My family LOVES sweet potatoes! I served these and they were a BIG hit, so I believe I will serve them for Thanksgiving this year. Buttery layers of sweet potatoes with rosemary and garlic and fresh parmesan cheese – my mouth is watering just thinking about them!
These are a different way to serve those delectable, spuds of the South! And best part? No mini marshmallows!
Buttery layers of sweet potatoes, paired with rosemary, garlic and fresh parmesan - these Sweet Potato Stackers are sure to be a hit at the next family gathering!
Author: SimpleSolutionsDiva.com
Recipe type: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Serves: 12
Ingredients
4-5 sweet potatoes, washed, peeled and sliced into thin slices.
2 Tablespoons melted butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly chopped rosemary (plus another teaspoon for topping at end)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
2-4 Tablespoons fresh grated parmesan cheese (plus 2 TBS for topping at end)
salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Combine in a large bowl the melted butter, olive oil, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper and whisk until they ingredients are blended.
Add freshly grated parmesan cheese and lightly wish.
Add sliced sweet potatoes to the bowl and mix until all slices are coated in the oil mixture.
In a light greased muffing tin, layer the sweet potatoes until each tin is filled to the top. These will shrink down while they cook.
Cook for 45-55 minutes, or until the potatoes are lightly browned and are tender.
Place on a plate and top with more parmesan cheese and fresh chopped rosemary. Serve immediately.
This simple recipe is perfect finger food for a party – you can make it ahead and serve it later! And who doesn’t like Buffalo Chicken? Best of all, there is no grease involved!
Candied Bacon – A decadent, indulgent snack that just happens to pair beautifully with cocktails! Plus it is great as a hostess gift, or crumble a little over a nice salad!
This smells divine as it is cooking in the oven – Be sure to turn the bacon when it is halfway through cooking. And remember, since ovens do vary, begin checking the bacon starting at about 40 minutes into cooking to make sure it doesn’t burn! The bacon will look dark because it will be covered in that yummy spice and brown sugar mixture!
When the candied bacon comes out, rest it on clean paper towels to pull some of the fat away. This stores best at room temperature!
Candied Bacon is a decadent delight! Serve it as a cocktail snack, or crumble it on top of a salad!
Author: SimpleSolutionsDiva.com
Recipe type: Snack recipe
Serves: 12 servings
Ingredients
12 slices thick cut bacon
½ cup brown sugar
1½ teaspoons chili powder (adjust all spice amounts to your preferences!)
½ teaspoon cumin
A sprinkle or 2 of ground cayenne pepper - optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil (so you don't ruin the cookie sheet!). place a baking rack on the cookie sheet and spray generously with non stick cooking spray.
Combine the brown sugar and spices on a dinner plate.
Taking one piece of bacon at a time, press the bacon into the brown sugar mixture, making sure you cover both sides.
Lay the pieces on the baking rack.
Bake for 40-60 minutes, turning once halfway through.
NOTE: Ovens do vary, so be sure to check on the bacon regularly as it cooks!
Part of the fun of a Super Bowl Party, besides the game and the commercials, is the food! But you don’t want to spend your entire day in the kitchen and be exhausted when guests arrive. I like to prepare a main dish that cooks in a crockpot, where people can serve themselves when they feel like it. Then I supplement with simple appetizers and finger foods. Here are a few of my favorites:
Crockpot Beef Barbacoa
Crockpot Beef Barbacoa from SimpleSolutionsDiva.com.
Barbacoa refers to a way of cooking meat that originated in the Caribbean, and eventually was adopted in Mexico and the Southwest. It is where the term “barbecue” came from, but this has nothing to do with an open flame! It is meat, slow cooked with wonderful spices, then shredded and served in a flour tortilla. In this recipe, I’m using chuck roast cut of beef.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 medium yellow onion
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 cloves garlic
4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 Cup beef stock
3-4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped (The amount depends on the heat level you like)
3-4 pound beef chuck roast
Preparation:
Combine vinegar, onion, lime juice, garlic,cumin, oregano, allspice, cloves, salt and pepper, beef stock in a blender and puree.
Place roast (trim off excess fat from roast) in crockpot and pour puree over the roast. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 6 hours. Shred beef in crockpot and serve in soft (and warm) flour tacos. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, salsa, beans, or whatever else suits your tastes!
Un-Sloppy Joes
I loved sloppy joes as a kid, but they were always so messy! Well, a simple solution to that is serve them in pita bread halves! Use your favorite sloppy joe recipe (or use mine below!) and serve them in pita pockets! In this recipe, I use Stonefire Authentic Flatbread Pitas (yes, I love their products and use them a lot!). Stuff shredded cheese on top, add a dash or two of hot sauce and you have the neatest sloppy joes on the block! You can make this up ahead of time and put the beef in a crockpot to keep warm – guests just help themselves! Double the recipe for larger groups.
Ingredients:
1.5 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 Cup onion, chopped
1/4 green pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
1/2 Cup ketchup
1 can tomato paste
6 oz. water
3 teaspoons brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
3 Stonefire Authentic Flatbread Pitas, halved to create 6 pockets
Preparation:
In a large pan, cook beef, onion and green pepper over medium high heat until beef is cooked. Drain off liquid. Add garlic powder, mustard, ketchup, tomato paste, salt, pepper, water and brown sugar. Stir until thoroughly blended, reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes. Serve in pita halves with shredded cheese and hot sauce as desired.
Thai Chicken Flatbreads
Thai Chicken Flatbread from SimpleSolutionsDiva.com.
For a flavor change, try making a variety of flatbreads! Since I am a SIMPLE Solutions Diva, I used pre-made flatbreads by Stonefire Authentic Flatbread Naan because they are light and have a variety of flavors; you can make your own flatbread dough if desired. Prep the flatbreads in advance, then toss in the oven as needed!
This is a nice spicy recipe with an asian twist:
Ingredients:
1 Cup cooked chicken, cut or shredded into small, bite-sized pieces (I used store-bought rotisserie chicken)
6 Tablespoons thai peanut sauce (I used House of Tsang Bangkok Peanut Sauce)
2 Tablespoons shredded carrots
1 1/4 Cups shredded mozzarella (use more or less, depending on how cheesy you want your pizza)
1 Tablespoon green onions, sliced on bias, for garnish
2 Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads Naan, original flavor.
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees (if using a pizza stone, place stone in oven before preheating).
In a bowl, toss chicken with 4 tablespoons of thai peanut sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella on both flatbreads. Divide the chicken mixture between the two flatbreads. Sprinkle with carrots and green onions. Drizzle each flatbread with 1 tablespoon of remaining thai peanut sauce. Place flatbreads in oven for 5-10 minutes until cheesy is melty.
Serve warm!
A BIG THANK YOU to Stonefire Naan for providing me with a large selection so Stonefire Naan Flatbreads to use in this post!
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Love Buffalo Chicken Wings but want to avoid the mess and the bones? Try this simple recipe, courtesy of my sister-in-law, Jennifer. This stuff is truly addictive! Serve warm with corn chips or pita wedges.
Ingredients:
1 Rotisserie chicken, shredded and cut into bite-sized pieces (approx. 2.5 cups)
1 6 oz. bottle of Texas Pete Hot Sauce
8 oz. cream cheese
1 Cup Ranch Dressing
1 8 oz. bag mexican shredded cheese
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13×9 pan. Place shredded chicken in bottom of pan and pour hot sauce over the chicken, covering the chicken in sauce.
In a microwave safe bowl, place cream cheese and microwave for 30 seconds (until the cream cheese is softened). Add the ranch dressing and stir well. Pour mixture over the chicken; top the dish with the cheese and place in oven until the cheese is melted and the entire dish is bubbly (approximately 15-20 mins). Serve with chips.
Magic Cookie Bars
Magic Cookie Bars from SimpleSolutionsDiva.com.
A blast from childhood, these scrumptious bites of chocolate and coconut goo are so sweet, just one or two will do! Make them the day before and store at room temperature.
Ingredients:
3/4 Cup butter, melted
2 1/4 Cup graham cracker crumbs (about 18 crackers)
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 Cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1 Cup butterscotch flavored chips
1 Cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 Cup chopped pecans (Not everyone likes pecans, so I use 1/2 cup and place pecans on one side)
Preparation:
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Coat 13×9 inch glass baking pan with non-stick cooking spray (I actually used a 9×9 pan, made the layers thicker, and cooked them longer.)
Melt butter in the glass dish, and add graham cracker crumbs. Mix thoroughly and press into bottom of prepared pan. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, and nuts. Pour sweetened condensed milk over mixture, making sure it covered entire surface of the pan.
Bake approximately 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars. Store covered at room temperature, well hidden so everyone does not eat them all at once!
More Simple Super Bowl Recipe Ideas:
Looking for other simple, crowd pleasing recipe ideas for Super Bowl? Try these:
Flatbread is a great way to create a variety of easy appetizers! I used Stonefire Naan flatbreads from my supermarket to create these four appetizers; feel free to go crazy and make your own flatbread! I try to assemble all my ingredients prior to starting, then just go down the “assembly line” to make the variety of flatbreads!
Note: All amounts noted below in each recipe are variable, depending on your taste and the amount you plan to make! Each flatbread recipe makes approximately 16 appetizer-sized pieces.
General Preparation:
Place a pizza stone inside the oven and preheat the oven to 500 degrees. If using a regular cookie sheet instead of a pizza stone, set the temperature to 450 degrees.
Lay the flatbreads on a clean, flat work surface. Distribute the cheese slices evenly on the flatbreads; assemble the remaining ingredients on the flatbreads (except for the finishing drizzles as noted!).
Place flatbreads on pizza stone and bake for approximately 5 minutes. Remove when cheese is melted. Remove from oven, drizzle with appropriate finishing drizzles (if called for), and slice into appetizer-sized pieces. Serve immediately.
Apple, Brie and Cranberry Flatbread Appetizer from SimpleSolutionsDiva.com.
Brie, Apple and Cranberry Flatbread Appetizer
Ingredients:
2 Stonefire Naan Flatbreads (They come packaged in twos)
Wedge of Brie, sliced into thin slices. (I try to remove most of the white rind on the cheese)
One apple – skin removed, cored and sliced into thin slices.
1/2 cup (Approx.) Dried, Sweetened Cranberries (I used Ocean Spray Dried Cranberries)
Apple, Bacon Cheddar Flatbread with Maple Syrup Drizzle from SimpleSolutionsDiva.com.
Apple, Bacon and Cheddar Flatbread Appetizer With Maple Syrup
Ingredients:
2 Stonefire Naan Flatbreads
One apple, peeled, cored and sliced thin.
1/2 cup crumbled bacon (I used Boar’s Head Precooked Bacon – I like keeping things easy!)
Cheddar Cheese, sliced thin.
Real Maple Syrup (This is for a finishing drizzle on top of this flatbread)
Fig, Prosciutto, Mozzarella with Honey Drizzle Flatbread Appetizer from SImpleSolutionsDiva.com.
Fig, Prosciutto, Mozzarella Flatbread Appetizer With Honey
Ingredients:
2 Stonefire Naan Flatbreads
4 dried figs, chopped
4 slices of Prosciutto, thin sliced
8 oz. fresh Mozzarella, sliced
Honey (This is for a finishing drizzle on top of this flatbread)
Pear, Gorgonzola, Provolone, Caramelized Onion Jam With Balsamic Vinegar Drizzle Flatbread Appetizer from SimpleSolutionsDiva.com.
Pear, Gorgonzola, Provolone, Caramelized Onion Jam Flatbread Appetizer With Balsamic Vinegar
Ingredients:
2 Stonefire Naan Flatbreads
One pear, peeled, cored and sliced thin
1/2 cup Gorgonzola Cheese Crumbles
8 slices Provolone Cheese
Caramelized Onion Jam (you can find this in specialty food aisles of your supermarket, or specialty food stores)
Balsamic Vinegar (This is for a finishing drizzle on this flatbread)
A Big Thank you to Stonefire Naan for providing me with a wonderful selection of Naan Flatbreads for this post!
Enjoy the bounty of your summer garden (or tomato sale at the grocery!) with this simple and flavorful Roasted Grape Tomato Pasta Sauce!
Ingredients:
2 pints grape tomatoes, rinsed (dry with paper towels) – Note: you CAN use cherry tomatoes, or Roma tomatoes, just slice the Romas in half before cooking.
3-4 large whole cloves fresh garlic, peeled
4 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2-3 Tbs. fresh sweet basil, rinsed & dried with paper towel, then rough chopped
3/4 cup chicken broth (or 1/4 cup white wine with 1/2 cup chicken broth)
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: For spicy flavor, add 1/4 t. red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cover a baking sheet (preferably a jelly roll pan that has low sides) with tin foil.
In a large bowl, place tomatoes, garlic cloves and 2 Tbs olive oil. Mix so ingredients are covered with olive oil. Turn out mixture on to the baking sheet. Place on center rack in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, until roasted (I like to get a slightly charred look on the skin, but don’t over cook/dry out the tomatoes!).
While the tomatoes & garlic are cooking, cook the onions in the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil in a large pan. Set aside.
Once tomatoes and garlic are done, remove from oven and place into at food processor or powerful blender. Blend for a couple of pulses, until it is a rough/chunky look (and the garlic is chopped!). Pour blended mixture into pan with onions.
Cook the tomato/garlic/onion mixture for 15-20 minutes. In last 5 minutes of cooking, add the fresh chopped basil and salt and pepper to taste. (if including optional pepper flakes, add them at this time.) Makes a chunky, thick sauce that is light – not your regular, bottled sauce!
Serve over favorite pasta with fresh parmesan cheese!
Combine the best of light, summer eating – Salads and Grilled Meats — and you have this wonderful recipe from BuffyandGeorge.com! (GREAT website with some wonderful recipes!)
This salad makes a perfect cold meal in the summer, AND you get to keep the kitchen cool in the summer! (Well, except for the bacon that you cook in the house! But that doesn’t count!)
Quick Cooking TIp:Pound the chicken breasts to about 3/4 inch thickness for even grilling and faster cooking time.
Ingredients
5 oz package of mixed salad greens
2-4 chicken breasts (depends on how hungry you are)
6 pieces of bacon, fully cooked
1 cup strawberries, sliced
½ English cucumber, sliced in half moons
½ cup mixed nuts and seeds (cashews, sliced almonds, pumpkin seeds & sunflower seeds)
Vinaigrette Ingredients
zest and juice of one lime
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp chipotle chili powder (more if you like it hot)
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp honey
pinch of salt and pepper
½ cup olive oil
Instructions
Pound the chicken breasts with a meat mallet so that they are a more uniform thickness. Lightly coat the chicken with a little vegetable oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook on the grill until cooked through.
Whisk the lime juice and zest, vinegar, mustard, chipotle powder, honey, salt and pepper together in a glass bowl or measuring cup. Slowly add the olive oil while whisking constantly until the dressing is fully emulsified. You could also add everything to a mason jar and shake vigorously until mixed.
Cut the cooked chicken and bacon into bite sized pieces. Toss the salad greens with half the vinaigrette (use more if you like a lot of dressing). Serve the dressed salad topped with chicken, sliced strawberries, cucumber, bacon and smattering of nuts & seeds.
Any extra vinaigrette, chicken and bacon can be put in the fridge for salads another day. Or you can use the vinaigrette as a marinade for chicken or steak!
1/2 – 3/4 cup steamed broccoli (optional – use whatever veggie you like)
1/2 cup diced ham (optional)
1 frozen deep dish, 9 ” pie shell
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pie shell on a cookie sheet covered with tin foil (to protect the cookie sheet from overflow).
In a medium bowl, mix together shredded cheese and flour, tossing to coat the cheese with flour. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix beaten eggs, milk, salt and pepper (to taste). Add the broccoli and ham to this egg mixture; mix well. Add the cheese and gently mix together.
Pour into the pie shell. Make sure to disperse “chunky” ingredients evenly throughout the pie shell. Place in oven for 55-60 minutes until center is set.
Marinades are a perfect way to take the toughness out of a piece of meat, as well as add flavor and moistness to a dish. Simple Solutions Diva has gathered some great marinades, as well as one, flavorful rub, that will add a kick to your Memorial Day grilling!
(If you need suggestions for types of beef that are tasty alternatives to more expensive cuts, check out this other SimpleSolutionsDiva.com post: Click Here.)
Simple Meat Marinade #1: (“Mike’s Marinade” – from my local Publix Meat Manager)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cooking sherry
1/3 sugar
Fresh Ginger Root (about 1-2 inches), peeled and sliced
Meat of Choice (approx. 2-3 lbs.)
Combine all ingredients, except the meat, in a large, gallon-sized plastic bag. Add meat, seal, place in refrigerator, and let marinate at least 8 hours (even better after 24 hours!).
Remove meat and place on preheated grill – grill to your perfect temperature!
Simple Meat Marinade #2: (Adapted from Food.com recipe by Simple Solutions Diva)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced (fresh is always best, but I use Spice World’s Minced Garlic in the jar – tastes a little mellower to me)
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon soy sauce
pepper to taste
2-3 Steaks of choice
Preparation:
Add and mix all ingredients (except steaks) in gallon-sized, ziplock plastic bag. Add steaks and let marinate in refrigerator for at least 8 hours. (The longer, the better- even overnight would be terrific!)
Grill steaks to your degree of perfection! Enjoy!
Simple Fish Marinade: (From Allrecipes.com)
1 clove garlic, minced
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 (6 oz.) fillets halibut
Preparation:
Assemble garlic, oil, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and parsley in a stainless steel or glass bowl.
Place fish in a shallow glass pan or large plastic bag; add mixture to the fish and coat. Seal or cover and place in refrigerator for one hour, turning occasionally.
Grilling – Preheat the grill on high heat and lightly coat the grill grates with olive oil.
Remove the fish from marinade, allowing them to drain slightly. Add them to the grill; grill for approximately 5 minutes per side until fish is easily flaked with a fork.
6 chicken breasts (I use boneless, but this is just as good with bone-in)
Preparation:
Assemble all ingredients (except chicken) in a large plastic bag or shallow glass dish. Thoroughly mix together. Add chicken breasts and let marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Grill chicken as desired, basting with remaining marinade halfway through.
Asian Flair Pork Tenderloin Dry Rub: (From Simple Solutions Diva)
1 1/2 teaspoons Chinese Five Spice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon pepper
salt to taste
1 Pork Tenderloin (approx. 2 lbs.)
Preparation:
Combine all spices in a bowl and mix together. With a dry hand, rub the spice mixture on both sides of the pork tenderloin. Lightly spray the pork tenderloin with olive oil spray, and then place on preheated grill (do not spray after pork is on grill – or you will have a flame thrower!). Grill tenderloin (turning halfway through) until instant meat thermometer inserted into the pork reads the inside temperature is at least 145 degrees.
