Luscious Four Layer Pumpkin Cake

Originally from Kraft Food and Family Magazine

1 package (2 layer size) yellow cake mix

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin, divided

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup oil

4 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, divided

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tub (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

1/4 cup caramel topping

1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease two 9 inch round cake pans.  Beat cake mix, 1 cup of the pumpkin, the milk, oil, eggs, and 1 tsp of the pumpkin pie spice in large bowl until well blended.  Pour evenly into prepared pans.

Bake 28-30 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean.  Cool in pans 10 minutes.  Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely.  Beat cream cheese in small bowl until creamy.  Add sugar, remaining pumpkin, and remaining 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice; mix well.  Stir in the whipped topping.

Cut each cake layer horizontally in half with serrated knife.  Stack layers on serving plate, spreading the cream cheese filling between layers.  (Do not frost top of cake)  Drizzle cake with caramel topping just before serving; sprinkle with the pecans, if desired.  Store leftover cake in refrigerator.

Thoughts and Tips: 

With fall in the air, I was in the mood for pumpkin and this cake definitely hit the spot!  The cake is just the right texture and has an excellent combination of flavors.  I love the filling, and will probably use it in other recipes as well.

Cheddar Chicken and Rice Skillet

1/2 cup Zesty Italian Dressing

4 chicken breast halves, cut into strips OR one large (13 oz) can chicken

2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

2 cups small broccoli florets

1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes, or one can (15 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 cup cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sliced green onions (optional)

Heat dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat.  Add chicken; cook and stir 2 minutes.

Stir in rice, broth, and broccoli.  Bring to boil; cover.  Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender.  Let stand covered, 5 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

Add tomatoes, cheese, and onions if desired.  Stir until blended.

Tips and Thoughts:
The brown rice takes a little longer to cook than instant white rice, so delay adding the broccoli by a few minutes to avoid having it be overdone.  We liked this with canned chicken; it made a more even distribution of the chicken through the dish. 

This is a great, fast, one-pan meal.  Excellent for a weeknight dinner.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken in Cream Sauce

Originally from Kraft Food and Family Magazine

2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked

1 (14 oz) can chicken broth, divided

6 Ritz crackers, finely crushed

2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves

2 tsp vegetable oil

1/3 cup chive and onion cream cheese spread

Cook rice as directed on package, using 1 1/4 cups of the broth and 1/2 cup water

Meanwhile mix cracker crumbs and Parmesan cheese on plate or in shallow bowl.  Rinse chicken with cold water; shake off excess water.  Dip chicken in cracker mixture, turning to coat.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium heat.  Add chicken; cook 5-6 minutes on each side or until chicken is golden brown and cooked through.  Place chicken on serving plate.  Set aside; keep warm.  Add remaining 1/2 cup broth and cream cheese spread to same skillet.  Cook on medium heat until mixture just comes to a boil, stirring constantly.  Simmer 3 minutes or until sauce thickens.  Spoon sauce over chicken.  Serve rice with chicken.

Thoughts and Tips:

I tried to just spray the cooking pan with cooking spray.  All the crusting came off the chicken.  So definitely use the oil and don't cook the chicken on too high heat at first so that the crusting will cook onto the surface of the chicken instead of onto the pan!

Asparagus or broccoli go well with this.

The crusting keeps the chicken lovely and tender.  I would guess you could bake this as well, but you wouldn't get the same crispy outside that you get from cooking in oil.

Lemon-Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

Originally from Cooking Pleasures Magazine

Crust

1 1/2 cups flour

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel

3/4 cup butter, chilled, cut up

Filling

2 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp flour

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp grated lemon peel

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs, room temperature

Topping

1 pint strawberries, sliced

3 Tbsp strawberry jelly, melted

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Line 13x9 inch baking pan with heavy duty aluminum foil.  Spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Place 1 1/2 cups flour, powdered sugar, and 1 1/2 tsp lemon peel in medium bowl; mix until combined.  Add butter and use pastry blender to combine until mixture is crumbly.  Press into bottom of pan.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until edges just begin to brown.

Meanwhile, place cream cheese, 2 Tbsp flour, condensed milk, lemon juice, 2 tsp lemon peel and vanilla in large bowl.  Mix until smooth.  Scrape sides of bowl and add eggs.  Mix until just blended.  Pour filling into crust.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until filling is set and edges are slightly puffed.  Center will look less done but will firm during cooling.  Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 1 hour.  Refrigerate at least 6 hours.

Arrange overlapping rows of sliced strawberries over top; lightly brush with melted jelly.  Cut into bars.  Serve cold.

Thoughts and Tips:

You can mix both the crust and the filling using a food processor if preferred. 

These were delicious, but really not very lemony.  I would add extra lemon juice to the filling (probably 1/4 cup) and definitely make sure that you use fresh lemon peel.  Otherwise, they end up being no different from any other cheesecake with strawberries.

Easy Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken and Broccoli

1 pound fettuccine noodles, cooked according to package directions

1/4 cup Italian dressing

2-3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips or cubes

2 cups water

1 chicken bullion cube

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 cup shredded Parmesan or Italian blend cheese

Heat Italian dressing in large skillet.  Cook chicken in dressing until cooked through.  Add water and bullion cube to skillet; bring to a boil.  Add cream cheese and cook until melted.  Add flour and stir regularly for 3-5 minutes until sauce thickens.  Add broccoli; cover and simmer for 5 minutes until tender/crisp.  Mix in nutmeg and cheese.  Cook until cheese is slightly melted.

Pour sauce over noodles on plate or mix noodles into sauce and serve.

Tips and Thoughts:

I find it easier to throw the broccoli in with the pasta for the last 3-4 minutes of cooking time rather than cooking it with the sauce.

We love this recipe!  My husband actually likes this Alfredo sauce better than most restaurants'.  The cream cheese gives it a nice creamy texture, while the parmesan gives it the distinctive Alfredo flavor.

Western Casserole

1 pound ground beef

1 can kidney beans

1 can corn

1 can condensed tomato soup

2/3 cup milk

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef; drain.  Return to pan and add beans, corn, soup, milk, and chili powder.  Stir well and heat to boiling.  Simmer 10-15 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Stir in cheddar cheese and heat until melted.  Serve over warm corn bread.

Thoughts and Tips:

*You can also pour the soup mixture into a casserole and top with corn bread batter.  Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes until bread is done.

*If you don't like kidney beans, substitute another type of beans such as pinto or Great Northern.

This is another quick and easy, one pan meal.  I usually use a Jiffy mix for the cornbread; bake it in an 8x8 pan or two packages in a 9x13.


Slow Cooker Variation
Pour all ingredients except cheese into a slow cooker.  Cook on low 5-6 hours or high 2-3 hours.  Add cheese and let sit 10-15 minutes until cheese melts.  

Spanish Rice

1 package Mexican or Spanish Rice

1 pound ground beef, browned and drained

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can corn, drained

1 1/2 cups water

1/2-3/4 cup shredded cheddar or Cojack cheese

Mix all ingredients except cheese in microwave safe casserole dish.  Microwave on high for 6 minutes.  Stir.  Add another 1/4 cup water if it is dry.  Add cheese.  Microwave for an additional 6 minutes.  If rice is not completely cooked, heat for another 1-2 minutes as needed.

Tips and Thoughts:
We like Knorr's Spanish Rice for this dish. 
If you need a larger batch, double everything except the corn and cook in a skillet on the stovetop.

This started as a "what do I have to throw together for dinner" meal and has turned into a family favorite.  It is a quick and easy, one pot meal.

Salsa Chicken and Rice

This is a family favorite. 

1 large can chicken

2 cups water

2 cups instant rice

1 jar of your favorite salsa

3/4 cup cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

Empty chicken into large pan.  Add water.  Heat to boiling.  Add rice; cover and simmer 5 minutes.  Stir in salsa (you may not need full jar); heat until desired thickness.  Stir in cheese and heat until melted.

Serve with tortilla chips or put in tortillas with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and extra cheese.

You can also use smoked sausage instead of the chicken. 

Tips and Thoughts:
For kids who don't like spicy food, you can use a milder salsa or pull some of the rice out before adding the salsa for them to eat plain.
You can use either white or brown instant rice or a mix.
Canned chicken is a great ingredient for a lot of recipes.  It saves cutting and cooking chicken.  The texture is a little different (more like canned tuna) and it crumbles more, so think about whether you want that texture before substituting in other recipes. 

Waldorf Salad

8 cups chopped apples, mix of green and red, with skins on

3 cups chopped celery

2 cups chopped walnuts

2 cups raisins (optional)

2 cups mayonnaise or creamy salad dressing

2 Tbsp lemon juice

In large bowl, mix apples, celery, walnuts, and raisins if desired.  In separate bowl, mix mayonnaise and lemon juice.  Coat apple mixture with dressing.  Chill overnight.

Tips and Thoughts:

This is a super easy salad that packs tons of nutrition in each serving.  Choose apples that are firm and crisp.  I like Braeburn, Granny Smith, and Honeycrisp for flavor and texture.

Even Jonathan, who eats next to nothing, will eat the apples and walnuts in this.

Brownie Chunk Cheesecake

Originally from Cooking Pleasures Magazine

Crust

31 crème filled chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling

3 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream

4 eggs

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped brownies

Topping

8 oz. milk chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

2 oz white chocolate, melted

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  In medium bowl, stir together all crust ingredients.  Press into bottom and 1 inch up sides of 9-inch springform pan.  Wrap pan with heavy-duty foil; freeze 30 minutes.

In large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla at medium speed until blended.  Beat in sour cream and 1 cup cream.  Add eggs one at a time, beating just until blended.  Slowly beat in flour.  Fold in brownies.

Place springform pan in large baking or blroiler pan.  Pour batter into crust (batter will come to within 1/4 inch of top edge).  Add enough hot tap water to baking pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan.  Bake 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours or until edges are puffed and top is dry to the touch.  Center should move slightly when pan is tapped but should not ripple as if liquid.

Remove springform pan from baking pan; remove foil.  Cool completely on wire rack.  Refrigerate overnight.

Melt milk chocolate and 1/3 cup cream in medium saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth.  Pour over top of cheesecake.  Let stand 10 minutes.

Pour white chocolate into small resealable plastic bag.  Snip off corner of bag and drizzle chocolate over cheesecake.  Refrigerate at least one hour.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Thoughts and Tips:
You can use any kind of brownies that you desire in this.  For ease, I made a batch of Betty Crocker from a box.
Leave fairly good size chunks of brownie and fold them in gently.  If the pieces are too small, you lose the flavor in the final cheesecake.
There will be water in the foil around the pan, so have a towel handy when you remove it and be very careful as it will be hot!
You can melt the chocolate for the topping in the microwave.  Place chocolate and cream in a microwave safe bowl.  Heat on high for 30 seconds, stir, then heat in additional 15 second increments until completely melted.

Let's face it, brownies and cheesecake and chocolate glaze are probably a bit of an overkill, but WOW is this a great dessert!  The cheesecake is nice and creamy and the combination of flavors is definitely amazing.  Cut small pieces (about 1/16th of the cake) because it is very rich.

Lemon Mousse Squares

48 vanilla wafer cookies, divided

3/4 cup boiling water

1 pkg (3 oz) lemon flavor gelatin

1 cup ice cubes

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp lemon zest

1 tub (8 oz) whipped topping, thawed, divided

Cover bottom of 8” square pan with 16 wafer cookies; line sides of pan with an additional 16 cookies.  In a small bowl, add boiling water to gelatin mix; stir 2 minutes until completely dissolved.  Stir in ice until melted.

Beat next 3 ingredients in large bowl with mixer until blended.  Gradually beat in gelatin.  Whisk in 2 cups of whipped topping.

Pour half the gelatin mixture into prepared pan; cover with last 16 cookies.  Top with remaining gelatin mixture. 

Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.  Top with remaining whipped topping.

Thoughts and Tips:

If desired, warm 1/3 cup raspberry or strawberry preserves in microwave until melted (15-25 seconds in microwave).  Brush  over first layer of gelatin mixture before adding cookies.

If desired, garnish with fresh fruit before serving.

This has rapidly become one of my husband's favorite desserts.  I am generally not a fan of anything involving gelatin, but like the combination of cream cheese with it in this dessert.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake

My amazing husband made this up as a surprise for my birthday!

15-20 Mint filled chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed

2 cartons (1 1/2 quart) mint chocolate chip ice cream, softened

1 jar hot fudge sauce, warmed to pouring consistency

15-20 Chocolate filled chocolate sandwich cookies, crumbled

Press crushed mint cookies into bottom of 9” round springform pan.  Spread ice cream over top to about 2 inches thick (you may not use a full carton).  Pour hot fudge sauce over ice cream, sprinkle with chocolate cookies.  Spread another 2 inch layer of ice cream over top (again, you may not use all the ice cream).  Freeze for several hours or overnight.  Remove from freezer and allow to soften at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.

Thoughts and Tips:

Do not use premium ice cream for this, as it will freeze too hard.  We like Kroger brand mint chocolate chip ice cream for its texture and flavor.  Generic brand cookies and hot fudge sauce are just as good as the name brand as well.

If you don't have a springform pan, you can make this in a round cake pan.  Line the pan with foil so you can lift the cake out for easy serving.

If desired, top with additional fudge sauce.

This was amazingly good and pretty easy to put together.  Leave some larger chunks of the chocolate cookies in the middle; if you crumble them too small, you lose the flavor and texture they add.

Chicken and Sausage Paella

Originally from Family Fun Magazine

In it's original form, the directions for this recipe were a complete failure.  What I'm posting here is the revised version that actually allows the rice to cook.  The original recipe called for putting the whole thing in the oven; after more than an hour, the rice was still completely hard.

1 Tbsp olive oil

4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes

Salt and pepper

16 oz sausage (chorizo or kielbasa) cut into half-moon slices

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 cups medium-grain rice

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup seeded and chopped tomato OR 1 can diced tomato, drained

4 cups chicken stock OR two cans chicken broth

1/2 cup frozen peas, opt.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Add chicken, sausage, onion, pepper and garlic to skillet.  Cook 5-6 minutes until vegetables are softened and chicken is almost cooked through.  Add the rice, cumin, and salt.  Stir to coat rice.  Pour chicken broth over top and add tomatoes.  Stir gently.  Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes until rice is cooked.  Add peas and simmer for 10 minutes until liquid is absorbed.

Thoughts and Tips:

Kielbasa is a little milder than chorizo; either works fine in this recipe.

This was delicious!  My husband said he would like it just as well without the chicken.  The blend of flavors was excellent.

Creamy Broccoli-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Original Recipe from Kraft Food and Family Magazine

1 pkg (6 oz) Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken

1 cup water

6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (approx 1 1/2 pounds)

1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, drained

1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp paprika

2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine stuffing mix and water in large bowl.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, pound chicken to 1/4 inch thickness.  Add broccoli to stuffing; mix lightly.  Spread onto chicken to within 1/2 inch of edges; roll up starting at one short end of each.

Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9 inch baking dish.  Mix soup and milk; pour over chicken.  Top with paprika and cheese.

Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is done (165 degrees).

Thoughts and Tips:

If you need more detailed directions on how to stuff the chicken, check http://recipeexperiment.blogspot.com/2011/07/bruschetta-stuffed-chicken-breasts.html. 
You can use any "cream of" soup for this recipe.  I recommend lower fat or lower sodium for a healthier meal.

This is one of our new favorites.  Covering the chicken with the soup keeps it very tender and moist.  The broccoli adds a nice flavor without being overwhelming.

Stuffed Chicken Caprese

Originally from Cooking Pleasures Magazine

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

4 (1 oz) slices mozzarella cheese

8 large fresh basil leaves

1/4 tsp salt, divided

1/8 tsp pepper

2 tsp olive oil

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup torn fresh basil

With small knife, make a horizontal slit in chicken breasts to create pockets, being careful not to cut all the way through.  Sandwich 1 cheese slice between 2 basil leaves; stuff into pocket.  Secure with toothpick.  Sprinkle chicken with 1/8 tsp of the salt and pepper.

Heat large skillet over medium-high heat until hot.  Add oil; heat until hot.  Cook chicken 5 minutes; turn.  Scatter tomatoes over chicken; sprinkle with remaining 1/8 tsp salt.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Cook, covered, 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.  Sprinkle chicken with torn basil.  Remove toothpicks before serving.

Thoughts and Tips:
This ended up being way easier than I expected it to be.  Use a thermometer to check the chicken--it should be at least 170 degrees before taking it off the heat.  The chicken breasts I used were fairly thick, so it took more like 8-10 minutes a side to get them cooked through.

We really liked this recipe.  The chicken stayed beautifully tender and the basil and olive oil infused it with a great flavor.  Highly recommend!

Luscious Tropical Dream Cake

Originally from Kraft Food and Family Magazine

1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple, drained (reserve juice)

1 pkg (2 layer size) yellow cake mix

1 pkg (3.4 oz) lemon flavor instant pudding

1 1/2 cups cold milk

2 cups thawed whipped topping

1/2 cup coconut, toasted

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare cake batter as directed on package, substituting 1 cup reserved pineapple juice for 1 cup of the water.  Pour into greased 15x10x1 inch pan.

Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool completely.

Beat pudding mix and milk with whisk 2 minutes.  Stir in pineapple.  Spread over cake; cover with whipped topping.  Top with coconut and nuts.  Keep refrigerated.

Thoughts and Tips

If you don't like lemon, you can make this with vanilla pudding instead. 

You may not be able to get a full cup of pineapple juice from the crushed pineapple.  If not, just add water to make a cup.

The cake comes out fairly thin, but it is a good proportion to the topping.

It is hard to spread the whipped topping over the pudding without mixing the pudding into it.  Don't worry if it looks a little funny--once you sprinkle the coconut and nuts you can't tell.

This cake is delicious!  The combination of flavors is excellent and it is not too rich.  It's like a little taste of the tropics.

Taco Bake

Originally from Kraft Food and Family Magazine

1 package (14 oz) Macaroni and Cheese Dinner

1 pound ground beef

1 package (1 1/4 oz) taco seasoning mix

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 cup salsa

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare dinner as directed on package.  While macaroni is cooking, brown meat; drain.  Add taco seasoning mix and water to meat; simmer 5 minutes.

Stir sour cream into prepared dinner.  Spoon half of the dinner mix into 8 inch square or 9 inch round baking dish; top with layers of the meat mixture, 1 cup of the cheese, and remaining dinner mixture.  Cover.

Bake 15 minutes.  Top with salsa and remaining 1/2 cup cheese.  Bake, uncovered, an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Thoughts and Tips:

You can use any brand of Macaroni and Cheese, but our family prefers Kraft.  I only use 1 Tbsp of butter instead of the 4 the box calls for.

Use any strength of salsa you desire.  Mild almost got overwhelmed by the other flavors in this dish, so I would recommend at least a Medium.

Really, how can you go wrong with this?  Tacos--good.  Mac and Cheese--everyone's favorite.  Quick and easy--perfect for a weeknight!

Chicken Bruschetta Pasta

Originally from Kraft Food and Family

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

1/3 cup chicken broth

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 tub (10 oz) Philadelphia Original cooking Crème

2 cups grape tomatoes

1/2 pound hot cooked pasta

12 fresh basil leaves, torn

Cook chicken in large nonstick skillet on medium heat 5 to 6 minutes or until done.  Stir in broth and garlic powder; cook 3 minutes.

Add cooking crème and tomatoes; cook and stir 3 minutes.

Stir in pasta.  Top with basil.

Thoughts and Tips:
I have to say that the Philadelphia Cooking Cremes are awesome!  They are a little expensive normally, but I've had not problems finding sales and coupons.  For the convenience and the fact that you don't have to add a lot of other seasonings, they are well worth it and have become a staple in our refrigerator for quick and easy meals.
Cut the grape tomatoes in half so they will be more present throughout the dish.

Even the members of our family who are not fond of tomatoes liked this meal. 

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

 1 pouch sugar cookie mix

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/4 to 1/2 tsp mint extract

6-8 drops green food color

1 egg

1 cup crème de menthe baking chips

1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks

Mix cookie mix, butter, extract, food color, and egg in bowl until soft dough forms.  Stir in both types of baking chips.

Using small cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop dough 2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.  Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.  Serve warm or cool completely.

Thoughts and Tips:

These cookies are awesome!  Super easy to make and everybody loved them.  If you like mint chocolate chip ice cream, you will love these!

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toffee and Coconut

Originally from Cooking Pleasures Magazine

2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups self-rising flour

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup white baking chips

3/4 cup toffee bits

3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease baking sheets. 

In large bowl, beat butter and shortening at medium speed 30 seconds or until blended.  Add sugar and brown sugar; beat until combined.  Beat in eggs and vanilla until well blended.  At low speed, slowly beat in flour.  Stir in chocolate chips, white baking chips, toffee bits and coconut.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheets.  Bake, one sheet at a time, 10 to 12 minutes or until  light brown.  Place cookies on wire racks; cool completely.

Thoughts and Tips:

If you don't have self-rising flour on hand, for each cup of flour you can substitute 1 cup of flour plus 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp baking soda.

I really didn't think that the coconut added anything to these and will leave it out the next time.  They also didn't have enough toffee or chocolate for our tastes, so I will probably double the amount of each of those chips and leave out the white chocolate chips next time.  Definitely do not over bake or they get really hard.  Err on the side of underdone!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Cake

Originally from Cooking Pleasures Magazine

Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

6 Tbsp butter, melted

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Filling

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cartons (1.75 quart) vanilla ice cream

4 cups chocolate chip cookies, cut in 1/2 inch pieces

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and cinnamon in medium bowl until crumbs are moistened.  Stir in 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips.  Press into bottom of 13x9 inch baking pan.  Bake 6 minutes until set.  Cool completely on wire rack.

Meanwhile, heat cream in medium saucepan over medium heat until hot and steamy.  Remove from heat.  Add bittersweet chocolate chips.  Let stand 1 minute; stir until melted and smooth.  Stir in vanilla.  Cool 20 minutes or until room temperature.

Place ice cream in refrigerator 20 minutes or until slightly softened.  Spread half of the ice cream over crust; quickly spread with spatula to level.  Sprinkle half of the cookies over ice cream.  Quickly spoon 1 1/4 cups of the chocolate sauce over cookies and ice cream; spread with spatula to cover.   Freeze 15 minutes to firm sauce.

Quickly spread remaining ice cream over sauce.  Sprinkle with remaining cookies.  Drizzle with remaining sauce.  Sauce will not completely cover top.

Freeze 2 hours to firm.  Wrap tightly; freeze overnight or up to 1 week.  Remove from freezer to soften slightly before serving.  Cut with warm knife.  Store in freezer.

Thoughts and Tips:

Do not use premium ice cream in this; it freezes too hard!

Soften the ice cream only to the point where it's easy to spread.  If it melts too much, the texture will not be good after it refreezes.

If ice cream is not soft enough to spread when you start, microwave in 30 second intervals on 50% power.

We liked this, but it was a bit of a pain to put together.  The graham cracker crust wanted to stick to the ice cream; if I were making it again, I would experiment with making a cookie crust instead.  I used homemade cookies, but you could definitely use store bought.  The bittersweet chocolate sauce was a little too dark for most of the family; I would use semi-sweet the next time.

No-Melt Sundae Pie

Originally from Kraft Food and Family Magazine

15 chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed (approx. 1 1/2 cups)

3 Tbsp butter, melted

1 tub (8 oz) whipped topping, thawed, divided

1 cup cold milk

1 pkg (4 serving size) vanilla flavor instant pudding

2 squares Semi-Sweet baking chocolate OR 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

Mix crumbs and butter; press onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate.  Reserve 1/2 cup whipped topping; refrigerate.

Pour milk into large bowl.  Add dry pudding mix.  Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended.  Gently stir in remaining whipped topping.  Spoon into crust.  Mix melted chocolate and condensed milk until well blended.  Spoon over pie.  Cut through chocolate mixture several times with knife for marble effect.

Freeze 6 hours until firm.  Remove pie from freezer 15 minutes before serving.  Top with reserved whipped topping.  Garnish with maraschino cherry if desired.

Thoughts and Tips:

To speed up the process, use a premade chocolate crust instead of the cookie crumb crust.

Melt chocolate easily in the microwave:  use a microwave safe bowl.  For one square of chocolate, microwave on high for one minute, stirring after 30 seconds.  (squares will retain their shape.)  Add 10 seconds for each additional square.  Continue to microwave in 15 second intervals until melted.

I was a little dubious about this pie--frozen pudding?!-- but it turned out to be delicious.  The filling is super creamy and it has just the right amount of chocolate so you can still taste the vanilla.  Emily especially was a fan of this one.

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken

Originally from Cooking Pleasures Magazine

4 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1 cup finely chopped sweet onion

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tsp dried oregano

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes in puree

2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt, divided

1 tsp pepper, divided

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (approx. 2 lbs)

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat 2 Tbsp of the oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until hot.  Add onion, garlic, and oregano.  Cook and stir until onion is softened, approximately 4 minutes.  Add tomatoes, sugar, 1 tsp of the salt, and 1/2 tsp of the pepper.  Simmer 35 minutes or until sauce is thick, stirring occasionally.  Stir in cream.

Spoon 2 cups of the sauce into 13x9 baking dish.

Sprinkle chicken with remaining 1/2 tsp salt and pepper.  Heat remaining 2 Tbsp oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot.  Cook chicken 4 to 6 minutes or until browned, turning once.  Place chicken on top of sauce.  Cover with remaining sauce and sprinkle with cheeses. 

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake, uncovered, 20 to 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbling, chicken is no longer pink in center, and cheese begins to brown.

Serve over pasta or rice.

Thoughts and tips:

You could probably make this just as easily with a jarred sauce, but this sauce was really good and not too hard to make.  It was a little sweeter and lightly creamy. 

Sauce can be made 4 days ahead and refrigerated or a month ahead and frozen.  Heat gently before using.

Instead of using a 13x9, make this in 2 square pans and freeze one up to a month.

All of us really liked this dish.  It was pretty easy to make and definitely delicious.  The chicken stayed nice and tender.