Mint Cream Cheese Brownies

2 oz. baking chocolate (or 2 oz. chocolate chips)

1/2 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. sugar

1 t. vanilla

2 eggs

3/4 c. plain flour

1/4 t. salt

Filling:

8 oz, cream cheese, softened

1/4 c. sugar

1 t. peppermint extract

1 egg

4 drops green food coloring

1/2 c. chocolate chips

Frosting:

1 T. butter

1 T. corn syrup

1 T. water

2 oz. chocolate chips

3/4 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 8x8 baking dish. Melt butter and chocolate until smooth. Set aside. Beat all the filling ingredients, except the chocolate chips, together until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Set aside. Beat together cooled chocolate mixture, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Beat in flour and salt, on low speed until combined. Pour half the chocolate batter into the baking dish and spread evenly. Pour on cream cheese mixture. Top with chocolate batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting. In a small saucepan, heat butter, corn syrup, and water. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in chocolate until melted. Stir in enough powdered sugar to make it spreadable. Spread onto brownie and put in refrigerator to set. Slice and enjoy!

Chocolate Fudge Pie

1 1/2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate*

8 T. butter

1 c. sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 t. vanilla

2 T. milk

1/4 c. plain flour

Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8" pie plate. Melt chocolate and butter in microwave in 20-30 second increments, stirring between intervals, until combined. Cool. In another bowl, combine sugar, and beaten eggs.  Add cooled chocolate mixture and stir until completely combined. Add vanilla and milk. Stir well. Add flour slowly, gently mixing so no white streaks remain. Do not over mix. Pour into pie plate. Bake 25 minutes. It will look gooey. (This is a crustless pie) Top with ice cream and serve while pie is still warm. 

*I used 3 T. cocoa powder & 1 T. melted butter = 1 oz. baking chocolate. So for 1 1/2 oz. of chocolate I had to add a little more cocoa and butter.

1st picture: ready for the oven. 2nd picture: ready to eat!

Crockpot Creamed Corn

3, 15 oz. cans whole kernel corn, drained

1 c. milk

1 T. sugar

1/4 t. pepper

8 oz. cream cheese, cubed

1/2 c. butter, cut into thin slices

Place corn in lined crockpot. Stir in milk, sugar, and pepper until well combined. Top with butter and cream cheese. DO NOT STIR. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours. Uncover and stir until butter and cream cheese are well combined. Cover and cook on high an additional 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

*May use white corn if desired. 

*May be used as a sauce base for casseroles.

Pineapple Salsa for a Crowd

4 c. diced fresh pineapple*

2 c. diced colored sweet pepper, I used red, orange, and yellow

2 lb (about 5 c.) diced cherub tomatoes

1 bunch (about 1/2 c.) chopped fresh cilantro**, tops only

1/2 c. chopped onion

1/2 c. lime juice (or 4 fresh limes)

juice and zest of 1 lemon

1/2 t. salt

2 t. minced garlic

Mix all together and allow to sit in refrigerator at least 2 hours for flavors to meld together. May set overnight in the refrigerator, drain juices off before serving.

*Cut the fresh pineapple in half, lengthwise, leaving the stem attached. Remove pineapple meat and use halves as serving bowls for a nice decoration. This works best if cutting and using the same day. Can use canned pineapple, but not recommended. Can use fresh cut pineapple from the produce section and dice at home.

**The cilantro really makes the salsa. The flavor mellows overnight.

***Can add 1 T. chopped jalapeno for heat

Banana Split Trifle

1 box yellow, chocolate, or angel food cake, prepared and cut in pieces

lg pkg. vanilla instant pudding (do not use banana flavored), prepared

3 large bananas, sliced

1 1/2 c. sliced strawberries

20 oz. crushed pineapple, drained

16 oz. cool whip, thawed

1 jar maraschino cherries, chopped

1 jar whole maraschino cherries with stems

1/2 c. pecans, chopped

1/4 c. chocolate syrup

In a large clear bowl place half of the cake pieces. Begin layering: add half of pudding, half of bananas (pressing into side of the bowl for decoration), half of strawberries (pressing into side of bowl, like bananas), half of pineapple, half of cool whip, half of chopped cherries, half of chocolate syrup, and half of nuts. Repeat in the same order. Drizzle with chocolate syrup, place cherries with stems and chopped pecans on top. Chill until ready to serve. This makes a very festive dessert for gatherings.

1st pic: layering started, this is what's hidden inside that you can't see; 2nd pic: This is on top of the previous picture; 3rd pic: side view; 4th pic: ready to chill until time to serve.

Cheesy Asparagus Puffs

1 can crescent rolls

16 spears fresh asparagus, trimmed

4 slices provolone cheese, sliced in half

4 slices cheddar cheese, sliced in half

1 T. dry Italian seasoning

olive oil

Preheat oven to 359. Line a baking sheet with foil. Lightly spray and set aside. Unroll cresent dough and separate each triangle. Lightly brush with oil and lay half slice of provolone sheese and half of cheddar cheese on the large side of the triangle. Top with 2 asparagus spears. Roll up and lay on baking sheet. Repeat for remaining triangles. Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning.

Cheesy Taco Sticks

1 pound lean ground beef

1 pkt. taco mix

1 tube refrigerated Pillsbury pizza dough

5 colby jack cheese sticks, cut in half

1/4 c. butter, melted

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. dry parsley

Preheat oven to 425. Spray a large baking sheet. Brown ground beef in skillet over medium heat. Drain and rinse. Add taco seasoning mix and stir well. Remove from heat and set aside. Lay the pizza dough out flat. Cut in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 5 equal rectangles, to form 10 rectangles. Spoon cooled taco meat down center of each rectangle, then top with half colby cheese stick. Roll the pizza dough up over the meat and cheese and pinch closed to form a breadstick. Place the taco sticks on the baking sheet. Combine butter, garlic powder, and parsley. Generously brush over top of taco breadsticks. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot. 

Easter Basket Cookie Cups

 16 oz. sugar cookie dough, or your favorite homemade dough

16 oz. vanilla frosting

1/2 c. shredded coconut

green food coloring

Cadbury mini eggs

M&M eggs

edible grass

Use a mini muffin pan with mini cupcake liners and fill each well with 1 square of sugar cookie dough. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350, or until just golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Once cool, fill wach cookie cup with frosting. In a small bowl, add 1-2 drops green food coloring & 1 t. water. Stir. Add in shredded coconut and stir to evenly coat. Sprinkle each cup with green coconut and top with 3 egg candies. Cut edible grass and form to make a basket handle. Serve and enjoy!

*May use any flavor cookie dough

**May dye frosting green and skip using the coconut

Breakfast Sliders

2, 12 oz. rolls pork sausage

12 Hawaiian dinner rolls

8 large eggs, scrambled

6 slices pepper jack cheese

8 slices American cheese

1/2 c. butter, melted

1/4 c. maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350. Warm skillet over medium heat. Form sausage into 12 patties, slightly larger than one dinner roll. Add sausage to skillet and cook until completely cooked through. Drain. Using a serrated knife, cut rolls in half lengthwise, without breaking apart. Place bottom half of rolls in sprayed 9x13 baking dish. Set tops aside. Scoop scrambled eggs onto bottom rolls, top with pepper jack. Place sausage on top of pepper jack and top with American cheese. Carefully place top buns on top. Combine melted butter with maple syrup in small bowl. Brush over tops of rolls, allowing sauce to drip down the sides and into bottom. Use all. Bake 15-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and melted. Serve hot.

Easy Chicken and Tomatoes

3-4 chicken breasts, cubed

2, 14 oz. cans Del Monte diced tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic, undrained

1 envelope Lipton savory herb and garlic soup mix

16 oz. bowtie or penne pasta, cooked and drained

1 large can sliced mushrooms, drained, optional

shredded parmesan cheese

Combine soup mix and tomatoes. Place in lined crockpot. Add chicken and stir. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over cooked pasta or mix all together if desired. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. I serve with a Caesar salad.

*The first time I made this, I made it without the mushrooms, but I will add them next time. We love mushrooms.

1st pic: ready to eat, before parmesan cheese added; 2nd pic: after cheese added.