Veggie Ham and Egg Cheese Bake

I love hearty veggie breakfasts. This one was great to prep cut everything the night before.

Photo Credit to Skinnytaste

Veggie Ham & Egg Cheese Bake
2 cups shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup sliced scallions
5 oz sliced shiitake mushrooms {or regular}
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
7 oz finely diced lean ham steak
3/4 cup diced tomatoes, seeded
1 cup finely chopped broccoli florets
7 large whole eggs
5 large egg whites
1/4 cup fat free milk
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with oil.
Place 1 cup of cheese into the baking dish.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; add scallions, mushrooms and red pepper and saute until vegetables are tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook 2 - 3 minutes. Add the ham and broccoli and remove from heat. Spread evenly over the cheese mixture.
In a large bowl combine the eggs, egg whites, milk, salt and pepper and whisk well. Slowly pour over the vegetables in the baking dish and top with remaining cheese.
Bake until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean, 32 to 35 minutes. Let stand 8 to 10 minutes before cutting into 12 pieces.

Recipe Source: Skinnytaste

Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Swirl Bundt Cake

Holy moly deliciousness. Mel has done it again. This time with carrot cake/cheesecake perfection.

Photo Credit to Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Swirl Bundt Cake
Carrot Cake:
1 2/3 cup (8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3-4 large carrots (12 ounces), ends trimmed and finely shredded (about 2 cups)
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1 cup oil (see note above)
1/2 cup toasted, chopped pecans, optional
Cream Cheese Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, light or regular, softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon sour cream
2 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9- or 10-inch bundt cake pan very well, getting in all the nooks and crannies. Lightly dust with flour, tapping out the excess, and set aside.
For the cake batter, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl (you can use the bowl of a stand electric mixer here), with a handheld electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugars together until blended. With the mixer running, drizzle in the oil and mix until thick and creamy.
Add the dry ingredients, carrots and pecans, and mix gently by hand until combined and no streaks of flour remain. Set aside for a few minutes while preparing the cream cheese filling.
For the cream cheese layer, beat together the cream cheese, vanilla, sugar and egg until smooth and well-combined. You can use an electric mixer or I generally use my blender (Blendtec model) for whipping this together.
Pour half of the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Spoon the cream cheese mixture in dollops evenly across the top. Finish with the remaining carrot cake batter. It's ok if you can see the cream cheese layer peeking through - the carrot cake may not cover it all the way.
Bake the cake for 45-60 minutes until the top lightly springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Remove fron the oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes before turning out onto a serving plate to cool completely.
For the frosting, whip together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth and well-combined (again, I use my blender for this but you can use an electric mixer). Add the heavy cream, sour cream and powdered sugar and mix until light and fluffy.
Once the cake is completely cooled, spread the frosting over the top curve of the bundt cake. If you want to cover the cake entirely, you can double the frosting.
Refrigerate until ready to serve. The cake can be made, frosted and refrigerated up to a day in advance.

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Soft Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oh baby oh baby. So fetchin good. I made them twice in three days {thanks to Braden}.

Photo Credit to Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Soft Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
12 tablespoons (3/4 cup) butter, melted and cooled slightly
3/4 (5 1/4 ounces) cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 (2 1/3 ounces) cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 3/4 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (1 cup) chocolate chips, semisweet or bittersweet

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment or silpat liners. In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese, melted butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla. Add the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda and salt and mix until mostly incorporated with just a few dry streaks remaining. Add the chocolate chips and mix until combined and no dry streaks remain.
Roll the dough into 1 to 1 1/2-inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten each ball slightly with the palm of your hand (just barely press, you don't need to flatten it all the way). Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes until the edges are set but the middles are still soft and gooey. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Bars

Super easy. Delicious. And in bar form...so no batches of cookies!

Photo Credit to The Baker Upstairs

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Bars

12 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
11 ounces caramel bits (or 11 ounces caramel squares, unwrapped)
3 tablespoons heavy cream
sea salt, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 325. Prepare a 9 x 13 pan by lining with foil. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and sugars and mix until combined. Add egg and egg yolk and vanilla, and mix until combined. Add flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix until just combined (be careful not to over mix). Gently fold chocolate chips into the dough. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the caramels and heavy cream, and microwave on high power at twenty second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Spread half of the cookie mixture in the prepared pan, pushing with your hands to form an even layer. Pour the melted caramel over the top and spread to cover. Sprinkle with sea salt. Top with remaining cookie dough. (I found it easiest to put the cookie dough on a cutting board and smush it with my hands into an even layer about the size of my pan, then transfer it to the baking pan.) Sprinkle the top with more sea salt. Bake 25-30 minutes or until very lightly golden around the edges. Be careful not to over bake! The cookies are best if they are soft and a little gooey. Remove from oven and let cool 10-15 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack. Cool almost to room temperature before slicing.

Recipe Source: The Baker Upstairs

Mint Brownie and Oreo Hot Fudge Trifle with Minty Cream Cheese Whipped Cream

Okay, this is super delicious but really rich. So serve it with the right crowd.

Photo Credit to Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Mint Brownie and Oreo Hot Fudge Trifle with Minty Cream Cheese Whipped Cream
Brownies:
9X13 pan of brownies, cut into small cubes (see note - you only will use about 3/4 of the pan of brownies)
Mint Cream Cheese Whipped Cream:
8 ounces cream cheese, light or regular, softened
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1-2 teaspoons mint extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Oreos and Hot Fudge:
25 mint Oreos, coarsely chopped
1/2 - 3/4 cup hot fudge sauce, warmed slightly

For the whipped cream, in a large bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese with about 1/2 cup of the whipping cream until the mixture is smooth. Add the mint extract, powdered sugar and the remainder of the whipping cream gradually. Mix on high speed until the cream is whipped and the mixture is very thick and creamy.
In a glass trifle dish (or large glass bowl), place in 1/3 of the brownies then 1/3 of the whipped cream, spreading evenly to the edges. Next sprinkle in a little more than 1/3 of the Oreos (about 10 chopped) and finally drizzle with 1/3 of the hot fudge sauce.
Repeat that same layering process two more times (the only difference is that I only used about 4 chopped Oreos for the very final layer - so the first two layers use about 10 chopped Oreos each).
Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Chocolate Caramel Pecan Pie

Made this for Sharrie's birthday and it was a hit and SO delicious. But you need a seriously deep dish pie plate or get rid of some of the chocolate layer {which is amazingly delicious}.

Photo Credit to Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Chocolate Caramel Pecan Pie
Pie Crust:
Single pie crust to fit 9.5- or 10-inch pan
Chocolate Layer:
1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
Caramel Pecan Layer:
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
28 caramels, unwrapped (or about 1 1/2 cups homemade caramel)
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out the pie crust and gently place it in a 10-inch tart or pie plate (see note above). Trim and flute the edges (see tutorial here). Refrigerate or freeze the crust until very cold. Line the crust with foil and weigh down with pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and weights and bake for another 10 minutes or so until the crust edges are lightly golden and the bottom is no longer doughy. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Reduce the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the chocolate layer, in a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and cream for one minute. Stir until melted and combined (microwave for short spurts if more time is needed).
In a large bowl (or in a blender), beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and combined. Add the egg and mix until just blended. Scrape in the chocolate mixture and mix until smooth.
Spread the chocolate mixture evenly in the cooled crust.
For the caramel pecan layer, lightly toast the pecans in an even layer on a baking sheet in the preheated oven for just a few minutes until fragrant (watch closely so they don't burn).
In a medium bowl, combine the caramels, cream and butter. Microwave at 1-minute intervals, stirring every 30 seconds or so, until melted and smooth. Watch carefully so the caramels don't overcook (this can happen more easily with store-bought caramels). Let the mixture cool slightly.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, salt and sugar. Quickly whisk this mixture into the caramel mixture. Stir in the pecans.
Pour the caramel mixture over the chocolate layer. Place the pie plate on a foil-lined baking sheet (just in case of any spillovers or splatters) and bake for 45-50 minutes until the center is almost set (it's ok if it jiggles slightly). Cover the edges of the pie crust part way through baking if it is becoming overly browned.
Let the pie cool for a couple of hours. Serve with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream, if desired. This pie actuality tastes better the second day, in my opinion, so consider making it ahead. It's also delightful slightly warmed (not hot, just a bit warm so the caramel layer softens).

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Healthy Whole Grain Waffles

Loved these. They were perfectly delicious.

Photo Credit to Our Best Bites

Healthy Whole Grain Waffles
1 1/2 cups 100% whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ*
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal*
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar or no-calorie sweetener, like Splenda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

*If you choose to omit wheat germ and flaxseed meal, add an additional 4 tablespoons flour (whole wheat or all purpose) instead.

Whisk together flour, wheat germ, flaxseed meal, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In a separate bowl mix together milk, oil, egg, vanilla, and oil and whisk until combined. Add wet ingredients to dry and whisk until just mixed together, (it’s okay to have some lumps) don’t over-mix.

Ladle into an electric waffle iron and cook according to your waffle-maker’s instructions until golden brown. (I use a heaping 1/2 cup batter for my 8″ round waffle iron). Serve warm with desired toppings.

Freezer Instructions: Lay waffles in a single layer on a baking dish in the freezer for a few hours. When frozen, place in a ziplock bag or freezer container. Reheat in toaster. Can also keep cooled waffles in fridge and reheat in toaster.

Recipe Source: Our Best Bites