Salted Peanut Chews

My daughter makes this recipe quite often.  I finally asked for the recipe.  She said she found the recipe on the back of a cake mix box. 

BASE:

• 1 packaged yellow cake mix
• 1/3 cup of butter or margarine (softened)
• 1 egg
• 3 cups miniature marshmallows

TOPPING:

• 2/3 cup corn syrup
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 10 ounce bag of peanut butter chips
• 2 cups crisp rice cereal
• 2 cups salted peanuts

Have oven preheated to 350 degrees.

1. Combine cake mix, 1/3 cup butter or margarine and egg.  Beat at low speed until crumbly.  Bake for 12 – 18 minutes until light golden brown.
2. Remove from oven, sprinkle with marshmallows.  Return to oven for a minute or two till marshmallows puff.  Let cool while preparing topping.
3. In large saucepan combine all topping ingredients except cereal and peanuts.  Heat until chips are melted and mixture is smooth, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, stir in cereal and peanuts.  Immediately spoon warm topping over the marshmallows, spreading to cover.  Refrigerate 1 hour until firm.  Makes 48 bars.

Cheesy Pasta Bake

I have new recipes sent to me automatically from Kraft.  I love Kraft Foods.  The big Kraft Foods factory where many of their items are made was located not far from my old home in Champaign IL.

I will be trying this soon.  For now I am sharing this Kraft recipe with you all.

What You Need

4 cups penne pasta, uncooked

1 lb. lean ground beef

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1 onion, chopped

1 jar (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce

3 Tbsp. OSCAR MAYER Real Bacon Bits

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1-1/3 cups KRAFT Shredded Triple Cheddar Cheese with a Touch of PHILADELPHIA

Make It

HEAT oven 375°F.

COOK pasta as directed on package, omitting salt.

MEANWHILE, brown ground beef with vegetables in large skillet sprayed with cooking spray. Add sauce, bacon and seasoning; mix well. Simmer on medium-low heat 10 min. or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.

DRAIN pasta. Add to sauce; mix well. Pour into 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with cheese.

BAKE 25 to 30 min. or until heated through.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Make Ahead

Casserole can be assembled ahead of time. Refrigerate up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, bake, uncovered, as directed.

Substitute

Prepare using KRAFT Finely Shredded Triple Cheddar Cheese.

Substitute

Prepare using OSCAR MAYER Bacon Pieces or chopped OSCAR MAYER Fully Cooked Bacon.

Ambrosia

This is really great for summer.

3 (15-ounce) cans chunky fruit cocktail, drained
1 (11-ounce) can Mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup sweetened flake coconut
2 bananas, thinly sliced
2/3 cup whipping cream (or may use liquid coffee creamer)
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

1. Combine fruit cocktail, oranges, marshmallows, coconut, bananas and cream in large bowl. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Stir in strawberries before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

Melt in the Mouth Cookies

A recipe from my mom that I found today while sorting through old pictures.  Thanks for the memories mom!  I miss you. This recipe is from the 1940s.

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts.

Cream butter; add sugar, vanilla and egg and beat until light.  Mix together flour, baking powder and salt.  Add to butter mixture and mix thoroughly, then stir in nuts.  Drop by level teaspoon full onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for exactly 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and let set exactly one minute, then with broad spatula, press down on each cookie firmly.  Quickly remove from cookie sheet.  Cool.  Store in air tight container.  Makes about 8 dozen.
Recipe can be doubled.

Macaroni Salad

 

Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni

3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1/2  green or red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 small carrot, shredded

2 cups real mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon prepared yellow mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

 

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. 

2. In a large bowl, stir together the eggs, celery, carrot and bell pepper.

3. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, pepper, salt and onion powder.

4. Combine in the bowl with the eggs and vegetables, and stir in macaroni until well blended.

5. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Easy Chicken Casserole

 

• 8 ounces elbow macaroni or small shells

• salt

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 3 tablespoons flour

• 1 cup chicken broth

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

• pepper, to taste

• 1 1/2 to 2 cups cubed cooked chicken

• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots, thawed

• 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs

• 1 to 2 teaspoons butter, melted

Preparation:

Cook macaroni in boiling salted water as package directs. Drain and set aside.

In a saucepan over medium low heat, melt butter; add flour. Cook, stirring, until flour mixture is well blended and bubbly. Gradually stir in chicken broth and cream. Stir in cheese until melted and smooth. Add pepper, to taste, along with parsley, if using. Cook, stirring, until thickened. Add the chicken and vegetables; cook for about 1 minute longer.

Combine the sauce with cooked and drained macaroni; pour into a 2-quart casserole. Toss bread crumbs with melted butter and sprinkle over the casserole. Bake at 350° for about 25 minutes, until bubbly and browned.

Serves 4 to 6.

Rhubarb Pineapple Crumble

My daughter’s co-worker sent me a huge sack of rhubarb yesterday.   As soon as I feel better I intend to make this recipe.  I am sure there will be enough rhubarb left for me to make a pie too.

Ingredients:

7 Cups fresh rhubarb, cut in 1-inch chunks
1 8-oz can crushed pineapple (drained)
1 Cup brown sugar
3 Tbs. cornstarch
2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel

(Topping)

2/3 Cup flour
1/4 Cup brown sugar
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 Tbs. chopped crystallized ginger
salt
1/3 Cup Butter/margarine

Procedure:

Drain pineapple and combine with rhubarb and brown sugar. Let stand 1 hour. Drain mixture, reserving juices and adding enough additional water to make 2/3 cup of juice. Combine juices and cornstarch in a small pan and cook over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat and combine with rhubarb-pineapple mixture. Add lemon peel and place in a 2-quart baking dish.

In another bowl, combine topping ingredients, using a pastry blender to cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Spoon over top of fruit mixture. Bake in a 350 degree oven about one hour or until light brown and bubbly. Best served with vanilla ice cream! (Serves 6-8)

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.

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!!

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.