My Favorite Recipes from 2013

For the past couple of years, I’ve been doing a favorite recipes post at the end of the year. It’s a great place to go to when I want to make something that I already know I’ll love. So here goes.

January – Homemade Cheez-Its. Enough said. This one is self-explanatory. I made cheez-its many many times in 2013. Sometimes we tried different flavor combinations, sometimes we just made them with cheddar and salt and pepper. No matter what ingredients were used, they were always a hit.

February – Ham, Spinach, Goat Cheese, and Bell Pepper Quiche. This quiche might have become a signature recipe for me in 2013. I served it to multiple overnight guests, I made a bunch cooked in muffin pans when my sister had her baby, and Hubby and I enjoyed this on numerous weekend mornings. It is packed with all sorts of ingredients so you don’t even notice that there’s no crust.

March – Funfetti Chocolate Chip Cookies I took my favorite chocolate chip cookies, and made them festive for any occasion by adding sprinkles, white chocolate, and almond extract.

April – Mexican Shrimp Cobb Salad Hubby loves a good Cobb Salad. This one is a Mexican spin on the classic. The recipe makes a HUGE amount of salad, so we’ve served this as a meal when we have friends over for dinner.

May – Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars This was a tough month to choose just one favorite. So many of the recipes I posted in May were made over and over throughout the year. There’s no surprise that when you combine cheesecake with snickerdoodles, you’re going to have a winning recipe. If you haven’t tried this recipe yet, add it to your to-do list for 2014.

June – Chocolate Goat Cheese Mousse Tart Chocolate and goat cheese just go so well together. I impressed multiple friends and family members with this tart. I made it with strawberries the first time, then also with raspberries and blackberries. I have to admit, I think my favorite was the blackberry variation.

July – Peach Champagne Sorbet with Thyme I made a LOT of ice cream in July. Well, actually, I made a lot of ice cream all year. But especially during the summer months. I really liked how complex the flavors in this sorbet turned out. It was very light and refreshing on a hot summer day. Man do I miss those hot days now…

August – Caramelized Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream More ice cream, I know. This was the one recipe I looked forward to trying most out of Jeni’s cookbook and it did not disappoint. Hubby still claims it’s his favorite of the many many flavors of ice cream I made in 2013. I’d say it’s in my top 3. Possibly top 2.

September – Spicy Tomato Jam and Brownie Sundae Ice Cream I had to choose two recipes for September. That brownie sundae ice cream was my favorite ice cream recipe for the year. Probably because a great brownie sundae is my all time favorite dessert. Ever. And that spicy tomato jam? We ate it on EVERYTHING. And then when we ran out, I made more. That cycle has been repeating ever since I first made it.

October – Strawberry Margarita Pie This is another one that shouldn’t need much of an explanation. It’s a strawberry margarita for dessert. With a pretzel crust. I was heavy handed with the tequila since we were enjoying it with adult friends. I want to make this pie again, but in a lime variation (my margarita of choice).

November – Sausage, Kale, and Butternut Squash Stuffing I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ll never try another stuffing recipe in my life. This is it. Period. Done. My grandkids someday will call this grammy’s stuffing. I made a 1/2 batch of it vegetarian this year too and the vegetarian at Thanksgiving really enjoyed it too.

December – Peppermint Patty Fudge The York Peppermint Patty is one of my weaknesses. I used to have a girl who worked for me who kept them in her candy dish. I had to control myself around that candy dish. It was not good. After I made the first batch of this fudge, I turned around and made a second batch. Then I promptly wrapped the fudge up to give to friends so I wouldn’t eat it all.