#3487 - Milk Chocolate Oat Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup softened butter
3/4 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
1/3 cup white sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
2 TBSP milk
1 3/4 cups Nestle's MILK chocolate chips
1 cup Quaker quick oats

In a bowl add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt--stir. In a mixer add butter, brown sugar and white sugar--beat. Add egg and vanilla--beat. Add milk--beat. Slowly add flour mixture--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add milk chocolate chips and oats--stir with a wooden spoon. Drop batter by spoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 11-14 minutes or until edges are browned. Cool slightly, then move cookies to paper towels to cool.

#3486 - Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup flour
1 - 3.5oz. box Jell-O INSTANT butterscotch pudding mix
1 stick softened butter
1/2 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 egg + 1 egg white
2 cups Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate bits

In a bowl add flour and butterscotch pudding powder--stir to mix. In a mixer add butter and brown sugar--beat. Add 1 egg and 1 egg white--beat. Add baking soda--beat. Slowly add flour mixture--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add chocolate chips--stir with a wooden spoon. Drop batter by spoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool slightly, then place cookies on paper towels to cool.

#3485 - Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups flour
3/4 cup finely ground pecans
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick softened butter
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cups Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate bits
1 cup chopped pecans

In a food processor or a blender, grind pecans until you have 3/4 cup finely ground pecans. In a bowl add finely ground pecans, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt--stir to mix. In a mixer add butter, Crisco, white sugar and brown sugar--beat. Add eggs and vanilla--beat. Slowly add flour mixture--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add chocolate chips and chopped pecans--stir with a wooden spoon. Drop batter by spoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until browned. Cool slightly, then place cookies on paper towels to cool.

#3484 - Gooey Walnut Crackers

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup walnuts (finely chopped)
1 cup dates (finely chopped)
1 - 14oz. can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk
2 sleeves of Ritz crackers (more if needed)
1/2 cup Domino's powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
regular milk (as needed)
1 tsp. vanilla

Place Ritz crackers on baking sheets. In a saucepan over medium low heat add condensed milk, chopped walnuts and chopped dates--cook/stir until boiling. Turn heat back to simmer and cook/stir until mixture is gooey. Remove from heat--drop a level teaspoonful of the gooey mixture on to each Ritz cracker. Continue until you run out of the gooey mixture. Bake crackers at 350 degrees for 5-8 minutes or until cracker edges are golden brown. Let the crackers on the cookie sheets and cool them completely. Glaze: in a bowl add powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and a little milk--stir. Keep adding milk and stirring until mixture is a thick glaze, then stir quickly until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled crackers.

#3483 - Easy Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 2/3 cups raw elbow macaroni
2 TBSP cornstarch
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. pepper
12oz. Carnation evaporated milk
1 cup water
2 TBSP butter
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Prepare macaroni according to box directions--drain but DO NOT rinse. In a saucepan add cornstarch, salt, mustard, pepper, evaporated milk, water and butter--cook/stir over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook/stir for 1 more minute. Remove from heat--add 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese--stir until smooth. Pour the milk mixture over the drained macaroni--stir well. Pour the whole macaroni mixture into a greased 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle the other 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese over the top. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly before serving.

#3482 - Chocolate Chip Banana Brownies

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup butter (softened)
2/3 cup white sugar
2/3 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1 egg
2 cups Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate chips
Domino's powdered sugar

In a bowl add flour, baking powder and salt--stir. In a mixer add softened butter, white sugar and brown sugar--beat. Add egg and vanilla--beat. Add mashed bananas--beat. Slowly add flour mixture--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add chocolate chips--stir with a wooden spoon. Spread the batter evenly in a greased 11" x 15" jelly roll pan (pan with a lip on all sides). Bake at 350 degrees for 20-28 minutes--test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool completely. Dust the whole top with powdered sugar before cutting.

#3481 - Deluxe Ritz Crackers

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 stick butter (melted)
1 box regular Ritz crackers
1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch ranch dressing mix
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 TBSP red pepper flakes (optional)

Unwrap the crackers and place them in a brown bag. Drizzle the melted butter over the crackers and sprinkle the ranch dressing powder, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and red pepper flakes over the crackers. Gently reach your hands into the bag and keep tossing them around with your hands until coated. Place the crackers on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 300 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

#3480 - Frozen Pumpkin Dream Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 9" graham cracker crust
1 - 15oz. can Libby's canned pumpkin
1 - 6oz. box Jell-O vanilla INSTANT pudding mix
1 cup Carnation evaporated milk
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 cups thawed Cool Whip

In a mixer add pumpkin, vanilla pudding mix, evaporated milk and pumpkin pie spice--beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Remove from mixer--add 1 1/2 cups of the thawed Cool Whip--stir to mix. Pour the batter into the graham cracker crust. Freeze the pie for a few hours or until firm. Remove from freezer and thaw for a few minutes when ready to serve. Spread remaining 1/2 cup thawed Cool Whip over the top before cutting.

#3479 - Chocolate Cinnamon Snap Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

6 TBSP Hershey's cocoa
2 TBSP canola oil
1 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 sticks softened butter
1 1/3 cups white sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup Kayro lite corn syrup

In a small bowl add cocoa and canola oil--stir until well mixed, then set aside. In separate bowl add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt--stir to mix. In a mixer add butter and 1 cup of the white sugar--beat. Add the egg--beat. Add the corn syrup and the cocoa mixture--beat. Slowly add flour mixture--beat. Remove bowl from mixer. Place 1/3 cup of white sugar in a small bowl. Shape the cookie dough into 1" balls and roll each in the white sugar. Place the sugar coated dough balls on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-11 minutes (centers should still be a bit soft but edges should be set). Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheets, then place them on paper towels to cool.

#3478 - Almond Raspberry Squares

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup softened butter
2 cups Nestle's white chocolate chips
2 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1/4 cup sliced almonds (toasted)
Baker's angelflake coconut (optional)

In a microwave safe bowl add butter--melt. Add 1 cup white chocolate chips to the melted butter but DO NOT stir. In a mixer add eggs--beat. Add white sugar--beat on medium speed for 4 minutes. Remove bowl from mixer--add white chocolate chip mixture--stir. Add flour, salt and almond extract--stir until combined. Pour 2/3 of the batter into the bottom of a greased 9" square cake pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until light brown around the edges. Remove from oven and set aside. In a microwave safe bowl add the raspberry jam--microwave on high for 30 seconds, then stir well. Spread the raspberry jam evenly over the top of the warm cake. Add the other 1 cup of white chocolate chips to the remaining batter--stir to mix. Drop spoonfuls of the batter over the top of the raspberry jam. Sprinkle the toasted almond slivers evenly over the top. Return to oven and bake for 23-30 minutes or until edges are browned. Cool completely. Cut into bars or squares. Optional--sprinkle coconut over the top before cutting.

#3477 - BLT Soup

(by Shirley McNevich)

8 slices of bacon
1 medium onion (chopped)
1 or 2 celery ribs (chopped)
3 cups beef broth
1 - 15oz. can diced tomatoes
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
2-3 cups bite sized iceberg lettuce pieces
shredded cheddar cheese
croutons

In a skillet fry the bacon until crispy, then place bacon on paper towels to drain. Crumble all of the bacon. Drain the bacon grease from the skillet but reserve 2 TBSP of the bacon drippings. In a Dutch oven add the reserved bacon drippings, chopped celery and chopped onions--cook/stir until tender. Add the beef broth, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, dried parsley and pepper--cook/stir over medium heat until boiling. Turn heat back to simmer--simmer the soup for 20 minutes. When ready to serve ladle the soup into bowls. Add crumbled bacon, lettuce pieces, croutons and shredded cheddar cheese to the top of the soup in each bowl. Optional: if you are used to (and enjoy) hot lettuce, add all of the lettuce to the soup while it is simmering.

#3476 - Overnight Breakfast Sausage Casserole

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. pork sausage
4 cups torn bread pieces
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
10 eggs
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. onion powder OR garlic powder
2 - 12oz. cans Carnation evaporated milk
salt and pepper to your taste

Remove the sausage casings, crumble the sausage and cook it in a skillet over medium heat until browned. Drain off any grease--set aside. Tear bread into bite sized pieces and place it into a measuring cup until you have 4 cups. Spread the bread pieces evenly into the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Sprinkle 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese over the bread pieces. In a bowl add evaporated milk, eggs, dry mustard and onion powder--beat with a whisk. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread pieces. Sprinkle the crumbled sausage all over the top. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. The next morning remove the foil, sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese over the top, replace the foil, put the whole thing in the oven and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake 30 minutes longer or until golden brown. Salt and pepper the top of the casserole to your taste.

#3475 - Caramel Turtle Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

your favorite chocolate chip cookie dough
2 cups shelled pecans (more if necessary)
20 Kraft caramels
2 TBSP milk

Prepare your chocolate chip cookie dough. Place 5 pecans on a greased cookie sheet (1 for the head of the turtle at the top, 2 for the top set of legs, 2 for the bottom set of legs) and leave a small circle empty in the center of the pecans. Drop a spoonful of cookie dough into the small hole you left between the pecans, making sure the dough is touching all of the pecans. Repeat with more dough and pecans (you'll probably only get about 6 cookies on one cookie sheet to give them room to spread when baking). Bake at 375 degrees for 9-12 minutes. Cool slightly, then remove from cookie sheets and place on paper towels to cool completely. In a microwave safe bowl add the caramels and the milk--microwave on high in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until caramel is smooth. Drizzle the caramel mixture over the cooled cookies.

#3474 - Loaded Baked Potato Soup

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 medium red potatoes (baked)
1/4 cup softened butter
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup flour
14oz. chicken broth
1 - 12oz. can Carnation evaporated milk
6 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled--more if you wish)
shredded cheddar cheese
chopped green onions (optional)

In a saucepan over medium heat add butter--melt. Add chopped onions--cook/stir until onions are getting tender. Add flour--stir well. Add chicken broth and evaporated milk--stir well, then turn heat back to simmer. While mixture is simmering, slice the baked potatoes, scoop out the insides of the baked potatoes and add to the soup mixture--stir well. Add HALF of the crumbled bacon--stir well. Turn heat up a bit and cook/stir until just starting to boil, then turn heat back a bit. Optional--chop the potato skins and add them to the soup mixture--stir. Taste--add salt and pepper to your taste, then stir again. Serve soup in bowls and top with remaining crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese and chopped green onions. Note: soup has much more baked potato flavor if you add the chopped potato skins.

#3473 - Chocolate Chip Applesauce Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 egg whites
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups Quaker quick oats
1/2 cup chopped nuts
2 cups Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate bits

In a bowl add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt--stir to mix. In a mixer add brown sugar, white sugar, softened butter and applesauce--beat. Add egg whites and vanilla--beat. Slowly add flour mixture--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add quick oats, chopped nuts and chocolate chips--stir with a wooden spoon. Drop batter by spoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 9-10 minutes.

#3472 - Chocolate Crackle Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup flour
1/2 cup Hershey's cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups Domino's light brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate
4 TBSP butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup Domino's powdered sugar

DO NOT USE MIXER FOR THIS RECIPE. In a bowl add flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt--stir to mix. In a separate microwave safe bowl add the butter and unsweetened baking chocolate--microwave on HALF POWER until melted, then stir until smooth--cool slightly. In a large bowl add the light brown sugar, vanilla and eggs--stir with a whisk to mix. Scrape the melted chocolate mixture into the brown sugar--mix with a whisk. Pour the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture--stir with a whisk to mix. Let the batter stand for 10 minutes so it starts to get thick. Place the white sugar in one bowl and the powdered sugar in a second bowl. Scoop a heaping TBSP of the batter and roll it into a ball. Roll the ball in the white sugar, then roll it into the powdered sugar, then place the dough ball on a greased cookie sheet. Repeat with all batter. Bake at 325 degrees for 12 minutes. Do NOT remove the cookies from the cookie sheets--let them cool completely on the cookie sheets.

#3471 - Potato and Bacon Casserole

(by Shirley McNevich)

8 medium red potatoes (washed, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces)
1 cup Carnation evaporated milk
1/2 cup Breakstone's sour cream
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 slices cooked bacon (crumbled)
a few chopped green onions

In a saucepan add potato pieces and cover them with water--bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain the potatoes but do NOT rinse them. Return the potato pieces to the saucepan--add the Carnation milk, sour cream, salt and pepper--mash with a potato masher until mixed. Add 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheddar cheese and half of the crumbled bacon--stir with a spoon until mixed. Spread the potato mixture into a greased 3 quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until hot. Remove from oven, sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese over the top. Sprinkle the remaining crumbled bacon evenly over the cheese. Sprinkle chopped green onions over the top. Return to oven and bake until cheese on top is melted.

#3470 - Easy Caramel Squares

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 17oz. log refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping

Press 3/4 of the cookie dough into the bottom of a greased 8" square cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle 1/4 cup of the chopped walnuts evenly over the dough. Drizzle the caramel ice cream topping evenly over the top. Spread teaspoonfuls of the remaining cookie dough evenly over the top. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup chopped walnuts all over the top. Return to oven and bake 10 minutes longer or until edges are set. Cool completely. Cut into squares or bars.

#3469 - Chocolate Chip Cookie Balls

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/2 cups softened butter
3/4 cup Domino's powdered sugar (plus extra for rolling)
1 TBSP vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups flour
2 cups Nestle's semi-sweet MINI chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

In a mixer add butter and powdered sugar--beat. Add salt and vanilla--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add mini chocolate chips and chopped nuts--stir with a wooden spoon. Shape the dough into 1" balls and place them on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet, then place them on paper towels. Cool completely. Place some extra powdered sugar in a bowl and roll each cookie ball in the powdered sugar to coat.

#3468 - Simple Chocolate Pecan Fudge

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 TBSP butter
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup Carnation evaporated milk
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 3/4 cups Nestle's MILK chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans + extra for sprinkling
2 tsp. vanilla

Line an 8" fudge pan with foil. In a saucepan over medium heat add white sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt--melt/stir until boiling. Once boiling, cook/stir for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat--add mini marshmallows, milk chocolate bits, chopped pecans and vanilla--stir quickly until marshmallows and chocolate are melted and mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture into the foil lined fudge pan. Sprinkle extra chopped pecans over the top of the fudge (optional). Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until firm. Dump the pan upside down on a cutting board, peel off the foil and cut the fudge into squares.