Taste of Home Tuesday: Savory Garlic Beef & Broccoli Turnovers

1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 TB olive oil
2 C fresh broccoli florets, finely chopped
1 TB flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 carton (10 oz) Philadelphia Savory Garlic Cooking Creme, divided
1/2 C sour cream
24 sheets phyllo dough
6 TB melted butter
1 TB minced fresh parsley

Direction:
In a large skillet, cook beef and onion in oil over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Add broccoli; cook 2-3 minutes longer or until broccoli is crisp-tender
Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes until blended.  Set aside and refrigerate 3 tablespoons cooking creme for topping.  Gradually add sour cream and remaining cooking creme to beef mixture.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until blended.  Remove from the heat.
Lightly brush one sheet of phyllo dough with butter; place another sheet of phyllo on top and brush with butter.  Top with another sheet of phyllo. (Keep remaining phyllo covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.)
Cut the three layered sheets lengthwise in half.  Place 3 tablespoons of beef filling on lower corner of each strip.  Fold dough over filling, forming a triangle.  Fold triangle up, then fold triangle over, forming another triangle.  Continue folding, like a flag, until you come to the end of the strip.     Brush end of dough with butter and press onto triangle to seal.  Turn triangle and brush top with melted butter.  Repeat with remaining strip of dough and sheets of phyllo.
Set on greased baking sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  sprinkle with parsley; serve with reserved cooking creme.

These were very yummy and you could add any filling you'd like to make a tasty turnover!  For those of you who don't like broccoli, you can't taste it when it's chopped up, kind of like the cabbage in cabbage biscuits.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Psalms 105:1

Today I am Thankful for:

• Jesus and what He has done for us and in our lives
• my husband; for his unconditional love and the fun we have together
• my wonderful parents
• my brothers and the amazing women they married
• the wonderful family I married into
• the struggles Justin and I have walked through; we would not have grown so much in God without walking through them.

I pray each of you has a wonderful day celebrating the blessings of Jesus!

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Content Heart

 

 “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good. For His lovingkindness is everlasting.”

1 Chronicles 16:34 (NASB)

My heart is overflowing with the peace and joy that only Jesus can give this wonderful holiday season.  My life is not perfect but I am reminded once again it's not about me, but about Him.  So today I choose to give thanks for the wonderful blessings Jesus has placed in my life.

Taste of Home Tuesday: Monster Cookies

This recipe did not come out of the Taste of Home. Justin decided he wanted "big" cookies on Saturday and I had seen these cookies on another blog and thought they would be fun to try. They are my new favorite cookie! We loved them! They would be perfect for Christmas with red and green M&M's!!

 Monster Cookies from Everyday Home Cook

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 cups peanut butter

4 1/2 cups oats (quick cooking or old-fashioned)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup M&M’s

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat together butter and sugars.

Add eggs, vanilla extract, and baking soda, and mix well.

Mix in peanut butter until well-blended.

Add oats and stir until combined.

Mix in chocolate chips and M&M’s.

Drop cookies by ice cream scoopful (or normal sized) about 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

Let cookies cool on baking sheets before moving to wire racks.

Makes 2 dozen “monster” cookies, or 4 to 5 dozen regular-sized cookies

Taste of Home Tuesday: McCormick Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 pkg. (4-serving) vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup EACH oil and water
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp McCormick ground cinnamon
1 tsp McCormick ground cloves
1 tsp McCormick pure vanilla extract

Beat all ingredients with electric mixer on low speed just until moistened.  Beat on medium speed 2 minutes.  Spoon batter into 24 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.
Bake in preheated 350 F oven 20 minutes.  Frost cooled cupcakes with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting.  Makes 24 cupcakes

Frosting:
Beat 1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese softened, 1 tsp. McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract and 1/4 tsp McCormick ground cloves until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in 1 box (16 oz) confectioners' sugar until smooth.

These cupcakes are my new favorite!!  So moist and yummy!  You've got to try them!

Taste of Home Tuesday: Raspberry Cheese Danish

Ingredients
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup plus 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, divided
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 can (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
2 teaspoons 2% milk

Directions
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar until smooth. Unroll crescent dough and separate into four rectangles; seal perforations. Cut each rectangle in half, making eight squares.
Transfer squares to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Spread 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture diagonally across each square. Top with 1 tablespoon jam. Bring two opposite corners of dough over filling; pinch together firmly to seal.
Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Combine milk and remaining confectioners' sugar; drizzle over pastries. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 8 servings.

These are AMAZING!!  I have made them a couple of times now.  The second time I used some blueberry jam I had instead of the raspberry and it was just as good!

Taste of Home Tuesday: Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 bay leaves
5 fresh thyme sprigs
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup frozen peas
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
DUMPLINGS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup minced chives

Directions
In a large saucepan, combine the first five ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Strain and set aside.
In a Dutch oven, saute carrots and celery in oil and butter until tender. Add minced garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add prepared broth. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently.
Add peas; return to a boil. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or until peas are tender. Stir in chicken and cream; heat through.
For dumplings, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine buttermilk and eggs; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
Drop by tablespoonfuls onto simmering chicken mixture. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a dumpling comes out clean (do not lift cover while simmering). Garnish with chives before serving. Yield: 6 servings.

This recipe was good, but the pepper flakes made it kind of hot.  It said to strain the first 5 ingredients, but the leaves were right there in my pot so I just picked them off instead of straining it.  I have to wonder if I would have strained it if I would have caught some of the pepper flakes.  Next time I just won't put as many flakes in.  All in all it was very good and filling! 

Taste of Home Tuesday

Due to a busy schedule that has kept us from making dinner the last two nights, Taste of Home Tuesday has been postponed until Wednesday.