Saturday, October 24, 2009

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cheesecake (Paulissa's Favorite)

    Crust:


1 1/2 cups gingersnaps, crushed fine
1 c. chopped almonds
1/3 c. unsalted butter

For crust:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Grind ingredients in processor until mixture sticks together. Press evenly onto bottom of pan. Bake crust until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool completely. Wrap outside of pan in triple layer of heavy-duty foil.


Filling:
  • (3) 8-ounce packages cream cheese
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • Large pinch of salt


For filling:
Using mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, and lemon peel in large bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then pumpkin, yogurt, flour, vanilla, spices, and salt. Pour into pan.

Set springform pan in roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cheesecake. Place in oven. Bake until outer 3 inches puff slightly and center is softly set, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool in water bath 30 minutes. Remove from water. Cut around sides of cake to loosen. Refrigerate in pan until cold, about 4 hours. Cover and chill overnight.


Pumpkin Butterscotch Cheesecake

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cheesecake

Crust:
3/4 c. Graham cracker crumbs
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. melted margarine

Filling:
2 lb. cream cheese
1 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 c. pumpkin
1/2 c. melted butterscotch morsels
2 tsp cinnamon

Topping:
8 oz. whipped topping
1/2 c. pumpkin
2 tbsp melted butterscotch morsels
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Crust: Mix all ingredients. Press onto bottom of springform pan.

Filling: Cream cheese and sugar, add eggs and beat. Add pumpkin,
butterscotch and cinnamon, beat until blended. Pour into pan and bake
at dg375 for 45 minutes or until set. When baking, place cookie sheet
under pan--it may leak.

Topping: Beat cream until stiff and add remaining ingredients. When
cheesecake cools, remove from pan and top with whipped cream mixture.


Saturday, October 17, 2009

Monterey Spaghetti 6-8 hours hi, 3-4 hours low

Monterey Spaghetti



Source: Allrecipes.com

Healthy, wholesome and easy to prepare using a crock pot.

    1/4 lb.spaghetti, broken into pieces
    1
    egg
    1 cup sour cream
    1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
    1/8 tsp. crushed garlic
    3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
    1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (10 oz.)
    1/2 can French fried onions (6 oz.)

In a large pot with boiling salted water, cook spaghetti until al dente. Drain.

In a large bowl mix together the sour cream, grated Parmesan cheese, and minced garlic. After beating the egg in a small bowl, transfer to the large bowl and blend together. Transfer to a greased slow cooker.

Mix cooked and drained spaghetti, 2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese, thawed spinach, and half of the French fried onion to the slow cooker. Stir contents of slow cooker just until blended.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high heat for 3 to 4 hours.

In last 30 minutes of cooking, turn to high if cooking on low and add remainder of grated Monterey Jack cheese and French fried onion to top of casserole. Serve when cheese is melted.

Crockpot German Potato Salad 5-6 hours

Crockery Pot German Potato Salad


SOURCE: http://www.50plusfriends.com/cookbook/crockpot/gmnpotsal.html

    2
    potatoes, sliced
    1/2 c. onions, chopped
    1/2 c. celery sliced
    1/4 c. green peppers, diced
    1/4 c. vinegar
    1/4 c. oil


    chopped parsley


    sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled

Combine all ingredients except parsley and bacon. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir and cook for 5-6 hours in Crockery Pot. Add sugar if needed. Garnish with bacon and parsley.

Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes 8-9 low

Cheese and Potato Casserole


From the Kitchen of: Gramaw

    2 lb. frozen hashed brown potatoes (partly thawed)
    2 cans cheddar cheese soup (10 oz. each)
    1 can evaporated milk, undiluted (13 oz.)
    1 can french onion rings


    salt and pepper
Combine frozen vegetables, soup, milk, and half the onion rings. Pour into greased crockpot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low 8 - 9 hours (high 4 hours). Sprinkle remaining onion rings over top before serving.

SOURCE: http://www.50plusfriends.com/cookbook/crockpot/cheesepot.html

Crockpot Wild Rice Soup 8 hours

Crockery Pot Wild Rice Soup


From the Kitchen of: Barbara

    2 tbsp. butter
    1 tbsp. minced onion
    1/4 c. flour
    4 c. chicken broth
    2 c. cooked wild rice
    1/2 tsp. salt
    1 c. Half and Half


    Minced parsley or chives


    Optional:
    1/3 c. minced ham
    1/3 c. grated carrot
    3 tbsp. slivered almonds
    1/3 c. finely chopped celery
Sauté onion in butter. Blend in flour. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Pour into Crockery Pot. Add all other ingredients. Cook on low overnight. Garnish with parsley or chives. Double recipe fills 5 quart Crockery Pot.

Cranberry Pork Roast 6-8 hours

Cranberry Pork Roast



Source: Taste of Home Magazine


    1
    boneless rolled pork loin roast (21/2 to 3 pounds)
    1 can jellied cranberry sauce (16 oz.)
    1 tsp. dry mustard
    1/4 tsp. ground cloves
    1/2 c. sugar
    1/2 c. cranberry juice
    2 tbsp. cornstarch
    2 tbsp. cold water


    salt to taste

Place pork roast in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mash cranberry sauce; stir in sugar, cranberry juice, mustard and cloves. Pour over meat. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender. Remove roast and keep warm. Skim fat from juices; measure 2 cups, adding water if necessary, and pour into a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Combine the cornstarch and cold water to make a paste; stir into gravy. Cook and stir until thickened. Season with salt. Serve with sliced pork.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Savory Pepper Steak 10 hours

Savory Pepper Steak



Source: Rival website

    11/2 - 2 lbs. beef round steak, about 1/2-inch thick



    1/2 tsp. salt
    1/8 tsp. pepper
    1 med. onion, chopped
    2 lg. green or red peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch strips

    sm. clove garlic, minced
    1 can whole tomatoes (16 oz.)
    1 jar
    Heinz fat free beef gravy
    1 tbsp. soy sauce
    2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce


    fluffy rice

Cut steak into strips. Combine salt and pepper; toss with steak strips to coat thoroughly. Add to Crock-Pot with onion, garlic and half of green pepper strips; stir. Combine tomatoes with beef base, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Pour into Crock-Pot, moistening meat well. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

One hour before serving, turn on High and stir in remaining green pepper strips.

Serve gravy with Pepper Steak over hot fluffy rice.

Serves 4

Hot and Spicy Sloppy Joes HI 10-12 hours, LOW 3-5 hours

Hot-and-Spicy Sloppy Joes


From the Kitchen of: Gramaw
Source: Better Homes & Gardens New Crockery Cooker Cook Book

Adjust the "Hot-and-Spicy" part by using regular tomato juice and cut down on the amount of peppers.

    1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
    1 lg. onion, chopped (1 cup)
    1 clove garlic, minced
    1 can hot-style tomato juice or vegetable juice cocktail (6 oz.)
    1/2 c. catsup
    1/2 c. water
    2 tbsp. brown sugar
    2 tbsp. chopped canned jalapeño peppers (optional)
    1 tbsp. prepared mustard
    2 tsp. chili powder
    1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
    8
    hamburger buns


    shredded Cheddar cheese

In a large skillet cook ground beef, onion, and garlic till meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat.

Meanwhile, in a 3 1/2- or 4-quart crockery cooker combine tomato juice; catsup; water; brown sugar; jalapeño peppers, if desired; mustard, chili powder; and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in meat mixture. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or high-heat setting for 3 to 5 hours. Toast buns; spoon meat mixture over buns and sprinkle with cheese.

Serves 8

Crockpot Chicken Corn Soup 7 hours

Crockery Pot Chicken Corn Soup


From the Kitchen of: Nancy
Source: MasterCook

For lower fat soup use boneless, skinless chicken breasts and low-fat broth.

    3-3 1/2 lb. chicken cut up
    1 lg. onion, finely chopped
    2 med. carrots, finely chopped
    1 med. russet potato, peeled and diced
    1/4 c. chopped parsley
    1/4 c. tomato sauce
    2 cans chicken broth (141/2 oz. each)
    1 can cream style corn
    2 med. zucchini, cut lengthwise into quarters, then thinly sliced


    salt and pepper to taste

Rinse chicken, pat dry and set aside.

In a 4-quart or larger Crockery Pot, combine onion, carrots, celery, potato and 3 tablespoons parsley.

Add chicken, then pour in tomato sauce and broth.

Cover and cook on low 7 - 8 hours or until chicken and potato are tender when pierced.

Lift out chicken and let stand until cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, skim and discard fat from broth mixture.

Stir corn into broth mixture, turn heat to high. Cover and cook 15 minutes more.

Remove and discard bones and skin from chicken; tear meat into bite-sized pieces.

Add chicken and zucchini to soup, cover and cook until zucchini is just tender, (15 minutes ±).

Season to taste and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley.

Yield: 6 - 8 servings.

Crockpot Corn Chowder 7 hours

Crockery Pot Corn Chowder


From the Kitchen of: TwoGranny

    6 slices bacon
    2 pkgs. frozen corn (10 oz. each)
    1 can cream style corn (16 oz.)
    1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
    2 c. water
    1/2 c. onion, chopped
    2 c. potatoes, diced
    1 tbsp. sugar
    1 tbsp. seasoned salt
    1 can chicken broth (16 oz.)
    1 c. milk
    1/4 c. butter
In skillet, fry bacon until crisp, remove and reserve. Add onion and potatoes to bacon drippings, saute for 5 minutes. Combine everything in Crockery Pot except butter and milk. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours. Pour 1/2 of the mixture into blender and puree until almost smooth. Return to Crockery Pot with milk and butter. Cover and cook on high one hour more. 6 to 8 servings.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Turkey and Balsamic Onion Quesadillas

Turkey and Balsamic Onion Quesadillas

Quick Info:
Servings
Quick MealQuick Meal
Contains Wheat/GlutenContains Wheat/Gluten
Contains DairyContains Dairy
Nutritional Info (Per serving):
Calories: 261, Saturated Fat: 5g, Sodium: 702mg, Dietary Fiber: 2g, Total Fat: 10g, Carbs: 25g, Cholesterol: 56mg, Protein: 23g
Carb Choices: 1.5
Recipe Source:
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Rest Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

  • 1 small onion(s), red
  • 1/4 cup(s) vinegar, balsamic
  • 4 medium tortilla(s), flour, whole-wheat
  • 1 cup(s) cheese, cheddar, sharp
  • 8 slice(s) turkey, deli-style

Preparation

Combine onion and vinegar in a bowl; let marinate for 5 minutes. Drain, reserving the vinegar for another use, such as salad dressing.

Place 2 tortillas in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat (they will overlap); warm for about 45 seconds, then flip. Pull the tortillas up the edges of the pan so they are no longer overlapping.
Working on one half of each tortilla, sprinkle one-fourth of the cheese, cover with 2 slices of turkey and top with one-fourth of the onion. Fold the tortillas in half, press gently with a spatula to flatten and cook until the cheese starts to melt, about 2 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until the second side is golden, 1 to 2 minutes more.
Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Make two more quesadillas with the remaining ingredients. Serve warm.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Grandma Maronis Meatballs

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground chuck
  • 4 ounces dried bread crumbs
  • 4 large eggs
  • 4 ounces whole milk
  • 6 ounces grated Romano
  • 3 ounces grated Spanish onion
  • 2 ounces finely diced fresh garlic
  • 2 ounces finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
  • 2 ounces finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in large bowl. If mixture seems a little loose add more bread crumbs.

Roll meatballs loosely about the size of a golf ball and place on baking sheet. Place into preheated oven for approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Enjoy!


http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/throwdown-with-bobby-flay/grandma-maronis-meatballs-100-year-old-recipe-recipe/index.html

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Caramel Apple Muffins

Caramel Apple Muffins

2 C. all-purpose flour

3/4 C. granulated sugar

1/4 C. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

2 1/2 t. cinnamon

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 C. milk

1 1/2 t. vanilla extract

1/2 C. apples, peeled and finely diced

3/4 C. diced caramel candy squares (about 12)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease muffin tins or line with paper cups.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

In another bowl, combine egg and milk. Stir in butter and vanilla extract. Add flour mixture and stir just to blend. Stir in apples and caramels. Divide batter evenly among prepared cups. Bake for 25 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly pressed. Serve warm.

Makes 12 muffins.


SOURCE: http://www.thatsmyhome.com/hannahs/muffins/caramel.htm

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Chicken Spaghetti

This is definitely going to be our Sunday dinner tomorrow.

This recipe comes from Cooking with Paula Deen Magazine, September/October issue

Chicken Spaghetti

Makes 10 to 12 servings
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
1 (4.25-ounce) can chopped black olives, drained
1 (4-ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1⁄2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
31⁄2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (16-ounce) package angel hair pasta, cooked according to package directions
3⁄4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350˚. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.In a large bowl, combine onion mixture, broth, soups, tomatoes, olives, mushrooms, sour cream, and salt. Stir in chicken and cheese. Add pasta, tossing gently to coat. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish.In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle evenly over casserole. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Barley, Carrot and Ham Soup

Barley, Carrot and Ham Soup

8 c. fat-free reduced sodium chicken broth or water
2 cans Healthy Request cream of chicken soup
2 c. barley
1 lb. 96% fat-free ham, diced
6 carrots, sliced
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, bring all ingredients slowly to a boil. With a skimmer or slotted spoon, skim any grayish matter that rises to the top. Cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes.
NOTE: You can make this in a 5 qt crockpot. Cook it for 6 hours.

Friday, October 2, 2009

How to Roast Garlic and Tips to Use It

How To Roast Garlic & Recipe Tips
Roasting garlic is quite easy to do and it’s so delicious when slathered on French bread, mixed with cooked vegetables and pasta or added to any number of dishes.

This is a great way to enhance every day meals, you can even mix it with ground meats or rub over roasts. Very delicious!

Tip:

a.. Prepare a few bulbs of garlic at once and you can make batches of garlic butter to freeze. You can also freeze the roasted garlic by itself, or even refrigerate in an airtight container to consume during the week.
How To Roast Garlic
a.. Take a whole bulb of garlic and cut the top off, about a 1/4? – 1/2?, removing enough so that the top of each garlic clove is cut off.
b.. Place the bulb (cut side up) on a sheet of tinfoil and drizzle the top lightly with olive oil (about 1 teaspoon).
c.. Fold the sides of the tinfoil up to prevent the oil from running over, but don’t seal the foil packet–leave the top wide open. You want to roast the garlic, not steam it. If you have a ramekin, garlic roaster or even a foil pie plate, you could use that too. If you’re making a few at a time, you can use a muffin tin.
d.. Place in a heated oven (350°) for anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes. When the cloves are golden and soft and squishy like a paste, that's when they’re done.
e.. Remove from oven, allow it to cool enough for you to handle then squeeze the garlic and each clove should squish out the cut end easily.
Some people prefer preparing it without olive oil, that’s fine too. Others don’t bother cutting the top off first, you don’t have to. It’s just easier to squeeze out the roasted garlic with the top tips removed.

Another method you can try:

a.. Cut the whole bulb evenly in half (across the width, not the length). Drizzle olive oil on the bottom of an oven glass dish or small roasting pan and place both halves of the bulb cut side down on top of the oil. Cook in a 350° oven for about an hour until cloves are very soft and squishy (same idea as first method).

A Few Ideas For Using Roasted Garlic

a.. Spread on thick slices of French bread, bagels, sourdough bread, crackers (can mix with a bit of olive oil first and some grated parmesan too)
b.. Add to mashed potatoes
c.. Add to cooked vegetables or pasta (try mixing the roasted garlic with a bit of melted butter then drizzle over dish)
d.. Add to salad dressings
e.. Add to sour cream or mayonnaise

Garlic Butter Recipe:

1 lb butter at room temperature
3 whole bulbs roasted garlic *You may prefer more or less-make according to your taste
Dried parsley or basil or your favorite herb

a.. Mix ingredients well, adjust measurements to taste then shape butter into a block (or roll) and slice into generous single serving butter pats. Wrap individually and freeze a bunch in freezer bags or a sealed plastic container. Take butter pats out to thaw and use as you need them.
Storage Helpers
Refrigerate Roasted Garlic

a.. After squishing out the roasted garlic, put in a small glass container, seal, then refrigerate. Can add olive oil if you like. Use within the week.

Freeze Roasted Garlic

a.. Squeeze onto spoon until you measure 1 tablespoon of roasted garlic, then slide the garlic into an ice cube tray slot. Freeze the tray then pop out the cubes of garlic and place in a freezer bag or container and store in the freezer. When you need a tablespoon of roasted garlic for a recipe, you’ll know to take out 1 cube.

Paulissa's Tuna Noodle Casserole

3 c. uncooked whole wheat noodles
2 cans tuna in water, rinsed and drained
1 c. sliced celery
1/2 c. sour cream or plain yogurt
1 onion, chopped (I like to use red onions for a little color)
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 can cream of celery soup (or whatever cream of _____ you like)
1/2 c. 2% milk (I use non-fat dry milk and reconstitute it to make the required amt.)
1 c. reduced fat Cheddar cheese

NOTE: If you would like your veggies a little less crunchy, toss them in with the noodles.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Spray oven safe baking dish with cooking spray; combine all remaining ingredients and mix well. Add noodles and stir well to combine.

Cover and bake 45 minutes or until heated through.