Cream Cheese Chicken Soup Recipe

My sister, Karen had this made for us when we got to Wisconsin. Very good and hearty for a cold evening.

Cream Cheese Chicken Soup Recipe
http://www.tasteofhome.com/

1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups Chicken Broth
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed

In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter. Add the broth, carrots and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the chicken, parsley, salt and pepper; heat through.

Combine flour and milk until smooth; add to the vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat. Add cream cheese; cook and stir until melted. Yield: 8 servings.

Bacon Cheddar Scrambled Egg Nests

We made this for Christmas Eve breakfast. Very easy to make, yet looks elegant. We all liked it. Next time we will add salt and pepper to the cheese sauce.

Bacon Cheddar Scrambled Egg Nests
blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen

1 package Texas-style biscuits ( I used Grands)
6 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup real bacon bits
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Bake biscuits on a large baking sheet, according to package directions. Once cooked, press the bottom of a cup firmly into the center of each biscuit to create a ‘nest.’

While the biscuits are cooking, add the eggs and 1/4 cup of milk to a non-stick skillet. Salt & pepper to taste. Cook the eggs over medium heat until scrambled and cooked through.

In a small pot, whisk together the remaining milk and flour. Heat over medium-high heat until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese.

To serve, spoon scrambled eggs into the center of each biscuit. Top with cheddar cheese sauce, sprinkle with bacon bits.

Green Olive Dip

We made these for snacks on Christmas Eve. Very good and very easy to make.

Green Olive Dip

1 8 0z block cream cheese

1 5.75 oz jar chopped green olives, drained(use half the jar and a bit of juice)

Mix with a mixer. Serve over crackers or toasted bread. Best served after sitting in refrigerator over night.

Breakfast Rolls

We had this for breakfast at my mom and dad's last week. This is her recipe. It is like monkey bread, but a little different. She doubled it and used one package of butterscotch pudding and one vanilla pudding.

Breakfast Rolls

Brenda Myers

1 loaf frozen bread dough

1/2 c brown sugar

1 t cinnamon

1 pkg instant butterscotch pudding

3/4 stick butter

Thaw bread dough(my mom lets it sit out all night) Cut into 32 pieces. Mix dry pudding brown sugar and cinnamon. Melt butter. Dip bread pieces into butter and then dry mix. Put in a 9 x 13 inch pan--or on a large pizza pan. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

Heaven's Delight

My mom had this when we got to her house. I hadn't had it in years. It was so good and pretty at Christmas time. The recipe is from an old church friend when I was growing up.

Heaven's Delight

Dorothy Arndt

Crust

1 c flour

1/2 c butter

2 T sugar

Cut butter into flour and sugar. Press into a 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 for for 10 minutes. Cool.

Mix well with a mixer:

8 oz cream cheese

1 c powdered sugar

Fold in 1 c Cool Whip.(You will need at least 12 oz cool whip for the whole recipe ) Spread on top of crust.

Mix

2 pkg instant pistachio pudding

2 1/2 c milk

Spread over the cream cheese mixture. Cover with remaining Cool Whip. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Refrigerate overnight.

Red Velvet Cookies

This is my sister Karen's recipe. They are very good and can be decorated for any season.

Red Velvet Cookies

k2cook.blogspot.com

These are fun and very, very easy for a quick treat for Red Velvet Cake lovers.

1 Box Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake Mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8 ounce package cream cheese -- softened
1/4 cup stick margarine or butter -- softened
2 teaspoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese, margarine, milk and vanilla in medium bowl with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. *** I added about 2 teaspoons of water to the batter. Directions:Mix all ingredients together. This will make a cookie dough. Roll into balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Flatten down slightly (depending on the thickness you desire). Bake at 375° until the tops crackle (about 8-10 minutes) or until desired doneness. Cool and then frost

** I would half the recipe for the frosting.(Karen's notes)

Cranberry Salsa

Jenna found this recipe and we made it while at my parents. Oh, was this good! The tart cranberries with the cilantro---a great combination!

Cranberry Salsa

Allrecipes

1 (12 ounce) bag cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 bunch green onions, cut into 3 inch lengths
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 limes, juiced
3/4 cup white sugar
Pinch salt

Combine cranberries, cilantro, green onions, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a medium blade. Chop to medium consistency. Refrigerate if not using immediately. Serve at room temperature.

Raspberry Bliss Bars

My mom made these. I have seen them on the internet a few places. They are wonderful! Cut them small as they are rich.

Raspberry Bliss Bars

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 cups (12-oz package) white chocolate chips
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch square pan. Melt butter in a 2-cup measuring cup. Add 1 cup white chocolate chips and let stand for 5 minutes. DO NOT STIR! Beat eggs in large bowl until foamy. Add sugar; beat until it is a light lemon color (about 5 minutes). Stir butter mixture into the sugar mixture. Add flour, salt, and almond extract; mix on low speed until combined. Spread 2/3 of batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 15-17 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Heat jam for 30 seconds in the microwave; stir. Spread jam over warm crust. Stir remaining white chocolate chips into remaining batter. Drop spoonfuls of batter over jam. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.

Onion and Pepper Relish

I found this recipe and knew I had to make it. My mom had 'treated us' to Harry and David's Onion and Pepper Relish last year when they came down. This is AS good, if not better. I got 20 jelly jars out of this recipe. It was simple to put together--I used the food processor to chop all the veggies. Serve it over a block of cream cheese as an easy appetizer.

Onion and Pepper Relish

http://www.skiptomylou.org/

5 - 14.5 oz. cans chopped tomatoes (drained)
6 bell peppers (seeds and ribs removed) (I used two each of red, yellow and green)
6 cups sugar
2 Tablespoons salt
1 - 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (I used 1 1/2 tsp)
6 jalapeno peppers with seeds and ribs removed

3 medium onions
2 cups white vinegar
2 small boxes powered pectin (1.75 oz)

Chop all vegetables. To make this quicker I used a food processor.

Mix everything together, except the pectin, in a large pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer about 1 hour. Add in the pectin and boil for 1 minute.

Pour relish into hot sterilized half pint jars, leaving about 1/2 inch head room.

Place lids and rings on jars. Process jars by placing them in a large pot of water. Water level should be an inch over jars. Boil for 15 minutes. Carefully remove jars from water and allow to cool.

Crescent Layer Bars

I made these for a 'graduation' party for our Financial Peace class that Don facilitates. I doubled the recipe and did it in a jelly roll pan. We didn't have white baking chips, but had white block chocolate, so cut that up and used that. Yummy!

Crescent Layer Bars
Pillsbury

1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
1 cup white vanilla baking chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup cashew halves and pieces
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for dark pans). Grease bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan.
If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough into 2 long rectangles. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough. Place in pan; press over bottom and 1/2 inch up sides to form crust. Bake 5 minutes.

Remove partially baked crust from oven. Sprinkle vanilla chips, chocolate chips, almonds and cashews evenly over crust. Pour condensed milk evenly over top.

Return to oven; bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around sides of pan. Cool 1 hour. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until chocolate is set. For bars, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows.

Spicy Mock Mashed Potatoes

Kathleen and I really enjoyed these. They were a good substitute for mashed potatoes.

Spicy Mock Mashed Potatoes
recipes.betterrecipes.com

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons chipotle hot sauce
1 medium head of cauliflower
1 ounce low-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat; saute the onions until golden, about 20 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute more; stir in hot sauce. Meanwhile, cut up and clean cauliflower, then steam in a medium saucepan with lid, until soft, about 10 minutes. Drain well then transfer to food processor along with the cream cheese, chicken broth and Parmesan cheese. Puree until smooth. To serve spoon cauliflower mixture into a serving bowl, then top with the sauted onions.

CROCKPOT FLANK STEAK

The whole house smelled heavenly last Monday when I made this. The meat was very tender---fork tender. I had 2.7# of meat and just cut it into serving size pieces. I think it would be great on a wrap or tortilla.

CROCKPOT FLANK STEAK

Makes 4-6 servings

1 flank steak (about 1-1/2 lbs.), cut in half if you have a small Crock pot
1 Tbsp. oil
1 large onion, sliced
1/3 cup water
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper


In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown steak in oil. Transfer to crockpot. In the same skillet, sauté onion for a minute or two. Gradually add the water. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Pour over the flank steak. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours or until the meat is tender. Slice meat and serve with the onion and pan juices. Enjoy!

Caramel Pretzel Bites

I saw this recipe and knew I had to try it with the Dove Caramel candy. They are very good. Next time I will only leave them in the oven 5 minutes. 7 minutes was too long and the caramel started to run.

Caramel Pretzel Bites
Becomingbetty.blogspot.com

Pretzel chips(I used Ritz pretzel chips)
Dove milk chocolate caramel squares
M&M's

Spread out pretzel chips on a cookie sheet. Place one Dove chocolate on each chip. Bake at 200 for about 5-7 minutes, or until the chocolates look shiny. Remove from oven and immediately press an M&M into each square. Let cool and then serve.

Easy Ranch Pork Chops

I went out for lunch with a friend I met last year in my Bible study. We got talking about recipes and she told me to try this one. I made it the next night. Good and easy!

Easy Ranch Pork Chops

Juanita Mungin

1 package dry hidden valley ranch dressing mix

pork chops

olive oil

Dry pork chops, coat with the dressing mix. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 45 minute in a 350 oven.

Southwest Breakfast Frittata

Kathleen and I made this for lunch last week. I started it in a skillet on the stove and then transferred it to a pie plate and put it in the oven. We both really liked it.

Southwest Breakfast Frittata
recipes.betterrecipes.com

1/4 lb chorizo sausage, browned
2 green onions, diced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, diced
2 tablespoons diced green chilies, drained
4 eggs
3 tablespoons half and half
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 tablespoon diced tomato
1 cup salsa
4 oz sour cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray an 8 or 9 inch oven-proof skillet with nonstick spray. Place sausage, onions, bell pepper, jalapeno and green chilies into skillet and heat 5 minutes. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, half and half, salt and pepper then pour into skillet. Cook by pushing eggs to center of skillet with a spatula. When eggs are almost set, sprinkle with cheese

.

Place skillet in oven and bake 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and eggs are set. Run a spatula around edges and under frittata to remove from skillet. Slide onto a serving plate and sprinkle with diced tomatoes. Cut into wedges and serve with salsa and sour cream.

Chili's® Salsa

We love Chili's salsa and this is RIGHT on. We loved it and since Jenna doesn't care for chunks in her salsa, I am sure she will love this one.

Chili's® Salsa
meemoskitchen.blogspot.com

1- 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons canned diced jalapenos
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup diced Spanish onion

Combine all ingredients except onion. Process on high speed until the tomatoes are nearly pureed, yet still chunky and there are visible bits of minced jalapenos. Be careful not to over-process.

Pour the mixture into a bowl and add the sliced onion. Stir well, cover refrigerate overnight to develop flavors.

Makes 2 cups.

Adjust the amount of jalapenos to match your taste. Three tablespoons will be pretty spice so use less for a milder salsa and more if you really like the "heat".

Almond Cherry Pie Bars

I made these for a Christmas get together. I really liked them. They seemed to go over well.

Almond Cherry Pie Bars
baseballbakingandbooks.com/

Bars:

1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temp
4 eggs,
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
30 ounces cherry pie filling, (I used 2 cans)

Glaze:

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons heavy cream, enough to make the glaze pourable
1/4 teaspoon of almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cream sugar and butter in mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Add the almond and beat well. Whisk together flour and baking powder. Turn mixer speed down to lowest setting and slowly add flour mixture until completely combined.

Spread half of mixture onto an ungreased 15x10 jelly roll pan. (Amanda weighted hers out.) Spread pie filling over the top of the batter. Drop remaining batter onto the pie filling layer by spoonfuls. Spread gently. This doesn't spread well....(Beth)

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.Remove to a wire rack.

Whisk together the powdered sugar, melted butter, and heavy cream. Drizzle over warm bars.

Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Pepperoni Pizza Chili

This recipe comes from an Amish cookbook. It was fast and easy to make and tasted great! Can be easily doubled or tripled for a party.

Pepperoni Pizza Chili

Family Treasures II cookbook

1 lb ground beef

1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

15 oz pizza sauce

1 14 oz can stewed tomatoes(I used diced)

8 oz tomato sauce

1 1/2 c water

3 1/2 oz sliced pepperoni

1/2 c green pepper, chopped

1 t salt

1 t italian seasoning

mozzarella cheese

Brown hamburger with onion and green pepper. Add the rest of the ingredients except the cheese. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered. Garnish with cheese.

HONEY WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

I made this bread to go with the split pea soup from yesterday. Loved this bread. Makes great toast. I have an Oster bread maker and this recipe(with the 6 c of flour) gave it a run for its money, but it worked ok. I will make this recipe often.

HONEY WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

Annie from ths.gardenweb.com

3 cups all purpose flour
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 pkg. active dry yeast (4 ½ tsp.)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup butter
1 egg

Melt butter and pour into bread machine with the water, milk, honey and egg. Add both flours and put the yeast and salt on top.

Process on dough cycle,***take out right before the 1st rise. Put in bowl and let rise for 1 hour. Take out and shape into dinner rolls or loaves. Let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes for rolls or 25-30 minutes for loaves.

Yield: 2 loaves or 24-36 rolls, depending on size
***This is what Beth did. I think next time I will try to let it go through the first rise in the bread maker. I was very nervous since there was 6 c of flour.

Split Pea Soup

I found this recipe on May of 2003 on the internet. Very easy to make. I made this this past week when Don's parents were coming over. The picture is before I added the water and it cooked all day.

Split Pea Soup

16 ounces dried green split peas -- rinsed
1 ham bone
3 carrots -- sliced
1 medium onion -- chopped
2 stalks celery -- chopped
1 clove garlic (more as desired) -- minced
1 each bay leaf
1/4 cup fresh parsley -- chopped
1 tablespoon seasoned salt (to taste)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 quarts hot water

Layer ingredients in slow cooker, pour in water. DO NOT STIR. Cover
and cook on high 4 to 5 hours or on low 8 to 10 hours until peas are
very soft and ham falls off bone.

Remove bones and bay leaf.

Serve garnished with croutons.

Freezes well.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

I made these on Monday. They are very good. I did not strain the jam--guess I am lazy. I couldn't get the white chocolate to drizzle and look nice on top. It was too thick, so I just tried to swirl it. Tasted great!

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

desertculinary.blogspot.com (Adapted from Kraft)

12 Oreo cookies
2 tablespoons melted butter
3 ounces finely chopped white chocolate, divided
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1/3 cup raspberry preserves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, add Oreos and process until finely ground. Add butter and pulse until combined. Scoop mixture into an 8" baking pan coated with nonstick spray - evenly press mixture to form a crust over the bottom. Place into the oven and back just until firm, about 4 to 6 minutes.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, add 2 ounces white chocolate and heat on medium power, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth and melted.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until well combined. Mix in melted white chocolate. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing just until combined after each. Pour filling over the crust and spread smooth.

Place into the oven and bake until the center is almost set, about 24 to 28 minutes.

Meanwhile, add preserves to a small microwave-safe bowl and heat briefly until warmed. Press preserves through a small sieve to remove seeds (this is optional - if you don't mind the seeds, skip this).

When cheesecake is done, remove and place pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Add preserves and spread evenly over the top.

Melt remaining ounce of white chocolate - drizzle over the top and allow cheesecake to cool completely. Cover and place into the refrigerator to cool for at least 4 hours before serving.

Makes about 8 to 12 servings.

Easy Baked Chicken

This is an easy recipe my friend from church told me about. It is very moist. Couldn't be easier to make!

Easy Baked Chicken

Patti Leifeste

chicken breasts

plain low fat yogurt
Italian bread crumbs

Dip chicken breasts into yogurt and coat well. Roll chicken into bread crumbs and put in a greased baking dish. Bake at 375 for 45-60 minutes.

Black Beans and Corn with Green Chiles

We had tacos last week and Kathleen wanted to make a corn and bean salsa. This was very good. We did add onions to it because we like them!

Black Beans and Corn with Green Chilies
pinchmysalt.com

1 can (15 oz) of black beans
1 cup of frozen corn kernels
1 small can (4 oz.) of chopped green chilies
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon (or more) fresh, chopped cilantro
pinch of kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
fresh lime or lemon juice (optional)
green onions, sliced fine***Beth's addition

Pour can of beans into a strainer set over the sink; add frozen corn to the beans in the strainer. Run warm water over the beans and corn until the beans are well-rinsed and the corn is mostly thawed. Put beans, corn, and chilies into a microwave safe bowl and heat in the microwave on high, just until warmed through. Add olive oil, cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Add a quick squeeze of lime or lemon juice, if desired. Stir again, and serve.

Yield: four servings, as a side dish

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Pecan and Marshmallow Streusel

I had bought a bunch of sweet potatoes for the week of Thanksgiving. We only used 2 on Thanksgiving day, so I went hunting for new toppings. This was a winner! I baked 3 giant sweet potatoes and made half of the topping. Worked out great!

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Pecan and Marshmallow Streusel

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

12 large sweet potatoes
3/4 cup (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup toasted pecan pieces
1 cup miniature marshmallows

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Wash the sweet potatoes, scrubbing them well to remove any dirt. With a fork, prick the sweet potatoes in a couple of spots and place them on a sheet pan. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center goes in easily.

In a large bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, and flour together until it's crumbly-looking. Add the cinnamon, salt, pecans, and marshmallows; fold the streusel topping together to combine.

Slice the sweet potatoes lengthwise down the center and push the ends towards the middle so it opens up. Stuff the sweet potatoes generously with the streusel topping and return to the oven. Bake for another 20 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and brown.

Mock Wendy's Chili

I made this and another spicy chili this past week. It was spicy enough with just 1 can of green chili's. Thought it tasted like the real thing.

Mock Wendy's Chili
Betterthanburgers.com

2 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained
1 can (29 oz) tomato sauce(I used crushed)
1 can red beans with liquid
1 can pinto beans with liquid
1 onion, diced
1-2 can green chili
3 tomatoes, diced
2 t. cumin
3 T. chili powder
2 t. pepper
2 t. salt
1 c. water (or 2 if you like your chili a little more soupy)

In a crock pot/slow cooker combine ALL ingredients. Mix well and cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring periodically. (I cooked mine on low for 4-5 hours and then turned my crockpot onto "warm" and let it stay there until I served it.) Serve hot with grated or diced cheese and saltine crackers.

*for an added ZIP to your chili add 1-2 seeded jalapenos, diced into small pieces.

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

We made these for Thanksgiving so as not to have to rush around at the very end. I did manage to forget to make stuffing as it was! It was nice to have these done ahead of time.

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

5# bag of potatoes
1/2 c sour cream
4 oz cream cheese
1 stick butter
1/2 c milk
salt and pepper

Peel and dice potatoes. Cook until tender. Mash or put through a ricer(this is what we did--no lumps). Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well.

Put in crockpot to keep warm. We made them early in the morning, put them in the fridge and put them on at 1 on low. We ate at 5.

Tater Tot Casserole

A friend from church brought this to Sunday School. I knew immediately I would need the recipe. Don loved it! Made it this past week when Don's nephew stayed with us. Very easy to put together.

Tater Tot Casserole

Patty Leifeste

1 lb. ground breakfast sausage (pork or turkey)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups of milk
4 eggs
2 pounds tater tots, seasoned with Lawry's

Brown sausage and drain. Spread evenly in a 9 x 13 pan. Spread cheese over sausage. In large bowl, beat together milk & eggs. Pour over cheese. May be refrigerated overnight at this point.
Top with tater tots. Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 35 - 45 minutes.
(Before I added the tater tots, I baked them for 10 minutes first and then put the crispy side down on the casserole).

Peanut Butter Pie

This is from my sister, Karen. She is a great cook. This makes 2 pies. I made them for the freezer in case we needed them for Thanksgiving week. We didn't. Who wants to come help me eat them?!

Peanut Butter Pie

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup milk
1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crusts ( I like to use chocolate crusts)

Beat together cream cheese and confectioners' sugar. Mix in peanut butter and milk. Beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.

Spoon into two 9 inch graham cracker pie shells; cover, and freeze until firm

I add chocolate syrup over top of the pie and spread to make a design. Garnish with Reese's peanut butter cups when serving.

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

Kathleen brought this recipe home when she was in 1st grade(10 years ago) from Mrs. Biese in Seymour, WI. It is a great dessert cheese ball. We made this for T-giving, too, but did not roll in pecans since the other cheese ball had pecans on it. Yummy.

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

1(8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans

In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in confectioners' sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Shape chilled cream cheese mixture into a ball. Wrap with plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Roll the cheese ball in finely chopped pecans before serving (opt) Serve with graham crackers or teddy grahams.

Fiesta Cheese Ball

We had snacks for lunch on Thanksgiving day. We tried this cheese ball and really liked it. Next time we will make it a bit spicier. It did 'spice' up the next day after sitting. Easy to make, too.

Fiesta Cheese Ball

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 (1 ounce) envelope taco seasoning, divided
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper sauce( we did not use this much--maybe 1/2)
1 tablespoon seeded and minced jalapeno pepper (We used 1/2 jalapeno)

1 tablespoon minced red onion
1 cup seeded and minced red bell pepper
8 ounces shredded Colby-jack cheese

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place pecans on a baking sheet and toast in oven for 15 to 20 minutes.(We toasted the pecans on the stove top) Remove from oven and toss with 2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, remaining taco seasoning and Tabasco
sauce until smooth. Add jalapeno, onion, bell pepper and the cheese. Stir to combine. Form the cheese into a large ball. Roll cheese ball in the nuts, coating the surface. Double wrap in plastic wrap. Chill until firm and serve with crackers.

Cranberry Casserole

This recipe comes from a long time friend of our family. I love the apples and cherries along with the cranberry tartness. I made this for T-giving. We used canned pitted cherries instead of fresh...much cheaper!

Cranberry Casserole

Dawn Baranek

1 bag(2.5 cups) fresh cranberries

3 c diced, unpeeled apples

3/4 sugar

1 c oatmeal

1/2 c chopped walnuts or pecan

1/3 c flour

1/2 c brown sugar

1 stick melted butter

2 c cherries

Mix all together and place in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake uncovered for 1 hour at 325.