Quick Mozzarella Sticks

First of all, I just have to say this: I have a deep, deep love of breaded mozzarella sticks, so in my book there is absolutely no way these can compare to the more traditional version. These mozzarella sticks are, however, a quick and easy at-home version of the traditional ones, and while they will never take the place of my seasoned and breaded cheese sticks, they're a perfectly acceptable and satisfying substitute. They were heartily enjoyed by all three of us.

How clever is this idea? Seriously. Using egg roll wrappers in place of the more traditional breading -- it's nothing short of genius, and something I can't believe I never thought of. I think I should have deep-fried mine for just a little bit longer than I did, just so the cheese would get meltier (no, I don't care if that's not a word), but really, I can't say a single bad thing about this recipe. I can see myself making these for my boys (and all their hungry friends, too) far, far into the future.

Quick Mozzarella Sticks
source: seen on Tried and True Cooking with Heidi, originally from Simple & Delicious Magazine

12 pieces string cheese
12 egg roll wrappers
Oil for deep-fat frying
Marinara or spaghetti sauce

1. Place a piece of string cheese near the bottom corner of one egg roll wrapper. Fold bottom corner over cheese. Roll up halfway; fold sides toward center over cheese. Moisten remaining corner with water; roll up tightly to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and cheese.

2. In an electric skillet, heat 1/2 inch of oil to 375°.

3. Fry sticks, a few at a time, for 30 to 60 seconds on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve with marinara sauce.

Weekly Meal Planning

Short and sweet today, since I have a lot to do before I leave to see Julie and Julia this afternoon. FINALLY. I'm so excited!!

Monday: Egg salad club sandwiches, fresh fruit (probably sliced pears, because they looked absolutely gorgeous at the store yesterday)

Tuesday: Cream cheese- and pesto-stuffed chicken breasts, garlic and cheese orzo, steamed broccoli

Wednesday: Sausage-stuffed baked apples, salad. I had these on the menu a few weeks ago, but unexpected guests prevented me from preparing them. So this meal has been long-anticipated.

Thursday: Crispy chicken wraps, chips

Friday: Mom's shredded chicken sandwiches, baked beans. When the weather starts cooling down, I start missing my mom even more, so making one of her tried-and-true specialties is always comforting for me. The recipe is so simple, but I'll probably share it with you anyway, just because it's so delicious. (The baked beans are just the canned version, doctored up with some bacon, onions, and -- of course -- BBQ sauce. I'm not Superwoman, especially on Fridays, and the canned ones taste great to me.)

Saturday: Leftover shredded chicken sandwiches, chips. These sandwiches taste even better the next day.

Sunday: Arroz con pollo, cheesy drop biscuits (with Spanish olives folded into the batter). Another meal I didn't get the chance to make a couple of weeks ago, another meal I've been eager to try.

Weekend Breakfast: Maple sausage and cheese muffins

Baking: Frozen pumpkin squares. And because that's not really "baking" (and I'll have half a can of pumpkin left over anyway), I'm also going to make these pumpkin brownies. The only grocery store in our area carrying canned pumpkin (due to the "pumpkin shortage," which I still don't understand) happens to be the store my husband manages, so I've made sure that we're stocked! I need my pumpkin this fall, more than ever.

Stuffed Pizza Rolls

These pizza rolls were The Meal That Almost Didn't Happen. When I went to the grocery store to buy the ingredients on the night I was going to make them, the store was out of refrigerated pizza crust. The shelf was totally empty, and I couldn't find an employee to help me. And I live in a pretty small town with only one grocery store, so it's not like I could go somewhere else.

Instead of scrapping our dinner plans, though, I decided to improvise. I found a package of Pillsbury's crescent creations that I thought would probably work, so I decided to use that instead. And it worked wonderfully! I was so glad I went forward with making these, because they were absolutely delicious. Joe is pretty obsessed with frozen pizza rolls, so I was eager to see what he'd think of this homemade version -- and he really liked them too. The same goes for Andrew, who would eat anything dipped in red sauce (he's just like his mama).

These pizza rolls will be a repeat dinner in our house, for sure. Wait until you see what I served them with -- that's coming up on Monday. Have a good weekend, everyone!

Stuffed Pizza Rolls
source: Our Best Bites

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough (I substituted crescent creations out of necessity, which worked fine)Marinara/pizza sauce

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon melted butter

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

Mozzarella cheese, diced

Pizza toppings of your choice: i.e., ham and pineapple, pepperoni slices, sausage, etc. (I used diced pepperoni)

1. Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package, usually 400 degrees.

2. Unroll dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it's about 12" by 8". Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares.

3. Place cheese and desired toppings on each square, about a teaspoon each of cheese and toppings.

4. When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings. Pinch to make sure each ball is sealed shut and then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish).

5. Brush the tops of the dough balls melted butter and then sprinkle with the garlic and Italian seasoning and top with parmesan cheese.

6. Cook rolls in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Southwestern Shepherd's Pie

I'm so excited to share this recipe with you. We absolutely loved this dinner. Joe liked it even better than the "regular" shepherd's pie I make every year. Andrew ate the sweet potatoes off the top of his serving and picked out the corn kernels to snack on, but other than that was pretty indifferent. But I'm sure he'll eventually come around to loving this too.

Sweet potatoes are an under-utilized ingredient in our house, especially considering that Joe and Andrew absolutely love them. Other than sweet potato fries and the casserole I make for Thanksgiving every year (which I'll definitely post the recipe for eventually), I don't use them for a lot of things. This was a great way to satisfy Joe's and Andrew's love of sweet potatoes, and also my nearly constant craving for Mexican food. The recipe calls for 2 cups of tomatoes, so I used one can of diced tomatoes, but I think salsa would be a great substitution to add even more flavor to this dish. Delicious!

Southwestern Shepherd's Pie
source: adapted from Epicurious

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped green jalapeño
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can corn
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring, for 10 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño; cook for 2 minutes. Raise heat to medium-high; add beef and brown for 5 minutes.

2. Add tomato paste and spices; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes; simmer until liquid reduces, 15 minutes. Add corn, beans, and 4 tablespoons cilantro. Spoon into a 9 x 9-inch baking dish.

3. Meanwhile, place sweet potatoes in a saucepan with water to cover. Boil until fork-tender. Drain; mash with butter and milk. Spread mash over the meat mixture. Bake in a 400 degree oven until brown, 30 minutes. Garnish with more cilantro.

Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars

I saw this recipe a month or so ago, and it immediately went on my "Must Bake Immediately!!!" list. But then I got busy and sidetracked, so I didn't get around to actually baking these bars until last weekend. And with my first bite I was cursing myself for waiting so long -- I could have been on my third or fourth batch of them by now!

These bars are pretty much everything I could ask for in a dessert. Composed of a snickerdoodle blondie layer topped with a pumpkin pie layer, then drizzled with white chocolate, they are a rich, decadent fall treat. Joe has become quite possessive of them; when I suggested taking a few in to my co-workers, he flat-out refused to part with them. These bars were also Andrew's first taste of pumpkin (he was too young last year), and he definitely enjoyed them too. In fact, his eye lit up, and he smiled and said, "Mmmm!" when I gave him a bite. I think he's going to follow in his parents' footsteps and become quite the little pumpkin lover.

Make these, immediately! Then bake another batch right afterwards, because this is a dessert that just has to be shared.

Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars
source: seen on Megan's Cookin', who got it from Dozen Flours

For the snickerdoodle layer:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the pumpkin pie layer:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

For the topping:

2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

For the drizzle:

1 ounce white chocolate, chopped
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch pan and lay a piece of parchment paper across the pan, so that it extends the pan slightly.

2. To make snickerdoodle layer, sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan (mixture will be thick and cookiebatter-ish).

3. In a mixer bowl (you can use the same one you used to make the snickerdoodle batter) with a paddle attachment, mix together all pumpkin pie layer ingredients until well combined. This layer will be less thick and more pourable. Pour over the snickerdoodle layer, smoothing out the top.

4. Combine white sugar and cinnamon in a little bowl. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter.

5. Bake for 33-40 minutes (maybe more depending on your oven) or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean. Let the bars cool completely (about an hour). They will deflate a bit and remain a bit pie-like on the top layer. The bars that are closer to the edges of the pan will be more firm.

6. After the bars are completely cool, place the chopped white chocolate into a bowl or zip-lock bag and melt on low power. When it's completely melted, add the pumpkin pie spice and mix (or knead if using a zip lock bag). Use a spoon or cut a small corner off the bag and drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the bars and let it cool and harden.

7. Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan. Place on a cutting board and cut into bars. Store in a covered container.