Cinnamon Cream Cheese Crescents

It’s taken me 29 years, but I’m finally coming around to sweet breakfast foods. Growing up, I never ate sweet things like doughnuts or danishes for breakfast, because it bothered my stomach to have the first thing I ate in the mornings be so sugary. Maybe my stomach has gotten stronger with age, though, because I find I can definitely tolerate (and enjoy!) a sweet breakfast every now and then at this point in my life. So when I saw these cinnamon cream cheese crescents on Pinterest on a Friday night, I checked my fridge to make sure I had all of the ingredients I needed, and I made them on Saturday morning.

My family devoured these, and I was left wishing I’d made a double batch. The buttery, flaky crescent roll in combination with tangy cream cheese and cinnamon-sugar was just absolutely perfect. I’m sure you have most of these ingredients on hand, but if you don’t, rush out and get them today so you can have these for breakfast tomorrow. Your family will thank you!

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Crescents

adapted from Lil Luna

1 package crescent rolls

1 8-ounce tub of spreadable cream cheese

2 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Roll out the crescent dough into triangles. Spread cream cheese evenly over each triangle of dough, right to the edges.

3. Brush each triangle with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

4. Beginning with the wide side, roll up each triangle and pinch the edges together to seal. Place on an ungreased baking sheet.

5. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is one of those recipes I’ve literally been making for a couple of years now, and just haven’t gotten around to sharing yet. When I put it on a recent(ish) meal plan, I told you guys that I’d definitely share it this time.

The universe must’ve been laughing, though, because the very night I made this for dinner, I got sick with the stomach flu. And…well, yadda yadda yadda, you know how those things go. So here we are, a month later, and I’m finally able to post this recipe. (I’m being intentionally vague; I know you don’t want the details.) It’s still March, which is still soup weather in my book! All year is soup weather in my book, for that matter.

We love this soup so much. It’s cheesy, creamy, spicy, and flavorful. The corn chips provide the perfect crunch. It’s so easy to make, and the leftovers reheat really well. It’s definitely not the healthiest soup in the world, I’ll grant you that; but once you take the first bite of it and taste how delicious it is, I highly doubt you’ll be thinking about the calories.

Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Soup

adapted from Krista’s Kitchen

1 envelope taco seasoning

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, chopped

1/3 cup flour

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

12 ounces Velveeta, cubed (I used 2% milk Velveeta)

8 ounces shredded Monterey jack or pepper-jack cheese

1 16-ounce jar salsa

1 can corn, drained

1 cup milk

Corn chips, sour cream, and green onions for topping

1. Sprinkle chicken with taco seasoning. Heat the butter in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until the chicken is nearly cooked through.

2. Add onion and cook until softened. Stir in the flour until blended, then gradually stir in the broth. Cook and stir for a couple of minutes, until slightly thickened.

3. Stir in Velveeta, shredded cheese, and salsa. Cook over medium-low heat until cheese is melted. Add corn, then stir in milk and heat through.

4. Garnish each bowl of soup with corn chips, sour cream, and green onions.

Cake Batter Pancakes

I’ve always told Joe that if we ever have another baby, we need to try to time it so that the baby is born in February. We have the rest of the first five months of the year covered. Will’s birthday is in January, mine is in March, Joe’s is in April and Andrew’s is in May. We’re just missing February to make it five straight months of family birthdays. I really like little patterns/coincidences like that, because I’m a dork.

Anyway, because Will and I have already had our 2012 birthdays, we’ve already eaten these pancakes twice this year. The first time I made them (for Will’s birthday in January), I knew they would become a tradition in our family. They’re so delicious! And what a fun way to wake up on your birthday – to fragrant, cakey pancakes that are drowning in sprinkles and sugary glaze. Happy Birthday, indeed!

Cake Batter Pancakes
adapted from How Sweet It Is

For the pancakes:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup yellow cake mix
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 cups milk
Sprinkles or non-pareils

For the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoon heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Combine flour, cake mix, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix. Add 1 cup of milk, egg and vanilla extract and stir until smooth. Start with 1 cup of milk and add more if needed (you want the batter to look like regular pancake batter, not too thick and not too thin).

2. Preheat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Fold desired amount of sprinkles into batter. Pour batter in 1/4 cup measurements onto skillet and let cook until bubbles form on top, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 minute more.

3. To make the glaze, powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla until glaze forms, adding more sugar and/or heavy cream until you reach the desired consistency. Drizzle glaze over pancakes and top with additional sprinkles or non-pareils.

Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwiches

I just looked through the list of recipes I haven’t posted yet, and 90% of them involve chicken. I hope you guys like chicken! I think I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s the protein of choice at Casa de Cassie, so I always stock up when it’s on sale and cook with it at least three times a week. Usually more than that.

This particular recipe takes all the flavors of chicken Caesar salad and puts them on a sandwich. As soon as I saw it, I knew I was going to love it. Back in my less-adventurous days of eating, I’d order a chicken Caesar salad at every single restaurant, every single time we ate out. To this day, chicken Caesar salad still holds a special place in my heart. Okay, I’m done waxing poetic about a salad now. :)

In this simple, mouth-wateringly delicious sandwich, chicken cutlets are breaded and pan-fried, then topped with provolone cheese, bacon, and romaine lettuce tossed with parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing. The sandwiches are served on buttered grilled buns that call to mind the crouton portion of the traditional salad. Joe loved this sandwich and declared it the best chicken sandwich I’ve ever made. I’m taking that high praise and running with it!

Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwiches
heavily adapted from Stephanie Cooks

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 slices bacon
2 rolls
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 cup romaine lettuce
Caesar dressing
2 slices provolone cheese

1. Beat the egg in a small bowl. Combine breadcrumbs and salt. Dip each chicken breast in the egg, and then in the breadcrumb mixture. Heat a thin layer of oil in a large skillet (enough to coat the bottom) over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until crispy and cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes per side (depending on thickness).

2. While the chicken is cooking, cook the bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

3. In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Spread generously on each roll half. Broil buttered-side up or cook in a skillet buttered-side down until the rolls are browned.

4. Toss together the romaine lettuce, the parmesan cheese, and Caesar salad dressing to taste.

5. Place a piece of cooked chicken on the bottom half of each roll. Top with a slice of provolone cheese, two slices of bacon, and a pile of the salad mix.

Weekly Meal Planning, Week of 3.26.12

Once again, I’m bringing you my meal plan a day late. I actually think I’m going to start posting it on Mondays, because these days I’m just not able to find the time to plan my meals until the last minute. This weekend, for instance, I was still planning our dinners and writing my grocery list five minutes before leaving for the store.

March has been such a busy month, and my blog has definitely suffered. So has my cooking, for that matter! I haven’t been cooking nearly as much as usual. I do have quite a few delicious things planned for this week, though, and my schedule is starting to slow down ever-so-slightly, so hopefully it’ll be business as usual around here again soon.

Monday: Sausage pancakes on sticks, tater tots. I didn’t get to make these last week, and I’m pretty excited about them. The boys are going to love them.

Tuesday: Chicken suiza pockets, Mexican rice. This meal is still coming together in my mind, but I’m envisioning the flavors of enchiladas suizas all wrapped up inside a crescent roll. Sounds good, right?

Wednesday: Spicy bacon spaghetti

Thursday: Rosemary ranch chicken, baked potatoes, grilled asparagus. It’s time to break out the grill, and I can’t think of a more delicious meal to christen it with!

Friday: Sour cream and bacon chicken, rice pilaf, steamed broccoli

Saturday: Sausage and tomato risotto

Sunday: We have plans for a cook-out with my family. Hopefully the weather holds! I’m responsible for dessert, and am making no-bake Nutella cheesecake pie.