Green Bean Casserole

Update: I made this for Christmas dinner and it was so yummy- can't wait to make it again!

I went on the hunt for a new green bean recipe and came up with this-
it sounds de-lish!

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 cup sour cream
3 (14.5 ounce) cans French style green beans, drained
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crumbled buttery round crackers
1 tablespoon butter, melted


1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2.Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth, and cook for one minute. Stir in the salt, sugar, onion, and sour cream. Add green beans, and stir to coat.
3.Transfer the mixture to a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Spread shredded cheese over the top. In a small bowl, toss together cracker crumbs and remaining butter, and sprinkle over the cheese.
4.Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden and cheese is bubbly.

Caramel-Glazed Apple Spice Cake

My better half had this at his office Christmas party this week and thought it was yum-o!

Cake Ingredients:
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 ½ tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
1 ¼ cups chopped pecans or walnuts
3 large or 5 small Granny Smith apples, peeled & cut into ¼ inch pieces

Caramel Glaze Ingredients:
4 tbsp butter
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1/8 tsp salt
½ cup heavy cream

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Butter and flour a 9 x 13 inch pan
In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, beat both sugars and oil in a mixing bowl until very well blended.
Add eggs and beat well
Add vanilla and beat until fully incorporated into mixture
Add flour mixture gradually into egg mixture, mixing until just blended
Stir in nuts and apples. It will seem like there are more apples than cake mix, but that’s okay.
Bake for 50 – 75 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
Let cool in pan while preparing glaze
Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Stir in both sugars and salt.
Cook over medium-low heat for 2 minutes
Add cream and boil for 2 minutes
Poke holes in cake with a skewer. Pour over glaze.
Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Not Your Momma's Oatmeal Cookie

Last night while "Decking the Halls" I was in the mood for some Christmas Cheer. I went to my local "adult beverage barn" and this is what they suggested:

The Oatmeal Cookie

Butterscotch Schnapps
Cinnamon Schnapps
Baileys Irish Cream

Pour equal parts of both schnapps into glass- I used ice and eye balled it. With the back side of a spoon pour another equal part of Bailey's Irish Cream- I tried this and got frustrated and ended up mixing everything together. The point is, it's supposed to bead. It did in fact taste like an oatmeal cookie and warmed my insides with Christmas Cheer. Enjoy!

Speaking of cookies, it's cookie week over here, there are some really fun and interesting new recipes and blogs.