Mini Monkey Bread

 

Monkey bread is one of those foods that is super fun to eat. you get to pull apart gooey, sugary pieces of bread and eat them with your fingers.... what's not to love?

I am calling this mini monkey bread because it's not made in one large pan, instead, it is made in muffin tins. These could also be called individual monkey breads as they are the perfect size for one person. 

I made these in jumbo muffin tins but you could certainly use smaller muffin tins, you would just need to make the balls a bit smaller and you would get more than 12. 

Mini Monkey Bread

Ingredients

Dough

1 1/2 cups warm milk

2 1/4 tsp yeast

1/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 tsp salt

4+ cups flour

Coating

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp cinnamon

2/3 cup butter, melted

Optional**

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Optional** 

1/2 cup icing sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp milk (approx)

Instructions

Prepare dough - stir warm milk, yeast, and 1/4 cup sugar together. Let sit for about 5 minutes to activate yeast. 

In another bowl, whisk together eggs, butter, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Stir in the activated yeast mixture. Add remaining flour in, about a cup at a time, until soft - but not sticky - dough forms. Knead for 2 minutes on floured surface. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel, and place somewhere warm to rise for an hour. 

Prepare coating by mixing sugar and cinnamon together. Set aside until ready to coat balls. 

Line 12 extra large muffin cups with paper liners, set side. 

After dough has risen for an hour, punch dough down and place on lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 48 equal sized pieces. 

Roll each piece into a ball. Dip each ball into the melted butter and then roll in the cinnamon sugar. Repeat with all 48 pieces. Place 4 balls into each muffin cup. 

After all balls have been placed in cups, drizzle with any remaining melted butter and sprinkle each with a tsp of the cinnamon sugar. **If you'd like to sprinkle on a few nuts, do so now. 

Cover with a tea towel and let rise somewhere warm for another hour. 

After an hour, preheat oven to 350. Bake mini monkey bread until tops are golden brown and dough is fairly firm - about 20 minutes, rotating pans at 10 minutes. 

Let cool at least 15 minutes before attempting to remove from pans. They will fall apart if you try to take them out to soon. 

The papers will peel off easily. 

I served them in bowls to ensure they didn't pull apart on their own. 

I also drizzled them with a little glaze - this is completely optional and not at all necessary. I just thought it looked pretty! 

You can make this recipe in a Bundt pan for more traditional monkey bread. It will take a much longer time to cook though. The walnuts and drizzle are optional. You can change up this recipe pretty easily if you like. Make a caramel or chocolate glaze, leave it completely plain, add more cinnamon if you really like cinnamon, sprinkle with Skor bits or chocolate chips...

These make a good additional to a continental breakfast bar, great after school snacks, are perfect for holiday entertaining, will sell well at a bake sell... the possibilities are endless!

Orange Cranberry Rolls

 

When I say these are the next big dessert, they 100% deserve to be. 

I took our Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls recipe (HERE) and changed them into a different, equally delicious, ridiculously sized breakfast/dessert/treat. 

Instead of a cinnamon brown sugar filling I used cranberry sauce and orange rind AND THEN topped it with an orange buttercream. 

So. Freaking. Good.

Use your favorite dough recipe, buy store bought dough, or use our recipe (for best results we recommend our recipe). The filling  and frosting are super simple but WOW do they ever make a difference!

Orange Cranberry Rolls

Dough

Recipe HERE

(Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls)

**Important note - use the juice of the 2 oranges in the filling in the dough for even more orange flavor in the rolls - I add it the milk before I warm it. No, I don't lessen the amount of milk, it just means adding a bit more flour when forming the dough.**

Filling

1 can (348 ml) whole berry cranberry sauce

1 can (348 ml) jellied cranberry sauce

zest of 2 large oranges

Orange Buttercream

1 cup butter, softened

3 - 4 cups icing sugar

zest and juice of 1 large orange

Directions

Prepare dough to the point it has had it's first rise. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, set aside. 

Roll dough out to a 24 X 17 rectangle. Mix the 2 cranberry sauces together and spread evenly over the dough. Leave a good inch or so empty around the edge as the filling will spread out as you roll the dough. Sprinkle the grated orange zest over the sauce. 

Roll up, jelly roll style, starting with the widest edge. Pinch the roll to seal it. Some filling will leak out, it's okay, these are messy rolls. Your rolled up roll should be 24 inches across.

Slice the roll with a serrated knife into 2 inch slices. You will get 12 rolls. 

Place the rolls evenly spaced on the prepared cookie sheet. Flatten them slightly with your hand. Scoop up any of the filling that leaked out and put it on top of the rolls. 

Cover the rolls with a tea towel and set them somewhere warm to rise for an hour. 

After the hour is up, preheat the oven to 350. Bake until dough is a deep golden brown and cooked through, approximately 30 minutes. 

You can enjoy the buns as is OR you can make the orange buttercream and make them even better!

To prepare the buttercream: beat together butter and 3 cups icing sugar until smooth. Beat in the orange juice and zest. Beat in more icing sugar until spreadable consistency is reached. The icing can be refrigerated until ready to use - this helps it firm up as well. 

Spread on cooled buns. 

I usually have extra frosting leftover but you can spread it on as thick as you like!

Orange cranberry is such an amazing flavor combo. Perfect for the holidays, summer, even spring. It's very light and cheery. If you are going to freeze the buns, I recommend freezing them after baking and then frosting them when you are ready to serve them. 

This recipe makes 12 very large buns, you can slice them into 1 inch slices if you prefer and get 24 instead of 12. 

Dairy Free Marry Me Chicken

 

I've seen several recipes called "marry me" chicken that were all wildly different. This one I have adapted from a video I watched on Tik Tok. The person sharing it didn't give amounts, just what ingredients they used. I have written down what I used but it is definitely a recipe that can be changed to suit your preferences. I made this dairy free by using coconut milk but you can substitute another milk if you don't like the taste of coconut milk, as it does come through a little in the sauce. I think oat or almond milk would probably work just fine, although may not be as rich. 

This comes together fairly quickly, can be doubled for a larger crowd, can be made ahead and reheated, and is super tasty and easy to make. 

 Dairy Free Marry Me Chicken

Ingredients

1 jar sundried tomatoes, coarsely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

oil from the sundried tomatoes

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 head garlic, chopped

2 cups chicken bone broth (or chicken broth)

1 cup coconut milk

1 - 2 tsp cornstarch

2 - 3 cups spinach, chopped

salt, pepper, red pepper flakes

Chicken

4 chicken breasts, halved horizontally

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp paprika (or smoked paprika) 

Directions

Mix together the flour and spices. Dredge the chicken in the mixture set aside.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add half the oil from sundried tomatoes to the pan. Cook chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

In the same pan, add the remaining oil from the sundried tomatoes to deglaze the pan. Be sure to scrape up all the bits from the bottom of the pan. Add in the onions, garlic, and sundried tomatoes. 

Cook, stirring constantly, until onions soften - about 5 minutes. Add in the chicken bone broth and bring to a simmer. Add in the coconut milk and stir to combine well. Simmer for 3 minutes. 

Remove about 1/2 cup of the sauce and whisk 1 - 2 tsp of cornstarch into it. When lumps are gone, pour this back into the pan. 

Add in the chopped spinach and the chicken. 

Let the chicken simmer in the sauce over low heat for about 5 - 8 minutes. Chicken should read 165 F (74C) when it is fully cooked. 
Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, to taste. Serve hot over rice, mashed potatoes, or pasta 

From start to finish (including prepping veggies) in about 30 - 40 minutes. 

A delicious, dairy free recipe that also works super well for meal prepping as it freezes well. 

Dairy Free Loaded Pizza

 

Wow! It's been a while since I've posted a new recipe. I've had a few big life changes that have kept me super busy. I came down with a cold this week so I though this would be the perfect time to post some of the things I've been working on. 

This dairy-free pizza came about because my boyfriend's son has a severe dairy allergy. I wanted to come up with something that still felt pizza-y without using vegan cheese. I'm not a huge fan of most vegan cheeses. Please feel free to comment below if you know if a good one! I'm always on the lookout. 

Dairy Free Loaded Pizza

Ingredients

Pizza Crust 

Our recipe can be found here - PIZZA CRUST  

Dairy Free "Ricotta"

8 oz artichoke hearts in olive oil

14 oz extra firm tofu

Toppings

1 head roasted garlic

1 - 2 cups Dairy Free "Ricotta" (recipe above)

2 Tbsp oil

2 large bell peppers, sliced

1 large onion, sliced

1 1lb ground beef

~1 cup marinara sauce (I use Raos) 

Directions

Prepare pizza crust. You can follow our recipe (HERE) or use your own. Our recipe will make enough for 3 - 12" pizzas (2 if you like a really thick crust)

Prepare the toppings while the dough is rising.

Prepare Dairy Free Ricotta - In a food processor, pulse artichoke hearts and tofu until mixture resembles ricotta cheese. (Everything should be in smaller bits and look crumbly) 

In a large frying pan, fry peppers and onion in oil until wilted - about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

 In the same pan, add ground beef and cook until browned. Drain off excess grease and stir in about 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce. Set aside. 

Have your toppings all ready to go when the dough has completed its rise. 

Prepare pizza - Divide dough into 3 equal pieces. The toppings here are enough for 2 pizzas. You can freeze the 3rd piece of dough for use later OR make 2 larger, thicker crust pizzas.) 

Preheat oven to 400. 

Press dough into 2 - 12 inch pizza pans lined with parchment paper OR oil well with olive oil. 

Bake the crusts for about 8 minutes, until edges are just ever-so-slightly brown.  Remove from heat and top the crusts. 

Crumble about 1 cup of the dairy free ricotta on each crust. Squeeze out the roast garlic and distribute on the 2 pizzas. 

Top each with half of the pepper/onion mix and the ground beef.

Put back in 400 oven for another 15 or so minutes - until crust is golden brown. 

Heat the remaining 1/2 cup of marinara sauce and drizzle over the two pizzas. 

You can, of course, use more garlic, more marinara, more of any of the ingredients, if you prefer. 

I had about 1 cup or so of the dairy free "ricotta" left over. I am currently looking for another way to use it up. I will let you know what I come up with!

You won't miss the cheese on these. The "ricotta" makes the topping feel more pizza-y without adding any dairy. You could make these with a Pillsbury pizza crust or even using naan or pita bread for individual pizzas. 

My boyfriend's son enjoyed these so I am counting the recipe as a success. I liked them as well. I made my crusts a little thicker than I usually do so that threw me off BUT I will definitely make these toppings again and be sure to make a thinner crust. 

If you try it, let us know how it turned out for you. 

Keto Fathead Lasagna

 

We have a few recipes for healthier lasagna recipes on the blog. You can find them by searching "lasagna" in the little search box at the top left of the screen. This particular recipe is keto friendly, gluten free, and very VERY filling. Fathead dough mimics regular lasagna noodles so you get the taste AND texture of lasagna. Fathead dough is a popular keto friendly substitute for quite a few other doughs. Again, search "fathead" in the search box at the top of the page for more ideas on how to use it.

According to MyFitnessPal, this lasagna is: 518 calories, 40 fat, 8 carbs, 0.5 fiber, 35 protein, so 7.5 net carbs per serving. Recipe, as written, makes 8 servings. 

NOTE - you can make this in a 9 X 13 pan or in 8 individual 4 x 5 containers. 

Keto Fathead Lasagna

Ingredients

"Noodles"

 8 oz cream cheese, room temp

2 cups mozzarella, shredded

1/2 cup parmesan, shredded

salt & pepper

3 eggs, beaten

Meat Layer

1 Tbsp oil

1/2 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 lb ground beef

salt & pepper

3/4 cup low/no sugar tomato sauce (I use Raos)

Cheese Layer

2 cups ricotta cheese

1 cup mozzarella, shredded

Topping

1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded

1/2 cup parmesan, shredded

parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, set aside. 

Prepare noodles - Place cream cheese, mozza and parmesan, salt & pepper in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring well in between, until melted and mixed well. Add in beaten eggs and beat until well incorporated. Batter will be lumpy. 

Pour onto prepared cookie sheet and spread evenly. 

Bake at 350 until firm and lightly browned on top, about 15 - 20 minutes. 

Let cool before cutting into pieces. 

If using a 9 X 13 - cut into 3 equal pieces. If using the 8 individual containers, cut into 24 pieces. 

While "noodles" are cooking, prepare the meat sauce.

Heat oil in a pan, add in onion and garlic until softened. Add in tomato paste, beef, and salt & pepper. Cook until beef is browned. *If there is a lot of grease, drain it off.

Add in the tomato sauce and stir well. Remove from heat.

Assemble lasagna:

Layer 1: 1/3 of the noodles, 1/3 of ricotta, 1/3 of meat sauce, 1/2 of mozza

Layer 2: 1/3 of the noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta, 1/3 of the meat sauce, 1/2 of the mozza

Layer 3: last of the noodles, last of the ricotta, last of the meat sauce, and then the toppings of mozza, parmesan, and parsley. 

Cook at 250 until bubbly and cheese on top is melted, about 30 or so minutes. Time differs depending on if you use one pan or individual pans. You just want it to be bubbly and melty. 

Serve hot.

I make this in individual pans because it makes it easier to share with family and easier to freeze. If you make it in a 9 x 13, cut into 8 pieces. Of course, you can cut it into however many pieces you want, but the nutritional info is for 8 servings. I usually serve it with cucumbers or salad or tomato slices for a delicious keto friendly/low carb dinner. The serving sizes may seem smallish but with how rich it is... they are just the right size, IMO. 

Pork and Veggie Ramen Bowls

 

Whenever I make a pork roast I end up with leftovers and I'm always looking for recipes that will use them up. I saw a similar idea to this over on Tik Tok and decided to experiment. 

Peeps, this recipe is sooooo good! 

It only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish and makes 4 generous servings. I use my leftover pork roast but you could use pork tenderloin or even pork chops. It's a simple combination of flavors but the end result is amazing! I used carrots, broccoli, snow peas, and bok choy but you could easily sub your favorite veggies. 

Pork And Vegetable Ramen Bowls

Ingredients

2 (85 gr/3 oz) pkgs ramen noodles

1 lb pork, cooked, sliced thinly 

1 Tbsp oil

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 - 2 Tbsp chili garlic sauce

1/2 cup carrots, sliced thinly

1/2 cup broccoli, chopped

1/2 cup bok choy, sliced thinly

1/2 cup snow peas, cut in half

green onions & sesame seeds for serving

Directions

Open ramen noodles and discard flavor packages (save for another use). Cook noodles in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside. 

First photo is the brand of noodles I used, for reference.

Set drained noodles aside while you prepare veggies and pork.

While noodles are cooking, heat oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add the vegetables and stir fry until done - about 5 - 8 minutes. (I like to cook them for about 5 minutes then add a few tablespoons of water and put the lid on so they steam for another 2 - 3 minutes.) Add in the brown sugar, soy sauce, and chili garlic sauce. Reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes, until vegetables are cooked to your preference and sauce is sticky. 

Add in the cooked, sliced pork.

Cook until pork is heated through. 

Add the cooked noodles to the pan and cook and stir until the noodles are heated and coated in sauce. 

Serve in bowls, sprinkled with green onions and sesame seeds. 

The brand of noodles I buy (see photo above) comes with little packets of soy sauce and chili sauce so I serve the ramen bowls with those packets for guests who like to add more to their noodles. 

Pork and Veggie Ramen Bowls make a quick and easy lunch or dinner and work well to make ahead as they will keep, covered, in the fridge for a few days. 

If you don't have leftover pork you can use raw pork - in the step where you would heat up the leftovers, simply cook the raw pork instead. 

Mediterranean Brown Rice Salad

Sometimes you need to step outside your comfort zone and just try something new. 

We don't generally eat rice in salads but after trying this recipe that will be changing. The textures and flavors and colors of this salad are amazing. It does take a little bit of prep but nothing too crazy. 

If you are looking for something different to bring to a potluck or family dinner, try this! Mom brought it to her church dinner and they loved it. A healthier alternative to the usual heavy macaroni or potato salad. 

Mediterranean Brown Rice Salad

Ingredients

Dressing

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp honey

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp dried dill 

juice of 1 lemon

salt & pepper

Salad

1 cup brown rice, uncooked

2 bell peppers, diced

1/2 cucumber, diced

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1 (341 ml) can corn 

1 small purple onion, diced

1 (540 ml) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

3 cups spinach, chopped

1 (210 ml) jar sundried tomatoes, drained and chopped

1/2 cup feta (divided)

1/2 cup pine nuts (divided)

Directions

Whisk together dressing ingredients until well mixed. Set aside.

Cook brown rice as per package instructions. Let cool.

In a large bowl, mix together cooled rice, peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, corn, onion, chickpeas, spinach, sundried tomatoes, and 1/4 cup of the feta and pine nuts. 

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat. 

Chill, covered, until ready to eat - at least 2 - 3 hours. When ready to serve, sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup feta and pine nuts. 

Easy peasy, good for a crowd, full of healthy ingredients, and, most importantly, super delicious!

As with most salads, you can sub ingredients or switch them up to suit your preferences. Throw in some olives if you like olives, add more spinach or less corn.... you get the point! 

The next time I make this I might at some chicken and just have it as a meal instead of a side.