#3813 - Chicken Bacon Spaghetti

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. raw spaghetti
1 TBSP olive oil
1lb. boneless/skinless chicken breasts
salt
pepper
6-8 slices bacon
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 cups diced tomatoes
3 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Cook spaghetti in salted water according to box directions--drain but DO NOT RINSE and save 1 cup of the pasta water. In a Dutch oven over medium heat add the olive oil--add the bacon and cook until bacon is crispy. Place the bacon on paper towels but leave the drippings in the Dutch oven. Salt/pepper both sides of the chicken--place it in the bacon drippings and cook chicken on both sides until no longer pink inside. Remove chicken, place it on a cutting board and cut it into bite sized pieces. Add the minced garlic, diced tomatoes and baby spinach to the Dutch oven (and add salt/pepper to your taste). Add the heavy cream, grated Parmesan cheese and the reserved 1 cup pasta water--stir to mix and turn heat back to simmer and let the mixture simmer until mixture thickens (while stirring). Turn heat back to medium and add the drained pasta to the sauce mixture--toss to coat/stir until hot. Crumble the bacon. Add the crumbled bacon and chicken pieces to the spaghetti mixture--toss to coat/stir until hot enough to serve.

#3812 - Warm Raspberry Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup white sugar + 2 TBSP white sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 - 12oz. can Carnation evaporated milk (NOT condensed)
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup fresh raspberries (more if you wish)

In a bowl add flour, 1/4 cup white sugar and the salt--whisk to mix. In a separate bowl add Carnation milk, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla--whisk to mix. Add flour mixture to egg mixture--whisk until smooth. Pour batter into a greased 9" deep dish pie plate. Spread the raspberries evenly over the top of the batter. Sprinkle the 2 TBSP white sugar evenly over the whole top. Bake at 450 degrees 17-22 minutes or until puffed up and light brown in color. Serve the pie warm.

#3811 - Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake

(by Shirley McNevich)

8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
1/3 cup Breakstone's sour cream
3/4 cup Jif smooth peanut butter
1 cup + 3 TBSP Domino's powdered sugar
1/3 cup chopped peanuts
1 - 9" Keebler ready-made graham cracker crust (OR chocolate crust if you prefer)
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Hershey's cocoa
1 bag Nestle's peanut butter chips
chocolate cookie sprinkles

Sprinkle the chopped peanuts evenly into the bottom of the ready-made crust. In a mixer add cream cheese and sour cream--bat. Add peanut butter and 1 cup of powdered sugar--beat until smooth. Spread the batter evenly into the crust (all the way to the edges). In a mixer add heavy cream, cocoa and 3 TBSP powdered sugar--beat until mixed and leave it in the mixer bowl. Refrigerate both the pie and the bowl of topping mixture until cold and cheesecake is set. Remove both from refrigerator. Place the topping mixture back on the mixer--beat until stiff peaks form. Spread the topping mixture evenly over the top of the pie. Sprinkle peanut butter chips (your choice of amount) and chocolate sprinkles evenly over the top of the pie.

#3810 - Dense Dinner Rolls

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 tsp. active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups lukewarm whole milk
1 TBSP white sugar
3 cups flour (unbleached if you have it)
1/4 tsp. salt
2 TBSP butter (melted and cooled to room temperature)

In a bowl add yeast and milk--stir to dissolve yeast. Add white sugar--stir. Into a bowl sift the flour and salt, then add the room temperature melted butter and the yeast mixture to the flour mixture--mix until dough forms. Turn out the dough on a floured counter and work the dough until smooth and stretchy. Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover it with a tea towel--let it rise for 45 minutes. Turn out the dough on to a floured counter and shape the dough into 9 equal sized dough balls. Butter and flour a 9" square cake pan. Place the dough balls in a single layer in the cake pan. Cover with a tea towel and let them raise for 15 minutes. Bake at 425 degrees 15-20 minutes or until browned and puffy. Serve warm.

#3809 - Multi Dijon Dressing

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3/4 tsp. salt
1 TBSP Dijon mustard (more if you wish)
1 TBSP grated onions
1 TBSP white sugar

In a bowl add canola oil and salad vinegar--whisk. Add salt, mustard, grated onions and white sugar--whisk. Taste--if too sweet add a little more Dijon mustard and whisk again. If too sour, add a little more white sugar and whisk again. Use as a salad dressing OR as a marinade for chicken breasts.

#3808 - Red Velvet Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
2 to 2 1/2 tsp. red food coloring
1 3/4 cups regular Bisquick
1/4 cup Hershey's cocoa
1 1/2 cups Nestle's white chocolate chips + extra for sprinkling

In a mixer add butter and brown sugar--beat. Add vanilla, egg and food coloring--beat. Add Bisquick and cocoa--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips--stir with a wooden spoon (batter will be very sticky). Drop by spoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets or parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Lightly press another couple of white chocolate chips into the top of each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees 8-10 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, then remove and place on paper towels to cool. Wait until the next day to eat them (they taste much better the next day).

#3807 - Colby Pizza Dip

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. ground chuck
1 onion (chopped)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
1lb. shredded Colby cheese
16oz. Breakstone's sour cream
good quality tortilla chips

In a skillet over medium heat add ground chuck, chopped onions, salt and pepper--cook/stir until meat is browned. Drain off all fat, then set aside. In a bowl add softened cream cheese--beat with a spoon. Add sour cream--stir until mixed. Spread the sour cream mixture evenly over a round pizza pan. Sprinkle the warm drained ground chuck evenly over the sour cream mixture. Spread the shredded cheese evenly over the top. Bake at 250 degrees 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture is hot. Serve hot with good quality tortilla chips.

#3806 - Chopped Tomato Sauce

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion (diced)
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 garlic cloves (chopped)
salt (to your taste)
2 TBSP Hunt's tomato paste
2 - 28oz. cans whole plum tomatoes (chopped and put back in the juice)

In a pot over medium heat add olive oil--stir until hot. Add diced onions, the bay leaf, dried oregano, chopped garlic and salt--cook/stir until onions are tender. Add tomato paste--cook/stir for 5 minutes. Add chopped plum tomatoes and their juice--cook/stir until mixture just starts to boil. Turn heat back to low--simmer for 1 hour, stirring every 5 minutes. Taste--adjust seasonings to your taste and remove the bay leaf.

#3805 - Baked Ham Pasta

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
2 cups Half 'n Half
2 cups whole milk
1lb. shredded Swiss cheese
2/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1lb. bowtie pasta
2 cups cooked bite sized ham pieces
1 1/2 cups frozen baby sweet peas (thawed and drained)
Crunchy Topping: 1 cup Marzetti sea salt/cracked pepper croutons; 2/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese; 1 TBSP butter (melted)

Cook bowtie pasta in salted water according to box directions--drain but DO NOT rinse. In a Dutch oven over medium heat and 1/2 cup butter--melt. While whisking, slowly add the flour and whisk until smooth. While whisking add dry mustard, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. While whisking add half 'n half and milk--whisk for about 10 minutes or until thickened. While stirring with a spoon add all of the shredded Swiss cheese and 2/3 cup of the shredded Parmesan cheese--stir until mixed. Remove from heat--add drained pasta, ham pieces and drained peas-- toss with a spoon to mix. Pour the whole mixture into a greased 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Place the croutons into a Ziploc bag--close the bag and crush the croutons with a rolling pin until finely ground. In a bowl add ground croutons, 2/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese and the melted butter--stir to mix. Sprinkle the crouton mixture evenly over the pasta mixture. Bake at 350 degrees 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Let it stand for a few minutes before serving.

#3804 - Bacon and Onion Potatoes

(by Shirley McNevich)

2-3 cups prepared mashed potatoes (more if you wish)
1/4 to 1/2 cup bite sized cooked ham pieces
1 - 11oz. can whole kernel corn (well drained)
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup French's french fried onions
4-6 slices cooked bacon (crumbled)

In a bowl add mashed potatoes, ham pieces and drained corn--stir to mix. Spread half of the potato mixture into a greased 2qt. casserole dish. Sprinkle half of the cheese and half of the french fried onions over the potatoes. Spread remaining potatoes over the top. Sprinkle crumbled bacon, remaining cheese and remaining french fried onions over the top. Bake at 350 degrees 20-30 minutes or until heated through. Note: if using cold (leftover) mashed potatoes, you'll have to bake it longer.

#3803 - Easter Poppers

(by Shirley McNevich)

3/4 cup Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup Nestle's butterscotch chips
1 - 9oz. bag Chex Mix Popped Sweet and Salty snack mix

In a saucepan over low heat add the chocolate and butterscotch chips--cook/stir until almost all of the chips have melted. Remove from heat--stir well. Add the Chex mix--stir to coat. Drop mixture by heaping spoonfuls on to wax paper. Cool completely, then refrigerate until cold. Optional: right after you drop them on to the wax paper, you can sprinkle them with a little powdered sugar.

#3802 - Eggs on a Cloud

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 egg whites
2 egg yolks
a pinch of salt
a pinch of pepper
1 3/4 TBSP of grated Parmesan cheese (or substitute any grated cheese you wish)
a slice of bread
olive oil

In a mixer add egg whites--beat until stiff. Add salt, pepper and grated cheese to the egg whites--beat until stiff. Place a slice of bread on to a baking sheet. Heap all of the egg white mixture on to the bread slice and use the back of a spoon to make a deep indentation ("nest") in the center of the egg whites. Fill the nest with the egg yolks. Bake at 325 degrees for 5 minutes or until egg whites are lightly browned. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top and serve immediately. Optional: you can toast the bread lightly before adding the egg white mixture.

#3801 - Ranch Pizza Strips

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 can Pillsbury refrigerated pizza crust
1/3 cup ranch dressing
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts
1/3 cup crumbled cooked bacon
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar/monterey jack cheese blend

Grease a cookie sheet and unroll the pizza dough on to the cookie sheet, pressing it into a thin rectangular layer. Spread the ranch dressing over the crust. Spread the chicken pieces evenly over the dressing. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon and 1/4 cup of the green onions evenly over the top. Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly all over the top. Bake at 400 degrees 10-14 minutes or until crust is browned and cheese is melted and bubbling. Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining green onions over the top. Cut the pizza in half lengthwise, then cut each pizza half into 1 1/2" strips.

#3800 - Mexican Chicken Dip

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened and cubed)
1/3 cup Frank's Redhot sauce (original)
1 TBSP taco seasoning mix
1 fully cooked rotisserie chicken (from the deli or grocery store)
8oz. Breakstone's sour cream
good quality tortilla chips or crackers

Remove the skin from the cooked chicken and cut off 2 cups worth of bite sized chicken pieces. In a greased skillet add cubed cream cheese, redhot sauce and taco seasoning--cook/stir over medium heat until melted and smooth. Add chicken pieces--cook/stir until mixture is bubbling. Add sour cream--cook/stir until hot. Serve hot with good quality tortilla chips or crackers.

#3799 - Hearty Breakfast Potatoes

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/3 cup butter
6 large potatoes
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/3 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
6 slices bacon (more if you wish)
1 onion (chopped)

Wash and peel the potatoes, then cube them. In a cast iron skillet cook the bacon. When bacon is done, place the bacon on paper towels (but leave the drippings in the skillet). Crumble the bacon and set aside. Add the butter to the skillet over medium heat--melt the butter. Add the cubed potatoes and chopped onions--cook/stir until potatoes are golden brown and onions are tender. Remove from heat--sprinkle the potato mixture with the salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika--stir to coat. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon over the top.

#3798 - Chicken Mac and Cheese

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 cups raw elbow macaroni
2 TBSP olive oil
salt
pepper
1lb. boneless/skinless chicken breasts
11oz. frozen mixed vegetables (thawed and drained; your choice of type of vegetable mixture)
3 TBSP butter
3 TBSP butter
2 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp. onion salt
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 - 10.75oz. can Campbell's cream of chicken soup
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
4-5 slices buttered bread

Cook macaroni in salted water according to box directions--drain but DO NOT rinse. Spread the drained macaroni evenly in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken, then cut it into bite sized pieces. In a skillet over medium heat add the olive oil and chicken pieces--cook/stir until chicken is browned and no longer pink. Spread the cooked chicken pieces over the drained macaroni. Spread the thawed/drained vegetables over the chicken. In the skillet you used for the chicken add 3 TBSP butter--melt over medium heat. Slowly add the flour while whisking--whisk until mixed with the melted butter. Slowly add milk while whisking. Add onion salt, 2 cups of the shredded cheese and the soup--whisk over medium heat until mixed and smooth. Evenly pour the hot cheese mixture over the vegetables/chicken. Sprinkle 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese over the top. Sprinkle the garlic salt and pepper over the cheese. Cut the buttered bread into 1" pieces and spread them all over the cheese (if you don't have enough, butter extra bread and cut into 1" pieces--enough so the whole top is covered). Bake at 375 degrees 30-35 minutes or until heated through and bread pieces are nice and brown.

#3797 - Irish Potato Wedges

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 1/2lbs. potatoes
1/2 cup butter (melted)
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 TBSP minced chives
3 TBSP dill weed (fresh or dried)
1/8 tsp. salt + 1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Wash and peel the potatoes, then cut them into wedges (like wedge shaped french fries). Place them in a pot, cover them with water and add 1 tsp. salt--bring to a boil over medium heat, then cook 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain the potatoes but DO NOT rinse them. In a bowl add melted butter, lemon juice, chopped parsley, minced chives, dill weed, 1/8 tsp. salt and the pepper--stir to mix. Pour the butter mixture over the drained potato wedges--toss to coat.

#3796 - St. Patrick's Day Dip

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup Breakstone's sour cream
1 tsp. dried or fresh dill weed
1 tsp. Lawry's seasoning salt
1/4 tsp. onion salt
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 TBSP dried or fresh minced onions
1 TBSP fresh or dried chopped parsley
1 large green bell pepper
good quality crackers and/or assorted fresh vegetables

In a bowl add mayo and sour cream--stir well. Add dill weed, seasoning salt, onion salt, Worcestershire sauce, minced onions and parsley--stir to mix. Cover and refrigerate until cold. When ready to serve, slice off the top of the green bell pepper and scoop out/discard the insides. Fill the empty green bell pepper with the dip mixture, place it in the center of a serving dish, and arrange crackers and/or vegetables around it.

#3795 - Lobster Rolls

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/2lbs. cooked lobster meat
1/2 cup mayo
3 TBSP fresh lemon juice
2 celery ribs (finely chopped; use the inner ribs of the celery, and include the celery leaves when chopping)
2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
salt (to your taste)
fresh ground black pepper (to your taste)
good quality sub rolls
a little melted butter

Cut the lobster meat into bite sized chunks. In a bowl add lobster chunks, mayo, chopped celery, lemon juice, chopped parsley and salt/pepper--stir carefully until combined. Cover the bowl with Saran wrap and refrigerate until cold. When ready to serve, cut the sub rolls, brush the insides of the rolls with melted butter and fill each sub roll with the lobster mixture. Recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc.

#3794 - Chopped Ham and Chicken

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 10.75oz can Campbell's cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup Breakstone's sour cream
1lb. boneless/skinless chicken breasts
3oz. thin sliced deli smoked ham (chopped into bite sized pieces)
1 tsp. parsley flakes
salt
pepper

In a bowl add cream of chicken soup and sour cream--stir well. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken, then cut the chicken into 1 1/2" wide strips. Grease a 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Place the chicken strips in the baking dish so they are close but NOT touching. Arrange the chopped ham pieces evenly over the tops of the chicken pieces. Carefully spoon the soup mixture over all of the chicken/ham. Bake UNcovered at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until chicken is done. Remove from oven and sprinkle the parsley flakes evenly over the top.