Fast Fixin' Rolls

 I'm not the greatest meal planner.

Oh, I've been to all those beautiful mommy blogs with their unbelievably clever organizational tips. I have the charts, the weekly lists, the beautifully pink "homemaking binder." Sometimes I even open it. Sometimes I even fill the charts out.

But, most weeks?

Not a chance.

Maybe some day - like when the kids are grown and gone - I'll be a homemaker extraordinaire. Maybe. Meanwhile, we make it by with the lists and ideas I have rambling around in my head. This usually works fine, I promise. Unless it's those VERY (very) infrequent times where afternoon hits and I realize I only have some green beans to go with the chicken...

What to do?!

I make these rolls, of course! :)

They are relatively fast and they're homemade, so they make me look like Mom the Hero instead of "Mom who only has green beans to serve with dinner." (Having only one side dish is akin to child abuse in the mind of my oldest daughter...)

They can make you look like a hero, too.

Recipe: Fast Fixin' Rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 C milk (I prefer whole)
• 1 Tbsp yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 C warm water (110-120 degrees)
• 1/2 stick butter
• 4 Tbsp sugar
• 1 large egg (if you don't have an egg, try a heaping spoonful of mayonnaise - I did once and it turned out fine)
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 to 3 1/2 C all purpose flour

Directions:

Scald the milk in a saucepan (bring just to boiling), then turn off heat and let cool.

In your electric stand mixer bowl combine the yeast, 1 tsp sugar, and warm water. Stir and let sit until foamy, about 5-10 minutes. Then add the cooled milk, butter, 4 Tbsp sugar, egg, and salt. Mix for 2 minutes on medium-low speed.

Begin adding flour slowly, 1 C at a time. Mix at medium speed for about 5 minutes and dough has come away from the sides of the bowl.

Place dough in a greased, medium sized bowl, cover, and let rise for one hour.

Punch down the dough, form 12 balls and place in a buttered 9x13 pan. Cover loosely with a cotton towel and let rise another hour. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

After rising the rolls should look like this:

Pop these beauties straight into the oven for 15-20 min or until desired doneness. I had to cook mine a bit longer because they were still a little dough-like in the middle.

If you prefer, you can sprinkle with coarse sea salt and/or herbs before baking. Delicious.

Slather with butter after removing from the oven, and serve hot!