Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites (National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day – March 1 )
1½ cups peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
sea salt
3 cups crispy rice cereal
1 cup crushed pretzels
½ to 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine peanut butter, sugar, and syrup in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until smooth and creamy, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and dash of sea salt. Add cereal and pretzels. Toss until coated. Let mixture sit for about 3-5 minutes until it has cooled a little. Add chocolate chips and quickly toss. (You don’t want the chips to completely melt.) Scoop cookies onto baking sheet. Let sit until cool and firm.
Easy Peasy Meatballs (National Meatball Day – March 9)
2 pounds (32 ounces) frozen meatballs
1½ cups grape jelly
12-ounce jar of chili sauce
Pour meatballs into slow cooker. Combine jelly and chili sauce in a small bowl and pour over meatballs. Cook on low for 3-5 hours or until meatballs are heated through. Serve as an entrée, as an appetizer with toothpicks, or on toasted hoagie rolls with sautéed onions and green peppers and melted cheese.
Potato Chip Chicken (National Potato Chip Day – March 14)
2 pounds chicken strips
15½ ounces Lays® Wavy Hickory BBQ Chips
1 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1 large egg
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Preheat oven to 400º, and spray two large baking sheets and cooling racks with cooking oil. Place racks on baking sheets. Cut chicken strips into 2-3 smaller strips. Crush chips into crumbs. Empty crumbs into a large bowl. Mix sour cream, barbecue sauce, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until smooth. Dip chicken strips in sour cream mixture, and then roll strips in crumbs. Drizzle strips with the olive oil. Bake 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center and outside coating has started to brown. Let cool.
Cran-Oatmeal Cookies (National Oatmeal Cookie Day – March 19)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1¾ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup dried cranberries
½ cup butter, softened
¾ cup white chocolate chips
½ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
In large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. In another bowl beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Mix in egg and then vanilla, scraping the sides of the bowl. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Add oats, cranberries, and white chocolate chips, and mix until combined. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350º. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out two-tablespoon sized pieces of dough and drop them onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes and then finish cooling on wire rack.
This article originally appeared in Mature Living Magazine.