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

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.