Sweet Onion Bake

One of my best friends came to visit me this week.  She had sent me this recipe a while back and I wanted to try it.  It makes a great side dish for anything.  We paired it with baked chicken breasts, grilled asparagus, and a big salad.  There wasn't a drop left when we were done.  It was definite hit.  Pardon the picture, it does not do this dish justice.

ROBERTA'S ONION BAKE

7 1/2 cups sweet onions (3 large), sliced.

Sauté the onions in 4 tablespoons butter

Add:

1/2 cup long grain white rice which has been cooked in 1 cup of boiling water for 5 minutes

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

2/3 cup half and half

Salt/pepper to taste

Fresh parsley, chopped, if desired.

Bake covered for 45 minutes at 325 degrees. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more at 325 degrees until light brown on edges.

Sausage and Cheese Mini-Muffins

This recipe is all over the Internet in different places.  It is a different twist on sausage cheese balls which is a popular item to take to parties.  The plate was cleaned so I think they were a hit.

SAUSAGE AND CHEESE MINI-MUFFINS

3 cups Bisquick
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 pound bulk sausage (spicy if you like it)
3/4 cup water or milk (I used buttermilk)
1 can Campbell's Fiesta Nacho Cheese soup

Cook sausage until it is crumbled and no longer pink.  Drain on paper towels.  Mix together Bisquick, cheese, and sausage.  Combine cheese with buttermilk.  Make a well in the middle and pour wet mixture.  Stir just until combined.  Put in mini-muffin pans that have been sprayed with Pam.  Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.

Carrot Babycakes

I baked this recipe originally as a 3-layer cake but it was not very photo-worthy.  I repeated the recipe and this time I made it in my square muffin pan along with round muffin pan.  It turned out much better and it was for a crowd which worked even better with everyone getting their own little cake.  This is a Southern Living recipe from 1997.  The buttermilk glaze takes a while but I believe this is the key to this very moist carrot cake recipe.  It will replace my Tropical Carrot Cake recipe I posted in the early stages of my blog.

CARROT BABYCAKES

CAKE:
2 cups all-purpose flour 
2 teaspoons baking soda 
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon  
3 large eggs 
2 cups sugar 
3/4 cup vegetable oil 
3/4 cup buttermilk 
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
2 cups grated carrots
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained 
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Line 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with wax paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper. Set pans aside.  Or use a 9 x 13 pan that has been sprayed with Pam.  Or use 24 muffin cups sprayed with Pam.

Stir together first 4 ingredients.

In another bowl, beat eggs and next 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrots and next 3 ingredients. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Drizzle Buttermilk Glaze evenly over cakes.  Cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting on cakes.

This makes 30 babycakes.  You can cut the glaze in half if you are making these.

BUTTERMILK GLAZE: 

1 cup sugar 
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 
1/2 cup buttermilk 
1 stick butter 
1 tablespoon light corn syrup 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 
Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring often, 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla. Use a big pot because the soda causes a big volume until it cooks down.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

1 8 oz. package cream cheese
2-3 tablespoons milk or cream
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients until smooth.  If too thin add more sugar, if too thick add more cream.