Another Delicious Dessert!

 

Lemon-Raspberry Cheesecake Slab Pie

Ingredients:

1 box Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust s

2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups sour cream (not reduced-fat or fat-free)

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel (2 large lemons)

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (2 large lemons)

1/2 cup raspberry jam or preserves

Directions:

Let box of refrigerated pie crusts stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Place oven rack in lower one-third of oven; heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 1 pie crust on top of second pie crust. With rolling pin, roll out pie crusts into rectangle a little larger than pan; tuck pastry in bottom and up sides of pan.

In bowl of stand mixer with paddle attachment or with hand mixer, beat 2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened, and 1/2 cup sugar on medium-high speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add 1 1/2 cups sour cream, 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel, and 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice; beat on low speed about 1 minute or until combined. Pour batter over crust in pan; spread evenly with spatula.

Place 1/2 cup raspberry jam or preserves in small resealable food-storage plastic bag; cut off very small bottom corner of bag. Starting at one long side of pan, squeeze bag to make 7 crosswise rows of jam. Starting at one short side of pan, pull butter knife lengthwise about 10 times through all crosswise rows of jam.

Bake on lower oven rack 35 to 40 minutes or until center of filling is set. Remove from oven to cooking rack; cool 10 minutes. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving.

Source: Pillsbury website. You can find it here.

Notes: This is really easy and very tasty and satisfying.

Pie Night 2016! Part 1

 

It happens every year because we love our pie! We made some good pie finds this year too! Enjoy!

Almond Butter-Chocolate Delight Pie

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust, softened as directed on box

Chocolate Filling:

1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz.)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Almond Butter Filling:

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup almond butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Topping:

1 cup toasted coconut
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

Directions:

Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Bake pie crust as directed on box for One-Crust Baked Shell, using 9-inch pie plate.

In medium bowl, microwave whipping cream uncovered on High 30 seconds. Stir in chocolate chips and vanilla until smooth. Spread chocolate filling over bottom of baked shell. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

In large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, almond butter, and powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Carefully spread over chocolate filling.

Spread whipped topping over almond butter filling. Mix toasted coconut and toasted almonds. Sprinkle over whipped topping. Refrigerate about 2 hours, or until set. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pie.

Recipe Notes: Coconut can be toasted 5 to 7 minutes on ungreased small cookie sheet while oven preheats. Then almonds can be toasted 8 to 10 minutes on same cookie sheet after removing coconut.

Source: Pillsbury. You can find it here.

Notes: Oooh, this was a good pie. Plus, it was a pretty pie.

 

Root Beer Float Pie

Ingredients:

1 container (8 ounces) frozen reduced-fat whipped topping, thawed, divided
3/4 cup cold diet root beer
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 package (1 ounce) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
1 graham cracker crust (9 inches)
Maraschino cherries, optional

Directions:

Set aside and refrigerate 1/2 cup whipped topping for garnish. In a large bowl, whisk the root beer, milk, and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Fold in half of the remaining whipped topping. Spread into graham cracker crust.

Spread remaining whipped topping over pie. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

Dollop reserved whipped topping over each serving; top with a maraschino cherry, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition information: 1 piece equals 185 calories, 8 g fat, trace cholesterol, 275 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, 14 g sugar, trace fiber, 1 g protein.

Source: Taste of Home, submitted by Cindy Reams, Philipsburg, Pennsylvania. You can find it here.

Notes: This was really yummy. Plus, you can't beat how light this is. Though you won't feel deprived because of how light this is. It is still satisfying.

 

Samoas Cookie Pie

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, for sprinkling
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, loosely filled, not packed
Two-third of one 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (about 10 ounces)
4 to 5 ounces salted caramel sauce (homemade or store bought)
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted for drizzling

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray; set aside.

In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt butter (about 1 minute).

Let cool slightly. Add the brown sugar, vanilla, and egg. Whisk until smooth.

Add the flour and salt and stir until just combined; be careful not to overmix.

Pour batter into prepared pie dish, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes or until edges firm up slightly and center has set slightly.

Remove pie dish from oven and evenly sprinkle 3/4 cup chocolate chips over the crust. Sprinkle the coconut evenly on top of the chocolate chips.

Evenly drizzle the sweetened condensed milk on top of the chocolate chips. Evenly drizzle the caramel sauce over the sweetened condensed milk.

Return pie to oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until there's slight bubbling near the edge of the pie plate and the center has become more set. The cookie pie will continue to firm up more as it cools. In the last 10 minutes of baking, watch the pie carefully to avoid burning. If you are worried about the pie being underdone or the coconut burning, you can tent it lightly with aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.

Allow pie to cool in pie plate on a wire rack.

Melt the chocolate for drizzling by adding 3/4 cup chocolate chips to a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave for about 1 minute. Stir chocolate. If needed, return to microwave for another 30 seconds and stir until smooth. Repeat, if necessary.

Evenly drizzle the chocolate on top of the pie in long vertical lines, parallel to each other, spaced about 1/2-inch apart. The pie doesn't need to be completely cooled before drizzling the chocolate on top.

Allow pie to cool completely on wire rack for at least 4 hours before slicing and serving.

Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

 

Source: Averie Cooks. You can find it here.

Notes: Who doesn't love Samoas? This was yummy stuff.

 

No-Bake Birthday Cake Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup birthday cake mix (like Funfetti cake mix)
1 graham cracker pie crust, store-bought or homemade
Rainbow sprinkles, for decorating

Directions:
In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form.

Add softened cream cheese and sugar and stir until completely combined and no clumps remain.

Fold in birthday cake mix.

Pour mixture into prepared pie crust, smoothing over top with a rubber spatula. Top with sprinkles, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 6 hours.

Source: Delish.com, recipe by Lindsay Funston. You can find it here.

Notes: This was also a yummy pie. You could also use a plain white cake mix instead of a cake mix with colored sprinkles in it.

Easy Recipes are a Must Right Now

 

I have a baby (who is almost a year old--crazy--but he still takes up a ton of my time and energy), we just moved into a new house, everyone is about to start a new school year...so, life is kind of crazy right now and I don't have much time to cook. That's why a recipe like this is so appreciated. It took hardly any time at all and that is a must for me right now.

Root Beer Slow-Cooker Chicken

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
1 cup root beer

Directions:

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. (Or use slow cooker liners like I do)

Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper, and place inside slow cooker. Pour in barbecue sauce and root beer; spread around. Cover and cook on high heat setting 2 hours.

Remove chicken from slow cooker, and use two forks to shred. Place chicken back in slow cooker on warm heat setting; simmer 30 minutes. Serve on burger buns, as desired.

Source: Pillsbury. You can find it here.

Notes: The root beer added some nice depth to this rather than just cooking the chicken in barbecue sauce alone. I used frozen chicken breasts and it took about four hours before they could be shredded. Then I left it on "warm" until we were ready to eat dinner. Very easy and tasty.

Mini Luau Dinner

 

I have been craving some Hawaiian pork, and this recipe helped me satisfy that craving in a very low-key way.

Slow-Cooker Hawaiian Pork Rice Bowls

Ingredients:

3 lbs. boneless pork shoulder roast
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
3 cups fresh stir-fry vegetable mixture
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
6 cups cooked white rice
1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
1/3 cup sliced green onion

Directions:

Spray 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place pork in slow cooker; drizzle liquid smoke on top of pork, and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Cover and cook on low heat setting 7 to 8 hours.

Carefully transfer pork to large cutting board. When cool enough to handle, shred pork with 2 forks; discard fat and cartilage. Strain juices in slow cooker, and add 3/4 cup of strained juices to the shredded pork. Cover and keep warm.

Meanwhile, in 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1/ cup water and the vegetable mixture over medium-high heat. Cover and steam 5 minutes; add teriyaki sauce, and continue cooking uncovered about 2 minutes or until tender-crisp.

Divide rice among 6 serving bowls; top each with 3/4 cup shredded pork, teriyaki vegetables, pineapple, and green onion. Serve with additional teriyaki sauce, if desired. Any remaining pork can be refrigerated for another use.

Source: Pillsbury. You can find it here.

 

If you want to add another taste of the tropics, try some dragon fruit! I had never had any before, but I bought some on an impulse buy the other day and it was fantastic. I would describe the taste and texture as a lot like kiwi fruit. Cut the fruit in half and eat the white fruit out of each half with a spoon.

 

Breakfast For Dinner!

Well, we do this a lot, but we had another "Breakfast for Dinner" night, and as always, it was a huge success. The only drawback being that no one wanted dessert after eating this feast--especially since we had sweet breakfast choices to balance out the savory ones.

 

Amish Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

1 pound sliced bacon, diced
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
6 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) 4% cottage cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded Swiss cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large skillet, cook bacon and onion over medium heat until bacon is crisp; drain. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients; stir in bacon mixture. Transfer to a greased 13x9-inch baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, 35-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 12 servings.

Nutrition information: 1 piece equals 273 calories, 18 g fat, 153 mg cholesterol, 477 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, 18 g protein.

Source: Taste of Home. You can find it here.

Notes: I really liked the taste that the flavor that the Swiss cheese gave this casserole. Yummy stuff!

 

Overnight Country Sausage and Hash Brown Casserole

Ingredients:

1 package (16 oz) bulk hot pork sausage
10 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 bag (20 oz) refrigerated O'Brien hash browns (about 4 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (6 oz)

Directions:

Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray. In 8-inch skillet, cook sausage over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes or until no longer pink; drain.

In large bowl, beat eggs, milk, Dijon mustard and pepper with whisk until mixed well. Stir in hash browns, 1 cup of the cheese and the cooked sausage. Pour mixture in baking dish; cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours, but no longer than 12 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove dish from refrigerator, uncover and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until center is just set. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Source: Pillsbury. You can find it here.

Notes: Another great and easy breakfast casserole that will really hit the spot.

 

Blintz Brunch Bake

Ingredients:

2 pkg. (8 oz each) Neufchatel cheese, softened
1 container (15 oz) part skim ricotta cheese
5 eggs, divided
3/4 cup sugar, divided
2 tsp zest and 3 tbsp. juice from 1 lemon
1 cup flour
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp. baking powder

Directions:

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

Beat Neufchatel, ricotta, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup sugar, lemon zest, and juice in large bowl with mixer until blended.

Whisk remaining eggs, sugar, flour, butter, milk, and baking powder in separate bowl until blended. Spread 1/3 of the batter onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; cover with Neufchatel mixture, then remaining batter.

Bake 45 minutes, or until center is set.

Recipe notes: If baking in a 13x9-inch metal baking pan, increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving, if desired.

Makes 12-16 servings (depending on how large you would like to cut the pieces).

Source: Kraft recipes. You can find it here. We also originally posted this recipe on our blog here.

Notes: As I mentioned above, I initially served this warm and that was all wrong for this dish. I also mentioned that the original recipe doesn't specify what temperature to serve it at, but it is much better at room temperature or chilled. Be sure to have a group to serve this for because you don't want to feel guilty after eating the whole pan by yourself!

This time, we served it with sliced strawberries on top as well as the powdered sugar. Delicious!

Dutch Baby Pancake

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

3 large eggs

3/4 cup whole milk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium cast-iron or ovenproof nonstick skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat; set aside.

In a blender, combine eggs, milk, flour, salt, vanilla, and 1/4 cup sugar. Blend until foamy, about 1 minute. pour batter into skillet; bake until pancake is puffed and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

Working quickly, dot pancake with 1 tablespoon butter, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar and lemon juice. Slice into wedges, and serve immediately.

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food, March 2009. You can find it here. We love this one so much that we have also already posted it on our blog here and here.

Notes: This is really similar to a German pancake. However, this one has sugar inside and on top of it, so you can serve it as-is. No need to add syrup or any other toppings (or you still can, if you like!).

Yeasty Waffles

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup(s) whole milk (at room temperature)
1/2 cup(s) unsalted butter (melted, plus more melted butter for the waffle iron)
2 1/2 cup(s) sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon(s) (from 2 envelopes) active dry yeast (at room temperature)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoon(s) agave nectar or honey
1 teaspoon salt
Syrup, for serving

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the milk, 1/2 cup melted butter, flour, yeast, eggs, agave, and salt, and whisk until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand until the batter is very puffy, about 2 hours at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Preheat a waffle iron and brush it with melted butter. Gently stir the batter to deflate it. For each batch, fill the waffle iron about two-thirds full (the batter will spread and rise); brush the waffle iron with melted butter as needed.

Cook the waffles until golden and crisp. Transfer the waffles immediately from the iron to plates, or keep them warm in the oven. Serve the waffles with syrup, fresh fruit, and softened butter.

Source: Food and Wine. You can find it here.

Notes: Regrettably, I did not get a picture of these! What a pity! I will have to make them again soon and add a picture. These were fantastic. So tasty and such an amazing texture.

A Fun Use for Crackers

 

This is a fantastic way to make those salty and addicting crackers even more addicting.

Triple-Layer Cracker Toffee Bars

Ingredients:

90 buttery rectangular crackers (from 13.7-oz box) (like Club Crackers)
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 bag (11.5 oz) milk chocolate chips (2 cups)

Directions:

Line 13x9-inch pan with foil. Spray foil with cooking spray. Place 30 of the crackers in bottom of pan.

In 2-quart saucepan, mix condensed milk, brown sugar, butter, and milk. Cook over medium heat until butter is melted, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high; heat to boiling. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Pour one-third of the caramel mixture over crackers in pan. Arrange 30 of the crackers over caramel. Top with one-third of the remaining caramel mixture. Repeat with remaining crackers and caramel.

In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on High 1-2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Pour over caramel; spread evenly. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until set. Cut into 6 rows by 8 rows. Store covered up to 4 days.

Source: Pillsbury. You can find it here.

Notes: These were messy, but oh so good!

Only As Good As Your Star Ingredient

 

Here's a recipe that is simple, tasty, and which completely relies on one main ingredient for its success. Don't skimp on this very important ingredient. What is the ingredient that is so vital in this recipe, you ask? Ranch dressing. My suggestion here is to skip the bottled ranch dressing (unless it comes from the refrigerated section/produce section) and make a homemade ranch dressing with milk/buttermilk, mayo, and a Hidden Valley Ranch dressing packet. There. You've been warned. If you follow this advice...ambrosia. If not, mediocrity.

Make-Ahead Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Ingredients:

1 lb. uncooked rotini pasta
3 cups shredded or pulled deli rotisserie chicken
1 bottle (16 oz) ranch dressing (go big or go home! Make it from scratch or use something bottled that is really good!)
1 cup crisply cooked and crumbled bacon (9 to 11 slices)
2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend (8 oz)

Directions:

Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

In large bowl, mix pasta and remaining ingredients.

To freeze: Spray 2 (8-inch) disposable foil cake pans with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. In large bowl, mix pasta, chicken, dressing, and bacon. Divide mixture between pans. Top with cheese. Spray pieces of foil large enough to cover pans with cooking spray. Cover pans with foil, sprayed side down. Place foil-covered pans in gallon-size resealable freezer plastic bags, or wrap in double layer of plastic wrap. Label and freeze. To bake: Thaw pan(s) overnight in refrigerator. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove from plastic, and place foil-covered pan(s) on cookie sheet. Bake 40-50 minutes or until instant-read thermometer inserted in center of mixture reads 165 degrees F. If baking from frozen, bake 60-75 minutes.

Source: Pillsbury website. You can find it here.

Notes: This is good and kid-friendly. Just be sure not to skimp on the quality of ranch dressing you use!

The Easy Way Out

 

I have a new baby (now a little over three months old), and you can bet your boots that I am looking for easy meals to make for my family until we get on a better schedule. Here is a great recipe I found.

Slow-Cooker Creamy Ranch Pork Chops

Ingredients:

4 bone-in pork loin chops (2 lbs.)
1 package (1 oz) ranch dressing and seasoning mix
2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
White rice, for serving
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish, optional

Direction:

Place pork chops in the slow cooker.

Mix ranch dressing and seasoning mix, cream of mushroom soup, and milk and pour over pork chops.

Cover and cook on Low heat setting 5 to 6 hours or until fork-tender. Serve pork chops and sauce over rice. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

Source: Pillsbury. You can find it here.

Notes: I changed this recipe from the original. The original recipe used a can of Progresso creamy mushroom soup--which I didn't have on hand. Since I had condensed cream of mushroom soup, I used that. The original recipe also called for cornstarch to thicken the sauce, but I felt that the sauce was a good consistency, so I omitted that.

This was really easy to throw together for a family weeknight meal. I didn't have any fresh parsley (it would have looked a lot prettier with that color differentiation), but it tasted great anyway!

2015 Pie Sunday! Part 2

I was going to try and post all of our pies in one blog post, but it was getting overwhelming, so I decided to break things up! It is probably a good thing for me and for you, the reader.

 

Easy Key Lime Pie

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers (20 squares)
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup Key lime juice
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
Grated lime peel for garnish, if desired

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In small bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar. Press in bottom and up side of 9-inch glass pie plate. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown; cool.

In large bowl, beat milk and lime juice with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and thickened. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon into cooled pie crust.

Cover and refrigerate about 1 hour or until set. Store in refrigerator.

Source: Betty Crocker. You an find it here.

 

Notes: This was so easy and my husband fell in love with this pie. It is his new favorite pie. The flavor is mellow, creamy, mildly tart, and delicious. These pictures don't really do it justice (darned bad winter lighting). I'll have to make it again sometime in the summer and take better pictures.

 

Luscious Lemon Pie

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust, softened as directed on box

Filling:

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 to 3 medium lemons)
3 cups whipping cream
4 drops yellow food color, if desired

Directions:

Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Make pie crust as directed on box for One-Crust Baked Shell using 9-inch glass pie plate. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

In medium bowl, mix condensed milk, lemon peel, and lemon juice; set aside. In large bowl, beat 2 cups of the whipping cream and the food color with electric mixer on high speed until stiff.

Fold lemon mixture into whipped cream just until blended. Spoon into crust. Cover; refrigerate at least 3 hours until set.

In medium bowl, beat remaining 1 cup whipping cream with electric mixer on high speed until stiff. Spoon dollops on pie or slices of pie when serving. Store covered in refrigerator.

Source: Pillsbury. You can find it here.

Notes: After making the Easy Key Lime recipe above, I was drawn to this recipe because of how similar it was to the Key Lime recipe. This one was just as delicious. Rather than rolling out my own pie dough, I used a frozen pie crust and cooked it according to the package directions. You can also make this with a graham cracker crust too rather than a pastry pie crust (because it still tastes great, and it is a time saver), but it is great both ways.

Graham Cracker Pie Crust

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter or margarine

Directions:

In small bowl, stir together crumbs and sugar. Add margarine or butter. Stir until combined.

In 9-inch pie plate, evenly spread crumb mixture. Press onto bottom and sides of pie plate. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Or bake at 375 degrees F for 6-8 minutes or until light brown. Cool.

Fill as directed in recipe. Makes 8 servings.

Source: I got this off of the back of a box of Keebler Graham Cracker Crumbs. You can find it online here.

Award Winning Peaches and Cream Pie

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 (3 ounce) package non-instant vanilla pudding mix
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 (29 ounce) can sliced peaches, drained and syrup reserved
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease sides and bottom of a 10-inch deep-dish pie pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and pudding mix. mix in butter, egg, and milk. Beat for 2 minutes. Pour mixture into pie pan. Arrange the peach slices on top of the pudding mixture.

In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add 1/2 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons reserved peach syrup. Beat for 2 minutes. Spoon mixture over peaches to within 1 inch of pan edge. Mix together 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and sprinkle over top.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown. Chill before serving.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Debbi Borsick. You can find it here.

Notes: This was more cake-like than pie-like, but it was very tasty.

Quick Breakfast

 

This is a slightly different take on granola bars. It's kind of a way to combine your overnight yogurt oatmeal and granola bars into one.

 

Overnight Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients:

1 container (5.3 oz) Yoplait Greek blended yogurt (any flavor)
1 cup almonds
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup dried fruit (any variety)

Directions:

In food processor, place all ingredients. Cover; process until a ball forms, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl with spatula.

Line loaf pan with foil. Empty food processor bowl into loaf pan, pressing down mixture with spatula. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to firm up; slice into bars, and serve. Can also be covered and refrigerated overnight.

Yield: 8 servings. 200 calories per serving.

Source: Pillsbury website. You can find it here.

Notes: I liked these. The yogurt gives the bars a tart flavor. I used dried apricots and vanilla yogurt. A lot of people who gave these negative reviews on the Pillsbury website did it because they were expecting a crunchy granola bar. That is not what these are. They are soft and chewy. If you are looking for a crunchy or chewy traditional granola bar, find another recipe. These need to be refrigerated because of the yogurt, so they are cold when you eat them. A perfect cool breakfast for summer time!

Leftovers Revamped

 

I make a big batch of Cafe Rio pork at least once a year, usually on or around Cinco de Mayo. We originally posted it here. We use the leftovers to make Cafe Rio inspired salads, enchiladas, burritos, nachos, quesadillas, etc. You name it. This time though, I had a ton of extra pork. I then ran across this recipe and figured that it would be the perfect way to use up the remainder of my leftover pulled pork.

Pulled Pork Tortilla Pie

Ingredients:

1 can 911 oz) Green Giant SteamCrisp chipotle white corn or Green Giant Niblets whole kernel sweet corn, drained
1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso chopped green chiles, drained
12 corn tortillas
1 package (12 oz) refrigerated hickory smoked seasoned pulled pork (or leftover Cafe Rio pork)
1 container (8 oz) sour cream
1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso mild green chile enchilada sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (6 oz)

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In small bowl, mix corn and chiles; set aside. In baking dish, layer 4 tortillas, half each of the pork, corn mixture, sour cream, enchlada sauce, and 1/2 cup of the cheese; repeat layering once. Layer with remaining tortillas; sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Cover; bake 30 minutes. Uncover, bake 10 to 15 minutes longer or until hot and bubbly.

Source: Pillsbury. You can find it here.

Notes: In the future, I might mix the sour cream with the corn and chile mixture rather than doing a separate layer. On the website, people complained about this recipe being a little dry. However, I had no problems with that at all. Perhaps this is because my meat was still quite juicy. We really liked this. I would suggest topping this with some chopped cilantro and serving it with your favorite kind of beans and Mexican rice.

St. Patrick's Day Treats for the Kids

 

 
I loved these cookies while growing up. In hindsight, they aren't anything special when it comes to taste...but they always bring back good memories and kids love them.

These cookies are much easier than the length of my instructions would lead you to think. There are just a lot of steps that get repeated. Just read through the instructions and give it a go!

Rainbow Cookies

Ingredients:

1 roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough
Red, yellow, green, and blue food dye (you can use additional colors, if you like)

Directions:

Divide the dough into four portions, ranging in size from small to large.

Above: You can do more colors than just red, yellow, green, and blue. If you do, divide them up better than I did! Red should be the biggest, and each ball of cookie dough should get smaller in size as you go. I didn't do such a great job of that here...oh well, practice makes perfect. Next time, I will get it right!

Knead blue food dye into the smallest portion of cookie dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Knead green food dye into the second smallest portion of cookie dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Knead yellow food dye into the second largest portion of cookie dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Knead red food dye into the largest portion of cookie dough. Wrap in plastic wrap until ready to use.

Rainbow Cookie Option 1:

Pull blue cookie dough out of the refrigerator and shape into a snake-like shape on a piece of waxed paper.

Pull green cookie dough out of the refrigerator. Roll out and then place the blue cookie dough on top of the green cookie dough and roll the green cookie dough over the blue to cover the blue completely.

Pull the yellow cookie dough out of the refrigerator. Roll out and then place the green log of cookie dough on top of the yellow cookie dough and roll the yellow cookie dough over the green to cover the green completely.

Pull the red cookie dough out of the refrigerator. Roll out and then place the yellow log of cookie dough on top of the red cookie dough and roll the red cookie dough over the yellow to cover the yellow completely.

Wrap log of cookie dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes, or until cold and firm.

Remove log of cookie dough out of refrigerator. Unwrap and slice into 1/4 inch rounds. Place sugar cookie circles on cookie sheet and bake according to sugar cookie package directions.

Rainbow Cookie Option 2:

Pull blue cookie dough out of the refrigerator and shape into a snake-like shape on a piece of waxed paper.

Pull green cookie dough out of the refrigerator. Roll out and then place it over the blue cookie dough (not enclosing the blue completely--so that it is like a cylinder cut in half).

Pull the yellow cookie dough out of the refrigerator. Roll out and then place over the green cookie dough (again, not enclosing completely).

Pull the red cookie dough out of the refrigerator. Roll out and then place over the yellow cookie dough (again, not enclosing completely).

Wrap log of cookie dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes, or until cold and firm.

Remove log of cookie dough out of refrigerator. Unwrap and slice into 1/4 inch slices. Place sugar cookie half-circle slices on cookie sheet and bake according to sugar cookie package directions.

Source: I believe my mom found this in a little Pillsbury cookbook years ago.

Notes: I suggest cooking these for less time in order to keep the sugar cookies soft. If the package calls for 8-10 minutes of bake time, bake them for 7 or 8 minutes. They might seem underdone when you pull them out of the oven, but after they cool, they will be nice and soft. If you cook them for 10 minutes, they will be crunchy, crispy cookies after they cool.

If you end up with crunchy cookies, you can always put a little softened vanilla ice cream on the cookie, top it with another cookie, wrap it up and freeze it and then serve it as an ice cream sandwich instead. The ice cream will soften the cookie and make it chewy and it makes for some really tasty ice cream sandwiches. See here.

Another preparation option is that you can do cookie option #1 and slice the whole log in half lengthwise and then slice both halves into 1/4 inch cookie slices. It's up to you.

You can do more colors (and add orange and purple layers, for instance, for a complete ROYGBIV rainbow). However, if you opt to use more colors, I would suggest using two rolls of refrigerated sugar cookie dough instead of just one roll. It will be easier to divide the dough into all the colors that way. Yes, you will end up with more cookies (and a longer log of cookie dough to deal with), but if your kids can't eat them, they freeze well, and you can have them another time.

These cookies aren't really an exact science and it is hard to get them to turn out perfectly, but honestly, the kids won't care. They will think they are fun and tasty even if they look a little crazy (as mine do!).

Easy--Yet Fun--Breakfast

If you want to make a breakfast that is a little fun and fancy without being time-consuming, this incredibly easy recipe is for you.

Chocolate-Filled Crescents

Ingredients:

1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips
Powdered sugar, if desired

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Separate dough into 8 triangles.

Place one tablespoon of chocolate chips on wide end of each triangle. Roll up, starting at shortest side of triangle, rolling to opposite point. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Source: Pillsbury website. You can find it here.

Notes: These were so easy and I love that this recipe is so basic and simple, yet it has so many possibilities. I mean, you don't have to use mini chocolate chips. You could use regular sized chocolate chips...and therefore, you could use different flavors of chips...white chocolate chips, butterscotch, peanut butter, etc.

I mean, think of how good these would be with white chocolate chips and a teaspoon of raspberry or strawberry jam rolled up with the chips?

You could even drizzle these with melted chocolate chips instead of, or in addition to, the powdered sugar.

Easiest Green Bean Casserole Ever

As has already been established, I am very, very behind on my posts. This is usually a Thanksgiving staple rather than something you crave in the spring, so file this one away for Thanksgiving 2015. It is an incredibly easy side dish to throw together...which is really nice because Thanksgiving dinner is so time consuming and labor intensive to make. This recipe is an easy way to fit in another side dish without taking up a ton of extra time.

Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

2 cans (14.5 oz each) French-style green beans, drained
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup (see notes)
1/4 cup milk (see notes)
1 can (2.8 oz) French-fried onions (see notes)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In 1 1/2 quart casserole or glass baking dish, mix green beans, soup and milk.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes, topping with onions during last 5 minutes of baking, until bubbly.

Recipe notes: You can substitute cream of chicken or cream of celery soup if you like. You can also get this dish ready the day before. Store covered in your fridge until ready to bake. Add a few extra minutes of bake time because it will be cold when it goes in the oven.

Source: Betty Crocker website. You can find it here. An almost identical recipe can be found on the Pillsbury website (they are sister websites owned by the same parent company--in fact, the picture is the same one on both sites). You can find that one here.

Notes: The ingredient amounts/sizes are slightly different between the Betty Crocker and Pillsbury websites. The recipe listed above is from Betty Crocker. I actually followed the Betty Crocker recipe in regard to the cream of mushroom soup/milk, but the Pillsbury recipe for the French-fried onions. Let me explain. The changes on the Pillsbury website are to use an 18 ounce can of Progresso creamy mushroom soup that is not condensed (instead of the condensed soup), and as a result, the milk is eliminated in that recipe. The Pillsbury recipe also uses a 6 oz can of French-fried onions instead of a 2.8 oz can and calls for mixing half of the can into the green bean mixture and topping the remaining half of the can on top of the green beans.

So, this recipe is flexible. It is up to you! Use condensed soup...or not! Also, add your own desired amount of French-fried onions.

Personally, I think I will follow the Betty Crocker recipe exclusively in the future. I loved the onions on the top, but I found the onions that were mixed into the green bean mixture to be a little overpowering and distracting. It was just a little too oniony for my tastes. Plus, the onions that were mixed in ones got a little soggy and I prefer them crunchy. However, even still, this is really good and really easy...and easy to customize to your own tastes!