Classic Cheesecake

This recipe comes from the May 2012 issue of Real Simple magazine. It’s credited to Dawn Perry. I saved it because I’m always looking for an easy dessert and I love cheesecake.

For those who might not love cherries, try a blueberry sauce or even a sauce made with fresh strawberries. This is a wonderful basic cheesecake but you can really make it your own by altering the sauce to fit your taste buds.

Classic Cheesecake

18 graham crackers (2 sleeves)
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plus 4 tablespoons sugar
3 8-oz. bars cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature

Cherry Sauce

1 10-oz. bag frozen cherries
½ cup sugar
2/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until fine crumbs form. Add the butter, salt and 2 tablespoons of the sugar and pulse to combine. Using a straight-sided dry measuring cup, press the mixture into the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of a 9-inch spring form pan.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and 1 cup of the remaining sugar on medium speed until smooth. Add 1 cup of the sour cream and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla and beat to combine. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time. Pour the mixture into the crust and bake until just set (the center will be slightly wobbly), 50 to 60 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 cup of sour cream, 2 tablespoons of sugar and ½ teaspoon of vanilla. Spread over the hot cheesecake, then bake until set, 3 to 5 minutes more. Let cool to room temperature in the pan, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake before unfolding.

How To Make The Cherry Sauce

In a large skillet, combine the cherries, sugar, salt and 2 tablespoons water. Add to the cherries in the skillet and cook, stirring, until the mixture is thick and syrupy, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice. Let cool completely. Serve with the cheesecake.

Banana-Nut Cake

This is another of those yellowed newspaper clippings from who knows where. Those who know me will realize that I rarely ever use walnuts, even though this recipe calls for them. I substitute pecans. I live in the Deep South and pecans are what we grow.

Banana-Nut Cake

1 ¾ cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ lb butter or margarine
1 ½ cups sugar
3 eggs, well beaten
3 very soft bananas, mashed
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift together cake flour, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.

Cream butter with sugar until smooth. Add well-beaten eggs, beating until blended. Beat in bananas, then walnuts and vanilla. Fold sifted dry ingredients into banana mixture. Turn batter into greased and floured 9-inch square baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees 40 to 50 minutes or until cake tests done in center. Serve plain, or, if desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar or dollop with whipped cream. Cut into bars or squares.

Makes 9 servings.

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells

This recipe was in the Relish newspaper insert today in our local paper. The recipe is from Jack Witherspoon, a leukemia survivor. This young man got hooked of the Food Network while he was sick and he decided he wanted to be a chef, the article said.

Jack and his mom, Lisa, wrote a cookbook titled Twist It Up. (Chronicle Books, 2011) Be sure to check it out and help this young man raise money for pediatric leukemia research. You can purchase it through Amazon or many other places where books are sold. Thanks!

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells with Marinara Sauce

Marinara Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14 ½ oz.) can diced tomatoes
2 (14 ½-oz.) can tomato sauce
2 beef bouillon cubes
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper

Pasta

1 (12-oz.) box jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound fresh spinach
½ cup water
1 ¼ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 cups ricotta cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon coarse salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
¼ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

To prepare marinara sauce, heat olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, bouillon cubes, basil, oregano, parsley and sugar. Stir well. Simmer over low heat 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper.

Makes about 6 cups.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Toss cooked pasta with olive oil and set aside.

Combine spinach with water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Simmer, covered, until spinach is wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain well and squeeze spinach to remove excess moisture. Finely chop spinach.

Combine mozzarella, ricotta, eggs, garlic, spinach, ½ cup Parmesan, nutmeg, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir to blend. Generously stuff pasta shells with cheese mixture. Place shells in 2 (13 x 9-inch) baking dishes and cover with marinara sauce. Sprinkle evenly with remaining Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and sauce is hot and bubbly. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 10.

Lemon-Blueberry Pretzel Cheesecake Squares

Sometimes easy is good. Thanks, Pillsbury, for another great recipe!                 

Lemon-Blueberry Pretzel Cheesecake Squares

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookies
1 1/2  cups coarsely crushed pretzels

1 pint (2 cups) blueberries                                        

3 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1/2  cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
3 eggs
Additional 2 cups blueberries for garnish, if desired

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13 x 9-inch pan with cooking spray.

In medium bowl, break up cookie dough. Stir or knead in 1 cup of the pretzel crumbs. Press cookie dough evenly in bottom of pan. (If dough is sticky, use floured fingers.) Bake 5 minutes. Place 2 cups blueberries evenly on crust.

 

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and lemon peel with electric mixer on medium-high speed about 1 minute or until well blended. Add eggs; beat about 2 minutes or until well blended and creamy. Gently spoon evenly over blueberries.

 

Bake 27 to 33 minutes or until set at least 2 inches from edge of pan but center still jiggles slightly when moved (it will become firm during refrigeration). Cool 1 hour. Refrigerate about 1 1/2 hours or until chilled and firm. Cut into 8 rows by 3 rows.

 

Spoon 1 teaspoon of the remaining pretzel crumbs and a few blueberries over each serving.

 

Makes 24 squares.

Chicken Risotto

This is another magazine clipping recipe that comes from the folks over at Sargento. I love that you can make an entire meal in one skillet and fairly quickly too!

Chicken Risotto

6 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 lb. chicken breasts, boned, skinned and cut into thin strips
1 clove garlic, minced
1 ½ cups uncooked rice
¼ lb. mushrooms, sliced
3 green onions (tops optional), chopped
3 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon basil
1 cup (4 oz.) Sargento Fancy Shredded Cheddar Cheese

In large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add chicken and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until pieces are browned, about 5 minutes.

Remove chicken from skillet. Add remaining butter, rice and garlic to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until rice is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and green onion. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and basil. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer 15 minutes.

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.