The December Sweet as Pie menu was filled with sweet treats, perfect for all of the holiday parties throughout the month.  I made these Insanely Delicious Turtle Cookies for a cookie swap with my Junior League group and am happy to say that they were a BIG hit.  I’ll have to remember these for next year’s events as well.  Here’s how they came together:

First, I beat butter and sugar together before adding in an egg yolk, milk, and vanilla.  Flour, cocoa, and salt completed the cookie dough.After chilling, I rolled the dough into small balls, dipped each in egg whites, and then rolled them in chopped pecans.  I used a half teaspoon (sprayed with cooking spray for easy release) to make an indentation in each cookie before baking. While the cookies baked, I made the caramel filling using caramels and cream.  Once the cookies came out of the oven, I deepened the indentations and filled the cookies with the caramel sauce.  Again, these were winners.  Phillip loved them, the Junior League girls loved them, and the Junior League husbands loved them.  Not only were they tasty, but they were also really cute and looked great arranged on a serving tray.  A great holiday treat!

It’s always nice to see a recipe for a new side dish, and especially for a vegetable other than potatoes.  I try to incorporate a variety of vegetables into our meals but sometimes get stuck in a rotation among a few simple favorites.  So even though carrots aren’t our most favorite veggie, I was excited to introduce a new option to our table.  These Pepper-Jelly Glazed Carrots were incredibly simple and would make a nice side dish for any weeknight or even fancier meal.  Here’s how they came together:

With only four ingredients, it would be hard to get much simpler.  Simply bring the carrots and chicken broth to a boil and cook until the carrots are tender and the broth has reduced.Then, mix in the pepper jelly (which I found on the jelly aisle at my grocery store) and butter.  This cooks for another 5 minutes or so until the carrots are nicely glazed. I liked these and Phillip tolerated them fairly well.  The pepper jelly gave them a nice sweet-spicy kick.  I used baby carrots because I happened to have some on hand, but I think this might be even better with thinly-sliced regular carrots.  Anyone else out there enjoy these?

We love any and all things salted caramel.  Add graham crackers and the potential for chocolate to that, and I was sold.  These Salted Caramel-Pecan Bars were a fun dessert to make and a great one to share.  Take the time to make the caramel – it’s not really that hard, but it is definitely worth it.  Here’s how it came together:

First, I toasted some pecans in a skillet.  Thanks to Phillip’s papa, we always have a good supply of home-grown pecans in our freezer.

I combined butter, sugar, and cream in a saucepan and brought that to a boil.  Once the mixture was boiling, I turned off the heat and stirred in pecans and some vanilla.  Meanwhile, I layered graham crackers on a cookie sheet to serve as the base for the bars.  Next, I spread the caramel mixture over the graham crackers and then baked until the top was bubbly and lightly browned. I took the recipe’s suggestion for a twist at this point and sprinkled on some chocolate chips.  It seemed like the right thing to do.  After a little sprinkling of salt, these only had to cool before being ready to break into pieces and eat!As expected, we loved these.  We took some to our friends’ house for a dinner party and I shared some with a few other friends as well.  I’ve already had inquiries as to when I’ll be making this one again, so I’ll probably make another batch or two for the various holiday cookie swaps I’ll be going to in December.  Another hit from Sweet as Pie!

Next on the November Sweet as Pie list was this recipe for Creole Beef Grillades and Cheese Grits.  I made this hearty meal on a Sunday evening since it did require a little bit of simmering time (more so than I usually like to plan for on a weeknight).  Here’s how it came together:

First, I mixed paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and thyme to make the Creole spice mix and then seasoned some flour with the mixture.  I dredged my beef round pieces in some of the flour.  I browned the cutlets and then set them aside while I built the sauce.

I sauteed onions, celery, garlic, and bell pepper, then added some of the reserved flour to coat the vegetables.Next came tomatoes and beef stock, and then thyme, red pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and a bay leaf.  I returned the beef to the pan, covered, and simmered for about 45 minutes before adding hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Watson kept a watchful eye on things just in case something fell on the floor.Meanwhile, I made the cheese grits with our favorite local grits, butter, cream cheese, and Swiss cheese.We both really liked the combination of the sauce with the grits.  The beef was our least favorite part, but that was likely due to the cut I chose at the grocery store.  This reminded me a lot of an okra stew dish that my dad really likes since the flavor profile was very similar.  The grits had a great flavor and were very creamy.  I’d be up for making this one again, but next time I’ll probably splurge on a better cut of meat.

This Crispy Chicken-Broccoli Casserole was one of my picks for the November Sweet as Pie menu.  For whatever reason, I was just kind of craving a chicken-broccoli-cheese dish and this casserole fit the bill.  Here’s how it came together (the recipe is copied below):

First, I prepared wild rice according to the package directions.  Then, I sauteed onion before mixing in the rice, some chicken, broccoli, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cheese, lemon juice, and salt. I put that mixture in a baking dish and topped it with a mixture of panko and melted butter before baking.We liked this one a lot.  I think next time I’ll trade out the wild rice for regular rice (I just don’t love wild rice) and will probably go with a Ritz cracker crumble on top instead of the panko.  But otherwise, this was a home-y meal that really hit the spot.

Crispy Chicken-Broccoli Casserole from The Best of Southern Living Cookbook

2 (6-ounce) packages long-grain and wild rice mix
1 small onion, chopped
3 tablespoons melted butter, divided
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups crushed cornflakes cereal (I used panko this time since I had some on hand, but next time will switch to Ritz crackers)

1.  Reserve seasoning packets from wild rice mix for another use.  Prepare rice according to package directions.

2.  Saute chopped onion in a Dutch oven in 1 tablespoon melted butter over medium-high heat for 8 minutes or until onion is tender.

3.  Add rice, chicken, and next 6 ingredients to Dutch oven; stir until blended.  Spoon into a lightly greased 13×9-inch baking dish or disposable aluminum pan.  Toss together cornflakes and remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter.  Sprinkle cornflake mixture evenly over casserole.

4.  Bake, covered with aluminum foil, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Remove foil, and bake 8 more minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Admittedly, I was not looking forward to this recipe for Turkey, Mushroom, and Spinach Lasagna.  With the no-boil noodles, ground turkey, and turkey pepperoni, it was bound to be a healthier lasagna option but not at all like I’m used to.  I like “normal” lasagna and have a recipe that I like to use already (it’s the same one my mom uses).  Phillip, however, doesn’t really care for my lasagna or any other.  But, despite our reservations, we gave this one a try and were pleasantly surprised.  Here’s how it came together:

First, I cooked the ground turkey with some spices until cooked through.  After moving the cooked turkey to a separate bowl, I sauteed onions, garlic, and mushrooms in the same pan before adding the spinach to wilt. After that, it was time to layer the lasagna.  I started with marinara sauce, then added noodles, some of the turkey, and some ricotta.  After another layer of sauce, I sprinkled on some turkey pepperoni and some red pepper flakes.  These layers repeated before ending with another noodle layer, more sauce, mozzarella, and basil. Surprisingly, Phillip liked this lasagna – more so than any lasagna he’s ever had.  I didn’t love it, although it was definitely better than what I was expecting.  The turkey pepperoni just didn’t do it for me.  But, guess who LOVED turkey pepperoni?  Watson.  We used the leftovers for instant treats for him.  If Phillip were in some unlikely scenario to request this lasagna again, I would make it for him, but otherwise, I’ll probably stick to my regular version.