Peanut Butter S’mores Pots

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• 3 graham crackers 
• 2 Tbsp butter 
• 1 Tbsp sugar 
• 2 Tbsp peanut butter (optional) 
• 3 Tbsp milk chocolate chips 
• 10 large marshmallows 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place three whole graham crackers (rectangles, not the square half) and place them in a zip top bag. Use a rolling pin to crush the graham crackers into crumbs.
2. Melt the butter in a medium bowl. Once melted, stir in the sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Stir the mixture until it looks like damp, coarse sand. Divide the mixture between two 8oz. ramekins and use the back of a spoon to pack the mixture into a solid layer.
3. Drop about 1 Tbsp of peanut butter onto each graham cracker crust, followed by a sprinkle of chocolate chips (1 to 1.5 Tbsp for each ramekin). Arrange the marshmallows in a single layer in the ramekin. Use enough marshmallows so that they are touching each other, but not packed in tight. They will spread as they melt.
4. Bake the s'mores pots for 15 minutes, or until the marshmallows are puffy and light golden brown. Serve hot (use a pot holder or wrap the ramekin in a towel because it will be hot!).

Step by Step Photos

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Start the graham cracker crust by crushing three whole graham cracker rectangles. A zip top bag helps make this job a little less messy. Crush them until they are fine crumbs.

In a medium bow, melt 2 Tbsp of butter, then stir in 1 Tbsp sugar and the graham cracker crumbs. Stir until the mixture resembles wet, coarse sand.

Divide the graham cracker crust mixture between two 8oz. ramekins. Use the back of a spoon to press the crust into a solid layer.

Add about 1 Tbsp peanut butter to each ramekin and a sprinkle of milk chocolate chips (1 to 1.5 Tbsp chips). I didn’t think spreading the peanut butter would be very successful, so I just added it in little drops. 

Finally, add a layer of large marshmallows to the top of each ramekin. Use enough marshmallows so they are touching, but not totally packed in there. They will spread as they melt. I used five for each ramekin. Also, I like to put my ramekins on a baking sheet (or pizza pan in this case) to make them easier to move in and out of the oven.

Bake the pots for 15 minutes, or until the marshmallows are puffed up and light golden brown. If you want extra browning, you can pop them under the broiler for a QUICK minute, but watch them carefully.

Serve the pots immediately so everything is still all melty and gooey. The marshmallows will deflate as they cool down. Be careful, though, the ramekins are hot so either use a pot holder or wrap them in a kitchen towel when you handle them.

Source from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/07/peanut-butter-smores-pots/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BudgetBytes+%28Budget+Bytes%29

Spinach, Mushroom & Feta Crustless Quiche

Ingredients

• 8 oz. fresh mushrooms $1.99
• ½ tsp minced garlic $0.06
• as needed non-stick spray $0.02
• 1 (10 oz.) box frozen spinach $1.09
• 4 large eggs $0.83
• 1 cup milk $0.39
• 2 oz. feta cheese $0.87
• ¼ cup grated parmesan $0.39
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella $0.50
• to taste salt & pepper $0.05

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. If your frozen spinach is not already thawed, thaw it in the microwave. Empty the box into a colander and let it drain while you begin to prepare the rest.
2. Quickly rinse the mushrooms and slice them thinly. Place the sliced mushrooms in a skillet coated with non-stick spray, add the minced garlic, and sprinkle a little salt and pepper. Turn the heat on to medium-high and saute the mushrooms until they release all of their moisture and no more water remains on the bottom of the skillet (5-7 minutes).
3. Spray a pie dish with non-stick spray. Squeeze the rest of the water out of the spinach and spread it out on the bottom of the pie dish. Next add the cooked mushrooms and crumbled feta.
4. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs until fairly smooth. Add the milk, parmesan, and another small sprinkle of pepper. Whisk to combine. (This step can be completed while the mushrooms are cooking) Pour this mixture into the pie dish over the spinach, mushrooms, and feta.
5. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese over top. Place the pie dish on a baking sheet for easy transfer into the oven. Place the quiche into the preheated oven and bake until it is golden brown on top and the center is solid. Every oven is different but this should take between 45 minutes and an hour. Slice and serve!

Step By Step Photos

The key to preventing a soggy quiche is to reduce the moisture in your vegetables. This is why the spinach is squeezed dry and the mushrooms get cooked before adding to the quiche. I start by draining the spinach in a colander and then squeeze the rest of the moisture out before adding it to the dish.

Next, move onto the mushrooms. Sometimes pre-sliced mushrooms are the same price as whole, but not this time around.

So I washed and sliced my own. I usually cut them in half first (to get a flat surface) and then slice them.

Mushrooms are like sponges that are secretly holding a lot of water, so you need to saute them before adding them to your quiche. I just placed them in a skillet coated with non-stick spray (and a little garlic for flavor) and then sprinkled them with salt and pepper. Just a touch. The salt will help draw out the moisture.

Turn the heat onto medium or medium high and saute them (cook while occasionally stirring) until the water cooks out. This picture is about half way through the process. You’ll notice that the bottom of the skillet is covered with water that has seeped out of the mushrooms. Just keep cooking past this point until most of that water has evaporated off and the bottom of the skillet is relatively dry. This should take about 5-7 minutes, depending on how hot your skillet is. You can prepare the custard (egg and milk mixture) while you’re waiting for the mushrooms to finish.

Coat the inside of a 9 inch pie dish with non-stick spray. Squeeze the rest of the water out of the spinach and place it in the bottom of the dish along with the cooked mushrooms and feta cheese… in no particular order.

To make the custard, begin by whisking together four eggs until they are fairly smooth and uniform in texture.

Next whisk in the milk and parmesan cheese… and a little more pepper or any other herbs that you might like.

Pour the custard mixture over the vegetables in the pie dish. Oh, and the quiche is much easier to get in and out of the oven if it’s on a baking dish, so I put it on there before pouring in the liquidy custard mixture.

Sprinkle on more cheese (mozzarella in this case) if you want… again, I probably went overboard on the cheese but boy, was it tasty ;)

Bake the quiche in a preheated 350 degree oven until it is golden brown on top and the center is no longer liquid. This will take anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour depending on your oven. Just start checking it at 45 minutes. You’ll notice as it cooks that it begins to puff up a bit. It will deflate once it comes out of the oven but the “puff” is a good way to tell which areas are cooked and which are still liquid.

Source from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/11/spinach-mushroom-feta-crustless-quiche/

Ham & Potato Frittata

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil 
• 2 lbs. potatoes 
• 1 bunch green onions 
• 4.5 oz. (1/2 of a 9 oz. pkg) deli ham 
• salt & pepper to taste 
• 8 large eggs 
• ½ cup milk 
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese 

Instructions

1. Wash, peel, and slice the potatoes into thin, ⅛" thick slices. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper.
2. Cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes, stirring only occasionally so that the bottom layer has a chance to brown. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
3. While the potatoes are cooking, slice both the green and white ends of the green onions. Add the white ends to the skillet with the potatoes as they cook. Also roughly chop the deli ham and add it to the skillet as the potatoes cook.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and parmesan cheese. Once the mixture is fairly smooth, stir in the remainder of the sliced green onions (the green ends).
5. Once the potatoes are tender, but not falling apart (about 10 minutes of cooking), pour the egg mixture into the skillet, making sure to cover all areas. Continue to cook the mixture in the skillet without stirring for 1-2 minutes, or until the edges are set.
6. Transfer the skillet to the oven and continue cooking for about 20 minutes, or until the egg has puffed up and eggs are set (firm, but still moist). The center of the skillet will firm up last, so test the center for doneness. Allow the frittata to sit for five minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

The cooking time in the oven will depend on several factors including the thickness/size of your skillet and how cooked the eggs were prior to transferring the skillet to the oven. Keep an eye on it and start checking for doneness at 15 minutes.

Step by Step Photos

I used about 2 pounds of potatoes, or just under half of my 5 lb. bag. I chose Russet potatoes, although I think Yukon Gold would also work well.

Wash, peel, and thinly slice the potatoes. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Season the potatoes with salt & pepper. Cook the potatoes in the skillet for about ten minutes, only stirring occasionally (this gives the bottom layer time to brown). Also start preheating the oven to 400 degrees.

While the potatoes are cooking, slice the green onions. I used both the white and green ends for this dish. Add the white ends to the potatoes as they cook.

Also roughly chop the deli ham and add that to the skillet as the potatoes cook.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, and parmesan cheese. Once those are whisked together, stir in the green ends of the green onions.

After about ten minutes in the skillet, the potatoes should be tender, but not really falling apart. They’ll also be nicely browned in spots. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, making sure to evenly cover the potatoes.

Let the skillet continue to cook for one-two minutes more, or until the eggs are set around the edges, then transfer the skillet to the oven (make sure you’re using an oven safe skillet).

Bake the frittata for about 20 minutes or until the edges are all puffed up and the center is no longer liquid. You want the center to be firm, but still very moist. Allow the frittata to sit for five minutes before slicing and serving.

So filling, so good, and so inexpensive!

Source from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/07/ham-potato-frittata/