What's Cooking at The Cromer's

Easy Parmesan Breadsticks 12” Dutch Oven Dough: 2 ½-3 Cups of Flour 1 Package of Yeast 1 Cup of Warm Water 2 Tablespoons of Olive oil 1 Teaspoon of Salt 2-3 Tablespoons of butter melted Parmesan Cheese Garlic salt to taste 1 Tablespoon of Sesame seeds Soften the yeast in the cup of warm water. (About 5 minutes) Add the oil and the salt to the liquid and mix up, then add 1 ½ cups of flour and mix well. Add the rest of the flour about ½ cup at a time until it forms a nice dough. Knead for 5-8 minutes until dough is a nice consistency. Rub or spray with oil and put in a covered bowl until it doubles in size. (About 1 hour) Then punch the dough down and start forming your breadsticks by rolling them in your hands or on the table top. Dip them in butter and place them in your 12” oven. Pour the remainder of the melted butter over the breadsticks. Then sprinkle them with parmesan cheese, garlic and sesame seeds to your taste. Cover and let them raise fo...

Double Cheese Bacon Nibblers Ingredients: 20 Rhodes™ Dinner Rolls, thawed but still cold 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted 6 pieces bacon, fried and crumbled 2 cups grated cheddar cheese Instructions: Melt butter in the top of a 12" Ultimate Dutch oven (Use the deep lid as your base or bottom). Cut each roll into 3 pieces; roll the pieces in the butter and leave in pan. Sprinkle crumbled bacon over the rolls. Top with grated cheese. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap. Let rise until double in size. Remove wrap. Bake at 350ºF 20-25 minutes. (15 Coals on top and 9 on the bottom. (Adapted from Rhodes Bake-N-Serv)

I've wanted to improve my bread making skills so I told my wife I want to start making the rolls every week for Sunday dinner. I thought that would be a great way to get better at making bread. I've been doing it now for quite a few months. I've tried numerous recipes and different kinds of flours. I'm getting it narrowed down to a couple basic ones that I will continue to use in our Dutch Oven Cook Offs, and of course Sunday Dinner. Some haven't turned out well and others are getting better. I think I'm learning a lot about Kneading dough! I'll try and start posting some recipes so if you want to try them.

I thought I would share some EASY Dutch Oven recipes with you for the nest few weeks. Rhodes rolls 2-3 hours before you are going to cook them, spray your 12” Dutch oven with Pam. Put your frozen rolls in the oven spaced a little bit apart and put the lid on. Place the Dutch oven in a warm place but not to warm. Not in the hot sun. After a few hours they should have thawed out and risen a little bit (be sure and check to see that they have risen). Cook with 9 pieces of charcoal on the bottom and 16 on the top. Put one coal right in the middle on top. Cook for 20-25 minutes. Check at 20 sometimes they cook fast. Rub butter over the top after they are cooked.

Family Home Evening last night... Nicole and I started to make some "Spudnuts" (Doughnuts). Then everyone else seemed to join in and help out. Spudnuts used to be available in Utah but I haven't seen them for years. Spudnuts are doughnuts made with mashed potatoes. When our family goes to California we always seem to hit a Sputnuts shop, they are all over California. I don't remember where I got the recipe from but here it is. The Recipe: Spudnuts ½ Cup warm water 1 Package of Yeast 1 Teaspoon Salt ½ Cup of Sugar 2/3 Cup of Shortening 2 Cups hot milk 1 Cup room temp mashed potatoes 2 Eggs 6-7 Cups of Flour Oil for frying Pour the yeast in to the warm water and let sit for 5 minutes or so. In a large bowl add salt, sugar, shortening, and milk. Let it cool down a little. Add the potatoes, eggs, yeast mixture to the milk mixture. Add the flour 1 cup at a time till it forms nice firm dough. (A little more if you need or a little less.) Sprinkle some flour on your counter...