1. Lucky Charms Cereal Pancakes - Need a top of the morning treat to get your little leprechauns out the door? Sit the wee lads and lassies down to a stack of Lucky Charms Cereal Pancakes. Made with Bisquick mix, these pancakes come together quickly. The fun is in choosing the toppings to go between the layers.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Servings: 13 pancakes
For pancakes:
2 cups Original Bisquick pancake baking mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs
Green gel food color, if desired
Toppings, as desired:
Lucky Charms marshmallows from 1 box (10.5-ounce) Lucky Charms cereal
Whipped cream topping in aerosol can
Rainbow candy sprinkles
Miniature chocolate chips
Fresh berries
Chocolate-flavor syrup
Maple syrup
Heat griddle or skillet over medium-high heat or electric griddle to 375 degrees. (Surface is ready when a few drops of water sprinkled on it dance and disappear.)
In medium bowl, beat Bisquick mix, milk and eggs with whisk until mixed well. Tint with food color.
Brush griddle with vegetable oil or shortening. For each pancake, pour slightly less than 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until puffed and bubbles begin to form on top. Turn; cook other side until golden brown. Remove from griddle to serving plate. Repeat with remaining batter. If not eating immediately, remove pancakes to cooling rack. Keep warm in 200-degree oven.
Serve with toppings.
To assemble, have 1/4 cup each of chopped strawberries, mandarin orange segments, chopped kiwifruit, pineapple, halved blackberries and blueberries. Place 1 pancake in center of large plate, spread or pipe whipped cream on top, then place strawberries and mandarin oranges on top; top with next pancake, and repeat with more whipped cream and the next fruits. Repeat until all the fruit has been used. Top with additional whipped cream, marshmallows and sprinkles.
Nutrition information (per 1 pancake): 90 calories (25 calories from fat), 2.5 grams fat (1 gram saturated, no trans fat), 30 milligrams cholesterol, 190 milligrams sodium, 14 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams sugar, 3 grams protein.
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 fat
Tips:
* Don't flip 'em more than once. Repeated cooking on both sides toughens rather than browns the pancakes.
* To test the griddle, sprinkle with a few drops of water. If the bubbles jump around, the heat is just right to start cooking the pancakes.
* To separate marshmallows from the cereal, pour the box of Lucky Charms onto a large tray. Pick out all the marshmallows (about 2 cups) for a topping; reserve remaining cereal for another use.
- Recipe from General Mills
American Reuben Sandwich. / Getty Images/iStock/LindasPhotography2. Slow-Cooked Reuben - It has corned beef in it which, yes, is considered an Irish dish. Interestingly though, the Reuben is an entirely American invention. Culinary historians will tell you that it was Fern Snider, chef of the Rose Bowl Restaurant in Omaha, Nebraska, who was named grand-prize winner in the 1956 National Sandwich Idea contest sponsored by the National Restaurant Association. And it was at that magic moment that the Reuben sandwich obtained almost immediate national fame, rising to the top of more than 600 entries.
1 package corned beef brisket (about 4 pounds)
1 package refrigerated sauerkraut
1 cup good-quality Thousand Island dressing
16 slices rye bread, lightly toasted
8 slices (1 ounce each) Swiss cheese
Place sauerkraut in 3- to 4-quart slow cooker. Place beef brisket on sauerkraut. If brisket includes packet of spices, sprinkle spices over brisket.
Cover and cook on low heat setting for 9 to 11 hours or until corned beef is fork-tender.
Remove beef from cooker; place on cutting board. Cut beef into slices. To serve, spread 1 tablespoon dressing on each toast slice. Using slotted spoon to remove sauerkraut from cooker, top 8 slices toast with 1/2 cup sauerkraut each. Top sauerkraut with beef slices and cheese slice. Top with remaining toast.
Note: Add cheese while beef is still hot so it will melt slightly, or, before adding top slice of toasted bread, run open-face sandwich quickly under broiler to partially melt cheese. Makes 8 Reubens.
(READ MORE: 7 ways to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in the Chattanooga area)
Irish layered black and tan beer with lager and stought. / Getty Images/iStock/bhofack23. Black and tan brownies inspired by Irish Beer - A black and tan - also known as a "half and half" in Ireland - is one of the drinking world's most famous layered beer cocktails. Made by filling a pint glass halfway with lager and then pouring a float of Guinness Stout on top, it gets the party started on St. Patrick's Day. But what if you don't drink, or you find the thought of combining two different brews in one glass revolting? It's easy to apply the same concept to brownies.
For tan brownies:
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Cooking spray
For black brownies:
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Guinness Stout
4 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Place one rack in lower third of oven; place another rack in center of oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare tan brownies: Place butter and brown sugar in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.
Place flour in bowl, and add baking powder and teaspoon salt, stirring well. Add flour mixture and pecans to sugar mixture, beating just until combined. Spoon into a 13- by 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray, spreading evenly with a knife or rubber spatula. Bake in preheated oven on lower third of oven for 15 minutes.
Prepare black brownies: Melt chocolate and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl on high for 1 minute or until melted, stirring after every 20 seconds until smooth. Add granulated sugar, stirring until well combined. Add eggs, vanilla and Guinness, stirring with a whisk until well combined. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour with teaspoon salt, stirring well. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture, stirring to combine. Pour mixture evenly over tan brownies.
Bake on the center rack for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out almost clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack; cut into squares.
Makes 32 brownies. Recipe from Cookinglight.com.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com or annebraly.com.
Contact Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281.