Lunch Specials and a Treat!

How come nobody ever talks about delicious lunch time recipes? Most of the recipes I find are for dinner or dessert. So this week, I took it upon myself to create a couple of great lunches! Here are two recipes I found that were a big hit (even with the kids), as well as an easy no-bake recipe that is perfect for snacking on! 

Avocado Chicken Salad

1 ripe avocado
2 5 oz cans of chicken, drained
2 tbs mayonnaise
2-3 squirts of lemon or lime juice
salt, pepper, and cilantro to taste

Cut open and remove the pit of the avocado. Place it in a medium-sized bowl. Add the drained chicken and mayo. Using a fork, mush up everything until the chicken is nicely shredded. Put a few squirts of lemon or lime juice and then add salt, pepper, and cilantro until you have the right amount per your tastes. Optional add-in: chopped green onion. Serve on a bun or croissant. Makes about 6 sandwiches.

Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese

1/2 lb ground beef or turkey
1 jar of Manwich sloppy joe sauce
shredded sharp cheddar cheese
wavy potato chips
6 hamburger buns

Start by making the sloppy joes. Brown and drain the meat and then add the sauce and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Grease a small frying pan and heat on medium-high. Open a hamburger bun and smush it down so that it's flat. Butter one side of the bun and then turn that side over and place a nice stack of shredded cheese on top. Next, scoop a pile of sloppy joe mix onto the cheese. Cover that with a layer of potato chips, followed by more cheese. Butter one side of the other half of the bun and put it butter-side up on top of the sandwich. Carefully place the sandwich on the hot pan and let it cook for 3 minutes. Carefully flip it to the other side and slowly use the spatula to press it down. Try not to let a lot of the filling spill out! After 3 more minutes you can either flip it again or remove it from the pan if the cheese looks melted. Serve with pickles or more chips. Makes about 6 sandwiches.

Reese's Crispies No-Bakes

1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Corn Syrup
1 1/3 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
4 1/4 Cup Rice Krispes
1 Pinch of Salt
2 Handfuls Chocolate Chips
In a large sauce pan over medium heat, melt the sugar, corn syrup, and peanut butter until smooth and evenly combined. Remove from heat. Quickly add the salt and cereal and stir to combine thoroughly. Add the chocolate chips and stir again. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drop rounded tablespoons onto the sheet. Let cool for about 30 minutes. 

Au Jus Pot Roast (CP)

I'm a big fan of my CP (aka crock pot) and lately I've been using it several times a week. One of the easiest complete meals you can make in the CP is pot roast. The first time I tried this, I found a pre-packaged meat/veggies/seasoning combo at my Super Walmart store. It came with a large pork roast (they have a beef option as well), a hefty portion of baby carrots, celery, onions, and red potatoes, as well as a dry seasoning pack which you add to one cup of water. All you have to do as put everything in the CP and pour the water and 4 hours later, dinner is served! So easy and perfect for busy days.

The first roast turned out pretty well, but I felt like the seasonings it came with were too salty, so the next time I made my own seasoning combination and rubbed the roast with it. The spices I used included brown sugar, seasoning salt, onion flakes, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Still added one cup of water and all the veggies the roast package came with, but discarded the seasonings that were included. Added one cup of water and was done. This turned out to be a huge hit at my house, however, I made it so often that the fam started getting bored with it. So, I had to find a way to switch it up! Pinterest to the rescue! I found a recipe that uses coke or pepsi and Au Jus to give the roast a very savory taste. It's definitely more flavorful than my own seasonings and it has just a little extra flavor boost with the Au Jus.

This recipe pairs perfectly with mashed potatoes or cheesy potatoes, rice or pasta, and any veggie.

Au Jus Pot Roast

1 pork roast or boneless ribeye
1 packet McCormick's Slow Cookers Savory Pot Roast seasoning
1 can of Coca Cola or Pepsi
1 packet of Au Jus seasoning

Pour one cup of water into your crock pot, add Pot Roast seasoning packet. Add your roast (I rubbed mine with brown sugar first to add some sweetness). Pour can of cola over the top. Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours. Just before you serve it, add the Au Jus packet and stir.

(Picture from original recipe)

(Picture of my own dinner plate)

Introduction

Hello, I'm Mama B! I have three daughters, yes that's right, three. I'm also married, work part time and go to college. In the meantime (as if I have some) I enjoy naps, photography, being a crazy Facebook mom (we're talking kids pictures in the thousands), as well as cooking and baking delicious treats for my family. As of recently I've also discovered the joy of Pinning. I use Pinterest for a lot of my recipes along with a few other cooking blogs and a pinch of my own creativity. The convenience of pinning works really well when it comes to organizing my recipes, but I wanted a place to post full recipes, tips, and reviews. So, here we are! Mama B's Kitchen blog!

Recipe #1

This recipe is derived from two places (here and here) and I combined them to make some of the most amazing baked treats ever in honor of my youngest little princess's 1st birthday. These cupcakes are SO good, and just right for the month of October! The pie crust at the bottom is the perfect touch. The pumpkin flavor isn't overwhelming and the cinnamon cream cheese frosting is easy to make and can be saved and used with other recipes (french toast topping, for instance)! This is definitely one of my favorite recipes of all time. 

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

For the graham cracker crust:
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tbs brown sugar
3 tbs unsalted butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with cupcake liners. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in a medium bowl and mix well. Add 1 tbs of the mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

For the cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
In a large bowl combine dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. In a separate bowl mix butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients and milk, alternating until well combined. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary. Mix in the pumpkin puree. On top of the graham cracker crust, fill each cup about 1/2 full with batter. Bake for 18 minutes. Let cupcakes cool for at least 10 minutes before frosting.

For the frosting:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
Beat butter and cream cheese until well combined. Gradually add in confectioner’s sugar one cup at a time. Add vanilla and cinnamon and mix until combined. Place icing in piping bag or frost by hand using a knife.