Coco: This recipe came from another one of my office’s Zoom happy hours for December. Jake loved it and declared it would be potluck worthy!

Baking with Melissa | by Melissa

Ingredients

• 10 oz (6 cups/280g) package of mini marshmallows
• 12 oz (2 cups/340g) package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp (28g) of butter, salted or unsalted, as well as some extra butter for greasing the pan
• 14 oz (395g/300ml) can of sweetened condensed milk
• 2 cups (280g) of salted spanish peanuts
• For a nut free option: replace the nuts with 2 extra cups (125g) of mini marshmallows or chopped pretzels

Utensils

• Measuring cups
• 9×13 inch pan or cupcake pan with cupcake liners
• medium-sized, heavy-bottom pot
• large mixing bowl
• heat-resistant spatula or mixing spoons

Instructions

1. Mix your peanuts and marshmallows together in a large bowl, and set aside.
2. Butter your 9×13-inch baking dish, or add foil to the bottom.
3. In a medium-sized pot, ideally on a double boiler, melt your chocolate chips, condensed milk, and butter together until smooth.
4. Remove the pot from the heat and immediately fold the chocolate mixture into the bowl of marshmallows and peanuts.
5. Gently mix everything together until it’s all coated with chocolate.
6. Add the mixture to the greased pan and spread it evenly. Chill in the fridge for 2 hours, then cut into squares. Store at room temperature!

Coco: I’ve been receiving home meal kit deliveries for the last 5 years or so and this one is hands down my favorite. I’ve made it three or four times now. Jake is a huge fan, too.

Home Chef | by Rachel Post

Ingredients

Makes 2 servings; about 30-40 minutes.

• 8 oz. Italian Pork Sausage (or sub ground beef)
• 8 oz. Cubed Butternut Squash
• 4 fl. oz. Cream Sauce Base
• 4 oz. Corn Kernels
• 0.8 oz. Tuscan Herb Butter
• 2 tsp. Chicken Demi-Glace Concentrate
• 1/4 oz. Parsley
• 1/4 oz. Flour
• 2 tsp. Garlic Pepper

Note: I went with More Than Gourmet’s Classic French Demi-Glace (which is beef/veal) since my grocery store didn’t have any chicken options. For the cream sauce, I used Bertolli d’Italia Cacio E Pepe (17 oz jar). I also ended up more than doubling the recipe.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray tray with cooking spray.
2. Place Italian sausage in tray and break into smaller pieces. Spread into an even layer.
3. Add butternut squash in an even layer and top with garlic pepper and a pinch of salt.
4. Bake uncovered in hot oven until starting to soften, 15-20 minutes.
5. Carefully remove tray from oven. Add flour and stir until no dry flour remains.
6. Add cream base, demi-glace, corn, and 1/2 cup water. Stir to combine.
7. Bake again uncovered in hot oven until soup is bubbling, butternut squash is tender, and Italian sausage reaches a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees, 15-20 minutes.
8. While meal bakes, stem parsley and tear leaves.
9. Carefully remove tray from oven. Stir in butter (to taste) until melted and combined. Tray will be hot! Use a utensil.
10. To serve, garnish with parsley. Bon appétit!

Per serving: 600 calories, 42 g fat, 19 g saturated, 39 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 25 g protein

Coco: This recipe came from a Zoom baking class at my office’s happy hour during the pandemic. Everyone baked from their kitchen and shared progress over the call. So fun!

Ingredients

• 6 egg yolks 
• ¾ cup white sugar 
• ⅔ cup milk 
• 2 ½ cups heavy cream 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (divided use)
• 1 pound mascarpone cheese, at room temperature 
• 3/4 cup strong brewed coffee, at room temperature 
• 1/4 cup dark rum (optional)
• 2 (7oz) packages ladyfinger cookies (Savoiardi)
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Utensils

• 7×11 baking dish 
• Small sauce pot
• Medium metal bowl
• Medium glass bowl
• Larger bowl to set the glass bowl into (ice bath)
• Fine mesh strainer
• Liquid measuring cup
• Dry ingredient measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Rubber spatula 
• Two whisks
• Plastic wrap

Instructions

1. In a medium glass bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until light in color and somewhat airy.
2. In a small sauce pot, heat the milk over low heat until scalded/lightly simmering.
3. Slowly stream the hot milk into the yolk mixture, stirring constantly, until fully incorporated. Add this mixture back into the sauce pot and place over very low heat.
4. Place the glass bowl into an ice bath while the milk and egg mixture slowly comes to a light boil (stir constantly to avoid over-cooking).
5. As the mixture comes to a boil, pour through mesh strainer into the glass bowl set in the ice bath while whisking to cool the mixture. Whisk in ½ tsp vanilla extract.
6. Wrap the custard with plastic wrap, touching the film directly to the custard surface and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour to set.
7. In a medium bowl, beat cream with remaining ½ tsp vanilla until soft peaks form.
8. Whisk mascarpone into yolk mixture until smooth.
9. In a small bowl, combine coffee and rum. Cover the bottom of the 7×11 dish with a layer of ladyfingers and drizzle with half of the coffee mixture.
10. Spread half of mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers, then half of whipped cream over that. Repeat layers, cover, and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours, until set. Sprinkle with cocoa powder before slicing and serving.

Coco: I still haven’t tried to make this yet but I love Okra and I love cupcakes.. what could go wrong?

Cupcake Project | April 7, 2011 by Stef

Ingredients

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients

• 1/2 C flour
  
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
  
• 1 tsp baking powder
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1 tsp ground fennel
  
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  
• 3/4 C sugar
  
• 1/2 C unsalted butter (room temperature)
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1 C ginger ale
  
• 1 C pulverized raw okra (okra that’s been chopped and food processed so it looks like guacamole – I pulverized part of a defrosted bag of frozen okra)

Fennel Frosting Ingredients

Note: Double this recipe if you like to use a lot of frosting.

• 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
• 1/2 C unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 2 C powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp ground fennel

Instructions

Cupcake Instructions

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, fennel, and ginger. Set aside.
2. In another medium-sized mixing bowl, mix the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
3. Mix the eggs into the butter/sugar mixture one at a time.
4. Alternately mix the flour mixture and the ginger ale into the wet ingredients until just combined.
5. Fold in the okra.
6. Divide batter evenly between 12 cupcake liners.
7. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes or until cupcakes bounce back when lightly touched.
8. Immediately remove hot cupcakes from tins and set on paper towels to remove moisture at the bottom of the wrappers. Don’t be alarmed by the puddle of okra “pee” left behind in the cupcake tin – just rinse it off down the drain.

Fennel Frosting Instructions

1. Mix cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
2. Slowly mix in powdered sugar (add more than 2 C if you prefer a thicker frosting).
3. Mix in fennel.
4. Pipe or spread on cupcakes.

Coco: I still haven’t tried to make this yet but I love Okra and I love cookies.. what could go wrong?

Cupcake Project | April 5, 2011 by Stef

Ingredients

Yield: 12 large cookies

• 1 C all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground fennel
• 1/2 C unsalted butter room temperature
• 1/2 cup dark or light brown sugar packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1 arge egg
• 1 cup oats old fashioned or quick (not instant)
• 3/4 cup pulverized raw okra (okra that’s been chopped and food processed so it looks like chunky guacamole – I pulverized part of a defrosted bag of frozen okra)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, and fennel. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and both sugars until creamy.
4. Beat in vanilla and egg.
5. Slowly mix in the flour mixture until just combined.
6. Fold in the oats and okra.
7. Scoop approximately 1/4 cup balls of batter onto a Silpat or parchment-lined cookie sheet.
8. Place 6 balls to a sheet and bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for 18 minutes.

Coco: Tho & Anthony rave about this dish every year at the office Thanksgiving potluck… so here it is, saved for them, forever.

The Frugal Girls | February 2010 by Heidi

Ingredients

• 26 ounces Fully-Cooked Frozen Meatballs (optional Easy Meatball Recipe below) or use a bag of store-bought meatballs (approx. 26 oz.)
• 14 ounces Jellied Cranberry Sauce (1 can)
• 12 ounces Heinz Chili Sauce

Optional Easy Meatball Recipe

Ingredients

• 2.5 pounds Ground Beef
• 3 Eggs
• 1 cup Water
• 6 ounces Stuffing Mix

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Line a cookie sheet with foil, and spray with non-stick Cooking Spray.
• Mix together ground beef, eggs, water, and dry stuffing mix, until thoroughly combined.
• Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on cookie sheet.
• Bake for approx. 17 minutes, or until done {160 degree internal temp}

Preparation

Combine Cranberry Jelly and Chili Sauce in a bowl, and stir until well combined.

Based upon your preferences, you can alter the proportions of cranberry jelly (sweet) and chili sauce (tangy).

Add frozen meatballs to Crockpot and cover with sauce mixture.

Heat on HIGH for 2 hours or LOW for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Once they’re nice and hot, let simmer on LOW or WARM setting, and serve straight from your slow cooker. ENJOY!

Coco: Jake and I accidentally received 2 free eggplants in our last grocery trip and this is the recipe we decided on since we have never cooked eggplant before. It was delicious and we can’t wait to try these again!

Add a Pinch | October 2016 by Robyn Stone

Ingredients

• 1 pound eggplant peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Arrange eggplant cubes in a single layer on a paper towel lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the eggplant cubes with 1/2 teaspoon of the kosher salt and allow to rest for about 15 – 20 minutes until moisture beads on the eggplant. Pat dry with paper towels. Remove the paper towel from underneath the eggplant and preheat the oven to 425ºF.

Drizzle the olive oil over the eggplant and sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper. Toss to make sure that the eggplant is coated completely.

Roast the eggplant until just fork tender, about 25 minutes.

Coco: Michelle made this for Thanksgiving potluck at our office. Anthony said he will have dreams of this hot chocolate.

Little Spice Jar | December 2014 by Marzia

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup hot water
• 4 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate (not chocolate chips)
• 1/2 can (7 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 stick cinnamon (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
• 4 cups (1 quart) whole milk (2% or skim is also fine)

Preparation

In a small bowl combine the hot water and the cocoa powder, stir until smooth.

In the base of the slow cooker, add the bittersweet chocolate, condensed milk, cinnamon stick, cinnamon powder, nutmeg, chili powder, whole milk, along with the cocoa powder mixture. Heat on low for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so.

Serve warm with marshmallows, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, or chocolate shavings.

Coco: My mom and I found Jasmine Rice a few years ago, since then it is the only kind of rice we cook! But we have noticed that half the time instructions on the bag are totally WRONG! My mom perfected it, and this is what my friends and I all use to make Jasmine rice!

• Boil 3 Cups of Water
• Add 2 tsp Salt (I usually put none) and 2 tbsp Butter
• Once Boiling, Add 2 Cups Rice
• Lower Heat and Cover
• Let Cook for min 20 minutes

Coco: This is my mom’s recipe for Cherry Dump Cake! We like to top ours with coconut and pecans. As well as doubling the cherry filling. I cannot even begin count the amount of times I have made it, let alone how many times my mom has made it. Everyone who tries it always asks for the recipe, and sometimes they end up bringing it to the next event.

Ingredients

• 1 can 20-ounce crushed pineapple, undrained
• 1 can 21-ounce cherry pie filling
• 1 box 18.25-ounce yellow cake mix
• 2 sticks (1 cup or 16 Tablespoons) of butter or margarine, each cut into 12 slices
• 1 bag 7-ounce coconut, shredded
• 1 cup nuts, chopped (pecans, walnuts, macadamia, pistachios, cashews, peanuts, etc., your choice)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F for glass baking dish). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.

In the prepared baking pan, layer undrained crushed pineapple, then cherry pie filling. Sprinkle dry cake mix over the top, smoothing evenly and covering the top.

Cut butter into slices with a butter knife and place slices evenly over cake mix. Top with the coconut and nuts (optional).

Bake for 40 to 60 minutes or until brown on top and bubbly.
Let cool 30 minutes. Serve warm or cooled.