Mac 'n Cheese with Broccoli

Ingredients:
3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
4 cups fresh broccoli florets
1/2 cup butter, cubed
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cans (12 ounces each) evaporated milk
2-1/2 cups (10 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup crushed cornbread-flavored crackers (about 6 crackers)


Directions
Cook macaroni according to package directions, adding broccoli during the last 3-4 minutes; drain.
In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and salt until smooth; gradually stir in evaporated milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in 2 cups cheese.
Place half of the macaroni and broccoli in a greased 13x 9-in. baking dish. Top with half of the cheese sauce. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with cracker crumbs and remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.Serves 12.


Recipe found here.

Slovak Bread Fondue

Ingredients
1 loaf of bread (we had a 350g one)
100g shredded Parmesan
100g shredded cheese like Edam
100g cream cheese like Philadelphia
300ml whipping cream
150g bacon
1/2 red or orange bell pepper
3 spring onions
Pinch of dried oregano
Salt
Olive oil

Cut off top of bread so that you have a lid for your fondue pot. Carefully scrape out the crumb and cut it into smaller chunks. Set aside.
Cut bacon in small cubes and fry for 5-7 minutes until golden-brown. Transfer bacon onto a small plate and leave the fat in the frying pan. Preheat oven to 190C.
Dice bell pepper and spring onions.
In a large mixing bowl, combine whipping cream and cheeses. Add diced pepper, onions, bacon, a pinch of salt, and oregano. Stir well.
Transfer bread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Using fat left from frying the bacon, brush bread on the outside and the inside. Pour the cheese mix into prepared bread.
Bake for 25 minutes, then open the “lid”. Place chunks of bread we have scraped out onto the baking sheet and drizzle them with olive oil. Return baking sheet in the oven and bake the fondue and the “spoons” for another 10-15 minutes.
Allow to cool for about 5 minutes and serve!

Serves 2-4.

Recipe found here.

Copycat Twinkies

Photo credit: http://www.digitalfilmtree.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/twinkies.jpg

Ingredients
Cake:
16-Ounce Box golden pound cake mix (disregard mix instructions)
4 egg whites
2/3 cup water

Filling:
2 tsp Butter
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 drop lemon extract
Instructions
Note: You will need a spice bottle (about the size of a Twinkie), twelve 12 x 14-inch pieces of aluminum foil, a pastry bag and a toothpick
 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Fold each piece of foil in half twice. Wrap the folded foil around the spice bottle to create a mold. Leave the top open for pouring the batter in. Make twelve of these molds and arrange on a cookie sheet. Grease the inside of each with nonstick spray.
Disregard the directions on the cake mix box. Instead, beat the egg whites until stiff. Combine with cake mix and water, and beat until thoroughly blended (about 2 minutes).
Pour batter into molds, filling each about 3/4 inch. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
For the filling, cream the butter and shortening. Slowly add the sugars while beating.
Add the evaporated milk, vanilla and lemon extracts.
Mix on medium speed until completely smooth and fluffy.
When the cakes are done and cooled, use a toothpick to make three small holes in the bottom of each one. Move the toothpick around the inside of each cake to make room for filling.
Using the pastry bag, inject each cake with filling through all three holes.

Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies

Ingredients:
10 Tablespoons butter
3 ounces Hershey's Milk Chocolate Chips
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Unsweetened Hershey's Cocoa Powder
For the Cream Cheese Swirl:
8 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
pinch salt
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
Full Sized Hershey Bars, to top

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350. Prepare 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper long enough to hang over on two sides, making it easier to remove from pan once baked. Spray pan and paper.
In small saucepot over medium heat, or in the microwave, melt chocolate and butter until smooth. Cool slightly.
In a separate bowl, beat eggs, vanilla with the sugar. Slowly add in chocolate mixture until well combined.
In small bowl, sift together cocoa, salt and flour. Add mixture to rest of batter. Do not overmix. Pour batter into prepared baking pan.

For the Cream Cheese Swirl
Beat ingredients together until smooth. Pour over brownie batter. Use sharp knife to swirl together.
Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, or until just set and toothpick inserted comes out clean. Top with full sized hershey Bars and return to still warm oven until lightly melted. Cool and serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired. 


Recipe found here.

Greek Style Lemon Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients:
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
4 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
24 garlic cloves, sliced


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 2 large rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray; set aside.
In a large bowl, toss potatoes with 1/2 cup olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and black pepper. Transfer potatoes in single layer onto baking sheets, dividing equally. Roast 30 minutes.
While potatoes are roasting, make the dressing by whisking extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, dill, and lemon peel in small bowl. Pour two tablespoons of the mixture into another small bowl and add garlic.
Divide garlic mixture between baking sheets with potatoes and toss to coat; reverse baking sheets and continue to roast until potatoes are tender and brown around edges, about 15 minutes longer.
In a large bowl, toss roasted potatoes with enough of remaining dressing to coat and serve.


Recipe found here.

Baked Ravioli

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme, or oregano
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
2 pounds store-bought ravioli
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until sauce is thickened and reduced to about 5 1/2 cups, 20 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water just until they float to the top (pasta will continue to cook in oven). Drain pasta; return to pot.
Toss sauce with pasta. Pour pasta into a large gratin dish or 9-by-13-inch baking dish, and sprinkle with cheeses. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving. Serves 4-6.


Recipe found here.

Spinach and Artichoke Pasta

Ingredients:
6 Tablespoons Butter
4 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
2 bags Baby Spinach
2 cans Artichoke Hearts, Drained And Halved
3 Tablespoons Flour
3 cups Whole Milk
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1-1/2 cup Mozzarella Or Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
1/2 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth (less Or More)
12 ounces, weight Penne, Cooked Until Al Dente
1/2 cup Seasoned Panko Breadcrumbs
Crushed Red Pepper, To Taste

 

Instructions:
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot or skillet. Add garlic and throw in the spinach. Stir it around until it's wilted, about 1 minute. Remove spinach from heat and set aside.
Add 2 tablespoons butter to the same pot and raise the heat to high. Throw in the halved artichokes and stir it around until they get a little color, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the artichokes from the pot and set them aside.
Reduce the heat to low. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the pot. When melted, sprinkle in flour and whisk until it's combined. Pour in milk and whisk to combine. Let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until starting to thicken. Add Parmesan, Mozzarella/Monterey Jack, salt and pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir to melt, and if it's overly thick, splash in chicken broth.
Add artichokes and pasta, tossing gently to combine. Gently fold in spinach, then pour the pasta into a serving bowl. Sprinkle the top with crushed red pepper flakes and plenty of Panko breadcrumbs for crunch.


Recipe found here.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Chocolate Crust
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
8 ounces chocolate wafer cookies, finely ground (2 cups)

Peanut Butter Filling
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup well-chilled heavy cream
Kosher salt

Chocolate Topping
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup heavy cream

Garnish
1/4 cup Chopped Peanuts, chopped
1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate, chopped


MAKE THE CHOCOLATE CRUST: Preheat the oven to 375°. Melt butter and stir into the cookie crumbs. Press the cookie crumbs over the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and 1 1/2 inches up the side. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, or until set; the crust will continue to firm up as it cools.

MEANWHILE, MAKE THE PEANUT BUTTER FILLING: In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the cream cheese with the peanut butter, sugar and vanilla extract until blended. In another large bowl, using the same beaters, whip the chilled cream until firm. Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture to loosen it, then fold in the remaining whipped cream. Spoon the filling into the crust, smoothing the surface. Sprinkle lightly with salt and refrigerate until set, about 3 hours.

MAKE THE CHOCOLATE TOPPING: Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat cream over medium heat until simmering. Add cream to chocolate and stir until melted.

Spread the chocolate topping over the peanut butter filling and refrigerate until just firm, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the chopped peanuts and chocolate around the edge of the pie. Carefully run a thin knife around the pie crust to loosen it, then remove the springform ring. Using a sharp knife, cut the pie into wedges. Run the knife under hot water and dry it between each cut.


Recipe found here.

Mini Lemon Meringue Pies

INGREDIENTS:
1 batch Homemade Microwave Lemon Curd (about 2 cups), chilled
24 1.75-inch premade miniature tart shells
2 cups meringue topping



DIRECTIONS:
Place the tart shells on a tray or baking sheet.
Spoon the lemon curd into a piping bag and fill each tart with lemon curd.
Fit a piping bag with a large Star Tip. Spoon the meringue into the piping bag and pipe a small dollop of meringue onto each mini tart. Store tarts in the refrigerator until ready serve.


Recipe found here.

Caramel Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients:
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup corn syrup (or brown rice syrup)
1/2 cup Smart Balance Rich Roast Smooth Peanut Butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. sea salt, plus a little more for sprinkling the top
1/2 cup chopped peanuts



Instructions:
Melt the butter in a 3-4 quart pan until it starts to foam and turn light golden brown. Add the brown sugar, milk, and corn syrup. Bring to a boil and turn heat to medium. Cover with the lid and cook, without peeking, for 5 minutes. Remove lid, being careful not to drop any water back into the pan. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and cook until it reaches the softball stage, about 236 degrees F. Remove from heat and add the vanilla extract, the peanut butter, and sea salt. Stir briefly and let stand, off the heat, until it cools to 120 degrees F. Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat the fudge until it thickens and loses its sheen. Beat in 3/4 of the chopped peanuts, reserving some for the garnish.

Transfer to a loaf pan lined with buttered foil or parchment paper. Spread to the edges and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped peanuts and a little more sea salt. Let completely cool before cutting into squares.


Recipe found here.