Ranch Turkey Meatball Subs

Luckily football season extends over 16 regular season games minimally which gives us all the opportunity to cook our way through 16 weeks of game day eats.  Who doesn't love game day eats right?

Yes, it's all about the Denver crockpot again because this is Broncos Country after all. Meatballs are perfect crockpot food because the longer you leave them in there, the better they seem to get. 

I think homemade marinara is such an easy thing to make.  The mess however is atrocious so I always make a mega "use Sams Club sized #10 cans" batch when I do.  Who wants to clean up tomato sauce spatter multiple times when you get get such a big batch done at once and just freeze it?  

First you start off with onions as many fantastic foods often do. Add garlic and basil. I sometimes split the basil so that I had some to the sautéing onions and the remaining amount after the tomatoes.  I don't know why. 

Add carrots, red wine and vinegar.  I know the balsamic may sound strange at first but I swear it's the secret ingredient.  When balsamic reduces it has a sweet tangy taste that makes the sauce.  It won't taste like vinegar, I promise.   Carrots add a natural sweetness to the sauce as well. 

Then you add the tomatoes and let it cook away.  This recipe is so simple and definitely worth the small amount of chopping it takes.  It only takes a little more prep time that opening a jar and homemade sauce is always better than jarred. 

Confession time: even the garlic was from a jar because I hate touching the stuff.  I know that puts me into the weird cook category because every time I watch Food Network, they all have such a time chopping garlic. They pick it up with their hands and just that act sends me into a bit of a shudder..  No matter what I do, I can't get the smell of garlic off my hands well enough for my bloodhound nose not to fixate on it.  I think jarred garlic  tastes like the preservative solution it's stored in, but freeze dried garlic?  Genius and absolutely no after taste. It's a slightly larger mince but perfect for recipes like this where it's going to be further pureed with the sauce.  There's also a frozen garlic you can buy in little individual servings.  I've done a lot of garlic research in my efforts to avoid touching it. 

The meatballs are pretty straight forward except for the Ranch dressing packet. I add it because as we know, turkey can taste boring.  The ranch gives them a little pop of flavor but doesn't taste distinctively like ranch.  I know because I don't generally like ranch.  

I opt to broil them to avoid the mess of browning but as we all know, browning in a frying pan on the stovetop is pretty delish too.  This recipe makes a little less than 2 full size trays of meatballs depending on size. I made 45 total. 

I made meatball subs for game day but made a batch for an office potluck as well.  Meatballs make a pretty awesome slider as well and throwing some of the frozen Rhodes dinner rolls in the oven is perfect for making slider sized buns.  Plus people ask you if you baked.  Technically you did. 

These are pretty fantastic made the day before the big game and then reheated in the crockpot on game day. And while they are perfect served up Broncos style, I'm guessing they would taste pretty bad if served while watching the Raiders or Chiefs.  Or Chargers. Or Steelers.  Or Patriots.   In fact I'm sure they would. 

Serve on rolls with freshly sliced mozzarella and enjoy while watching a little Mile High Magic. 

Ranch Turkey Meatball Subs

Marinara:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4-5 cloves crushed garlic
2/3 cup roughly chopped carrots
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup red wine
1 #10 size can crushed tomatoes or equivalent (about 96 ounces)
1/2 cup fresh chopped basil, or 2-3 tbsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste

Meatballs:
4 lbs ground turkey
1 pkg dry ranch dressing mix
3 garlic cloves finely minced
1/2 cup milk
1 c bread crumbs
3 eggs
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 tsp pepper
1-2 tbsp basil

For serving:
Rolls
mozzarella

Directions:

1. Prepare sauce: add olive oil to a large 8-10 quart stockpot and heat over medium heat.  Add diced onions and cook until slightly soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes
2. Add garlic, basil and cook for 1-2 minutes taking care not to let garlic brown.
3. Turn heat to high and add carrots, vinegar and wine. Allow liquid to reduce by 1/2. 
4. Add crushed tomatoes, reduce heat to medium low, top with lid and cook sauce for 45 minutes.  
5. Use stick blender to puree sauce.  Turn heat to low, return lid and allow to simmer while you prepare meatballs. 
6. Preheat oven on broil and place rack on second slot down from broiler.
7. Add all meatball ingredients to large mixing bowl, and gently mix well enough to combine ingredients but taking care not to overmix meat. 
8. Shape meatballs into 1 inch meatballs and place on lightly greased baking sheet.  Broil until brown on top and flip to brown other side (was about 4 minutes per side in my oven)
9. Remove from oven and transfer meatballs to marinara.  
10. Simmer for 2-3 hours on low.  Serve with rolls and mozzarella. 

Chicken Pot Pie with Cheese Crust

Taking a small break from the trip pictures for a little food posting, well, because it feels weird to go too long without food.  This particular food post is for one of my all time favs, chicken pot pie. 

I'm generally not a casserole dish loving kind of girl and I almost never make them...except chicken pot pie.  If you hate chicken pot pie because you associate them with those frozen ones in the tin,  know that homemade chicken pot pie is only a distant relative of the frozen kind, a third cousin twice removed really. 

When you make it yourself, the food chicken veggies can remain independent entities rather than morphing into one food. 

 I made individual pot pies but the recipe will make one full size one as well.

Chicken pot pie with regular 'ole crust is good stuff, but I got to thinking about what would happen if it was topped with the homemade Cheese Its I posted last year. Are you picking up what I'm laying down here?

Mostly cheese, a little bit of flour.  This crust is not for the faint-hearted or the lactose intolerant.  Or those who don't like cheese if such people exist. 

Chicken pot pie traditionally has a top and bottom crust.  I wasn't too sure how this "crust" would fare as a bottom crust so I just topped each of the individual pies with the crust.  The recipe is pretty rich so I'd say that just one crust is more than enough. 

The cheese crust recipe was plentiful enough to have leftovers to make actual Cheese Its, or as we made in this house, puppy Kong stuffers.   One of these fit perfectly into a Kong and kept someone busy for a little while.  

Yes, puppies LOVE Cheese Its as well so this recipe keeps everyone in the house happy. 

"I need Cheese-its" face. 

Chicken Pot Pie with Cheese Crust

Pot Pie Ingredients
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast cubed into 1/3 inch pieces

1.5 cups diced potatoes
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup milk

Cheese Crust Incredients
1 cup flour
4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small squares
8 oz bag grated strong flavored cheese such as extra-sharp cheddar or parmesan
pinch of salt
Ice water

Directions: 

1. Prepare cheese crust by combining all dry crust ingredients in food processor, and pulse until crumbly. 
2. Add ice water, a tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together. 
3. Form into ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. 
4. Lightly grease baking dish, pie pan or individual pie pans.
5. In a large saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, and potatoes. Add water to cover and cook over med for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
6. In the saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter.  
7. Stir in flour, salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly.    
8. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer until thick. 
9. Add cooked chicken, carrots and potatoes along with frozen peas.  Stir to coat and spoon into prepared baking dish/es.
10. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
11. Lightly flour rolling mat or table and roll out cheese crust  to 1mm thickness with a rolling pin.
12. Using a rolling cutter or kitchen shears cut dough into piece large enough to cover pot pie dish. 
13. Bake dish for 25-30 minutes or until crust is golden brown and crisp on top. 
14. Remove from oven and serve hot.

Mac & Cheese Stuffed Poblanos

I love fusion food.  Is it japanese or is it mexican?  How awesome is combining vietnamese with cuban?  Thai and french? With fusion, you don't have to decide on one nationality of food, you can have the awesomeness of all different kinds of food rolled up into one presentation. 

Maybe I like it so much because I'm the human equivalent of fusion.  When people can't guess my nationality because my features go back and forth between my two nationalities, they usually just ask "what are you?"  I think I'm going to just start saying I'm fusion.  "Who me? I'm fusion."

This fusion recipe all began with this cheddar. Yes, it's chipotle cheddar.  That's pretty remarkable cheddar right?  I knew I wanted to make mac and cheese with it.  American with a mexican twist. 

                           

And then I was roasting peppers for the corn salsa recipe I made last week and  wondered what would happen if the mac and cheese and the poblano had a little meet and greet.

They look pretty happy together. And of course a generous topping of more cheese on top can't hurt.

Here we have the mini cast iron skillets again.  I wasn't lying when I said I use these ALL the time.  I throw them on the grill sometimes and they look no worse for the wear.

Mac and cheese inside of roasted poblanos is a pretty outstanding flavor combo.  Love the fiery spicy flavor, but it still has the creamy noodle goodness you associate with mac and cheese. If you can't find chipotle cheddar you could opt to leave it out, or you could throw in 1 minced chipotle pepper with a teaspoon of sauce into the mac and cheese if you like more fire.  Either way, the flavor of the poblano still shines and that's what it's all about. 

Don't let this one fool you, she's fusion too.  She's only one part cuteness. The other part is pure rotten. 

Mac and Cheese Stuffed Poblanos

5 poblanos
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups milk
2 cups grated chipotle cheddar cheese, plus more for topping
1/2 cup grated Gruyère
1/2 cup chipotle cheddar--cubed smallish
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
1/2 cup bread crumbs mixed with additional 2 tbsp butter, melted

Directions:

1. Place a large pan of water onto boil  and preheat grill to high
2. Preheat grill to high and char poblanos until blackened, turning often to char each side equally. Place in bowl and cover with plate.
3. Cook macaroni until outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 5 to 6 minutes.
4. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well.
5. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour and spices.
6. Cook, stirring, 2 minutes. This is super duper important as it cooks out the grainy raw flour taste.
7. While whisking, pour in milk and whisk vigorously while heating. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
8. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in shredded cheddar cheese, and Gruyère and stir well. 
9. Peel poblanos, slice one side open and remove seeds.
10. Add cubed cheddar to the mac and cheese and stir again.  The cubes shouldn't melt in the sauce--they'll melt inside the pepper leaving melty oozy pockets of cheese
11. Stuff mac and cheese into peppers, sprinkle additional cheese on top, place in cast iron pan or casserole dish and cook on med grill for 10-15 minutes or in 375 oven for 15-20 mins.

Apple, Cranberry and Chestnut Dressing

While it turns out to be the one and only time a year many of us eat it, dressing seems to be an integral part of the the whole Thanksgiving experience.  Growing up my mom made a phenomenal stuffing...that I ended up picking apart and just eating the bread parts since she made it with tons of pork sausage and celery.  Sausage is more a apathetic passive dislike in my book, but celery?  Shame on me because as much as I sing the praises of produce, I adamantly despise crunchy celery.  Nothing apathetic in my anti-crunchy celery stance. 

When it comes to making stuffing, I've opted for a sausage and celery free version.  But it does have bacon so I haven't completely ruined it here.

You can definitely make stuffing with storebought cubed bread. It's also super easy to make and a great way to use up stale leftover bread.  Cube and bake.  Easy peasy.

Chesnuts are not as easy.  Peeling these suckers are a pain. Just sayin.

I used fresh cranberries since I had leftover from the pumpkin bread.  If you are not the biggest tart cranberry fan, I'd recommend the dried ones here...the tartness of the fresh ones is especially evident when there's no sugar in a recipe to cut the tartness. 

If you like nuts, chopped pecans are pretty spectacular in the dressing as well and add a great crunch.

Apple, Cranberry and Chestnut Dressing

Ingredients

5 cups croutons
8 ounces bacon
1 cup shallots or onions diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup diced apple (I used granny smith)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup diced chestnuts
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1 tsp dried or 2 tbsp fresh minced thyme
1 tsp dried or 2 tbsp fresh minced sage
2 -2.5 cup low sodium chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste

In large skillet cook bacon until crisp.  Remove and drain on paper towel.  Pour off all but 1 tbsp bacon grease
Add onions/shallots to pan with bacon grease and cook over medium heat until translucent, about 5-6 minutes.  Add garlic and cook additional 2 minutes
In large bowl combine apple, cranberries, chestnuts, croutons, pecans and herbs.  Crumbled cooled bacon into bowl. 
Add onions and garlic to bowl and toss all ingredients. Add enough broth to soften croutons.
Season with salt and pepper to taste
Transfer dressing back to original skillet and pat down lightly, cover with foil and bake in 350 degrees for 20 minutes then remove foil for 15 minutes to crisp the top.

Butternut Squash Mac-N-Cheese

I've been checking the weather on my iPhone for the past hour.  I've refreshed it about 5 times because I can't believe what it's telling me.  See, I turned off my A/C...for awhile I hope.  Finally.   And tonight I took Brooklyn out for a walk and realized it was freezing.  I kid you not, grab your hat, scarf, mittens and snow boots cold.   I loved it.  I imagined that the snow might begin falling at any moment.  I gleefully anticipated sleeping with the window cracked a bit tonight because nothing is better than fall nights under the down comforter, with a little fresh autumn air coming through an open window.  

Yep, cold enough to make a big comfy pan of mac-n-cheese cold.  I added a cup and a half of butternut squash to the recipe because squash is that fantastic. I also added a half cup of cubed cheddar because I love when I get a bit with just pure melted cheddar goodness. 

Everything about butternut squash mac-n-cheese screams cold weather comfort food--perfect since the weather has turned truly chilly here in Vegas, even if my ridiculous phone insists that it's 64 degrees. This Colorado girl knows that 64 is hardly cold--64 degrees isn't jacket weather.   I know I wrote about this just a few weeks ago but I cannot believe that anyone can really acclimate to a new climate in just one summer.  Nope, iPhone must be wrong

Even if it's not, mac-n-cheese is a perfect meal even for 64 degree weather. 

butternut squash mac-n-cheese


3 tablespoons butter, plus more(or oil) for casserole dish or pan
2 lb butternut squash
1/4 cup  flour
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups milk
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Gruyère
1/2 cup cheddar--cubed smallish
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
1/2 cup bread crumbs mixed with additional 2 tbsp butter, melted

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees f.  Poke outside of squash a few times with fork.  Place on baking sheet in oven and cook until squash is tender and can easily be pierced with fork.  Remove from oven and let cool  enough to handle (or can be done the day before and refrigerated until ready to use)
2. Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil.
3. Cut squash in half and use large spoon to scoop out cooked squash.  Add 1 1/2 cups to large bowl and mash well. 
4. Meanwhile cook the macaroni until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 5 to 6 minutes. Pour macaroni into a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well.  Add to squash.
5. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 2 quart casserole dish (or grease a cast iron skillet) well
6. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour and spices. Cook, stirring, 2 minutes. This is super duper important as it cooks out the grainy raw flour taste.
7. While whisking, pour in milk and whisk vigorously while heating. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
8. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in shredded cheddar cheese, and Gruyère and stir well.  Pour over noodles and squash
9. Add cubed cheddar and stir again.
10. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top. 
11. Bake until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.

Sloppy Lentils

I used to make sloppy joes with crumbled tofu.  Sounds a bit weird but my meat loving friends actually really loved it...in the end it's all about the sauce and the comfort of the squishy but slighly toasted bun.  Last year a friend recommended I try the recipe with lentils....and I've been hooked ever since.  I don't think I've made the tofu version since.  This recipe is quick and easy to throw together and at $1.20 for a bag of lentils, you get some pretty phenomenal protein punch for next to nothing. 

You can serve these up nacho style as well. I once offered to make my BIL any dinner he wanted when I was staying with them for a few weeks in April.  He asked for taco joes which is a dish his mom made-- a combination taco, sloppy joe served on Doritos with cheese...kind of like a big nacho.  I made myself lentil sloppy joes and served it up on tortilla chips with grated cheese and diced onion and have to say it was a thing of beauty.  

Sloppy Lentils

1 cup chopped onion
1-2 diced jalapenos (optional)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup lentils, rinsed
2 1/2 cups water
1/2-1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon mustard powder
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tbsp worcestershire (optional--leave out for a vegan version)
salt and ground black pepper to taste
4 hamburger buns, split

Directions
1. In a medium saucepan combine lentils, onions, jalapeno and garlic and mix well. Add ketchup, tomato paste, water, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire (if using), brown sugar, Bring to bubbling, then reduce heat, and cover.
3. Cook for about 30 mins, stirring regularly, adding more water if needed until lentils are cooked but still hold their shape.  Season with salt and pepper.
4. Serve on toasted buns.
Serves 4

Red Velvet Pancakes

 

Happy Memorial Day to all...hope everyone is enjoying their three day weekend!!  Last year, I spent Memorial Day weekend in Las Vegas visiting my sister...this year...well kind of the same. :) We are taking it easy in this house with a bit of quilting, crocheting, knitting, and baking.  Add a pile of books and it's all about vegging out.  I'm completely unapologetic.

 

Making some "lazy" pancakes for the weekend is as easy as opening a box of Red Velvet cake mix. I had to experiment a bit because the first batch came out a bit flat..but with some baking powder and flour, all was well. Throw in a couple of plain white buttermilk pancakes and you have a perfect Memorial day brekkie.  It would have been spectacular to top the red and white pancakes with some blueberries, but alas, there were none to be found in this refrigerator. 

 

Red Velvet Cake Mix Pancakes

 

1/2 box Duncan Hines Red Velvet pancakes

2/3 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil

1 1/4- 1 1/2 cups water

1. Combine ingredients and whisk well.   Add additional water if batter is too thick--batter should be same consistency as tradtional pancake batter.
2. Preheat pan or griddle on med-high heat (or 325 degrees on griddle).
3. Pour batter onto griddle and let cook until bubbles form on top, about 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook for 2 minutes more.
4. Serve with maple syrup or fresh berries.

Thai Pizza with Sriracha Chicken

First things first, thoughts and prayers for all families affected by the storms. My heart aches at the images.  I know we'll soon have many opportunities to help and support those that have lost so much.

Second things second, the suspense of what Kate Middleton's dress will look like will finally be over. Whew.

Third things third, ummm, wow.  My blog had  6500 visits and 9500 pageviews over the past two days just from a facebook link to my cookie dough cheesecake.  It's so completely unprecedented and off the chart for my blog, that I'd love to know what's linking to me on facebook.  Hint, hint, if you happened to come over from there...just saying is all. :)

Fourth things fourth, I made pizza.  Kind of anticlimactic I know. Even more anticlimactic, is that I didn't technically "make" anything in the pizza. I bought all of the ingredients and "composed" them.  Sandra Lee would be so proud. 

It all started with this little package I found.  Right next to Brooklyn's doggie day care is a Fresh and Easy Market.  Always a sucker for a new grocery store, I had to give it a try...it was so convenient.  Oh what a little treat of a store it was....kind of like a mini grocery, but with Trader Joe type fresh produce and sauces.  I saw this premade crust and thought "what the heck"--I usually make my own dough, but for $1.49, how can you not try right?  Unbelievable.  I never thought there would be a real difference between homemade and storebought dough, but wow.  I must be a really bad dough maker because my dough is always slightly bread like, and this dough made a crust that was crisp at the edges and so chewy...like that perfect NY pizza.  Sorry Chicago pizza fans but I can't live in NY for ten years without developing a die hard love for NY pizza.  It's the best in whole wide world.  Universe even.  And this pizza dough almost makes you think you can create a similar pizza.  That is until I went all California pizza style on it.

There was an article a while back on how salsa had finally surpassed ketchup as the most popular condiment.  And then there was a more recent article on how Sriracha is quickly gaining ground on salsa.  I say, why can't they all win?  For this pizza though, only Sriracha will work. 

Thai pizza is usually known for it's peanutty flavor--I used a storebought peanut sauce to top the crust but a homemade would be phenomenal as well...if one has the foresight to make it and have some ready.  Then I just topped with one cooked chicken breast slathered with Sriracha, some mozarella and green onions. 

Once the pizza comes out of the oven, top with some fresh cilantro and chopped peanuts.    And if you aren't a fan of sriracha's garlicky spice, you could mix a bit peanut sauce into the chicken prior to adding it to the crust.  With premade crust, this truly couldn't be easier and it tastes just like the restaurant pizza...with a sriracha kick.  It's addictive really.

Thai Pizza Chicken With Sriracha

1 premade pizza dough (1 lb)
1 large chicken breast
Sriracha sauce
1/3 cup peanut sauce--bottled or homemade
1 1/2 cups shredded mozerella
1/4 cup sliced green onions
chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped peanuts

• Let dough sit at room temperature while you prepare the chicken
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Meanwhile, butterfly chicken or pound thin and bake for 10-15 minutes until cooked through.  Remove from oven and increas heat to 425
• Slice chicken and mix in sriracha to your personal taste preference
• Hand stretch dough to 1/8th inch thickness, spread peanut sauce to 1/4 inch of the edges
• Top with chicken, mozarella and green onions
• Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted
• Remove from oven and top with chopped cilantro and peanuts.



Friendship Bread by Darien Gee and Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Curious about the post title? They do go together, trust me for a moment.

Rewind here a few weeks...I'd just arrived back in Denver after a 12 hour drive.  I opened my patio door, and there, waiting oh so patiently for me, was a familiar looking box.  My heart did a little leap of joy...I knew that box.  Periodically Random House sends me advance copies of books for our book club.  (Sadly, having just moved out here to Las Vegas, I need to find another book club but that's a different story.)  Twelve hour drive, a crate full of one month's worth of mail, even two suitcases full of laundry and I tore into that box like a madwoman.  You have to be pretty exciting to preempt laundry in this house.

The book I received is Friendship Bread by Darien Gee...you know how much I love any book centered around food.   I'm not going to lie to you though, I was just as fascinated by the stickie on the book...had Random House's marketing department really written out personal notes on stickies for all of the books? One hour later I forced myself to put the book down, take off my coat and go to bed. 

I could write a recap of the book, but so many other sites, like Amazon, will do that much better. I'll just say that once my packing was complete and my stuff was on it's way out here to Vegas, I read the book cover to cover in one sitting.  Girlfriends, tragedy, triumph,small town life, family relationships...it's all in there. It's one of those 'fill the bathtub with lots of bubbles and read a book' kind of books. And of course, there's the friendship bread within..originally passed out with a little stickie stating "I hope you like it." Ah Random House--you so clever.

I received friendship bread once and truthfully, didn't know what to do with it after a few loaves of the cinnamony treat.  Who knew there were endless variations of bread or even other deliciousness to make with the starter?  When one of the characters started making brownies with the starter, I swear I would have unpacked my boxes to to find my baking pans if I'd had some starter.  It makes sense really--it's similar in concept to a sourdough starter and you can make pancakes and all kinds of goodies with that.   The book even has a website with an entire webpage filled with endless foods to make with the starter....Girl Scout Samoa or Tagalong bread, Oreo and Cream bread,  Biscotti, Cinnamon Rolls, Cornbread, Pancakes, Brownies and EVEN cake pops...oh my.  Check out the super duper long list of recipes in the recipe box on the Friendship Bread Kitchen site.


So starter in hand, lazy morning before starting my new job next Monday...I chose pancakes for my first friendship bread adventure.

Strawberries are in season...why not right?  Sliced thin with a bit of sugar (I used dried agave nectar) -it's kind of like having strawberry shortcake for breakfast.

That is unless you up the ante by adding chocolate chips to your pancakes. Then it's like chocolate covered strawberries and shortcake for breakfast.  Or dessert. I have to say, I'm a big fan of friendship bread starter now.  Thanks Random House! 

And in answer to the inevitable question of what to do with all that extra starter, my answer is--don't make it.  I dumped half the starter on the last day and then only added half the ingredients for the final version.  Much more manageable and while it seems a little wasteful at first, it's really what you do with sourdough starter. 

Chocolate Chip Friendship Pancakes with Fresh Strawberries
adapted from Friendship Bread Kitchen

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup Friendship Bread starter

3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup milk
Chocolate chips
1 lb strawberries sliced
2-3 tbsp sugar (to taste)

Directions

• Combine sugar and strawberries in bowl, stir well and set aside  to allow sugar to draw out juices (about 30 mins)
• Preheat griddle
• Measure out Friendship Bread Starter into  bowl or 4 cup glass measuring cup.  Add wet ingredients and whisk together.
• Combine flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.
• Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk well.
• Spoon batter onto skillet or a greased griddle.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips
•  Cook until bubbles appear on the surface, then flip and cook until browned on the other side.
• Serve with strawberries