Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Spinach and Artichoke Casserole (this can be made with or without Chicken)

Spinach and Artichoke Casserole (this can be made with or without Chicken)
By: Stephanie

Ingredients:

1 Box Medium Shells (I use Barilla)
1 Pint Cottage Cheese (I use Knudsen 2% Lowfat)
2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella (divided into 1.5 cups and .5 cup)
2 Cups Finely Shredded Parmesan Cheese (divided)
1 (10oz) Box Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed and drained
1 (14 oz) Can of Artichoke Hearts, diced)
1 8 oz Low Fat Cream Cheese (optional) at room temperature
Pepper (to taste)
2-4 TBSP Dried Basil
2 TSP Garlic Powder
4 Cheese sauce (you can make it from the season pkts, you can buy it in a jar, or you can make it from scratch)
***I buy 1 Alfredo pkt (Knor brand), 2 Creamy Garlic pkt (Knor brand) when I can't find their 4 cheese sauce pkt
and make the sauce (which usually requires butter and milk) on the stove top while cooking the pasta
IF YOU ARE MAKING THIS WITH CHICKEN:
1 Rotisserie Chicken (or the equivalent of 1.5 to 2.5 pounds of cooked chicken, depending on how much you want), shredded

Directions:

1. Cook pasta (according to box, minus 1 minute from lowest cooking time) and sauce (according to pkts)
2. While pasta and sauce are cooking, drain and dice artichokes, drain the spinach and shred the cheese
3. When pasta is done, drain and add back to the pot
4. Add Spinach, Artichokes, Seasonings, Sauce, Cottage Cheese, 1 cup Parm, 1.5 cups Mozzarella and the cream cheese and chicken (if using)
and stir together with a wooden spoon
5. Pour into a 13x9 Baking Dish (sprayed with non-stick spray) top with the rest of the two cheeses.
6. Cover with foil and cook at 375 for 30 minutes and then take the foil off and bake an additional 10 minutes uncovered

**If you are short on time, you can turn the broiler on after the first 30 minutes and melt/brown the cheese that way in about 2 minutes...just make sure you watch it closely

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Homemade Red Velvet Cupcakes

Homemade Red Velvet Cupcakes
By: Mommysavers.com
From the Kitchen of Amy Young

Ingredients:

3 ⅓ C. all-purpose flour
¾ C. (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 ¼ cups sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
6 Tbsp. red food coloring
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 ½ C. buttermilk
1 ½ tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 ½ tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place muffin liners in muffin tins and spray them with cooking spray.

In large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs until well-combined.

In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well. Next, add the salt and buttermilk. Stir again. Next, add the flour little by little. Beat until all ingredients are fluffy and well-combined without overmixing.

Next, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda in a small bowl. Add the vinegar mixture to the the batter and mix well.

Pour the batter into cupcake cups and fill them 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool.

Frosting:

2 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened and cut into small pieces
6 Tbsp. butter, softened and cut into small pieces
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
5 C. confectioners’ sugar

Cream the frosting ingredients together until smooth. Use to frost your yummy red velvet cupcakes after they’ve cooled completely.

Enjoy! You may just think your own version of the red velvet cupcakes are the best!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Most Amazing Lemon Cake Ever

Most Amazing Lemon Cake Ever
From the kitchen of Lollie Kientz

1 Box Lemon Cake (plus all of the ingredients it calls for on the back of box)
Powdered Sugar
Fresh Lemon Juice (1/2 to 3/4 cup)

Make a lemon cake and then poke the holes.

Then sprinkle a good amount of powdered sugar over the top of the whole cake.

Then pour fresh lemon juice over everything and the powder sugar melts into the cake- about half a cup of lemon juice. Enjoy!

Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies
From the Kitchen of Emma Caro, brought to you by: bakerella.com

They are sweet and red and a perfect little treat to give on the 14th. And even better, they are super-easy!

All you need is:

1 Box red velvet cake mix*
1/2 Cup butter, softened to room temperature
2 Eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix ingredients until combined.
Drop spoonfuls of cookie batter onto baking sheet about two inches apart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Cool.

Cream Cheese Filling

1/2 Cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 8 oz. Package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 1lb. Box of confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp Vanilla

In a mixer, cream butter, cream cheese and vanilla.
Gradually add sugar and mix until smooth.
Makes about 24 cookies or 12 cookie sandwiches

***you can also split the frosting in half and dye part of it green so that you have red and white cookies and then also red and green cookies!***

Happy Baking!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Blackberry Wine Cake

Blackberry Wine Cake
From the Kitchen of Brittany Farmer

1 white cake mix
1 (3-oz.) pkg. Blackberry Jello
1 c. Blackberry wine
1/2 c. oil
4 eggs
1/2 tsp. red food coloring.

Mix all ingredients together and beat on high speed for 4 minutes. Bake at 350 for 25 to 35 minutes. Glaze with powdered sugar thinned with blackberry wine or use the following frosting recipe.

Frosting

4-oz. Cream Cheese
1/2 stick butter
1/4 c. Blackberry wine
powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients together until desired consistency is reached.