Toffee crisps

This is a Pampered Chef recipe I've had for a couple of years.

12 whole graham crackers
3/4 c packed brown sugar
3/4 c butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 c chopped almonds

Preheat oven to 350. Arrange graham crackers on baking sheet. In saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter and vanilla. Cook over medium heat, stirring occassionally until mixture comes to a full boil. Continue boiling 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and immediately pour mixture evenly over crackers. Bake 10-12 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned. Remove and sprinkle with chocolate; allow to soften then spread evenly. Sprinkle almonds over chocolate. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm, then break into pieces.

Tanya's Five Cheese Casserole

1 lb. noodles of your choice (I usually use penne or fussili)
16 oz. cheese of your choice
1 onion, chopped (optional)
1/4 c. white cooking wine (optional)
1 tblsp. oregano
1 tblsp. basil
1-2 tsp. pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
1 tblsp. sugar (you can definitely use less or none at all)

Mix everything except the noodles and cheese together in a pot and bring to a boil; stir occasionally. Once it boils, turn heat off and remove pot from burner.
Cook noodles until almost done; drain water and pour into a 9 by 13 inch casserole dish. Pour spaghetti sauce mix over noodles and then top with whatever cheeses you desire. I use mozzarella,five cheese blend and parmesan cheese. Bake in oven on 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly brown on top and bubbly!

Tex Mex Lasagna (meat free)

1/4 cup bottled salsa
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 (14.5 oz) can no salt-added diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can no salt-added tomato sauce
Cooking spray
6 precooked lasagna noodles (such as Barilla or Vigo)
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups (8 oz) preshredded 4 cheese Mexican blend cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Combine first 4 ingredients; spread 2/3 cup sauce in bottom of an 8 inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 2 noodles over sauce; top with 1/2 cup corn and half of beans. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese; top with 2/3 cup sauce. Repeat layers once, top with remaining 2 noodles. Spread remaining sauce over noodles. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Cover and bake at 450 for 30 minutes or until noodles are tender and sauce is bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes. Sprinkle with onions. Yield: 4 servings.

Ryan's Creamed Spinach

Here's the recipe for Ryan's favorite--creamed spinach!

1 lb. of fresh spinach (recipe called for 3 pounds, but I thought it was too much). I think you could also adapt this recipe and use frozen.
3 Tblspn. butter
1 Tblspn minced garlic
1/2 cup parmesan
3/4 cup heavy cream, heated
pinch of grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Wash and drain spinach and pile into a non-reactive pot (whatever that means). Place pot over medium heat and cook, stirring until just wilted, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Use your hand to squeeze out excess water. Transfer to cutting board and roughly chop. Melt the butter in a small sauce pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook about 2 minutes. Add the cream, parmesan, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the cream has thickened up a bit. Add the spinach and it is ready to serve!

Stromboli

2 lbs. ground beef
1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 jar spaghetti sauce (I use Robusto Ragu)
1 small can sliced mushrooms
2 cans refrigerated pizza dough/crust

In a pan, brown ground beef and onions; drain grease. Add jar of spaghetti sauce and garlic, italian seasoning, basil, oregano, garlic salt and mushrooms. Stir occasionally until thoroughly heated. Add the cheeses and mix evenly. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side. Pinch seams to seal and tuck ends under. Place seam side down on baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until brown.

This serves 6 people.
This is a great recipe to make in advance and leave in the refrigerator until needed!!!!!

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Ribbon Dessert

Prep Time:
15 min

Total Time:
4 hr 15 min

Makes:
12 servings

What You Need

12 NUTTER BUTTER Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, divided

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tub (12 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

2 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted

Make It

CRUSH 8 of the cookies in resealable plastic bag with rolling pin. Mix cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto bottom of foil-lined 9x5-inch loaf pan.

MIX cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gently stir in 3 cups of the whipped topping. Spoon 1/2 cup of the cream cheese mixture into small bowl. Stir in melted chocolate until well blended; set aside. Spoon half of the remaining cream cheese mixture over crust. Top evenly with chocolate mixture; cover with remaining cream cheese mixture.

FREEZE 4 hours or overnight until firm. Invert onto plate. Remove foil, then re-invert onto serving platter so that crumb layer is on bottom. Coarsely break the remaining 4 cookies. Top dessert with remaining whipping topping and cookies.

This was Mia's b-day cake and everyone loved it. I also made this for the x-mas party!

Crunchy Onion Chicken

Crunchy Onion Chicken

1 1/3 cups French's Original French Fried Onions (the stuff you use on green bean casserole)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten

• Crush the french fried onions in a plastic bag.
• Dip chicken in to egg. Coat in onion crumbs. Press firmly to adhere.
• Place chicken on baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until no longer pink in center.