Blogging Mom of 4, Saving You Dinero and Raising My 5 Sons have joined together to bring you this eBook ­ Recipes Best of… We have chosen some of our favorite recipes to share with you. We love them, our readers love them. All in one spot for easy access. From our kitchen to yours. Hope you enjoy! Dawn, Janell and Mandee

Table of contents Soups

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Basil Soup Italian Chicken Soup (Crock Pot or Stove Top) Tortilla Soup (Crock Pot Or Stove Top)

Casseroles Chili Dog Cornbread Casserole Chicken Parmesan Casserole Cheeseburger French Fry Casserole Hot Dog Casserole Pizza Casserole

Slow Cooker/Freezer Meals Crock Pot Hawaiian Chicken Crock Pot Beef Burritos Fiesta Chicken Rice Bowls Slow Cooker Baked Ziti Maple Dijon Glazed Chicken Chicken Teriyaki BBQ Cranberry Chicken Honey Chicken Orange Chicken

Desserts Oatmeal Fudge Bars Pumpkin Butterscotch Doughnuts Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Pumpkin Cookies Topped with Icing Cool Whip Apple Candy Bar Recipe Cookie Brownie Peanut Butter Cups Ooey Gooey Monkey Bread

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Basil Soup Ingredients 2 Sweet Potatoes or yams peeled and diced 1/2 yellow onion, diced 1 – 14 oz coconut milk 1 Cup vegetable broth 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 Tbsp dried basil salt and pepper to taste Directions Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 hours. Blogging Mom of 4 http://bloggingmomof4.com/20­fall­soup­recipes/

Italian Chicken Soup (Crock Pot or Stove Top) Ingredients 1 large yellow onion 1 red pepper 5 garlic cloves Celery – about 1 cup diced 2 large potatoes, diced (You can omit this if you would like to) 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped salt and pepper to taste 9 cups of water 3 Tablespoons chicken bouillon 1­½ cup Ditalini pasta (it’s short, stubby pasta) Directions

1. In a blender add 1 cup of water and the onion, red pepper, and garlic cloves. Make sure there aren’t very many chunks (unless you like it chunky). Add it to a very large crock pot. (Tip – no need to dice up the onion, peppers, and garlic before you put them in the blender. Just chop them up a little and let your blender do the work!)

2. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the pasta) to the crock pot. 3. Cook on high for 4­5 hour or low for 6­7 hours. 4. About 45 minutes before you serve it, take out the chicken and shred it into pieces. Add

the Ditalini pasta.

Serve and enjoy! We also added a little bit of Parmesan cheese.

*You can also make this on your stove top. I would simmer it for about an hour to make sure the potatoes and celery are soft. You can make the pasta and add it to the rest of the soup before you serve it.

This will make a lot of soup. Between all the veggies, chicken, and pasta you will be full! I am sure it will taste even better the next day. **Tip – you will need a very large crock pot for this recipe because once you add the pasta it will fill up the crock pot. You could make the pasta separate and add it to a large bowl to serve.

Saving You Dinero ­ http://www.savingyoudinero.com/2014/01/07/crock­pot­italian­chicken­soup/

Tortilla Soup (Crock Pot Or Stove Top) Ingredients 1 ½ – 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 (24 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed 1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce 1 medium onion, chopped 1 (4 oz) can chopped green chile peppers 2 cloves garlic, minced 4 cups water 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Crumbled tortilla chips cream (sour or Mexican) shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexican mix) Directions

1. Add all the ingredients except the tortilla chips, cream, and cheese to the crock pot. 2. Cover, and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours 3. When it’s done remove chicken and shred with 2 forks. The smaller the better since you

can’t really cut up your soup. 4. Tip – once you remove the chicken place the chunky stuff into a blender and blend until

smooth. My kids don’t like chunks but they loved this soup! 5. To serve, mix in some cream, cheese and tortilla chips.

To prepare on a stove top, add all the ingredients except the tortilla chips, cream, and cheese to a large stock pot. Cook for about an hour or until the onions are soft. Remove chicken and shred with 2 forks. To serve, mix in some cream, cheese and tortilla chips. Saving You Dinero http://www.savingyoudinero.com/2013/07/28/slow­cooker­tortilla­soup/

Chili Dog Cornbread Casserole Ingredients 3 Cans Hormel Chili 1 Pack Hot Dogs 1 Package Frozen Onions already cut (You can cut your onions, I just had them, so I used them) 1 Bag Shredded Cheddar Cheese 1 Box Cornbread Mix (We used Honey Cornbread b/c we prefer it) Directions Preheat oven to 400 Pour cans of chili into casserole dish Cut hot dogs into bite size pieces and add to the chili in the casserole dish Top with 1/2 Bag of onions (or as many as you like) and Shredded Cheese (full bag) Make cornbread mix according to package and spread on top of chili mixture Bake for 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Raising My 5 Sons http://raisingmy5sons.com/2013/07/chili­dog­cornbread­casserole­recipe/

Chicken Parmesan Casserole Ingredients 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts ­ uncooked 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped 2 cups sauce 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese parmesan cheese, to taste 2 cups croutons, crushed (I measured before I crushed them). Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. 2. Cut up chicken pieces into bite sized pieces and place the chicken in the bottom of the

pan. 3. Sprinkle the minced garlic and basil over the chicken. 4. Spread the sauce evenly across the top. 5. Then add Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. 6. Top it off with the crushed croutons. 7. Bake for 40­45 minutes – or until the chicken is cooked and the cheese is bubbly.

This would probably be a great casserole to prepare and freeze. We used garlic flavored croutons and I think it gave it a little more flavor. Saving You Dinero http://www.savingyoudinero.com/2013/09/25/chicken­parmesan­casserole/

Cheeseburger French Fry Casserole Ingredients 2 pounds Ground Beef 1 can condensed golden mushroom soup 1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup 1 package (20 ounces) frozen crinkle­cut French fries Instructions

1. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. 2. Stir in soups. 3. Pour into a greased 13­in. x 9­in. baking dish. 4. Arrange French fries on top. 5. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 50­55 minutes or until the fries are golden brown.

Blogging Mom of 4 http://bloggingmomof4.com/cheeseburger­french­fry­casserole/

Hot Dog Casserole Ingredients Bag of Potatoes, cube (We used Potatoes O’Brien) 5­6 Hot Dogs (Or ham if you like) Green and Red Peppers (1/2 of each)–diced (If you do not use Potatoes O’Brien. If you are using hash browns or tater tots add this, if not, skip this) Onions (1/2 large or one small)–diced 1 bag of cheddar cheese Hormel Bacon Bits (real, not imitation), or Hormel bacon crumbled Directions Preheat oven at 350 degrees Throw all ingredients together in a casserole dish and top with cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and potatoes are cooked through. Raising My 5 Sons http://raisingmy5sons.com/2013/04/hot­diggity­dog­recipe/

Pizza Casserole Ingredients 1 pound sausage (we used Sage sausage) 1 Jar of meatless tomato pasta sauce ( I added a tad Garlic, Basil and Oregano to it.) 1/2 or 3/4 (we used 3/4) box of uncooked wheel­shaped macaroni Pepperoni (We used about a 1/4 of a 7oz package­depends on how much you like. I cut ours into 4 pieces.) Cup Shredded part skim mozzarella cheese (Original recipe calls for 1 cup, however we used 2 cups since we love cheese) Directions Cook Macaroni as directed on package. Drain. Cook sausage in skillet, stirring frequently until brown. Drain. Mix Sausage, Pasta Sauce and Pepperoni together. Place Pasta into crockpot or casserole dish (If you are cooking in oven be sure to preheat at 350 degrees) Mix Sausage, Pasta Sauce, Pepperoni mix in with the Pasta in the crockpot or casserole dish. Sprinkle cheese on top. Heat for about 30 minutes or until cheese is fully melted. Raising My 5 Sons http://raisingmy5sons.com/2012/04/pizza­casserole­yum/

Crock Pot Hawaiian Chicken (4­5 servings) Ingredients 2­3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts ½ cup white sugar ½ cup vinegar 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 Tablespoons soy sauce ½ cup of pineapple juice (use what’s in the can) ½ can of large pineapple chunks Directions

1. Add all the ingredients to the crock pot. 2. Cook 4­5 hours on high or 6­7 hours on low. 3. Serve it over rice and enjoy.

While I am cooking the rice I like to shred the chicken and put it back in the juice before I serve it. You can easily make this a freezer meal. Add all the ingredients into a large freezer bag. Write on the bag: Cook 4­5 hours on high or 6­7 hours on low. Saving You Dinero http://www.savingyoudinero.com/2012/06/12/1­hour­1­mess­5­crock­pot­meals/

Crock Pot Beef Burritos (6+ servings) Ingredients 1 London Broil or top round roast (about 2 lbs) 1 diced onion 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons whole peppercorns 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce – Use just 1 pepper!! (It’s in a can.) 1 ½ teaspoon chili powder (you can adjust this according to your taste) Directions

1. Add all the above ingredients into crock pot. 2. Cook on high for 4­5 hours or low for 6­7 hours. 3. When the meat is cooked, you will need to strain the juices and add the juice back to

the slow cooker. (You want to remove the peppercorns and onions.) Shred the meat and add back to the juice in the slow cooker for about 30 minutes.

* If you like the taste of chipotle but not the spiciness, you can remove the seeds. You will also need:

16 burrito sized flour tortillas Anything else you like on burritos – cream, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.

We also like to add Cilantro Lime Rice to our burritos. All you need to do is make some white rice and add lime juice, cilantro, and salt. You can easily make this a freezer meal. Add all the ingredients into a large freezer bag. Write on the bag: Cook 4­5 hours on high or 6­7 hours on low. Saving You Dinero ­ whttp://ww.savingyoudinero.com/2012/06/12/1­hour­1­mess­5­crock­pot­meals/

Fiesta Chicken Rice Bowls Ingredients 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (or cooked chicken) 1 1/2 cup Pace® Picante Sauce 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free) 1 cup water 2 cup uncooked instant white rice 1 packet taco seasoning (or make your own) Optional: Sour Cream, Mexican Cheese, Avocados, Limes Directions

1. If you are not using pre­cooked chicken, boil your chicken. When it’s cooked, shred the chicken into bite­sized pieces, and set aside.

2. Heat the Pace® Picante Sauce, Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup, and water in a 2­quart saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the rice and chicken into the saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Set aside for about 3 minutes.

4. Spoon some chicken mixture into a bowl and garnish with your favorite toppings. (Cheese, sour cream, lime juice, avocado, ect.)

Tip – You can make this meal stretch a lot further and make tacos. Just heat up some tortillas and serve! SavingYou Dinero ­ http://www.savingyoudinero.com/2014/08/29/easy­fiesta­chicken­with­campbells­labels­for­education­labels4edu­cbias/

Slow Cooker Baked Ziti Ingredients 1 – 26 oz pasta sauce 1 1/2 C water 15 oz ricotta or cottage cheese 1/4 C Parmesan cheese 8 oz package grated mozzarella cheese 8 oz (2 Cups) ziti pasta (uncooked) 1 T Italian seasoning Directions Spray slow cooker with non­stick spray. Add all ingredients (1/2 of mozzarella cheese) to the slow cooker. Mix. Top with Mozzarella cheese. Cook on high 1 – 1 1/2 hours until pasta is tender. Blogging Mom of 4 http://bloggingmomof4.com/slow­cooker­baked­ziti/

Maple Dijon Glazed Chicken This is designed as a Freezer Meal. Mark name of recipe and directions right on freezer bag before adding ingredients. Ingredients 3­4 frozen chicken breasts 1/2 C Dijon mustard 1/4 C maple syrup 1 T red wine vinegar Directions Add all ingredients to a gallon size freezer bag. Seal and place in freezer. When ready to use, thaw slightly and add to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6­8 hours. Blogging Mom of 4 http://bloggingmomof4.com/slow­cooker­freezer­meals­chicken/

Chicken Teriyaki This is designed as a Freezer Meal. Mark name of recipe and directions right on freezer bag before adding ingredients. Ingredients 3­4 frozen chicken breasts Small bag of baby carrots 1 can of crushed pineapple 2 Garlic cloves finely chopped 1/2 Cup Teriyaki Sauce Directions Add all ingredients to a gallon size freezer bag. Seal and place in freezer. When ready to use, thaw slightly and add to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6­8 hours. Blogging Mom of 4 http://bloggingmomof4.com/slow­cooker­freezer­meals­chicken/

BBQ Cranberry Chicken This is designed as a Freezer Meal. Mark name of recipe and directions right on freezer bag before adding ingredients. Ingredients 3­4 frozen chicken breasts 1/3 Cup dried minced onion 16 oz whole cranberry sauce 1 Cup BBQ sauce Directions Add all ingredients to a gallon size freezer bag. Seal and place in freezer. When ready to use, thaw slightly and add to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6­8 hours. Blogging Mom of 4 http://bloggingmomof4.com/slow­cooker­freezer­meals­chicken/

Honey Chicken This is designed as a Freezer Meal. Mark name of recipe and directions right on freezer bag before adding ingredients. Ingredients 3­4 frozen chicken breasts 1/2 Cup diced onion 1 Cup honey 1/2 Cup soy sauce 1/4 Cup ketchup 1 T canola oil 2 garlic cloves minced Directions Add all ingredients to a gallon size freezer bag. Seal and place in freezer. When ready to use, thaw slightly and add to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6­8 hours.

Blogging Mom of 4 http://bloggingmomof4.com/slow­cooker­freezer­meals­chicken/

Orange Chicken This is designed as a Freezer Meal. Mark name of recipe and directions right on freezer bag before adding ingredients. Ingredients 3­4 frozen chicken breasts 2 Cups carrots 3 garlic cloves minced 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 8 oz orange juice concentrate Directions Add all ingredients to a gallon size freezer bag. Seal and place in freezer. When ready to use, thaw slightly and add to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6­8 hours. Blogging Mom of 4 http://bloggingmomof4.com/slow­cooker­freezer­meals­chicken/

Oatmeal Fudge Bars Ingredients 1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks) 2 cups brown sugar 2 Tablespoons. vanilla 2 eggs 2 ½ cup flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 3 cups quick oats Directions

1. Pre­heat oven to 350*. Grease a 9×13 pan. 2. In mixer, cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. (Or you can mix it by hand ­its just a little

more work.) 3. Mix in flour, baking soda, salt, and quick oats. 4. Press about ⅔ of the mixture in a greased 9 x 13 pan.

Filling Ingredients and Directions 1 12oz bag of semi­sweet chocolate chips 2 Tablespoons butter 1 can sweetened condensed milk ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. In a small sauce pan, melt chocolate chips and butter. 2. Remove from heat and add sweetened condensed milk, salt, and vanilla until well

combined. 3. Pour all of the chocolate mixture over oatmeal dough. 4. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining dough on top of chocolate layer. 5. Bake at 350* for 25 minutes. Make sure you let the bars cool completely before cutting

into bars. Saving You Dinero http://www.savingyoudinero.com/2014/06/12/oatmeal­fudge­bars/

Pumpkin Butterscotch Doughnuts Ingredients 1 ¾ cups all­purpose flour ½ cup brown sugar ½ cup white sugar 1 (heaping) teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ (heaping) teaspoon ground nutmeg ½ (heaping) teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 2 eggs ½ cup melted butter 1 cup canned pumpkin ( I have also used fresh pumpkin puree) ¾ cup butterscotch chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a doughnut pan with cooking spray.

2. Sift together the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.

3. Whisk together the eggs, butter, and pumpkin in a separate bowl. 4. Mix the flour mixture with the egg mixture. Fold in the butterscotch chips and pour into

each doughnut space to about 3/4 full. 5. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out

clean.Bake mini muffins for 12 to 14 or until cooked. (Oven temperatures can vary – so just check it to make sure it does not burn.)

I like to really taste the spices in my muffins so I put a heaping amount in the mix. Saving You Dinero http://www.savingyoudinero.com/2014/09/09/pumpkin­butterscotch­doughnuts/

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ingredients 2­¼ cups all­purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks) ¾ cup packed brown sugar ¼ cup white sugar 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding powder 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 – 12oz package of semisweet or milk chocolate chips Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 2. Mix together the flour and baking soda, in a bowl. 3. In another bowl mix together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Mix in the instant

pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. 4. Mix with the flour mixture. Add in , the chocolate chips. Drop cookies by rounded

spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. 5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool for about a minute before removing them from the pan.

This recipe makes a ton of cookies. Most of the time I freeze half the batter so the next time we want cookies I just have to bake them! Saving You Dinero http://www.savingyoudinero.com/2014/06/10/perfect­chocolate­chip­cookies/

Pumpkin Cookies Topped with Icing Ingredients 2 1/2 cups all­purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cups white sugar 1 cup canned pumpkin puree 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves and salt. Set bowl aside for now.

2. In another medium sized bowl you will cream together 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add the pumpkin, egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the butter mixture and beat until creamy. Mix the dry ingredients in. Drop on the cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls.

3. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork. Icing Ingredients and Directions 2 cups confectioners’ sugar 3 tablespoons milk 1 tablespoon melted butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Combine confectioners’ sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies. Raising My 5 Sons http://raisingmy5sons.com/2013/10/pumpkin­cookies­topped­icing/

Cool Whip Apple Candy Bar Recipe Ingredients 1 or 2 apples – cut up in small chunks 2 tubs 8 oz Cool Whip 1 box Jell­O Pudding Mix 1 or 2 candy bars of choice Directions 1. In a bowl, combine Cool Whip and box of Jell­O Pudding mix. Pudding mix should NOT be prepared first. 2. Cut up apples. No need to peel. Choose size of pieces to your preference. 3. Cut up candy bar into pieces. (Or buy bite size to make for even quicker preparation). 4. Fold in apples and candy bar pieces. 5. Serve as is or top with caramel drizzle and a few extra candy bar and apple pieces. Blogging Mom of 4 http://bloggingmomof4.com/kids­desserts­cool­whip­apple­candy­bar­recipe/

Cookie Brownie Peanut Butter Cups Ingredients Refrigerated Cookie Dough Box of Brownies Peanut Butter Cups Instructions Preheat oven to 350 Spray muffin tins lightly with nonstick cooking spray Press refrigerated cookie dough into the bottom of each well. Place Peanut Butter cup upside down on top of cookie dough Top with prepared box brownie mix, filling 3/4 full. Bake for 18 minutes Let cool completely before removing Blogging Mom of 4 http://bloggingmomof4.com/cookie­brownie­peanut­butter­cups/

Ooey Gooey Monkey Bread Ingredients 1/2 Cup sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (any brand ­ I like using the small vs the grands) 1 Cup packed brown sugar 1 stick butter or margarine, melted

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 12 cup fluted tube pan. In large storage bag, mix sugar and cinnamon. Separate dough into fourths. (I used a pizza cutter). Shake bag to coat. Arrange in pan. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and butter; pour over biscuit pieces.

2. Bake 28­32 minutes or until golden brown and no longer doughy in center. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn upside down onto serving plate; pull apart and serve.

Blogging Mom of 4 http://bloggingmomof4.com/easy­monkey­bread­recipe/