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Corn Cakes

September 4, 2009 By Kate 11 Comments

This is a fun little recipe for when you have some extra corn on the cob that you don’t know what to do with. That happens rarely at our house since all but one of us could eat corn on the cob with every meal. But when we do have a few extra ears hanging out in the fridge, I like to use them to make these corn cakes.

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Corn Cakes

  • 1 1/2 c. raw corn kernels (about 2 ears)
  • 1 c. finely crushed saltines
  • 1/3 c. milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • 1/4 t. pepper
  • 1 T. canola oil

1. Mix all ingredients, except oil, in a medium bowl  until well blended.

2. Heat half the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Drop 6 tablespoonfuls of corn mixture into the skillet. Cook for about 2-3 minutes; flip and cook an additional 2 minutes, until lightly browned. Repeat until done.

These are perfect for a snack, lunch or side dish. They taste great with all kinds of dipping sauces too, including hot sauce, cocktail sauce, ranch or even maple syrup.

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German Chocolate Cake Bars

September 2, 2009 By Kate 7 Comments

I try to avoid boxed cake mixes whenever possible. I really just prefer the taste of homemade and I truly enjoy the process of baking a cake from scratch. But every once and a while, there are times when a boxed mix is the only solution.

I relied on a box mix earlier this summer when I tried my hand at making cake pops for the first time. And I always use a box mix when I make these delicious German Chocolate Cake Bars.

My husband is not a big cake fan. But he does like his desserts and he loves the flavors in German chocolate cake. This is what I make him for his birthday almost every year. It is so easy to put together and the taste is just incredible. The bars are ooey, gooey, chocolaty and super sweet. I could still eat half a dozen in one sitting though!

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German Chocolate Cake Bars

  • 1 box German chocolate cake mix
  • 1/2 c. butter or margarine
  • 1 c. chocolate chips
  • 1 container Coconut-Pecan frosting
  • 1/4 c. milk

1. In a large bowl, cut butter or margarine into cake mix until crumbly. Press 2 1/2 cups into the bottom of a greased 13×9 casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

2. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Then drop globs of frosting on top of the chips. Stir the milk into the remaining cake mix/butter combination and add dollops of it on top of the frosting and chocolate chips.

3. Return to the oven and bake an additional 25-30 minutes. Remove and cool completely.

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For best results when cutting, place the bars in the refrigerator first. They’ll be a little less gooey. (I did not refrigerate the bars first in that picture at the top of this post.)

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Pepper Jack Mac Cups

September 1, 2009 By Kate 5 Comments

Pepper Jack cheese is a huge favorite with my kids. We don’t buy it very often because it’s just not that versatile. But when we find a good deal on cheese, we usually grab a block of pepper jack.

I wanted to use some of that cheese to make a fun dinner for the kids. My husband and I have a long-standing date night at home on Tuesday nights and we always eat a special dinner together then. So I like to give the kids something a little special on those nights too.

These pepper jack & mac cups fit the bill perfectly. I could have just made a simple mac & cheese with the pepper jack, but I wanted to boost the fun factor. As an added bonus, the cups freeze really well too and will make a great quick snack or dinner on another night. I added some frizzled ham to them too, so with a veggie side, they had a complete dinner. (You could certainly leave the meat out though.)

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Pepper Jack Mac Cups

  • 5 T. butter or margarine
  • 1/3 lb. ham lunch meat, sliced thin
  • 1/4 c. flour
  • 2 c. milk
  • 2 c. pepper jack cheese, shredded or diced
  • 1/2 lb. elbow macaroni, cooked
  • 1 T. butter or margarine, melted
  • 1/4 c. breadcrumbs

1. In a sauce pan, melt butter or margarine. Add ham and cook for about 5 minutes, until slightly crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

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2. Stir flour into pan and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk, bring to a slow boil and cook just until thickened. Remove from heat and add cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Add macaroni and ham. Stir to combine.

3. Grease muffin tins and press about a quarter to a half cup of mac & cheese into each cup. Combine 1 T. melted butter with the breadcrumbs and sprinkle over each cup. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until bubbly and slightly crisp. Remove carefully and enjoy!

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Removing these can be a little tricky. I found they were easiest to take out once they had cooled completely. It takes a little trial and error, but they will come out in one piece.

Also, this recipe makes about 20 cups, depending on the size of your muffin tins.

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