Saturday, December 15, 2007

Layered Meatball Bake


* Prep Time: 5 min
* Total Time: 30 min
* Makes: 6 servings

1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) reduced-sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup milk
1 pkg. (1 lb.) frozen meatballs
2 cups frozen peas
1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 400ºF. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package for Light Preparation; set aside.

COMBINE soup and milk in 13x9-inch baking dish. Stir in meatballs and peas; sprinkle with cheese. Top with the prepared stuffing.

BAKE 20 to 25 min. or until heated through.

Found this in the Kraft Food & Family Magazine. I made it for Bryan the other night and his exact word was... "Superb". Basically he loved it. And it was really easy and delicious.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Penny's Peanut Butter Balls


1 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
3/4 c. salted butter softened
1 1/2 T. Vanilla Extract
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (2 lb.) bag of powdered sugar
24 oz. chocolate candy coating, melted

In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer combined peanut butter, butter and vanilla.
Gradually beat in condensed milk and powdered sugar.
Beat until throughly mixed.
Shape into 1 inch balls and place on a waxed paper lined baking sheet.
Refrigerate for 2 hours.
With a fork dip each ball into melted chocolate than refrigerate until firm.
A glimpse of the inside...
My friend, Penny, gave me some of these and I HAD to have the recipe. They are absolutely delicious. This recipe makes a gozillion so if you don't want to spend an hour or two rolling the dough into little balls I would half it. ENJOY!

Keri's Chicken Enchilada Soup


1 T. vegetable oil
1 lb. boneless chicken breasts (appox. 3 breasts), cooked & cubed
½ c. diced onion
1 garlic clove, pressed
4 c. chicken broth
1 c. masa harina
3 c. water
1 c. enchilada sauce
16 oz. velveeta cheese
1 t. salt
1 t. chili powder
½ t. cumin

In a large pot, place oil and diced onion; sauté until onions are soft and clear, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, garlic, salt, chili powder, and cumin; Bring to a boil. Combine masa harina with 3 cups water in a separate bowl; Stir until all lumps are dissolved. Add to hot cooked mixture and return to a boil. Once mixture starts to bubble, continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. This will eliminate any raw taste from the masa harina. Add enchilada sauce. After mixture return to a boil, stir occasionally and add cheese that has been cut into chunks. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese melts. Add chicken and heat through.
Makes approximately 6 servings.

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Paula Dean's Chocolate Creme de Menthe Cake


CAKE
1 c. butter, softened
2 1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 t. vanilla
3 c. cake flour
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 1/4 c. milk
1 c. sour cream

Preheat over to 350. Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

In a medium bowl combine cake flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; sift twice. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in sour cream. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans, and bake for 25-28 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool completely on wire racks.

Spread half of Creme de Menthe Filling between each layer. Frost top and sides of cake with Creamy Chocolate Frosting. (I suggest freezing the cake for to make it easier to frost). Garnish with chopped chocolate-covered mint squares.

CREME DE MENTHE FILLING
(makes about 1 1/4 cups)

1/2 c. butter, softened
2 T. creme de menthe (I used 1 t. of peppermint extract)
2 1/4 c. confectioners' sugar
3 drops green food coloring
(because I used the peppermint extract instead of the liquor there wasn't enough liquid. I added about 1 T. of milk. Do not add too much or your cake layers will slip n' slide)

In a medium bowl, beat butter and creme de menthe at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Add food coloring, beating until incorporated.

CREAMY CHOCOLATE FROSTING
(makes about 2 1/2 cups)

1 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
3 T. heavy whipping cream
4 c. confectioners' sugar
1 t. vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in cocoa and cream until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar until smooth. Beat in vanilla.

This cake is absolutely DELICIOUS! I recommend it whole heartedly. Just be sure to follow the directions intricately. Enjoy!