Tortellini Chicken Salad

1 pkg. cheese tortellini (fresh or frozen)
4 baked chicken patties
1 cucumber
1 tomato
Bernstein's Light Fantastic Cheese Fantastic! Dressing



Cook tortellini, drain & let cool. Cook chicken & let cool. Slice cucumber & chop tomato. Place cucumber & tomato on top of tortellini, add dressing and toss to coat. Place sliced chicken on top. Can be served warm or at room temp. Makes 4 servings.

Yummy Cheese Ball

1 package ranch dressing mix
1 package cream cheese
½ cup milk
½ cup mayonnaise
1 bag shredded Colby jack cheese (about 2 cups)
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)

Mix dressing mix, cream cheese, milk and mayonnaise with hand mixer (will still be lumpy). Add shredded cheese. Form into a ball. Refrigerate. (I like to make this the night before so it can have time to firm up.) This makes one large ball or 2 small balls.

Banana Nut Bread

3 large mashed bananas
½ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup chopped walnuts

Mix eggs, bananas, and vegetable oil together. Then add sugar, flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, and walnuts. Mix together. Put in greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Makes 2 small loaves or 1 big one. (We skip the walnuts for Jake and add milk chocolate chips instead.)

Taco Soup

2 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes (in juice)
2 8 ounce cans of tomato sauce
1 14.5 ounce can of corn (in juice)
1 14.5 ounce can of kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
1 pound ground beef, browned (add diced onion if desired)
1 package taco seasoning
　
Simmer on medium for 10 minutes. Serve over tortilla chips with cheese and sour cream. (Our family likes to add green chilies and olives.)

Chicken Pot Pie

Pie crust:
2 c flour
1 t salt
2/3 c shortening (butter flavored)
5-7 T COLD water

Sift flour and salt together. Cut in 1/2 shortening, then other half. Cut until it looks like small peas. Add water, push with fork. (Makes top and bottom crust.) Don't forget to poke the bottom crust with a fork and vent the top.

Filling:
1 can cream of celery
1 can cream of chicken
sauteed onions
broccoli
1-3 potatoes
carrots
corn
peas
2 chicken breast halves
garlic
salt and pepper

Cook chicken with garlic, salt and pepper. Cube or shred. Boil veggies not too long, you don't want them mushy. Mix together soups. chicken, and veggies. Put in the bottom pie crust; cover with the top pie crust. Bake 375 degrees for 40 minutes to 1 hour.

Chicken Mostaccioli

4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Basil
Garlic
Oil
Salt & Pepper
1 small carton Fresh already sliced Mushrooms
1 can whole olives
1 qt. half and half
16oz. Penne or Mostaccioli
½ cup Parmesan
3-4 cups Mozzarella
Optional: artichoke hearts

-Use a large frying pan!
-Fry chicken in oil w/garlic, basil, salt & pepper. Cube chicken
-When chicken is golden brown add olives and mushrooms.
-When mushrooms are soft add ¾ qt. of half and half, boil add more salt, pepper & basil.
-Cook noodles; simmer chicken sauce until noodles are ready.
-Add sauce & noodles together.
-Add mozzarella & parmesan use left of half and half to thin out sauce.
-Optional you can also add in artichoke hearts

Serve with garlic bread and salad or vegetable--it’s so yummy!

Chicken & Broccoli

3-4 chicken breast halves
2 lbs fresh broccoli, well trimmed cooked until tender crisp (I use frozen it works just as well)
1 can cream of chicken
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup miracle whip
1 cup grated cheese
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup buttered crumbs or Parmesan cheese

Simmer chicken breasts in water just to cover for about 30 min. or until tender.
Remove chicken from broth and cool enough to handle.
Cut or shred chicken into bite size pieces.
In a 9x13x2 inch pan spread broccoli and chicken out to cover the pan.
Make sauce: soup, milk, mayo, sour cream, & cheese. Stir until smooth. Add milk if necessary. Add lemon juice.
Pour over chicken and broccoli.
Sprinkle the buttered crumbs or Parmesan cheese over the top. Cover and heat @ 350 for 1 hour. Serve with rice.

Brownie Yummy

1 pan of brownies
1 cool whip
1 pkg. frozen raspberries
1 large pkg. of chocolate pudding prepared

In a trifle bowl layer:

Brownie, pudding, raspberries and cool whip. Continue layers until trifle is full. On the last/top layer of cool whip, garnish the top with a few raspberries and chocolate syrup drizzled over the top.

Pumpkin Layer Cheesecake

Prep: 10 minutes Bake: 40 minutes

2pkg. (8oz. Each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Dash each ground cloves and nutmeg

1 ready-to-use graham cracker crust (6 oz. or 9 oz.)

MIX cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix until blended.

STIR pumpkin and spices into 1 cup of the batter; pour remaining plain batter into crust. Top with pumpkin batter.

BAKE at 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Makes 8 servings.

Texas Fudge Cake

Pre-heat oven @ 355°

Mix dry ingredients in bowl and set aside.

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
½ tsp. salt

Bring the following ingredients to a boil, and mix with dry ingredients

2 sticks butter
4 Tbsp. cocoa
1 cup water

Add to dry & boiled mixture the following

1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Bake @ 355° for 30-35 minutes



Frosting

Bring to boil in saucepan the following

1 stick butter
4 Tbsp. cocoa
4-6 Tbsp. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla

-Add to boil mixture the following

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

**Frost cake while still hot

***Make buttermilk by adding small amounts of vinegar to regular or canned milk***

(Some things I’ve learned from making this cake a dozen times: If you sift the powder sugar for the frosting, it doesn’t make lumps in the frosting. I add the baking soda to the other dry ingredients. And ½ pint of buttermilk is the exact amount you need for this cake.)