Greek Yogurt Pancakes

It was always a special day in my house when my mom would make breakfast.  Most mornings, everyone is hurrying to get out the door and we don’t have time to sit down and eat together.  And on the days that we potentially do have the time, we wake up at different times and trying to have breakfast together proves to be futile. 

But when we did have breakfast, we would eat pancakes.  Jumpstarting this recipe with Bisquick mix (you probably have some leftover from this recipe) makes it really easy and dorm-friendly.  The Greek yogurt adds a great flavor and makes the pancakes really light and fluffy.

What you need:

2 5.3 oz Containers vanilla Greek yogurt

5-6 Tbs Milk

1 Tsp vanilla extract

2 Eggs

2 C Bisquick
Maple syrup, butter, and/or jelly for serving

What you do:

Heat a griddle on the stove over medium heat.  Whisk the first four ingredients together in a large bowl then add the Bisquick.  Scoop out the batter using a ¼ measuring cup and place onto the griddle.  Flip the pancakes when you see the pancakes bubbling slightly on the top and pulling up around the edges.    

 Flipping pancakes has never been my forte in life, so I ended up with a lot of funny shaped ones.

But at least the funny shaped pancakes still taste good, right?

Saltine Toffee

Merry Christmas everyone!  Now that it’s December I can say that, right?  No one is going to start complaining that it’s too early and we need to wait another 2 weeks?  Oh good.  Because I have a host of holiday recipes that I’m dying to share with all of you.

Last week's post had a great recipe for a holiday side dish, and here is another dish you can bring to your next holiday gathering.  It is easy to throw together, and is very addictive!  I could seriously eat the entire pan all by myself.  This recipe is also a great hostess gift.  I mean, who wouldn’t love something salty, sweet, and covered in butter?

What you need:

4 oz (about 40) Saltine crackers.   Ritz crackers will also work well.

1 C butter

1 C Sugar

2 C semi sweet chocolate chips

¾ C chopped nuts, optional

What you do:

Preheat the oven to 425°F.  Line and grease a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with foil.  Arrange the crackers in a single layer on the pan.  

Melt the butter and sugar together over medium heat stirring constantly and let boil for 3 minutes.  The mixture will turn a beautiful caramel brown color.  Pour the butter mixture evenly over the crackers and place it in the oven for 2-4 minutes, or until the butter mixture is bubbling. 

Remove from the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top.  The heat from the crackers will cause  some of the chocolate chips to melt, but if you want to make it easier on yourself, you can melt the chocolate ahead of time or place the pan in the oven for a few seconds to melt the chocolate chips before spreading them over the crackers.  Sprinkle the chopped nuts over the top.

Let cool completely so that the chocolate is no longer wet.  You can place it in the fridge or freezer to speed up the process. Break the toffee into pieces and serve immediately.  The toffee can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days, if you can get it to last that long!

This is also fantastic late night "dead week" brain food.  Final exams here I come!

Chicken Pot Pie

Thus begins weeks of turkey sandwiches, turkey casserole, and turkey soup.  If your Thanksgiving was anything like mine, you’re probably left with a fridge full of leftovers that will last well until December 15.  As long as there is leftover stuffing and sweet potatoes, I’m a happy girl.   I know better than to hope for leftover pie because in my house, the dessert is always the first thing to go.

I made this pot pie with chicken, but you can easily substitute leftover turkey.  It’s a great way to use up leftovers, and it’s almost as good as leftover pumpkin pie.

What you need:

2 C frozen vegetables

1 10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup

1 12.5 oz can cooked chicken.  You can easily substitute leftover turkey.

1 C Bisquick

½ C milk

1 egg

What you do:

Preheat the oven to 400°F and mix the vegetables, soup, and chicken in an ungreased 9 in pie plate.  The kitchenette in my dorm doesn’t have a pie plate, so I used a dark 9 in round pan instead.  If you decide to use the 9 in round pan, increase the oven temperature to 425°F. 

Mix the vegetables, soup, and chicken in the pan.

In a separate bowl, mix the Bisquick, milk, and egg with a fork until well mixed.  Pour over the chicken mixture and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Recipe inspired by bettycrocker.com