Simple Goodness

We Have Land O Lakes' Test Kitchen's Best Recipes

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With the holidays upon us there is an opportunity, cook at every turn. This month, Land O’Lakes® has invited us into their fantastic test kitchen to try out recipes that are full of delectable flavors.

Land O’Lakes® offers a variety of important ingredients that can make or break a recipe. Its repertoire includes: butter, Saute Express® seasoned meal starter, cheese, spreads, margarines, eggs, half & half, whipping cream, cappucino, cocoa, sour cream, and milk-—all the goodies that make a recipe wonderful! Come on in and check out these tried and true recipes!

Creamy Turkey Over Cheesy Biscuits
Rating: 5 stars

Spin your leftover turkey into the ultimate comfort food-—this turkey recipe uses cheesy gravy and biscuits for an easy, filling dinner!

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes | Servings: 6
Biscuits:
1¼ cups All-purpose flour
2 tsps Baking powder
¼ tsp Salt
¼ cup Cold Land O Lakes® Butter, cut into chunks
1 cup Shredded Cheddar cheese
½ cup Milk
Turkey:
¼ cup Land O Lakes® Butter
¼ cup Onion, finely chopped
½ cup Red bell pepper, chopped
3 Tbsps All-purpose flour
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Pepper
2 cups Cooked turkey or chicken, chopped
1 ½ cups Land O Lakes® Half & Half
1 cup Frozen peas, thawed
1/4 tsp Hot pepper sauce, if desired

Heat oven to 450°F. Place 1¼ cups flour, baking powder and salt in bowl; cut in ¼ cup butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cheese; mix well. Stir in enough milk until dough just sticks together. Drop dough onto ungreased baking sheet into 6 mounds, 2 inches apart. Bake 9-11 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Loosen with metal spatula; remove from baking sheet.

Melt ¼ cup butter in 3-quart nonstick saucepan over medium heat until sizzling; add onion and bell pepper. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, 3-5 minutes or until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well mixed. Stir in turkey, half & half, peas and hot sauce; continue cooking, stirring occasionally, 3-5 minutes or until bubbly and thickened. Split biscuits; place bottom halves of biscuits onto each of 6 serving plates. Spoon mixture over biscuits. Top with top halves of biscuits.

Recipe Tip: 1) Use your favorite part of the turkey for this recipe. Either dark or light meat will work. Some prefer the appearance of white meat in the creamy sauce. 2) If you have leftover biscuits, just heat them in the microwave for a few seconds the next day. Serve them for breakfast or with dinner.
Nutrition Facts: Serving: 1 | Calories: 500 | Fat: 30g | Carbohydrates: 31g | Dietary Fiber: 2g | Protein: 25g
Recipes and photos courtesy of Land O’Lakes, Inc.

 

Reindeer-Munchies

Reindeer Munchies
Rating: 5 stars

This is a sweet and easy recipe the kids can help make. 
Santa and the elves will gobble it up.

Prep Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Servings: 12 cups

5 cups Sweetened corn & oat honeycomb-shaped cereal or cereal squares
2 cups Thin pretzel sticks, broken in half
½ cup Land O Lakes® Butter
½ cup Creamy peanut butter*
1½ cups (11.5 oz. pkg) Real milk chocolate chips
1 cup Powdered sugar
1 cup Red and green candy-coated milk chocolate candies
Ice cream cones, if desired

Cover 2 baking sheets with waxed paper; set aside. Combine cereal and pretzels in large bowl; set aside. Place butter, peanut butter and chocolate chips in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 45 seconds; stir. Continue microwaving 15-45 seconds until butter and chocolate are melted. Stir until smooth. Immediately pour chocolate mixture over cereal in bowl; stir until well coated. Spread mixture evenly in single layer on prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes to set.

Break into bite-sized pieces; divide mixture between 2 large resealable plastic food bags. Pour ½ cup powdered sugar into each bag; seal bags. Shake bags until mixture is well coated. Place ½ cup chocolate pieces in each bag; seal bags. Carefully shake to distribute chocolate pieces.

To serve, spoon mixture into ice cream cones, if desired. Store mixture in resealable plastic food bags or container with tight-fitting lid in refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

*Substitute Options: almond butter or hazelnut-chocolate spread.
Recipe Tip: 1) Add more powdered sugar after storage, if needed. 
2) For longer storage, freeze in container with tight-fitting lid or resealable plastic freezer bags up to 2 months.
Nutrition Facts: Serving: ½ cup | Calories: 310 | Fat: 16g | Carbohydrates: 39g | Dietary Fiber: 2g | Protein: 6g
Recipes and photos courtesy of Land O’Lakes, Inc.

 

Caramelized-Onion

Caramelized Onion 
& Bacon Brussels Sprouts

Rating: 5 stars

Caramelized onion and crisp bacon adds a whole new flavor to a fall favorite—Brussels sprouts. This recipe makes a perfect side dish for your holiday dinner!

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes | Servings: 8

4 slices bacon
¼ cup Land O Lakes® Butter
1 medium (½ cup) Onion, chopped
1 tsp Firmly packed brown sugar
1½ lbs. Brussels sprouts, trimmed, 
halved lengthwise

Cook bacon in medium nonstick skillet until crisp. Drain. Crumble; set aside. Discard bacon drippings. In same skillet, melt butter over medium heat; add onion and sugar. Cook 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender and caramelized.

Meanwhile, place Brussels sprouts in 3-quart saucepan; add 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover; reduce heat to low. Cook 8-10 minutes until tender. Drain well. Add Brussels sprouts to onion in skillet; toss to coat. Cook over medium heat until heated through. Sprinkle with bacon.

Recipe Tip: 1) Cook bacon ahead of time; drain well. Refrigerate until serving time. 2) Cutting Brussels sprouts in half allows butter sauce to penetrate sprouts for great flavor in every bite.
Nutrition Facts: Servings: 1 | Calories: 110 | Fat: 8g | Carbohydrates: 8g | Dietary Fiber: 2g | Protein: 4g
Recipes and photos courtesy of Land O’Lakes, Inc.

 

Strussel-Coffee-Cake

Caramel Chocolate Streusel Coffee Cake
Rating: 5 stars

Coffee cake filled with the sweetness of mini chocolate chips and drizzled with melted caramel. It’s great for brunch or dessert.

Prep Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours | Servings: 8

½ cup Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup Pecans, chopped 
¼ cup Sugar
1 Tbsp Land O Lakes® Butter, melted
½ tsp Ground cinnamon
Cake:
¾ cup Sugar
½ cup Land O Lakes® Butter, softened
2 Land O Lakes® Eggs
1½ cups All-purpose flour
1 cup Light sour cream
1¼ tsps Baking powder
¼ tsp Baking soda
¼ tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla
Drizzle:
14 Caramels, unwrapped
2 Tbsps Land O Lakes® Half & Half

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 9-inch springform pan; set aside. Combine all streusel ingredients in bowl; set aside. Combine sugar and butter in another bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs; continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Add all remaining cake ingredients. Continue beating until well mixed.

Spoon half of batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle half of streusel mixture over batter in pan. Spoon remaining batter over streusel; top with remaining streusel. Bake 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife along sides of pan to loosen edge. Remove side of pan. Cool at least 30 minutes.

Just before serving, combine caramels and half & half in 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 5-8 minutes or until caramels are completely melted. Cool slightly; drizzle warm caramel over cake.

Recipe Tip: 1) A greased and floured 9-inch square cake pan can be substituted for 9-inch greased and floured springform pan. 2) To prevent over browning, place piece of aluminum foil loosely over cake during last 10 minutes of baking.
Nutrition Facts: Servings: 1 | Calories: 560 | Fat: 28g | Carbohydrates: 72g | Dietary Fiber: 1g | Protein: 8g
Recipes and photos courtesy of Land O’Lakes, Inc.

 

Thai-Peanut-Chicken-Wrap

Thai Peanut Chicken Wrap
Rating: 5 stars

These quick and easy wraps are full of flavor and served with a peanut sauce.
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4 wraps

Sauce:
⅓ cup Creamy peanut butter
⅓ cup Honey
¼ cup Soy sauce
¼ cup Water
1 Tbsp Lime juice
Wrap:
1 Half Stick (¼ cup) Land O Lakes® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt
1 (10 oz.) pkg Broccoli slaw
1 cup Carrots, shredded
1 tsp Fresh garlic, finely chopped 
1 (14 oz.) pkg Boneless skinless chicken breast tenders
4 (10-inch) Flour tortillas, warmed
¼ cup Dry roasted peanuts
2 Tbsps Fresh cilantro, chopped

Combine all sauce ingredients in small saucepan; mix well. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat 7-10 minutes or until smooth and heated through. Melt 2 Tbsps butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until sizzling; add broccoli slaw and carrots. Cook, stirring frequently, 6-8 minutes or until vegetables are crisply tender. Remove from pan; set aside. 
Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in same skillet until sizzling; add garlic. Cook 30 seconds. Add chicken tenders; continue cooking, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes or until chicken is golden brown and no longer pink. Add ½ cup peanut sauce to chicken; stir to coat. 

Assemble wraps by placing ½ cup vegetable mixture onto each tortilla; top with ¼ chicken mixture. Sprinkle each with peanuts and cilantro. Fold up 2 opposite sides of tortilla over filling; roll up tortilla. Cut each wrap in half. Serve with remaining peanut sauce.

Nutrition Facts: Servings: 1 wrap | Calories: 690 | Fat: 30g | Carbohydrates: 73g | Dietary Fiber: 7g | Protein: 38g
Recipes and photos courtesy of Land O’Lakes, Inc.

 

Salted vs. Unsalted Butter
Salted and unsalted butter can be used interchangeably. Unsalted butter has all the benefits of salted butter without the salt, so you can control the flavor of your foods.

Margarine vs. Butter
Stick margarine made from vegetable oil may be substituted for butter in most baking applications except pastry recipes and candy, made from a boiled syrup. Using margarine will produce a softer dough than one made with butter, and may not have the same flavor as butter.
Information from www.landolakes.com.

 

Praline-Cheesecake

Praline Cheesecake with Hot Fudge Caramel Sauce
Rating: 5 stars

A tempting indulgent dessert—nothing beats the flavors of pecans, buttery caramel and rich chocolate.!

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 6 hours | Servings: 16

Crust:
¼ cup Land O Lakes® Butter, melted
1 cup Graham cracker crumbs
½ cup Pecans, ground or very finely chopped 
½ cup Brown sugar, firmly packed 
½ cup English toffee bits or milk chocolate English 
toffee bits

Filling:
1 cup Sugar
4 (8 oz.) pkgs Cream cheese, softened
4 Land O Lakes® Eggs
¼ cup English toffee bits or milk chocolate English toffee bits
¼ cup Pecans, finely chopped

Sauce:
¼ cup Land O Lakes® Butter
⅔ cup Brown sugar, firmly packed 
⅓ cup Land O Lakes® Heavy Whipping Cream
¼ cup Light corn syrup
2 (1 oz.) squares Bittersweet or semi-sweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 tsp Vanilla

Heat oven to 300°F. Lightly grease sides only of 10-inch springform pan. Stir together all crust ingredients except ½ cup toffee bits in bowl. Press crumb mixture evenly on bottom and 1-inch up sides of prepared pan. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven; immediately sprinkle ½ cup toffee bits on hot, partially baked crust.

Combine 1 cup sugar and cream cheese in bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until creamy. Add eggs; continue beating until well mixed. Do not over beat. Pour over crust. Bake 70-75 minutes or until edges are set and lightly browned. Center will move slightly when side of pan is tapped.

Loosen cheesecake from side of pan by running greased knife around inside of pan. Immediately sprinkle ¼ cup toffee bits and ¼ cup chopped pecans on top. Cool 1 hour on cooling rack at room temperature. Refrigerate in pan, uncovered, 3-4 hours or until thoroughly chilled. Cover; refrigerate until serving.

Melt ¼ cup butter in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat; stir in ⅔ cup brown sugar, whipping cream and corn syrup. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture just comes to a boil. Boil 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add chocolate; stir until melted and smooth. Stir in vanilla. Cool slightly; place in microwave-safe bowl. Cover; refrigerate until serving time.Just before serving, microwave sauce, stirring every 30 seconds, until warm. Loosen side of cheesecake by running knife around inside of pan. Carefully remove side of pan. Dip knife in warm water for easier cutting. Clean knife after each cut. Serve sauce over cheesecake slices.

Recipe Tip: Cheesecake can be baked in 9- to 11-inch springform pan.
Nutrition Facts: Serving: 1 | Calories: 550 | Fat: 37g 
Carbohydrates: 50g | Dietary Fiber: <1g | Protein: 7g
Recipes and photos courtesy of Land O’Lakes, Inc.

 

Garlic-Buttery-Mashed-Potatoes

Garlic Buttery Smashed Potatoes
Rating: 5 stars

Garlic butter mashed potatoes with the skin on are a deliciously easy twist on classic mashed potatoes!

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 6

2 lbs. Medium red potatoes, 
cut into quarters
1 tsp Salt
Water
½ cup Milk, warmed
¼ cup Fresh parsley, chopped 
¼ cup Sour cream
2 Tbsps Land O Lakes® Butter, melted
1 Tbsp Fresh garlic, finely chopped 
1 tsp Salt

Place potatoes and salt in large saucepan; cover potatoes with water. Cook over high heat 10-12 minutes or until water comes to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-high; cook 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain potatoes; return to pan. Mash potatoes until about two-thirds are mashed and one-third remain lumpy. Gradually stir in all remaining ingredients. Serve immediately. 


Variation: Bacon Cheddar Smashed Potatoes:  Omit parsley, butter seasoning and garlic.  Cook potatoes as directed above. Mash potatoes until about two-thirds are mashed and one-third remain lumpy.  Gradually stir in ½ cup warm milk, ¼ cup sliced green onions, ¼ cup sour cream, 8 slices (½ cup) cooked, chopped bacon and ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese.  Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts: Serving: 1 | Calories: 170 | Fat: 6g | Carbohydrates: 26g | Dietary Fiber: 3g | Protein: 4g
Recipes and photos courtesy of Land O’Lakes, Inc.

 

Triple-Chocolate

Triple Chocolate Temptations
Rating: 5 stars

Triple chocolate cookies for chocolate lovers--fudgy & gooey!

Prep Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 5:45 | Servings: 60 cookies

Cookie:
¾ cup Land O Lakes® Butter
4 (1 oz.) squares Unsweetened baking chocolate
2 cups Sugar
1½ cups All-purpose flour
½ cup Unsweetened cocoa
4 Land O Lakes® Eggs
2 tsps Baking powder
½ tsp Salt
1½ cups Real semi-sweet chocolate chips

Drizzle:
½ cup Real semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tsps Shortening

Melt butter and unsweetened baking chocolate in 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, 6-10 minutes or until smooth. Cool 20 minutes. Combine melted chocolate mixture, sugar, 1 cup flour, cocoa, eggs, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Stir in remaining flour and 1½ cups chocolate chips. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Heat oven to 350°F. Shape level tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 7-9 minutes or until edges are set and cookies begin to crack on top. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets; remove to cooling rack. Cool completely. 
Microwave ½ cup chocolate chips and shortening in small bowl 1 minute. Stir until chips are melted. Drizzle mixture over cooled cookies. Let stand at least 30 minutes or until chocolate is set.

Recipe Tip: 1) For a fresh-baked flavor after storage, place cookie on paper towel; microwave 5 seconds. 2) Cookies can be sprinkled with sifted powdered sugar instead of chocolate drizzle.
Nutrition Facts: Serving: 1 cookie | Calories: 100 | Fat: 6g | Carbohydrates: 14g | Dietary Fiber: <1g | Protein: 1g
Recipes and photos courtesy of Land O’Lakes, Inc.

 

All-American-Cheese-Spread

All-American Cheese Bread
Rating: ∝∝∝∝∝

This delicious cheese bread is worthy of an All-American rating by everyone at the dinner table!

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes | Servings: 10

1 (1 lb.) Loaf unsliced Italian bread
⅓ cup Land O Lakes® Butter, melted
5 (.75 oz.) slices Land O Lakes® Deli Yellow American Cheese, cut in half
5 (.75 oz.) slices Land O Lakes® Deli White American Cheese, cut in half
¼ tsp Garlic salt
1 Tbsp Fresh parsley, chopped

Heat oven to 350°F. Cut loaf into 10 (1-inch) slices almost to bottom crust. Combine butter and garlic salt in small bowl; mix well. Brush cut-sides of bread with butter mixture. Place 1 half slice yellow American cheese and 1 half slice white American cheese into each cut; sprinkle with parsley. Wrap loaves loosely in heavy-duty aluminum foil; seal top and ends. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Grilling Directions: Prepare bread as directed above. Heat 1 side of gas grill to medium or charcoal grill, placing coals to 1 side, until coals are ash white. Place bread onto grill opposite heat or coals. Cover; grill until heated through and cheese is melted (25 to 30 minutes).
Nutrition Facts: Servings: 1 | Calories: 260 | Fat: 14g | Carbohydrates: 23g
Dietary Fiber: 1g | Protein: 8g
Recipes and photos courtesy of Land O’Lakes, Inc.

Check out more 
fantastic recipes from 
Land O Lakes® by logging onto 
www.landolakes.com

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