Peppermint Dessert

1 c. crushed peppermint candy
1 pint whipped cream
1/2 - 1 c. chopped nuts
1 c. mini marshmallows
1 tsp. vanilla

Wafer Crust
2 c. chocolate or vanilla wafers, crushed (Christmas party, 1 package oreos was used)
1/2 c. butter

Mix wafers with melted butter and press into 9x12 pan (You can make the crust as thick as you want. The recipe calls for some of the crust sprinkled over the top at the end).

Whip cream to stiff peaks. Fold in peppermint candy, nuts, marshmallows and vanilla to the whipped cream. (It will turn pink!) Spread over wafer crumbs and refrigerate over night. Add extra crumbs on top if desired.

Chili Spaghetti

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 lrg onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 med. cans diced tomatoes
3 15 oz cans Hormel no bean chili
3 c. grated cheese
1 c. sour cream
Parmesan Cheese to taste
1 pkg spaghetti, cooked

Brown beef and drain. Add onions and garlic, cook through. Add tomatoes, chili, cheese and sour cream. Simmer a few minutes. Spread spaghetti over bottom of two 9x13 baking dishes. Pour mixture over cooked spaghetti and top with parmesan cheese. Bake 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Oreo Frozen Dessert

28 or more Oreo Cookies, crushed
1/2 cup butter, melted

Mix crushed cookies and butter.
Pat on bottom of 9x13 pan

Spread 1/2 gal vanilla ice cream ( softened) on top of crust.

Freeze.

Fudge layer:
1 Baker's German Chocolate Bar
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1/8 t. salt
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla

1. Melt chocolate bar and butter together over med low heat.
2. Stir in sugar, salt and milk.
3. Cook (low boil) until thick, about 4 minutes.
4. Add vanilla.
5. Let cool completely.
6. Spread cool sauce on firm ice cream.
7. Spread 8 oz Cool Whip on top of fudge.
8. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and more crushed Oreos.
9. Store in freezer until 20-30 minutes before serving.

Impossible Bacon Pie

12 slices bacon, fried and crumbled, OR 1 jar real Bacon Bits
1 cup shredded Swiss or Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup chopped onion ( saute in a bit of butter)
2 cups milk
1 cup Bisquick
4 eggs
1/4 t Salt
1/8 t pepper
dash Seasonall
heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease pie plate or pan. Layer first three ingredients in pan. Mix remaining ingredients together and pour into pie plate or 9x13 pan. Bake until knife inserted comes out clean. 35 - 40 minutes for a Pie plate and 20 - 25 minutes for a 9x13 pan. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Cheese fondue for a crowd

2 cans cheddar cheese soup
8 oz blocks cream cheese
8 oz swiss cheese, shredded
12 - 14 oz cheddar cheese
6 - 8 dashes nutmeg
3 shakes garlic powder
3 shakes of onion powder or to taste
chicken broth as needed to thin - about 1/3 cup to start with and a little more it gets too thick

cook over low heat till all is melted and stirred together. transfer to fondue pot if you have one.

For dippers: grape tomatoes, celery, broccoli and cauliflower (cooked in the microwave 2-4 minutes to remove a bit of the crunchiness), two kinds of artisan bread ( rosemary and plain french), granny smith apples, beef little smokies, Italian meatballs.

Feeds 14 - 22

Served at Maria's farewell party!

Fruit Dip

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 8 oz block cream cheese, softened to room temp
1 small carton Cool Whip (extra creamy is nice)

Whip cream cheese till fluffy, then add can of milk. beat well. stir in Cool Whip.
Tastes great on watermelon and all kinds of fruit.

Breakfast Casserole

1 or 3/4 lb. ham (I use about 1 1/2 cups) Hormel Cure 81 has the best flavor
6 eggs
2 cups milk
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard
2 slices bread, cut up (I usually use about 5-6 slices)
1-1 3/4 cup cheese, grated

Cut up bits of ham and bread. Put into 9x13 inch pan, bread first. Layer ham over bread. Top with cheese. Pour mixture of beaten eggs, milk and mustard over all. Chill overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, uncovered.

To make a larger, fuller pan: Use 7 eggs, 7 slices of bread if you use fluffy bread (cheap variety), a little more cheese, and 1/3 cup more milk. Bake a few minutes longer, till it doesn't jiggle in the middle and is puffy.

This is our traditional Christmas morning breakfast with cinnamon rolls!

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cups white sugar
1/4 cups butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed, ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/4 cups plain, low-fat yogurt
3 Tbs apple juice (or rum flavoring, to taste)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cups flaked, sweetened coconut
1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 Tbs fresh lime or lemon juice

1. Whisk or sift together baking soda, and salt.
2. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat until well-blended (about one minute).
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Add banana, yogurt, apple juice, and vanilla; beat until just blended.
5. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist.
6. Stir in coconut.
7. Spoon batter into a 9x5 loaf pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1 T coconut.
8. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
9. Cool for 10 minutes in pan, then remove onto a cooling rack.
10. Combine powdered sugar and juice; drizzle over warm bread.

Reese's Peanut Butter Pie

2 Oreo or chocolate pie crusts

Mix together:
1 c creamy peanut butter
1/2 c powdered sugar
1/2 c granulated sugar

Then heat up in microwave to easily pour into the pie crusts.

Make 1 large instant pudding using the pie recipe, which uses less milk.

Layer half of the pudding onto each peanut butter layer in the pies.

Chill until pudding is firm.

Top each pie with half a tub of cool whip, then add broken-up or crumbled Reese's.

Refrigerate and serve or freeze for later.

Pancit Bihon (Filipino Rice Noodles)

Intro: This dish was influenced by Chinese settlers in the Philippines. The vegetable ingredients mentioned in this post can be customized to whatever you want!

Ingredients:

• 1 8 oz. pack pancit bihon noodles (available in oriental stores)
  

• 1 cooked chicken breast, shredded

• 2 cups of chicken broth or 2 chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in 2 cups of water

• 1/4 cabbage, sliced into strips

• 1 onion, pealed and sliced

• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced

• 1/3 cup scallions, cut into pieces

• 1 carrot, sliced into strips

• 2 tablespoons of cooking oil

• 3/4 cup diced celery

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce

• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Cooking Instructions:

• Soak the pancit bihon noodles to soften for 10 minutes

• Grease a large pan or wok with oil. Sauté garlic and onions.

• Add the chicken broth, the shredded chicken breast and all the vegetables until cooked.

• Mix in the pancit bihon noodles and add the soy sauce, cook for about 5 minutes or until the noodles are soft.

• Salt and pepper to taste.

Bananas Foster (alcohol-free, tropical version)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar - add more if you like
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup orange juice or mango nectar
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon - add more if you like
1 banana, peeled, sliced - add more if you like
1 scoop vanilla ice cream - add more if you like

Over medium heat, melt butter, add brown sugar. When sugar is dissolved, add the orange juice or mango nectar. Mix them together, then add the cornstarch solution (prepare the cornstarch by dissolving it in the water beforehand). This will help thicken the syrup. You can now add the cinnamon. Then, keep stirring until the sauce thickens. You can add more heat if you want to speed up the thickening process. Before it thickens too much, add the sliced bananas. Turn the heat off when the bananas are cooked (you just want them soft not soggy).

Serve over vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

Mango or orange juice in bananas foster is a good tropical substitute for dark rum or banana liqueur used in fancy restaurants.

Chicken Crepes

For Chicken Filling:
1/2 of a white onion
3 heads of broccoli
fresh mushrooms (according to desired quantity)
3 large chicken breasts
garlic salt (to taste)
onion powder (to taste)
mixed herbs (to taste)
ground mustard (to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)
sour cream
cream
cheese of choice

Finely chop the onion. Break broccoli heads into bite-sized florets. Sautee all vegetables in butter until tender; leave on warm. Cut chicken into larger bite-sized pieces and fry in olive oil or butter. Add chicken to the vegetables. Add cream and sour cream until desired consistency/taste is achieved, then add the cheese. Continue mixing until the cheese has melted into the sauce.

For Crepes:
1 C milk
1 C flour
6 T water
3 T butter
2 eggs
1/2 t salt
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, adding flour last by sifting into the mixture and mixing slowly. Make sure the batter is very smooth (no lumps). If using a crepe pan, cook according to pan directions. If using a pan to fry the crepes, cook on medium-low heat each side until it is golden brown. Make sure all pans are well-greased/buttered.

Put chicken filling in the middle of crepe; roll crepe like taco or fold in half. Serve fresh.

Homemade Oreos

• One chocolate cake mix

• 1/3 cup oil (for softer, puffier cookies) OR 1/3 cup shortening (for flatter, drier cookies)

• 2 eggs

• frosting of choice

• small bowl of sugar

Combine cake mix, oil, and eggs in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Dough will be thick and sticky. Shape dough into golf ball-sized pieces, then coat in sugar. Place cookies one and a half to two inches apart on un-greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 7-8 minutes for a softer, chewier cookie, or 9-10 minutes for a drier cookie. After removing cookies from the oven, tap cookie sheet on counter- or oven-top so that cookies fall flat. Once cookies have completely cooled, spread frosting between two cookies and serve.

Note: If you are only making the cookies, you may use any flavor of cake mix, like yellow or confetti. Children love to make these cookies!


Submitted by Sarah Boman and Maria Nicole Seely Jones