Berry Angel Delight

 

 

It seems like our recipe blog has been in hibernation for a while. So it’s time for some super summer recipes. Let’s see if we can find something to bring on the warmer weather.

This is a great summer recipe because it requires no cooking at all. I have made it several times and it’s always a hit. It’s a Betty Crocker recipe that I adapted to fit in a 9X13 pan. So it won’t be cut into a wedge like the picture, we just scoop it out with a big spoon.

INGREDIENTS:

2 C heavy whipping cream

1/4 C sugar

4 C vanilla yogurt (sometimes I use strawberry or a mixture of both)

1 round angel food cake, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 C fresh blueberries

4 C quartered fresh strawberries

1 C fresh raspberries

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, beat whipping cream and sugar with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in yogurt. Add cake pieces gently combine with the yogurt mixture. Spoon half of the cake mixture into a 9X13 pan; press down with a rubber spatula. Top with half of the berries. Repeat with remaining cake mixture; press with spatula. Top with the rest of the berries. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

I use mostly strawberries, but you can switch up the amount of each berry depending on your tastes. Blackberries also work well in this recipe. There are quite a few fruit/yogurt combinations you could use with this recipe.

Toasted Sesame Seed Sugar Cookies

This recipe comes from McCormick. These cookies were quite tasty. The only problem is that I was too cheap to buy two bottles of sesame seeds, and even though I skipped adding seeds to the batter, I ran out before I could coat all of the cookies. So, I switched to toasted coconut and both versions were delicious.

Note: here is a great article on how to toast sesame seeds.
         here is a great article on how to toast coconut.

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 jars (1.62 ounces each) sesame seeds, toasted (about 1 cup), divided
   and, or toasted coconut
2 ounces bittersweet baking chocolate, melted

Directions

1. Mix flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside. Beat butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add sugar; beat until well blended, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture and 1/4 cup of the toasted sesame seed on low speed until well mixed.

2. Refrigerate dough 2 hours or until firm. (I’m sure I didn’t wait for 2 hours).

3. Preheat oven to 400°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in remaining 3/4 cup toasted sesame seed. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

4. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Drizzle cookies with melted chocolate. Let stand until chocolate is set.

The recipe says it makes 6 dozen, but I don’t know if I got that many. I may have made bigger cookies though.

Ramona’s Pumpkin Fudge

 

I got this recipe from a friend who used the word “Divine” to describe this fudge. Since I was looking for something different to do with pumpkin I decided to give it a try. It is definitely a rich and decadent candy. A little goes a long way – still, I ate more than a little.

I made it two different ways – vanilla and chocolate - and I decided that both were worthy to take to a gathering. Since several people requested the recipe, I have decided that I am not the only one who thinks this fudge is pretty tasty.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 C sugar
1/2 C canned pumpkin
2/3 C evaporated milk
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice*
1 (12oz) pkg vanilla or chocolate chips
2 C mini marshmallows
1-1/4 tsp vanilla
chopped nuts if desired

Directions:

Line an 8 X 8 pan with foil, letting the foil hang over the sides of the pan. (I don’t have a square pan, so I just use a round cake pan.) Spray the foil with non stick spray.

It’s a good idea to have the chips, marshmallows and vanilla measured out and ready to add at the end of the cooking time.

In a heavy pan, combine the sugar, pumpkin, evaporated milk, butter, salt and pie spice. Stirring constantly over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for 12 minutes while continuing to stir. This is a lot of stirring, but it’s important or else the mixture will burn and be ruined. It should look like a thick caramel sauce. I have many ideas for how I could use just this pumpkin caramel.

Remove sauce from heat and stir in chocolate or vanilla chips, marshmallows and vanilla  until smooth. Poor into the foil lined pan. Cover and refrigerate until set.

* I mixed up my own pumpkin pie spice using: 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground cloves and 1/2 tsp ginger. It’s more than you’ll need, but it’s good to have a little left for other holiday recipes.

Bacon Wrapped Turkey Kabobs

When these babies are grilled correctly, they are amazing. They trick is to get them cooked through without burning them. Steve can do it, but I can’t. I served them undercooked to my parents, and completely charred to a few guests last summer. I think the trick is to keep the heat low, and make sure the bacon gets crispy. 

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbls lemon juice
1 Tbls brown sugar
2 (3 pound) boneless turkey breast halves
1 (16 oz) pakage of bacon

You might also need:
Fresh Pineapple Chunks, Cherry Tomatoes, Sweet Onions, yellow squash, zucchini or any other type of veggies that you want on your kabobs. (Sometimes I save a little marinade for any veggies that might benefit from some extra flavor)

Directions:
Cut turkey into 1" cubes. In a large bag, combine first 7 ingredients and mix well. Add turkey to marinade and let sit for about an hour, or more. Even overnight if you want to.

When its time to put together your kabobs, cut bacon slices in half and wrap each piece of turkey with a 1/2 strip of bacon. Then assemble your kabobs with desired fruits and veggies.

Grill kabobs until the bacon is all nice and crispy and enjoy. Makes about 10 kabobs with 4 pieces of turkey on each kabob. This will vary depending on how many veggies you put on the kabobs.

I get turkey breast halves at Smith’s. Sometimes they have them in the butchers case or sometimes by the chicken in a Jenni-O package.
If you don’t have turkey, I’m sure chicken would also be tasty.

If you didn’t want to use chicken or turkey – how good would shrimp be? Or, how good would bacon wrapped anything be? But seriously,
I have a recipe for bacon wrapped water chestnuts that we make at Christmas time, and I think they might work as a substitute for those of you who are not to hip on poultry.

Lemon Whoopie Pies

 

 

I thought I would save time and just direct you to this link.
http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2008/04/lemon-whoopie-pies/

I made these today. I followed the recipe exactly except that I made them smaller – about 1 Tablespoon of batter for each cookie. The plan was to give them away, but I couldn’t part with them. So much for the weekly exercise – now I’m going to have to start all over again.

Southwestern Pasta Salad

 

I made this on Wednesday for playgroup, and everybody seemed to like it. I love it. This recipe makes a big salad.

1 (24 oz.) bag Rotini pasta – cooked, drained and cooled

2 cans of black olives - sliced

1 can white kidney beans - rinsed

1 can black beans - rinsed

1 red pepper – diced

6 small tomatoes – seeded and diced

1 (12 oz.) bag of frozen corn (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 – 2 C of shredded Colby Jack cheese

2 jars of Lighthouse Salsa Ranch Dressing

1 C sour Cream

salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine first 8 ingredients. Add sour cream and dressing – mix well. Top with additional cheese. Chill.

The original recipe called for garbanzo beans. This is a great recipe for using what you have on hand – the possibilities are endless with this salad. For dinner last night, I threw in some chicken – yum!

Brie and Cherry Pastry Cups

 

I made these for company on Christmas Eve. They were a hit, but It was just my mom and my sister, so they probably wouldn’t tell me if they tasted awful. My mom did take the recipe and all of my leftover ingredients to make them for her company, so I think she liked them.

I thought they were quite tasty, and took minimal effort – perfect for busy holiday times. This recipe is from my friend Betty at this site.

INGREDIENTS:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from 17.3-ounce package), thawed

1/3 to 1/2 cup red cherry preserves (see substitution note)

4 ounces Brie cheese, cut into 1/2x1/2-inch pieces (36 pieces)

1/4 cup chopped pecans

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (I didn’t add these)

 

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 375°. Spray 36 miniature muffin cups with cooking spray. Cut pastry into 36 (1 1/2-inch) squares. Slightly press each square into muffin cup; press center with finger.

Bake 10 minutes. They will be all puffed up, so press the center with handle of a wooden spoon (I used the handle of my whisk – it was the perfect shape). Bake 6 to 8 minutes longer or until golden brown. Immediately press again in center. Fill each with about 1/2 teaspoon preserves. Top with cheese piece, pecans and chives.

Bake 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm.

Substitution

If you like spicy foods, try substituting red or green jalapeño jelly for the cherry preserves. It's a delicious touch of sweet and spice!

(I used green jalapeño jelly – not too spicy, just a little bit of heat like an after burn. We liked these more than the cherry ones.)

Also, since there was extra jalapeño jelly I poured some on top of a brick of cream cheese and we spread this on crackers – good stuff!

Do-Ahead

Go ahead and assemble the cups and bake up to 4 hours in advance, omitting the final bake time for melting the cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake. Right before serving, heat at 375° just until warm and cheese is melted.

Coconut Macaroons

 

This recipe comes from Alton Brown.

Click HERE to see him make them. I found this video to be helpful.

I made these for neighbor gifts last year. It’s a good thing I gave them away, or else I would have eaten every one of them myself. I didn’t top mine with chocolate – they were quite tasty with out it. These cookies do not taste like the macaroons you get from the store – they are so much better!

P.S. I converted some of Alton’s measurements to cups so that they are easier to measure. 

Ingredients:

2 (7 to 8-ounce) packages sweetened shredded coconut
1/4 C sweetened condensed milk
Pinch kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large egg whites at room temperature 
2/3 granulated sugar

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 ounce vegetable shortening
2 ounces finely chopped dry-roasted macadamia nuts

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325

Combine the coconut with the sweetened condensed milk, salt and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Alton used his hands, but I found a wooden spoon to be sufficient.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue to whip the whites until medium peaks form, 6 to 7 minutes.

Gently fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture. Scoop tablespoon-sized mounds onto a parchment-lined half sheet pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately transfer the parchment with the macaroons to a cooling rack. Cool completely before topping.

Combine the chocolate chips and shortening in a small bowl and microwave until melted.

Dip the cooled cookies in the chocolate mixture, sprinkle with the chopped macadamia nuts and place on parchment paper to set, about 30 minutes.

Caramel Popcorn

This recipe is so easy, and I always have the ingredients on hand. I can have this stuff made in about 15 minutes. We can't stay out of it and it's usually gone in one sitting. I like it because it makes a big batch and I can divy it up and give some away to the neighbors for Christmas.

Ingredients:

4 quarts popped popcorn (1/2 C Kernels)

1/2 C butter

1 C brown sugar

15 lg. marshmallows - or 2 C mini

In a medium sauce pan, melt butter. Add sugar and marshmallows and stir over medium/hight heat until mixture comes to a boil. Pour over popcorn and mix until the popcorn is evenly coated.

We eat it right out of the bowl, but you could spread it out on a cookies sheet so that it will cool and can be put into some type of a container to give away.

Brined Turkey

Today we are getting ready to dunk the turkey. For the last 5 years, we have brined our turkey for Thanksgiving. I have never had a better turkey. Moist and flavorful. Some have asked us if it's too salty, but we have not noticed a huge difference. The only drawback is that you can't make homemade gravy from the drippings. So save the gibblets for gravy. This recipe is a mixture of several that Steve has perfected over the years.

Brine:

1 C Salt
1 C Brown Sugar

2 Oranges, quartered

2 Lemons, quartered

6 sprigs thyme

4 sprigs rosemary

You will also need some type of large container.

We use a 5 gallon bucket lined with a garbage bag.

To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water (we do this right in the bucket). Squeeze the juice from the oranges and lemons into the water, and then throw the rinds in too. Then add the thyme, and rosemary. If you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water. Let the turkey sit in this brine for about 24 hrs. in the fridge or some other cold place. We leave ours in the garage - don't let it freeze though!

We Stuff the turkey with:

1 orange slice
1 yellow onion, cut into big chunks

1 stalk celery, cut into large pieces

1 carrot, cut into large pieces

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs of thyme

1/2 bunch sage

3 sprigs parsley

We Season the turkey this way:

1/4 of an orange
Room temperature butter

Salt and pepper

Rub the orange all over the turkey.

Rub butter all over the turkey - even under the skin too.

Season w/ salt and pepper as desired.

This is how we Cook the turkey:

You will need about 2-3 cups of chicken stock.

Cook at 325 degrees. Cook the turkey upside down (breasts down) for the first hour. Flip it over after that. Baste the turkey ever 45 min or so w/ a 1/2 Cup of chicken stock. As the turkey gets brown, tent it w/ aluminum foil. It took our 12lb. turkey about 3 hrs to cook.

We have cooked this in a bag before, and that works great too - it takes less time.

Apple Cherry Tart

We seem to be lacking in recipe postings lately, especially since it's coming up on Thanksgiving. So here is a call out for all of your Holiday Favorites.

We are very basic in our Thanksgiving meal. Pretty much the same thing every year. The only place that I get to experiment is with the dessert. I'm not a huge fan of making pies. I think they take a lot of work. In my opinion, you can have a great crisp or cobbler - it takes less time, and usually turns out better. My Mom would completely disagree with this statement, because she is a huge fan of Pie Crust. This recipe works for both of us.

Because this is a Pampered Chef recipe, it is made on a 13" stone, but I'm pretty sure you could make this on a cookie sheet just fine. I will try and make it soon so I can add a photo.

Crumb Topping:
2/3 c flour
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 C butter, softened
1/2 C pecans, chopped

Tart:
1 Pie Crust*
1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling, divided
2 lg. Granny Smith apples - pealed, cored and sliced thin

Preheat oven to 400.
Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter. This can be done with a pastry blender or possibly a fork. You are looking for a nice crumbled mixture. Then mix in the pecans. Set aside.
(I've done this step using completely melted butter, so that I don't have to use a pastry blender, and it turned out a little different, but still great.)

Roll pie crust into a 13" circle and place on greased stone/sheet. Layer apples evenly over crust to within 1 inch of the edge of the crust. Spread at least 1/2 C of the pie filling over the apples. (I always use more.) Sprinkle crumb topping over cherries. Fold outer edge of pastry over the very edges of the filling to form a rim. Bake 30-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

I like this best served warm, with ice cream. You can top the ice cream with the left over cherries.

* I have always made this with a store bought pie dough - you have to roll it out a little to get it to make 13". I am sure that it is so much better with a homemade dough.

Pumpkin Bars

Lately the "phantom" has been leaving treats in our neighborhood. One night he left some pumpkin bars. Since people really liked them, he left me the recipe, which he got from a friend (Neisha), who got it from allrecipes.com.

Pumpkin Bars
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1 2/3 c. sugar
1-15 oz. can pumpkin puree
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
2 t. baking soda
2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. salt

Frosting
1-3 oz. pkg. cream cheese-softened
1/2 c. butter-softened
1 t. vanilla
2 c. sifted powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. In a mixing bowlmix the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin with mixer until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir into the pumpkin mixture until thoroughly combined. Spread batter evenly into an ungreased 10x15 jelly roll pan. Bake 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Cream together cream cheese and butter. Stir in vanilla. Add powdered sugar a little at a time, beating until smooth. Spread evenly on top of the cooled bars. Cut into squares. You can garnish the top any way you like, or if you are a purist, like me, just leave them plain.

White Bean Chicken Chili

I found this recipe on allrecipes. When it comes to soups and stews, I have found that they are really just a guideline. Throw in what you like. If it's not good - don't do that next time. Maybe it's just the time of year, but when I'm making soup, sometimes I feel like a witch as I throw ingredients into my bubbling cauldron.

This chili is wonderful. I usually make it for gatherings, because it's not the type of soup my family will eat. So I'd rather enjoy it with my friends instead of fighting with the kids about eating it. It's also not that spicy and that's how I like it. If you want more heat, add some.

Below is how I made it last time, for our playgroup.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons oil
1/4 C dried onions
2 tsp. minced garlic

1 pound chicken

2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (18.75 ounce) can tomatillos, drained and chopped
2 (1 4 .5 once) cans diced tomatoes
2 (4 ounce) can of whole green chilis, diced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cans cannellini/white kidney beans, rinsed

1 can kernel corn with liquid

1 can sweet corn with liquidcd
salt and pepper to taste

IDEAS FOR GARNISH:

limes, cilantro, cheese, avocados, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oil, and sauté the chicken with the onions and garlic, until nice and browned. This may need to be done in batches (see note). Add the broth to the chicken and then stir in the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then simmer for at least 15 minutes. More simmering = better flavor in my book. Make sure that you bring the soup back down to a simmer after it boils, or else your chicken will become tough if it sits in a rolling boil for too long.

Lots of Notes (Sorry, it's a control issue)!

I usually cut up raw chicken into bite size pieces and then cook them. You could easily just throw in whole pieces, but then you should take them out after they are cooked and cut them up. To get a nice browning, your pan should be quite hot and not overfilled with chicken or else it will just steam - which isn't bad - the most important thing is that the chicken is cooked through.

If you have already cooked chicken, just throw it in with the broth after you heat up the onions and the garlic in the oil. You can add more or less chicken depending on how much you have. My friend Heather posted this on her blog and wondered if she might just make it chickenless one day.

I use dried onions, because I have a giant can of them, but feel free to use a fresh onion if you want to. Same with the garlic - mine comes from a jar in the fridge - but if you have fresh cloves, use them.

What are Tomatillos? Well, you can get them fresh also, but I get mine from a can in the Spanish isle at Smiths (not sure if Days even carries them). They seem like green tomatoes to me, and are quite interesting in my opinion, they kind of explode when you chop them up.

I'm sure you could use a variety of different types of tomatoes - fresh, stewed, bottled, diced - I wouldn't recommend paste or sauce, but who knows it might be the best soup you've ever had. Same with beans, there are many varieties - but if you don't use white ones, then you have to change the title.

And finally, corn: really, use what ya got, fresh, frozen, canned, I throw in the juice, but you don't have to - it's all good. I mean isn't that what making soup is all about - using up what's in your pantry/freezer. This is a great food storage recipe - hey, if you're up for it, you can even use canned chicken!

P.S. I just went to look in the fridge to see what kind of "garlic from a jar" I have, and I can only find the lid. Now I'm really worried about where I might find the bottle. Wonder who was watching Henry?

Chicken Pasta Salad

I love Chicken Salad sandwiches – so I really enjoyed this pasta salad with the same flavors. My mom made this for a family gathering and I couldn’t stay out of it. Of course when I tried to make it for a party, it didn’t quite taste as good - but that is because I didn’t have all of the ingredients and so I substituted.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups bow tie (farfalle) pasta

1 (16 ounce) bottle bottled coleslaw dressing

1 cup mayonnaise

4 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 1/2 cups seedless green grapes, halved

1 1/2 cups seedless red grapes, halved

2 cups thinly sliced celery

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

2 cups cashew halves

Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, and set aside. (Not an Al Dente fan - I usually cook mine for about 12 min )
   
   
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together coleslaw dressing and mayonnaise.
   
   
3. In a large bowl, combine pasta, chicken, grapes, celery and green onions. Stir in dressing, add salt and pepper if desired and mix well. Place the salad in the refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours, or overnight. Mix in cashews just before serving.
   Serve cold.

I don’t love onions – but these are pretty mild so I didn’t mind them. When I re-made the salad I didn’t add them and I think they needed to be there. Also I didn’t have enough mayo and so I added more coleslaw dressing and this made the salad a little too sweet. The other substitution I made was to use almonds instead of cashews – while almonds are tasty, they will never be as good as cashews.

Tangy Potato Salad

I am not a huge fan of traditional potato salad. I like this one because it doesn't have eggs in it, but it does have bacon. This salad is delicious when served warm or cold. I like it best served cold from the fridge on the second day, so if you have time, make this salad the day before you want to serve it. Also, this is a big salad - it fills my big Tupperware bowl - I usually make it for large gatherings.

5 pounds potatoes
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 T white sugar
3 T honey
3 T dried parsley
2 T grainy mustard (not yellow)
1 cup chopped onion (optional)
1/2 lb. of bacon, cooked and crumbled
salt and pepper to taste

Cut raw potatoes into cubes and boil until tender but not mushy. While the potatoes are boiling, whisk together the mayo, vinegar, sugar, honey, parsley and mustard until well combined. When the potatoes are done, drain them and put them into a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the potatoes and stir until they are coated. Mix in the onions and bacon and then salt and pepper to taste.

This salad can be served right away while the potatoes are still warm, or chilled for a few hours.


The vinegar creates a tangy flavor that might be overwhelming, taste the dressing before you pour it. You can add a little more honey or sugar to lighten it up.


I use a mixture of red and yellow waxy potatoes for this salad. Sometimes I leave the potato skins on, they give the salad color. However the skins are not my favorite part of the salad and I sometimes find myself pealing them away before I take a bite.


Some people feel that potatoes should be boiled whole. I've read that you should keep the skins on while boiling to give them more flavor. The potatoes can be boiled up any way that you like, but cubing them is the fastest way to get them cooked. Also, make sure that you have enough salt in the water - this will give your potatoes much needed flavor.

Tortilla Casserole

This is a quick dish that has great flavor. You can make it hot or mild depending on the type of enchilada sauce that you use. Really you could probably throw whatever you want into this dish and it would still be a hit.

This is how we put it together for the previously mentioned Throwdown.


2 (12.5) oz cans of chicken
1 C chopped tomatoes
3/4 C chopped zucchini
1/2 C chopped green onions
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (10 oz.) can of enchilada sauce
1 (8 oz.) container of sour cream
1 packet Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch dip
1 bag corn chips or 8 corn tortillas halved
2 C shredded Colby-Jack Cheese
1 can of black olives
Chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oven to 375. Spray 13 X 9 dish with nonstick cooking spray. Reserve 1/3 C of enchilada sauce for later.

In a medium bowl, combine chicken, tomatoes, zucchini, onions and beans. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, Fiesta mix and the rest of the enchilada sauce.

To assemble: spread 2-3 T of the cream mixture to coat the bottom of the dish. Arrange corn chips or tortillas over the sauce. Spoon 1/2 of the chicken mixture over the chips. Cover with 2/3 C of cheese. Repeat layering with 1/2 of the remaining cream mixture, another layer of chips, the rest of the chicken mixture, 2/3 c of cheese and then the rest of the cream mixture. Save the last 2/3 C of cheese for later. Top cream mixture with reserved enchilada sauce. Cover dish with foil and bake @ 375 for 30-35 min. Remove dish from oven - uncover and top with the last of the cheese and bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes. Finish off the dish with the black olives and cilantro.


I hope these instructions make sense, just picture it like lasagna: Sauce-chips-filling-cheese-repeat. This is a really versatile dish - use real chicken or beef or no meat at all. Throw in some corn, green chillies or whatever you like. Endless possibilities!

Cheesey Bacon Deviled Eggs

Normally I'm not a big fan of deviled eggs - but these are so not your average deviled eggs. I usually only boil up eggs at Easter time, or for a potato salad. Well, if I am going to go to the work of boiling and peeling eggs, I would rather make and serve these any day over plain old potato salad. Now that reminds me that I will have to post my favorite not so plain potato salad recipe - it has bacon in it too!

I got this recipe from allrecipes, but I have changed it a little to make it even better.

12 hard-boiled eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1/4 C finely shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon mustard (I use stone ground)
Paprika if desired

Peel the hard-boiled eggs, and cut in half lengthwise. Remove yolks to a small bowl. Mash egg yolks with mayonnaise, mustard, crumbled bacon and cheese. Fill egg white halves with the yolk mixture and refrigerate until serving.

I use a pastry bag type dispenser to give the eggs that swirly look - but you have to make sure the tip is big enough so that it doesn't get clogged with bacon. Otherwise you can just fill the the eggs with spoons. Also, I eyeball most of the ingredients in this recipe - if ya need more mayo or mustard, toss it in - more bacon or cheese would only make these better.

P.S. Some photos on my posts are not photos that I take myself. I find them at google images and on allrecipes.

Chicken Pasta Pie

This recipe is the second place winner of the Casserole Throw Down.

I am submitting it because 100% of the people (all 2 of them) who have taken the poll to the right have said that they are in need of main dish recipes - and because in my opinion this was the better casserole (I will go for Alfredo over Mexican any day!)

The only reason these guys didn't win was because they went over budget. Not that this is an expensive dish, just that they were not aware that there would be points cut for going over $10 so they went for primo ingredients rather than store brand.

I thoroughly enjoyed this dish and went for seconds, but it was all gone. So even though I have not made this myself, I have tasted it and loved it. I have labeled this as Neisha, but the credit goes to Lynette, Cami and Jannelle.

Chicken Pasta Pie

16 oz. uncooked thin spaghetti
8 Tbs. butter, divided
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 C Parmesan cheese (fresh is best)
1-2 cloves garlic, pressed
3 C small broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper
2/3 C sliced green onions with tops
3-4 cooked chicken breasts, cubed
4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
20 oz Alfredo sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9X13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Cook spaghetti according to package directions, drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add 6 Tbs of the butter, cut into small pieces and stir until melted. Add beaten eggs and black pepper. Grate Parmesan cheese over pasta and mix well. Spread mixed pasta into prepared pan and bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until set.

Meanwhile, melt remaining 2 Tbs butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pressed garlic, vegetables and cooked chicken and stir fry for about 4 minutes. Stir in 1/2 of the pasta sauce. Spoon chicken mixture into the baked spaghetti shell. Shred mozzarella cheese over chicken and veggies. Bake for 10 minutes then let stand for 5 minutes. Heat remaining sauce and pour over top. Cut and serve - 16 servings.

Note:
The contest rules required us to use canned chicken (from Costco) - and in my opinion, it was still quite tasty made with Costco canned chicken. I stress that it is from Costco, because their canned chicken seemed to be quite a lot better than other canned chicken that I have had in the past.

Waffle Iron Cookies

This is a great recipe for summertime because you don't have to turn on the oven to make these delicious chocolate cookies. This is one of the first things I ever made for Steve - and one of the few sweet treats that he enjoys. (I know, maybe I should have held out for someone who could more appreciate the greatness of my baking!)

2 squares unsweetened chocolate

1/2 C butter

2 eggs

3/4 C sugar

1 C flour

1 tsp vanilla

1 C chopped nuts (optional)

In a small bowl, melt together unsweetened chocolate and butter - let cool. In a medium bowl, beat eggs - add chocolate mixture and combine. Add sugar, flour, vanilla and nuts - combine. Bake in waffle iron for about 2 minutes - do not over cook. You can make the cookies as big or as little as you like, because they should cook evenly no matter how big they are.

I used my medium scoop and got about 18 good sized cookies. You could easily get 2 dozen small cookies.

Note:

• Make sure your chocolate mixture is not too hot, or it will cook your eggs.


• I usually burn the first batch because I'm never sure how to work the waffle iron correctly.


• If these cookies are baked too long they get super crunchy. They should be crisp on the outside and cakelike in the middle.


• In the photo they are glazed, but they are also great with chocolate frosting (I Like), dusted with powdered sugar or just plain (Steve).

Blue Ribbon Lemon Bars

These lemon bars are the best ones I've had. They seem to have just the right amount of filling to crust ratio. This recipe was passed down to me from my mom, and has won it's fair share of awards. They are pretty easy to make, and have become my go to recipe for something a little more special than cookies.

CRUST:
1 C soft butter
dash of salt
1/2 C powdered sugar
2 C flour

FILLING:
4 eggs
2 C sugar
1/4 C flour
1/3 C lemon juice

CRUST: Combine butter, salt powdered suagar and 2 C flour. Press into a 9 X 13 pan. Bake @ 350 for 15 - 20 minutes until edges are slighty brown. Let Cool slightly.

FILLING: Beat eggs, add sugar, 1/4 C flour and lemon juice - whisk until combined and pour onto cooled crust. Bake @ 350 for 25 minutes or until set. Let cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into bars.

Note: It seems like it takes forever for the crust to brown. Sometimes I just take it out even if the edges are not brown. The crust doesn't have to be completely cooled down, but if it's too hot the egg mixture kind of starts to cook in top of the crust.