Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Salad

12 oz. lite cool whip topping, thawed
1 small pkg. dry sugar free cheesecake pudding mix
18 oz. strawberry yogurt
16 oz. fresh strawberries, sliced (frozen may also be used)
2-3 bananas, sliced
miniature marshmallows, optional*
crunchy granola, candied pecans, or chopped walnuts

Stir topping, yogurt, and dry pudding mix together in a large bowl. Cover and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour. Add fruit and marshmallows. Fold gently. Garnish with granola or nuts before serving. Yummy!
*Substitute torn angel food cake for marshmallows for diabetics. This makes it more of a dessert, too.

Kathy"s Peanut Butter Pie

1 c. creamy peanut butter

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 box dry sugar free cheesecake pudding mix

1/2 T. vanilla

8 oz. cool whip, thawed ( 1/2 for filling, 1/2 for topping)

1 chocolate crust

Combine all ingredients, except 1/2 of topping. Pour into crust and top with remaining cool whip. Garnish with chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and heath bits. Chopped nuts can also be added, if desired. Cover and chill for 2 hours before serving. Serves 8. 

Crockpot Cream Cheese Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pkg. dry Italian or Ranch dressing (I used ranch)

Place liner in crockpot. Place cream cheese, soup, and dressing in bottom of crockpot. Cover. Cook on high for 30 minutes. Stir when soft. When completely mixed, add chicken. Cook on low for 6 hours. After 2 hours, cut chicken up (I used a wooden spoon) and continue cooking until done. Serve over rice, potatoes, or pasta.

Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in chunks
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of broccoli soup
15 oz. can of corn, drained
15 oz. can of sliced carrots, drained
15 oz. can green beans, drained
15 oz. can peas, drained
16 oz. chopped broccoli (I used frozen, it stands up better than fresh)
salt and pepper to taste
1 pkg. 8 ct biscuits*

Place liner in crockpot. Place chicken in bottom. Pour soups over chicken. Cover. Cook for 6 hours on low. Add drained vegetables and broccoli. Cook for 45 more minutes. Bake biscuits in oven as instructed when vegetables are added to crockpot. Split biscuit in half, cover bottom with vegetable mixture and cover with top half of biscuit.

*can also place cooked filling inside Pillsbury refrigerated crescent rolls and bake until brown for individual pot pies, if desired.

Eggnog Bread Pudding

3 c. Italian bread or 8 slices raisin bread, cubed (allow to dry out/get stale overnight)
3 c. eggnog (I used Borden's boxed eggnog~I bought it in December--it doesn't need refrigerating until after you open it)
1/2 c. sugar/splenda
1 t. cinnamon
1 T. vanilla
1 t. nutmeg
2 T. butter, melted
3/4 c. raisins (omit if using raisin bread)

Heat eggnog in microwave until slightly hot. Add remaining ingredients, except for stale bread. Mix well with spoon. Add cubed bread. Allow to set for 10 minutes. Pour in sprayed 9x13 pyrex dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Serve warm with caramel sauce and/or vanilla ice cream. YUM!

Crockpot Cube Steak with Mushroom Gravy

beef cube steak (4-6 pack); I have also used pork cube steak
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope onion soup mix
8 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained (optional)
3/4 c. water
salt and pepper to taste

Place liner in crockpot. Place 2 pieces cube steak on bottom of crockpot. Cover with 1 can soup, 1/2 onion mix. and 1/2 mushrooms. Repeat layers. Add water and seasoning on top. Cook on low for 6 hours. Serve over mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice.

Crockpot Peach Crisp

8 fresh peaches, peeled and sliced. OR 4 cans sliced peaches, slightly mashed
1 1/2 t. cinnamon, divided
dash of nutmeg
1/4 c. sugar or splenda
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 c. old fashioned oats
3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. light brown sugar

Combine 1 t. cinnamon, dash nutmeg, and sugar/splenda. Toss with peaches. Place in the bottom of lined crockpot. Combine the rest of the ingredients and cut with two knives until ingredients crumble. Drop the crumbled mixture over top of peach mixture. Cook on high for 2 hours. Serve warm with ice cream.

Crockpot Lemon Pepper or Italian Chicken

2 t. lemon pepper seasoning or Italian seasoning
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c. water
3 T. fresh lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. chopped fresh parsley, optional

Place liner in crockpot. Place chicken in crockpot. Combine lemon pepper, salt, and pepper in a bowl and rub onto chicken. Combine water, lemon juice, and garlic. Pour over chicken. Cover. Cook on low 5-6 hours. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve over rice.

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

6 cups chicken broth
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 c. frozen green beans (optional)
2 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 t. pepper
salt to taste
2 bay leaves
1/4 c. cornstarch

Dumplings:*
1 1/2 c. SR flour
2 T. oil
3/4 c. milk

Add all stew ingredients together in a lined crockpot. Cook on low for 5 hours. Combine cornstarch with 1/4 c. broth from crockpot. Stir to remove lumps. Add back to the crockpot. Stir to combine. After 5 hours, turn the crockpot up to high and be sure the broth is boiling slightly before adding the dumplings to the crockpot. Using a tablespoon, drop dumplings on top of stew mixture. Be careful to place the dumplings on top and not into the stew. After adding dumplings, cook for 1 hour on high, or until dumplings are cooked through and no longer raw in the center.

Dumpling instructions: Combine flour with oil and cut into flour with a fork. Add milk and stir with a large spoon just until flour is moist.

Total cooking time is 6 hours.

Remove bay leaves before serving.

*May also use potato gnocchi instead for the dumplings. Add at the end of cook time.

 

Crockpot Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

2 c. SR flour
1/4 c. poppy seeds
1 c. sugar
3 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
1/4 c. milk
1 t. lemon zest

1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
1 t. vanilla

Icing: (optional)
2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 t. lemon zest
lemon juice or milk

Place liner in crockpot or spray with cooking spray. Combine flour and poppy seeds.Set aside. Whisk sugar, eggs, oil, yogurt/sour cream, milk, lemon zest, juice, and vanilla together until sugar dissolves. Combine sugar mixture with flour mixture. Stir until combined. Batter will be lumpy. Spoon batter into crockpot. Cover. Cook on high for 1 1/2-2 hours or until appears set. Turn crockpot off. Remove lid carefully so condensation does not drip onto bread (or I use a crockpot that's vented) Cover the top of the crockpot with paper  towels and place the lid back on. Cool for 10-15 minutes. Remove the crockpot insert from the hating element and allow to cool completely. Remove liner and place bread on plate, or scoop from sprayed crockpot. Prepare icing and drizzle over bread before serving.

*This is a very refreshing bread. Can be served as either a breakfast bread or as a dessert.

                                    Plain                                                              With Icing