Lindsey's Apricot Cake

Mmmm! I created this after wondering what to do with all my canned apricots. This cake is dense and similar in consistency to bars or a cheesecake. The tangy apricots and creamy frosting are enough to make you want to eat the entire pan! Be careful :) Cut these into bars and serve on a platter.

Apricot Cake

• 1½ c. sifted cake flour
• 1½ tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ c. butter
• 1 c. sugar
• 2 large eggs
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup, drained, canned apricots
• ½ c. plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)

Frosting

• 8 oz softened cream cheese
• 1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups Powdered Sugar
• tiny, tiny pinch of salt (to enhance flavor)
• 1/2 cup drained, canned apricots

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a 9x13 cake pan with cooking oil and dust with flour. Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Beat in the butter using an electric mixer set on low speed, until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Beat in the sugar and eggs. Add the vanilla and yogurt - beat until blended. Batter will be thick like pudding. Pour into pan and bake 30 to 35 minutes.

Whip cream cheese and butter together until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix. Add apricots and mix well until blended. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time and mix until thick and creamy. Add more powdered sugar if needs thickening. Set aside in fridge and chill.

Remove cake from oven and cool. When cake is cooled, frost. Chill in fridge for 2 hours, serve cold.

Lindsey's Garlic White Cheddar Mac & Cheese

Serve with a tangy salad

Step 1 of layering in pan

My favorite Mac and Cheese ever!! I created this one day in my kitchen. I love it because the top is crispy and when you cut in with your fork, it's gooey and soft as the cheese sauce runs out. Soul food for sure!

The ground breakfast sausage will turn it into more of a stroganoff, the smoked sausage will make the dish a bit more salty.

Boil macaroni pasta according to directions on package. Drain, rinse, dump back in pot (with stove off), stir in 2 Tbsp of olive oil, and set aside.


Tip: Add 2 cups of drained, quartered artichoke hearts over the pasta.

Lindsey's Garlic White Cheddar Mac & Cheese 

• 1 box of macaroni pasta
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb of ground breakfast sausage (or 2 cups of smoked sausage, diced)
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup butter
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 2 cups heavy cream (or substitute half and half)
• 2 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½  tsp. fresh minced garlic
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1cup parmesan cheese
• 2 cups Panko crumbs

In a skillet on medium high cook breakfast sausage with Worcestershire sauce, and light sprinkle of salt, until brown. Set aside.

In a skillet on medium high, fry chopped garlic in 1/2 cup of butter until golden brown. Add the cream cheese and whisk until mostly melted.  Whisk in the heavy cream. Add 2 cups of shredded white cheddar cheese. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a simmer and whisk frequently until the sauce is smooth and thickens about 15 minutes.

Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking oil. Pour in macaroni pasta. Sprinkle meat over top. Pour cheese sauce over the meat. Give it a light stir. Sprinkle top with 1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese and then sprinkle 2 cups of seasoned Panko crumbs. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until crumbs are golden crisp. Do not cover.

Top with sour cream. Serve right away - enjoy!

Lindsey's Fried Pickles on a Stick

Carnival food at it's finest! Oh how I love fried pickles, but boy are they hot when they come out of the fryer. One day I thought how much more convenient it would be to have them on a stick! And of course fry them whole. This was a hit with my kids! I had a quick vision that I had a food truck business called "Pickles on a Stick" It was fun to dream for a minute. I'm sure this will become an instant hit on Pinterest - but remember, you saw it here first! :)

•  Canola oil (enough to fill your deep fryer) 
• 1 jar of crisp whole dill pickles
• 1 cup flour
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups of seasoned Panko crumbs 
• Wooden skewer sticks

Insert wooden sticks into pickles and set on a tray. Set up three soup plates - one with eggs, one with flour and the other with crumbs (you can also use freezer bags for less of a mess).When oil is hot and ready (it will bubble and pop when you drop something in) dip pickles back in pickle juice one at a time, roll into flour, roll into egg mixture, roll back in flour, roll again in eggs, and roll in crumbs. Place in deep fryer. Fry about 2-3 minutes per pickle or until golden and crisp. Place on baking sheet and keep warm in oven (do not cover).

Serve hot with cool Ranch dip. Enjoy!