Salsa Pizza with Cheese Crust

1	pound lean ground beef
1 1/4	cups Old El Paso® Thick 'n Chunky salsa
2	cups Original Bisquick® mix
1/4	cup mild salsa-flavor or jalapeño-flavor process cheese spread
1/4	cup hot water
4	medium green onions, sliced (1/2 cup)
1	cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces)

1.	Heat oven to 375ºF. Grease large cookie sheet.
2.	Cook beef in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain. Stir in salsa; remove from heat.
3.	Stir Bisquick, cheese spread and hot water until soft dough forms. Turn dough onto surface dusted with Bisquick; roll in Bisquick to coat. Shape into ball; knead 5 times. Roll into 14-inch circle; place on cookie sheet.
4.	Spread beef mixture over crust to within 2 inches of edge. Sprinkle with onions. Fold edge over beef mixture. Sprinkle with cheese.
5.	Bake 25 to 28 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Serve With

Garnish the pizza with chopped tomato and shredded lettuce.

Substitution

Use the jalapeño-flavor process cheese spread if you prefer a spicier crust.

Nutrition Information:

1 Serving: Calories 300 (Calories from Fat 160 ); Total Fat 18 g (Saturated Fat 8 g); Cholesterol 50 mg; Sodium 700 mg; Total Carbohydrate 21 g (Dietary Fiber 1 g); Protein 17 g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 10 %; Vitamin C 8 %; Calcium 16 %; Iron 12 % Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 Vegetable; 2 High-Fat Meat
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Southwest Skillet Ragu

In this recipe, we throw the dry pasta into the meat sauce toward the end instead of cooking it separately. This allows the pasta to absorb the flavors of the sauce and also releases starch into the sauce, which helps thicken the sauce and pull everything together. If you find you don't like this texture, feel free to cook the pasta separately and add it at the very end along with the cheese!

Southwest Skillet Ragu
Serves 6-8

1 – 1.5 pounds of ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 red (green, orange, or yellow) pepper, chopped
1/2 container mushrooms quartered
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes with juices
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt (plus additional to season to taste)
1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)
1 cup elbow macaroni
1/2 cup water (as needed)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat a teaspoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a wok or skillet that will be deep enough to hold everything. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink (about 8 minutes).

Stir in the onions and mushrooms, and cook until the onions are soft and slightly translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the peppers, spices, and salt, and continue to saute until veggies are mostly cooked (about 3 minutes).

Add tomatoes with their juices and bring to a boil. Add the pasta. Let the water come back to a boil and then reduce the heat. Allow everything to simmer for about 10 minutes until the pasta isel dente and the veggies are cooked through. (If it looks like the liquid is gone before the pasta is cooked, pour in another half cup of water.)

Sprinkle the cheese over the top and stir until the cheese is melted and gooey. Spoon into individual bowls, top with an extra sprinkle of cheese, and serve!

SOURCE: http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/pasta/recipe-southwest-skillet-ragu-045258

Crockpot Chicken and Dressing

Crock Pot Chicken and Dressing
~My grandmother, Lucille

4 chicken breasts, cooked
2 pans of cornbread or two quarts
2 hamburger or hot dog buns (can use a few slices of white bread)
2 T sage
1 medium onion, chopped
2 eggs, hard boiled
2 cans cream of chicken soup (Healthy Request)
1 stick margarine, melted
2 cans chicken or veggie broth (3-4 cups)

Mix together cornbread, sage, onion, eggs (chopped), melted butter, one can cream of chicken soup, two cans broth.

Make a layer of half the remaining can of cream of chicken soup in the bottom of a large crock pot. Top with 1/3 of the dressing. Top dressing with half of the chicken, shredding it as you put it in. Top with 1/3 dressing, remaining chicken, and remaining dressing. Spread other half of cream of chicken soup over top. Cover and cook on low for three to four hours. Serve hot.

SOURCE: http://www.southernplate.com/2008/07/crock-pot-chicken-and-dressing-tutorial.html

Easy Pepper Jack Chicken

Easy Pepper Jack Chicken

4 to 6 chicken breast halves, boneless, without skin

Bell pepper strips (use fresh or frozen pepper stir fry pepper strip combo)
1 can Pepper Jack cheese soup
3 tablespoons chunky salsa (I use a whole jar)

Combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on LOW in Crockpot for 5 to 6 hours, until chicken is tender.

Serves 4 to 6.

Homemade Vegetable Wash

Homemade Produce Wash Recipe:

1 cup water
1 cup vinegar
2 TBS baking soda
2 TBS lemon juice

Directions:

• Mix ingredients then pour in clean spray bottle. Spray fresh vegetables & fruit generously. Sit for 5 minutes then rinse off well.
• Note: Make sure to first mix ingredients in deep container since there will be some fizzing from the baking soda & vinegar.

Dutch Processed Cocoa Tip

Dutch-Processed or Alkalized Unsweetened Cocoa Powder is treated with an alkali to neutralize its acids. Because it is neutral and does not react with baking soda, it must be with baking powder, unless there are other acidic ingredients in sufficient quantities used.

SOURCE: Joy of Baking

Dating Spices

When I buy something that is going to lose its pungency over time --
herbs, spices and salad dressings -- I use a permanent marker to write
the date I opened it on the lid. Now I know how long it's been sitting
in the pantry or refrigerator, and I don't run the risk of replacing
it sooner than necessary or keeping it too long. -- Gina G., e-mail

SOURCE:  Everyday Cheapskate NL

Correcting A Runny Casserole

Correcting a Runny Casserole
SOURCE:  Hints From Heloise

Depending on the type of casserole, you can thicken it with
instant mashed potatoes, shredded cheese or crushed potato chips.
For example, add grated Parmesan cheese to an Italian casserole.  

Menu Planning Tips

Yeah use her books, my goal is to use one new recipe a week. You may also
want to go through the beginning of her book and note the staples she
keeps on hand. I would write down the ones that look most like what I
would use. For me I use magnetic note pads for the pantry and fridge.
BUT, you could even maybe make something up on the PC that you just check
mark the items as you need them.

Also one more thing I did not mention earlier....... but now I realize
something. A lot of people here must be perfectionist, and SHE's (side
tracked Home Executives). I know I am/was one. For some of us, making a
menu may be harder then it sounds or looks.

Please remember baby steps, don't go whole hog. This is kind of my own
testimony. For years, I had tried menu plans, and menu planning. (you
know I'm sure every diet you have ever went on, always starts out at
least the first week of giving you a menu plan.) Oh my goodness if I made
it through a whole week on a menu plan like that it was a miracle. Then I
heard, over and over again planning ahead is the best policy. I've heard
this with every thing from, my church, and Bible reading, to diet gurus
and how to lose weight. I would always TRY, I would make up shopping
list, and stick to them at the store, I would get home with EVERY thing I
would need for the menu. The next day I would wake up and.........I don't
want to eat that. (even if I was the one who invented the menu, with
things I LOVED!). So I wouldn't eat what was on the menu, even if it
meant going to get other food. And all the good food I had bought would
rot. I was even bad at this as a child, my parents would yell at me,
about wasting the grapes, I had ASKED for!

For about one year and 3 months on Richards plan, I decided meal planning
would just not work for me. Cause I knew no matter how desperately I
wanted to follow a plan my mind had a block and wouldn't let me. So
that's when keeping healthy staples on hand came in to play GREATLY! I
would just keep every thing to whip up a healthy meal in no time in the
pantry/freezer, about 20 minutes before the meal I would go in there and
whip something up. Flying by the seat of my pants. It worked for me and
wasn't too bad. The only thing was, I did find myself saying I was too
tired, or didn't feel like thinking of something new to make, so I would
make the same ole, same ole every day. Mainly JoAnna Lund Sloppy Joe's
lol. I really can't tell you how many times I made those things. And
personally I never got bored of them. In fact, I could still be eating
them today and really not be bored of them. The thing was my weight loss
came to a screeching halt. I went to Hoot camp in LA with Richard
Simmons, I lost 3 pounds over the weekend! 3 pounds in 3 days!!! Sure we
did a lot of exercising but not that much! (3 hours a day, I was doing 2
hours a day at home, so surely one more hour didn't make a 3 pound
difference!). I decided it must of been the different foods I was eating
out there. I wasn't having the same thing day after day, breakfast, lunch
and dinner. I was having something different each meal, each day. So I
decided I needed to do the same at home.

The problem....... I remembered how bad I was at meal planning! Any way,
long story short, I figured out I had a control problem, even if it was
ME who was going to be the one in control! A planned menu was too much
control to give something! For me personally. I had to keep letting
myself know it was ok for ME to be in control of what I ate! It was hard,
but I didn't jump into it all at once! Cause it would have back fired.

First, I would surround myself with all my books and newsletters of
JoAnnas and write down a bunch of recipes I would "like" to give a try.
Then I would each day look at the list-pick out what sounded like I would
like to try that day, and admittedly just go to the store randomly as I
needed something for the next recipe I had chose. (I had always been a
every two week shopper cause that's when my husband gets paid) but for
this transition time, I was going a few times a week! For one or two
items. It was best to send hubby cause he don't get side tracked at the
store coming home with 100 dollars of stuff when sent for 5 dollars
worth!

I gradually worked my way up to where I am now.

This is what I do now. See a few months ago, I was reading all my back
issues of JoAnna Lund Newsletters, and one person said she puts all her
issues together by month. (I was putting them together by year) in
folders. So each month she goes to that months folder and her and her
daughter would pick out recipes from that month's issues (current and
past issues). Well, I immediately rearranged my folders, and now have 12
folders, one for each month, and my newsletters go back to 1999, with a
few 92's and 98's disbursed through out.

Now what I do, is at least one month ahead of time, I go through the next
months newsletters, I write down each recipe I would like to try, and the
extra ingredients not my staples on the side. Till I have a months (or
even more's worth, it's ok if it's more! Use them next year, so you don't
have to go back through ALL the issues again, just the new one!). THEN, I
have a day planner (fly lady calls it a control journal). I bought extra
filler paper for the calendar part. I put one piece of filler paper in
each month of the calendar. Then, I write down ALL those recipes I wanted
to try, (in date, and page #-of the newsletter). I also pick one
other book a month, and pick out two recipes from it to try. This month,
I picked the kids book. Any way...... After I transfer all that to the
filler paper. Then, I look at the calendar, and fill it in with a menu,
based on what I have written on the filler paper. The filler paper has
the extra foods that aren't staples in my home, written out to the side
like this.

January
1999  pg. 4 Snow Balls-dried cranberries

The above I just made up. But, let's pretend, it also calls for flour,
and splenda, and margarine. I don't write any of those down cause those
are all staples I always have.

In my calendar part, I only write the name of the recipe, nothing else
cause there's not enough room. Then, as I make the items on the filler
paper, I erase them. I don't erase things from the calendar, only the
filler paper. This way..... I probably will not get through all the
recipes I wrote down this year, but that leaves more room for the next
issue from next year, and shows me what I have left for next year in
January at the end of the month that I will try. Also don't erase them
till you actually make them. Things come up, and you don't always make
every thing you planned exactly. IE sometimes hubby says let's go out.
I'm not a fuddy duddy who would say I'm on a diet, no I won't go out with
you. I'm flexible enough that things may get pushed to the side that
week, that's ok, I can make them the next day! If I already have the
ingredients bought no big deal. I'm going out with my husband!

Oh yeah I do every thing in pencil!

Another tip, I still don't plan to the TEE! I plan two new recipes a
week, and write them down on Sundays square in the calendar, that don't
really mean I make them on Sunday, just the first time I can that week!
(for instance yesterday was the first day I could make my planned recipes
this week-we were out and about Sunday and Monday, and I was eating left
overs from the freezer, and eating at Whole Foods Deli!) Then I fill in
the rest of the week, still by looking at the filler paper list, and
picking things, as I go. I will say the Sundays food, is usually the
things I have to buy extra stuff for, I fill in the rest of the week,
with recipes that all the ingredients are staples.

Some day I hope to get to where I can let go of enough control to fill in
every day! But, for now, just one day a week is kind of sorta planned!
Later I will get to the point, where two days a week are, and so on. baby
steps. This is life changing things I am doing not a quick fix! And
that's what I have to keep telling myself, and give my self the patience
I would any one else who I loved and deserved it!

Heather

Ways To Use Up All That Ground Beef or Turkey

Whacky Doodle Ground Beef


Years ago I made a terrible mistake. I froze 10 of pounds ground
beef. That big block of frozen burger languished in my freezer
for years. What was I thinking? I should have browned it first
then froze it in usable portions. But browning beef can be so messy!

A few weeks ago I came upon another cheap ground beef opportunity.
The expiration date was nearing and my supermarket needed to get
rid of--you guessed it—ground beef. Ten pounds. I almost walked by.
Then I decided to try something different, albeit a little weird.

I put the entire 10 pounds of raw ground beef into my big stock pot.
I added enough water to cover and set it over high heat to come to
a boil, no cover, no salt. After about 5 minutes I gave it a stir
to break up the big clumps, which were few. The hot water was
doing all of my work for me--no splatters, no mess. When all of
the pink color disappeared I knew it was done, even though it
had not started to boil.

I placed my large colander into a big bowl in the sink and
poured the now cooked beef into the colander. I did this in
batches because my colander would not hold all of it at once.
This drained off all the liquid into the bowl including the
fat, leaving uniformly fine-textured ground beef in the
colander. No clumps! I could have done the same thing scooping
the meat from the stock pot with a large sieve, transferring
the drained beef into a large bowl. (When done draining I put
the beef broth in the refrigerator. Later I skimmed off the fat
and will use the broth for soup.)

I measured 2 cups of cooked beef (the equivalent of about 1 pound
of raw ground beef) into each gallon-size zip-type freezer bags,
pressed out the air and zipped. Then I laid each one on the
counter to flatten it thin; stacked them like sheets of paper
and popped the stack into the freezer.

Because my bags of beef are so flat I can use them frozen—no
microwave required. I take one of these flat frozen package
of ground beef, whack it on the side of the sink to break
it into pieces, unzip and pour the contents into a non-stick
skillet. It’s ready for all uses. Here’s the best part:
This method removes the fat leaving the ground meat
virtually fat free.

Quick as a Flash Burrito Filling: Two bags of boiled beef
whacked and dumped into skillet (equivalent of 2 pounds raw
ground beef), two packets of Lawry’s Burrito Seasoning mix
(any brand will do), 2 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil,
reduce heat and allow to simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
Done! Wrap in warm flour tortillas with grated cheese. Serves 8.

Sloppy Joes: Two bags boiled beef (equivalent of 2 pounds
raw ground beef) whacked and dumped, 1/2 cup chopped onion,
1 cup chopped celery, 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato
soup, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 1/4 cup
packed brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce,
1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 8
hamburger buns.

Place ground beef in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.
Add onion and celery, cover the pan and cook over medium heat
until beef is thawed and onions and celery are tender, about
5 minutes. Stir the tomato soup (undiluted), ketchup, vinegar,
brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce into the beef mixture.
Season with salt and garlic powder. Simmer over low heat
until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Spoon the hot beef
mixture onto buns, which may be toasted first. Serves 8.

Bulk Cooking Tips

On Sundays, I prepare as much food as possible for the upcoming
week, including breakfast & lunches for work.

Breakfast is usually white chocolate or vanilla pudding yogurt and
fresh fruit.  Or I'll package up a bowl of milk and make hot cereal
at work and add unsweetened applesauce to it.  Or I'll have the milk
with one of my prepackaged cold cereal packets already at work and
add a banana. 

Lunch includes a big chopped veggie salad (celery, carrots,
broccoli, radishes, cabbage, etc.) or a big regular salad and an
entree.  Cowboy beans over barley, dinner leftovers, chili over
brown rice, etc.  I also bring fruit for an afternoon snack, so I'm
not ravenous when I get home and may grab anything just to quell the
munchies. 

I package most meals up on Sunday in individual containers.  The
entrees are packaged up during the week if I'm using dinner
leftovers.  For instance, tonight's dinner will be Wednesday's
lunch - Grilled chicken thighs, green beans, and a chopped salad. 

Other things I cook on Sundays - as many side dishes as possible. 
I'll cook brown rice, barley, couscous or other grains, sauteed or
roasted veggies, make up some sliced pickled beets (add several "no
salt added" cans to a container and add some s & p and vinegar), a
cold salsa or bean mixture, a big fruit salad, etc.  The
possibilities are endless.  I'm a big fan of beans so I cook a lot
of them.

I'll also prepare a soup, maybe a spaghetti sauce, grill up some
chicken or pork tenderloin for a multitude of uses during the week
(if I'm not planning to use right away, I'll cut it up and freeze
it).  I'll also take meat or fish out of the freezer to defrost for
Monday and Tuesday night's dinner. 

I make up two 32 oz containers of yogurt pudding - one is usually
chocolate for dessert during the week.  The other is for breakfast
with fruit or my husband will have fruit and yogurt with his lunch. 

It makes the week so much easier if you plan ahead!  It also stops
temptations when you just don't know what you want or don't feel
like cooking, and end up making bad choices.

Seasoning A Cast Iron Skillet

The Irreplaceable Cast-Iron Skillet

Seasoning- A new skillet is coated with a preservative, wash in
hot water to remove. Dry completely.
Do Not  omit the first seasoning before using
you skillet. Use a good grade of vegetable shortening - most people
use Crisco to season their skillets,.

Using a paper towel or new
sponge, spread the melted shortening all over the inside and outside
of entire skillet. including the lid if has one. Place skillet in
oven and lid upside down on top rack of your kitchen oven. Put
aluminum foil on the lower rack so that any excess oil can drain onto
it. Close the range door then turn on oven, set the oven temperature
for 350 degrees and let it bake. for at least one hour. Turn oven off
and let everything cool back down to room temoerature with oven door
still closed. Your skillet is now seasoned and ready to use.

CLEANING:

After scraping out all uneaten food from your skillet use
HOT water, no soap, and a plastic or natural fiber pad or brush to
wash out the skillet. Never pour cold water into skillet as it will
damage your skillet. Dry the entire skillet and lid using paper or
cloth towels and then recoat the entire surface of skillet. Do Not
use strong detergent or you will have to reseason your skillet.


This information was given to me when I took a Dutch Oven class at
National Wild Turkey Federation Women In The Outdoors event. I have
been using skillets and Dutch Ovens for years and learned some new
things at this event.

You might want to leave for the hour as it does make a smell. Hope
this helps.
Betty In Mo

How to Store Produce and For How Long

PRODUCE HOW TO STORE
HOW LONG

Asparagus Trim 1 inch from bottom of stem.
Wrap in wet paper towel. Store in
plastic bags in refrigerator. 2 to 4 days

Green beans Pods become tougher as beans mature.
Store in perforated plastic
bags in warm part of refrigerator ("crisper").
Up to 1 week

Broccoli Store in refrigerator in airtight plastic
bags.4 to 5 days

Cabbage Store in refrigerator, tightly wrapped in
plastic wrap.Up to 3 weeks

Carrots Store in perforated plastic bags in refrigerator.
4 to 5 months

Cauliflower Store in perforated plastic
bags in refrigerator. Up to 10 days

Cucumbers Store slicing cucumbers in plastic
bags in crisper.Up to 2 weeks

Eggplant Does not keep long but may be stored
in crisper.Up to 1 week

Lettuce Head, semi-head and leaf lettuce can be
stored in perforated plastic
bags in refrigerator. Up to 2 weeks

Cantaloupe Store at room temperature until fully ripe.
Cut melon should be
stored in refrigerator in airtight plastic bags.
2 or 3 days

Green onions Cut off roots; trim tops, leaving 3
to 4 inches of green. Store
in plastic bags in refrigerator. Up to 1 month

Onions (dry) Keep ventilated during humid weather.
Don't use plastic bags.
Don't store under the sink with potatoes,
which emit a gas that will spoil
onions.3 to 4 months

Parsley Store in plastic bags in refrigerator.
Up to 10 days

Sweet peppers Store in crisper in plastic bags.
Up to 3 days

Sweet corn Short storage life. Refrigerate in plastic bags.
No more than 2
days

Sweet potatoes Because of their high sugar content,
they don't keep as long
as other root vegetables. Store under sink.
1 to 2 weeks

Tomatoes Don't refrigerate. Let them ripen on the kitchen
counter. Mature green tomatoes with whitish-green skin can be
kept by wrapping each tomato in newspaper and checking
for ripeness weekly.3 to 5 weeks (if green)

Kansas State University Extension and Research publication MF661

Baking Pan Substitutions

washingtonpost.com
Baking Pan Substitutions



Sunday, November 21, 2004; Page R02

In a perfect world, we would all have the particular size pan or pie
plate or baking dish that all recipes require.

It's not a perfect world. The following advice for pan swapping is
from "In the Sweet Kitchen," by Regan Daley (Artisan, 2001): An
acceptable alternative to any pan has an identical volume and falls
within half an inch of the original depth. The baking time may have to
be decreased for shallower pans or extended for deeper ones. To find
the volume of a given pan, fill it with water, then pour the water
into a measuring cup.

Pan dimensions are in inches.

8 x 1 1/2 pie plate 4 cups

8 x 1 1/2 round cake pan 4 cups

8 x 4 x 2 1/2 loaf pan 4 cups

9 x 1 1/4 pie plate 4 cups

9 1/2 x 1 1/2 round fluted ceramic tart pan 4 cups

11 3/4 x 7 1/2 x 3/4 jelly roll 4 cups

9 x 1 1/2 pie plate 5 cups

11 x 7 x 2 baking pan 6 cuos

8 x 1 1/2 round cake pan 4 cups

8 x 2 round cake pan 6 cups

9 x 1 1/2 round cake pan 6 cups

8 x 8 x 1 1/2 square cake pan 6 cups

8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 loaf pan 6 cups

9 1/2 x 2 deep dish pie plate 7 cups

11 x 2 oval ceramic dish 7 cups

9 x 2 round cake pan 8 cups

9 1/4 x 2 3/4 wide tube pan 8 cups

9 1/2 x 3 narrow tube pan 8 cups

8 x 8 x 2 square cake pan 8 cups

9 x 9 x 1 1/2 square cake pan 8 cups

9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan 8 cups

9 x 9 x 2 square cake pan 10 cups

9 x 3 springform pan 10 cups

9 1/2 x 2 1/2 springform pan 10 cups

11 3/4 x 7 1/2 x 1 3/4 baking dish 10 cups

15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 jelly roll 10 cups

9 x 3 springform pan 11 cups

10 x 2 round cake pan 11 cups

10 x 3 1/2 Bundt pan 12 cups

10 x 2 1/2 springform pan 12 cups

9 x 13 x 2 rectangular pan 12 cups

17 1/4 x 11 1/2 x 1 jelly roll 13 cups

Sources: "In the Sweet Kitchen" by Regan Daley (Artisan, 2001); "The
Food Lover's Companion" by Sharon Tyler Herbst (Barron's, 1995).

© 2004 The Washington Post Company

Boston Cream Dessert Cups

Boston Cream Dessert Cups

Prize-Winning Recipe 2008! Here's a mini version of Boston cream pie made with cookie mix. Yum!

Prep Time: 45 min

Total Time: 2 hours 45 min

Makes: 23 dessert cups

Cookie Crust
1	pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/2	cup butter or margarine, softened
1	egg
2	tablespoons sugar
Filling
2	packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1/2	cup sugar
1	tablespoon Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1	tablespoon milk
1/2	cup sour cream
2	eggs
1	box (4-serving size) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
Topping
1	container (1 lb) Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy chocolate frosting

1.	Heat oven to 350°F. Line 23 regular-size muffin cups with paper baking cups. Lightly spray baking cups with cooking spray.
2.	In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter and egg until dough forms. Shape dough into 23 (1 1/2-inch) balls. Place 1 ball in each baking cup. Moisten bottom of small flat-bottomed glass with drop of water, then dip into 2 tablespoons sugar. Press glass on dough balls to flatten slightly, dipping glass in sugar after each dough ball.
3.	In same large bowl, beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, the flour and milk with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in sour cream. On low speed, beat in eggs, one at a time, just until blended. Stir in dry pudding mix until well blended. Spoon about 2 tablespoons filling over dough in each cup.
4.	Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until set. Cool 30 minutes; remove from pan.
5.	Open container of frosting; remove foil lid. Microwave uncovered on High 30 seconds to soften frosting; stir until smooth. Spoon about 1 tablespoon frosting onto center of each cookie cup. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until set. Store covered in refrigerator. If desired, remove from paper baking cups to serve.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Decrease butter to 1/3 cup butter. Bake 30 to 35 minutes.

Make the Most of This Recipe With Tips From The Betty Crocker^® Kitchens

Did You Know?

Boston cream pie is a dessert of two yellow cake layers filled with a thick vanilla pudding and topped with a chocolate glaze.

Nutrition Information:

1 Dessert Cup: Calories 330 (Calories from Fat 160); Total Fat 18g (Saturated Fat 9g, Trans Fat 2 1/2g); Cholesterol 65mg; Sodium 280mg; Total Carbohydrate 39g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 29g); Protein 3g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 10%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 2%; Iron 4% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 3 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Paulissa's Veggie Broth

I keep a freezer bag of veggie scraps in my freezer - celery tops, potato skins, onion skins and tops, green pepper portions from when you cut the top off, wilted lettuce, etc. Pretty much anything that isn't spoiled. Leftover veggies that are too few for a serving but you don't want to throw it away either. When the bag gets full, empty it into a pan, cover with some water and simmer until it turns golden broth. Strain the veggie scraps (I put them in the compost heap) and then I freeze the broth to have on hand. No salt, and cheaper than buying it at the store.