Brownies

This recipe is essential to every dessert section of every cookbook EVER. It's hard to beat Momma's homemade brownies.

Ingredients
2 c. sugar
2/3 c. baking cocoa
2/3 c. canola or vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. self rising flour
1 tsp. vanilla
Peanut butter chips or chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

Stir all ingredients together in mixing bowl. Careful not to overstir. 

Pour into greased 9x13'' pan.

Sprinkle peanut butter chips and chocolate chips on top of the batter.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 - 25 minutes.

Let cool, then enjoy with a cold cup of milk or a bowl of vanilla ice cream- or both!

Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta

This recipe comes courtesy of Melissa Stevens from Elk River, Minnesota. (Taste of Home: Five Ingredient Cookbook). It's super simple and quick to make, which is always something a college kid is looking for in a recipe.

Ingredients
-8 oz. uncooked tube or spiral pasta
-1 lb. ground beef
-6 bacon strips, diced
-1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
-1 c. (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
-Barbecue sauce and prepared mustard, optional

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a skillet, brown beef then drain and set aside.

Cook bacon until crisp, discard drippings. 

Drain pasta and add to skillet. Then add soup, beef and bacon; heat through.

Sprinkle with cheese  then cover and cook until cheese is melted.

Serve with barbecue or mustard sauce if desired. (I opted not to, but I'll definitely have to give it a try in the future.)

Yield: 4-6 servings

Erin's Eclair Cake

This yummy recipe comes courtesy of my roomate and is extremely easy to make- the only catch is to make sure you leave enough time for the cake to chill in the refrigerator. Other than that, it's a piece of cake. Literally.

Ingredients
-2 packs of vanilla pudding
-3 c. milk
-1 package original graham crackers
-8 oz. container of cool whip
-16 oz. container of chocolate frosting

Directions
Mix together pudding packets and milk. Let it sit in the refrigerator to thicken for about 2-3 minutes.

Layer the bottom of a 9'' x 13'' glass pan with graham crackers.

Fold cool whip into pudding mixture then spread half of mixture on top of graham crackers.

Add a second layer of graham crackers on top of the pudding.

Spread the rest of the pudding mixture on top of graham cracker layer.

Add a third layer of graham crackers on top of the pudding layer.

Heat container of frosting in the microwave for 15 seconds then stir. Repeat again. After stirring, the frosting should be a thinner consistency. Spread frosting onto the top layer of graham crackers.

Cover the cake and let it chill for 4 hours.

Now it's ready. Cut and enjoy! 

Brunswick Stew

Warm brunswick stew is perfect for a cold day. There's several different versions, but this is my favorite. It definitely hits the spot AND it's super easy.

Ingredients

- 1 lb. ground beef, browned
- 2 cans stewed tomatoes
- 2 cans cream corn
- 1 can rotel, original
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 (20 oz.) ketchup
- 2 1/2 Tbsp. liquid smoke
- 2 cans (large) chunk chicken
- 1/2 bag hashbrowns

You will also need a 4 quart sized crockpot


Directions

Add all ingredients together in crockpot- do not drain off liquid in cans. Mix together and cook in crockpot for 1 hour on high then 2 - 3 hours on low.

You're all done. Enjoy! But be careful- it's hot.

Italian Roast Beef

This crockpot recipe makes for a perfect Sunday dinner. Just throw the ingredients together and bam! There's a roast. And your house smells delightful too!

Roast beef sandwiches are the BEST way to go.

Ingredients

- 3 c. water
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1tsp. onion salt
- 1 tsp. dried parsley
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
- 1 (5pound) rump roast

Combine water with salt, ground black pepper, oregano, basil, onion salt, parsley, garlic powder, bay leaf and salad dressing mix in a saucepan. Stir well and bring to a boil.

Place roast in slow cooker and pour salad dressing mixture over the meat.

Cover and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours. When done, remove bay leaf and shred meat with a fork.

It's all done!

Cake Mix Cookies

This is a super simple recipe and it's versatile, too! You can use practically any kind of cake mix you want and add whatever else you want to the recipe as well. For this recipe I chose chocolate cake mix with white chocolate chips- it's my favorite combination!

 Ingredients

- 1 chocolate cake mix
- 1/3 c. oil
- 2 eggs
-1 bag of white chocolate chips

                                                                                           

Directions

- Mix together cake mix, oil and eggs in bowl.

- Then add white chocolate chips and mix in. 

- Drop onto greased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Yep! It's that easy. Enjoy!
Yields about 3 dozen.

You can use whatever you want in place of white chocolate chips, for example: peanut butter chips, milk chocolate chips, pecans, etc.

Salad Dressing Chicken

Ingredients

- 1 to 2 servings of rice (white or brown)
- 1 boneless chicken breast
- 1/2 of an onion (optional)
- 2 Tbsp. Italian salad dressing (or whatever flavor dressing you prefer)

 Directions:

- Follow directions for rice and begin cooking it. (This will be the longest part, so it's best to go ahead and get the rice cooking.)

- Cut up defrosted chicken breast into cubed, bite-size pieces.
- Chop up the onion into small pieces as well.

- Combine chicken and onion in frying pan on medium heat.
- Add 2 Tbsp. of salad dressing. (Italian or Caesar works really well for this recipe.)
- Once chicken is cooked through, you can brown the outside of it by increasing heat. (It's up to you.)

At this point, you can add frozen corn or green beans or peppers (pretty much whatever you want) to the chicken and onion combination on the stove. (I didn't do it for this go-around, but it's always a nice touch.)
Once vegetables are cooked through, you're done!

Serve chicken mixture on top of rice. Enjoy!
Yields about 2 servings. 

If you choose not to put vegetables into the chicken-rice combination, they always make for a great side dish. My favorite side vegetable? Steamed broccoli!

Mystery Muffins

Ingredients

- ½ cup all-purpose flour

- ½ cup sugar

- 2 tsp. baking powder

- ½ tsp. salt

- 1 egg

- ½ cup milk

- ¼ cup oil

- Chocolate chips (or m&ms, bananas, blueberries, etc. or whatever you want- this is the mystery part of the muffin)

Directions:
Stir together sugar, egg, milk and oil.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt and baking powder.

Then add flour mixture to sugar mixture and stir.

(A fork works great for stirring!)

             


                                     And then the BEST part of all... Add the mystery ingredient!

(In this case, it's chocolate chips.)

                                                     Pour batter into greased or lined muffin pan.

       

           Cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.    

 Yield: approximately 1 dozen

These are super easy AND they taste great! I personally love the "mystery" part- you can add anything you want to spruce them up. The recipe makes a dozen, so you can share with your roomates too. (But only if you want to- I don't blame you for keeping the goodness to yourself.)

Italian Meatball Soup

Ingredients:
-2 cans of Italian seasoned stewed tomatoes
-1 can of french cut green beans
-1 can of whole kernel corn
-3 cups of beef broth. Beef bouillon cubes
-White onion
-Italian flavored meatballs- 26 oz. bag

Directions:
Cut up half of the onion into medium size pieces (or to your preference). Drain juices from the cans of corn and green beans. Mix together onion, corn and green beans in the crockpot. Add both cans of stewed tomatoes and mix together. Add half of the 26 oz. bag of meatballs. Follow directions for beef bouillon cubes to make 3 cups of beef broth. Add 3 cups of beef broth and mix it all together.

Cook for 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high.
(Cooking time may vary- dependent upon the size of the onions.)
Yields 6 servings

This is a super easy recipe and actually pretty cost effective as well. You spend a little bit for the meatballs, but it evens out with all the other ingredients being lower in price.

Another upside to this recipe? You have leftover meatballs and bouillon cubes to make another pot! So all you need is some more vegetables, which are reasonably well-priced.

Definitely worth it!