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Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Peanut Butter Cup Crumble Cakes

34 REESE'S Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures, divided
1 pkg (about 18 oz.) white cake mix with pudding in the mix
1/4 c creamy peanut butter PEANUT BUTTER CRÈME FROSTING (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 350°F. Line 24 muffin cups (2-1/2 in in diameter) with paper or foil liners. Remove wrappers from peanut butter cups. Coarsely chop; set aside.

 Prepare cake mix according to package directions, adding peanut butter to mixture. Stir in 1 c chopped peanut butter cup pieces. Fill prepared muffin cups half full. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into cup centers comes out clean. Cool slightly; remove from pans. Cool completely.

Prepare PEANUT BUTTER CREME FROSTING. Frost cupcakes; sprinkle remaining peanut butter cup pieces over frosting. Makes about 24 cupcakes.

PEANUT BUTTER CREME FROSTING: Beat 1 can (12 oz.) ready-to-spread fluffy white frosting, 1/2 c creamy peanut Butter and 1 tsp vanilla extract in medium bowl until well blended and fluffy. Makes about 2 c frosting.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Drip Beef Sandwiches

2 ½ - 4 lb chuck roast
¼ c butter
1 lg onion, sliced thick
3 cloves garlic, peeled
rosemary
thyme
½ c soy sauce
1 c cooking sherry
4 c water

toasted, buttered Deli Rolls

Heat butter in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Saute the onions for a couple of minutes, or until starting to get brown. Set chuck roast on top of the onions. Add all remaining ingredients. Cook on high for 15 minutes or until browned on the outside and then simmer on low for 1-2 hours, or until beef is fork-tender and falling apart. Shred meat with two forks until all large chunks are gone and serve immediately on top of toasted, buttered deli rolls. Top with cheese and place under the broiler if desired.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Lasagna Soup

2 tsp olive oil
1 lb ground Italian sausage
3 c chopped onion
 4 cloves garlic
2 tsp dried oregano
 ½ tsp dried crushed red pepper
2 TBS tomato paste
 1 28 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
 2 bay leaves
 6 c chicken stock
1 lb cooked fusilli noodles
 ½ c chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper

Cheese topping:
1 c ricotta cheese
½ c grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
1 TBS chopped basil
2 c shredded mozzarella

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and brown for 5 minutes. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Add the tomato paste. Let the tomato paste cook for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves and chicken stock. Bring the soup to a boil, and then turn down to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes. At the end, season with salt and pepper and add the basil.

While the soup is simmering, make the cheese mixture. In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and basil. Set aside.

When you are ready to serve your soup, add a good handful of pasta to the bottom of the bowl. Add the soup to the bowl and add a generous spoonful of the cheese mixture to the top. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Pizza Casserole

4 c uncooked egg noodles
1 lb lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c sliced pepperoni
16 oz pizza sauce
4 TBS milk
1 c shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook noodles according to package directions.

 Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef with the onion, garlic and green bell pepper. Drain excess fat. Stir in the noodles, pepperoni, pizza sauce and milk, and mix well. Pour this mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish. Bake for 20 minutes, top with the cheese, then bake for 5 to 10 more minutes.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Breakfast Pita Pockets


½ lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
½ lb pork sausage, cooked and chopped
½ lb Canadian-style bacon, cooked and chopped
6 eggs, beaten
3 pita breads, cut in half

After preparing bacon, sausage, and Canadian bacon mix all together with beaten egg mixture and pour the entire mixture into the skillet and scramble until no longer runny.

 Place pita bread in a microwave, and heat on High about 30 seconds, until warm. Spoon the egg mixture into the pita bread halves, and serve warm.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Buffalo Chicken Stromboli

1 13.8 oz can Pillsbury® refrigerated classic pizza crust
2 c shredded cooked chicken
¼ c Buffalo wing sauce
1/3 c crumbled bleu cheese

Heat oven to 425F. Lightly spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Unroll dough; place on cookie sheet. Starting at center, press out dough into 14x10-inch rectangle.

In small bowl, mix chicken and wing sauce; spread down center of rectangle to within 1 inch of edges. Sprinkle with cheese.

Fold shorter sides of dough 1 inch over filling. Bring long sides of dough over filling, overlapping in center; pinch edge to seal.

 Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until golden brown.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes

4 large baking potatoes
8 slices bacon
1 c ranch dressing
½ c milk
4 TBS butter
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 c shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
8 green onions, sliced, divided

Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.

When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins. To the potato flesh add ranch, milk, butter, salt, pepper, ½ c cheese and half the green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon. Bake for another 15 minutes.

Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken

2 TBS olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c dry bread crumbs
2/3 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried basil leaves
¼ tsp ground black pepper
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

In a bowl, blend the olive oil and garlic. In a separate bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil, and pepper.

 Dip each chicken breast in the oil mixture, then in the bread crumb mixture.

Arrange the coated chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish, and top with any remaining bread crumb mixture.

Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Italian Beef Stew

¾ c KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
2 lb beef stew meat, such as beef chuck roast, cut into 1-in. chunks
6 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
6 carrots (about 1 lb), sliced
1 ½ lb potatoes (about 3), peeled, cut into large chunks
1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 14.5 oz can beef broth

Cook stew meat in the zesty Italian dressing in a large kettle for about 15 minutes or until beef is well browned and there is no longer any dressing in the pan (after it has all soaked into the meat).

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally. Use slotted spoon to remove bacon from saucepan; drain on paper towels. Add onions to saucepan; cook for 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add bacon, onions, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, and broth to saucepan with meat; stir. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally; cover. Simmer on low heat 1 ½ hours or until vegetables are tender and sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally and uncovering for the last 15 minutes.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Seasoned Brocolli Spears

1 ½ lb fresh broccoli, cut into spears
2 TBS butter
1 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
½ tsp garlic salt
½ tsp dried thyme

Cook broccoli as desired; drain. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Chicken Ranch Casserole

1 lb chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper and cut into small cubes
1 TBS butter or vegetable oil
16 oz wide egg noodles
16 oz bag frozen broccoli
1 can cream of chicken soup
16 oz bottle ranch dressing
½ c milk
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Melt butter/heat oil over medium heat, and cook chicken pieces until cooked through.

Meanwhile, begin boiling water for noodles and preheat oven to 400F. Cook egg noodles for 5 minutes once it reaches a boil, then drain.

In a large bowl combine chicken, broccoli, soup, ranch, and milk. Once well mixed stir in egg noodles and ½ c cheese into the mixture. Place mixture in a greased 9x13 dish and top with the rest of the shredded cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until bubbles form around the edges and cheese is melted.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Breakfast Pizza

cooking spray
1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled (or other breakfast meat desired)
2 12 oz cans refrigerated biscuits (10 biscuits per can)
Alfredo sauce (or other sauce desired)
1 TBS butter
12 eggs
1 sm onion, chopped
½ green bell pepper, chopped
2 c shredded Cheddar cheese
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly spray a 9x12 in baking sheet with cooking spray.

Start cooking the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until the bacon is browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels, crumbling when finished.

Meanwhile, open up the cans of biscuits, separate the biscuits, and arrange onto the prepared baking sheet so they touch. Press the biscuit dough down to seal them together into a crust that covers the baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until the crust is slightly cooked and very lightly browned, about 8-10 min. Remove from oven. Immediately spread a small amount of alfredo sauce (or other sauce desired) around onto the crust just like regular pizza.

Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until the foam disappears. Beat the eggs in a bowl, and pour the eggs into the hot skillet. Use a spatula to lift and gently stir the eggs just until set, but still moist, 3 to 4 minutes.

Arrange the lightly scrambled eggs on the semi-baked biscuit crust. Top with the cooked bacon, onion, and green pepper; spread the Cheddar cheese all over the pizza. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Return to oven, and bake on the top rack until the cheese is melted and bubbling and has begun to brown, about 10 more min.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Bacon Chicken Chowder and Dumplings

3 slices bacon
3 lg potatoes, peeled and diced
1 onion, diced
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - diced
3 c chicken broth
1 tsp poultry seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1 15.25 oz can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
3 c half-and-half
1 ½ c biscuit mix
1 c milk

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside; reserve bacon drippings in skillet. Add potatoes, onion and chicken to bacon drippings and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in chicken broth; season with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir in corn, and simmer all together for 15 minutes. Pour in half-and-half and bring to a boil; add crumbled bacon.

In a medium bowl, combine biscuit mix with milk and mix well (dough should be thick). Drop TBS sizes of dough into boiling mixture; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes uncovered, then another 10 minutes covered. (Note: Do not stir while simmering, or dumplings will break apart). Serve hot.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Penne Cheese Casserole

1 16 oz box penne pasta
6 slices bacon
1 c panko bread crumbs
¼ c butter, melted
2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
3 TBS olive oil
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 shallots, finely chopped
2 TBS all-purpose flour
3 c half and half cream
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 c shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the penne, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.

Meanwhile, place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate, and reserve the remaining bacon drippings in a small bowl. Crumble the bacon into a bowl, then mix in the panko bread crumbs, butter, and chopped parsley. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350F. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and shallots; cook and stir until the shallots have softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bacon drippings and flour. Cook and stir for 1 minute, then whisk in the heavy cream and thyme. Continue to cook and stir until reduced by 1/3. Add Monterey Jack cheese and Cheddar cheese, stirring until cheeses have melted. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the penne pasta. Transfer the pasta mixture to a 9x13 in baking dish. Sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture.
Bake in the preheated oven until bread crumbs have browned and the sauce is bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Rosemary Chicken Sandwich

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to ¼ in thickness
ground black pepper
1 TBS olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
2 TBS mayonnaise
2 tsp prepared Dijon-style mustard
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
4 garlic and rosemary focaccia rolls (or 8 slices of the bread)

Lightly sprinkle pepper on one side of each chicken cutlet after pounding. Heat oil in a large skillet; brown garlic in oil, then add chicken, pepper-side-down. Lightly sprinkle pepper on the other side as well. Saute chicken until cooked through and juices run clear, about 12 to 15 minutes. Towards the end cut the rolls in half and stick under a light broiler for a minute or two to heat through. In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, mustard and rosemary. Mix together and spread mixture on both sides of each roll (or on all slices). Place 1 chicken cutlet on each of these slices, then top each with another bread slice.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Easy Sausage Pizza

1 pre-baked Italian bread shell crust (12 inches)
1 c pizza sauce
1 ¼ c (5 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
½ lb ground Italian sausage, pinched into dime-sized pieces
½c chopped green pepper
optional:
onions, mushrooms, olives, or any other type of desired toppings
pepperjack cheese in place of mozzarella

Preheat oven according to crust package directions. Spread sauce over crust; sprinkle w 1 c cheese. Sprinkle with sausage and green pepper. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake according to crust package directions or until sausage is no longer pink and cheese is melted.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Chex Cajun Mix

2 c Corn Chex® cereal
2 c Rice Chex® cereal
2 c Wheat Chex® cereal
2 c bite-size pretzel twists
2 c mixed nuts
1 stick butter or margarine
2 TBS cajun seasoning
1 tsp red pepper sauce

In large microwaveable bowl, mix cereals, pretzels and nuts.

In 2 c microwaveable measuring cup, microwave butter uncovered on High about 40 seconds or until melted. Stir in cajun seasoning and pepper sauce. Pour over cereal mixture; stir until evenly coated. Microwave uncovered on High 6 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool. Store in airtight container.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Pepperoni Calzones

2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
1 ½ c warm water
4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp white sugar
1 TBS & 1 tsp olive oil
1 c Italian Blend shredded cheese
¼ c grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c diced pepperoni
1/4 c olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
oregano, thyme, basil, and red pepper flakes for sprinkling
pizza sauce for spreading
1 egg, beaten
1 TBS water

In a large bowl, proof the yeast by blending it with ¼ c of the warm water. Let stand until it bubbles.

In a separate large bowl combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Blend in the 1 TBS of olive oil by rubbing the mixture between the palms of your hands. Make a well in the dry ingredients. Add proofed yeast mixture and work in by hand. Gradually add the remaining warm water. Blend well and gather into a ball. Place 1 tsp of olive oil on a wooden board. Knead dough on board until smooth. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Let rise in a warm place for 1 ½ hrs or until doubled in bulk.

In the last 5-10 minutes preheat the oven to 375F. Also, place the cheeses, garlic, pepperoni, olive oil, salt, and ground black pepper.

Punch down dough and knead for 1 minute. Divide into four equal pieces. On a floured board, roll each section into a 8-10 in circle and lightly sprinkle oregano, thyme, and basil, and put just 1-3 red pepper flakes on each piece. Spread a small dollop of sauce over just one half of the dough.

In a small bowl combine the beaten egg and water. On the side of the dough with the sauce, place ½ c filling in a strip one inch away from the edges of the dough. Flatten the filling with a spoon. Brush egg mixture over edges of dough. Fold the dough over the filling. Fold edges under 1/4 in. Seal edges. Place on a greased cookie sheet and brush remaining egg mixture on top of calzones. Prick tops of calzones with toothpick, making holes 1/2 in apart on top of dough. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Chicken, Tomato & Herb Penne

4 TBS extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp fresh chopped garlic (or ½ tsp minced)
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1/3 c fresh basil leaves, chopped or cut into thin strips (or 2 tsp dry)
1 c water
1 16 oz pkg penne
1 10-12 oz pkg cooked chicken breast strips, Italian style
1 ½ c shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat; add garlic and cook for 1 minute; add tomatoes, basil, and water, and turn heat down to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile cook penne according to package directions and drain once finished.

During the last ten minutes of the penne cooking add the chicken into the tomato mixture simmering and let it all simmer together the last ten minutes of cooking.

Toss pasta with tomato mixture and mozzarella cheese. Season to taste with salt and cracked black pepper.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Ranch Cheddar Chicken

½ c ranch dressing
1 TBS flour
4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
¼ c shredded cheddar cheese
¼ c grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375F. Mix together dressing and flour. Coat each chicken breast with mixture. Arrange on a baking sheet. Combine both cheeses and sprinkle over chicken breasts. Bake 25 minutes and serve.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Fried Ravioli

2 TBS milk
1 egg
3/4 c Italian seasoned bread crumbs
½ 25 oz pkg frozen cheese ravioli, thawed
vegetable oil for frying
grated Parmesan cheese
16 oz Tomato and Basil spaghetti sauce

Combine milk and egg in a small bowl. Place breadcrumbs in another shallow bowl. Dip ravioli in milk mixture, and coat with breadcrumbs.

In a large saucepan, heat pasta sauce over medium heat until bubbling. Reduce the heat to simmer.

In a large heavy pan, pour oil to depth of ½ in. Heat oil over medium heat until a small amount of breading sizzles and turns brown. Fry ravioli, a few at a time, 1 min on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately with hot pasta sauce.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Simple Stuffed Crust Pizza

1 10 oz can refrigerated pizza crust dough
10 pieces string cheese
1 c pizza sauce
Sliced pepperoni
1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
(seasonings you prefer on pizza)

Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease 13x9-inch baking pan. Unroll dough; press into bottom and 1 inch up sides of baking pan. Place pieces of string cheese along inside edges of dough. Fold 1 inch dough over and around cheese. Press dough edges to seal. Top crust with pizza sauce, pepperoni and shredded cheese and whatever seasonings you prefer on your pizza. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Peppermint Pattie Brownies

24 small (1 ½ in) YORK Peppermint Patties
3 sticks butter or margarine, melted
3 c sugar
1 TBS vanilla extract
5 eggs
2 c all-purpose flour
1 c HERSHEY'S cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Remove wrappers from peppermint patties. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl. Add eggs; beat until well blended. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; blend well. Reserve 2 c batter. Spread remaining batter in prepared pan. Arrange peppermint patties about ½ in apart in single layer over batter. Spread reserved 2 c batter over patties. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack; cut into squares. About 36 brownies.