Chocolate Tunnel Cake

18 oz. cream cheese, softened, divided
1 egg, beaten
1 chocolate or devil's cake mix
2 T. milk
1/2-3/4 c. sugar, to taste, I used 1/2 c.
2 t. vanilla, divided
1 c. powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat 2 pkgs cream cheese, sugar, egg and 1 t. vanilla until blended. Prepare cake mix as directed. Pour half the batter into a greased angel food cake pan or bundt pan**. Place cream cheese mixture in the middle, and cover with remaining cake batter. Bake 45+ minutes until cake is done. Cool in pan 10 minutes then invert onto plate. Cool cake completely. Whisk 2 oz. cream cheese with vanilla, powdered sugar, and milk until blended. Drizzle over cake. Let stand until glaze is firm. Yummy!

**For cupcakes: Place papers in muffin tins. Prepare cake as directed. Spoon 1/4 c. cake batter into muffin tins, top with 1 T. cream cheese mixture, and remaining batter. Bake 20-22 minutes until done. Cool 10 minutes. Remove to cool completely. Prepare glaze as directed. Drizzle over cupcakes. Makes 24.

original recipe from Kraft

1st picture is after baking. 2nd picture is after frosting with cream cheese. 3rd picture is a slice of cake.

Saint Patty's Day Pistachio Cake

1 white cake mix + ingredients listed on box.
3 1/2 oz. instant pistachio pudding mix
2 c. milk
1/8 c. powdered sugar
8 oz. cool whip
green food coloring (optional)
chopped pecans

Mix and bake cake as directed on box for 9x13 pan. While cake is hot, use a wooden spoon to poke holes deep in cake. Combine pudding mix with powdered sugar and whisk in milk. Immediately pour 1/2 over warm cake. Combine cool whip and remaining pudding. Cool completely before frosting. (Add food coloring if desired) Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. May also be made with a fudge cake mix instead if desired. *any cake mix and flavor puddings or jello may be used for year round/holidays.

1st picture: After poking cake...I should have poked a little deeper

 2nd picture: after frosting with cool whip mixture and adding chopped pecans

3rd picture: The cake was very lite and fluffy, but I should have poked the cake deeper to have more pudding inside.

Fajitas

1 pkg fajita seasoning mix
2 T. oil, divided
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken strips or boneless beef sirloin strips
1 medium onion, cut into strips
1 medium green pepper, cut into strips
1/4 c. water
8 flour tortillas, warmed
shredded cheese, lettuce, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, chopped tomatoes

Heat 1 T. oil in skillet on medium heat. Add meat and cook 3 minutes until no loner pink. Add meat and cook 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat. Place 1 T. oil in skillet and add onion and green pepper. Cook and stir 3-5 minutes. Return meat to skillet. Stir in water and seasoning mix. Cook and stir 3 minutes. Spoon into tortillas. Serve with desired toppings.

*or for quesadillas:  divide filling into 4 tortillas on baking sheet, Top each with 1/2 c. shredded cheese, and place additional tortilla on top. Bake in 350 degree oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into wedges. Makes 8 servings.

 

Crockpot Taco Soup

1-1 1/2 lbs ground chuck, cooked, drained, and rinsed*
1 pkt taco, chili, or fajita seasoning
chopped onion & peppers (frozen is ok)
15 oz. can chili magic, mild or medium, undrained
15 oz. can seasoned black beans, undrained
15 oz. southwest or fiesta corn, undrained
14.5 oz. can chili style tomatoes, undrained
7 oz. can green chilies, chopped, undrained
2 c. water

corn chips or tostitos, for serving

Place liner in crockpot. Place all ingredients, except chips, inside and stir to combine. Cook on low for 6 hours. Serve with shredded taco blend cheese, dollop of sour cream if desired, and corn chips or tostitos. Also good served with chili cornbread muffins or broccoli cornbread. Delicious!

*The ground beef can be added in the crockpot raw and allowed to cook with all the other ingredients. It will be cooked through and soft after 6 hours. 

In my opinion, the meat is still too greasy and should be drained before cooking with all the other ingredients.

Crockpot Chicken and Rice

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 soup can of milk

1 can roasted corn, whole kernel, drained

1 can ro-tel, drained

2 c. rice, uncooked

Rotisserie chicken, removed from bones, chopped

Dump all ingredients in sprayed or lined crockpot. Cook on low for 3-4 hours, until done.

Sweet Baby Ray's Crockpot Barbecue Chicken

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or tenderloins (3 tenderloins=1 breast)
18 oz. bottle sweet baby Ray's barbecue sauce ( your choice flavor)
1/4 c. vinegar
1 t. red pepper flakes
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. garlic powder

Combine all ingredients except for chicken. Place chicken in bottom of lined crockpot. Pour sauce over chicken. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Brown Sugar M&M Cookies

2 3/4 c. SR flour
2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 c. M&M's

Combine all ingredients. Chill dough for 1 hour before baking. Using a cookie scoop will help the cookies be the same size. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place scoops of dough on parchment paper lined cookie sheets, 2" apart. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Store in covered container. (smaller cookies can be baked for 8-10 minutes.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

2 15 oz. cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1 medium cucumber, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 c. kalamata or black olives, sliced
1/2 c. crumbled feta
salt
pepper

Lemon Parsley Vinaigrette
1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. white wine vinegar/cooking sherry
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. chopped parsley
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
salt
pepper

In a large bowl, toss first 5 vegetables. Add feta. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place 1st 5 ingredients of vinaigrette in a  jar with a well fitting lid. Shake until blended. Season with salt & pepper. Pour over salad and serve.

*good with baked salmon

Baked Salmon

garlic, minced
salt & pepper
1/2 c. grilling sauce or light honey bbq sauce (I used Lawry's steak & chop marinade)
salmon fillets, I used skinless, boneless, thawed

Combine first 3 ingredients. Spray dish. Preheat oven to 400. Place fillet in dish and brush with 1/2 of sauce. Bake 15 minutes and brush sauce on again. Bake a total of 35-40 minutes until salmon flakes easily. Serve with favorite sides.

*may be baked inside aluminum foil for moister salmon and less mess.

Apple Turnovers

1 pkg frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
2 c. peeled and diced apples, I used Fuji
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 T. splenda blend brown sugar, or brown sugar
1 T. lemon juice
1 egg, whisked, optional
sanding sugar, optional

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Unroll thawed pastry onto baking sheets (1 sleeve per sheet). Pastry should still be cool, not warm. Seal any perforations or tears, and cut each sheet into 4 squares. Space squares 2" apart. Combine apples, cinnamon, brown sugar and lemon juice. Using a slotted spoon, place 1 T. mixture in middle of square and fold over, forming a triangle. Crimp sides with a fork. Cut 3 slits in tops of turnover. Bake 17-20 minutes at 400 degrees, until golden brown and puffed. (Do not overfill pastry.)

*Brush egg over pastries & sprinkle with sanding sugar before baking, if desired.

**Serve with vanilla ice cream as a dessert or as a breakfast pastry.

Photos: 1st picture is apples in square before folding, 2nd picture is after folding, before baking, 3rd picture is after baking.