Hidden Valley Ranch Cheese Ball

Don’t you just love all the recipes that come out around the holidays? This is one of those, clipped from a magazine an unknown number of years ago. I could wait and share it when the holiday parties start. But in the Deep South college football is the perfect time to eat and snack and cheer your team on to victory!

Hidden Valley Ranch Cheese Ball

½ cup prepared, double strength Hidden Valley Ranch Milk Recipe Original Ranch Salad Dressing
(1 package, ½ cup mayonnaise and ½ cup milk)
8 oz. shredded Cheddar cheese, room temperature for 1 hour
6 oz. cream cheese, room temperature for one hour
5 oz. sliced almonds, toasted

Mix the double strength salad dressing and cream cheese. Beat well with electric mixer. Add Cheddar cheese and blend. Cover and freeze for 30 minutes.

Shape cheese mixture into a ball. Roll cheese ball in toasted almonds.

Four-Cheese Lasagna

This is another one of those wonderful recipes from Kraft. If you haven't already signed up for their free e-newsletter, which is filled with wonderful recipes, you should!

photo by:

kraft

 Four-Cheese Lasagna

 

1 lb. extra-lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, softened

1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN 2% Milkfat Low Fat Cottage Cheese

1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided

1/2 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

1 egg, beaten

1 jar (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves

12 lasagna noodles, cooked

 

HEAT oven to 350°F.
BROWN meat with onions in large skillet. Meanwhile, mix Neufchatel, cottage cheese, 1-1/2 cups mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan and egg until well blended.
DRAIN meat; return to skillet. Stir in spaghetti sauce, tomatoes and oregano; simmer 5 min. Remove from heat. Spoon 1 cup meat sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; top with layers of 3 lasagna noodles, 1 cup cheese mixture and 1 cup meat sauce. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining noodles, meat sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan; cover with foil.
BAKE 50 min. or until heated through, uncovering after 40 min. Let stand 10 min. before cutting to serve.
Makes 12 servings.

Halloween Cookie Bites

How fun are cookies that look like candy corn!? This recipe is in the October 2012 issue of Coastal Living magazine. The magazine also includes some other wonderful recipes and some tips on carving pumpkins with a coastal theme. Be sure to check it out!

Halloween Cookie Bites

1 cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon lemon zest
Yellow food coloring
Red food coloring

Beat butter and sugar together at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Combine flour, salt and lemon zest; gradually stir into butter mixture.

Divide dough into 3 equal pieces (about 1 ¼ cups each); tint 1 piece with yellow food coloring. Tint another piece orange using red and yellow food coloring. (Add 1 to 2 teaspoons flour to orange dough if food coloring makes it softer than other colors.)

Place white, untinted dough in bottom of a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan, pressing down. Top with orange dough and then yellow, pressing down. Cover and chill 2 hours.

Turn dough out onto work surface. Cut slices 3/8-inch thick from dough; cut each slice into 6 triangles. Place cookies on parchment paper -- or aluminum foil -- lined baking sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 8 minutes, or until set but not browned. Cool on wire rack 1 minute; transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 10 dozen.

Cream Cheese Brownie Pie

Some desserts are meant to be savored. This is one. It's another fabulous recipe from the folks over at Pillsbury. Enjoy!

 

Cream Cheese Brownie Pie

Crust

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

Cream Cheese Layer

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

Brownie Layer

1 box (15.8 oz) Pillsbury® double chocolate brownie mix

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon water

2 eggs

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Topping

 

Reserved chocolate syrup packet from brownie mix

3 tablespoons hot fudge topping 

 

Heat oven to 350°F. Place pie crust in 9-inch glass pie plate as directed on box for One-Crust Filled Pie.

 

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese layer ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth; set aside.

Reserve chocolate syrup packet from brownie mix for topping. In large bowl, place brownie mix, oil, water and eggs; beat 50 strokes with spoon.

 

Spread 1/2 cup brownie mixture in bottom of crust-lined pie plate. Spoon and carefully spread cream cheese mixture over brownie layer. Top with small spoonfuls of remaining brownie mixture; spread evenly. Sprinkle with pecans. Cover crust edge with 2- to 3-inch-wide strips of foil to prevent excessive browning; remove foil during last 15 minutes of bake time.

 

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until center is puffed and crust is golden brown (pie may have cracks on surface).

 

In small bowl, mix chocolate syrup from packet and hot fudge topping. Place mixture in small resealable bag. Cut small hole off corner of bag. Drizzle topping over pie. Cool completely, about 3 hours, before serving. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pie.

 

Broken-Glass Cake

This cake is designed to resemble the stained glass windows in a church. The recipe is an old newspaper clipping from I don’t know where. I hope you enjoy its beauty as well as its taste.

Broken-Glass Cake

1 (3-oz.) package orange gelatin
1 (3-oz.) package cherry gelatin
1 (3-oz.) package lime gelatin
3 cups boiling water
2 cups cold water
1 cup pineapple juice
¼ cup sugar
1 (3-oz.) package lemon gelatin
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
1 ½ cups butter or margarine, melted
2 cups whipping cream

Prepare orange, cherry and lime gelatins separately, using 1 cup boiling water and ½ cup cold water for each. Pour each flavor into 8-inch square pan and chill until firm.

Mix pineapple juice and sugar and heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Dissolve lemon gelatin in hot juice, then add remaining ½ cup cold water, chill until slightly thickened.

Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter and press into bottom of 9-inch spring form pan.

Cut firm orange, cherry and lime gelatins into ½-inch cubes.

Whip cream until stiff and blend with lemon gelatin. Fold in gelatin cubes. Pour into crumb-lined pan. Chill at least 5 hours.

Run knife or spatula between sides of dessert and pan and remove sides of pan before serving.

Makes 16 servings.

Baked Apple Dumplings

This is from a faded newspaper clipping with a wonderful recipe. A year or so ago, I searched everywhere for different types of apple recipes. I sure wish I’d found this one that was buried in a stack of old recipes.

I copied the recipe as it was printed. I don’t know which newspaper. It tells you to transfer the dough to a floured board. I use a flour cloth. Many, many years ago I invested in a flour cloth. One of the best things ever. It’s probably just a piece of canvas cloth, though it came in a specially-marked plastic bag. I’m not even sure where I got it. But I sure have used it over the years.

Baked Apple Dumplings

1 ½ cups water
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 ¾ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine
Ground cinnamon
4 small tart apples, about 1 lb. total, peeled, halved and cored
1 ½ cups chopped peeled tart apple
Whipping cream, optional

Place rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine water, sugar and lemon juice in small saucepan. Bring to boil. Simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Set syrup aside.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in food processor fitted with metal blade. Add 2 ½ tablespoons butter and process (or cut with pastry blender) until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ½ cup water. Mix until dough just begins to clump together. Transfer dough to floured board.

Compact dough with hands. Cut in half, then cut each half into quarters to make 8 equal-size pieces. Gently pat each piece into 3-inch round. (Flour hands for easier handling if dough is sticky.) Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Place each piece apple, rounded side down, on center of dough. Wrap dough around apple, gently easing dough to cover fruit completely. Repeat with remaining dough, cinnamon and apples.

Arrange apples, cut side down, in 2-quart round or square baking dish, spacing evenly. Fill spaces with chopped apples. Pour syrup over dumplings. Sprinkle with cinnamon and dot with 1 ½ tablespoons butter. Place dish on baking sheet (to catch any spills).

Bake at 350 degrees until lighty browned, about 1 hour, 10 minutes. Brush dumplings with remaining 1 tablespoon butter, melted. Cool on rack at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm with whipping cream, if desired.

Makes 8 servings.

Note: If apples are large, use 2, cutting them into quarters. Dumplings can be made several hours ahead and kept at room temperature. Reheat in 350-degree oven until warmed through,

Egg Salad

I found this recipe typed on a yellowed piece of paper. The note says it comes from Weight Watchers, a company that is always a good source for calorie-conscious recipes. I have several of their cookbooks and also keep some microwave meals in the freezer for those time-crunch times.

Egg Salad

2 eggs, hard-cooked and chopped
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon reduced-calorie mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
2 tablespoons minced celery
2 tablespoons diced green or red bell pepper
Dash salt
Dash white pepper

In a bowl, combine eggs with mayonnaise and mustard. Add celery, diced pepper, salt and pepper.

Makes 1 serving, at 213 calories.

Oven-Fried Potatoes

This another one of those yellowed newspaper clippings. I love Oven-Fried Potatoes. This adds parley and garlic for a different taste.

Oven-Fried Potatoes

2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch-thick strips
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt

Rinse potato strips in very cold water and drain. Spread on towel and pat dry. Toss potatoes and olive oil in large bowl. Spread out on baking sheet.

Bake potatoes at 425 degrees until golden brown, about 40 minutes, turning once halfway through baking time. Sprinkle with parsley, garlic and salt to taste.

Makes 4 servings.

Cheesy Ham and Apple Cups

This recipe just looks fun. This is form Pillsbury. Check out their recipes on their website. They've got other recipes similar to this one. I think they would be perfect for the next potluck. What do you think?

 

Cheesy Ham and Apple Cups

 

1  can (12 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® Jr. Golden Layers® refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (10 biscuits)

1/3  cup sour cream

1/2  teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4  cup Smucker's® Apricot Preserves

3/4  cup finely chopped cooked ham steak or cooked ham

3/4  cup finely chopped tart apple

3/4  cup shredded sharp white or yellow Cheddar cheese (3 oz)

2  tablespoons finely chopped green onions (2 medium)

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 10 regular-size muffin cups (2 3/4x1 1/4 inches) with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray.

 

Separate biscuit dough into 10 biscuits. On waxed paper, press each biscuit into 3-inch round. Press each dough round in muffin cup.

 

In medium bowl, stir sour cream, mustard and preserves until well blended. Stir in ham, apple, cheese and onions until well blended. Divide ham mixture among muffin cups.

 

Bake 18 to 25 minutes or until edges of biscuits are golden brown. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Disney World Chicken Divan

This recipe comes, via Disney World I would presume, via a yellowed newspaper clipping.

Disney World Chicken Divan

6 boneless chicken breasts or 1 pound tenderloins
¼ cup butter or margarine
12 spears broccoli, cooked
Cream Sauce
2 tablespoons sour cream
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Paprika

Sauté chicken in butter until tender and golden brown on both sides. Place broccoli spears in casserole or baking pan, allowing 2 spears per serving. Arrange chicken breasts over broccoli.

Blend Cream Sauce with sour cream. Ladle evenly over chicken. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and season to taste with paprika.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Cream Sauce

½ cup butter or margarine
½ cup flour
4 cups milk
Salt
White pepper

Melt butter in small saucepan. Add flour and stir until smooth. Gradually add milk, stirring until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cholesterol-Free Banana Bread

This recipe come from the May 1991 Good Housekeeping magazine. Okay. I admit it. I’ve been collecting recipes for a long, long time.

Oh, and I rarely ever use walnuts. I live in the Deep South. We use pecans. Why? Because We have a pecan orchard. And they taste good.

Cholesterol-Free Banana Bread

2 ¼ all-purpose flour
2/3 cup honey-crunch wheat germ
½ cup oats, uncooked
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
10 tablespoons light corn-oil spread (1 ¼ sticks)
1 ½ cups mashed bananas (about 3 medium bananas)
1 6-oz. can frozen apple-juice concentrate, thawed
½ cup thawed frozen egg substitute
1/3 cup walnuts, optional
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

About 2 hours before serving or early in day:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. In large bowl, mix flour, wheat germ, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. With pastry blender, cut in corn-oil spread until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in bananas, undiluted apple-juice concentrate, egg substitute, walnuts and vanilla just until flour is moistened. Spoon batter into pan.

Bake 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of bread comes out clean. Cool bread in pan on wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool slightly. Serve warm, or cool completely to serve later.

Makes 18 servings, about 180 calories per slice.

HERSHEY'S Chocolate Cheesecake

I’ve always been a big fan of cheesecakes. How about you? This one is luscious! Trust the folks at HERSHEY’S to come up with it. And don’t forget to check out the recipe for Cheesecake Squares that’s at the bottom.

HERSHEY’S Creamy Chocolate Cheesecake

1 cup salted or unsalted finely crushed pretzels
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine
2 packages ( 8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup HERSHEY’S European Style Cocoa
2 eggs
1 cup dairy sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For crust, in medium bowl combine crushed pretzels and 1 tablespoon sugar; stir in butter. Press mixture on bottom of 9-inch spring form pan. Bake 8 minutes; cool slightly.

In large mixer bowl beat cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar and cocoa. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in sour cream and vanilla; blend well.

Pour into pan. Bake 35 minutes. Turn off oven; leave cheesecake in oven 20 minutes without opening door. Remove from oven. Cool completely; cover and refrigerate. Garnish as desired.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Creamy Chocolate Cheesecake Squares

Double ingredients above for pretzel crust. Press mixture firmly on bottom of buttered 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Bake as directed.

Prepare cheesecake using recipe above. Bake 35 minutes or until edges are set (edges may crack slightly). Remove from oven. Cool completely

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

This recipe comes from the October 2012 Woman’s Day magazine. It’s the magazine’s 75^th Anniversary Issue and is loaded with recipes. This recipe is an updated version of what we might have cooked had we been cooking in the 1950s.

I’ll just add -- again -- that I always use wax paper instead of parchment paper and I’ve never had an issues with that. I also have used canned pineapple slides, drained, instead of fresh pineapple. It doesn’t quite have the taste of fresh pineapple but it’s something I can keep on hand when I need a dessert quickly.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, cut in ¼-inch-thick half-moons
11 maraschino cherries
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 x 2-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and stir in the brown sugar until blended. Spread over the parchment. Arrange the pineapple slices in a single layer, then place the cherries between each slice and in the center.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat in the remaining 6 tablespoons butter until the mixture looks sandy. Beat in the milk, vanilla and eggs. Beat on medium for 1 minute.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to release from pan. Invert the cake onto a large plate. Remove the pan and parchment and let cool completely.

Makes 12 servings at 224 calories per serving.

Easy Weeknight Bacon Mac 'N Cheese

This recipe -- another great one from Pillsbury -- is especially for those of us who LOVE cheese. And it's easy! Just note that if you check labels, you'll find a whole lots of sodium in this dish.

 

Easy Weeknight Bacon Mac 'N Cheese

 

3 cups uncooked penne pasta (10 oz)

1 can (18 oz) Progresso™ Recipe Starters™ creamy three cheese cooking sauce

1/2 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon chopped garlic in water (from 4.5-oz jar) or 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (6 oz)

2 oz American cheese loaf, shredded (1/2 cup) or 4 slices American cheese, diced

1 bag (2.5 oz) cooked real bacon pieces or bits

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper, if desired

Garnish, if desired, Progresso® Italian style panko crispy bread crumbs

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 2-quart casserole with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

 

Meanwhile, in 3-quart saucepan, heat cooking sauce, milk and garlic to boiling. Remove from heat; stir in cheeses until melted. Stir in pasta, bacon and bell pepper. Spoon into casserole.

 

Bake uncovered 20 minutes or until edges are bubbly. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.

Easy Marble Bark

This recipe comes from the folks over at BAKER’S Chocolate. BAKER’S is a must in my pantry. How about yours? It’s easy to whip up something scrumptious so long as you have some chocolate

This recipe gives you the option for nuts or coconut. If you choose the coconut, they suggest toasting it in a baking pan in a 350 degree oven for 7 to 12 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently so it doesn’t burn.

Easy Marble Bark

6 squares BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1 package (6 squares) BAKER’S Premium White Chocolate
1 cup toasted chopped nuts OR BAKER’S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut

Microwave semi-sweet and white chocolates in separate bowls on HIGH 2 minutes or until almost melted, stirring halfway through heating time. Stir until completely melted.

Stir ½ cup of the nuts or coconut into each bowl. Alternately spoon melted chocolate onto wax paper-lined cookie sheet or tray. Swirl chocolates together with knife to marblelize.

Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Break into pieces.

Makes about 1 pound.

Variation:

Chocolate Bark: Prepare Marble Bark as directed, omitting white chocolate. Use 12 squares BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate or 3 packages (4 oz. each) BAKER’S GERMAN’S Sweet Chocolate.

Philly Brunch Quiche

I’ve always found that some of the best recipes come from the folks who actually make the products. This recipe is from the Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese folks. One of my all time favorite recipes comes from them so I can’t wait to give this one a try as well.

“Philly” Brunch Quiche

1 10-inch baked pie crust
1 8-oz. package Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese, cubed
1 cup milk
4 eggs, beaten
¼ cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon PARKAY Margarine
1 cup finely chopped ham
¼ cup chopped pimento
¼ cup finely chopped green pepper
Dash of pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cream cheese and milk in saucepan. Stir over low heat until smooth. Gradually add cream cheese mixture to eggs, mixing until well blended.

Sauté onions in margarine. Add onions and remaining ingredients to cream cheese mixture. Mix well.

Pour into pastry shell. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until set.

Makes 8 servings.

Cinnamon-Spiced Sugar-Free Apple Wedges

This is another recipe from the newspaper archives. I have no idea which newspaper but I love cinnamon and apples so that makes it wonderful to me.

This is the original recipe. It says to serve this with pancakes. That’s fine. I prefer putting it over ice cream or even just eating the Cinnamon-Spiced Sugar-Free Apple Wedges as a dessert. Put it in individual glass dishes, maybe add a dollop of sugar-free whipped topping, and you’ve got a wonderfully elegant dessert that won’t pack on the calories.

Cinnamon-Spiced Sugar-Free Apple Wedges

1 can (6-oz.) frozen, unsweetened cider concentrate
1 cup cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch salt (optional)
3 unpeeled McIntosh eating apples, cored and cut in thin wedges

Defrost, but do not dilute cider concentrate. Thoroughly mix all ingredients, except apples, in saucepan. Cook and stir over moderate heat until mixture simmers and thickens.

Stir in apple wedges and simmer just until tender and heated through but not soft and overcooked.

Serve hot over pancakes.

Makes enough to top 10 pancakes, adds 60 calories to each.

Diet-Delight Three-Cheese Rotelle

This recipe comes from the October 1990 issue of Redbook magazine. It’s for those of us who love pasta but really need to watch our weight.

Diet-Delight Three-Cheese Rotelle

8 oz. tricolor rotelle (corkscrew) pasta
¾ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
¼ cup skim milk
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped, about 1 cup
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 cup coarsely grated low-fat Swiss cheese, about 4 oz.
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves or 2 teaspoons dried basil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Fresh basil springs, optional

Prepare rotelle according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in food processor or blender, process ricotta and milk until smooth; set aside. In 1-quart nonstick saucepan over medium heat, heat oil; add onion and garlic. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Pour ricotta mixture into saucepan. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring until heated through.

Drain pasta and return to saucepan. Toss well with ricotta mixture, Swiss cheese, parsley, chopped basil, grated Parmesan, chives, orange peel and pepper.

Garnish with fresh basil springs to serve, if desired.

Makes 6 servings, at 273 calories per serving.

Egg and Sausage Breakfast Ring

This is another wonderful recipe from the folks over at Pillsbury. I love being on their e-mail list. They send out terrific recipes and coupons. They suggest changing up the cheeses (my favorite is Cheddar) to give the Breakfast Ring a different flavor. I'm thinking this would be a wonderful supper for a night real soon.

 

Egg and Sausage Breakfast Ring

1/2  lb bulk pork sausage

1/3  cup sliced green onions

1/3  cup chopped red bell pepper

5  eggs

1/4  teaspoon salt

1/8  teaspoon pepper

1  package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened

2  cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet

1/2  cup shredded Cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese blend (2 oz)

1  egg, beaten

1  teaspoon sesame seed

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook sausage and onions over medium-high heat 5 to 8 minutes or until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in bell pepper; cook until tender. Remove from pan.

In small bowl, beat 5 eggs, salt and pepper. Add egg mixture to skillet; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally from outside edge to center. Cook until eggs are set but still moist. Stir in sausage mixture and cream cheese.

Unroll both cans of dough. Place dough on cookie sheet, long sides overlapping, to form 14x13-inch rectangle; firmly press edges to seal. Spoon egg mixture down center to within 1/2 inch of edges. Sprinkle with cheese. Starting at longest side, roll up; press edges to seal. Shape into a circle; pinch ends to seal. Cut six 2-inch slits around top of dough. Brush dough with egg; sprinkle with sesame seed.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until deep golden brown.

Cherry Cheese Pie

Here’s another wonderful recipe from the folks over at Eagle Brand. This was doesn’t require baking and is super simply to make. Just allow time to thoroughly chill in the refrigerator.

Cherry Cheese Pie

1 (9-inch) graham cracker crumb crust or baked pastry shell
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-oz.) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1/3 cup ReaLemon Lemon Juice from Concentrate
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (21-oz.) can cherry pie filling, chilled

In large mixer bowl, beat cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla. Pour into prepared crust.

Chill 3 hours or until set. Top with desired amount of pie filling before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

Creamy Baked Cheesecake

Do you keep Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk in your cabinet at all times? You should. There’s some absolutely wonderful desserts you can make that require it. Here’s one of them -- especially for all you who love cheesecake as much as I do.

Creamy Baked Cheesecake

½ cup margarine or butter, melted
1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup sugar
2 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (14-oz.) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
3 eggs
¼ cup ReaLemon Lemon Juice from Concentrate
1 (8-oz.) container sour cream

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Combine margarine, crumbs and sugar; press firmly on bottom of 9-inch spring form pan. In large mixer bowl, beat cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add eggs and lemon juice; mix well.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until set. Chill thoroughly. Spread sour cream on top. Garnish as desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

Maple-Nut-Pumpkin Candies

This recipe is in the October 2012 issue of Family Circle magazine. It looks wonderful. The pumpkin makes me think of fall, which is something I’m longing for right now. We’ve still got some pretty hot temperatures here in the Deep South.

That said, I do plan to use pecans rather than walnuts. I like the taste of pecans better than walnuts and pecans are sure plentiful around here. Of course, I’ll have to get a few out of the freezer right now but later in the fall I’ll be able to get them out of the small orchard on my parents’ property.

I also don’t bother with parchment paper. I was taught early to use wax paper for such times as this. It works great and I’ve always got it handy.

I hope you enjoy the recipe. And don’t forget to pick up this issue of Family Circle. It’s got a wonderful section on breast cancer and some other wonderful looking recipes as well.

Maple-Nut-Pumpkin Candies

1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup unsalted butter
½ cup solid-pack pumpkin
½ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Line an 8x8-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper. Spray paper with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium pot, combine sugars, maple syrup, butter, pumpkin, cream, pumpkin pie spice and salt over medium heat. Stir until butter is melted and all ingredients are combined. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 to 12 minutes or until temperature reaches 238 degrees on a candy thermometer. Stir in walnuts.

Pour mixture into lined baking pan. Cool 1 hour on the counter, then refrigerate an additional 1 hour.

Slice into 36 squares.

92 calories per piece

Crispy Zucchini Fries

Last night I went to a wonderfully, fun Pampered Chef party at a friend’s house. We ate good food, learned a few tips for food preparation and just enjoyed each other’s company.

My name came out of the bowl for one of the drawings and I chose -- surprise! -- a small cookbook. This is one of the recipes. I love Zucchini Fries so I can’t wait to try it.

Now remember that the point of these wonderful recipes is to sell Pampered Chef products. I included all that stuff in the recipe because, well, it is their recipe and because they do have wonderful products.

The cook’s tip for this recipe suggests using croutons that are ¾ x ¾ inch in size. Everything else seems fairly simple. And don’t worry. You shouldn’t have any problems substituting items if you don’t own all of their products. Or you could always host a gathering. They would love that!

Crispy Zucchini Fries

1 medium zucchini
1 ½ cups large fat-free seasoned restaurant-style croutons
1 oz. Parmesan cheese, divided
1 egg white
½ cup nonfat plain yogurt
½ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves, peeled
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Line Cookie Sheet with Parchment Paper. Trim and discard ends of zucchini; cut in half crosswise using Chef’s Knife. Cut each zucchini half using French Fry Cutter (discard any thinner pieces). Place croutons in Manuel Food Processor; cover and pump handle until finely chopped. Grate Parmesan cheese with Microplane Adjustable Fine Grater. Place chopped croutons and half of the Parmesan cheese in Coating Tray; mix well.

Whisk egg white in Classic Batter Bowl until frothy. Add zucchini; mix gently until well coated. Dredge zucchini in crouton mixture, pressing firmly to coat. Arrange zucchini in a single layer on Cookie Sheet. Bake 14-16 minutes or until crisp.

Meanwhile, for dip, combine remaining Parmesan cheese, yogurt, basil, mayonnaise, garlic and black pepper in clean processor bowl; cover and pump handle until well blended, scraping down sides as necessary. Remove Cookie Sheet from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack. Serve zucchini fries with dip.

Yield 10 servings.

Chicken Florentine Casserole

This is another wonderful dinner meal from Kraft. It doesn't take long and it sure beats fast food (which sometimes seems much easier!) Give it a try. You might find that dinner time isn't such a hassle after all.

 

Chicken Florentine Casserole

 

1 tsp. oil

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tub (10 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Italian Cheese and Herb Cooking Creme

3/4 cup milk

2 cups cooked farfalle (bow-tie pasta)

1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained

1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

4 slices Oscar Mayer Bacon, cooked, crumbles

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

 

Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken and garlic; cook and stir 6 to 7 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in all remaining ingredients except bacon.

 

Spoon mixture into a 1 1/2 quart casserole sprayed with cooking spray; cover.

Bake 25 minutes or until heated through, uncovering and sprinkling with bacon after 15 minutes.

Kraft suggests serving the casserole with a mixed green salad.

Bacon-Cheese Pull-Aparts

This recipe comes from the folks over at Pillsbury. Check out their website for lots of recipes. Reviewers said this casserole is good but a little dry. They suggested adding syrup, and maybe butter, to make it better. Wow! That sounds like a wonderful breakfast (or supper) to me.

 

Bacon-Cheese Pull-Aparts

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

1 (16.3) can Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers Refrigerated Original Biscuits

1 (2.1 oz.) package precooked bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 oz. (3/4 cup) shredded Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup finely chopped green onions (4 medium)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 11 x 7 or 12 x 8-inch (2 quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In large bowl, beat egg and milk with wire wisk until smooth.

Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Cut each into quarters. Gently stir biscuit pieces into egg mixtureto coat evenly. Fold in bacon, cheese and onions. Spoon mixture into sprayed dish. Arrange biscuit pieces in single layer.

Bake at 350 degrees for 23 to 28 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into squares.

Makes 8 servings.
      

Cheese Biscuits

This recipe looks like it might have come from a newspaper insert but really I have no idea. But these sure do look good!

Cheese Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus flour for dusting the board
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
2 cups finely grated Cheddar cheese (about 6 oz.)
2/3 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons milk, approximately
6 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 oz.)

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Put the ingredients in a food processor and add the butter, shortening and grated Cheddar. Blend briefly until well mixed. Do not overblend this dough at any point. (If a food processor is not used, put the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the butter, shortening and cheese and blend, using a pastry blender or two knives.

Add the buttermilk while blending briefly a second time. Gather the dough into a ball. The dough may be wrapped tightly in freezer or plastic wrap and either frozen, if made a week ahead, or chilled overnight, or it may be rolled out immediately.

On a lightly floured board, roll out the dough one-quarter inch thick or slightly thicker. Using a biscuit cutter with a two-inch diameter, cut the dough into circles. Arrange the circles neatly on baking sheets. Gather together into a ball any remaining scraps of dough, roll out and cut out more circles. Arrange them on a baking sheet. There should be about three dozen biscuits. Brush the top of each biscuit lightly with a little milk.

Place the baking sheets on the center rack of the oven and bake about eight to 10 minutes, or until the tops of the biscuits are lightly browned. Sprinkle the top of each biscuit with a little Parmesan cheese. Continue baking for three minutes or longer, until the tops are golden brown and the biscuits are cooked through.

Yield: Eight to 10 servings

Mary Jane Gingerbread

My Gran used to make the most wonderful Gingerbread cookies. Of course, they were probably wonderful because we made them together and she always took time to make a Mr. and Mrs. just for me.

This recipe -- another old newspaper clipping -- is for something similar to a small cake with whipped cream. The recipe says to use scant amounts for the cloves and nutmeg. That means to use just under the amount given. It doesn’t matter that this recipe's not for cookies. The smell of gingerbread baking just makes us all feel like smiling.

Mary Jane Gingerbread

¼ cup butter
½ cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup molasses
1 cup sifted (or whisked) flour
Dash salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves (scant)
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (scant)
½ cup boiling water
Whipped cream

Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and molasses, mixing well. Mix flour with salt, soda, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Stir in boiling water, mixing well but lightly.

Pour into a greased 8-inch round or square pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot with whipped cream.

Makes 1 (8-inch) cake.

Variation:
Batter will be thin. Batter may be cooked in a waffle iron. Serve 2 waffles with whipped cream between for an unusual shortcake.

Waist Watchers' Cheese-and-Chilies Nacho Pie

This recipe comes from the October 1990 Redbook magazine. Well, I do tend to hang on to things. And the headline is correct. I expected That first word to be weight, just like you probably did. Well, it doesn’t matter where the recipe comes from. Good and low-calorie make it wonderful!

Waist Watchers’ Cheese-and-Chilies Nacho Pie

1 large fresh, ripe tomato, diced (about 1 cup)
4 large scallions, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 4-oz. can mild green chilies, chopped and well drained
½ cup coarsely grated low-fat Cheddar cheese (about 2 oz.)
½ cup coarsely grated low-far Monterey Jack cheese (about 2 oz.)
6 large corn tortillas
½ cup bottled mild chunky salsa, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium-size bowl, combine tomato, scallions, green chilies and grated cheeses.

Place two tortillas in a shallow 9-inch casserole or pie plate to overlap; spoon one-third tomato mixture over tortillas. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas and tomato mixture.

Cover with foil. Bake 15 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 5 minutes longer until cheese is melted and pie is heated through.

Cut into wedges to serve, accompanied by salsa, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving without salsa has 210 calories,

HERSHEY'S Chocolate Chunk Butter Pecan Bars

How about something easy and delicious for dessert? How about taking something to the potluck that everyone will love? Okay. Here it is! Thanks Hershey!!!

HERSHEY’S Chocolate Chunk Butter Pecan Bars

1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cups (10-oz.) HERSHEY’S Premium Milk Chocolate or Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks
½ cup coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.

In large mixer bowl combine brown sugar, butter, egg yolk and vanilla; blend in flour and salt.

Press mixture into prepared pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven. Immediately sprinkle chocolate chunks on crust. Let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Spread evenly over crust. Sprinkle with pecans. Cool completely. Cut into bars.

Makes about 3 dozen bars.

Toll House Chocolate Crunch Cookies

One of the first things to learn when baking it how to properly measure your ingredients. It really doesn’t take but once or twice before a budding cook either gives up or learns a few lessons. Dry desserts just won’t do.

Always lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup. Then use a straight surface (I use the back of a knife) to level it off. DO NOT scoop flour from the bag or container into the measuring cup. It’ll make your baked goods dry. It’s funny how folks just always assume you know this.

This recipe likely originated with the folks over at Nestle. I have a yellowed newspaper clipping with no source listed. I don’t guess that’ll matter much when you’re enjoying these wonderful treats.

Toll House Chocolate Crunch Cookies

1 cup butter
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon hot water
2 ¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts (I use pecans.)
2 (7 oz.) bars Nestle’s semisweet chocolate, cut in pea-size pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream together butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and eggs. Sift salt into flour. Dissolve soda in hot water. Alternate soda mixture, creamed mixture, and flour mixture until mixture is creamy. Add nuts and chocolate pieces. Stir in vanilla.

Drop by ½ teaspoons onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Makes 100 cookies