Hillman Family Recipes

  I love the flavor of sweet monkey bread, but it takes so long to cook and often it cooks unevenly. I found this muffin recipe on WATE.com  and loved that it made a small amount and cooked quickly.  I added more specific directions than the original recipe.   1/2 C butter 6 T brown sugar 6 T white sugar 2 t ground cinnamon 1 can refrigerator biscuits (regular is my preferred, jumbo might need to cook longer or make more muffins) 1. Preheat the oven to 350.  2. Spray muffin pan with non-stick spray and set aside. 3. Melt butter and combine with brown sugar (this sometimes takes a while to combine it well). Pour equal amount of mixture into 8 muffin cups (10-12 if jumbo) in the pan.  4. Combine white sugar and cinnamon in zip top bag.  5. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces (6 pieces if jumbo).  Put pieces into zip top bag and shake to coat each piece. 6. Remove coated biscuit pieces and divide as evenly as possible into muffin tins. 7. Place in oven an...

  This is a tasty chicken dish that is pretty easy and one of Scott's favorites that comes from Scott's mom, Valene. We often half the recipe (see below) for our family since my kids won't try it...yet!  4-6 chicken breast 4-6 slices Swiss or pepper jack cheese 1 can cream of chicken soup 2 C stuffing 1/2 t sage (optional) 1 C milk Preheat oven 350. Place chicken a 9x 13" pan.  Top each chicken breast with a slice of cheese. Mix milk with soup and pour over top of chicken. Mix stuffing, sage, and sprinkle on top.  Bake 50-60 minutes  with internal chicken temperature of 165 F. Half Recipe 2-3 chicken breast 2-3 slices Swiss or pepper jack cheese 1/2 can cream of chicken soup (I freeze the other half) 1 C stuffing 1/4 t sage (optional) 1/2 C milk Preheat oven 350. Place chicken a 8x8" pan.  Top each chicken breast with a slice of cheese. Mix milk with soup and pour over top of chicken. Mix stuffing, sage, and sprinkle on top.  Bake 50-60 minutes with in...

  We really enjoy this recipe for buttermilk chicken from She Wears Many Hats .  We had extra buttermilk and decided to try this recipe.  Since the spices are mild, my kids were willing to try it and they all liked it (pretty rare experience at our house).  1 1/2 C buttermilk 1 T garlic powder 1 T dried Italian seasonings (I didn't have this, but used 1 t each: basil, thyme, oregano) 1 t ground red pepper or cayenne pepper 2 t coarse salt 3 lbs chicken pieces (I used chicken breasts) 1.  In small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, garlic powder, Italian seasonings, red pepper, and 2 t salt. 2. Pour buttermilk mixture into large ziploc bag or large baking sheet.  Add chicken and toss to coat.  Seal/cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (up to overnight), turning the chicken occasionally.  3. Heat grill.  Place chicken on the grill (discard the marinade) and turn occasionally until it reaches internal temperature of 165 F. ...

We have been making our own foaming hand soap for years, but finally found a recipe that makes it so much easier. We use old foaming hand soap bottles or we purchased some from Amazon. 1 oz hand soap 5 oz water 1T vegetable glycerin (not absolutely necessary, but it helps the pump last longer) 1.  Combine all ingredients in a 6 oz bottle with a foaming pump. With lid on, shake until the soap and water combine. 1:5 ratio for soap:water example: 1C hand soap: 5 C water : 6T vegetable glycerin (fills about 6 Bath and Body Works foaming soap bottles). Note: We like to fill a lot of bottles at once and combine it all together in a drink pitcher.  The spout on the pitcher makes filling the bottles easier.  We leave space at the top of the bottle to allow for the pump. Below are the amounts to fill about 12 bottles. 2 C hand soap 10 C water 3/4 C vegetable glycerin

Years ago, Grill Mates would have this simple marinade recipe on their spice bottles.  I haven't seen it for a while, but we really enjoy the flavor and the simpleness.  I needed to write it down before I forget it.  1/4 C oil 2 T Vinegar 1 T Grill Mates seasoning of any flavor (or mix your own spice variety to reach 1 T) 1 lb chicken Combine oil, vinegar, and seasonings.  Pour over chicken (or place chicken and marinade in Ziploc bag) and marinade for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.  Grill or bake as desired until reaches internal temperature of 165 F.  Discard extra marinade. Note: This can be used with pork, beef, or even vegetables. 

My sister, Marni, made this potato salad for a family get together last year.  I love the fresh, summertime taste that comes from the lemon and mint. I love that it can be made ahead of time. 2 pounds russet potatoes (about 3 medium) 1/4 cup lemon juice 3 T olive oil 1/2 tsp salt 4 green onions, sliced 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint Freshly ground pepper 1. Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 25-30 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Transfer to a cutting board. Let cool for 20 minutes. Cut the cooled potatoes into ½ inch pieces. 2. Whisk lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper  in a large bowl. And the potatoes and  toss to coat. 3. Just be serving, add green onions and  mint to salad and toss gently. Make Ahead Tip: prepare through step 2,  cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.  Add additional lemon juice and/or salt to taste.

We really love this syrup and enjoy it on waffles, pancakes, and aebleskiver (Danish sphere pancakes). The recipe comes from The Girl Who Ate Everything blog. 1/2 C butter 1 C granulated sugar 1/2 C buttermilk 1 t vanilla 1 t baking soda 1. Melt the butter, sugar, and buttermilk in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. 2. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla and baking soda.  The mixture will foam.  Serve warm.  Note: Store in the refrigerator and gently warm to serve. 

We love this syrup and have it on waffles, aebleskiver (Danish sphere pancakes), and Overnight Pumpkin French toast bake . 1/2 C butter 1 1/2 C sugar 1 t cinnamon 3/4 C buttermilk 2 T corn syrup 1 t baking soda 2 t vanilla Melt and mix together on medium heat in large saucepan (so you have enough space for when it bubbles later):  butter, sugar, cinnamon, buttermilk, corn syrup.  Bring to a boil.  Turn heat to lowest setting.  Add baking soda and vanilla extract and mix thoroughly.  Note: Store leftovers in the refrigerator and gently warm before serving. We place our squeeze bottle of syrup in a bowl of warm water.

I love the idea of a make ahead breakfast, but haven't found a lot that we like. My neighbor, Janna, made this for a work breakfast and told us we needed to try it. The original measurements for this recipe made the bread too soggy for my preference so I reduced the liquid by 1/3 (see below). I love the flavors in this French toast bake and the syrup is amazing! 1/2 loaf sliced french bread or Texas toast (the kind in the bread section, not the bakery section) 6 eggs 1 1/3 cups milk 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 5/6 cups pumpkin puree 3 1/2 T heavy cream 3 1/2 T sugar 1 Tbsp vanilla extract Spray 9x13 pan. Tear/cut bread up into pieces and place in pan.  In large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients EXCEPT bread.  Pour mixture over bread chunks and refrigerate overnight. Streusel Topping:  1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 cup butter, soft Mix together everything except butter.  Cut in butter.  Re...

To be honest, I am not a "red" noodle sauce fan, but I love the idea of noodle dishes because they can be made so fast.  Years ago, Barilla pasta put out a pdf to show how to create a pasta dish by picking your own aromatic, protein, vegetable, cheese or cream and herb. I really like to use to create pasta dishes for my family.  Below I have halved regular recipe, but sometimes I wing it.  Pasta Builder Central:  https://www.barilla.com/en-us/pfp/builders 1/2 box Pasta - whatever shape and however much your family will eat 2 T Oil - olive, vegetable, canola, peanut, whatever you like Base/Aromatic flavor - garlic clove, minced; onion, shallot, celery 6 oz Protein - chicken, shrimp, ground beef, tuna, crumbled bacon, beans (whatever you like) 6 oz vegetables -   cherry tomatoes, halved; broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, peppers, spinach 1/4 C cream/cheese - parmesan, heavy cream (1T), mozzarella, Spice (fresh or dried) - basil, thyme, oregano, chives,  B...

Sometimes I just need my water to taste a little different to help me stay hydrated.  I have enjoyed making fruit infused water using a mason jar.  I have gotten the different flavor combinations from different sites ( A Sweet Pea Chef , Taste of Home ) and these are the ones I have tried and enjoy. 1 quart size mason jar with lid Watermelon-basil Infused water:    1/3 cup watermelon, cut    4-6 leaves of basil Raspberry-Lime Infused water:    1/3 cup raspberries    1 lime, sliced Orange-Cranberry Infused water:    1/2 orange, sliced    1/3-1/2 cup cranberries 1. Place fruit in the mason jar.  Fill with water to the top.  2. Let sit in refrigerator for 3-4 hours (longer for stronger flavor).  3. Strain water from jar into pitcher, keeping fruit inside the jar.  Refill jar with more water and start again.   Note: Fruit can be reused for 2-3 days.  Flavor strength will decrease over ti...

For Darcy's goals this year, she wanted to learn how to make brownies from scratch.  She picked this recipe from the blog " Live Well, Bake Often ." They were delicious and some of the best brownies we have had.  She had to make them twice that week and gave them to some wonderful people that she thought could use a lift.  1 C butter, melted and slightly cooled 2 1/4 C granulated sugar 4 large eggs, room temperature* 2 t vanilla extract 1 C unsweetened cocoa powder 1 C all-purpose flour 1/2 t salt 1. Preheat oven to 350 F.  Spray 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray (or line with foil and spray).  Set aside. 2.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter and sugar until well combined.  Then whisk in the eggs and vanilla until fully combined.  Mix in cocoa powder, flour, and salt and continue whisking until just combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. 3.  Pour the batter into the prepared baking...

Years ago, Emily, my sister-in-law, taught me how to make rosemary roasted potatoes.  They added a great side to many dishes.  Here is the basic recipe with some different variations below.  Potatoes (enough for your family) Oil Rosemary (fresh or dry) Salt/Pepper Preheat oven (or grill) to 425. Scrub and then cut potatoes into cubes. Place cubes in microwave bowl and microwave until a fork can go into a potato cube easily. Coat potatoes with oil and season with salt, pepper and rosemary to your taste. Place in pan in single layer.  Place in oven and cook until potatoes are brown (10-15 minutes).   Variations:    Ranch Bacon Potatoes: Omit oil and rosemary.  Coat microwaved potatoes with ranch dressing.  Toss in shredded cheddar cheese and cooked, crumbled bacon.  Cook as stated above. Italian Potatoes: Omit oil and rosemary.  Coat microwaved potatoes with Italian dressing.  Toss in parmesan cheese.  If y...

This is a favorite in our family!  We like to put it in the freezer and eat it frozen.  9 C corn Chex 1 C chocolate chips 1/2 C peanut butter 1/4 C butter 1 1/2 - 2 C powdered sugar Put the Chex in a large bowl.  Microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter.  Pour over cereal.  Stir until coated. Put a light dusting of powdered sugar in a gallon size Ziploc bag.  Spoon coated cereal in the Ziploc bag. Add powdered sugar and shake to cover the cereal. Add more powdered sugar if it isn't coated to your liking. Store in the Ziploc bag.