Pioneer Woman’s Fancy Macaroni

I made PW’s fancy macaroni over Christmas break and let me tell you, I will use this as my Macaroni & Cheese dish from here on out.

Note: I cut the amount of butter she used, when frying up the onions, in half and didn’t notice any less flavor.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies with Peppermint Filling

1. 1/2 cup butter
2. 1 cup packed brown sugar
3. 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
4. 1/2 tsp. baking soda
5. 1/4 tsp. salt
6. 1 egg
7. 1 tsp. vanilla
8. 2 c. all-purpose flour
9. 1/2 c. buttermilk
10. 1 1-ounce bottle red food coloring (2 tbsp).
11. Peppermint and cream cheese filling (below)

Preheat oven to 375. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, beat the 1/2 cup butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined. Alternately add flour and buttermilk, beating on  low speed after each addition just until combined. Stir in red food coloring.

Spoon dough from a rounded measuring teaspoon 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are set. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool.

Spread peppermint and cream cheese filling on flat sides of half of the cookies. Top with remainig cookies, flat sides down, pressing lightly together.

If desired, before serving, sprinkle each cookie with finely chopped peppermint candies. Makes about 40 cookies.

Peppermint and Cream Cheese Filling:

1. 2 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2. 3 tbsp. butter, softened
3. 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
4. 3 cups powdered sugar
5. Milk, as needed for spreading consistency

In a large bowl combine two 3-ounce packages cream cheese, softened; and 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-low to medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in 3 cups powdered sugar. Add milk, 1 tsp. at a time, to make a filling of spreading consistency.

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Christmas Cookie, December 2009

Cooking Light, fresh food fast: Southwestern Chicken and White Bean Soup p. 34

• 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded (I cook mine in water for 20-25 minutes)
• 1 tbsp. taco seasoning
• Cooking spray (I used olive oil for sauteeing)
• 2-14 oz. cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth (I used regular chicken broth)
• 1-16 oz. can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup green salsa
• Light sour cream (optional)
• Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Combine cooked & shredded chicken with taxo seasoning; toss well to coat. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with spray. Add chicken: saute 2 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned. Add broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.

Place beans in a small bowl; mash until only a few whole beans remain. Add beans and salsa to pan, stirring well. Bring to a boil. Reduct heat; simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thick. Serve with sour cream and cilantro, if desired.

Makes 6 servings, 1 cup each.

134 calories

The Big Book of Easy Suppers: Sausage & Cannellini Bean Soup p. 22

• 1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage
• 2 large leeks, white parts only, well rinsed & coarsely chopped (I used half a medium onion when I made this last time, worked perfectly!)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (didn’t have any the last time I made it, didn’t miss it!)
• 1 – 15 oz. can cannellini beans or other white beans (I used a can of navy beans), drained and rinsed
• 3 cups chicken broth (I used 3 - 14 1/2 oz. cans)
• 1 – 14 1/2 oz. can crushed tomatoes in rich puree (I used a can of diced ones – drained)
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parley (didn’t have any, didn’t miss it)
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• freshly ground pepper, to taste
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling

In a large soup pot over medium heat, combine sausage, leeks and garlic. Saute, breaking up meat with a spoon, until meat is browned and vegetables are tender, 6 to 7 minutes, adding a little oil if needed.

Add beans, broth, tomatoes, parsley, basil, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve in bowls, sprinkled with Parmesan.

Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies

From the Oprah website,

Recipe created by Carolyn Gurtz, winner of the 2008 Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest

It’s a twist on the classic peanut butter cookie! Crunchy outside, creamy inside, with just a hint of cinnamon. A real winner.

Ingredients:

Makes 24 cookies

• 1/4 cup Fisher dry-roasted peanuts , finely chopped
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup JIF creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 roll (16.5 ounces) Pillsbury refrigerated peanut butter cookies , well chilled
• Crisco original no-stick cooking spray

Heat oven to 375°. In small bowl, mix chopped peanuts, granulated sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

In another small bowl, stir peanut butter and powdered sugar until completely blended. Shape mixture into 24 balls, about 1 inch each.

Cut roll of cookie dough into 12 slices. Cut each slice in half crosswise to make 24 pieces; flatten slightly. Shape 1 cookie dough piece around 1 peanut butter ball, covering completely. Repeat with remaining dough and balls.

Roll each covered ball in peanut mixture; gently pat mixture completely onto balls. On ungreased large cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart. Spray bottom of drinking glass with Crisco original no-stick cooking spray; press into remaining peanut mixture. Flatten each ball to 1/2-inch thickness with bottom of glass. Sprinkle any remaining peanut mixture evenly on tops of cookies; gently press into dough.

Bake 7 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Store tightly covered.

Cauliflower Salad

INGREDIENTS

• Head of lettuce (I use the bags of shredded lettuce, usually 2)
• 2 – 4 cups chopped cauliflower
• 1 lb bacon, fried crisp, drained and crumbled or 1 jar of Hormel Bacon bits
• 1 Cup (4 oz) grated parmesan cheese
• Fresh ground pepper to taste
• Dressing:
• 2 cups of Mayo
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1 tbsp. dry onions

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large salad bowl, combine all ingredients except pepper and toss well.
2. Season to taste with pepper.

Pink Slush ala my Little Drinkin’ Grandma

INGREDIENTS

• 1 can pink lemonade (undiluted)
• 1 can grapefruit juice (undiluted)
• 1/2 qt. bottle cranberry cocktail juice
• 2 cans water
• 2 cans white rum

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix and freeze until slushy.

RECIPE BACKSTORY

Handed down from my naughty little slushy drinking Grandma!

Connie’s Frozen Slush

INGREDIENTS

• 2 qt. bottle cranberry juice
• 1 pint apricot brandy
• 1 can frozen lemonade
• DIRECTIONS

1. Mix all together and freeze.
2. Serve topped with Sprite to the level of alcohol you’d like.
3. I like more slush and less sprite myself!

RECIPE BACKSTORY

Connie brings this to a New Year’s Eve party every year and it guarantees the party hosts’ on-time guest arrivals because nobody wants to miss out on the slush and Connie refuses to make a bigger batch! I got her to give up the recipe after she’d been liquored up!

Cheesy Hashbrowns

• 1-30 ounce bag of frozen hash Browns
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 cups CoJack (marble jack) cheese, shredded
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS

1. Defrost hashbrowns. Melt butter. Add soup, sour cream and salt to butter. Stir. Add hashbrowns and shredded cheese.
2. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with cooking spray and poor in ingredients. Top with bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, covered loosely with foil. Remove foil last five minutes to brown.

RECIPE BACKSTORY

If these aren’t provided at every family gathering, our niece, Tracy, cries. She’s in her twenties. She’s too old to cry over missing cheesy hashbrowns! Alas, we are not willing to take a chance and sometimes more than one of us will show up with a pan full of them!

Corn Salsa

• 30 oz cooked corn kernels
• 15 oz canned black beans
• 3 medium tomato(es)
• 2 Tbsp canned jalapeno peppers
• 1 medium green pepper(s)
• 4 Tbsp cilantro
• 1/2 medium red onion(s)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp unsweetened lime juice
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice, canned or bottled

DIRECTIONS

1. Chop up the vegetables and toss into a large bowl. Dump in the corn and black beans. Stir in the lemon and lime juice. Salt to taste