Spaghetti Spinach Bake

Kraft Foods (www.kraftfoods.com)

6 oz. spaghetti, cooked, drained

2   egg whites, lightly beaten

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

2 oz.  (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, softened

1/2 lb. extra lean ground beef, cooked

1 jar  (14 oz.) spaghetti sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup  KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese 

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Toss spaghetti with egg whites. Place in 9-inch pie plate; press onto bottom and up side of pie plate to form crust.
MIX spinach and Neufchatel until well blended; spoon into spaghetti crust. Mix meat, spaghetti sauce and garlic; spoon over spinach mixture, spreading to edge of pie plate.
BAKE 30 min. or until heated through. Top with mozzarella cheese; continue baking 5 min. or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 min. before cutting into wedges to serve.

White Chicken Chili

Our Best Bites (www.ourbestbites.com)

1 T Extra virgin Olive Oil
1 lb boneless chicken, cubed (about 3-4 boneless, skinless breasts)
1 medium onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans Great Northern Beans
1 3.5 oz can green chilies
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t dried oregano leaves
1/2 t coriander
1/2 t salt
fresh cracked pepper
1 lime
1/2 C chopped cilantro
1 32oz box chicken broth

Condiments: (in addition to measurements above)
Sour cream
Chopped cilantro
Pepperjack or Jack cheese, shredded
Avocado
Tortilla Chips or make your own tortilla strips

In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add chopped onion and cook for about 2 minutes- just until it starts to become translucent. While onions are cooking, drain beans and rinse with cold water and set aside. Sprinkle chopped chicken with a little salt and pepper and add to pot. Add garlic as well. Cook until there's no more visible pink on the chicken, probably 3-4 minutes.

Then add green chills- along with all of the juices in the can. Add beans, cumin, oregano, coriander, salt, and a few turns of fresh cracked pepper. Stir to combine and then add chicken broth.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and add the juice from one lime and the 1/2 C chopped cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream. Serve with condiments. If you don't have all those condiments- at least have sour cream! But honestly, it's best with everything :)

Makes about 8 cups of soup.

*Oh, and this freezes well. Sometimes I make a batch and when it cools I put single servings into zip-locks and pop them in the freezer. Makes a great quick lunch.

White Chocolate Cheesecake

Kim Taylor

Cheesecake:

12 oz white chocolate (melted)

11/2 pounds cream cheese (soft - 3 8oz pkgs)

1 C sugar

2 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 C sour cream

This recipe calls for a graham cracker crust so I will write the recipe as directed and then give the pastry crust that I use at the end. Both crusts are good.

Melt chocolate in double broiler (or microwave just don't over cook it in microwave) preheat oven to 350. Press graham cracker mixture into a 9 inch springform pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl place cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Add melted white chocolate and blend for 5 minutes to combine. Add sour cream and mix to combine. Pour into crumb lined pan and bake for 30 minutes and chill over night (or at least a good 2-3 hours). It will be a little wiggly still when it comes out but it will set up as it chills so take it out right at 30 minutes.

Pastry Crust:

1 C flour

1/2 C butter  (soft)

1/4 C sugar

1 Large egg yolk

heat oven to 400. Grease spring form pan and remove bottom of pan. Mix ingredients and then press one third of mixture onto bottom of pan. Place on a cookie sheet for easy handling and bake 8-10 minutes. Once cooled, assemble pan and press rest of dough 2 inches up side of pan. Then just pour prepared cheesecake in pan and bake as directed.

Red Beans and Rice

Gabriella from 121 Down

1 lb dried red beans
1 lb ham or sausage
1 lg onion
1 cup green onions
1/2 clove minced garlic
1/2 cup parsley
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup butter
salt
cayenne pepper, tabasco or cajun seasoning
cumin

Soak red beans overnight.  In the morning, dump out the water and rinse beans.  Brown the sausage or ham.  Chop the onions and parsley.  Bring beans to a boil.  Add all other ingredients.  Simmer for at least 3 hours.  Beans should be creamy.  Serve over fluffy white rice.

Taco Bowls with Guac-a-Salsa Salad

Rachael Ray

1 sack corn tortilla chips, any brand or color (yellow, blue, red, white) will do
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
Coarse salt and black pepper
1 cup water
2 firm Haas avocados
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
Handful cilantro leaves, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
2 sacks, 10 ounces, 2 cups each shredded Monterey Jack or sharp Cheddar cheese

Lightly crush the chips by popping open the bag and giving the chips a few light whacks with a frying pan – careful that they don't fly out of the sack! Hold the bag loosely at the top with 1 hand while you crush the chips with the other.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil – 2 turns of the pan. Add the beef to the skillet, brown and crumble it, 5 minutes. To the browned meat, add half the jalapeno peppers, 3/4 of the chopped onions and all of the garlic. Season the meat with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook together 5 minutes more, then add the water and reduce heat to low. Adjust salt, to taste.

Halve and separate the avocados. Remove pit with a spoon. With the skin in tact, using a small knife, dice the avocado while still in the skin. Scoop out the diced flesh and place in a bowl. Combine tomatoes, remaining onions, jalapenos, and cilantro gently with avocado and dress the salad with the juice of 1 lemon, extra-virgin olive oil, and salt, to your taste.

Layer a 1 or 2 handfuls of chips in soup or chili bowls and top with a handful of cheese. Fill bowls with taco meat and top with more cheese, then mound up some salad on top and serve.

Frozen Fruit Cups

Holly Peterson

6 oz. frozen lemonade
6 oz. frozen orange juice
10 oz. frozen or fresh strawberries
16 oz. crushed pineapple
1 cans (11 oz) mandarin oranges
3 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
4 bananas sliced or diced

Partially thaw juices and fruit.  Combine all ingredients, except bananas, including their juices.  Blend in sugar and water.  Slice or dice a little banana in to paper lined muffin tins and store in plastic bags.

To serve: thaw 10-15 minutes (after removing paper.)  Makes 24.  Place dallop of Cool Whip on top of each one.

Make 24.

Nacho Cheese Dip

Carly Petterson

2 Bell Peppers
1 large onion
2 cans Rotel
1 can cream of chicken
1 lb hamburger
1 bunch of cilantro
2 lbs velveeta cheese

Cook meat, drain grease.  Chop and add rest of ingredients.  Do not boil!

French Dressing

Ruth Petterson

3/4 c sugar
3/4 cup vinegar

heat together and cool slightly

1 1/2 tsp. celery salt
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. chopped onion
1 1/3 cup oil
1 tsp. Knox gelatin

Pour all ingredients into blender and mix well.  Pour into bottles and store in fridge.

Doubling the recipe makes about three 16 oz bottles.

Cowboy Salsa

Mission Home Recipe


2 T red wine vinegar
1 1/2 t. Tabasco sauce
1 1/2 t. salad oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 t. pepper
1 avacado
1-15 oz can black eyed peas, drained
1-11 oz. can corn, drained
2/3 c. chopped cilantro
1/3 c. thinly sliced green onions
1/2 lb. Roma tomatoes, chopped
salt to taste

Mix all of the above ingredients, put into refrigerator overnight.

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

Tanya Calkins

2-4 Chicken breasts
4 c. water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 or 2 carrots, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 or 2 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas (optional)
1/2 to 1 batch homemade noodles, 1-2 cups dry noodles, or 1/3 c. cooked rice

Put chicken and bouillon cubes into water.  Simmer until chicken is tender. Remove chicken and dice into pieces.  Strain chicken drippings from water.  Return diced chicken to broth and add veggies.  When boiling add noodles or rice and boil slowly for 15-20 minutes.

We like this soup served over mashed potatoes.

Funeral Potatoes

Petterson Family

6-8 Baked and cooled Potatoes or 1 pkg frozen potatoes
1/4 cup butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream
1/2 lb grated cheese
1/3 cup crushed potato chips

Melt butter, mix with soup and sour cream.  Mix in potatoes.  Pour into 13x9 inch casserole dish.  Cover with cheese, then potato chips.

Cover with foil, bake at 350* for 45 minutes.  Remove foil for last 5 minutes of baking.