#3670 - Ritz Ice Cream Squares

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 sleeves original flavor Ritz crackers + extra for sprinkling
1/2 cup butter (melted)
1 pint good quality vanilla ice cream
2 - 3oz. boxes Jell-O vanilla INSTANT pudding
1 - 8oz. Cool Whip (thawed)

Crush the Ritz crackers. In a bowl add crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter--stir to mix. Press the mixture into the bottom of a metal 9 x 13 cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees 6-8 minutes, then cool completely. Sit the ice cream container on the counter so the ice cream thaws a bit, then prepare both boxes of vanilla pudding (according to box directions) in a mixer. Once pudding is ready, leave pudding in mixer on low speed and start adding scoops of the softened ice cream until the whole pint has been added and mixture is smooth. Remove from mixer--add Cool Whip--stir to mix. Spread the mixture over the cooled crust. Crush a few extra Ritz crackers and sprinkle over the top. Refrigerate until cold. Note: you can use any combination of pudding flavor and ice cream flavor that you wish. If you want firmer squares, you can freeze it for a few hours but you will need to let it soften up a bit before cutting.

#3669 - BLT Burritos

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup mayo
1 fresh tomato (peeled and chopped)
8 flour tortillas
iceberg lettuce (chopped)
red onion (sliced)
16 slices of bacon (fried and crumbled)
salt
fresh ground black pepper

In a bowl add mayo and the chopped tomatoes--stir to mix. Spread the 8 flour tortillas evenly with the tomato mixture. Spread chopped lettuce over the tomato mixture. Spread sliced onions over the lettuce. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon over the onions. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Roll them up like a burrito (securing with a toothpick if necessary). Serve immediately.

#3668 - Waffle Fries and Bacon Dip

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 bag frozen waffle cut french fries
3-4 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled; more if you wish)
1 - 16oz. Breakstone's sour cream
1/4 cup fresh chopped chives (less if you wish)
a few dashes of hot sauce (optional)

In a bowl add crumbled bacon, sour cream, chopped chives and hot sauce--stir well to mix. Pour the mixture into a dip serving bowl, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day bake the waffle fries according to bag directions. While the fries are baking, remove the bacon dip from the refrigerator and set it on your counter to warm slightly. Serve the hot fries with the bacon dip.

#3667 - Ham and Onion Sprouts

(by Shirley McNevich)

6oz. country ham (cubed)
5 TBSP olive oil
2 lbs. fresh Brussels sprouts (washed, trimmed and halved)
2 tsp. salt
2 lbs. yellow onions (sliced)
1/4 cup honey (optional)
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
shredded mozzarella cheese

In a skillet over medium heat add 3 TBSP olive oil and the cubed ham--cook/stir until crispy. Remove ham cubes to paper towels to drain but leave the drippings in the skillet. Add halved Brussels sprouts and 1 tsp. salt to the drippings--cook/stir over medium heat until Brussels sprouts are almost tender, then remove from heat. In a separate skillet add 2 TBSP olive oil and the sliced onions--cook/stir over medium heat until onions are brown and soft. Add honey, black pepper, red pepper and 1 tsp. salt to the onions--stir to mix. Add Brussels sprouts and ham--cook/stir until the whole thing is hot and mixed. Pour the whole mixture into a greased casserole dish. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese all over the top. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese melts and mixture is hot.

#3666 - Ritz Ice Cream Sandwiches

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/2 cups Nestle's MILK chocolate chips
24 Ritz crackers (original flavor)
1 cup Jif creamy peanut butter
good quality vanilla ice cream

In a microwave safe bowl add the milk chocolate chips--microwave on high in 20 second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Place a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet. One at a time dip the flat sides of all the Ritz crackers into the melted chocolate, then place them on the wax paper (chocolate side up). Place the tray in the freezer for 10 minutes. Remove from freezer and spread a thin layer of peanut butter over just 12 of the chocolate coated crackers. Place them back in the freezer for 10 more minutes. Place a heaping spoonful of vanilla ice cream on top of the crackers that have the peanut butter, then place the remaining crackers (chocolate side down) on top of the ice cream covered crackers and press gently to create the sandwich. Place the tray in the freezer for 30 minutes and they are ready to eat. IF there are any leftovers, you can wrap them each in Saran wrap and keep them frozen.

#3665 - Crispy Peanut Butter Treats

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/3 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
1/4 cup Jif creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
4 TBSP softened butter
2 cups Quaker quick oats
2/3 cups Rice Krispies cereal
3/4 cup Reese's peanut butter baking chips
1 cup Reese's Pieces candies

In a saucepan over medium low heat add the brown sugar, peanut butter, butter and honey--cook/stir until boiling. Once boiling, cook 2-3 minutes longer or until sugar dissolves and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat--add oats and Rice Krispies--stir to coat. Cool the mixture for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of the peanut butter chips--stir to mix. Line an 8 x 8 cake pan with foil. Press the mixture into the foil lined pan. Spread the other 1/2 cup of peanut butter chips and all of the Reese's pieces evenly over the top. Use the bottom of a heavy drinking glass (or the back side of a large spoon) to press down the mixture all over the top so the candy gets pressed into the bottom mixture. Cool completely, then cut into squares or bars.

#3664 - Reese's Oatmeal Bars

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/2 sticks softened butter
2 cups Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup Jif creamy peanut butter
2 eggs
1 TBSP vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup Quaker quick oats
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup Reese's peanut butter baking chips
2 cups Reese's minis candies

In a mixer add butter and brown sugar--beat. Add peanut butter--beat. Add eggs and vanilla--beat. In a bowl add flour, oats and baking powder--stir to mix. Slowly add flour mixture to peanut butter mixture--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add the peanut butter chips--stir to mix. Spread 2/3 of the dough into a greased 9 x 13 cake pan. Spread the Reese's minis evenly over the top of the dough. Drop the remaining dough by spoonfuls over the top (it won't cover the whole top). Bake at 350 degrees 25-30 minutes. Cool completely. Cut into bars or squares.

#3663 - Rolo Pretzels

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 bag salted mini pretzels (normal pretzel shape)
1 bag Rolo candies (unwrapped)
1 bag pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment paper on cookie sheets. To test the baking time, place ONE pretzel on the parchment paper and place one unwrapped Rolo candy on top of the pretzel. Bake at 350 degrees 3-4 minutes or until Rolo is softened (but not melted). Remove from oven--place a pecan half onto the softened Rolo and press down slightly. Cool completely. Repeat with more pretzels, Rolos and pecan halves. Cool completely. Keep leftovers refrigerated.

#3662 - Chocolate Pretzel Hugs

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 bag Hershey's Hugs candies (unwrapped) OR regular Hershey's Kisses (unwrapped)
1 bag waffle shapes salted pretzels
1 bag regular M&M's candies

These are easy to burn, so do ONE first to test the baking time for your oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place one waffle pretzel on a cookie sheet (salted side up) and place an unwrapped Hug candy in the center of the pretzel. Bake 1-2 minutes (just enough for the Hug to soften). Remove from oven and press an M&M candy into the softened Hug candy. Once you have figured out the cooking time for your oven, you can do about 20 at a time if you are quick in pressing the M&M candies into the softened Hugs. Cool completely. Refrigerate leftovers. If you have trouble with them sticking to your cookie sheets, use parchment paper to line the cookie sheets.

#3661 - Pancetta Mashed Potatoes

(by Shirley McNevich)

5 or 6 red potatoes
1 tsp. salt
2 TBSP butter
1/4 cup milk
a package of pancetta (Italian bacon)

Fry the pancetta pieces (as many as you wish) in a cast iron skillet until browned but not too crispy--drain them on paper towels, then slice the fried pancetta into bite sized pieces. Peel and wash potatoes--slice them in half. In a saucepan add the potatoes, enough water to cover them, and the salt. Do not put the lid on tight or they will boil over. Bring to a boil on medium heat, then cook for 20 minutes after water is boiling--test for doneness with a fork. Pour water off and mash them with a potato masher. Add the butter to the potatoes and stir. When there are no more lumps left, slowly add the milk and beat the mixture with a spoon until the mashed potatoes have the consistency that you like. Once consistency is correct, add the pancetta pieces--stir well.

#3660 - Oreo Pretzel Sandwiches

(by Shirley McNevich)

4oz. Baker's white chocolate baking squares
18 original Oreo cookies
4oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
1 bag salted waffle pretzels

Using a blender or a rolling pin, crush the Oreos. In a bowl add softened cream cheese and crushed Oreos--mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll the Oreo mixture into 1 tsp. sized balls, then make a sandwich using two waffle pretzels as the top and bottom (with the Oreo mixture in between). Squeeze gently. Repeat until you've used up the Oreo mixture. Melt the baking chocolate according to box directions, then dip each sandwich and coat it in the white chocolate. Place completed sandwiches on wax paper--cool completely, then refrigerate. Keep them refrigerated.

#3659 - Crispy Ravioli

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup 4C Italian bread crumbs
2 eggs
1 - 14oz. bag frozen cheese ravioli
warm marinara sauce

In one bowl add the eggs--beat with a fork. In a second bowl add the breadcrumbs. Grease cookie sheets with Pam. In a large pot of salted boiling water add the frozen ravioli--cook about 5 minutes or until softened. Drain ravioli but DO NOT RINSE. Let the ravioli cool just enough to handle. Dunk one ravioli into the beaten eggs, then into the bread crumbs, then place it on the greased cookie sheets. Repeat with all ravioli. Lightly spray the tops of the ravioli with Pam. Bake at 425 degrees 10-12 minutes (turning once during baking) until ravioli are crisp and golden brown. Cool slightly, then serve with warm marinara sauce for dipping. If you haven't made these before, bake just one ravioli to start to get the correct baking time for your oven.

#3658 - Easy Basic Hummus

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 15oz. can garbanzo beans (drained but save the liquid)
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP olive oil
1-3 garlic cloves (minced)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt

In a blender or a food processor add drained beans, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin and salt--mix well (it will be dry). Add a little of the reserved bean liquid at a time and blend again until you get the thickness that you like. Taste--adjust and add seasonings to your taste.

#3657 - Shredded Chicken Dip

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. boneless/skinless chicken breasts
salt
pepper
1 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
4oz. mayo
4oz. Breakstone's sour cream
8oz. shredded cheddar cheese
1 - 4oz. can diced green chile peppers (drained)
1 jalapeno pepper (diced)

Salt and pepper both sides of chicken. Line a glass baking dish with foil and spray it with Pam. Place the chicken on the foil. Bake at 350 degrees until chicken is fully cooked. Cool chicken completely. Into a large bowl use two forks to shred the chicken. Add the cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, drained/diced green chile peppers and diced jalapeno peppers--stir well to mix. Spread the mixture into a greased glass baking dish or casserole. Bake at 350 degrees 30-35 minutes or until edges are browned and mixture is hot. Serve hot with good quality crackers.

#3656 - Cajun Gumbo Dip

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/4 cup butter
6 green onions (sliced)
2 ribs of celery (chopped)
1/4 cup chopped red bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped orange bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped yellow bell peppers
1 1/2 lbs. large raw shrimp (peeled and chopped)
1 garlic clove (minced)
1 1/2 tsp. creole seasoning
1 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened and cubed)
3/4 cup sliced pickled okra
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese (plus extra for sprinkling)
2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
good quality crackers

In a Dutch oven over medium heat add butter--melt. Add sliced green onions, chopped celery and all four colors of chopped bell peppers--cook/stir until tender. Add chopped shrimp, minced garlic and creole seasoning--cook/stir for 2 minutes. Turn heat back to low and add cream cheese--cook/stir until cream cheese is melted. Remove from heat--add sliced okra and 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese--stir to mix. Pour the mixture into a greased 2qt. baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, then sprinkle more grated Parmesan cheese over the top and return to oven 5-10 minutes longer or until hot and bubbling. Serve hot with good quality crackers.

#3655 - Crispy Caramel Mix

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 12oz. box Crispix corn and rice cereal
1 1/2 cups nuts (one type or mixed)
1/2 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup Kayro lite corn syrup
1/2 cup butter
2 cups chocolate covered peanuts

In a foil roasting pan add the cereal and nuts--toss to mix. In a saucepan over medium heat add brown sugar, lite corn syrup and butter--cook/stir until melted and smooth. Drizzle the butter mixture over the cereal mixture while stirring the cereal, then toss to coat. Bake at 300 degrees for 20-30 minutes (stirring every 7 minutes). Spread the cereal mixture over a large sheet of buttered foil. Cool completely. Wash and dry the foil roasting pan. Place the cereal mixture into the foil pan (breaking up any clumps) and add the chocolate covered peanuts--toss to mix.

#3654 - Multi Colored Pasta Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 16oz. box multi-colored rotini pasta
1 zucchini (washed and sliced, peeled before slicing if you wish)
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1/2 lb. cooked ham (cut into bite sized pieces)
6oz. pepperoni slices (quartered)
1/2 of a red bell pepper (chopped)
1 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 tsp. oregano
salt and pepper (to your taste)
1 cup Italian salad dressing (more if necessary)
fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 small container cherry tomatoes (quartered)

Cook and drain pasta in salted water but DO NOT RINSE. In a large bowl add sliced zucchini, sliced black olives, ham pieces, pepperoni pieces, chopped red bell peppers, chopped celery, sliced green onions, oregano, salad dressing and drained pasta--toss well. Taste--adjust seasonings and add salt/pepper as necessary. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, add cherry tomato pieces and shredded mozzarella cheese--stir well. Sprinkle fresh grated Parmesan cheese over the top before serving. If salad is too dry, add a little more Italian salad dressing.

#3653 - Pepperoni Casserole

(by Shirley McNevich)

16oz. uncooked shell pasta (or other shape)
1lb. ground Italian sausage (casings removed)
28 to 32oz. pasta sauce
24oz. ricotta cheese (less if you wish)
1 can sliced black olives (drained)
12oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
12oz. pepperoni slices (more if you wish)

Cook and drain pasta in salted water--drain but DO NOT RINSE. In a skillet over medium heat crumble the Italian sausage--cook/stir until browned. Chop all of the pepperoni slices into small pieces. In a bowl add drained pasta, browned sausage, HALF of the pepperoni pieces and the pasta sauce--stir well. In a separate bowl add ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and sliced black olives--stir to mix. Pour the pasta mixture into a large greased casserole dish. Spread the cheese mixture over the pasta mixture. Sprinkle the other half of the chopped pepperoni pieces over the top. Bake at 350 degrees 25-35 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let it sit a few minutes before serving.

#3652 - Hot Monterey Jack Cheese Dip

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup mayo
1 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 green onions (finely chopped)
8-12 Ritz crackers (crushed)
8 slices of bacon (fried, dried on paper towels and crumbled)

In a bowl add mayo, softened cream cheese, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, shredded Monterey Jack cheese and finely chopped green onions--mix well. Spread the mixture into a greased glass pie plate. Sprinkle the crushed Ritz crackers evenly over the top. Bake at 350 degrees 15-20 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Spread the crumbled bacon evenly over the top. Serve with good quality crackers.

#3651 - Sour Cream Biscuits

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups Breakstone's sour cream
4 tsp. canola oil
melted butter

In a bowl add self-rising flour and baking soda--stir to mix. Add sour cream and canola oil--stir just until combined. Flour your counter. Place the dough on the floured counter and knead the dough 6 times. Use a knife to cut the dough into 8 equal pieces (or you can use a biscuit cutter). Place the dough pieces on a greased cookie sheet. Brush melted butter over the top of each biscuit dough. Bake at 425 degrees 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.