Name: St. Patricks Day Decorated Marshmallow Pops
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 24 regular-size marshmallows; White chocolate candy melts or vanilla flavored almond bark; Yellow candy melts; Green candy melts; Festive sprinkles

St. Patricks Day Decorated Marshmallow Pops

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez Leave a Comment

Decorated Marshmallow Pops are a super fun treat to make with your kiddos and so easy to customize for each season or holiday.

Let me show you how easy these St. Patrick’s Day Decorated Marshmallow Pops are to make.

Ready to make these marshmallow dessert treats? Let’s do this!

What You Need to Make St. Patrick’s Day Marshmallow Pops

Ingredients:

24 regular-size marshmallows
White chocolate candy melts or vanilla flavored almond bark
Yellow candy melts
Green candy melts
Festive sprinkles

Make’n Mold Vanilla-Flavored Melting Candy Wafers Yellow, 12 OunceCLICK FOR A CLOSER LOOK Make’n Mold Vanilla-Flavored Melting Candy Wafers Light Green, 12 OunceCLICK FOR A CLOSER LOOK

Merckens Coating Melting Wafers White 2 pounds melting chocolateCLICK FOR A CLOSER LOOK Sweets Indeed Sprinklefetti – St. Patricks Day Sprinkle Mix – Sprinkles for Baking – Shamrocks, Clovers – 6.5 ounceCLICK FOR A CLOSER LOOK

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Additional Supplies Needed to Make Marshmallow Lollipops Sticks

Piping bags
Bamboo skewers or treat sticks

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How to Make St Patrick’s Day Marshmallow Treats

First, you want to line a baking sheet with waxed paper.
Take four marshmallows and slide them onto a skewer. You might have to twist as you push them down the skewer, since they are sticky they might not slide down smoothly.
Melt the white chocolate candy wafers according to package directions making sure not to overheat while also ensuring it is completely melted. If the candy gets too hot, it will become hard as a rock, so melt it slowly. I like to use a double boiler, but you can use the microwave.
Now you want to pour the melted chocolate over the marshmallows allowing the excess to drop back into the bowl. Allow to dry completely.
In separate bowls, melt the yellow candy and the green candy according to package directions making sure not to overheat.
Transfer each color of melted candy to piping bags, keeping the colors separated. One at a time, carefully snip the corner from the piping bags and drizzle colored candy melts over the marshmallows. While the candy is still wet, add sprinkles.
Allow the marshmallows to dry and harden on the waxed paper. Before removing the marshmallow pops from the waxed paper, cut along the sides with a knife.
Enoy!

How Long Will Marshmallow Pops Stay Fresh?

Generally, you can keep these fresh for about three days if you keep them in an airtight container. They are full of sugar and sugar is a preservative.

That said, we tend to eat these the same day. My kids don’t let these go to waste!

How Do You Melt Candy Melts in the Microwave?

You want to be very careful melting your chooclate wafers in the microwave because if you heat them too fast the chocolate will harden and I’ve never been successful at recoving that.

I heat them in a glass bowl and never do more than about 15-20 seconds at a time. I take it out and stir it before returning it back to the microwave for another 15-20 seconds.

It is also best to reduce the power setting on your microwave to 50% when doing this.

How Do You Melt Candy Wafers in a Double Boiler?

You want to add about 1 cup of water to a sauce pan (small soup pot). Bring it to a boil. Turn the heat down to a medium and then add the double boiler on top of the sauce pan and pour your chocolate candy wafters into the double boiler.

Stir with a silicone spatula while it melts ensuring that you do not melt the candies too fast. Remember, if you get the wafers too hot, they will harden and you can’t reverse that.

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St. Patricks Day Decorated Marshmallow Pops

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

24 regular-size marshmallows
White chocolate candy melts or vanilla flavored almond bark
Yellow candy melts
Green candy melts
Festive sprinkles

Instructions

First, you want to line a baking sheet with waxed paper.
Take four marshmallows and slide them onto a skewer. You might have to twist as you push them down the skewer, since they are sticky they might not slide down smoothly.
Melt the white chocolate candy wafers according to package directions making sure not to overheat while also ensuring it is completely melted. If the candy gets too hot, it will become hard as a rock, so melt it slowly. I like to use a double boiler, but you can use the microwave.
Now you want to pour the melted chocolate over the marshmallows allowing the excess to drop back into the bowl. Allow to dry completely.
In separate bowls, melt the yellow candy and the green candy according to package directions making sure not to overheat.
Transfer each color of melted candy to piping bags, keeping the colors separated. One at a time, carefully snip the corner from the piping bags and drizzle colored candy melts over the marshmallows. While the candy is still wet, add sprinkles.
Allow the marshmallows to dry and harden on the waxed paper. Before removing the marshmallow pops from the waxed paper, cut along the sides with a knife.
Enoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 187Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 38mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 0gSugar: 27gProtein: 1g

Mickey Mouse Leprechaun Craft for Kids

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez 4 Comments

Are you looking for a Mickey Mouse Leprechaun Craft for Kids ?

We love to do St Patricks Day Crafts with our kids this time of year. This is perfect for classrooms, homeschoolers and just for fun.

Let me show you how easy these are to make. In about 20 minutes you can have a super cute Mickey Mouse Leprechaun paper craft.

You likely already have many of the supplies on hand, but it costs less than $5 to make this.

Cricut Joy Machine-DIY, Label Maker, and Paper Cutter-for Sewing, Scrapbooking, and Arts and Crafts, standard, ASSORTEDCLICK FOR A CLOSER LOOK Cricut Maker, ChampagneCLICK FOR A CLOSER LOOK

It is very easy to make and I have a traditional scissors method as well as a SVG method to be used with a Cricket. I will give you the printables and instructions for both.

SCROLL TO THE END OF THE POST TO GET THE PRINTABLE SVG AND PDF FILES.

Here are the supplies you will use to make a paper Mickey Leprechaun:

Medium Weight Cardstock (not construction paper)
Glue Stick
Gold Glitter
Foam Padded Magnet
Template File

Here are the tools you will use to make this paper craft:

Cricut or Scissors (if you would like design space screenshots let me know and I can do this)

How to Make a Mickey Leprechaun Using Your Cricut

First, load the St. Patricks Day SVG into Design Space.
You will want to resize Mickey to a size smaller than 7” width. Keep proportions in place.
Next, you want to weld all the pieces together.
Now you want to click make and follow the prompts on your Cricut machine. Select medium weight cardstock for cutting and use the green mat.
You want to cut out the background shape of your Mickey on black.
After it is done cutting you want to return to your project.
Now you want to reload the Mickey SVG and resize to the same dimensions you used before.
Go ahead and delete the black pieces.
Click make follow the prompts again using green and yellow medium weight cardstock.
Once all of your pieces are cut, begin assembling them together. Start by gluing the green cardstock on to the black.
Then you will apply glitter to the yellow cardstock pieces and put them on the Mickey shape.
Now you want to allow it all to dry 100% y and then place a foam padded magnet to the back. You’re done… display it!

How to Make a Mickey Mouse Paper Leprechaun Using Scissors

Print out the PDF template using the color cardstock as indicated on each page.
After printing, cut out the shapes using scissors.
Next you want to glue and apply glitter to the yellow pieces.
Allow to dry 100% and then attach a foam padded magnet to the back. You’re done- display and enjoy!

Make Easy Rainbow Pancakes for the Win!

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez Leave a Comment

I love making this rainbow pancake recipe for a fun and simple breakfast with the kids–they think it’s super fun and I think it’s super easy!

Seriously, making rainbow recipes is so much easier than you might think. I make this rainbow cake that’s out of this world fun–and it’s really so much simpler than you’d expect.

Plus, making rainbow food just makes my kiddos smile and there’s something about starting a special weekend celebration, be it Easter or St. Patrick’s Day or a birthday that just seems brighter when they’re excited.

Who doesn’t want a rainbow pancake in their life on a day like that?! LOL!

So, get your bright-and-sunshiney attitude on and let’s get to making some rainbow pancakes!

What You Need to Make Rainbow Pancakes

Boxed pancake mix, prepared according to package instructions
Gel food coloring (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple)
Icing, sprinkles, and whipped cream for topping (optional)

How to Make Rainbow Pancakes

Prepare the boxed pancake mix batter based on the package instructions. I like to use Bisquick sometimes, particularly if I’m making a gluten-free pancake, because the gluten-free version of Bisquick is really awesome. It’s already got the baking powder and all that. All you do is add your milk, egg or whatever it calls for.

But you can use any pancake mix. They’re all awesome in their own ways.

Just mix milk and whatever it calls for and get the batter ready.

To make the rainbow, you want each pancake stack to have six pancakes for a colorful rainbow.

Evenly separate the batter into six small bowls. Add 5-10 drops (more drops you add of food coloring mean a more vibrant color while a tiny bit gets you pastel colors) of a different color of food coloring to each of the bowls and stir until the color is consistent throughout.

Place 1/4 cup of one color of pancake batter onto a frying pan, griddle or skillet over medium low heat.

Cook the pancake until bubbles begin to form and the edge appears “dry”. This is one of those things that’s hard to explain.

But like bubbles form in the center sometimes, but always around the edges. And the edges right around the griddle start to pull up and really look dry. That’s when it’s ready.

Flip the pancake over to cook the other side.

Repeat with all of the pancake batter.

Make the rainbow pancake stack by placing one pancake of each color on top of each other.

To make the syrup, microwave premade white icing for 20 seconds and spoon the icing over the top of the pancakes.

Tips to Make Pancakes Even Better

Even if you’re old-hat at making pancakes, you can still learn a few new tricks, right?! So I’ve pulled together my favorite tips to make pancakes even better, and I’d love to hear about your tips in the comments!

Here are my tips:

If you’ve got it, use buttermilk instead of milk in your mix.
Add 1 tablespoon of sugar to your pancake batter for a little bit of sweetness.
Don’t worry about lumpy batter–it’s ok, it’s not a thing at all. And it’s just something you’ll never get past.
Use a stick of butter to oil your skillet or griddle before you start cooking. It’ll help keep the pancake from sticking.
Heat your skillet or griddle first, before you put the batter on and they’ll cook quicker.
Use a cookie scoop or pancake dispenser for equal-sized pancakes.

More Breakfast Recipes You’ll Love

Rainbow Pancakes

Yield: 24 Rainbow Pancakes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

I love making rainbow pancakes for a fun and simple breakfast with the kids--they think it's super fun and I think it's super easy!

Ingredients

Boxed pancake mix, prepared according to package instructions
Gel food coloring (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple)
Icing, sprinkles, and whipped cream for topping (optional)

Instructions

Prepare the boxed pancake mix batter based on the package instructions. To make the rainbow, you want each pancake stack to have six pancakes.
Evenly separate the batter into six bowls. Add 5-10 drops of a different color of food coloring to each of the bowls and stir until the color is consistent throughout.
Place ¼ cup of one color of pancake batter onto a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Cook the pancake until bubbles begin to form and the edge appears "dry". Flip the pancake over to cook the other side. Repeat with all of the pancake batter.
Make the rainbow pancake stack by placing one pancake of each color on top of each other.
To make the syrup, microwave premade white icing for 20 seconds and spoon the icing over the top of the pancakes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 65Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 106mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 0gSugar: 6gProtein: 1g

Blueberries for Sal Printables for Preschoolers

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez Leave a Comment

Since we started homeschooling ten years ago, we’ve used Sonlight. In turn, my children have been exposed to some amazing literature. Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey has become a family favorite

If you are looking for book companion worksheets to go with your reading, these Blueberries for Sal Printables for Preschoolers are something I highly recommend.

Here is a look at our Sonlight homeschool review from a few years ago.

Here is what is included in this mini pack:

6 pages
all color but you can print in black and white
cutting out blueberries and counting them and gluing them to the corresponding blueberry bush
counting and pasting blueberries in tens frames
line tracing

SCROLL TO THE END OF THE POST TO GET OUR FREE MINI BLUEBERRIES FOR SAL PRINTABLE PACK

What is Blueberries for Sal About

Ut us a Caldecott Honor Book and the publication is in 1948. It is a classic story that has won readers hearts for decades!

It is a story about a little boy, Sal, and his mother. They go to the side of blueberry hill to pick berries to bring them home to can.

Sal is busy picking berries and putting them in his bucket and sits to eat a few. Eventually Sal wanders off and is left behind thanks to his big appetite for berries.

Meanwhile there is a Little Bear and his mother eating and hunting for blueberries on the other side of the hill. Little Bear get separated from his mama.

Read this sweet story to find out how it ends as both littles pick and eat blueberries with their mothers. It is such a charming story.

Blueberries for Sal Story

Questions You Can Ask Your Child After Reading Blueberries for Sal:

When Sal’s mother realized a bear was following her instead of Sal, what do you think she felt?
How would you feel if you realized you were following a bear around instead of your mom or dad?

Activities to Do With Your Little One After You Read Blueberries for Sal

Go blueberry picking
Make blueberry bread with real blueberries
Use blue pom poms or beads to count and sort blueberries
Find a bucket and fill it with real blueberries, one at a time. Each time you drop one make the kuplink kuplank kuplunk sound like they make in the book.

An Even Bigger Pack in Our Printables for Young Learners Membership!

Grab our free mini pack below, but… did you know we have an even larger printable pack that builds off of this over in our membership group? It is perfect for your Blueberries for Sal or blueberries unit study.

Here is a look at what the bigger packs looks like and it build perfectly off of this mini pack.

You can check out our Printables for Young Learners Membership, but don’t pay full price! When you download the mini printable pack below, I have a special offer that will pop up for you.

St Patricks Day Playdough Mats

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez Leave a Comment

Printable playdough mats are a great way for kids to play and create and are worth adding to your classroom or homeschool room.

These St Patricks Day playdough mats are something you want to add to your March lesson plan! Kids love them and I have them for you as a free printable. Learning activities like is a favorite at our house.

SCROLL TO THE END OF THE POST TO PRINT THESE FREE PLAYDOUGH MATS.

In this pack your young learner gets 10 different themed creations to make. There are to creations on each page.

I do suggest when you print them you either slide them in to page protector sleeves or laminate them.

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Here are the designs on the mats:

lucky charm
leprechaun
gold coin
Irish flag
top hat
four leaf clover
pot of gold
treasure
rainbow
unicorn

You get a set of black and white and color mats.

What Are the Benefits of Playing with Playdough?

There are so many benefits to playdough play. Activities for preschoolers that develop fine motor skills is always at the top of the list in my book! While they are playing they are building the small muscles in their hands and fingers. It also improves dexterity.

Aside from fine motor, it encourages creativity, fosters hand and eye coordination, it encourages discovery and is very calming to play with.

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How Do You Use Play Dough Mats?

You simply print them out. This is my favorite homeschool printer that we use in our home.

Then you will want to pop them in sheet protectors or laminate them to keep them clean.

Then give your kiddos different colors of playdough and the mats.

They can follow the shapes on the mat, using the colors indicated on the mat or a different color if they choose, and form the dough to create the images on the mat.

How Do You Play with Playdough?

Utilizing mats like these St. Patricks Day mats are one great way to play with play dough, there are so many things you can do with it.

Kids can smash it, pull it apart, roll it, cut it with cookie cutters or playdough scissors, poke it with their fingers or with objects, add small items to the playdough like pasta, beans, coins, beads, etc.

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More St Patricks Day Fun Play and Educational Ideas:

St Patricks Day Printable Lego Builds

St Patrick’s Day Pattern Block Printables

St Patricks Day Coloring Pages

Playdough Recipes:

Over the years we have made a lot of homemade play dough. Any of these recipes can be used with these mats or you can use traditional store bought playdough.

St. Patricks Day Pattern Block Printables

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez Leave a Comment

Are you looking for some learning manipulatives in the classroom or for your homeschooler? Pattern block activities are perfect for your preschooler or young learner!

These St. Patricks Day Pattern Block printables are something the kids will love.

These pattern block mats are perfect! This pack is free to download and includes six different pattern blocks your child can create.

SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST TO PRINT THIS PACK

(I use an HP Color Laser Jet Pro Printer when I print these for our homeschooling. I always get very vibrant colored printed pages.)

This patterns in this pack are:

leaf clover
horse show
top hat
pot of gold
rainbow
leprechaun

There are twelve pages total because you get each pattern in color and in black and white.

These pages are a great opportunity to talk about shapes, colors, measurement and creating patterns which are all basic mathematic concepts that will go on to build addition and subtraction skills.

These packs are also an excellent fine motor skill building activity.

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The shapes that you will use to make these patterns are hexagon, trapezoid, square, triangle, parallelogram and rhombus.

In your download you will also get a the same printable pages in black and white.

Use these pages to color the shapes themselves if you do not have the pattern blocks or just for extra crayon and color practice.

Each page also has a place for your child to trace the name of the object they are creating with the patterns.

What Type of Pattern Blocks Are Best for Preschoolers and Young Elementary?

You can use foam, plastic or wooden pattern blocks for this activity. We’ve owned all three types over the years.

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Why Do We Teach Patterns to Little Kids?

Teaching patterns to kids help them learn to predict what will come next. This is a great way to foster logic and reasoning skills. Great problem solving skills can be rooted in pattern work!

St. Patricks Day Printable Lego Builds

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez 1 Comment

Do your kids love easy lego builds?

These St. Patricks Day Printable Lego Builds make creating with lego bricks super easy!

These simple lego ideas are perfect for preschoolers, kindergartners and even first and second graders.

As a mom of many I know that playing with Legos is a great way to encourage learning and make it fun!

SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE POST TO GET THE FREE PRINT PACK

St Patricks Day Lego Building Ideas

This printable pack includes ten different build ideas. You will use Classic Legos to create the following:

treasure
top hat
leprechaun
gold coin
Irish flag
shamrock
pot of gold
lucky charm
sherbert mug
rainbow

The pack includes twenty pages total, as ten are in color and ten are in black and white.

I love that you can just print these and go. Print all of the pages or just the ones you want to start with. Don’t feel like you have to do them all.

An Alternative Way to Use This Lego Printable Pack

There is also tracing and writing practice on each page, as well as an opportunity for kids to tally the Lego bricks being used. This is great math and reading work!

It also makes for a great STEM activity and is a great play idea. Remember, playing can be educational.

Another alternative would be to use the black and white pages to color in the Lego blocks on the page.

Lego building is something you should include in your homeschooling and classroom routine. Remember, learning does not always come from a textbook.

Printable Lego instructions are a frugal fun way to make play educational!

How Do You Store Your Legos?

My boys have a room where they keep all of their large builds up on shelves.

The lose Lego pieces are kept in tubs. You can sort them by color if you want.

I keep one large tub (all the colors and sizes mixed together) downstairs where we do our homeschooling so our little kids can grab them to do these simple build ideas in-between homeschool lessons.

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What Are the Educational Benefits of Legos?

When you let your kids build lego creations, you are also encouraging growth in so many other areas.

Lego building helps with developing fine motor skills. It fosters size, shape and color recognition. Lego building builds problem solving and critical thinking skills. Playing with Legos with your friends builds social skills.

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What Age Are Legos Good For?

We let our little ones start playing with Legos when they are 3-4 years old if they show interest at that age. We look for attention span, interest from the child and, obviously, can they keep things out of their mouth?

Is Playing with Legos Good for Your Brain?

Legos are a great way to exercise your brain. Starting with simple Lego building ideas like the printables in this post are a perfect way to introduce these fun toys.

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What Can I Make Out of Legos?

Honestly, the possibilities are endless. Some Lego classic ideas would be a Lego car, boat fish, house, truck, windmill, etc. The ideas really are endless.

Starting off with these printable mats that come with easy to see layout instructions makes it simple for kids to follow along and build something quickly. The more they build the more confident and creative they will become.

More St. Patrick’s Day Fun for Kids

Smores Cupcake Recipe

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez Leave a Comment

Who says that you can’t make your own s’mores at home? These Smore Cupcake Recipe are not only easy, but they’re loaded down with flavor!

These marshmallow filled cupcakes will be a hit for sure and they would go great with our homemade smores ice cream.

Let me show you just how easy these are to make. The kids (and grownups) will love them!

Ingredients Needed To Make These Smores Cupcakes

Graham Cracker Crust:

1 1/2 Cup of Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/3 Cup of Sugar
6 Tablespoons of Butter, melted

Brownies:

Brownie Mix (and ingredients on the back of the box)
1/3 Cup of Mini Chocolate Chips
Milk Chocolate Syrup

Frosting:

Large Marshmallows

Step by Step How to Make Smores Cupcakes

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.
Break up the graham crackers into crumbs using your food processer and then place them in a small bowl.
Put the melted butter and sugar and mix with the crumbs.
Make the brownie mix according to box directions in a different bowl.
Put in the added chocolate chips.
Add the cupcake liners to your cupcake pan.
Put 2 tablespoons of the graham cracker crumbs in the bottom of the liners (push down and flatten) and then fill 2/3 full with brownie mixture.
Drizzle chocolate syrup over the top and sprinkle on crumbs.
Put in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
After they’ve baked for 25 minutes, put your marshmallow in the middle of the brownie and press it down carefully.
Bake in the oven for another 3-5 minutes or use a kitchen torch to crisp up the marshmallow.
Broil on low heat for 30 seconds to toast the marshmallow.
Remove from the oven and cool.

Can you use a cake mix to make these cupcakes?

Absolutely. I’m a huge fan of cake mix recipes. Just keep in mind that if you use a cake mix instead of a brownie mix, you’re going to have a completely different texture and taste.

It will still be delicious, it’s just going to taste a lot different than what the recipe calls for.

How do you know when cupcakes are done baking?

I like to use the good old toothpick test. Once the timer goes off for your cupcakes in the oven, you just need to take a toothpick and stick it down in the middle. If the toothpick comes out clean then the cupcakes are done baking and need to be taken out to cool.

Variations for making S’mores Cupcakes

If you don’t happen to have any marshmallows in your house then you can also use marshmallow fluff, too. All you’d have to do is let the cupcakes cool and then put a spoonful right on top.

Can I just use store bought marshmallow frosting instead?

Of course. If you prefer to just grab some store bought marshmallow frosting you can certainly top these cupcakes with that instead!

More Dessert Recipes

Apple Pie Cupcakes with Cinnamon Icing
Amazing Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes
The Best Oreo Cookie Cupcakes

S'more Cupcakes

You're going to love to learn how to make these s'mores cupcakes!

Ingredients

Crust:

1 1/2 Cup of Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/3 Cup of Sugar
6 Tablespoons of Butter, melted

Brownies:

Brownie Mix (and ingredients on the back of the box)
1/3 Cup of Mini Chocolate Chips
Chocolate Syrup

Frosting:

Large Marshmallows

Instructions

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.

Break up the graham crackers into crumbs using your food processer.

Put the melted butter and sugar and mix with the crumbs.

Make the brownie mix according to box directions in a different bowl.

Put in the added chocolate chips.

Add the cupcake liners to your cupcake pan.

Put 2 tablespoons of the graham cracker crumbs in the bottom of the liners (push down and flatten) and then fill 2/3 full with brownie mixture.

Drizzle chocolate syrup over the top and sprinkle on crumbs.

Put in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.

After they've baked for 25 minutes, put your marshmallow in the middle of the brownie and press it down carefully.

Bake in the oven for another 3-5 minutes.

Broil on a low heat for30 seconds to toast the marshmallow.

Remove from the oven and cool.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 161Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 104mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 1gSugar: 13gProtein: 1g

Cheap Baked Chicken Recipes

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez 1 Comment

Dinnertime does not have to be stressful or expensive. Cheap Baked Chicken Recipes are a great option for any busy weeknight and also anytime you’re on a budget. It’s a good thing my family loves chicken!

As a large family who needs to stretch my dollar and my proteins, I know chicken recipes are the way to go!

How Do You Bake Chicken That’s Not Dry?

One of the keys to juicy chicken is not over cooking it, drizzling it with olive oil or some other liquid (i.e. marinate) and not cooking it too hight too fast. Pay close attention to your cooking time and use a meat thermometer to ensure it is fully cooked.

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How Long Does it Take to Bake Chicken at 350?

You always want to get the internal temperature of the meat before you decide that it’s done cooking, but generally speaking it takes about 25-30 minutes to bake chicken at 350 degrees. Thick chicken breasts are going to take the longest to cook where chicken thighs will cook quicker.

How Long Does it Take to Roast a Whole Chicken at 325?

It all depends on the size of your whole chicken. Typically speaking you want to cook your chicken in the oven for 15-20 minutes per pound.

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Is it Better to Cook Chicken on Low Heat or High Heat?

The slower and lower you cook your chicken the less likely it is to dry out and be overcooked. Also, the higher the heat the more likely it will make a splattered mess inside your oven.

Personally, I try to avoid cooking chicken in the oven over 350 degrees.

More Easy Chicken Recipes

Cheap Chicken Recipes for a Large Family
Chicken and Rice Recipes
Easy Chicken Casserole Recipes
Good Chicken Breast Recipes

Easy Baked Chicken Recipes

Easy Recipes: Baked Ranch Chicken

Corn flakes, chicken and ranch seasoning make the best baked dish on a budget!

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Flavorful Balsamic Chicken Breasts Recipe

This quick and easy dinner idea is done in 25-30 minutes.

Baked Puerto Rican Chicken

This chicken goes perfectly with Puerto Rican rice and a dinner salad.

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Hearty Baked Chicken and Pasta Recipe

If you’re looking for a meal that is certain to please, this recipe will be a weeknight hit. Easy to make and delicious, everyone will be asking for seconds!

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Oven-Baked Barbecue Chicken - A Favourite Family-friendly Dinner Recipe

This recipe will become a fast family favorite!

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Oven Baked Chicken and Rice

Dinner doesn’t get any easier and better than this oven baked chicken and rice dinner! Juicy, tender and full of flavor!

Photo Credit: temeculablogs.com

How to Bake CRISPY Chicken Wings in the Oven - The Secret is OUT!

This recipe includes the trick to making them super crunchy but tender inside.

Photo Credit: ohsofoodie.com

Baked Keto Buffalo Chicken Thighs: Low Carb & Easy

Made with only 5 ingredients, you and the family can enjoy these for a quick and easy lunch or dinner served with a vegetable salad or steamed vegetables!

Photo Credit: www.fearlessdining.com

Gluten Free Crispy Oven Fried Chicken

This homemade crispy oven fried chicken is full of delicious flavor. Naturally gluten free, 100% kid-approved.

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Chicken Leg Quarters Recipe

You only need 5 ingredients and 5 minutes to put these chicken leg quarters together. This recipe is ridiculously easy and the result is way more flavorful and delicious than you would imagine.

Photo Credit: deliciousonadime.com

Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken

If you’re looking for something cheap, easy and delicious to make for dinner, look no further. This Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken uses ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, and is sure to please even the pickiest eater!

Photo Credit: littlesunnykitchen.com

Cheesy Chicken Fajita Casserole Recipe

This casserole makes the perfect weeknight dinner when you’re short on time! This is a terrific dinner idea that you can get on the table in under 40 minutes, plus it’s made in just ONE dish.

Photo Credit: foodmeanderings.com

Easy Hoisin Chicken

An easy, economical and delicious baked Hoisin chicken dinner using chicken quarters (chicken legs with thighs attached), that can whipped up quickly using staples from your pantry. This chicken is 5 Weight Watchers points (on the blue plan)!

Photo Credit: bigflavorstinykitchen.com

Baked Chicken Thighs w Potatoes and Peas - One Pan Comfort Food

This one pan chicken recipe is weeknight comfort food at its best and a total family favorite! Just 6 ingredients plus oil, salt, and pepper and a little time in the oven are all you need for this easy chicken dinner.

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One pan chicken and veggie bake with honey and rosemary

This one pan chicken and veggie bake is quick and easy to put together and the whole family loves it!

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Best Chicken Parmesan Recipe

This Classic Chicken Parmesan recipe is made with a pan-fried breaded chicken breast and is oven-baked with marinara and fresh mozzarella for a crispy chicken dinner.

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Juicy Baked Chicken Breasts (foolproof easy method!)

Learn how to make tender, perfectly seasoned, juicy baked chicken breasts in the oven with an easy method that works every time! You can cube, shred, or slice them, and then use for meal prep and in sandwiches, salads, pastas, soups, etc.!

Photo Credit: www.supergoldenbakes.com

Greek Sheet Pan Chicken with Potatoes - Supergolden Bakes

This sheet pan chicken dinner cooks in 30 minutes and simply packed with flavor! Serve with a crisp green salad and some crusty bread.

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Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs

These chicken thighs are coated in a homemade honey mustard sauce, then baked to perfection. It's absolutely the best easy oven baked chicken recipe to make for any weeknight dinner.

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Juicy Baked Chicken Breasts

These chicken breasts are seasoned to perfection with a simple dry rub mixture and oven baked until tender and juicy.

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5 Ingredient Easy Apricot Chicken

This chicken recipe is a simple, economical and quick meal. It uses staples you’d have in the house, like apricot jam and butter, as well as a package of chicken thighs. I serve it with instant brown rice and some frozen veggies for a quick make ahead or weeknight meal. It freezes well.

Photo Credit: bellyfull.net

Salsa Verde Chicken Recipe - Belly Full

This delicious and simple Salsa Verde Chicken recipe only requires a few pantry ingredients, 5 minutes of prep, and one pan! It won't break your wallet or your back. Perfect for busy weeknights.

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Mustard Baked Chicken Tenders

This healthy recipe is super simple and deliciously flavorful. You can serve as-is, or dish it up over rice or a salad to soak up the tasty mustard sauce!

Photo Credit: swirlsofflavor.com

Baked Salsa Chicken

Juicy chicken breasts flavored with taco seasoning are smothered with salsa and cheddar cheese and baked to perfection, making this salsa chicken recipe a soon-to-be favorite weeknight recipe!

Ground Sausage Dinner Recipes

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez Leave a Comment

Who knew that there were so many ground sausage dinner recipes that you could make?

You will find easy ground sausage recipes often on my weekly meal plan. It is the perfect meat to grab any night of the week. I use it in my lasagna, spaghetti sauce and in many casseroles.

If you’re ready to cook up some meals made with pork, I’ve gathered up quite the list for you!

All of these quick and easy dinner ideas are simple and fast. They are easy recipes that are perfect for busy families.

All of these recipes are made using ground pork and a combination of other vegetables, spices, and ingredients! Some of these recipes can even be adapted to be made in the slow cooker.

We tend to bounce between beef, chicken, and pork recipes quite a bit but I have to admit that when the pork prices are low, I love to stock up my freezer with ground pork. This makes it a simple and affordable way to have the meat on hand when hunger strikes.

What I really love about all these easy pork recipes is that they are created with families in mind. The kids love them just as much as we do!

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If you’re a fan of meal planning and getting ahead, check out these 100 Freezer Meals for Busy Families as well. This is my favorite way to get ahead of our busy schedules!

Is ground pork healthier than ground beef?

It really all just depends on the fat content in the meats. You’re going to want to look at fat content versus the amount of sodium and other levels to decide if it’s a healthier option for you.

Is ground pork the same as sausage?

It’s not. Sausage is going to have seasonings and other ingredients added and ground pork is literally just pork that has been ground up, without anything added. You can easily turn ground pork INTO sausage, though.

What cut of pork is best for ground pork?

Pork butt actually makes for great ground pork because it tends to have a good amount of fat.

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Is pork mince the same as ground pork?

Basically, yes. Pork mince is finely chopped or ground pork, which would put it in the same category.

How long does ground pork last in the fridge?

If you’re going to keep it in the fridge, you need to have it cooked up within 1-2 days for freshness. Any longer than that and you’re going to want to throw it into your freezer to save for later.

Delicious Ground Pork Recipes To Make Dinner Awesome

These are just a few of my favorite ground pork recipes!