Oven-Baked S'mores

The biggest and best thing you can have when camping is s'mores. The billowy marshmallow, the dripping chocolate, the crisp crunch of the graham cracker all with that smoky camp fire taste and smell. Literally the best invention dessert-wise ever. Hands down. But when I'm home I crave s'mores too, not just when camping. We have a fire pit in the backyard but it's just too hot most nights to sit out in the heat with the skeeters around a fire to roast a couple s'mores. So instead I stay inside my air conditioned home and bake them instead! They're super easy and take no more than 5 minutes to make. 

Gather up your s'mores essentials plus a baking sheet and set the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange your graham crackers on the baking sheet and top them with one marshmallow.

Once your oven is preheated, bake the s'mores for 3 minutes. Your marshmallows should be round and plump and very slightly browned on top.

Take the baking sheet out and place the chocolate on top of the marshmallow and put back in to the oven for a minute or less... we don't want the chocolate to melt entirely in the oven. The hot marshmallow will melt it the rest of the way.

 Place them on a plate and put another graham cracker on top and enjoy. 

 These come out almost as perfectly as the ones when camping, although they don't have that camp fire taste and smell to them. Who likes to light your marshmallow on fire and burn the outer layer? Me! I love that burnt, crispy taste and feel. But these s'mores are sure to tie you over until you get to enjoy them over the camp fire! 

November Recipe Swap

I hope you all had a lovely Holiday! I sure did... I ate until my stomach was literally hurting! 
Then, once I recovered from all of that food, I jumped in the kitchen and cooked up a couple dishes from my recipe swap partner, Allison!

Unfortunately I am a horrible swap host and forgot to take photos of the process and even the finished dish! But I thought I would share with you a couple of the recipes she sent to me. Which, by the way, were on adorable polka dot paper.

Hey; at least I took a photo of the happy mail, right? 
She sent me some amazing recipes, some yummy potpourri, and fun little fall cupcake liners. Definitely going to be making some red velvet cupcakes in those for Christmas!
Okay, so now on to the yummy stuff...

Skillet Pastaitsio

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 onion
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. tamato paste
3/4 tsp. dried oregano
3 c. chicken broth
1 c. heavy whipping cream
2 c. {dry} elbow macaroni
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 c. grated parmesean

Preheat over to 350 degrees

Method:

*For this recipe, use a skillet or dutch oven that can go right from the stove to oven*
Saute onion in butter. When softened, add beef. Cook until just barely pink. Add cinnamon, tomato paste and oregano; cook for 30 seconds.

Stir brth, 1/2 c. cream and dry pasta into skillet and cook on medium high for 10 minutes, stirring often. Macaroni should be tender.

Whisk remaining 1/2 cream and cornstarch together. Stir into skillet and cook another 2-3 minutes, until sauce is thick and creamy.

Add 1/2 c. of parmesan to mixture then top with remaining parmesan. Bake for 15 minutes.

Wow! Does that sound yummy or what!? Well, let me tell you... it was! This might be a weekly thing. And, it was so easy! I had Bry help me add the ingredients when needed while I stirred the mixture. This is sure to make your family full!

Now, for the desert!

Impossible Coconut Pie

*Note: this recipe does not call for a crust because the filling makes its own crust

Ingredients:

2 c. milk
1/2 c. biscuit mix
1/4 c. butter
3/4 c. white sugar {you could use raw sugar, but you won't get the 'white' look}
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. flaked coconut

Preheat over to 350 degrees {or leave it on from dinner!}

Method:

Grease a 9 in. pie pan

Combine milk, sugar, biscuit mix, eggs, butter, and vanilla in a blender. Blend on low speed for 3 minutes.

Pour into prepped pie plate

Let stand for 5 minutes then sprinkle with coconut

Bake for 40 minutes

{Can be served warm or chilled}

The recipe says to serve warm, but I popped mine in the refrigerator over night and ate it for breakfast and it was amazing! I love coconut so much and I have always wanted to make a coconut pie! I am sure you will love it too. 

Thank you all for participating in the recipe swap! I hope you were able to add to your collection of recipes and get to try something new. Please be sure to link up your posts!