Recipe Friday: Crispy S'mores Bars

Lately, Annalyn’s response to the question, “How does it taste?” is, "Nummy!"

And that is exactly how this new treat should be described: “Nummy!” Maybe even, “Nummy in my tummy.”

Then again, that might be silly.

Several weeks ago, I signed up for Kraft First Taste. It’s not exclusive; you just have to sign up. But according to Kraft, it’s “the best place to get the inside scoop on the latest Kraft products, be one of the first to try them, and tell us what you think.”

I don’t know about all that yet. But I do know that after I signed up, I started getting a monthly newsletter with “sneak peak” recipes. Including one for Crispy S’mores Bars.

When I mentioned last night on Facebook that I was going to make “s’mores rice krispy treats,” I immediately had people signing up to do a taste test.

Sorry, guys. But even though I can’t actually send a pan of these bars to each one of you, I can give you the recipe.

Crispy S’mores Bars

2 tbsp. butter
4 cups miniature marshmallows, divided
3 cups rice krispies (a.k.a. puffed rice cereal)
2 cups Teddy Grahams
2 squares semi-sweet chocolate, melted

Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Melt butter and add 2 cups marshmallows. Stir constantly until completely melted. Remove from heat and mix in remaining marshmallows, cereal and Teddy Grahams. Press into pan. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Let stand one hour before serving – if you can!

Instead of the melted chocolate, I sprinkled milk chocolate chips on top. And . . . mmmm!

This post is linked to Vanderbilt Wife's Family Recipe Friday, as well as A Southern Fairytale and Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.

Have you tried any new recipes lately? Or a new type of food? Tell us about it!

Family Recipe Fridays: Cheesy Chicken

I would really like to have a photo for you. But as I’m sure you know, sometimes things just don’t work out like you want. After all, I also really wanted to post this recipe the last two weeks.

I was waiting for a photo. Hmm. Okay, then.

When Smitty, my maid of honor, planned a wedding shower for me, we decided that our moms should be invited to the party. I’m not sure what prompted this, but the result was my mom, Mark’s mom and Sandi’s mom joining my girlfriends from high school at a sweet reception in the church fellowship hall.

Without looking it up, I don’t remember any specific gifts I received that afternoon. Except one. Well, two, actually.

Mark’s mom gave me a flannel nightgown and a cookbook.

See, Marilyn was cold-blooded. Not in the heartless sense, but in the it’s July but I still need a sweater in the shade sense. And so her gift of a flannel nightgown was a kind gesture, meant only to help me deal with my upcoming life with a hot-blooded man.

I suppose you can take that however you want.

I never wore that long-sleeved flannel nightgown. But the cookbook? Oh, it’s a treasure. It was a compilation of recipes from Marilyn and her friends at church. At the time, it wasn’t very interesting, but I have come to really love that book. While it’s been so comforting to have some of Marilyn’s recipes (she died in 2001), our favorite dish is actually one that someone else shared in the cookbook.

So, now that I think about it, this isn’t even a family recipe. Well, whatever. It’s our family’s recipe. And I’m sure I’ll pass it on to someone.

Cheesy Chicken

• 6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups cheddar
• Some chopped onion (no, I don’t know how much)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• Splash of milk (yep, I said a “splash”)
• Black pepper
• Rice (I use two bags of boil-in-bag rice)

Bake the chicken for 30 minutes at 350 degrees (or until cooked through). Drain water and any fat. Mix cheddar, onion, soup and milk. Season with pepper. Spoon mixture over chicken. Bake for another 15 minutes (or until cheese is melted). Serve over rice.

I used to serve it with Lipton’s mushroom rice, but that makes it awfully salty. Sometimes I cut the chicken breasts in half, to make smaller serving sizes. But really, no matter how you change it up, Cheesy Chicken is mighty good.

For more (actual) Family Recipes, head over to the Vanderbilt Wife. And for some mouthwatering recipes, check out A Southern Fairytale.

Do you have a favorite family recipe? How do you feel about flannel?