Spaghetti Pie Casserole

Spaghetti Pie Casserole              from:  Taste of Home

1 package (8 ounces) spaghetti
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jar (14 ounces) spaghetti sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
1 cup (8 ounces) reduced-fat sour cream
3 green onions, chopped
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces each) shredded cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese
1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking up beef into crumbles; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. In a small bowl, mix cream cheese and sour cream until blended; stir in green onions. In a greased 11x7-in. baking dish, layer the spaghetti, cream cheese mixture and meat mixture. Top with shredded cheese.
3. Bake, covered, at 350° for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is bubbly. Yield: 8 servings.

Brownie Bowls

Brownie Bowls
Spray muffin pan and fill half full with brownie batter.  Spray the back side of another muffin pan and place on top of the filled muffin pan.  Place in oven at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes. Cool.  Fill with ice cream and enjoy!! 

EASY Microwave FUDGE

Easy Microwave Fudge
Stir together and Microwave for 1 min on high:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 c. milk chocolate chips
Stir until creamy. 
Pour into a foil lined and sprayed 8x8 pan.  Chill in fridge for 2 hours.  Remove from pan and cut into pieces. 

Cranberry Honey Butter

A great holiday gift!!

Cranberry Honey Butter
1 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup finely chopped dried cranberries
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Beat all ingredients until blended. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 3 months.

Twix Cookies

Twix Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 package (11oz) Kraft caramel bits ( I make my own)
1 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
1 package (11.5oz) Ghirardelli milk chocolate morsels

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and powdered sugar for several minutes until well blended. Add in flour, salt and vanilla. Beat for 2-3 minutes until dough starts to form a ball.
Drop dough onto a light floured surface. Using your hands, shape into a log, about the size of a paper towel tube. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
Slice dough (about 1/5 inch thick) and bake on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 11-13 minutes, until edges set and begin lightly browning. Do not overbake.
While cookies are cooling, add caramel and whipping cream to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minutes. Stir and heat again for 15-30 seconds. Stir until smooth. Using a small metal scoop, drop about 3/4 Tbsp of caramel into the center of each cookie. It will spread on it own.
Melt milk chocolate in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute. Stir and heat an additional 15-30 seconds if needed. Frost the tops of each cookie and allow chocolate to set (about 30 minutes). Store in airtight container at room temperature. ENJOY.


 tips....

• Make your shortbread dough ahead of time. Roll it into a tube shape (the size of a paper towel roll). Wrap it up in plastic wrap.  You can actually cut an empty paper towel roll lengthwise, and place plastic wrapped dough inside the tube. Then refrigerate. The paper towel tube helps the dough keep it’s rounded shape.

• Bake the dough while cold.  Makes for a delicious, flaky, crunchy cookie.

• For the caramel, I make my own, use a small metal scoop to place caramel onto the cookie.

• Use a good quality chocolate!

• Allow your cookies to set up at room temperature. The fridge causes the caramel to harden too much, and the chocolate may bloom/discolor.  

• Store in an airtight container at room temp. ENJOY

Cheddar Potato Chowder

Cheddar Potato Chowder       Taste of Home 
2 c. water
2 c. diced unpeeled red potatoes
1 c. diced carrot
1/2 c. diced celery
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. 2% milk
2 c. (8 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1 c. cubed fully cooked lean ham

In a Dutch oven, combine the first seven ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until tender.
Meanwhile, place flour in a large saucepan; gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Add cheese; stir until melted. Stir the ham and the cheese sauce into undrained vegetables; stir until combined. Yield: 7 servings.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies........3 ingredients
-1 cup sugar
-1 egg
-1 cup of peanut butter

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, then lightly grease a baking sheet.
Mix all of your ingredients together in a bowl until fully combined.
Roll dough into small balls and place on prepared baking sheet.
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
Remove cookies from oven, then use a fork to press cookies down in a cross pattern. Remove to a wire rack to allow to cool. Then serve (and try not to devour all at once)!
Makes 1 dozen cookies.

Garlic Herb Cheese Bombs

Garlic Herb Cheese Bombs

Dinner Roll Dough (can use frozen dinner roll dough)
 Mozzarella Sticks
 4-5 Garlic cloves chopped
 3 T. Butter
 Parsley finely chopped
 Salt

– Preheat oven 350 degrees
– Defrost your dinner roll dough by leaving out on the counter
– Flatten out your dough and take a 1-inch cube of mozzarella, place into center of dough, and roll-up.
– Dice parsley, garlic and add a pinch of salt into small prep bowl. Add in melted butter and mix together.
– Brush mixture over tops of each roll
– Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

These are always a hit at dinner parties and are also great as game-day appetizers.

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bars

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Roll Bars
Cake
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
1/4 cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cream Cheese Filling
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
Chocolate Chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a cookie sheet.

In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until smooth. Beat in 2 eggs, pumpkin, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and water until well blended. 

In a separate bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin/butter mixture and combine until well blended.

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

In mixer bowl on medium speed, beat cream cheese, 1 egg, 1/4 cup sugar, and ½ teaspoon of vanilla until smooth.
Dollop the  cream cheese mixture over the pumpkin batter.
Use a table knife to swirl together the cream cheese and pumpkin batter.
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until the center of the pumpkin batter springs back when touched.
Cool completely in pan, sprinkle with powdered sugar,  then cut into bars. Serve.

* Place in refrigerator and serve these cold like a pumpkin roll.   These get better with time, so make them ahead.  Great in the freezer for later!! 

Pumpkin Blossom Cookies......with a Kiss

Pumpkin Blossom Cookies with a Kiss
1/2 c. butter
½ c. shortening
1 c. sugar
½ c. brown sugar
¾ c. pumpkin puree
1 large egg
4 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
Additional sugar for rolling
60 Hershey kisses

In a large bowl, cream together butter, shortening, sugar and brown sugar.
Mix in pumpkin puree and egg.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture.
Roll dough into 1-inch balls and roll in additional sugar.
Place dough on ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 400 for 7-9 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Remove from the oven and gently press a Hershey's Kiss into the center of each cookie.
Let cool completely

Orange Chicken.....in a Crock pot

Orange Chicken in a Crock pot
4-5 Boneless Chicken Breasts - Thawed
3/4 cup Orange Marmalade (or Apricot Preserves)
3/4 cup of BBQ sauce
2 tbsp. Soy Sauce
Sesame Seeds and Orange Zest for garnish (optional)

Cook the Chicken in the crock pot on HIGH for 3 hours - covered.
Drain the Juice from the Crock Pot.
Mix together the Orange Marmalade, the BBQ sauce, and Soy Sauce.
Pour Mix over chicken, cover and cook on high for an additional 30 minutes.

Steam your rice and veggies, place in the bowl and serve.

Orange Marmalade Substitutes:
Orange Juice frozen concentrate
Apricot Preserves
Orange Zest, Sugar and Water over LOW heat