Pennies on a Platter » Serving tasty recipes into your home.

By bklynmommy

Ingredients

• 1 package (1/4 oz) active dry yeast (or instant yeast)
• 2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup warm water (110-115?F)
• 1 cup warm milk (110-115?F)
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
• 1/2 cup finely chopped ham (about 3 ounces)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese of choice (I used cheddar)
• 6 cups water
• 4 teaspoons baking soda
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1-2 Tablespoons coarse salt

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 150mins
Cooking time 165mins
Adapted from penniesonaplatter.com

Preparation

Step 1

I love trying different pasta dishes.  This Cajun Chicken Pasta is probably one of my favorites.  The Cajun spice adds just the right amount of heat without drowning out the rest of the flavors.  And, the colors of the peppers create an alluring appearance.  You can use whatever colors of bell peppers you like.  However, to save money (because yellow, red and orange peppers are more expensive than green) you can use only green peppers without sacrificing much of the flavor.

Claiming only about 30 minutes of your time, this is a quick meal that can easily be prepared on a week night. The original recipe calls for linguine, however, I like using rotini because it captures more of the sauce in each bite.  I made a few additional changes (reflected below) such as using olive oil instead of butter, minced garlic instead of garlic powder, and fresh basil leaves instead of dried basil.  I also added a few tablespoons of cornstarch to thicken the sauce.  You can serve this dish with whole chicken breasts, but I like to combine mine into the pasta in cubed portions.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add salt and pasta, then cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until al dente; drain.

Place the chicken and the Cajun seasoning in a plastic bag. Shake to coat. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, saute the chicken until almost tender (5 to 7 minutes).

Add the bell peppers, mushrooms and green onion. Saute and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat.

Add the cream, basil, lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder and ground black pepper. Heat through. Add cornstarch until sauce reaches desired thickness. Add the cooked pasta, toss and heat through. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

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For New Year’s Eve, I wanted to make an easy appetizer that was at least a little impressive.  These pretzel bites were perfect, except that I poorly planned my timing so that I was making them as our guests arrived.  Little did I anticipate that our guests were going to finish making some of their dishes in my kitchen, too, so I was a bit distracted on making these. So distracted that they turned out with an unappetizing appearance.  Fortunately, they still tasted great!  A few days later, we were invited to our friends’ to watch the UFC fight, so I made another batch of these to bring with us.  This time I didn’t have to hurry to free up my kitchen, so their appearance was much more appealing!

Contrary to what it seems, it doesn’t take much effort to make these.  Just whip up the dough, let it rise for 2 hours, shape the pretzels, let rise again for 30 minutes, then boil and bake! If you’re anything like me, you’ll have the itching to pinch the sides of the rolls shut, but don’t.  Some of the ham and cheese might ooze out, but that’s fine.  They puff right up in the oven, resulting in the perfect soft pretzel texture.  Served with your favorite mustard dip, these buttery, salty bites will have you asking for more!

Combine the yeast, 1 tsp brown sugar, and warm water in a large bowl. Set aside until foamy, 5-8 minutes. (If using the instant yeast, you can skip this step and just add it to the flour.) In another bowl, stir together the remaining 2 Tbsp brown sugar and warm milk until dissolved.

Add 2 1/2 cups flour and milk mixture to the yeast. Stir with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Add the remaining flour as needed. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times, forming a smooth ball.

Let rest, uncovered, at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400?F.

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add the baking soda and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Boil pretzels in batches, cooking about 20 seconds each, turning once. They should be slightly puffed. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them back to the baking sheets.

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Okay, we need to make these. I would like to make some for the Super Bowl party. They look really yumcious.

Oh, yum! I make some little pretzel rolls filled with cheese, but I’ve never thought about adding ham. Sounds delicious!

I agree! I’ve actually made that exact variation (pepperoni) a few times this past week!

Any clue on whether these can be frozen (and at what stage of the recipe)? I want to make these for a 10am gathering but don’t want to be up at 6am to wait for all the rises. I can’t wait to try these!

I think I would just make them the night before, refrigerate them and pop them in the oven for a few minutes right before serving. If you need to make them days in advance, then again, I would just freeze them already baked and then throw them in the oven to warm them up when ready to eat. Since you need to boil them right before baking, then you won’t have to mess with it right before your gathering.

Sorry – just to clarify your comments on making these in advance – would you prep UP TO the point of boiling/baking, then do both right before serving? Or would you completely make them in advance, and then reheat them in the oven before serving? Thanks! They look great!

When I prep them in advance, I always go ahead and bake them the day or hours before then refrigerate. Right before serving, I’ll pop them in the oven at the normal temp to warm them up. I’m sure you can prep in advance up to boiling, then freeze or refrigerate, but haven’t done it so don’t really have tips. I’m guessing you would need to let the dough rise for 30 minutes again before boiling once you’re ready. But, just a wild guess. Hope that helps!

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I tried making this as a snack for my kids and they definitely loved it! My wife loved it too. Thanks a lot for sharing with us this easy to make recipe. So delicious! Please do share more recipes in the future. Kudos!

Without being there with you, I can’t tell you why your dough was sticky. There could be many reasons, such as temperature, humidity, accidental wrong measurements, etc. But, if it is as sticky next time, try adding a little more flour so it’s easier to work with. I’ve actually had to do that before and they always turned out fine in the end.

These were THE favorite at my superbowl party. Suprisingly easy even though the directions sound complicated. I have a feeling I will be asked to make these for many future parties!! Thank you!!

I think you mean “addictive”, not “addicting”. There is no such word as “addicting”. :O)

I’m not sure what you’re talking about Sorilea. Addicting is indeed a word, but I didn’t even use either word in this post.

I would love to make these but I don’t have the space in my kitchen (very small studio with barely any counter) to make the dough… any suggestions for pre-packaged dough?

I just made these little nuggets. They turned out beautifully and were easy to make. What a confidence builder served as little appys for a dinner party. Yum. These aren’t low calorie by any stretch but I decided not to use the butter on half of them to see how I liked it better. They are more “traditional” pretzel-like without the butter and are still wonderful. Thanks soooo much!

I made these using pepperoni & a blend of Italian cheeses and served them to my Christmas guests. It was a huge hit!!!

[...] & Cheese Pretzel Bites Recipe adapted from Pennies on a Platter Makes 48 [...]

[...] Maddie made Chocolate Irish Cream Cookies and I made some Ham and Cheese Pretzel Bites. [...]

Using only 4 ingredients, this recipe is quick to put together for a weeknight dish, yet impressive enough to serve to guests.  It’s also nice to be able to buy the pasta and canned tomatoes ahead of time and store them in your pantry so they are there for a last minute meal.  You can add to the basic ingredients below, but you’ll find the recipe as it stands is surprisingly flavorful!  I did add a few basil leaves and two cloves of garlic, but only because I didn’t have two cans of the Italian style stewed tomatoes.  Instead, I compromised with one can and three small fresh tomatoes that I diced.  Therefore, I needed to add the seasonings to the fresh tomatoes.  The recipe below reflects how I will make this dish in the future (and how I would have made it last night if I had both cans of stewed tomatoes).  I would consider using all fresh tomatoes and my own blend of seasonings, but why create more work?  Plus, the less work I have to put into cooking dinner right now, the more time I get to spend on my other love, baby Judah. And, how else would I be able to find a moment to keep washing all those baby bottles?

1 cup shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese

Preheat oven to 375˚F.  Lightly spray a 9×13 baking pan.

Cook the pasta shells in salted boiling water for 10 minutes (or until tender, but not fully cooked). Drain.

Meanwhile, cook sausage in a large skillet until cooked through. Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Evenly spread about 1 cup of the meat sauce in the bottom of the pan. Individually fill the pasta shells with the meat sauce and place in the pan open side up. It is possible you may not use all of the shells. Pour any leftover sauce on top of shells. Sprinkle with cheese.

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First, know how to choose your pomegranate by looking at the color and size.  Make sure the skin is colored a fresh bright red with no tears (blemishes are okay).  You also want to choose a large one that is heavier in weight.  Squeeze the brownish crown.  If a cloudy powder puffs out, stay away from that one!

To make it easy on you, the membrane will float to the top while the seeds sink.

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Sue Gladd

Thanks for the pictures in addition to the instructions!

I usually cut off the crown, just deep enough that I can see the seeds. Then I score the fruit all the way around, and do the same to make it into quarters. I pry them apart after doing this. This way, you don’t end up cutting the seeds like you do by chopping it in half with a knife. They’re too good to waste!

Happy New Year!  Tomorrow we will bring in the new year with a 4-week old baby and a lot to be thankful for.  Tonight, we will celebrate the end of the year with this Pomegranate Champagne and some other snacks.  This particular drink adds a bit of festivity to your party from the gorgeous ruby garnish of pomegranate seeds.  Usually pomegranate seeds sink (as you will learn in my upcoming tutorial) but the push of the champagne bubbles causes them to float.  Don’t be afraid to chomp on the seeds in between sips!  With each bite, you’ll be surprised with a delicious pop in your mouth of sweet juice.  And, this sweet taste is very good for you!

Mix one part champagne with one part pomegranate juice among champagne glasses.  Garnish with pomegranate seeds.  The seeds will float from the push of the champagne bubbles.

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Just wondering if you can make this beverage with a non-alcoholic alternative.