Sweet Potato Casserole

 Sweet Potatoes:

4 cups peeled, cubed sweet potatoes

2 large eggs, beaten

½ cup white sugar

½ cup milk

4 tablespoons butter, softened

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

Pecan Topping: I suggest strongly tripling the topping

½ cup packed brown sugar

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons butter, softened

½ cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Prepare sweet potatoes: Put sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Cook over medium-high heat until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.  Or use a large can of yams, smash.

Mash drained sweet potatoes with a fork. Add eggs; mix until well combined. Add sugar, milk, butter, vanilla, and salt; mix until smooth. Transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Make topping: Mix brown sugar and flour together in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter until mixture is coarse and looks like peas; don't overmix. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle topping over sweet potato mixture.

Bake in the preheated oven until topping is lightly browned, about 30 minutes.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

 Crust

▢2 cups all-purpose flour

▢1/2 cup light brown sugar

▢12 tablespoons cold butter cubed small

Cheesecake

▢2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese softened

▢1/2 cup granulated sugar

▢1 teaspoon vanilla extract

▢2 large eggs

Apples

▢3 granny smith apples peeled and chopped very small

▢2 tablespoons granulated sugar

▢½ teaspoon cinnamon

▢¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Streusel Topping

▢3/4 cup all-purpose flour

▢3/4 cup light brown sugar

▢1/2 cup quick oats

▢5 tablespoons cold butter cubed small

▢caramel syrup/sauce drizzle

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. You can also use parchment paper and spray the parchment paper. Set aside. 

* I use parchment paper because then you can just lift the bars out of the pan (by the overhang of the parchment paper) this makes it easier to cut the bars if they're out of the pan

• MAKE THE CRUST : In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and cold cubed butter. Use a pastry cutter or hands to mix until crumbly. Press into the baking pan. Bake 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned. 
• While the crust is baking MAKE THE CHEESECAKE : Combine the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and eggs into a bowl, or bowl of a stand mixer, and beat together until smooth and combined. 

  MAKE THE CINNAMON SUGAR APPLES : Combine the peeled and chopped apples, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a small bowl. Mix together until all the apples are coated

• Pour the cheesecake mixture over the cooked crust and spread out evenly. Sprinkle the apples over the cheesecake. 

  *No need to cool the crust before adding the cheesecake & apples.
• MAKE THE STREUSEL TOPPING : Combine flour, brown sugar, oats, and cold butter into a small bowl. Use a pasty cutter, or your hands, to mix it together until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle evenly over the apples.
• 
  

• Cook for 25-30 minutes. The edges should be done and slightly pulled away from the edges of the pan. The middle should be soft set but not wiggly (which means raw batter).
• Remove from oven and put on a cooling rack. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the bars and let cool at room temperature for 1 hour.

  Cover the dish and put in the refrigerator for 3 hours. Cut into bars and serve. Store leftovers in the fridge. 

Baked Chicken Drumsticks

8 (4 oz each) chicken drumsticks skin-on; about 2 lb. total weight

▢2 tablespoons olive oil

▢1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ½ teaspoon of any other salt

▢½ teaspoon black pepper

▢1 teaspoon garlic powder

▢1 teaspoon onion powder

▢1 teaspoon smoked paprika

▢¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with high-heat-resistant parchment paper and arrange the drumsticks in a single layer on the parchment.

Make the seasoning paste: In a medium bowl, use a fork or a spatula to mix the olive oil, salt, pepper, and spices.

Using a pastry brush or your hands, coat the chicken pieces with the seasoning paste.

Bake the drumsticks uncovered until their internal temperature reaches 165°F, about 40 minutes.

Baste the drumsticks with the pan juices using a clean pastry brush. Serve immediately.

Instant Pot Cheesy Sloppy Joe Pasta

 1 lb lean ground beef

1 cup diced yellow onion

2 cups water

12 oz gluten free fusilli noodles ( use any noodles you want 12 ounce, whole wheat works as well)

+2 cups ketchup

+2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

+2 tbsp onion powder

+1 tsp salt

+1 tsp pepper

+1 tbsp brown sugar

3 cups shredded mozzarella and cheddar ch

eese blend

(If you want, you can use a 15 ounce can of man which in place of the ketchup through brown sugar ingredients)

Set Instant Pot to Saute Normal for 8 minutes. ( I just go ahead and make sure it's completely brown before continuing)

Add a dab of margarine or butter to the pot along with the ground beef and diced onions.

Crumble the ground beef well as it cooks.

When the Instant Pot turns off, add the water to the pot.

Add the fusilli noodles to the pot and spread them out evenly. Sometimes I add another cup of water to help make sure more of the noodles are touching the water, it always turns out great. 

Dump the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, salt, pepper and brown sugar on top of the pasta. (Or the man which)

Place the lid on the Instant Pot, turn the steam release handle to the sealing position and set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook High for 5 minutes. 

Once the Instant Pot is done cooking, immediately turn the steam release handle to the venting position and perform a quick release.

Remove the lid and stir the contents well.

Add the cheese to the pot and stir well again.