Easter Weekend

Well, it's been quite a while since I've posted but the good thing is that the recipes never get old :). I am posting a few favorites that I've seen lately.

Lemon Delight

Ingredients:

1 stick butter - melted
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cup pecans - chopped (reserve 3/4 cup for topping)
1 16 oz. container Cool Whip
8 oz. cream cheese - softened
1 cup sugar
2 boxes Lemon Instant Pudding - regular size (made to directions and refrigerated)

Directions:

Making 4 layers in a 9 x 13 glass dish

1st layer - butter, flour and 3/4 cup pecans mixed together and pressed into the bottom of glass dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 15 min until light brown. COOL completely.

2nd layer - cream cheese, sugar and 1 cup Cool Whip. Blend until creamy and spread over 1st layer.

3rd layer - Lemon pudding (made to box directions) spread evenly over 2nd layer.

4th layer - extra Cool Whip spread evenly over 3rd layer and topped with remaining pecans.

Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving.

 

Hershey's Chewy brownie pie

Ingredients
6oz. Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme Chocolate Candy Bar
½ cup sugar
½ cup butter
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
7oz. sweetened condensed milk
¾ cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips

6oz. Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme Chocolate Candy Bar
½ cup sugar
½ cup butter
Melt over med low heat until melted
Whisk in 2 lightly beaten eggs and ½ teaspoon vanilla

Add:
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
Stir until mixture is incorporated and smooth

Pour into greased 9" springform pan
Bake at 350°, 20 minutes
Remove from oven
Immediately pour 7oz. sweetened condensed milk over top of brownies
Layer with ¾ cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips
Let cool

Cherry Cheese Coffee Cake

Cake & filling
2 (8 oz. each) pkgs. refrigerated crescent rolls
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
21 oz. can cherry pie filling

Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2-3 teaspoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unroll crescent dough and arrange 12 of the triangles in a circle with wide ends toward the outside edge of the Large Round Stone - the points will not meet in the center. Lightly flour and roll out the seams making a 14" circle with a 3" 

hole in the center. Combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, egg & vanilla and spread over dough. Top with pie filling. Cut each of the 4 remaining triangles into thirds (starting at the wide end opposite the point and cutting lengthwise to the point). Arrange over filling evenly in spoke-like pattern. Press ends to seal at center and outer edges. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly. Mix powdered sugar and milk until glaze consistency and drizzle over coffee cake.

 

Midwest BBQ Pasta Salad

Here is the recipe everyone keeps requesting!!! I've made it a few times at weddings, showers, parties, etc. So here it is...

1lb dry Garden Rotini
3/4c BBQ sauce
2c chopped chicken (optional)
1/2 c bacon, cooked and chopped--or just use real bacon pieces
1/2 c bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c scallions, minced
1/2 c red onions, julienned
1/2 c cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan cheese to taste

Cook rotini according to package directions. When pasta is "al dente" drain and rinse with cool water to stop cooking. Drain off excess water thoroughly. Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and toss well. Season to taste with grated parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. Serves 6-8

Bacon, Linguini and Tomato Toss

12 slices bacon (use turkey for more healthy option), divided
4 cups chicken broth
2 cans (14.5oz) Italian Style diced tomatoes
1 med onion
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes, optional
12oz uncooked linguini pasta (whole wheat for a healthier option)
1/2 t salt
1 c loosely packed fresh parsley, divided (also optional)
4oz cream cheese (can use the low fat)
1oz parmesan cheese, grated

Slice bacon into 1/4 inch strips. Place into a skillet and cook over medium high heat 8-9 min until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet and drain on paper towels. Drain skillet leaving 1T bacon drippings in skillet.
Meanwhile, place broth and diced tomatoes in large micro cooker. Microwave, covered, on HIGH for 6-8 min or until hot. Finely chop onion. Return skillet to heat and add garlic and pepper flakes. Cook 10-20 seconds until fragrant. Add onion; cook 2-3 min or until tender. Carefully add broth mixture, pasta, half of the bacon and salt. Simmer, covered 9-10 minutes or until pasta is almost cooked but still firm, stirring occasionally.
Finely chop parsley, reserve 1T for garnish. Cut cream cheese into cubes. Grate parmesan. Cut grape tomatoes in half, if using. Remove skillet from heat and stir in remaining parsley, cream cheese and grape tomatoes, if desired. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes or until pasta is tender and sauce is thickened. Serve with remaining bacon, parmesan cheese and reserved parsley.

Alana's Weekly Menus

Alana's Weekly Menus: I know that now's the time when everyone's getting back into the swing of things with school starting back up and along with that comes Football and fall baseball. That's no excuse to feed your kids through a different drive-thru everynight (guilty of this). I can give you some great recipes and really good hints to make your life a little easier and still have time to sit down and feed your family a good meal. Statistics show that kids that sit down with their family at dinnertime are more likely to talk to their parents about sensitive situations, get better grades, less depressed, and less likely to do drugs and alcohol. All too often family meals are the first thing to get squeezed out of a family's hectic schedule. Even if you're picking up a pizza coming home from dance or football, come home and sit down at the table and eat it together. This is something that your kids will remember and you'll be amazed at how better you'll feel about yourself too!

Sorry, I just had to get serious for a moment. Now, on to some yummy recipes.

Kentucky Derby Pie Recipe - Food.com - 336902

Kentucky Derby Pie - has been in the family for years. Makes a great pie for the holidays!!

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup pecans or 3/4 cup walnuts
9 inches unbaked pie shells

Directions:Prep Time: 10 minsTotal Time: 55 mins1
Combine all ingredients and mix with fork.
2 Bake in pie crust at 350 for 45 minutes, or until brown on top.

Chicken Casserole with Green Beans and Wild Rice Mixture - Chicken Casserole Recipe

Delicious Chicken Casserole Recipe!! If you've never had it its very good. I don't always use the pimientos and water chestnuts and it's equally delicious!


Chicken Casserole with Green Beans and Wild Rice Mixture - Chicken Casserole Recipe:
3 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 package Uncle Ben's Wild and White Rice, cooked
1 can cream of celery soup
1 med. size jar sliced pimiento
1 med. onion, chopped
1 can French-style green beans, drained
1 cup mayonnaise
1 can water chestnuts, diced
salt & pepper to taste
grated cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together then pour into buttered 3-quart casserole. Spread grated cheese over top. Bake about 25 to 30 minutes.
Chicken and green bean casserole serves 8."

One of my great time-saving tips comes in handy this week. On Sunday, cook up 5lbs or so of ground beef or ground turkey (whichever you'll be using this week). Divide it into 1lb portions and put in ziploc bags and freeze. You will use these later on in a few of my recipes. Goes right into the crock pot frozen!!

Easy Steak and Gravy

4 pieces of cube steak
1 cup flour
1t seasoned salt
1t peper
1 can cream of mushroom soup or golden mushroom soup
1 small jar sliced mushrooms
1 cup water

Put flour into a quart size ziploc bag; add seasonings. Add steak one or two pieces at a time and shake the bag to coat. Place steak in the crockpot. Add soup, mushrooms and water. Place crockpot on low and cook for 8 hours. The steak comes out very tender and the flour on the meat mixes with the soup to make it's own gravy. This is great with rice. Add a biscuit and some peas and you've got dinner!

Creamy Italian Chicken

3lbs chicken
2T melted butter
salt and peper to taste
2T dry Italian Seasoning mix
1 can cream of mushroom
8oz cream cheese, cut into cubes
1/2 c dry white wine or chicken broth
1T chopped onion, optional

Brush the chicken with melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in slow cooker and sprinkle seasoning over all. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours. About 45 minutes befor its done, mix the soup, cream cheese, wine, and onion in a small saucepan. Cook until bubbly and smooth. Pour over hte chicken and cover and cook 30-45 min longer. (you can also add a can of mushrooms here) Serve over hot buttered noodles or rice. Serve with a salad and you've got dinner!

Easy Crock Pot Pulled Pork

1/2 c Ketchup
1/3 c worcestershire sauce
1/3 c apple cider vinegar
1T ground mustard
1T garlic powder
1/2 t paprika
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2t liquid smoke
dash red chili pepper flakes
pinch salt and pepper
1 med sweet onion, chopped
3lb pork shoulder, trimmed of fat

Combine all ingredients except for onion and pork into crockpot. Whisk all ingredients until well blended. Place pork and onions into mixture, coating both sides of meat. Cook for 8-10 hours under low cook setting. After meat is cooked, remove from slow cooker and plate to break apart with fork. If meat has any bones, discard at this time. Place meat back into the warm sauce to reheat. Serve on hamburger buns or kaiser rolls.
Great with coleslaw on top!!
You can also not make your own sauce and buy your favorite bottled BBQ sauce, pour over the pork shoulder and cook 8-10 hours.

Alana's Crock Pot Roast

I like to use a shoulder roast but sometimes they're hard to comeby. If so, you can always use a chuck roast. Take the roast, sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Put in crockpot. Pour a can cream of mushroom over the top. Fill the can up with water, pour over roast. At this time, youc an add chopped onion, carrots, and potatoes. If you're short on time canned will work fine. If not, add fresh baby carrots, 2 whole potatoes, diced. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours. If should be falling apart. Great for a main course just add some veggies. The next day, you can take the leftovers in the form of a roast beef sandwich, yummy!

Ideas for your frozen hamburger meat...

Sloppy Joes
Spaghetti-
Beef Stroganoff
Chili