Thursday, October 15, 2015

Oreo Cheesecake Recipe

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Oreo Cheesecake makes a favorite dessert recipe! Made with a chocolate crust, creamy cheesecake, and filled with Oreos, it disappears quickly!
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Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
  • 2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese
  • ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
  • Whipped Cream
  • 6 Oreo cookies
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 300º F. Place a pan of hot water on the bottom rack of your oven.
  2. Mix cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter. Pat into bottom and up sides of 2 (4-inch) cheesecake springform pans. Set aside.
  3. Mix cream cheese, condensed milk, sugar, and cornstarch until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well. Add lemon juice, and vanilla until well blended. Add sour cream and beat for 1½ minutes.
  4. Pour half of mixture into prepared crusts. Place 2 Oreos over mixture. Pour remaining half of mixture over Oreos. Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes. Turn off oven, open oven door, and let cakes remain in open oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven. Once cakes are cool, refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
  5. Remove from refrigerator and remove from springform pans.
  6. Serve with whipped cream and Oreos on top.

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Frosty Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie



Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cups ginger snap crumbs
  • 3 tbsp. 2% fat plain Greek yogurt
  • ⅓ cup toffee flavored peanuts or honey roasted peanuts, crushed
  • 8 cups reduced fat vanilla ice cream, divided
  • 1 cup light whipped topping, thawed
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 3 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. ground ginger
  • ⅛ tsp. ground nutmeg
  • ⅛ tsp. ground allspice
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, combine crumbs and yogurt and press into spring form pan.
  2. Freeze for 30 minutes.
  3. Soften 4 cups ice cream by placing in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
  4. Fold 1 cup whipped topping, toffee peanuts and ice cream together. Spread over crust and freeze for 1 hour.
  5. Soften last 4 cups ice cream. Mix in pumpkin, brown sugar, and spices.
  6. Spread over pie. Cover with plastic wrap then foil.
  7. Freeze for 8 hours or overnight.
  8. Sprinkle with ginger and serve.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 slice Calories: 211 Fat: 7 Saturated fat: 3 Unsaturated fat: 1 Trans fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 34 Sugar: 21 Fiber: 1Protein: 4 Cholesterol: 15

TACO PASTA SALAD

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A delicious Taco Pasta Salad that will please all ages! A salad or a dip...you decide the way you want to serve it!
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Serves: 8
INGREDIENTS
  • 14 oz bag Dog Lovers Pasta - or any short shape
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 2 pkgs. Taco seasoning mix
  • 1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained
  • 1 lb. Velveeta cheese
  • 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes and green chilies, mild or hot
  • 1 10 oz. pkgs shredded iceberg lettuce
  • 2 large tomatoes, chopped
  • Toppings: Chopped green onions, sliced black olives, sliced avocados, sour cream, all optional
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Cook beef in large skillet sauté pan over medium heat until no longer pink, stirring to crumble. Drain well. Add taco seasoning mixture, following package directions.
  2. Cook pasta in gently boiling water for approx. 6 minutes, until tender but firm. Drain and add to seasoned beef. Add pinto beans.
  3. Melt cheese and diced tomatoes and green chilies over low heat or in top of double broiler, stirring often until cheese melts. Add to beef mixture and stir carefully to combine. Reheat and serve over shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes, or with your favorite tortilla chips.
  4. Add toppings as desired

FLORENTINE PASTA SALAD WITH RED GRAPES AND CASHEWS

Had to borrow this bcuz it was so YUMMY!!
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A wonderful recipe from my guest blogger, my Mom "Cookie"! Whether a tailgating event, or luncheon salad...your guests will rave about the delicious flavors!
Author: 
Serves: 8
INGREDIENTS
  • ½ cup green onions, chopped
  • ½ cup celery, chopped
  • 1½ cups (about ½ pound) red grapes, sliced in half (they must be sweet)
  • ½ cup sliced water chestnuts, roughly chopped
  • 2 cups (about 3 oz.) fresh spinach leaves, stacked and sliced thinly into julienne strips (like you julienne fresh basil), measured after slicing
  • 8 oz. short shaped pasta, cooked by package directions, to yield 3 to 4 cups cooked.
  • 1 or 2 cups salted cashews, hold and stir in just before serving for maximum crunch
  • Dressing:
  • ½ cup mayonnaise (light or canola oil mayo, just fine)
  • ¼- 1/2 t. curry powder
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Mix first six ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. Combine mayo and curry powder well, add to bowl and stir til all ingredients are well coated. Cover and refrigerate.
  3. Just before serving, mix in cashews, taste, and add salt if needed.
  4. Transfer to serving dish. Dust top lightly with paprika - my kitchen "rouge" for almost any dish.
NOTES
This recipe serves 8-10 and can be double or tripled easily!

ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND PUMPKIN PASTA

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Italian Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta combines fall flavors and textures. Pumpkin, Italian sausage, coconut milk, and spices create a hearty yet light pasta!
Author: 
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS
  • 16 oz. Italian Inspired "Zucchette" Pasta (may substitute penne or rigatoni)
  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 1 lb. Italian sausage
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 sprigs sage leaves, chiffonade (thinly cut), or 2-3 t. dried sage
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • ¾ cup canned pumpkin
  • ⅔ cup coconut milk
  • ⅛ t. cinnamon
  • ½ t. nutmeg
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
  • Pepitas for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. In a large nonstick pan, brown sausage over medium high heat with 1 T. olive oil.
  2. Transfer sausage to a plate lined with paper towels.
  3. Drain excess fat from pan, add 1 T. olive oil, and saute the onion and garlic until transparent, approx. 4-5 minutes.
  4. Add white wine, sage, and bay leaf to pan. Reduce wine by about half. Should take just a couple of minutes.
  5. Add chicken broth and pumpkin and stir until sauce begins to simmer.
  6. Add sausage and coconut milk and reduce heat. Stir to combine.
  7. Season with cinnamon and nutmeg. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Simmer sauce 8-10 minutes until thickened. Remove bay leaf.
  9. Cook pasta according to package instructions and drain.
  10. In a serving dish, pour sauce over pasta and toss gently.
  11. Serve pasta in bowls topped with fresh Parm and pepitas! Enjoy!