Friday Fives - Five Recipes I've Made Recently

I'm taking a bit of a break from my usual Friday Linkups to try something a little different.  I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much.  This week is one of the not so much!  I've been getting back to experimenting a little with new recipes and I thought I'd share 5 recipes I've made recently and what I thought.

1. One Pot Chicken Alfredo from Kitchen Meets Girl - I did not have high hopes going into this recipe - especially when I saw that the blogger used fat free half-n-half - but it ended up being soo good!  It's not a traditional alfredo which is essentially just cream but it had a lot of flavor and came together really easily.  I didn't add the bacon because it just didn't seem needed (and I love bacon) but other then that I followed the recipe exactly.  It also heats up nicely which is always a plus.

2.  Irish Wake Cake from Nourishing Death - This is essentially a cream cheese pound cake.  The texture is a little different but that's what this reminded me of.  I had to add a bit more liquid to the glaze then called for (I used a bit of vanilla and milk as well as the lemon juice) but other then that I followed the recipe exactly.  This cake travels well and is a little bit different from the usual pound cake but still familiar.  I will definitely be making this again!

3.  Cream Cheese Corn from Buns In My Oven - Side dishes are typically my nemesis as I can only make one thing that requires a lot of steps at a time.  This was a super easy side dish that is essentially made my dumping the ingredients into a slow cooker and stirring.  I think next time I might add a little bit of spice but we really enjoyed it and it pairs well with most main dishes as well as reheating well.

4.  Gooey Butter Chocolate Chip Shortbread Bars by Averie Cooks - I used to work with someone who always brought her version of Gooey Butter Cake in and everyone loved it but I always found it too sweet.  Most of the recipes I've seen involve a cake mix, cream cheese, and a lot of powdered sugar.  I was intrigued that this one was from scratch and didn't have tons of sugar in it.  This is definitely sweet but not as sugary as other similar deserts.  The shortbread crust is really good and the gooey topping has a melt in your mouth quality.  A little goes a long way but it's definitely a dessert we are all enjoying!

5.  Slow Cooker Beef Stew from Chef in Training - This was a nice tasty stew that is super easy to throw together.  I didn't end up adding the peas because we don't really love peas.  She does suggest thickening it a bit at the end with a little flour and water and I think next time I make this I will definitely take this suggestion as I did find it a bit too liquid-y though the flavor was very good.  It reheats well and makes for excellent leftovers.  

What have you made lately?