#956 - Sausage Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. cooked kielbasa OR cooked polish sausage OR cooked turkey sausage (cut into coin shaped pieces)
1 chopped onion
1 TBSP water
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
5 cups cooked pasta (any shape--your choice)
cherry tomatoes (halved)
1 cup feta cheese (crumbled)

Cook pasta according to box directions--drain and set aside. In a skillet add cooked kielbasa (or sausage), chopped onion, water and 3/4 tsp. garlic--cook and stir over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add vinegar--stir. Turn heat to simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, remove lid, add cooked pasta and stir until pasta is coated. Add 3/4 tsp. garlic--stir. Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate. Sprinkle cheese on top and add halved cherry tomatoes before serving.

#955 - Rhubarb Shortbread Squares

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup flour
2 TBSP white sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick cold butter
4 cups diced rhubarb
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/4 cup water
1/8 tsp. salt
2 envelopes unflavored Knox gelatin
1/3 cup cold water
1 cup heavy whipping cream OR Cool Whip

In a bowl add flour, 2 TBSP white sugar, 1/4 tsp. salt and cold butter--cut the butter in until it makes crumbs. Grease an 8" x 8" x 2" baking dish. Dump crumb mixture into the baking dish and press mixture evenly over the bottom. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes (until lightly browned). Remove from oven and cool completely. In a saucepan over medium heat add rhubarb, 1 1/4 cups white sugar, 1/4 cup water, and 1/8 tsp. salt--stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 8-10 minutes (until rhubarb is tender). In a separate bowl add 1/3 cup cold water and both envelopes of gelatin--stir, then let stand for 1 minute. When rhubarb is tender add gelatin mixture to the rhubarb mixture in the saucepan--stir and cook until gelatin dissolves. Remove saucepan from stove and cool completely. Once it's cool refrigerate the saucepan for 2 hours. After 2 hours, remove saucepan from refrigerator and add whipping cream or Cool Whip (if using heavy cream it must be whipped in your mixer first)--stir. Pour entire mixture into the cooled crust. Cover the baking pan with foil and refrigerate overnight. The next day, cut into squares to serve.

#954 - Peanut Butter Cookie Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 package Nutter Butter peanut butter cookies (NOT minis; need to have at least 24 cookies)
1 - 8oz. tub Cool Whip (thawed)
1 TBSP vanilla
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup Jif peanut butter
1 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
5 TBSP butter (melted)--NO substitutes
1 bag Neste's MINI-chocolate chips

Place 2-3 cookies at a time into a Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin--pour crushed cookies into a bowl. Repeat until you have crushed 24 cookies. Once all of the crushed cookies are in the bowl, add the 5 TBSP melted butter--stir. Press the cookie mixture into a 9" pie plate to make the crust (do NOT grease the pie plate)--place pie plate in the freezer. In a mixer add softened cream cheese--beat. Add peanut butter--beat. Add white sugar and vanilla--beat until smooth. Remove bowl from mixer. Add 1 1/2 cups of Cool Whip to the batter--stir just until mixed. Remove pie plate from freezer and sprinkle some mini-chocolate chips just on the bottom of the crust. Pour the cream cheese batter on top of the chocolate chips. Freeze the entire pie overnight. The next day (when ready to serve) remove pie from freezer and frost the top of the pie with Cool Whip. Sprinkle more mini-chocolate chips on top. If it's too difficult to cut right away, let it stand on the counter a few minutes.

#953 - Grilled Peppers

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
olive oil

Wash, slice and remove seeds from all of the peppers. Cut all peppers into slices, then cut each slice in half. Place sliced peppers in a large bowl--pour some olive oil over them (your choice of amount) and toss until they are mixed and coated. Tear off a large piece of aluminum foil and spray it with Pam. Dump the coated peppers in the center of the foil and fold up the sides of the foil and close the top (if you're making alot of peppers, you may have to use an extra sheet of foil on the top). Place the entire pack on the grill near the flame and cook until the peppers are tender. Use as topping for burgers, hot dogs, and steaks. NOTE: if you want to grill onions at the same time, do not put them in the same foil packet as the peppers or the onions will overwhelm the flavor of the peppers.

#952 - Grilled Onions

(by Shirley McNevich)

your favorite variety of onions
McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning

Tear off a sheet of aluminum foil and spray the middle of it with Pam. Peel/wash onions, then slice and break them into rings. Use a knife and cutting board to cut the rings in half, then place them on the middle of the aluminum foil. Spray more Pam on top of the onion pieces. Sprinkle Montreal Steak Seasoning on top of the onions and close up the aluminum foil. As you are grilling burgers, hot dogs, etc. place the packet of onions close to a flame and cook until onions are tender. Use them on your burgers, hot dogs, steaks, etc.

#951 - Italian Grilled Tuna Steaks

(by Shirley McNevich)

fresh cut tuna steak fillets
1 bottle of your favorite Italian salad dressing (one bottle will do about four steaks)

Carefully place two tuna steak fillets in Ziploc bag (if you're making more than two, use more bags). Pour enough Italian dressing in each bag to cover them--CAREFULLY squeeze air out of bag but try not to touch the tuna steak (they can flake easily). Place bags in refrigerator at least one hour before grilling. When ready to grill, spray the grill surface with Pam before firing up the grill. Carefully use a spatula to place tuna steak fillets on the grill over low heat. Salt and pepper them if you wish. Be careful when turning them to prevent flaking (a spatula is probably the best way to turn them). Use the remaining Italian dressing in the bottom of the Ziploc bags to brush on the steaks occasionally. Cook to desired doneness.

#950 - Grilled Burgers (Hamburgers)

(by Shirley McNevich)

80 % lean ground beef (your choice of package size depending on how many burgers you are making)
McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning

Tear off a piece of Saran wrap and place on counter. Use an ice cream scooper to get out a heaping scoop of ground beef--drop it into your hands and form into a ball. Place the ball in the bottom center of the plastic wrap--fold the other half of the Saran Wrap on top of the beef. Use a small plate to gently press down the beef to make the burger patty. Remember that the harder you press, the thinner the patty will be. If you like your burgers thick, it takes longer to cook them, especially the inside. Repeat until all of your ground beef has been made into burger patties. Set aside the burgers you are using right away, then place 4-6 burgers into two stacks and wrap them in aluminum foil--place packages in your freezer (by using both the Saran Wrap and the aluminum foil it keeps them from getting freezer burned). For the burgers you are making right away, turn your gas grill on LOW and place the burgers on the very top rack away from any flame--this help cook the insides of your burgers (if you are using a charcoal grill, don't put burgers on until all flames have died down). Sprinkle a generous amount of McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning on top of each burger. When the bottom sides start to turn gray in color, flip them and sprinkle more seasoning on the opposite sides. Once both sides of the burgers are gray, move burgers down to the bottom rack and cook until done to your liking (medium, well, etc.). Just before taking the burgers off of the grill, place burgers near open flame to get char broil lines on them. You may want to use a steak knife to cut into each burger to check if its done to your liking. When using frozen burgers, let them thaw on a plate before grilling them.

#949 - Mint Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 box Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker basic chocolate cake mix (NO pudding in mix)
1 - large box Jell-O INSTANT chocolate pudding/pie filling
1 cup Breakstone's sour cream
4 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup water
1 - 12oz. bag Hershey's mint chocolate chips
Domino's powdered sugar (for sprinking)

In a mixer add cake mix, chocolate pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, canola oil and water--beat on low until mixed, then beat on medium until creamy. Remove bowl from mixer--add mint chocolate chips and stir just until mixed. Pour batter into a well greased bundt cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool for 10-15 minutes, then dump cake upside down on to a cake plate--cool completely. Frost/glaze as desired or sprinkle with powdered sugar.

#948 - Creamy Butterscotch Fudge

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
3/4 tsp. salt
1 - 7.5oz. jar Fluff marshmallow
1 - 5oz. can Carnation evaporated milk
1 - 12oz. bag Nestle's butterscotch chips
1/2 to 1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Grease a 9" x 9" square pan using butter--NOT Pam. In a saucepan over medium heat add white sugar, butter, salt, Fluff marshmallow, and evaporated milk--stir constantly and bring to a boil. Once boiling, boil the mixture for 5 minutes while stirring. After 5 minutes remove saucepan from stovetop and immediately add the butterscotch chips, vanilla and chopped pecans--stir and keep stirring until butterscotch chips have all melted. Pour mixture into the butter-greased pan. Let the fudge cool completely before cutting into squares.

#947 - Marble Loaf Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups flour
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 cup white sugar
2 TBSP butter (melted)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup egg beaters (must be cold but not frozen)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 TBSP Hershey's cocoa

In a bowl add flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda--stir and set aside. In a separate bowl add white sugar and melted butter--use a whisk to mix. Add buttermilk--whisk again. Add egg beaters and vanilla--whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture to the egg beater mixture--stir with a spoon until smooth. Reserve 2/3 cup of the batter. Add the cocoa to the reserved 2/3 cup of batter--stir until smooth. Pour the vanilla portion of batter into a greased bread loaf pan (8.5 x 4.5 x 2 1/2"). Place spoonfuls of the reserved chocolate batter all over the top of the vanilla batter in the loaf pan. Use a table knife to swirl the chocolate batter into the vanilla batter until marbled. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes--test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes before removing loaf from pan. Cool completely before cutting.

#946 - Blueberry Banana Bread

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups Bisquick
3/4 cup Quaker quick oats
2/3 cup white sugar
1 cup mashed bananas (very ripe)
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Beat the eggs in a cup. In a bowl add Bisquick, oats, white sugar, milk, beaten eggs, and mashed bananas--stir until moistened, then beat with the spoon for 30 seconds. Add blueberries--stir. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 5 x 3 bread loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes--test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool for 20 minutes--loosen sides with a butter knife and remove from pan. Cool completely, then slice.

#945 - Banana Pudding

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 6oz. box Jell-O banana cream OR vanilla pudding/pie filling (NOT INSTANT)
3 egg yolks
3 3/4 cups milk
24 or so vanilla wafers
1 large ripe banana (sliced into coin shaped pieces)
1 - 8oz. Cool Whip (thawed)

Slightly beat the egg yolks in a cup. In a saucepan over medium heat add pudding mix, beaten egg yolks, milk--cook and stir until it comes to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat--place a piece of Saran wrap on top of the pudding (touching the pudding)--set aside to cool. Once cooled, remove the Saran wrap and stir the pudding well. Arrange a layer of vanilla wafers on the bottom of a 2 qt. dish. Make a layer of banana pieces on top of the vanilla wafer layer. Scoop half of the pudding mixture on top of the banana layer. Repeat three more layers (vanilla wafers, then bananas, then remaining pudding) on top of the pudding layer. Spread Cool Whip on top of the final pudding layer--refrigerate until very cold.

#944 - Chocolate Macadamia Bars

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup + 1/2 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
1 stick cold butter (cut into small pieces) + 1 1/2 sticks butter
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts (you can toast them if you wish)
1 1/2 cups Nestle's semisweet chocolate chips OR white chocolate chips

In a bowl add flour and 1 cup brown sugar--stir. Add 1 stick butter (cut into pieces)--mix until crumbly. Press mixture into a greased 9 x 13 cake pan. Sprinkle chopped macadamia nuts on the crust, then press nuts down into the crust lightly with the back of a spoon. In a saucepan add 1 1/2 sticks of butter--melt butter over low heat. Add 1/2 cup brown sugar--stir. Turn heat to medium and cook/stir until bubbling--pour hot mixture on the top of the crust evenly--spread with a spoon if necessary. Bake at 350 degrees for 17-20 minutes or until the top layer is bubbling. Remove from oven, wait 1 minute and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top--the chocolate will melt. Once melted smooth top layer with a knife or the back of a spoon. Cool completely, then refrigerate until cold before cutting.

#943 - Chicken and Rice Casserole

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups cooked Carolina River rice (use 1 tsp. salt with rice when cooking)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken breast (cut into bite sized pieces)
1 - 12oz. can Carnation evaporated milk
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 TBSP butter (melted)

Cook the rice according to package directions. Cook chicken breast and cut into bite sized pieces. In a small bowl add the eggs and beat them--add the pepper to the eggs and mix well. In a large bowl add cooked rice, shredded cheese, chicken pieces, evaporated milk, chopped onions, beaten eggs/pepper, parsley and melted butter--stir to mix. Pour all ingredients into a greased 2 qt. casserole dish. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until inserted knife comes out clean.

#942 - Sweet and Sour Potatoes

(by Shirley McNevich)

8 red potatoes
1 diced onion
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3/4 cup white sugar
4 slices bacon
3/4 cup cider vinegar

Add potatoes to a pot (DO NOT PEEL YET) and cover with water--cook on medium until potatoes are tender. Drain and peel potatoes, then cut into bite sized pieces. In a serving bowl, add the hot potato pieces--cover and set aside to keep warm. In a skillet, fry the bacon until well done--remove bacon but keep the bacon grease--dry the bacon on paper towels. Add diced onions, salt, pepper, vinegar and white sugar to the bacon grease--stir and heat making sure all sugar has dissolved. Crumble the bacon into pieces and add to the vinnegar mixture in the skillet--stir. Pour the entire skillet mixture over the top of the warm potatoes--toss to coat.

#941 - Hot Chocolate

(by Shirley McNevich)

milk
Nesquik powder
mini-marshmallows (optional)

In a saucepan add milk and Nesquik powder (use measurement from Nesquik label directions for the number of servings you want to make). Turn heat on medium and keep stirring until it's hot (do not let it boil). When hot, pour into mugs and top with mini-marshmallows if you wish.

#940 - Easy Cheddar Biscuits

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. white sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 stick cold butter (cubed)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup milk

In a bowl add flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, sugar and salt--stir. Add butter cubes and cut in with a pastry blender, two knives or with your hands--mix until it makes large crumbs. Add shredded cheddar cheese--stir. Add milk--stir until it makes a dough ball. Place dough on a floured counter, flour the top of the dough and knead with your hands ten times. Form dough into a square about 1" thick. Cut into square biscuits using a knife. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

#939 - BLT Pasta

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 cups uncooked penne pasta
4oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (1/2 of an 8oz. package)--cubed
1 cup milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled)
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning

Cook pasta according to box directions. In a skillet over medium heat add cream cheese cubes, milk and Parmesan cheese--stir and cook until cream cheese is melted. Add crumbled bacon, and Italian seasoning--stir. Drain pasta and plate. Remove skillet from stove and add spinach leaves and cherry tomatoes to the sauce--stir. Pour sauce over pasta.

#938 - Strawberry Cream Cheese Dessert

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 TBSP butter (melted)
1 - 3oz. box strawberry Jell-O
1 cup boiling water
1 - 16oz. bag frozen sliced strawberries (thawed and sweetened to your taste)
1 TBSP lemon juice
4oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)-- 1/2 on an 8oz. package
1/2 cup Domino's powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
a dash of salt
1 cup heavy whipping cream (whipped)--OR Cool Whip
fresh sliced strawberries for garnish

In a bowl add graham crackers crumbs and melted butter--mix. Press graham cracker mixture into a greased 8" square baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 10-14 minutes or until browned--cool completely. In a separate bowl add Jell-O and boiling water--stir until dissolved. Add thawed, sweetened strawberries and lemon juice--stir. Refrigerate strawberry mixture for 90 minutes or until partially set. In a mixer add cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt--beat. Remove from mixer and add whipped cream or Cool Whip--stir. Spread half of the cream cheese mixture over cooled crust. Put the rest of the cream cheese mixture in the refrigerator. Pour all of the Jell-O mixture on top of cream cheese mixture in the crust--refrigerate until Jell-O is completely firm. After the Jell-O has set completely, spread remaining cream cheese mixture on top. Refrigerate overnight and garnish with fresh sliced strawberries.

#937 - Chewy Chocolate Cookie Drops

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 squares Baker's unsweetened baking chocolate
1 1/2 sticks butter
2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
Glaze: 1 - 8oz. Cool Whip (FROZEN), 6 squares Baker's semi-sweet baking chocolate

In a microwave safe bowl add 4 squares Baker's chocolate and the butter--microwave on high for 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Remove from microwave--stir until chocolate is melted. Add white sugar--stir. Beat the eggs in a cup and add to chocolate mixture--stir. Add vanilla--stir. Add flour--mix well. Cover dough and refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove dough from refrigerator, shape and roll dough into 1" balls--place them 2" apart on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes or just until set--if you overbake them, they will not be chewy. Let stand 1 minute before removing from cookie sheets. Cool completely. Glaze: add the FROZEN Cool Whip and 6 squares Baker's chocolate in a microwave safe bowl--microwave on high for 90 seconds or until chocolate is melted. Stir--mixture should be smooth and shiny. Let the glaze stand 15 minutes to thicken. Spread glaze on cookies using a knife. Let cookies stand until glaze is set.