Copycat Macaroni Grill Pasta Milano

Note:   When they closed our Macaroni Grill we were heartbroken.    It was one of our favorite places to eat.   The boys loved it and I loved it too.     Thank goodness for copycat recipes that allow us to have a taste of our restaurant which left us too soon!

Macaroni Grill's Pasta Milano


Ingredients
6 ounces Butter
18 ounces grilled Chicken, sliced
12 ounces Sun-dried Tomatoes
12 ounces Mushrooms, sliced
6 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan Cheese
36 ounces roasted Garlic Cream Sauce
36 ounces Bow Tie Pasta

Directions
Cook the pasta as directed on package.    Sauté butter and mushrooms about 30 seconds.   Add the roasted garlic cream sauce and Parmesan; heat thoroughly.   Drain pasta.   Add pasta to the sauté pan and mix well. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.   Serve and Enjoy.

Copycat Bonefish Bang Bang Shrimp

Note:   Everyone who goes to Bonefish Grill says they order Bang Bang Shrimp.     It is all they talk about.    After realizing how simple it was I don't know why everyone is spending such big bucks to go to Bonefish to enjoy this simple appetizer.     I can set a pretty table, light a few candles and enjoy this with my sweet hubs on one of our simple date nights right at home!!!
Copycat Bonefish Bang Bang Shrimp

For the sauce
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
4 teaspoons Chili Garlic Sauce (find this in the Chinese section of your grocery or in a Oriental Market)
1 teaspoon granulated Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Rice Vinegar

That's it for the original recipe. Pretty simple and delicious.

Directions
Precook the wings or shrimp WITHOUT the sauce.  Mix up the Sauce.  Toss the shrimp and wings in the sauce and place on the platter.  Enjoy the compliments.

Copycat Applebee's Blonde Brownie

Note:   I love the blonde brownie from Applebee's when it is fresh and warm.   The last two times I have gone to Applebee's the brownie wasn't fresh so I got frustrated and decided to find a recipe and make it for myself.     Yummy and much cheaper too!!

Copycat Applebee's Blonde Brownie

Ingredients

2 cups Flour
1 teaspoons Baking Powder
3 /4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 1/4 sticks unsalted Butter (10 Tablespoons)
2 cups packed golden Brown Sugar
2 large Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla
3/4 cup Chocolate Chips
3/4 cup chopped Pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Lightly flour and butter a 9 x 13 x 2 pan.   Sift flour into a bowl.   Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.   Melt butter.    In mixing bowl, place melted butter and add sugar, mixing well.    Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well.   Add flour slowly, blending. Batter will be slightly thick.   Spread in pan.    Sprinkle chocolate chips and pecans over all.    Bake for 25 − 30 minutes

Serve warm topped with ice cream.

Why I Love My Nordic Ware & Bacon Parmesan Monkey Bread

Note:    The boys and I are busy baking cakes, cookies and treats for the guys at his office.     The only way we can possibly get this much baking done is to have plenty of baking supplies and our good quality bakeware.    This year we are baking chocolate cakes in bundt pans.     Having more than one bundt pan is a must!   I have Nordic Ware bundt pans and I LOVE them.     First of all, they are made in America.    Buying made in America products is very important to me.     I have the traditional bundt pan, but Nordic Ware has many shapes and sizes.     Little Guy and I have looked at many of them and considered buying a few of them.   Like...

Don't you LOVE this Christmas tree shaped bundt pan?    I think it would be pretty with a pound type cake and fresh fruit over the top of it.

With as much as we love football around here you know we would get a LOT of use out of this bundt pan!   

One of our favorite things to make in a bundt pan is Bacon Parmesan Monkey Bread

Ingredients
12 pieces of bacon, crumbled
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup onion, very finely chopped
3 cans refrigerated biscuits, cut into quarters
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions
Mix together bacon, parmesan cheese and onion.     Dip one can of biscuit quarters and layer in bottom of the pan.    Sprinkle 1/3 of bacon mixture on top.    Dip second can of biscuit quarters and layer on top of that.    Sprinkle second 1/3 of bacon mixture on top.     Dip last can of biscuit quarters and layer.    Sprinkle remaining bacon mixture.       Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown.

Crockpot Broccoli Casserole

Note:    I love broccoli.    Raw, steamed or in a casserole.    However, my husband and oldest son will only eat it like this... covered and smothered.    ha!     I love that I can throw this in a crockpot before going to church!

Crockpot Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients
2 -10 ounce packages of frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 -10.75 ounce can of cream of celery soup, condensed and undiluted
1½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
¼ cup onion, chopped very fine
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
2 Tbsp of butter

Directions

Combine the soup, worcestershire sauce, pepper and onion.   Add 1 cup of the shredded cheese and the broccoli.  Pour the mixture into a well greased 3 quart slow cooker. Top the mixture with the crushed crackers and dot with butter. Cover and cook on low for 2½ - 3 hours.    About 10 minutes before serving, sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of shredded cheese evenly on top and place lid on top to melt the cheese.

Pecan Pie Muffins

Note:   While I wouldn't necessarily consider these a "tailgating" food, after I made these one Saturday for a football game the boys have asked for them a lot.    

Pecan Pie Muffins

Ingredients
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten

Directions
Mix together the wet ingredients.    Add in the dry ingredients.    Spoon into a well greased muffin pan.    Bake at 350 degrees.

Caramel Apple Sauce

Note:   It is fall.    Something about this time of year just screams apples and caramel to me.      Last week I went to the Fresh Market and bought some of the most delicious apples.    After eating the first one I knew I had to make some caramel sauce to dip them in and enjoy while watching football.     I will admit that when I ran out of apples I baked a cake just so I had something to drizzle the sauce on as well.
Caramel Apple Sauce

Ingredients
3/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup whipping cream

Directions
Melt the butter in a saucepan.   Add the corn syrup and mix.     Stir in the sugars.      Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a full boil.       Remove from the heat and let cool for a couple of minutes.    (Just enough time to slice up a few apples.)    Stir in the whipping cream.     Pour into a container and store in the refrigerator.