Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Sauce

We found this recipe many years ago in a Taste of Home magazine, and it has been a family favorite ever since.  Instead of a cream cheese frosting, you smother the cake in a caramel sauce and top it with whipped cream.

RECIPE

2 C. flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

2 C. sugar

4 eggs

15 oz canned pumpkin

1 C. oil

* Whisk the flour and seasonings together.  In a separate bowl, beat sugar, eggs, pumpkin and oil together.  Add the flour mixture and beat until everything is well combined.  Scrape down the sides and make sure all the flour is mixed in.  Pour into a greased 9X13 pan and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.  Let the cake cool completely before topping with caramel sauce.

Caramel Sauce:

1 1/2 C. brown sugar, packed

3 TBL flour

1/4 tsp Kosher salt

1 1/4 C. water

2 TBL butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

* Whisk the brown sugar, flour and salt together and set aside.  In a medium saucepan, melt the butter.  Add the flour mixture and water and stir until smooth.  Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.  When it starts to boil, turn the heat down a little- so it stays at a simmer- and stir for three minutes.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Let it sit for 5 minutes before pouring over the cake.  We cut the cake into individual servings then let people add as much caramel sauce as they want to their cake.  Garnish with whipped cream!

Tips:

• The recipe makes a lot of Caramel Sauce- we really drench the cake in it.  If you find you have a lot leftover, half the recipe next time you make it.  Use any leftover sauce to dip apples or bread in.
• I make the cake a day ahead so it's completely cooled.  The sauce adds warmth and moisture to it.

Pani Popo Samoan Coconut Rolls

Dinner rolls are indeed a sacred Thanksgiving staple.  Each year I mostly serve up the same traditional dishes, but I try to mix it up and add a few new ones too.        

These hover somewhere between the status of roll and dessert, and to be frank, they're da bomb. 

   

I first laid eyes on these Samoan beauties a few summers ago, while visiting family in southern Idaho.  We were invited to a Luau put on by their Church and a few of it's Samoan members.  Let's just say that the food rocked my world so hard that I'm willing to plan every subsequent summer visit around those Luau's. 

Hello everyone.  

My name is TiAnn and I'm a Polynesian-cuisine-aholic. 

And if that's wrong, then I don't want to be right.    

I know coconut is not a flavor often associated with traditional Thanksgiving fare, but I promise these will compliment your feast in a big way.  The soft fluffy rolls absorb the sweetened coconut milk and are loaded with flavor.  They are so unique in a "where have you been all my life" kind of way, and have always earned rave reviews.

You're welcome, in advance.

Pani Popo, Samoan Coconut Rolls Posted by Bliss From Scratch, inspired by Try Anything Once | Printable Version Yields 2 dozen rolls. 6 cups flour 2 1/4 teaspoon yeast, or 1 packet 2 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons milk 1 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon, divided 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon butter 2 (14 oz) cans coconut milk  Measure 3 cups flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt and yeast into a large mixing bowl.  Combine milk and butter in a small glass bowl and heat in microwave until warm and the butter is almost completely melted.  Be sure the milk does not get too warm, so as to not kill the yeast (to test, you should be able to comfortably keep your finger in the milk).  Add the warm milk and butter mixture to the flour mixture and combine. Gradually add remaining flour to make a smooth dough. Knead 4-6 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl covered with a cloth and allow to rise until doubled, about 45 min.  Tip: preheat the oven to its lowest setting, about 170 degrees and then turn it off.  Place the covered bowl in the oven and allow it to rise.  This works perfectly every time! When the dough has doubled punch it down and form into two dozen rolls, placing them into two greased 9x13 pans. Cover the rolls with a cloth and allow to rise for 20 minutes more, while the oven is preheating.  After the 20 minute rise, whisk the 2 cans coconut milk with 1 cup sugar and pour over the rolls.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden brown, and they test done.  Enjoy.

Recipe for Bliss From Scratch

Southwest Chicken Chowder

This chowder is my absolute favorite soup.  It tastes great, if not better, the next day- leftover approved.  It's packed with flavor and hearty veggies-so grab the biggest bowl you've got!

 RECIPE

2 TBL butter (or oil)

1 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces

1 small onion, chopped

1 TBL cumin

1 large sweet potato, cubed

32 oz chicken broth

1 C. heavy whipping cream

1 can cream style corn

1 can black beans, rinse and drained

1 can chopped green chilies

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

4 tsp chili powder

2 C. shredded Monterey Jack OR Pepper Jack cheese

1/4 C. instant potato flakes

(cilantro and tortillas chips to garnish)

 * Cut all your veggies and chicken before you do anything else.  In a large pot, saute onion and chicken in butter and cumin.  Cook just until the chicken is browned, but not cooked through.  Add the potatoes and saute 1 minute, then add the chicken broth.  Cover and bring it to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes (you want some resistance when you pierce the potato with a fork...it should be cooked about half way).  Add the cream, corn, beans, chilies, and seasonings.  Bring the soup back to a rolling boil, then add the cheese and stir until it's completely melted.  Check a potato just to make sure its cooked through.  (Remember the potatoes will continue to soften after the soup is done so don't over cook them.)  Mix in the potato flakes and remove from heat.  Let it cool for at least ten minutes before serving.  Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and tortilla chips.

 Tips:

• A sweet potato can range from white (like below) to a more orange colored flesh.  I prefer the whiter flesh.  Sweet potatoes have a different texture- they remind me of the squash family since they are harder to cut.  Feel free to use what you have in your fridge too- red, russet and gold potatoes are just fine.  You want about 1 cup of cubed potatoes.  

• I often times have leftover canned refried beans and will add them into the soup too.
• I grind the green chilies in my mimi chopper so my kids don't freak out over "green" things in the soup.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup

Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup

This soup is amaze-balls, smooth and creamy, easy to make, and basically your dream come true.  It has all the delicious flavor of the traditional chicken cordon bleu recipe, with a fraction of the time required to make it. Win!

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• INGREDIENTS


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• ¼ cup butter


• ¼ cup flour


• 2½ cups half and half 


• 2½ cups milk


• 1 Tablespoon chicken base, or two chicken bullion cubes crushed


• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened


• 2½ cups chopped rotisserie chicken (cooked chicken breast will work)


• ½ cup cooked and chopped bacon


• 1 cup cubed ham


• 2 cups grated Swiss cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large sauce pan melt butter and then add the flour to make a roux. Cook for about a minute. Add the half and half, milk and the chicken base. Heat for a few minutes and then add the cream cheese. While continuously stirring, bring to a boil and add chicken, bacon. and ham. Take off heat and stir in Swiss cheese. Bring back to the stove on low heat and stir until cheese is melted.

TIPS

I halved the amount of cream cheese from the original recipe because flavor-wise it still tastes the same and we should always half the amount of cream cheese if we can, right?!  I've also made this soup with a combination of swiss and mozzarella cheese (if swiss is too strong a flavor for you or your kiddos) and it still was delish.

Recipe adapted from Chef in Training

Asian Chicken

Recipe

1 TBL Canola Oil

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 tsp minced garlic

1 C. Yoshida's Original Gourmet Sweet & Savory sauce

1 C. chicken broth (low sodium)

1 C. brown sugar (packed)

1 tsp Sriracha Chili Sauce

1/4 C. chopped cilantro

1/2 C. chopped green onion

3 TBL cold water

3 TBL cornstarch

*Cut the chicken into large chunks.  Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the chicken (don't cook it all the way thru).  Add the garlic and saute another 30 seconds.  Add Yoshida's Gourmet sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar and Sriracha and mix well.  Bring it to a boil, reduce heat and let it simmer five minutes.  In a small bowl, mix water and cornstarch together.  Turn up the heat until the sauce comes to a rolling boil and whisk in the cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly.  Simmer 2-3 minutes, until thickened.  Remove the pan from the stovetop and mix in the cilantro and green onion.  Let the sauce cool for 3-5minutes (it should thicken a little more).  Serve over steamed rice.  (Add more chili sauce if you like things hot!  If you want it slightly thicker, add one more TBL cornstarch mixture)

Ham and Swiss Sliders with Sweet Poppy Seed Glaze

This recipe is courtesy of my wonderfully talented sister from Bliss From Sratch.

Today I give the gift of ease. 

And these little devils are gloriously good. 

Of course you could bake up your own Hawaiian sweet rolls, but if you're looking for a quick dynamite dinner, do it my way. 

The glaze truly makes these babies sing, both sweet and savory with those lovely poppy seeds.  Oh yum!  You can even go lighter and use half the glaze and they're still serendipitous.

Undoubtedly a new family favorite.  Make them.

Ham and Swiss Sliders with Sweet  Poppy Seed Glaze Recipe by Bliss From Scratch, adapted from A Thrifty Mom | Printable Recipe   1 dozen King's Hawaiian Sweet Rolls 4 oz Swiss cheese, sliced 1/2 lb deli ham, sliced 1/2 cup butter, melted 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon poppy seeds 1/2 tablespoon dry mustard 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce Remove the rolls from the packaging and--leaving the rolls attached--slice the entire roll loaf in half horizontally. Spray a small casserole dish lightly with cooking spray, place the bottom layer of the roll loaf into the dish.  Layer the ham evenly over the rolls, next the Swiss cheese, then add the top of the roll loaf. In a small saucepan melt butter over medium heat, add brown sugar, poppy seeds, dry mustard and Worcestershire sauce and whisk until combined.  Pour the butter glaze mixture evenly over the rolls. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 325° F for 25 minutes, remove foil and bake an additional 5 minutes.  Serves 4-6.  Enjoy!