Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Layered Pineapple-Lemon Cheesecake Pie

From Kraft Foods.  This pie is so good!

What You Need

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

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

1 can  (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained, divided

1 HONEY MAID Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.)

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

1-1/3 cups cold milk

Make It

BEAT cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with whisk until well blended. Stir in COOL WHIP and half the pineapple.

SPREAD into crust.

BEAT pudding mix and milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. (Mixture will be thick.) Stir in remaining pineapple. Spoon over pie. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Banana Upside- down Cake

Ingredients
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 4 bananas, sliced
  • 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow or white  cake mix
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour13X9  pan. Combine butter and brown sugar, divide and spread evenly in the pan. Sprinkle pecans evenly over the brown sugar mixture, arrange banana slices evenly on top of mixture..
  2. Prepare cake mix according to package instructions.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Turn cake upside down on a cookie sheet lined with foil, gently tap bottom and carefully remove pan, replacing caramel mixture that sticks to pan.
This is so good!!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Quick Skillet Chicken Parmigiana

I love this.  It is very easy to prepare. 

  • 4 boneless chicken breasts (about 1 & 1/4 lb)
  • 1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoons oil
  • 2 cups pasta sauce (any variety, I like Ragu)
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  1. Between sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper, flatten each piece of chicken to 1/4 inch thickness.  In a shallow dish, mix bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.  In another shallow dish, beat egg.  Dip chicken into egg, then coat with bread crumb mixture.
  2. In 12 inch skillet,  heat oil over medium heat.  Cook chicken in oil 10 – 15 minutes, turning once, until no longer pink in center.  Pour pasta sauce around chicken in skillet; heat until hot.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over chicken.

4 servings.  Serve the chicken over hot spaghetti and top with the sauce and more cheese if desired.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Hillbilly Pie

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 & 1/2 cups flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups blackberries or other fresh fruit
Melt butter in a 9X13 pan.  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Add milk and stir until well moistened.  Spread in pan.  Spoon fruit over batter.  Do not stir.  Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 45 minutes; for a glass pan at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. 
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

This recipe is really easy.  I like recipes where you can switch ingredients and use what is in season.  Frozen fruit is OK to use too. 

Friday, May 13, 2011

Best Ever Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

  • Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
  • Flour for dusting the pan
  • 1 package (18.25 ounces) plain devil’s food or dark chocolate fudge cake mix
  • 1 package (3.9 ounces) chocolate instant pudding mix
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • ½ cup warm water
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly mist a 12-cup Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pan aside.

2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, warm water, and oil in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 to 3 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look thick and well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, making sure they are well distributed throughout the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pan in the oven.
3. Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.

Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto the rack to cool completely, 20 minutes more. Or invert it onto a serving platter to slice and serve while still warm.
*Store this cake, covered in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 1 week. Or freeze it, wrapped in foil, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cake overnight on the counter before serving.
Serves 16

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie

A new recipe from Kraft foods that I will be trying soon.

What You Need

3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 pkg.  (16 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, green beans, peas), thawed, drained
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 can  (10-3/4 oz.) reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
 

Make It

HEAT oven to 375ºF.
COMBINE first 4 ingredients in 13x9-inch baking dish.
UNROLL dough; place over chicken mixture.
BAKE 20 to 25 min. or until crust is golden brown.
NOTE:  I will use canned drained peas for this recipe.