Lemon Delight Trifle

This is from the latest issue of Taste of Home. I am not a big fan of lemon but it was a big hit. Very pretty layered dessert that tastes like SPRING! :) Enjoy.

Ingredients:

- 3 1/2 cups milk

- 2 pkgs lemon instant pudding

- 1 pkg cream cheese, softened

- 1/2 cup butter, softened

- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

- 1 carton (12 oz) cool whip, thawed

- 1 pkg (12 -14 oz) lemon cream-filled sandwich cookies, crushed

Directions:

- Mix milk and pudding, let stand until soft set.

- In mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, and sugar until well mixed and smooth.

- Gradually stir pudding into cream cheese mixture.

- Set aside 1/4 of cool whip-- fold the remaining cool whip into the pudding mixture.

- Place 1/3 of cookies in trifle bowl, top with with half the pudding mixture. Repeat layers.

- Garnish with reserved cool whip and remaining 1/3 of the crushed cookies.

- Refrigerate until serving.

Meatballs w/ Mushroom Cream Sauce

1/4 cup Diced Onion

1/4 cup Diced Red Pepper

1 Cup Sliced Mushrooms

1 Tbl Spoon Italian Season

1 cup Chicken Stock

1 cup Heavy Cream

2 Cloves of Garlic

1/2 Cup Grated Swiss Cheese

"Many" Frozen Meatballs (the ones from Ikea are the best)

Spaghetti Pasta

Heat a large pan to med high, with a little olive oil. Sauté the onion, pepper, and mushrooms till lightly browned. Add the garlic, seasoning, and meatballs. Brown slightly with salt and pepper to taste. Add stock and cream, and bring to a boil. Stir in grated cheese and reduce to thicken. Toss with the cooked pasta. Eat.

Chicken Parmesan Bundles

This is a Kraft recipe I tried last night (hence all the name-brand references in the ingredients, I am cutting and pasting) This was really easy. I did not pound the chicken out. I just sliced the ones I had in half length-wise b/c they were huge. This made them thin enough to roll up easily. I did not need toothpicks. I assembled it in the afternoon and then just popped them in the oven before dinner. I served it with the spaghetti sauce and fettucini noodles.

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

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

1-1/4 cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided

6 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.), pounded to 1/4-inch thickness

1 egg

10 RITZ Crackers, crushed (about 1/2 cup)

1-1/2 cups spaghetti sauce, heated

HEAT oven to 375ºF.

MIX cream cheese, spinach, 1 cup mozzarella and 3 Tbsp. Parmesan until well blended; spread onto chicken breasts. Starting at one short end of each breast, roll up chicken tightly. Secure with wooden toothpicks, if desired.

BEAT egg in shallow dish. Mix remaining Parmesan and cracker crumbs in separate shallow dish. Dip chicken in egg, then roll in crumb mixture. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF). Remove and discard toothpicks, if using. Serve topped with spaghetti sauce and remaining mozzarella.

WHERE ARE MY COOKS??

Have all of you given up cooking in 2010??!? You can't possibly eat out EVERY night!!

I need some new recipes-- SO SHARE THEM ALREADY!!

Rachel-- post your chicken enchiladas that you made this weekend-- Mark informed me last night that yours are better than mine. OUCH!

Kitchen Love to All!

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

A SWEET cheese ball-- definitely a great variation on a classic party food!

Ingredients:
- 1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese (softened)
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips, plus more for outer coating
- Graham Crackers or Chocolate Wafer cookies to serve

Directions:
- beat cream cheese and butter in mixer until well blended
- add vanilla, sugar, brown sugar, and chocolate chips
- scoop into a ball shape on a large piece of foil
- wrap and refrigerate about an hour
- unwrap cheese ball and roll in leftover chocolate chips to coat the outside
- serve with graham crackers or chocolate wafers

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- The original recipe calls for the cheese ball to be rolled in pecans... but we have the nut allergy family so we avoid that.
- I have always found that my cheese ball is never quite hard enough to "roll" in the chocolate chips, so I just take handfuls and press them against it. Otherwise I end up with a HUGE mess. .

Quick & Easy Chicken Pot Pie

My friend Kristin made this for us right after we had Madeline and it was YUMMY!! When she gave me the recipe I was amazed at how simple it was, I think it originally was a Kraft recipe.

Ingredients:
- 1 lb chicken (cooked and cubed)
- 2 cups frozen vegetables
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 4 oz Velveeta cheese
- 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry or pie shell

Directions:
- Mix chicken, veggies, soup, and melted cheese
- Pour in 9" square baking dish
- Cover with pastry and tuck in the edges
- Poke holes in the top to vent steam
- Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes

Tips from Kitchen of Reality:
- Although it calls for one can of cream of chicken soup, I use two. The first time I made it, it seemed a little dry.
- Great recipe to double and then throw one in the freezer.

Stuffed Shells with Crispy Pancetta & Spinach

My mom, Diane, made this a week or so ago, and I LOVED it! Stuffed shells with a white sauce, definitely a new twist on the traditional favorite. She hasn't gotten around to posting it yet, but I am planning to make it this week, so I looked it up and decided to post it for her. Love you, Mom! It is a Giada De Laurentiis recipe, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Ingredients:
-1 12-ounce box jumbo pasta shells
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-½ pound thick-cut pancetta, cut into ¾-inch cubes
-2 pounds frozen spinach, thawed and drained
-1 15-ounce container whole-milk ricotta
-3 cups grated asiago cheese, plus 1/4 cup
-3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
-1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
-1 tablespoon butter
-1 garlic clove, minced
-1 cup heavy cream
-¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the shells and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the shells and set them aside.
3. Warm the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook it until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a large mixing bowl.
4. Add the spinach, ricotta, 1 cup of the asiago cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper to the bowl and stir everything together. Stuff the shells with about 2 tablespoons of the spinach mixture each, and place the stuffed shells in a large buttered baking dish.
5. Melt the butter in a small pot over low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until just golden, being very careful not to burn it. Add the cream, and bring it to a simmer. Turn the heat down very low and add 2 cups of asiago cheese, the parsley, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Stir until the cheese has melted completely. Pour the sauce over the shells. Sprinkle the tops of the shells with remaining ¼ cup of asiago cheese.
6. Bake until a light golden crust has formed on top, about 25 minutes.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- Really, who uses pancetta in the real world... she used BACON!!
- She used the nutmeg but you couldn't taste it, so if you don't have it, leave it out.
- We aren't big buyers of fresh herbs in the winter, too expensive, a few tbsps of dried parsley works fine.
- Mom used half & half instead of heavy cream. I'm gonna try plain old milk this week to try and cut a few more calories out. Your call on that one.