I love this recipe!  It’s so quick and easy and even the most picky eaters will love this

Ingredients:

• 1 bag tator tots
• 1 lb hamburger, browned
• 2 cans cream of chicken or mushroom (I prefer cream of chicken)
• 10 oz shredded cheddar cheese
• Milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Place browned hamburger in bottom of 13×9 baking pan
3. Layer half of the cheese on top
4. Next place the tator tots on top
5. In a small bowl combine the cream of chicken/mushroom with milk until slightly soupy
6. Pour the mixture of the tator tots
7. Spread remaining cheese on top
8. Bake for 45 minutes or until tator tots are cooked

posted by This is Life with Jess
Filed under: Food/Recipes, Home

This recipe only makes 4 cupcakes which is perfect when you don’t want to make a whole bunch

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup flour

Directions:

1. In microwave melt chocolate chips and butter; stir until smooth.  Cool slightly.
2. In a small bowl, beat egg and sugar.  Stir in vanilla and chocolate mixture.
3. Gradually add flour.
4. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
5. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes or until tops begin to crack.
6. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Enjoy!

posted by This is Life with Jess
Filed under: Food/Recipes, Home

I love toffee bits and I love almost any recipe that has them in it   Toffee-Topped Cheesecake Bars is another one of my favorites.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (8 oz package) English toffee bits, divided

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In medium mixing bowl, combine flour, powdered sugar, cocoa and baking soda; cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. (I usually mush it all together using my hands) Press firmly on bottom of ungreased 13×9 inch baking pan.  Bake 15 minutes.
3. In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy.  Add condensed milk, eggs and vanilla; beat until smooth.  Stir in 1 cup toffee bits.  Pour mixture over hot crust.  Bake 25 minutes or until set and edges just begin to brown.
4. Remove from oven.  Cool 15 minutes.  Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup toffee bits evenly over top.  Cool completely.
5. Refrigerate several hours or until cold.  Store leftover covered in refrigerator.

posted by This is Life with Jess
Tags: Baking, bars, cheesecake, dessert, Food, Recipe, toffee-topped cheesecake bars
Filed under: Food/Recipes, Home

If you’re like me you sometimes find in the middle of making something that you don’t have the necessary ingredient on hand   So frustrating!  Below is a list of substitutions you can use in a pinch and your recipe will still come out great On the left is the ingredient you want but don’t have, on the right is what you may use as a substitution.

• 1 T. cornstarch — 2 T. OR 1 1/2 T. quick cooking tapioca
• 1 cup cake flour — 1 cup less 2 T. all-purpose flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour — 1 cup plus 2 T. cake flour
• 1 square chocolate — 3 T. cocoa and 1 T. shortening
• 1 cup melted shortening — 1 cup salad oil
• 1 cup milk — 1/2 cup evaporated milk and 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup sour milk or buttermilk — 1 T. lemon juice or vinegar and enough sweet milk to measure 1 cup
• 1 cup heavy cream — 2/3 cup well-chilled evaporated milk, whipped
• Sweetened condensed milk — no substitution
• 1 egg — 2 T. dried whole egg and 2 T. water
• 1 tsp baking powder — 1/4 tsp. baking soda and 1 tsp. cream of tartar OR 1/4 tsp baking soda and 1/2 cup sour milk, buttermilk or molasses; reduce other liquid 1/2 cup
• 1 cup sugar — 1 cup honey; reduce other liquid 1/4 cup; reduce baking temperature 25 degrees
• 1 cup miniature marshmallows — about 10 large marshmallows, cut up
• 1 medium onion — 2 T. instant minced onion OR 1 tsp. onion powder OR 2 tsp onion salt; reduce salt 1 tsp.
• 1 garlic clove — 1/8 tsp. garlic powder OR 1/4 tsp. garlic salt; reduce salt 1/8 tsp.
• 1 T. fresh herbs — 1 tsp. dried herbs OR 1/4 tsp. powdered herbs OR 1/2 tsp. herb salt; reduce salt 1/4 tsp.

That’s it for this week’s list.  Next week I’ll post another list of cooking/baking substitutions that you can use.  What substitutions have you used that you’ve found work in a pinch?

posted by This is Life with Jess
Tags: Baking, baking substitutions, cooking, cooking substitutions, Food
Filed under: Food/Recipes, Home

Last week I made Chicken and Pasta in Creamy Tomato Sauce which if I do say so myself was excellent.  Since I had some of the whipping cream left over from making that recipe, I decided to make baked hash browns to use up the remaining whipping cream.  I like that this recipe has a twist on the normal same old same old hash browns.  Try it for yourself and see

Ingredients:

• 8 frozen hash brown patties
• salt
• garlic powder
• pepper
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 13×9 baking dish.
2. Place hash brown patties in the baking dish and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
3. Pour whipping cream over patties.
4. Bake uncovered for approximately 45-50 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for another 5 minutes or until patties are tender and cheese is melted.

posted by This is Life with Jess
Tags: Food, hash browns, Recipe
Filed under: Food/Recipes, Home