Sea Glass Jello

Ingredients:

3 (3 ounce) boxes Jell-O or generic store-brand gelatin (any colors you'd like)
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (substitutions will not work)
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin (Knox brand, in the Jell-O aisle)

Directions: (see step-by-step at RecipeGirl.com)

1. In three separate containers (use rectangular tupperware or pyrex loaf pans), mix jello package with 1 cup of boiling water. Stir each until dissolved and then refrigerate until firm (at least 4 hours, or overnight).
2. Once the jello flavors are firm, use a sharp knife to cut the jello into small squares (1/2-inch or so).
3. Spray a 9x13-inch pyrex pan lightly with nonstick spray. Use a metal spatula to scoop out the jello squares and place them into the prepared pan. Mix the colors up so they're not bunched all together.
4. In a separate bowl, add 1/2 cup of cold water. Sprinkle in 2 envelopes of gelatin and stir. Add 1 1/2 cups boiling water to the bowl and stir until dissolved. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and let cool.
5. Pour the white gelatin mixture over the cubes of jello and let it fill up the pan. Refrigerate overnight. Slice the jello into squares and serve. These are firm enough to serve on a platter as a hand-held dessert.

Tips:

*Because I wanted to copy the look of what is usually found in sea glass, I used orange, lime and blueberry jello. The blueberry jello only comes in a 6-ounce package, so you'll need to divide it in half. You can certainly use whatever flavors you'd like.

Source: RecipeGirl.com (Adapted from The Food Librarian)

Deep Dark Brownies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
3/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder
5 ounces semisweet chocolate bar, finely chopped
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8x8-inch pan. Line with parchment paper and let it hang over two sides. Butter the parchment.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside.
3. In a large saucepan, combine butter and espresso powder. Heat on low and stir until butter has melted. Add chocolate, and stir constantly until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and stir in both sugars until combined. Let cool slightly.
4. Whisk eggs and vanilla and keep moving the batter around until combined and no longer grainy-looking. Add flour mixture to batter and stir just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top with a greased spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a just a few moist crumbs attached (28 to 30 minutes). Don't over bake! Let cool completely. Cut into pieces and serve or store.

Source: RecipeGirl.com (Adapted from Baked)

Easy Dinner Rolls

EASY DINNER ROLLS

www.RecipeGirl.com

1 cup warm water (105° F. to 115° F)
2 packages active dry yeast
½ cup butter, melted
½ cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp salt
4 to 4½ cups (or so) all-purpose flour
additional melted butter
1. Combine the warm water and yeast in a large bowl. Let the mixture stand until yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. If it does not become foamy, your yeast is probably old and not active- it’s best to throw it out and start again.
2. With a wooden spoon, stir in butter, sugar, eggs and salt. Beat in flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough is too stiff to mix (some flour may not be needed). The dough should no longer be sticky. Place round ball of dough into a new bowl that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or up to 4 days.
3. Grease a 13×9″ baking pan. Turn the chilled dough out onto a lightly floured board. Divide dough into 24 equal-size pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth round ball; place balls in even rows (4 rows by 6 rows) in the prepared pan. Cover with a dish towel and let dough balls rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour (or so). You can leave them to rise longer if you need to.
4. Preheat oven to 375° F. Bake until rolls are golden brown and cooked through, 15-20 minutes. If they are browning too quickly on top, tent foil over the rolls until finished baking. Brush warm rolls with melted butter, if desired. Break rolls apart to serve.
Servings: 24
Cooking Tips
*In this recipe, don’t use quick-rising dry yeast.
*Before adding the yeast mixture, use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature of the water (it’s important that it’s in the temperature range indicated)
*These rolls may be baked early in the day and re-warmed when ready to serve.

One Pot Italian Casserole

Recipe from a friend's blog, Recipes to Warm the Heart

What I used:
1 lb. ground beef
1tbs. minced garlic (in the jar)
1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14.5oz.) beef broth
1 cup water
2 cups macaroni pasta, uncooked
1 green bell pepper, sliced into chunks
1 can (6oz.) tomato paste
a hint of Italian seasoning
shredded cheese of your choice to top it all off

Brown your meat with your garlic until meat is cooked through.  Add tomatoes, broth and water, mix well.  Bring to a boil.  Add your pasta and pepper; mix well.  Cover and reduce heat to med.; simmer for 15 min. or until pasta is tender.  Add your tomato paste and Italian seasoning; mix well.  Top with your choice of cheese!

Peppermint Hot Cocoa - Great gift idea!

I made this tonight, and WOW!  Had to share it right away.

1 serving of your normal hot cocoa mix (I use Carnation because Swiss Miss just isn't good enough)
1 T of crushed peppermint candies

While still in a wrapper, I put the peppermints on a cutting board and hit them with a hammer a few times.  Original, huh?  Use a plastic cutting board or your wooden one will have dents, like mine, and your glass one will shatter.  No, the glass info isn't from experience, just common sense.  Put the crushed peppermints in a bowl or Tupperware and use as needed.

Make it a Peppermint Mocha by using coffee instead of water, or a shot of espresso and milk, with chocolate syrup.  It's just that easy.  And cheap!

Need a gift idea? Layer cocoa mix and crushed peppermint candies in a jar and decorate it all fancy.

Twix Cheesecake

Ingredients:

CRUST:
20 Oreo cookies (with creme filling)
3 Tablespoons melted butter
FILLING:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
16 chopped Twix "Fun Size" Candy Bars (2 cups total)
TOPPING:
chocolate syrup
caramel syrup
6 chopped Twix "Fun Size" Candy Bars

Directions:

1. Prepare the crust: Crush Oreos (either in a plastic bag or in a food processor) and mix with melted butter. Use your fingers to press into a 9-inch pie dish; place into the freezer for about 30 minutes, or until firm.
2. Prepare the filling: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. With an electric mixer in a large bowl, beat cream cheese with sugar and eggs until mixture is smooth. Stir in chopped Twix bars. Pour into frozen pie crust. Bake until set, 35 to 45 minutes; let cool.
3. When pie is completely cooled, drizzle with chocolate and caramel syrup and garnish with more chopped Twix bars. Chill until firm.

Tips:

*Twix bars are a shortbread and caramel cookie candy bar covered in chocolate. They're sold in the USA.
*This is a great recipe to use up a zillion Twix bars that your kids will come home with on Halloween night.

Source: RecipeGirl.com (Loosely adapted from Real Simple)

Corn Dog Muffins

Ingredients:

2 (8.5 ounce) packages corn bread mix
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
9 whole hot dogs, diced
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
ketchup, mustard, sour cream, honey mustard (for dipping)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease mini muffin tins.
2. In a large bowl, stir together cornbread mix and brown sugar. In a small bowl whisk together eggs and milk, and then stir into dry mixture until moistened. Mix in hot dogs and cheese.
3. Spoon a good Tablespoonful into muffin tins, making sure you get some hot dog in each spoonful.
4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool for about 10-15 minutes in the pan before removing. For easy removal, cut around outsides of the muffins, then tip upside down onto a large cutting board & urge the muffins out using a knife to tap the bottoms of the muffin tins. They should slide right out.
5. Serve warm with desired dipping sauces.

Tips:

*Alternately, you can use your favorite cornbread mix, follow the instructions on the box, add in 1 cup of cheddar cheese and mix in chopped hot dogs too. If your favorite cornbread mix doesn't have a sweet element to it, add in 2 Tbsp. brown sugar.
*You can use paper liners if you'd like.

Source: www.RecipeGirl.com

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Brownies

Ingredients:

BROWNIE LAYER:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
COOKIE DOUGH LAYER:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
GANACHE TOPPING:
3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
1 cup peanut butter chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8x8-inch pan with nonstick spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a strip of parchment paper, so that it comes up two of the sides that are opposite each other. Spray the parchment with nonstick spray too.
2. Prepare the brownies: In a small bowl, melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate in the microwave until the butter is melted, about 2 minutes. Stir briskly until well-combined, then stir in the vanilla. Meanwhile, in a large bowl- use an electric mixer to beat together the sugar and eggs. Scrape in the partially cooled chocolate mixture and mix to combine. In separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir the flour ingredients and chocolate chips into the wet ingredients. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 22 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool.
3. Prepare cookie dough layer: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine butter and brown sugar. Mix until creamy. Add milk and peanut butter and mix to combine. Stir in flour and salt. Spread the peanut butter cookie dough in an even layer over the cooled brownies.
4. Prepare ganache: In a small bowl, microwave chocolate chips cream and sugar for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds. Continue to microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring after each heating time. Continue heating and stirring until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Drizzle the ganache over the peanut butter cookie dough layer and carefully spread to cover the top. Sprinkle with peanut butter chips. Refrigerate until the dough and the ganache topping are set (at least 1 hour). Use a knife to loosen the sides, then carefully grab the parchment paper and remove the whole pan of brownies to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut them into squares. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Source: RecipeGirl.com (Adapted slightly from Food Network)

Sloppy Tacos

What You Need

1 lb. ground beef

1 jar  (16 oz.) TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Medium Salsa

1 pkg. (12 oz.) hamburger buns (8 buns)

1 pkg.  (6 oz.) KRAFT Singles

Make It

BROWN meat in large skillet; drain.
STIR in salsa; cook until heated through, stirring occasionally.
FILL buns with meat mixture and Singles.

Pepperoni Tip

Is your pizza greasy when you use pepperoni?  Here's a great tip!  Put your slices of pepperoni on a paper towel.  Place another paper towel over them and microwave them for 30 seconds.  The grease will go onto your paper towel and not on your pizza!

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

 

ngredients:

7 ounces thin spaghetti
1 tablespoon salted butter
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers
Two 10.75-ounce cans 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 cup nonfat milk
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions, but only cook it until it's al dente (you still want a little bite to it). Drain the pasta and set it aside.
3. Melt butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion, celery and bell peppers. Cook until the vegetables have softened, 4 to 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix milk and soup until smooth. Add this mixture to the vegetables in the pan. Stir in cheddar cheese. Continue to heat the mixture until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth. Add in chicken, pasta and tabasco, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle Jack cheese on top.
4. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the casserole is hot and bubbly and golden brown.

Tips:

*Turn this casserole into a day-after-Thanksgiving meal by adding leftover turkey instead of chicken.

Source: RecipeGirl.com

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon unsweetened canned pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup hot brewed, strong coffee
2 tablespoons half & half cream
1 teaspoon granulated white sugar, or more to taste
whipped cream, optional
ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. In a glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl, whisk together milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, spice and vanilla. Microwave for 1 to 2 minutes- watch closely and remove it from the microwave when the milk is hot and frothy.
2. Pour the pumpkin milk into a tall mug or glass. Add hot coffee. Pour in the cream. Add a teaspoon of sugar. Stir, and taste. Add more sugar, if desired.
3. Optional, but oh so good... add whipped cream on top and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Serve immediately!

Tips:

*Feel free to lighten up the recipe by using nonfat milk and fat-free half & half. It won't be as rich, but it will still give you that yummy pumpkin latte flavor.
*If you don't have pumpkin pie spice in your collection of spices, make your own! Mix equal parts of cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg- and measure from there.

Source: RecipeGirl.com

Washington Apple Cake

1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix

1 pkg.  (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

4 eggs

2/3 cup  water

1/2 cup oil

1 tsp.  ground cinnamon

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream, divided

3   Granny Smith apples (1 lb.), peeled, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp.  water

 

 

HEAT oven to 350ºF.
BEAT first 6 ingredients and 1/2 cup sour cream in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Stir in apples; pour into greased and floured 10-inch tube pan or 12-cup fluted tube pan.
BAKE 1 hour to 1 hour 5 min. or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 min. Loosen cake from side of pan with knife. Invert cake onto wire rack; gently remove pan. Cool cake completely.
WHISK powdered sugar, remaining sour cream and 1 tsp. water until well blended. Drizzle over cake. Let stand until glaze is firm.

Vermont Maple-Pumpkin Pie

5 NILLA Wafers, finely crushed (about 1-1/4 cups)

1/4 cup  butter, melted

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

3/4 cup  sugar, divided

3 eggs, divided

1-1/4 cups  canned pumpkin

1 cup canned evaporated milk

1-1/2 tsp.  pumpkin pie spice

3/4 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

3 Tbsp.  chopped PLANTERS Walnuts

1/4 cup maple syrup

Heat oven to 350.  Mix crumbs and butter; press onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch pie plate.  Beat cream cheese, 1.4 c sugar and 1 egg with mixer until well blended.  Spread onto bottom of crust.  Mix remaining sugar, eggs, pumpkin, milk and spice; carefully pour over cream cheese mixture. (Note: Crust will be full).  Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 5 minutes, or until center is set.  Cool completely.  Serve topped with remaining ingredients.  

Louisiana Red Velvet Cheesecake Bars

24 OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 2 cups)

1/4 cup  butter, melted

6 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided

3 pkg.  (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp.  vanilla

3 eggs

1 Tbsp.  red food coloring

 

HEAT oven to 350ºF.
MIX cookie crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray.
MELT 4 chocolate squares as directed on package; place in medium bowl. Set aside. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add eggs; beat just until blended. Remove 2 cups batter; mix with melted chocolate and food coloring. Carefully spread over crust; cover with remaining plain batter.
BAKE 26 to 28 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Melt remaining chocolate; drizzle over dessert. Refrigerate 4 hours.

 

Frosting Tip

Do you ever have trouble spreading frosting on a cake?  Here's a professional cake decorating tip:

Get a tall drinking cup and fill it with hot water.  Dip your knife in hot water and then spread the frosting.  As the frosting starts to stick to the knife, dip it in water again.  Shake excess water off as much as possible, but don't worry if a little remains on the knife. 

Slow-Cooker Cheesy Chicken & Potatoes

1 large green pepper, chopped

1 lb.  red potatoes (about 3), very thinly sliced

1 tsp. paprika

8 small  bone-in chicken thighs (2 lb.), skin removed

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

1/4 lb.  (4 oz.) VELVEETA®, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup  chopped fresh parsley

 

PLACE peppers in slow cooker sprayed with cooking spray; top with potatoes. Sprinkle paprika over chicken. Place 4 thighs in slow cooker; cover with soup and remaining thighs. Cover with lid.
COOK on LOW 6 to 8 hours (or on HIGH 3 to 4 hours).
USE slotted spoon to transfer chicken and vegetables to platter; cover to keep warm. Set slow cooker on HIGH heat. Add VELVEETA and Worcestershire sauce to reserved liquid in slow cooker; stir. Cover with lid; cook 5 min. Stir until VELVEETA is completely melted and sauce is well blended. Spoon over chicken and vegetables; top with parsley.  

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon-Cream Cheese Frosting

1 pkg. (2-layer size) spice cake mix

1 cup  BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin

1/4 cup  oil

3 eggs

1 pkg.  (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 tsp.  vanilla

1 pkg. (16 oz.) powdered sugar

1-1/2 tsp.  ground cinnamon

 

HEAT oven to 350ºF.
BEAT first 5 ingredients with mixer until well blended; spoon into 24 paper-lined muffin cups.
BAKE 20 to 22 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min.; remove from pans. Cool completely.
BEAT cream cheese, butter and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Gradually beat in sugar. Blend in cinnamon. Spread over cupcakes.

 

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Thanks to Wendy and Recipe Girl for this recipe!

PANCAKES:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
CINNAMON FILLING:
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
CREAM CHEESE GLAZE:
4 Tablespoons butter
2 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Prepare pancake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in milk, oil and egg, just until batter is moistened (a few small lumps are fine).
2. In a medium bowl, mix butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Scoop the filling into a small zip baggie and set aside. You don't want this to remain super-liquidy. It's best if it becomes a consistency similar to toothpaste.
3. In a medium, microwave-safe bowl- heat butter and cream cheese until melted. Whisk together until smooth; whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla extract; set aside.
4. Heat large skillet over medium-low heat. Spray with nonstick spray. Scoop about 3/4 cup batter onto the skillet. Snip the corner of your baggie of filling and squeeze a spiral of the filling onto the top of the pancake.

When bubbles begin to appear on the surface, flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet or platter and keep in a warm oven until ready to serve.

5. When ready to serve, spoon warmed glaze onto the top of each pancake.

Tips:

*Keep the heat low or your pancakes might cook up too quickly. Don't flip them until you see those bubbles starting to pop on top. Flip them with a wide spatula so you can grasp the whole thing without batter and filling dripping all over the place!
*It's best if you pour the batter onto your skillet, wait a minute or so and then swirl the cinnamon onto the batter. That'll give it a chance to set a little before you add the swirl.
*If your baggie of filling begins to get too thick, just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it up again. On that same note, it shouldn't be too runny. The consistency of soft toothpaste is perfect. If it's melty and runny, it will tend to run all over your pancakes. Once you micro it, let it sit on the counter at room temp for a while until it thickens slightly.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta - version 2

This recipe is from my friend Wendy at Recipes to Warm the Heart.

1 lb. Pasta (You can use many different kinds if you so choose.)
1 cup Chicken Breasts, cooked and cubed
1 cup bacon, cooked and cut up
1 1/2 cups Milk
8 oz. Cream Cheese (softened)
2 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Salt
Pepper
Dash of Seasoned salt
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup Butter, melted 

 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add the pasta; cook until al dente.  Drain and return to the pot. While Pasta is cooking go ahead and cook your chicken and bacon.  Add in the chicken and bacon to your pasta and mix well.

Preheat your broiler. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream cheese and garlic powder over low-medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until it becomes a smooth texture (about 5 minutes). Stir into the pasta mixture. Add in the Mozzarella cheese and seasoned salt along with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer pasta to a 9x13 baking dish and top with Italian bread crumbs. Pour melted butter over crumbs and broil until browned, around 5 minutes or so. 

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole- version 1

1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Lower Sodium Stuffing Mix for Chicken

1 can  (10-3/4 oz.) reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup

1 Tbsp. GREY POUPON Dijon Mustard

1 lb.  boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

3 cups small fresh broccoli florets

12 slices  OSCAR MAYER Deli Fresh Smoked Ham, chopped

6 KRAFT Extra Thin Swiss Cheese Slices

 

HEAT oven to 375ºF.
PREPARE stuffing as directed on package.
MIX soup and mustard in medium bowl; stir in chicken, broccoli and ham. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray; top with cheese and stuffing.
BAKE 35 to 40 min. or until heated through.

 

Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole

1 lb. ground beef

1   onion, chopped

1/3 cup ketchup

2 Tbsp.  yellow mustard

1 cup KRAFT Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

8 slices  OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, crumbled

4 cups (1/2 of 32-oz. pkg.) frozen bite-size seasoned potato nuggets

HEAT oven to 400ºF.
BROWN meat with onions in skillet; drain. Stir in ketchup and mustard; spoon into 9-inch square baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
TOP with remaining ingredients.
BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until casserole is heated through and potato nuggets are golden brown.

 

Ranch Potato Salad

I've been looking for this recipe for the longest time. I LOVE IT!  Especially if you're not usually a potato salad fan.  I know its a little late for the picnic food, but I'm posting it anyway!

• 2 pounds new or red potatoes cooked,and cut into 1-inch cubes
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup sliced green onions
• ¾ cup Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Dressing
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped chives
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large pot, add the potatoes and enough water to cover.
Add the salt and bring the water to a boil. Cook the potatoes for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, mix the potatoes, green onion, and dressing together until well coated. Chill covered for at least 1 hour.

Season with salt to taste and serve garnished with chives and freshly ground pepper.

This recipe was found at Hidden Valley

Cinnamon Bread

I got this recipe from Melissa Witcher's blog Redfly Creations.

Cinnamon Bread

makes 2 loaves

Batter:

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 cups buttermilk or 2 cups milk plus 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

Cinnamon/sugar mixture:

2/3 cups sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon 

Cream together butter, 2 cups of sugar, and eggs.  Add milk, flour, and baking soda.  Put 1/2 of batter (or a little less) into greased loaf pans (1/4 in each pan).  Mix in separate bowl the 2/3 c sugar and cinnamon.  Sprinkle 3/4 of cinnamon mixture on top of the 1/2 batter in each pan.  Add remaining batter to pans; sprinkle with last of cinnamon topping.  Swirl with a knife.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 min.  or until toothpick tester come clean.  

Cool in pan for 20 minutes before removing from pan.

Or you can make this bread in muffin tins to make it a little easier to freeze and take out as needed.

Rolo Pretzel Turtles

Nuts – pecan halves (or any other type of nut)
Mini pretzels
Rolo chocolate candies
Preheat your oven to 350F.

Unwrap your Rolos – try not to eat all of them. Place pretzels on the baking sheet in one layer. Top each pretzel with a Rolo. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes, until the chocolate just begins to melt. The Rolo candy should be soft but not completely melted. Remove from oven, carefully use a spatula to lift the pretzels on cooling rack and immediately squish the Rolo candy with a nut. Watch the caramel ooze out!

Shortbread Candy Bars (Great for leftover Halloween candy)

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
3/4 c brown sugar
1 1/4 t salt
2 cups flour
1 c chocolate chips
2 cups assorted chocolate candies, or roughly chopped candy bars

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and salt on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. With mixer on low, add flour in three additions and beat until combined (dough will be crumbly). Press dough evenly into an 8-inch square baking dish. Bake until golden brown and firm, 30 to 35 minutes.
   
2. Scatter chocolate chips on top of shortbread. Bake until soft, 1 minute. With the back of a spoon, spread chocolate evenly over shortbread. Scatter candies over top. Let cool on a wire rack 30 minutes. Refrigerate briefly to set chocolate, then cut into 16 bars.

From Everyday Food

Rolo Cookie Bars

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1/4 cup butter, melted

36 chocolate-covered caramel candies,

halved

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
2.	Combine the cake mix and nuts. Stir in the evaporated milk and melted butter. Spread half of the cake mix mixture into the prepared pan.
3.	Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately place Rolo pieces, cut side down, over hot crust. Drop remaining cake mix mixture by teaspoonfuls over Rolo pieces. Return to oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cut into squares to serve.

Candy Corn Fudge

RecipeGirl.com

 Don’t get too excited.  It actually doesn’t taste a thing like candy corn.  But it’s cute, right?  That’s all that matters at Halloween.  For step by step pictures go to RecipeGirl.com

Ingredients:

One 12-ounce package white vanilla chips (2 cups)
One 10-ounce package butterscotch chips (1 3/4 cups)
Two 16-ounce cans vanilla frosting
yellow food coloring
red food coloring
candy corn

Directions:

1. Line a 13x9-inch pan with foil. Spray lightly with nonstick spray.
2. Prepare the first layer: Pour vanilla chips into a large bowl. Melt in the microwave (or over a bowl of simmering water) until the chips are melted and somewhat smooth. In the microwave, set it for one minute, then stir. Then 30 more seconds, stir again. It should take about 2 minutes to get them melted and smooth. They won't be smooth like melted chocolate, just smooth enough to mash around (as in photos above). Don't over-cook them or they will begin to harden again. Immediately stir in one can of frosting. Stir until it is smooth and incorporated. Spread a third of the white mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Set the rest aside for now. Place the pan with white frosting in the refrigerator while you prepare the next layer (or freezer, if there is room).
3. Prepare the second layer: In another large bowl, melt butterscotch chips the same as indicated in step 2. Then mix in the second can of frosting. Mix well, until you can no longer see any white frosting streaks. Add 1/2 teaspoon yellow food coloring and 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring. Stir until the colors are incorporated and the mixture looks uniformly orange. Spread the orange layer evenly on top of the white layer in the pan. Return to the refrigerator or freezer.
4. Prepare the third layer: If the remaining 2/3 of the white mixture has begun to harden, heat it up in the microwave again (or over simmering water) until it is melted and smooth again. Add 1/4 teaspoon yellow food coloring. Stir until the mixture is bright yellow and well blended. Spread over the orange layer in the pan.
5. Refrigerate the pan for 1 hour, or until it is firm (overnight is fine). Use foil to lift the fudge from the pan. Turn it out onto a cutting board, white-side-up; peel off foil. Place the candy corns where you'd like them (in even rows) on the fudge (see photos). Don't press them into the fudge quite yet. Use a long, sharp knife to "score" the fudge (see *Tips below). Let the fudge sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it has had a chance to soften slightly. Press each candy corn lightly into the fudge. It does not have to be buried, just pushed in slightly to stick. Push too hard and you will crack the fudge!
6. Cutting the fudge: Here are some tips... You can go ahead and cut the fudge at this point if you'd like. If you do, have a few paper towels nearby. You'll want to wipe the knife clean after each cut so that you don't bring any of the color that is left behind into your other cuts. Or you can place the fudge back into the refrigerator and let it sit there and get chilly for an hour or two, then use your sharp knife to cut the fudge. I always find that when things are nice and chilled, you get cleaner cuts (still wipe the knife between cuts though).
7. Serving the fudge: Serve and eat right away. Or store in the refrigerator in a covered container until you're ready to serve it. If you pile them into a plastic container, just be sure to make one even layer on the bottom, then place a piece of waxed paper on top of that, make another layer, then more waxed paper. You get the idea. These are just fine when made a couple of days ahead- just keep them refrigerated and then bring to room temperature before serving.

Tips:

*"Scoring the fudge" just means that you are taking a knife and essentially drawing lines in the top to show where you will eventually cut it. It's great to have a guide to make things even and easier to follow.
*If you'd like each piece of fudge to be uniform and neatly cut on "all" sides, cut around the edges of the entire piece before you begin placing the candy corns and scoring. Then you'll get a nice, even cut all the way around (don't forget to wipe your knife after each cut).

Source: RecipeGirl.com (Adapted from Pillsbury)

Homemade Reece's Peanut Butter Cups

I got this recipe from Recipes to Warm the Heart

1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided
4 1/2 tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Hershey's bar, chopped
4 squares of almond bark

Take 1/2 cup of peanut butter and mix in a bowl with butter and powdered sugar.  Mix until smooth and set bowl aside. 
Take the remaining 1/2 cup of peanut butter and all of the chocolate and in a microwave safe bowl, melt.  Your chocolate and peanut butter mixture should be very creamy. 
Take out a muffin tin and line with cupcake liners.  Take a tiny bit of chocolate mixture and pour into the bottom of liners.  Top with a small amount of peanut butter mixture and cover with chocolate mixture.  It should only fill the liner 1/2 way if that.  Top each cup with enough chocolate to cover the peanut butter mixture.  Place in the fridge to set or in the freezer to do a quick set.  Store in an air tight container and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

Strawberry Layered Dessert - from Beth Moore

I got this from my friend Beth Moore's blog.  It's on my to-do list!

2/3 C. boiling water

2 C. Oreo Cookies, finely crushed (about 20 cookies)

1/4 C. butter melted

1 pkg, (3oz.) Jell-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin

1 pkg. (80z) Philadelphia cream cheese, softened

1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip Whipped Topping, Thawed

1 lb. Strawberries, sliced

In a small bowl, stir boiling water in to dry gelatin and mix at least 2 Min. or until completely dissolved. Cool 5 min. stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, mix cookie crumbs and butter; press into 9-in. spring form pan. Set aside

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add prepared gelatin mixture, beating well after each addition. Gently stir in 2 cups whipped topping. Divide mixture in half.

Top cookie mixture with half of gelatin mixture. Layer with 2 cups sliced strawberries over gelatin mixture and top with remaining gelatin mixture. Top with remaining Cool Whip.

Garnish with remaining strawberries or blueberries, if desired. It helps set up if you put it in the fridge for a while before serving! ENJOY!

Thanks for sharing, Beth!

Banana Sour Cream Bread

Now, I haven't made this yet, but it has a 5 star rating on AllRecipes.com and its been rated by 2,716 people.  This is definitely the recipe I'm trying next time I make banana bread!

1/4 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cup butter

3 cups white sugar

3 eggs

6 very ripe bananas, mashed

1 (16 ounce) container sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking soda

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1.	Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease four 7x3 inch loaf pans. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dust pans lightly with cinnamon and sugar mixture.
2.	In a large bowl, cream butter and 3 cups sugar. Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix in salt, baking soda and flour. Stir in nuts. Divide into prepared pans.
3.	Bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Peanut Butter Rolo Cookies

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 (13 ounce) package Rolo chocolates

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together except rolo’s.
2. When dough is mixed well, take a small amount, flatten out in hand, place rolo in middle and wrap dough around the rolo to form a ball.
3. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 12 minutes, or until cookie has flattened and rolo has melted.