn kabobs every 2 minutes until chicken is done.
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These were very easy to make and tasted great!! It can feed a lot of people too. 3 chicken breasts was plenty for 3 of us. We had some left over.

Grilled Chicken Alfredo Pizza

Sorry no picture :( It is a must try though!!

Ingredients:
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, pre cooked and cut up
1 jar of Alfredo sauce
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
pre made pizza dough (whole foods or trader joes has them in a plastic container by the pre made foods)

Directions:
1. Warm up grill. At least 15 minutes.

2. Spread out dough. Brush oil both sides.

3. Turn burners on grill to medium. Place dough on grill and close the cover. Let it cook for 2 minutes. DO NOT open it during that time!!

4. Take crust off the grill and place on a cutting board. Grilled side up, place all of the toppings on top.

5. Turn off the 2 middle burners. Slide the pizza back on to the grill and close until cheese is melted. About 6 minutes.
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I would recommend making individual pizzas. The crust was hard to lift on and off the grill with all the toppings on it. So little pizzas would be easier. It was delicious though. The crust was so good!!!

Cake Batter Cookies

Ingredients:
1 box of cake mix (your choice I did confetti cake)
1/3 c. oil
2 eggs

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375

2. Mix all ingredients together.

3. Place on a cookie sheet. (I used a cookie scoop size and they were perfect)

4. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until bottoms are golden brown.
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I got this recipe from a friend of mine. They are probably the easiest thing I have made. They will taste like cake batter though with a bit of a cookie texture. YUMMY!

Baked Egg Rolls

Ingredients:
The amounts for all of these ingredients depends on how many you want to make. The more mixture, the more egg rolls.
Coleslaw Mixture (you can buy it already made, it will be by the bagged salad/lettuce
Bean Sprouts
Green Onion
Chicken Breasts, shredded
Soy Sauce
Egg Roll Wrappers (at any grocery store near the cheeses or the lunch meats)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease cookie sheet.

2. Mix all of ingredients together.

3. Lay wrapper diagonal. Place mixture in the middle of wrapper. Fold the bottems in first and roll from one side to the other. Dab a little bit of water on the corner for it to stick.

4. Lay on baking sheet seam down. Repeat until all the mixture is used.

5. Spray the top of egg rolls with cooking spray and place in oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
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These were pretty good. I definitely would have filled mine up more next time. I dipped them in soy sauce but you can also use sweet and sour sauce.

Marshmellow Pops

Ingredients:
1 bag of candy melts or Left over candy melts from cake pop
1 bag of large marshmallows
1 bag of lolli pop sticks
1 small box of rice krispies

Directions:
1. Insert sticks into lolli pops.

2. Melt chocolate. See Cake Pop recipe for melting tips.

3. Dip Marshmallows into chocolate and then immediately into rice krispies.

4. Place on wax paper to dry.
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This is the easiest treat ever and it is so cheap to make!!!

Cake Pops

Ingredients:

1 box of cake mix of choice (I used German Chocolate)

1 frosting of choice (I used plain chocolate)

A bag of lolli pop sticks* (at least 50)

2 bags of candy melts of choice*( I used Coco Mint)

* You can get these at any craft store near the cake decorating stuff.

Directions:

1. Bake cake as directed on box. Let cool but only until it is a cool/warm.

2. Crumble cake in to a LARGE mixing bowl, add whole case of frosting, and mix with a blender.

3. With a cookie scoop, scoop out on to cookie sheet. Don't worry they are not suppose to be balls yet. Place in freezer for 20 minutes.

4. Take out of freezer and roll each scoop into a ball with hands. Push a lolli pop stick all the way through each ball. Place in freezer for at least 1 hour.

5. Right before you pull the balls out of the freezer, melt the chocolate. The chocolate will need to stay melted for a long period of time so the best way is to use a fondue pot. {If you don't have one you can get a large and small saucepan. Fill large pot a little under half way with water. Place the small pot in the large pot and turn on a medium flame. Put the melts into the small pan and the will stay melted until your done!!}

6. Take pops out of the freezer. Dip into chocolate, hold it over pot to let excess chocolate drip off. Place pop on to wax paper to dry. {I held mine until they were almost dry and then placed in freezer on wax paper to finish cooling so that it wouldn't drip and create a flat top to the pop. This took ALOT of time}

7. ENJOY!!!

I wanted mine to taste like a thin mint and that is why I chose the coco mint melts. You can choose any kind of combination of cake mix, frosting, and candy melts.

I made little bouquets out of the pops for mother's day...

I bought the little wrappers at Michael's as well as the pail. I placed a foam block into the pail and stuck them right in!!

Turkey Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey
1 bag of mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups)
1 box of whole wheat lasagna noodles
1 chopped green onion
1 tbsp garlic salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 large jar of spaghetti sauce

Directions:
1. Bring water to a boil and add noodles.

2. Pre heat oven to 375 degrees.

3. In a large frying pan, mix turkey, onion, garlic salt, and black pepper. Cook until turkey is brown.

4. Once noodles and meat are done, lay a layer of noodles on the bottom of a 9x13 dish. Spread sauce over noodles. Then layer with the meat and sprinkle with cheese. Repeat until it is layered to the top of the dish.

5. Place in oven for 45 minutes or until cheese is melted.

I leave mine uncovered which leaves the top layer crispy. You can cover it with aluminum foil if you don't like it crispy.
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This is one of my husbands favorite meals. It is also a fairly inexpensive meal and feeds a group of people.

Home Made Fried Rice

Ingredients:

1 - 2 green onions, as desired
2 large eggs
1 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
4 tbsp oil for stir-frying, or as needed
4 c. cold cooked rice
1 - 2 tbsp light soy sauce

3/4 c. frozen mixed peas and carrots

Directions:

1. Wash and finely chop the green onion.

2. Lightly beat the eggs with the salt and pepper.

3. Heat a wok or frying pan and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the eggs. Cook, stirring, until they are lightly scrambled but not too dry. Remove the eggs and clean out the pan.

4. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Add the rice. Stir-fry for a few minutes (i do it for about 5 minutes) , using chopsticks or a wooden spoon to break it apart.

5. Stir in the soy sauce.

6. When the rice is heated through, add the peas, carrots, and, scrambled egg back into the pan. Mix thoroughly.

7. Stir in the green onion. Serve hot.

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I have made this several times and I learn what I would like more of and what I would like less of each time. So you may find out that you like a little less soy sauce or a little more egg?!? This is one of my husband's favorites.

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

Ingredients:
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp cold water
1/3 c. splenda*
1/3 c soy sauce
3 tbsp cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
4 skinless boneless chicken thighs

Directions:
1. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the cornstarch, cold water, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and ground black pepper. Let simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and bubbles.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Place chicken pieces in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Brush chicken with the sauce. Turn pieces over, and brush again.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn pieces over, and bake for another 30 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Brush with sauce every 10 minutes during cooking.

*I used splenda as the sweetener because it has zero calories and makes the meal a little healthier. Can be substituted for 1/4 c regular sugar.
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This meal was very tasty and required a little bit of time just because you have to brush the sauce on every 10 minutes but it was worth it. The chicken is really tender when its done. I served it with home made fried rice!!

Garlic and Cheddar Chicken

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 to 4 ounces sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese, diced thinly or grated
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
6 to 8 Chicken thighs, skinned
2 to 3 cloves chopped garlic
3/4 cup plain or seasoned bread crumbs
cooked brown or white rice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Saute garlic in margarine for one minute, then remove pot from flame to prevent burning. In a bowl, mix breadcrumbs and cheeses.

3. Dip chicken pieces in margarine mixture, then coat with breadcrumb mixture. Place in a baking dish (if any garlic margarine mixture is left, pour over the chicken).

4. Place in the oven and bake chicken for approximately 1 hour, then shut off the oven and let it sit in the oven for an additional 15 minutes.

5. Serve with rice or wide noodles that have been mixed with the pan drippings and bits of cheese from the bottom of the dish.
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This one is a MUST try. It was easy and so tasty. The rice mixed in with the drippings is what helps make this dish too.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey
2 tsp garlic
2 tsp ginger
4 tbsp soy sauce
16 bibb lettuce leaves
1 c. green onion
1 c. red pepper
1 c. bean sprouts
1 c. zucchini

Dipping Sauce:
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/3 c. water
1 tbsp. lemon juice
3 tsp. minced garlic
3 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. sugar

Directions:
1. Cook ground turkey with green onion. Once meat is almost done add in the rest of the veggies, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. Cook until turkey is cooked through.

2. Add all ingredients for sauce.

3. Wrap up meat mixture in lettuce, dip, and ENJOY!

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I made this the other night for a family get together. It was a big hit. Everyone thought it was delicious!

Chicken Fajita Tostada

Ingredients:
2 Chicken Breast (skinless and boneless) Chopped
1 can pinto or black beans
1 c onion, chopped
1 c green pepper chopped
1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T chili powder
1/2 T dried Cilantro
1 T olive oil, divided
8 Corn Tortillas

Directions:
Brown chicken in 1 T olive oil, and remove from pan.

Add bean, vegetables, and garlic to pan and saute.

Add chili powder, cilantro, and chicken back to pan and simmer for 5 min.

Spray frying pan with pam or wipe with a little oil. Place tortilla in pan. Flip occasionally until a crispy.

Place on a plate and pile on chicken mixture. Top with sour cream, guacamole, cheese, and salsa if desired.

Nurtrition:
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 124.0
Total Fat: 4.3 g
Cholesterol: 34.2 mg
Sodium: 174.1 mg
Total Carbs: 6.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.9 g
Protein: 14.7 g

Low Calorie Banana Nut Muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup mashed bananas
1/4 sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup applesauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffin pan or line with paper muffin liners.

In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.

In separate bowl, combine banana, sugar, egg and vanilla extract. Blend until well mixed. Add applesauce.

Slowly combine dry mixture to banana mixture. Blend well.

Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool before serving.

Makes 12 ServingsNumber of Servings: 12

Nutrition:
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 79.5
Total Fat: 0.6 g
Cholesterol: 17.7 mg
Sodium: 208.7 mg
Total Carbs: 17.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.8 g
Protein: 1.8 g

Welcome!!

This blog has been started to do the request of my facebook followers. I will post what I am cooking in my kitchen daily. All the way from appetizers to desserts. I hope you try a few recipes. I will put my review and my husband's review to each recipe the next day. ENJOY!!