Pancake Muffins

This morning, I decided to make some Pancake Muffins. There is no picture because they were eaten by the boys before I could get a picture. I will make more since they are such a hit with my kids. I hope to be able to update this post with a picture when I make more of these.

Since school started at my house, for my kids. I've been wanting them to have a healthy breakfast before they leave for school. I have seen on Pinterest different posts about Pancake Muffins. I decided to try my hand with it. They are baked in the oven and are SUPER easy to make. My one regret is that I don't have more muffin tins. I can only make 12 at a time. With three boys, sometimes that just isn't enough muffins. My children LOVED these. I hope you like them too. Let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

2 cups Krusteez Pancake Mix
2 scoops protein drink powder (I used vanilla)
4-5 Tbsp agave nector
2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
3 dashes pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp vanilla
and enough water to make slightly thinner than normal pancake batter
Chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven 350F.

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl, except the chocolate chips. Place in Non-Stick sprayed muffin tins. Sprinkle with chocolate chips (these will sink to the bottom). Bake for 15 min. Remove from muffin tins and enjoy!

My kids ate these all UP. My middle child was begging for more. These are a nice alternative to typical pancakes with syrup. No syrupy mess and the kids can eat it on the run. They also bake while your helping to get the kids ready for school. I don't have to stand over the griddle making pancakes. I just mix it up, pour in muffin tins and move on to the next thing. You can add fruit or really anything to this. I hope you find these as easy as I do. I'm going to try to make up a bunch and freeze them. So they can just grab, heat in microwave and go to school.

This recipe made 12 plus enough batter left for at least 2 more.

BESTEST CrockPot Mac N Cheese

This morning I asked my kids what they wanted for dinner tonight. Last nights dinner was very tasty but the kids didn't want it for dinner and so then dinner became a fight. I am trying to limit the amount of contention in my home. Fighting with my kids to eat the delicious dinner I made them, because they didn't want to eat it, is not something I want to do every night. I figured that I needed to make something that they actually wanted to eat tonight to save myself some sanity and peace in my home, at least one night this week. I can hope right :). Well, They asked for homemade mac n cheese. I totally could have used the "blue" box, I have several. However, my kids said they wanted HOMEMADE, mac n cheese. I said I could make baked mac n cheese, and they didn't want any part of that either. So homemade cheesy goodness was to be made on the stove and be ready for them for dinner. I decided I didn't want to turn on my stove to make a white sauce into a cheese sauce and then make the noodles and wait for them to just eat it. Too many dirty dishes, and headache for me. The only cooking on the stove for this is to pre-cook the pasta a little, but I think it would be just fine to skip that step in the future. I will test and let you know a different day.

This is recipe is a culmination of looking online and through my recipe apps for a crockpot mac n cheese. I didn't find any that are made this way, but OMGoodness... this is so delicious!  I am so glad that I adjusted this with what I had at home and what I thought would be good.

Ingredients:
12 oz. velveeta, cubed
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese blend
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cup half n half
1 can evaporated milk
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 lb medium shell pasta
1/4 c butter, cubed
1/2 med/large onion diced
1/4 tsp garlic salt
5-8 dashes tabasco
salt and pepper to taste (may need to just add pepper)

Directions:

Pre-boil pasta 5-6 minutes in salted, rapid boiling water to al dente. Drain and set aside (do not rinse). Spray slow cooker with "Pam" or other non stick spray. Add drained pasta. In a medium bowl mix together the rest of the ingredients, pour over the pasta and stir to incorporate throughout the pasta. Set cooker on low and stirring periodically for 2 hours, so the cheese melts thoroughly and does not get crusty on the sides and bottom. After cheese is melted throughout the dish is done. Pasta is cooked perfectly. Eat right away, or set on warm and eat later.

This dish is one of my favorites I've made so far! It's that GOOD! This makes a bunch, but as much as my family LOVES Mac N Cheese, I doubt there will be any left over for lunch tomorrow. I was thinking of serving some chicken tenders with this, but the Mac N Cheese maybe all we eat tonight.

Please let me know what you think of this I am curious to see how you like this recipe. Thanks for stopping by :)