Busy Weekend

This weekend was full of cooking. I wanted to bake, so I decided to make Chocolate Revel Bars. My grandma used to make these when my cousins and I were kids and we all went crazy for them - one of my cousins would eat an entire pan in only a day or two. Now, no offense to Grandma, but I think these turned out even better.

Chocolate Revel Bars (My Grandma's Recipe)

3 cups quick cooking oats
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, beat together 1 cup butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Mix in eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla. In another bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt; stir into butter mixture.

Pat 2/3 of the oat mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Set aside remainder.

Melt 2 TBSP butter in a medium saucepan. Add sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, and 1/2 teaspoon salt over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla.

Pour chocolate sauce over the oat mixture, and dot the top with the remaining oat mixture.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in preheated oven. Let cool completely before cutting.

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A few weeks ago, while looking through my recipe books, my husband came across a recipe called "Hoagie Bake." There was a little glimmer in his eyes that only comes around for a few, select food items. He took it upon himself to buy all the ingredients for me so that I could make it for dinner some night. Finally, I did. After some well-needed tweaking, it is a definite keeper.

Hoagie Bake (allrecipes.com, adapted to our tastes)

2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
1/4 pound hard salami, sliced
1/4 pound cooked ham, sliced
1/4 pound pepperoni, sliced
4 slices Provolone cheese
4 slices Swiss cheese

4 slices Sharp Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Italian seasoning

Melted butter or Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat an 8x8 inch baking dish with cooking spray (9x13 would probably work too).

Cover bottom of baking dish with 1 package crescent roll dough. Layer with salami, ham, and pepperoni. Cover meat with a layer of Provolone cheese, Cheddar cheese, and Swiss cheese. Sprinkle generously with Italian seasoning. Top with second package of crescent rolls. Brush with butter or olive oil, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. (I ended up with 2 unused crescent roll triangles after I'd assembled it).

Place on center rack. Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Cover with foil, and bake for another 5-10 minutes. Let cool about 3 minutes before cutting.

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Tonight, I intend to make my husband's favorite meal: Chicken Puffs with Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole. I came across the recipe for the Chicken Puffs in the appetizer section of a Herberger's cookbook about a year ago and ever since, they've been placed in our regular rotation. Definitely not the healthiest, but they're so good, you won't care. Since I haven't made them yet today, I don't have a picture, so enjoy this similar-looking one I found on allrecipes.com.

Chicken Puffs (Herberger's "Simply Delicious" cookbook)

1 package Crescent Rolls (the "large" size - they come 6 to a package)

4 oz cream cheese, softened

2 TBSP butter, melted

1 chicken breast, cubed

1/2 med. onion, diced fine

Parsley flakes

1-2 TBSP melted butter

1-2 TBSP cream or milk

Preheat oven to 325.

Unroll crescent rolls onto a cookie sheet. Pinch 2 together at the seam to form rectangles. Repeat with remaining crescents. One package should produce 3 rectangles.

Mix together cream cheese and 2 TBSP melted butter. Add diced onions.

Meanwhile, cook chicken breast, and cut into small cubes (do not shred). I've also used rotisserie chicken and cut that into small chunks and it worked well. Add chicken to the cream cheese mixture and mix together. If the mixture is dry, add 1-2 TBSP cream or milk.

Spoon 1/3 of the mixture on top of each crescent roll triangle. Bring up the sides and pinch together to form a "puff." Brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle with parsley flakes.

Bake for approximately 25 min, or until crescent roll is golden brown.

Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole (family recipe)

2 lbs frozen hashbrowns (I like to use the chunks, not the shredded potatoes)

16 oz sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 med. onion, diced fine

2 cups shredded cheddar (I usually use about 1 cup of cheddar and 1 cup of colby jack)

1/2 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix together sour cream, cream of chicken, and melted butter. Mix in shredded cheese and onion. Add potatoes and combine.

Pour into lightly greased 9x13 pan or casserole dish. Cover and bake for about 45 minutes.