{ hobo dinners }

I’ve received quite a few comments on the hobo dinner in my menu plan. Some of you had never heard of them, and I promise once I let you in on this little secret you’ll be making it every week!

There’s a lot of variations to this recipe… I generally stick to farmer’s sausage for the meat (we have excellent fresh options available) and a lot of people do this while camping or at least over the fire, but I generally just do it in my oven or grill.

All you need is:

Aluminum foil
Meat of some kind (hamburger, farmer’s sausage, hot dogs, chicken, even salmon, shrimp, etc. possibilities are endless!)
Potatoes, quartered
Baby carrots or carrot sticks
Onions, mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, etc. cut into bite size pieces
Salt & pepper
Seasoning salt

Wrap individual amounts into little foil packets and bake at 350 for about an hour, maybe a little less. Enjoy!

Photo source here.

chunky monkey pancakes

I’m a huge fan of Our Best Bites… they have great recipes with pretty ordinary ingredients. Tradition in our house is pancakes for Saturday brunch and I was delighted to find this recipe, which was an instant hit with the boys! It’s great for using up those slightly over-ripe bananas your kids keep avoiding…

1 1/2 cups flour
3 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk *
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbs canola oil
1 large or extra large egg
2 small-med ripe bananas
1/4 cups mini chocolate chips tossed with 2 tsp flour
Cooking Spray or butter for pan
1 cups maple syrup
1/2 cups peanut butter

Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk together. In a separate bowl combine buttermilk, eggs, oil, and vanilla and whisk well. Add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix just until moistened and combined. Place bananas in a bowl and roughly mash with a fork. Fold into batter. Add the chocolate chips that have been tossed with flour and stir.
For syrup, heat peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds. Add maple syrup and gently whisk to combine. Heat in the microwave for another 30 seconds, whisk, and then set aside.

Heat a nonstick griddle or skillet to medium heat. Coat pan with a little butter and then pour on pancake batter. Use 1/4 cup batter for large pancakes (4-6") and 2 Tbsp for kid-sized ones (2-3"). Wait until bubbles form and edges are set and then flip.
Reheat syrup if necessary and pour over warm pancakes.
Yield:
28-30 2-3" pancakes (using 1/8 cup batter measure)
14-15 4-6" pancakes (using 1/4 cup batter measure)
Freezer Instructions: Let cooked pancakes cool to room temperature. Place in a single layer in the freezer until frozen and then place pancakes in a ziplock bag or airtight container. Reheat in a microwave or toaster until heated through.

*As a substitute for buttermilk, place 1 1/2 Tbs lemon juice or vinegar in a 1 1/2 cup measuring cup and then fill the remainder with milk.

Photo courtesy of Our Best Bites.

graham wafer bars

These bars are quick and easy and go over well with every age. They taste a lot like Skor candy bars.

Graham Wafer Quickies

1 1/2 pkg graham wafers
1 cup margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup pecans

Line a buttered 12x15" baking sheet with wafers. Boil margarine & sugar for 2-3 minutes. Add nuts and spread over crackers. Bake at 400 degrees for 5-6 minutes. Take out and sprinkle with chocolate chips; return to oven for 1 minute to help melt the chocolate, then spread with a knife.

rich 'n cheesy macaroni

This is a great recipe for a more gourmet twist on Mac 'n Cheese. My boys love it and so do most adults... I usually serve it with my recipe of Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard Sauce and I do it on a day when I'm not too concerned with the future health/weight of my family...

Rich 'n Cheesy Macaroni

2 1/2 cups uncooked macaroni
6 Tbsp. butter, divided
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 cups milk
8 oz. Velveeta cheese
1 1/3 cups cottage cheese
2/3 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs

Cook and drain macaroni. Place in a greased 2 1/2 qt. baking dish. In saucepan, melt 4 Tbsp. butter. Stir in flour, salt and sugar until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat, stir in Velveeta until melted. Stir in cottage cheese and sour cream. Pour over macaroni. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter and toss with bread crumbs; sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes ore until golden brown. 6-8 servings.

Warning: excessive amounts of dairy and fat - please exercise caution... or maybe just plain exercise after eating!!

chicken fingers with dipping sauce

This is a great hit with the boys and dh too... Good with homemade Mac 'n Cheese!

Chicken Fingers

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg. dry Italian dressing mix
2 pkgs. Ritz crackers
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

Crush crackers. Add butter and dressing mix. Cut chicken into strips and coat with mayonnaise. Roll in crackers crumb mixture. Bake 20 minutes at 400F or until done.


Honey Mustard Sauce for Chicken Fingers

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1/3 cup mustard
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup honey
1-2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, optional

Mix well and serve with hot chicken fingers.