Classic Texas Sheet Cake Recipe

 Texas sheet cake is a timeless favorite. Your family and friends are going to love this. This recipe is moist, rich, and covered in creamy fudge frosting.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup Hershey's cocoa powder
• 1/2 sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Creamy Frosting:

• 6 tablespoons of milk
• 1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature
• 6 tablespoons Hershey's cocoa powder
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 3/4 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

1. Combine butter, water, and cocoa powder in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally. When the butter is melted, increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool for 20 minutes.
2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another bowl, mix together sour cream, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Stir this into the dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Stir the cooled chocolate mixture into the flour/sour cream mixture, then mix until the batter is smooth.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 10 x 15 jelly roll pan. Pour and spread the batter into the jelly roll pan, bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Prepare the Frosting:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and butter, and cook over medium heat until the butter is melted. 
2. Remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until combined.
3. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, stir until all is combined.
4. Pour this over the warm cake and let it cool for about an hour before serving.

This classic sheet cake delivers big flavor with very little effort. You don't have to be an experienced baker; this recipe is a crowd-pleaser you'll want to make over and over again. 

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Stuffed Pepper Soup

 There is nothing better than having a hot bowl of soup on a cold winter day. If you love stuffed peppers, this stuffed pepper soup is a perfect solution. This is all of the flavors of a stuffed pepper, in a soup.

It has been very cold here in Western New York. We have had 20-plus days of below-zero weather. So, Fran decided to make this perfect comfort food for the cold weather.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 bell peppers, chopped (we used green, but you can use red and yellow if you like)
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz.)
• 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz.)
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 4 cups beef broth (We use Swanson low-sodium)b
• 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
• 1 cup uncooked Rice
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat and brown the beef. Drain the excess grease.
2. Add the peppers, onions, and garlic, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, beef broth, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper.
4. Stir in the uncooked rice, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until the rice is tender.

Tip from Fran: We cooked the rice separately and then added it to our bowls. After the soup simmered for 20 minutes, we ladled the soup over the rice.

This Stuffed Pepper soup is comfort food at its best, and full of classic stuffed pepper flavor.

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