Creamy Chicken and Broccoli

This is another one of those wonderful recipes from KRAFT. It almost sounds too simple and easy. But, then, that's what we all need some days.

 

Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 package (14-oz) frozen broccoli florets, thawed and drained
1 1/2 cups Kraft 2% Milk Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 tub (10 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Savory Garlic Cooking Creme
1/2 cup milk
24 RITZ Crackers, crushed (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine chicken, broccoli, Cheddar cheese and cooing creme in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Cover.

Bake 25 minutes. Meanwhile, mix cracker crumbs and butter.

Stir chicken mixture. Top with crumbs. Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

Makes 6  servings of about 1 cup each.

Kraft suggests serving this casserole with a green salad or fresh fruit.

HERSHEY'S Vanilla Chip Fruit Tart

Wow! This seems so cool and refreshing -- with just the right amouth of extra to make it luscious.

HERSHEY’S Vanilla Chip Fruit Tart

¾ cup butter or margarine, softened
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Vanilla Filling (recipe follows)
Fruit Topping (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 300 degrees.

Beat butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in flour. Press mixture onto bottom and up side of 12-inch round pizza pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.

Prepare Vanilla Filling. Spread on cooled crust. Cover. Chill.

Prepare Fruit Topping. Cover. Chill assembled tart.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Vanilla Filling

1 2/3 (10-oz. package) HERSHEY’S Vanilla Milk Chips
¼ cup whipping cream
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

In microwave-safe bowl, microwave vanilla chips and whipping cream at HIGH (100 %) 1 to 1 ½ minutes or until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. Beat in cream cheese. Spread on cooled crust.

Fruit Topping

¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ cup pineapple juice
½ teaspoon lemon juice
Assorted fresh fruit

In small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in juices. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Cool.

Meanwhile, slice and arrange fruit on top of filling. Pour juice mixture over it. Cover. Chill.

Frosty Pear Drink

One of my favorite possessions isn’t really mine. It’s a pear tree that was born from an offshoot of my Gran’s pear tree. I grew up eating these hard pears. She was such a wonderful Gran. She would peel these pears and feed them to me as I sat on a stool at her feet.

This year the pear tree didn’t bloom at all. There are no pears. My father says the tree is just old. My heart is broken. At least I can still get the taste with smoothies like this one.

Frosty Pear Drink

2 pear halves, coarsely chopped
1 ½ cups milk
1 cup lemon or pineapple sherbet
4 ice cubes, cracked

Place pears, milk, sherbet and ice in blender. Process until smooth.

Makes about 1 quart.

REESE'S Chewy Chocolate Pan Cookies

Chocolate and peanut butter make for a must-have treat.

REESE’S Chewy Chocolate Pan Cookies

1 ¼ cups butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups (12-oz.) REESE’S Peanut Butter Chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 15 ½ x 10 ½ x 1-inch jelly-roll pan.

In large mixer bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Gradually blend into creamed mixture. Stir in chips. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake 20 minutes or until set. Cook completely. Cut into bars.

Makes about 4 dozen bars.

Lemon Curd Pound Cake

I love lemon-flavored desserts and I’m always searching for new recipes. This recipe came from Southern Living magazine last year. Don’t worry if you missed it. Southern Living publishes annual cookbooks that include all the recipes from the previous year’s monthly magazines. Yeah. You guessed it. I have quite a collection of their cookbooks.

Lemon Curd Pound Cake

1 cup butter, softened
½ cup shortening
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
Lemon Curd Glaze

Garnishes: candied lemon slides, sugared cranberries, fresh thyme sprigs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with a heavy-duty stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears.

Sift (or whisk) together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition.

Stir in lemon zest, vanilla extract and lemon extract.

Pour into a greased and floured 10-inch (16-cup) tube pan.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare Lemon Curd Glaze. Remove cake from pan to wire rack. Gently brush warm glaze over top and sides of cake. Cool completely on wire rack (about 1 hour). Garnish if desired.

Lime Curd Pound Cake

Omit lemon extract. Substitute lime zest for lemon zest and Lime Curd Glaze for Lemon Curd Glaze. Proceed with recipe as directed.

Lemon Curd Glaze

2/3 cup sugar
1 ½ tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Stir together sugar, butter, lemon zest and lemon juice in a small, heavy saucepan. Add egg and stir until blended.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, 10 to 12 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly and begins to bubble around the edges. (Cooked mixture will have a thickness similar to heavy cream.) Use immediately.

Lime Curd Glaze

Substitute lime zest for lemon zest and lime juice for lemon juice.

Buttery Baking Powder Biscuits

My Grandmother made the most amazing biscuits. I would love to be able to taste them one more time. Alas, she never could teach anyone how to make them. She just sort of threw everything into a flour bowl (a metal bowl that always had flour in it) and baked them. She didn’t know how to teach anyone because she never thought about how she did it. Sadly, she eventually lost the ability to make them. She went home a long time ago.

And she left behind a granddaughter who is forever searching for a wonderful biscuit recipe. I’ve got many, many recipes. I don’t know where this one came from. And it’s not like my Grandmother’s biscuits. But, hey, none of them are.

Buttery Baking Powder Biscuits

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup cold butter or margarine
¾ cup half-and-half
Additional melted butter (about 2 tablespoons) for brushing

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Cut the cold butter into flour mixture until coarse crumbs form, using a pastry blender or two knives. Add half-and-half, all at once, mixing gently just until a soft dough forms.

Gather dough together with your hands and transfer it to a floured board or pastry cloth. Knead gently, just enough to form dough into a uniform ball; turn to coat lightly with flour. Roll or pat dough out to about ½-inch thickness. Using a 2 ½-inch round cutter, cut dough into biscuits.

Place biscuits about 1-inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush tops lightly with melted butter. Bake until biscuits are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve hot.

Makes 1 dozen.

Hershey's Snow White Mousse Pie

This recipe comes from the folks at Hershey’s. It looks delicious, sort of like an easy, no-bake cheesecake.

I do want to caution you about melting chips in the microwave. I do this all the time but check it in 30 second increments, stirring each time. Sometimes the chips look barely melted but when you stir them, they are almost completely melted.

Hershey’s Snow White Mousse Pie

2 cups chilled whipping cream, divided
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup HERSHEY’S Vanilla Milk Chips
2 egg whites, at room temperature
2 tablespoons sugar
8-inch (6-oz) packaged chocolate flavored crumb crust
1 can ( 21-oz) cherry pie filling, chilled

In large microwave-safe bowl place 1 cup whipping cream; stir in gelatin. Allow to soften at least 5 minutes. Stir in vanilla milk chips. Microwave on HIGH 1 to 1 ½ minutes or until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred.

Chill 15 minutes or just until mixture is lukewarm.

In small mixture bowl, beat remaining 1 cup chilled whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into vanilla mixture.

Pour into crust. Cover; chill until firm.

Just before serving, cover top of pie with chilled cherry pie filling.

Crackling Bread

I admit it. I love cookbooks. Always have. I have a huge assortment and I use them when I can. So no one was surprised when I went to an antique mall’s big sales day and bought -- you guessed it -- another cookbook.

This one is a small staple-bound book from 1964. It’s titled Southern Appalachian Mountain Cookbook by Ferne Shelton. As I flipped through the pages, I knew I HAD to take it home. It’s filled with those old-time recipes that you just don’t find in modern cookbooks.

My Gran always made Crackling Bread and now my Mother does too. I don’t eat it. Not really. I like the bread but I pick out the cracklings. Seems kind of silly, even to me. My Mother, who doesn’t drink milk, crumbles the bread into a glass of buttermilk and seems to love it. I’ll trust her on that because I don’t plan to try it that way.

For those who don’t know -- and the cookbook does explain it -- “cracklings are the browned pieces of meat remaining after pure lard has been rendered from fat pork.”

Crackling Bread

2 cups cornmeal
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup cracklings

Mix the cornmeal, salt and baking soda. Add buttermilk and cracklings. Form into cakes and place in greased baking pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes.

Different Version: My Mother fries her bread. She uses a cast iron griddle, pours the thick mixture onto the greased surface and cooks it until it is browned. Then she flips it and browns the other side.

Cauliflower Mac 'N Cheese

I found this recipe in the September issue of Good Housekeeping magazine. It looks wonderful! Also check out the interview with Katie Couric and the short story. Hooray for fiction back in Good Housekeeping!

Cauliflower Mac ‘N Cheese

1 medium head cauliflower (1 ½ lbs), core discarded, florets cut into 2-inch pieces
4 medium carrots (10 oz.), thinly sliced
1 cup unsalted vegetable broth
¼ cup reduced-face cream cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Pinch cayenne (ground red) pepper
¾ cup shredded Gruyere cheese
Salt
Pepper
12 oz. elbow macaroni
8 oz. small broccoli florets (3 cups)
2 medium plum tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 8-quart saucepot of salted water to boiling on high.

Add cauliflower and carrots to boiling water. Cook 15 minutes or until very tender.

Meanwhile, in blender, combine broth, cream cheese, mustard, cayenne, ½ cup Gruyere, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. With slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to blender. Puree until very smooth.

Add pasta to same saucepot of boiling water. Cook half the time the label directs; adding broccoli during last minute of cooking. Drain; return to pot. Stir in cauliflower sauce and half of tomatoes. Spread in 2 ½-quart shallow baking dish. Top with remaining cheeses and tomatoes.

Bake 35 minutes or until golden brown on top and heated through.

Makes 6 main-dish servings at about 345 calories per serving.

Roasted Pear

This recipe is in the current issue of People magazine. It would be easy to miss it if you’re not looking for a homemade baby food recipe. I’m not, in case you’re wondering. But I love pears and I love cinnamon. This just seems so easy and like it would be a wonderful treat for any age.

The recipe comes from “celebrity chef and food network regular Donatella Arpaia” according to the magazine. Enjoy!

Roasted Pear

1 Bartlett pear, peeled
Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Remove thin slice from bottom of pear; sprinkle with cinnamon.

Please pear in lightly greased 8-inch square baking pan. Bake 35 minutes or until tender when pierced with wooden pick. (I use wooden toothpicks.) Cool to room temperature. Scoop fruit straight from pear to serve.

Graham Cracker Cake

When I first began cooking, I stressed over separating the egg yolks from the egg whites. It seems silly now. I've been doing it more years than I care to admit and it comes naturally. But back then, it was sometimes a source of aggravation. Has anyone else ever had to use a spoon to get egg yolk out of the whites? And then you have to worry if the egg whites will do what they're supposed to do because of the egg yolk.

This cake sounds fascinating. It comes from another one of those old newspaper clippings, so I don't know the who or the where. I do recommend making sure the eggs are room temperature. Egg whites just do better that way when you go to beat them into stiff peaks.

 

Graham Cracker Cake

2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs, separated
36 graham crackers, crushed to crumbs
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk

Blend sugar and vegetable oil; add egg yolks.

Mix Graham cracker crumbs, flour and baking powder together. Add dry mixture alternately with mix.

Beat egg whites until stuff, then fold into cake batter.

Pour into three 8-inch round greased and floured cake pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

Frost with a light chocolate butter frosting.

Frozen Lemon Custard Dessert

This comes from an old, yellowed newspaper clipping. I have no idea which newspaper. It does have a note saying it is a favorite contest winner for Oct. 15 (no year listed) for Betty Current. That’s what I don’t know.

That I do know is that in the Deep South -- and much of the country this year -- it is really hot and this sounds like just the thing for a summer afternoon treat!

Frozen Lemon Custard Dessert

1 package honey graham crackers (11 double crackers), crushed (1 ½ to 2 cups; set aside 2  tablespoons crumbs for garnish)
¼ cup sugar or 1 to 2 packets sugar substitute
¼ cup chopped pecans
¼ cup melted butter or margarine
1 quart vanilla ice cream
2 pints lemon custard frozen yogurt
Grated rind of 3 lemons
Raspberries or raspberry sauce

While preparing the crust, remove ice cream and frozen yogurt from freezer and let it soften.

Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, pecans and melted margarine. Mix and pat into the bottom of a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish.

Combine ice cream and frozen yogurt. Mix with lemon rind. Spread on top of crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumbs and return to freezer until frozen.

Remove from freezer 15 to 20 minutes before serving and let stand at room temperature. Slice in 2-inch squares and serve with raspberry sauce or pureed raspberries sweetened to taste with sugar substitute. Garnish with lemon slices and mint leaves, if desired.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’ve never tried Butter Flavored Crisco, though I swear by the regular white Crisco. It’s a must item for every kitchen -- at least one you plan to use for baking. This recipe is enough to make me purchase some Butter Flavored Crisco just because the cookies sound so wonderful. This recipe came from an advertisement for, you guessed it, Crisco.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

¾ cup Butter Flavor Crisco
1 ½ cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup large pecan pieces
NOTE: If nuts are omitted, use 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream Crisco, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Blend until creamy. Blend in egg.

Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture, gradually. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

Drop rounded tablespoonfuls (about 2 measuring tablespoons) of dough 3-inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies (they will look light and moist -- DO NOT OVERBAKE), 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies.

Cook on baking sheet for 2 minutes. Remove to cooling rach.

Makes 3 dozen 3-inch cookies.

Lite 'N Easy Cheese Dip

This sweet little clipping is apparently from an advertisement for Sargento cheese. I say that because it’s got their brand of cheese in it. Hey, many wonderful recipes are created by the folks who are promoting their products. The “lite” caught me. The tuna almost stopped me. I like tuna but it just seemed odd. What do you think?

Lite ‘N Easy Cheese Dip

1 cup light mayonnaise
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 8-oz. package Sargento Fancy Mild Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well-drained
1 6 ½ oz. can chunk light tuna in water, drained
2 tablespoons chopped pimento, optional

In medium bowl, mix mayonnaise, yogurt and mustard. Add remaining ingredients and stir well.

Makes 3 cups.

Serve with Devonsheer Melba Rounds or Toast.

Apple Raisin Bars

This recipe was in an October 2011 issue of Family Circle. I was thrilled to get it because at the time our apple tree was producing more apples than I could possibly keep up with.

Apple Raisin Bars

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups packaged light-brown sugar
2 eggs
½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups diced Golden Delicious apple
¾ cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Liberally coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, blend together sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla for 3 minutes or until smooth.

Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture; mix for 2 minutes or until just incorporated. Stir in diced apples and raisins and spread into prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cook completely before cutting into bars and serving.

Makes 12 bars, at 338 calories per serving.

White Chocolate Raspberry Pie

Some pies are made to be savored. This would be one of them. Another great recipe from the folks at Pillsbury. I also love the feedback from other cooks. One suggested using extra creamy Cool Whip instead of the whipping cream. Another used strawberries instead of raspberries and found it to be wonderful. For me, anything with white chocolate is wonderful!

White Chocolate Raspberry Pie

1 Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crust, softened as directed on box

5 oz white chocolate baking squares

3 tablespoons milk

5  oz cream cheese, softened                                      

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 to 1 teaspoon grated orange peel

1 cup whipping cream, whipped

3 cups fresh raspberries                                           

Heat oven to 450°F. Make pie crust as directed on box for One-Crust Baked Shell, using 9-inch glass pie plate. Cool completely.

In microwavable bowl, microwave 4 squares of the white chocolate and the milk uncovered on Medium about 2 minutes or until almost melted. Stir until melted. Cool to room temperature.

In small bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and orange peel with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Beat in white chocolate mixture. Fold whipped cream into white chocolate mixture. Spread in bottom of cooled baked shell. Arrange raspberries on filling.

Melt remaining square of white chocolate; drizzle over pie. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until set. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pie.

Expert Tips
White chocolate is made of a mixture of sugar, cocoa butter, milk solids, lecithin and vanilla. Check to see if the label states it contains cocoa butter; if not, it's not white chocolate

Fettuccine Primavera

This recipe appeared in a newspaper back in August of 1990. I have no idea which newspaper. It somehow got clipped off. But I’ve kept this recipe, fully intending to try it one day. Microwaves really do come in handy sometimes when it comes to quickly preparing a meal.

Fettuccine Primavera

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 green onions, minced (including green tops)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 medium carrot, peeled and very finely diced
½ cup finely diced sweet red pepper
½ cup finely diced green pepper
1 cup finely diced zucchini
1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
¾ pound fettuccine
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
1 ½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Combine butter, oil, green onions, garlic and carrot in microwave-safe 2 ½-quart casserole. Cover with lid and microwave on HIGH (100% power) 4 minutes, stirring at two minutes.

Add red and green peppers, zucchini and mushrooms, arranging mushrooms in center. Cover and microwave on HIGH 2 minutes 45 seconds to 3 minutes 15 seconds, or until vegetables become barely tender.

Meanwhile, cook fettuccine al dente according to package directions.

Add whipping cream to microwaved mixture. Cover and microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes 45 seconds to 3 minutes 15 seconds, or until cream is hot, not boiling. Stir in basil, salt and pepper.

Drain pasta well and return to pan. Add vegetable mixture and toss well. Add cheese and toss again. Serve at once.

Makes 6 servings.

Chocolate Coconut Pie

Okay. Who LOVES chocolate? And who LOVES coconut? This recipe is for you. And me! LOL Thank you Pillsbury for another wonderful recipe!

Chocolate Coconut Pie

1 Pillsbury® refrigerated Deep Dish pie crust, softened as directed on box

1 can (12 oz) coconut milk

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup milk

1/3 cup cornstarch                                        

1 cup water

1 bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup chocolate shavings

Heat oven to 450°F. Bake pie crust as directed on box for One-Crust Baked Shell, using 9-inch glass pie plate. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 15 minutes.

In 2-quart saucepan, heat coconut milk, granulated sugar and milk to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. In small bowl, mix cornstarch and water. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in cornstarch mixture until thickened.

In large microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on Medium (50%) about 2 minutes or until melted. Stir half (about 2 cups) of the coconut milk mixture (haupia) into the melted chocolate. Spread in baked shell. Gently spread white haupia on top of chocolate layer. Refrigerate pie 2 hours.

In chilled medium bowl, beat whipping cream and powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Spread whipped cream over pie; sprinkle with chocolate shavings. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pie.

Expert Tips

To make chocolate shavings, pull a swivel-bladed vegetable peeler or thin, sharp knife across a block of chocolate. The curls will be easier to make if the chocolate is slightly warm (let it stand is a warm plave for about 15 minutes before cutting). Use a toothpick to lift the curls and arrange them on pie.

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Spinach Frittata

Lately it seems that I’m always on the hung for low calorie recipes. This is one of them. I don’t know where it came from. All I have is a faded newspaper clipping. But it’s a good recipe. And it’s also quick and easy. That’s a wonderful combination these days.

Spinach Frittata

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon minced onion

¾ cup liquid egg substitute

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

½ teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup chopped cooked spinach, very well drained

Heat oil in 8-inch skillet or omelet pan. Add onion and cook until transparent and tender.

Combine egg substitute with 2 tablespoons cheese, oregano, pepper and spinach. Mix well.

Pour egg mixture into skillet with onion and cook over very low heat until edges are lightly browned. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons cheese over top and place under broiler until cheese is lightly browned. Cut into wedges.

Makes 4 servings.

106 calories per serving.

Sunny Fruit Fiesta

This recipe comes from Healthy Meals in Minutes. It’s on one of those little cards that you get in the mail, so I figure that’s where I got it. I LOVE fruit salad. In fact, we made one this afternoon. We used yellow and red watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, green and red grapes, apples and pears in it. Absolutely wonderful!

Both of these versions of fruit salad look wonderful. I’m especially excited to try the tropical fruit version because I love fresh pineapple.

Sunny Fruit Fiesta

1 cantaloupe melon, halved and seeded
½ honeydew melon, seeded
¼ cup superfine or granulated sugar
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoons grated lime peel
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup black or red seedless grapes

Using a melon baller, scoop flesh from cantaloupe and honeydew into balls; set aside.

In a large glass or ceramic bowl, combine the sugar, lime juice, lemon juice, and lime peel. Stir well to dissolve sugar. Add the cantaloupe and honeydew balls, strawberries, and grapes. Toss gently to combine.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to blend flavors, stirring once or twice.

Spoon the fruit mixture into serving bowls or hollowed-out melon halves, dividing evenly. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

Variation:
For a tropical fruit version, substitute kiwi slices, pineapple chunks, papaya slices or mango cubes for some of the melon balls. Add a little grated fresh ginger or ground ginger. A dash of coconut extract would also make an intriguing addition. Try serving this version in a hallowed-out pineapple half.

Tip:
A perfectly ripe cantaloupe will have a sweet, fresh fragrance. It should feel heavy for its size and give slightly at both ends when gently pressed. If the cantaloupe is soft, yellowing, or feels wet at the stem end, pass it by.

To ripen a hard cantaloupe, store it in a warm place for several days, away from sunlight. Once it is ripe, refrigerate and use within a week.

For a melon basket:
Use a non-toxic marker to draw a zigzag pattern on melon. Cut deeply into fruit along pattern, separate halves, seed, and fill with fruit.

Potatoes Rancheros Casserole

Betty Crocker packaged potatoes are always in our cupboards. They're a perfect go-to side dish that everyone loves. They're also good to have just in case you need to take a casserole somewhere with little notice or time to prepare something fancy. I found this recipe in an advertisement for their product. This makes something basic and good downright fancy after all.

Betty Crocker Potatoes Rancheros Casserole

1 package Betty Crocker Au Gratin Potatoes
2 ¼ cups boiling water
1 cup canned corn, drained
2/3 cup milk
½ lb. lean ground beef, cooked and drained
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded taco-seasoned cheese
1 tablespoon finely chopped red pepper, if desired
1 tablespoon finely chopped green bell pepper, if desired

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix potatoes, Sauce Mix, water, corn and milk in ungreased 2-quart casserole. Stir in beef and ¾ cup cheese. Add red and green pepper, if desired.

Bake uncovered 30-35 minutes or until top is golden brown. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Let stand a few minutes.

Serve with Tortilla chips and sour cream.

Oreo Cheesecake Bites

Everybody loves Oreo cookies, don't they? I sure think so. They are wonderful stand alone treats or you can use them to make a glorious dessert like this one!

Kraft is wonderful about also including kitchen tips at the end of their recipes. So be sure to check out a couple at the end. And check out their website too for more delicious recipes!

Oreo Cheesecake Bites

36 OREO Cookies, divided

1/2 cup butter or margarine, divided

4 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream

1 tsp. vanilla

4 eggs

4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

 

HEAT oven to 325°F.

LINE 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends extending over sides. Finely crush 24 cookies. Melt 1/4 cup butter; mix with crumbs. Press onto bottom of prepared pan.

BEAT cream cheese and sugar with mixer until blended. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each just until blended. Chop remaining cookies. Gently stir into batter; pour over crust.

BAKE 45 min. or until center is almost set. Cool. Meanwhile, microwave chocolate and remaining butter in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min.; stir until smooth. Cool slightly; spread over top of cheesecake. Refrigerate 4 hours. Use foil handles to lift cheesecake from pan before cutting to serve.How to Make Mess-Free Cookie Crumbs

Crushing cookies into crumbs can be a messy task. To keep the mess to a minimum, place the whole cookies in a resealable plastic bag. Flatten bag to remove excess air, then seal bag. Crush the cookies into crumbs by rolling a rolling pin across the bag until the crumbs are as fine as you need.

How to Neatly Cut Dessert Bars

When cutting creamy-textured desserts, such as cheesecake, carefully wipe off the knife blade between cuts with a clean damp towel. This prevents the creamy filling from building up on the blade, ensuring clean cuts that leave the edges intact.

Cheesy Carrot-Top Chicken

This is one of those recipes I tore out of a magazine. I have know idea which one. Not that it matters. It almost certainly came from an advertisement for Stove Top Stuffing. It sounds yummy and quick. Both are good things in my world.

Cheesy Carrot-Top Chicken

1 cup hot water
1 cup shredded carrots
2 tablespoons butter or margarines, cut in pieces
2 cups Stove Top Flexible Stuffing Mix
4 skinned boned chicken breast halves
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Conventional Oven:
Bring water, carrots and butter to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in Stove Top. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Place chicken in greased baking dish. Top with stuffing. Mix sour cream and cheese; spoon over stuffing. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

Microwave:
Stir water into butter and carrots to soften butter. Stir in Stove Top. Place chicken in microwaveable dish; top with stuffing. Cover dish. Cook at HIGH 5 minutes. Rotate dish half turn; cook 5 more minutes at HIGH. Mix sour cream and cheese; spoon over stuffing. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until cheese melts.

Serves 4.

Crunchy Grecian Dip

This dip is just another excuse to eat your fruit!

Crunchy Grecian Dip with Apples

1 cup (6 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1 cup sour cream, light sour cream, or plan non-fat yogurt
½ cup chopped nuts
½ cup milk
¼ cup raisins
¼ teaspoon ground allspice

Combine all ingredients; mix well.
Serve with apple slices as dippers.
Makes 2 cups.

White Chocolate Cake

A year and half or so ago, my Mother and I stumbled upon an awesome deal. We were grocery shopping in that time when Christmas has come and gone and people only shop for necessity food. We happened on a whole bunch of chocolate baking bars on sale. With the attached coupons, each bar ended up only costing 9 cents. Yeah. You read that right. Needless to say, we purchased an entire shopping bag full of chocolate.

There were all types of chocolate, including white chocolate. I’ve never done a great deal of baking with white chocolate. I love it but I mostly used it to make Peppermint Bark.

This recipe is an old one from the Houston Chronicle. I hope you enjoy it!

White Chocolate Cake

4 ounces white chocolate
½ cup boiling water
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 egg yolks, unbeaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
White Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)

Melt chocolate in a the microwave in a microwave safe bowl, stiring every 30 seconds until melted. Cool.
With a mixer, blend butter and sugar until creamy. Add egg yolks and beat. Add chocolate and vanilla. Stir in flour with soda, salt and buttermilk. Beat until smooth. Fold in beaten egg white.
Pour into 3 greased and floured layer pans. Bake at 350 degrees 35 to 40 minutes or until cake tests done. Turn out on rack to cool.

White Chocolate Icing

2 egg yolks
1 ½ cups evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
¼ pound margarine
4 ounces white chocolate
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix egg yolks and 1 cup milk. Add sugar and margarine. Cook in the top of a double-boiler over simmering water until thick.
Melt chocolate in remaining milk which has been heated; add to mixture. Add pecans, coconut and vanilla and stir until thoroughly mixed in.
Frost cake.

Vegetable Lasagna

This recipe comes from the fine folks at Campbell's. I don't know about you, but I grew up on Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup. It's still my go to food when I'm not feeling well or it's really cold outside. It's right up there with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches when it comes to comfort food.

That said, I'm always checking out their recipes to see what else they have come up with. Do you like lasagna as much as I do?

Vegetable Lasagna

2 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Broccoli Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

1 1/2 cups milk

Vegetable cooking spray

1 tablespoon butter

3 3/4 cups sliced mushrooms (about 10 ounces)

2 medium red or orange peppers, cut into 2-inch-long thin strips (about 3 cups)

2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)

1 medium onion, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)

12 uncooked no-boil lasagna noodles

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 8 ounces)

• Stir the soup and milk in a small bowl and set aside. Spray a 13 x 9 x 2-inch shallow baking dish with the cooking spray.
• Heat the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, peppers, zucchini and onion and cook until they're tender.
• Spread 1 cup soup mixture in the bottom of the prepared dish. Layer with 3 of the noodles, 1/3 of the vegetable mixture, 1 cup of the soup mixture and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Repeat the layers twice. Top with the remaining 3 noodles. Pour the remaining soup mixture over the noodles. Cover the baking dish.
• Bake at 375°F. for 40 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or until it's hot and bubbling. Let the lasagna stand for 10 minutes.

Cream Cheese Raspberry Coffee Cake

This recipe comes from the good folks over at Pillsbury. They have some wonderful recipes available on their website. This coffee cake is divine!

 

Cream Cheese Raspberry Coffee Cake

 

 Coffee Cake

 2 cans (8 oz each Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 teaspoon sugar                               
                               

Filling

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softed

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons grated orange peel                                          

1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 pint (2 cups) fresh raspberries                                          
                                           

Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar                              

1 tablespoon butter, softened
2 teaspoons orange juice

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray large cookie sheet or 14-inch pizza pan with nonstick cooking spray. Unroll both cans of dough; separate into 16 triangles. Reserve 4 triangles for topping. On sprayed cookie sheet, arrange 12 triangles in circle with points toward center, leaving 3-inch hole in center. Press dough to form 14-inch ring; press seams together to seal. Fold outer and center edges up 1/4 inch.

In medium bowl, combine all filling ingredients except raspberries; mix well. Gently stir in raspberries. (Mixture will be thin.) Spoon filling over dough.

With scissors or pizza cutter, cut each reserved triangle lengthwise into thirds. Place 1 teaspoon sugar on work surface. Press each dough strip into sugar. Arrange sugared dough strips, sugar side up, evenly in spoke-fashion over filling. Press ends to seal at center and outer edges.

Bake at 350°F. for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes.

In small bowl, combine powdered sugar, butter and orange juice; stir until smooth. Drizzle over coffee cake. Serve warm.

White Chocolate Cheesecake

This recipe came from the Houston Chronicle sometime in the 1980s. I know this only because that is the time period in which I lived in Texas.

White Chocolate Cheesecake

1 ½ cups sugar
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 ½ lbs. cream cheese, softened
2 oz. white rum
1 lb. white chocolate, melted
6 eggs
Graham Cracker Crust (recipe follows)
White chocolate curls for garnish

Blend sugar, sour cream, cream cheese and rum; mix in melted chocolate. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour mixture into Graham Cracker Crust. Bake 40 minutes at 375 degrees; turn oven off and leave cake in oven 2 hours with door closed.

Garnish lavishly with white chocolate curls; serve chilled.

Makes 10-12 servings.

Graham Cracker Crust

½ stick butter (4 tablespoons), melted
8 teaspoons sugar
1 box graham crackers, crushed (about 1 ½ cups crumbs)

Mix melted butter with sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Pat evenly over bottom and sides of pan. Set aside.

Marbled Chocolate Brownies

This recipe comes from the Great American Home Baking folks. It came in the mail as a teaser to purchase their cookbook and inserts. Or at least I think it did. I found it in that same stack as several others. They seem simple and good. Can't wait to try them!

Marbled Chocolate Brownies

1 bar (4 oz.) bittersweet baking chocolate
½ cup (1 stick) butter
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 ¼ cups sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder

Topping

1 cup semisweet chocolate baking chips
1 cup white chocolate baking chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, making sure some of the foil hangs over the sides. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Chop the bittersweet chocolate into small pieces. Place the chocolate, butter, and cocoa powder in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH until the chocolate and butter are melted. Stir to combine and set aside.

Place the sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Add the chocolate mixture, stirring to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Sift in the flour and baking powder; mix well.

Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan. Bake brownies for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from oven.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the brownies. Return brownies to oven for 1 minute. Remove from oven; allow the pan to sit for 1 minute. Lift the brownies out of the pan (using the foil as handles). Spread the chocolate chips over the brownies for a marbled effect. Let cool completely before cutting into bars.

Chocolate Cakes

A mocha butter cream frosting quickly turns these brownies into individual desserts. Mix ½ cup butter or margarine with 1 cup confectioners’ sugar. Flavor with 1-2 teaspoon finely ground instant coffee and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cut the brownies in half horizontally and sandwich them together with the butter cream filling.

Cheesy Cornbread Casserole

This recipe comes from KRAFT and it's a special one for some folks I love. Personally, I avoid jalapeno peppers. Nothing fun for me about hot, hot, hot. That isn't true for everyone so this recipe is for them.

 Cheesy Cornbread Casserole

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 onion chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, finely chopped

1 can (15 oz.) enchilada sauce

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained

1 teaspoon garlice powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 package (8.5 oz.) corn muffin mix

1 package KRAFT Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheese with a Touch of Pheladelphia, divided

HEAT oven to 350ºF.
BROWN meat with onions and peppers in large skillet. Stir in next 4 ingredients; cook and stir 3 min. or until heated through. Spoon into 13x9-inch baking dish.
PREPARE muffin batter as directed on package; stir in cheese. Spread over meat mixture.
BAKE 20 min. or until toothpick inserted in center of cornbread topping comes out clean. Cool slightly.

Make Ahead

Prepare meat mixture. Refrigerate 3 to 4 days, or freeze up to 1 month. When ready to use, spoon into baking dish. (Thaw first, if frozen.) Top with muffin batter and continue as directed.

Special Extra

Bump up the flavor by stirring chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce or chopped fresh chives into muffin batter before using as directed.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I found this recipe on the top of a Quaker Oats oatmeal container. I LOVE Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. How about you?

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

½ cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy.

Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.

Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well.

Add oats and raisins; mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets. Remove to wire rack. Cook completely. Store in tightly covered container.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Bar Cookies

Bake 30 to 35 minutes in ungreased 13 x 9-inch metal baking pan.