Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Dump Cake

This is my mother-in-law, Susan's recipe.  I like to make this dessert in the fall and winter, and truthfully it's tasty when it's served hot or cold.  I've never tried it, but I'm betting it'd be really good with a dollop of ice cream on top!  This is an extremely easy dish that is always a hit.
DUMP CAKE
1 can cherry pie filling
1 large can crushed pineapple 
1 box yellow cake mix
1 c. chopped pecans
1 stick butter, melted
1 stick butter, cut into pats

Melt butter in baking dish
Mix pineapple and cherry pie filling and pour over butter
Pour dry cake mix over mixture
Sprinkle with chopped pecans
Top with pats of butter
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes

 

Nilla Yogurt Freeze

I got this recipe off the box of Nilla wafers I saw in the grocery store.  I wasn't even planning on buying Nilla wafers that day, but my eye caught a glimpse of this recipe, and there was no turning back!  This is such a good sweet treat that comes in the perfect serving size for a little snack.  
NILLA YOGURT FREEZE
Nilla wafers
Strawberry yogurt
Cool Whip

Mix equal parts yogurt and Cool Whip (I used about 2 cups of each)
Place one wafer on the bottom of a muffin cup
Top wafer with mixture
Cover with another wafer
Freeze 1 hour or until firm.

I put the muffin cups in plastic containers to go in the freezer since my muffin tins don't fit. If one cared about the desserts coming out in pretty shapes, a muffin tin would accomplish that.

Taco Chili

This is my friend Susan's recipe & she calls it Tortilla Soup.  Since there aren't really tortillas in the dish, and its consistency is a lot more like a chili than a soup, I've taken liberties to rename it!  It is very tasty and was a big hit in my house.  
TACO CHILI
1 lb. ground sirloin
1 onion, chopped
1 package taco mix
1 package buttermilk seasoning mix
1 can pinto beans
1 can Mexicorn
1 (4oz) can chopped green chilis
1/2 c. water

Saute meat and onion together.
Add other ingredients; simmer.
Serve with sour cream, cheese and tortilla chips

Baked Spaghetti

This is my friend Sara's recipe for baked spaghetti, and it makes a ton!  I will probably divide this into smaller containers next time so that I can freeze, bake and serve this in smaller quantities & not waste any.

BAKED SPAGHETTI
1 lb. ground beef
1 jar sauce
1 box spaghetti
1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese

Cook pasta, strain & put in bottom of baking dish.
Brown and drain ground beef.
Add sauce to ground beef and let simmer.
Top pasta with sauce and cover with cheese.
Bake at 350 until cheese has melted.
 

Monday, November 15, 2010

Halloween Cookies

This isn't a recipe so much as a place to post pictures of my fun Halloween cookies.  
I rolled out slice and bake cookies and used a cookie cutter to make pumpkin cookies.  
I then mixed orange food coloring gel into a container of cream cheese icing and frosted the cookies with the orange goodness.  
After baking, cooling & icing the cookies, I set out a container of black gel for folks to create their own jack-o-lanterns.

Pizza Roll

As Berkley struggles to eat a healthy dose of veggies these days, I decided to try and hide them!  So, I hid a spinach/pea/pear puree in a yummy pizza roll.  It worked & he loved it!  Thankfully, it also tasted good to me & Stephen!  
Since I was making up this recipe, I only put puree on half of the roll, and I probably put too much on the half I used.  Berkley didn't know the difference, but Stephen & I could taste the puree just a little bit too much for our taste.
PIZZA ROLL
Refrigerated Pizza Dough
1/2 Jar Pasta Sauce
Vegetable Puree
6 Slices of Turkey
8 Slices of Cheese

Roll out pizza dough on cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 5 minutes to "prep" dough
Spread thin layer of veggie puree on pizza crust
Spread pasta sauce on crust
Top crust with slices of turkey and cheese
Roll dough lengthwise & bake according to dough directions or until browned
Cut into small slices to serve