BLT Mac & Cheese

I just made this last night and it was sooooooo GOOD! It came from The Pampered Chef's "29 Minutes

 to Dinner" cookbook, so this recipe is only supposed to take 24 minutes. However, it took me like 40 minutes, and it was pretty easy.
5 cups water
8 slices of bacon
4 oz. sharp white cheddar cheese
1 oz. Parmesan cheese
4 oz. cream cheese
1 lb. uncooked cellentani or cavatappi pasta
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
1 large leek (white and green portions only)
3 large plum tomatoes

To start pasta mixture, bring water to a boil in 8-qt. stockpot.

Meanwhile, slice bacon crosswise into thin strips. Place into 10-in. skillet; cook over medium-high heat 8-10 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet to paper towel-lined plate.

As bacon cooks, grate cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. Add pasta, cream cheese, grated cheeses, salt, and black pepper to boiling water in stockpot. Cover and simmer vigorously 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

As pasta mixture cooks, slice leek in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 1/2-in. slices. Place into small batter bowl and swish in cold water to remove dirt; lift leeks out of water and stir into pasta mixture. Cook, uncovered, 5-7 minutes or until pasta is cooked to desired tenderness and sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cut tomatoes in half lengthwise; remove cores and scrape out seeds. Dice tomatoes; reserver 1/4 cup for garnish. Remove stockpot from heat; stir in remaining tomatoes and half of the bacon. Spoon pasta mixture into serving bowl and garnish with reserve tomatoes and bacon. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings

Heidi Rogers

Salt Lake City, UT

Soy Sauce Roast

Good alternitive to a regular roast. We ate it up.

Ingredients:
3-4 lb beef roast
a few potatoes
however many carrots you want

Marinade
1 c water
1/2 c soy sauce
1/3 c dark brown sugar (lt brown will work too)
1/4 c vinegar
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 chicken boullion cube

Directions:
Brown roast on all sides in 1 Tbsp oil.

Place browned roast into crock pot. Top with marinade and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Add potatoes and carrots 1 - 1 1/2 hours before serving.


April White

Chocolate Lava Cakes

This is from the kraft food website, but too heavenly not to share. I asked my husband if it was a recipe to be repeated and he said yes, can you do it tomorrow. You do need to have ramekins or baking custard cups for these, but it is well worth it just buy four. This would be deilicous with raspberry sauce too.


4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
6 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

PREHEAT oven to 425°F. Butter four 3/4-cup custard cups or soufflé dishes. Place on baking sheet.

MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. or until butter is melted. Stir with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar until well blended. Blend in eggs and egg yolks with wire whisk. Stir in flour. Divide batter among prepared custard cups.

BAKE 13 to 14 min. or until sides are firm but centers are soft. Let stand 1 min. Carefully run small knife around cakes to loosen. Invert cakes onto dessert dishes. Serve immediately, topped with whipped topping.

note: I didn't have semisweet baking chocolate so I used semisweet chocolate chips and just guessed on the amount. I am sure it is better with exact amounts, but it was still good.

April White (but really kraft foods)

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Okay..these are amazing! I waitied all season to make them and finally did. I wished I had done it earlier and then eaten more. So good. I think you could even make some in January, because they are so tasty.

Ingredients:
Cookies:
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. dutch process cocoa powder (I used reg)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter, room temp
1 egg

frosting:
1/2 c. margerine, melted (I used butter)
1/4 c. evaporated milk
4-5 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 tsp. peppermint extract
red food coloring
1/2 c. broken peppermint candies

Directions:
Cookie:
Whisk flour, cocoa, and salt in medium bowl. In large bowl mix butter and sugar. Add egg. Add dry ingredients until blended. Refridgerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350. Line cookies sheets with parchement paper. Measure cookies into level tablespoonfulls and roll into balls. Lay on cookie sheet about 2 inches and press with glass. Edges will split. Bake until cookies no longer look wet and an indention appears when you press it (about 7 or 8 min). Let cool 5 min on cookie sheet and then move to cooling rack.

Frosting:
Mix margerine (butter), powdered sugar, and evaporated milk, until fluffy. Add extracts and food coloring. Spread or pipe (I piped using a plastic bag) onto cooled cookies. Sandwich cookies together and press a little so frosting comes out a bit on the edges. Roll in crushed candy for decoration.

Eat up!!! Delicious.

April White (I think this is from a magazine called simple living)

Grandma's Cabbage Rolls

Basic as they are, it isn't easy to share this recipe; this is one of those recipes that define food in our family. Grandma would make a big pot of these (at least double this recipe) and a big pot of mashed potatoes with lots of butter to go with 'em. Then, my brothers and I would chow down, relishing the Eastern European heritage that brought them to us. Nowadays, I get more requests from those same brothers to make these than anything else and, as if that weren't enough, my husband has joined the ranks.

1 large head of cabbage
1 1/2 lbs ground beef (no leaner than 20/80)
1 c. white rice (not quick-cooking or instant)
1 large onion, chopped finely
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1 meduim can (app. 12 oz) tomato paste
1 large can (28 oz) ground or pureed tomatoes

Fill a stock pot (big enough to fit the whole head of cabbage) with enough water to come halfway up the sides of the cabbage. Bring the water to a boil and, as the leaves become tender (but not cooked), remove the leaves from the head of cabbage layer by layer (you can remove the head from the pot each time you perform this task. Return the cabbage for the next layer or two and so forth). Reserve the outermost, damaged leaves for lining the cooking pot. The largest leaves can be cut in half down the middle.

Combine the beef, rice, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl (don't bother with a spoon - just use your hands.) Line a stockpot with the outermost leaves. Lay the tender leaves on the counter one at a time a fill with a teaspoon or so of mixture. Starting from one long end, roll the leaf, tucking in the sides as you go. Layer the rolls on top of one another in the stockpot. With a whisk, combine the tomato paste and puree with one large can full of water. Pour the tomatoes over the rolls and add enough water to just cover the rolls (as needed). Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and let simmer for 45 minutes, until rice is tender. Serve with mashed potatoes and corn (there IS no other way.)

Kristin M.
Pullman, WA

Orange Cookies

I love the sparkling, tangy-sweet flavor of these.

Cookies:
2 c. granulated sugar
1 c. butter, softened
2 eggs
1 c. sour milk (stir 1 tsp cream of tartar into milk to sour it)
5 c. flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp orange peel, finely grated, with rest of orange peeled and pulverized in a blender

Icing:
1 box powdered sugar
1 large orange, juiced

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and mix well. Sift dry ingredients together in a separate container. Add 1/3 dry to the mix, followed by 1/2 milk, 1/3 dry, 1/2 milk, then rest of dry. Stir in the peel and pulverized orange. Chill the dough a minimum of 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350. Form the dough into golfball sized balls, place on ungreased cookie sheet, then use the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar to flatten the balls. Bake the cookies 10-12 minutes until just golden around the edges.

For the icing, whisk together the sugar and juice until no lumps are visible. Allow to sit on the counter 10-15 minutes to thicken slightly. When the cookies have cooled, frost the top with the icing.

Kristin M.
Pullman, WA

Cream Cheese Cookies

You will need a cookie press for these ones.

1 c. butter, softenend
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
food coloring (optional)

Preheat oven to 375.

Cream the butter and cream cheese until well combined. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat well. Using a gentle hand, slowly add the flour until just blended. You can add 1-3 drops of food coloring at this time, until desired color is achieved.

Fill a cookie press with the dough and press onto a cold, ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes until cookies are firm, but not yet browning. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then move them to a cooling rack to finish.

Kristin M.
Pullman, WA

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

This one makes a ton of cookies - perfect for filling gift platters at the holidays.

2 c. unsalted butter, softened
2 c. granulated sugar
2 c. brown sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 c. flour
5 c. oats
2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 12 oz bag semisweet chocolate chips
1 12 oz bag white chocolate chips
6 oz good quality dark chocolate, grated
2 cups nuts (optional - my fave is pecans)

Preheat the oven to 375.

In a blender, process the oats until they make a uniform oat flour.

Cream together the butter and sugars (beat 5 minutes with a stand mixer, 6-7 with a handheld mixer, 7-8 minutes by hand) together until light in color. At the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then add to the butter/sugar/egg mixture. Beat until the dough has come together, but there still are a few streaks of flour visible. With a strong wooden spoon, add the chocolates and nuts (if using).

Drop by the teaspoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 7-8 minutes or until the outer edges are golden but the centers are still soft. Alternatively, bake on a pre-heated baking stone for 6-7 minutes. Cool on a baking rack.

Kristin M.
Pullman, WA

Amazing Apple Cake w/ butter sauce

So so so good. If you are trying to be healthy don't make this, because it isn't as good without the butter suace. that really makes it.

Cake:

1 c. sugar
1/4 c. soft butter
1 egg
2 large unpleeled shredded apples
1 c. sifted flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 chopped walnuts

Sauce:
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. light cream (canned milk can be substituted for cream)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
dash of nutmeg

Directions:
Cake: (must double for a 9x13 pan)
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, then add apples; mix. Add dry ingredients, then add nuts. Bake in greased 8x9 (or 9x13 if doubled) at 350 for 45 min.

Sauce:
Heat butter, sugar, and cream over very low heat for 10 to 15 min. Stirring occasionally until blended and slightly thick. Don't boil sauce. Add vanilla and a dash of nutmeg. Serve hot on hot cake.

April White (Aunt Lynn)

Sugar Cookies

You might think all sugar cookie recipes are the same, but I promise-- these are phenomenal! Honestly, they're so perfect you'll wonder what the secret ingredient is. I can brag about them because it's not my recipe, I got it from a phenomenal cook.

1 cup butter (soft)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sour cream
6 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda

Cream butter and sugar; add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream. Add in dry ingredients, about one cup at a time, and beat well. Refrigerate for about an hour and then roll out 1/3 inch thick on lightly floured surface. Cut with cookie cutters and place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 9 minutes. When cookies are cooled, decorate as desired.
Yield 6 dozen.

Frosting

6 tablespoons butter (soft)
1 (1 pound) package powdered sugar
1/2-1 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
food coloring

Cream butter; gradually add about half the sugar, blending well. Beat in 1/4 cup cream and vanilla. Gradually blend in remaining sugar. Add remaining cream to make desired spreading consistency.

Leslie-- but the credit goes to my former roommate's mom, RaeJean
Madison, WI