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Thanks to everyone who entered. ensgordon is the winner! Here’s ensgordon’s recipe:
Warm Flourless Chocolate Cakes with Chocolate Sauce Centers
(makes 4 individual cakes)
yes, these are very rich and probably only for special occassions but are so good and are great because you do most of the work the day before!!! and, they are easy to make. be sure to save the seperated egg whites and freeze – once you get enough (around 12) there is nothing like a home made angel food cake.
5 whole eggs
5 egg yolks
1/2 c. sugar
9 ounces dark chocolate
2 sticks unsalted butter
3 ounces unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 c. (approximately) dark or bittersweet chocolate chips or
small chunks of chocolate
Day before serving –
in a large mixing bowl, wisk together whole eggs, egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow. melt dark chocolate and butter together (carefully in a microwave or in a bowl set over slowly simmering water). cool chocolate mixture slightly and then fold into beaten egg mixture. fold cocoa powder into mixture. chill for 24 hours or up to 36 hours.
To serve –
divide batter evenly and spoon into four 4-ounce custard cups (or other similar vessels). bury 8 to 10 chocolate chips (or chunks) into center of each cup of batter, making sure chocolate chips are not visible. bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. (note: do not attempt to test doneness with cake tester).
remove from oven and using a pot holder, turn each cake on to a plate and serve immediately with small scoop of quality vanilla ice cream (and some raspberries, if desired).
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Watch this space for new questions and prizes every weekday for a month!
The bags contain lots of new foods you might not have tried. A few prizes are coupons for free items which will be sent to you, at no cost. Each bag also has extra packets of grocery coupons.
Every bag is different, but some of the items included are: Hungry-Man meals, Lance whole-grain snack crackers, Crisco olive oils, Skinny Cow ice cream treats, Wickles pickles, Penzey’s cinnamon, Orbit gums, Pepperidge Farm 100-calorie packs and granola cookies, Tyson products, Truvia sweetener, Eagle Mills Ultragrain flour, Zen Crunch, Dunkin Donuts, and lots of grocery coupons, too.
Buffalo Chicken over Rice
Cooked, cubed or shredded chicken (2 pounds)
Half bottle of B
Buffalo Chicken over Rice
Cooked (any way you choose) cubed or shredded chicken
Half Bottle of Bleu Cheese Dressing
Half Bottle of Hot Sauce (or more to taste)
6 oz. of crumbled Bleu Cheese
4 cups cooked rice
Mix together the chicken, bleu cheese dressing and hot sauce. Put in casserole dish and top with crumbled bleu cheese. Bake 20 minutes at 350. Serve on top of cooked rice.
chicken pot pie.
I make the filling ahead of time.
1 lb cooked chicken thighs, or you can use a premade chicken ( chopped.
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 bag mixed veggies
1 refrigirated pie crust.
preheat oven to 400 deegres. mix all ingredients, except pie crust in a large bowl.
When ready to cook, put 1st pie crust in pie plate. Then, add filling. Add second pie crust on top. Pinch edges together, and cut a few slits in top. Bake at 400 for 40 minutes. For a golden crust brush with a little milk before baking.
This is a Zucchini and Egg Dish made with Bisquick. I use it as a main dish served with a salad and/or an appetizer. it can be made ahead of time and put into the micro to heat – or eaten right from the frig.
3 Cups thinly sliced unpared zucchini 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Cup Bisquick 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 Cup finely chopped onion or oregano leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesam cheese Dash of pepper
2 Tablespoons snipped parsley 1/2 Cup vegetable oil
4 Eggs, slightly beaten
Heat oven to 350. Grease oblong 13×9 inch pan. Mix all ingredients together, spread into pan. Bake till golden brown, about 25 minutes. When cool cut into pieces.
Zucchini Casserole
4 Cups Zucchini, sliced and boiled a few minutes and drained
Saute 1 small onion and 3/4 cup shredded carrot and set aside.
Zucchini Casserole
4 Cups of Zucchini sliced & Boiled a few minutes, drain.
Saute 1 small onion & 3/4 cup shredded carrot & set aside.
Blend together the following:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 Cup Sour cream
1 1/2 Cups herbed bread cubes
Salt & pepper to taste
Combine ALL ingredients and pour into an 8″ baking dish & add additional bread cubes on top. Bake @ 350 degrees for 25-30 min.
This dish can be prepared ahead (or even frozen) & baked when ready to serve…always a big hit!
Easy Quick Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
4-pound whole chicken
40 cloves of garlic (unpeeled)
2 stalks of celery cut in pieces
Spices: Fresh thyme, rosemary, parsley,sage, (2 sprigs of each)
1 loaf toasted italian or french bread
Place 1 sprig of each fresh spice in chicken cavity. Place celery in bottom of “Crock Pot”. Place chicken on top, add garlic around chicken.Chop remaining spices sprinkle on top and salt and pepper.
Cover and cook low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
Serve: Place chicken and celery on platter, Squeeze garlic out of skins and spread with knife on bread. ENJOY
Tex Mex Skillet
1 lb ground turkey
2 cloves garlic
12 oz can corn, drained
16 oz can black beans, drained
12 oz jar salsa (I use fresh from the produce section)
1/2 cup water
2 tsp taco seasoning mix or to taste
1/2 cup 2% shredded cheese
8 whole wheat tortillas
Optional: chopped tomato, shredded lett, scallions, and low fat sour cream.
1. Cook meat and garlic over med-high heat until meat lightly browned. Drain any fat.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients except cheese and tortillas.
3. Bring to a boil and lower heat.
4. Cover and simmer 10 mins.
5. Uncover and top with cheese.
6. Serve with tortilla chips or roll in whole wheat tortilla.
7. Top with chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, low-fat sour cream and scallions if you want.
So quick and easy! Yummy and suprisingly light. I even like it cold!
Cook the meat ahead of time and reheat for a quick weeknight meal.
This is a Zucchini and egg dish make with Bisquick. I use it as a main dish served with a salad and/or as an appetizer. it can be made ahead of time and heated in the micro before serving, or eaten right from the frig.
3 Cups thinly sliced unpared zucchini (about 4 small zucchini)
1 Cup Bisquick
1/2 Cup finely chopped onion
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons snipped parsley
4 Eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/2 Teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano leaves
Dash of pepper
1/2 Cup vegetable oil
Heat oven to 350. Grease oblong 13×9 inch pan. Mix all ingredients together, spread into pan. Bake until golden brown, 25 minutes. When cool cut into pieces.
Macaroni & Cheese Shepard’s Pie
3 T. Kosher Salt
1 lb. small pasta shells
2 T. vegetable oil
2 C. chopped onion
1 C. chopped green pepper
5 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/4 lb. lean ground beef
1 T. ground black pepper
3/4 C. BBQ sauce
1/4 C. butter
1/4 C. flour
2 1/2 C. half and half or milk
3 C. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 C. freshly grated Parmigano Reggiano
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
BBQ sauce to taste
1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2.Bring large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 2 tablespoons of the salt and then add pasta shells. Cook til al dente. Drain, rinse in cold water and set pasta aside.
3.Throw a skillet over medium heat and swirl in the vegetable oil. Add in half the onions and half the peppers and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
4.Dump in the ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook it with the veggies until it looses it’s pinkness. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons each of salt and pepper, then pour in the BBQ sauce, stir and remove from heat.
5.Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in remaining onions and peppers and cook until soft.
6.Add the flour and whisk like crazy until it is well blended.
7.Slowly dribble in half and half or milk, whisking as you go. When the mixture bubbles and thickens slightly, remove from heat.
8.Stir in 2 cups of the cheddar, the Parmigano-Reggiano, mustard, and the remaining salt and pepper. Add BBQ sauce to your liking to spice it up. Stir until the cheeses are melted.
9.Fold the cheese sauce into the drained pasta and set aside.
10.Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Spread the ground beef mixture in the bottom of the dish, then spread the mac and cheese over it.
11.Top everything with the last cup of cheddar and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or til the cheese sauce bubbles around the edges.
12.Let the dish rest about 15 minutes before serving…if you can wait that long!
Recipe: Tasty Make Ahead Salad Dresssing:
1 tbsp Hellan’s Mayo
1/4 tsp McCormick Salad Supreme
1/4 tsp vinegar (your choice)
Whisk together and keep in frig up to one week. If too thick
you can thin out with water.
GREEK-STYLE STUFFED PEPPERS
* 1 pound lean ground beef
* 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
* 1 medium zucchini, coarsely grated (about 2 cups)
* 1 small onion, minced (about 1 cup)
* 1/2 cup bulghur
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 3 red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, cores and ribs removed
* 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans low-sodium stewed tomatoes, finely chopped
* 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl combine the beef, spinach, zucchini, onion, bulghur, egg, oregano, salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined.
Arrange the pepper halves cut side up in a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and fill each pepper half with the meat mixture. Pour the tomatoes over the peppers and sprinkle with the feta cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the meat mixture is completely cooked and the peppers are tender, about 25 minutes longer.
Make ahead meal: Veal Stew
Veal Stew meat about 1 pound. Flour and brown in oil.
Remove from pan. Add 1 onion sliced, cook until transparent.
Add 1/2 Tsp. gravy master, 1 Tsp. Worcestershire sauce, parsley (fresh or dry), black pepper, paprika (optional), 1/2 cup water.
Add meat and simmer 30mins. Reheat and serve with rice or noodles.
One full size filet of Salmon. Spread Silver Palate Mango Chutner with dash of soy sauce. Butter I’m not one for measuring… Add roasted red peppers and enclose in foil and place on grill or oven. Make some angel hair pasta and add some herbed goat cchees. Not too much. Place Salmon over after grilled or baked at 450 for 20 minutes. YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!! Can add broccoli florets…
Overnight french toast
1 french bread, cut into 2″ slices
1c real maple syrup
6 whole eggs
1C fat free milk
2 tea Cinnamon
1 Tea vanilla
Pour syrup into the bottom of a Pam sprayed 13×9″ baking dish. Arrange bread slices in pan then flip them over.
In blender, mix eggs, milk, vanilla and 1/2 cinnamon.
Pour over bread slices, cover & refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, uncover and sprinkle additional cinnamon.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 40-50 minutes until browned. Delicious with maple syrup or fruit compote.
Dutch Baby-Serves four.
1/4 cup butter
1 cup flour
pinch of salt
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 cup of milk
4 eggs
Preheat 425 degrees. Melt butter into casserole dish. Preheat the
butter in the oven. Mix together the flour, salt, sugar, and milk. Add in eggs one at a time, pour into butter mixture. Bake for 25- 30 minutes.
Top with maple syrup,chocolate,fruit,butter or whatever you are in the mood for ….
Casseroles are great for make ahead dishes. This is my Great Grand Mother’s Sausage Cheese & Noodle Casserole. We love it!
1 8 oz. package egg noodles
1 lb. sausage
1/4 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup sliced onions
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 16 oz. can crushed tomatoes
Salt & Pepper
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
Cook noodles according to directions, drain. Break up sausage and brown with onions & mushrooms. Add salt, pepper and mustard then tomatoes.
Spray a casserole dish with Pam. Layer noodles, cheese & sausage.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
This can be reheated by just putting some aluminium foil over the top.
Enjoy!
Warm Flourless Chocolate Cakes with Chocolate Sauce Centers
(makes 4 individual cakes)
yes, these are very rich and probably only for special occassions but are so good and are great because you do most of the work the day before!!! and, they are easy to make. be sure to save the seperated egg whites and freeze – once you get enough (around 12) there is nothing like a home made angel food cake.
5 whole eggs
5 egg yolks
1/2 c. sugar
9 ounces dark chocolate
2 sticks unsalted butter
3 ounces unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 c. (approximately) dark or bittersweet chocolate chips or
small chunks of chocolate
Day before serving –
in a large mixing bowl, wisk together whole eggs, egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow. melt dark chocolate and butter together (carefully in a microwave or in a bowl set over slowly simmering water). cool chocolate mixture slightly and then fold into beaten egg mixture. fold cocoa powder into mixture. chill for 24 hours or up to 36 hours.
To serve –
divide batter evenly and spoon into four 4-ounce custard cups (or other similar vessels). bury 8 to 10 chocolate chips (or chunks) into center of each cup of batter, making sure chocolate chips are not visible. bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. (note: do not attempt to test doneness with cake tester).
remove from oven and using a pot holder, turn each cake on to a plate and serve immediately with small scoop of quality vanilla ice cream (and some raspberries, if desired).
A big bowl of chile!! Easy to warm up on a moment’s notice
A pound of ground beef – browned
A pound of diced onions – browned
A pound of HOT italian sausage without the skins – browned
A pound of lean bacon diced – browned
Blend all meats and onions after browning and strain off the fat
Add mushrooms, and tomato sauce, tomato paste and plenty of spices to taste.
We like to add cumin (lots and lots of cumin), chili powder, oregano, etc.
Have fun with it! Each batch will be delicious and different and warm you down to the bone.
Everyone loves lasagna but no one likes to make it because you have to fool around with layering the slippery boiled noodles, but with this recipe you layer the dry noodles in the casserole (that’s right, DRY)! The trick is layering the lasagna and covering it with saran wrap, then foil, and bake at a low temperature — this traps the moisture in and cooks the dry noodles!! You can use any lasagna recipe so long as you follow the layering and cooking instructions — but here is my recipe below. So easy to assemble, it just takes some time to bake in the oven!!!
1 pound ground beef
1, 15 oz container of ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2-3 cups mozzarella cheese
2 jars pasta sauce
1 pound of lasagna noodles
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Cook meat until done on stove top. In one bowl, mix together ricotta, eggs, parmesan cheese and cooked meat. Set aside. In a large lasagna pan, pour 1 cup of the pasta sauce on the bottom. Add one single layer of dry noodles. Top that with 1/2 of the meat-cheese mixture. Top that with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese and 1 cup of sauce. Place another layer of dry noodles on top. Top that with the remainder of the meat-cheese mixture and then another 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese and 1 cup of sauce. Top with last layer of dry noodles. Spread last cup of sauce on top, then the rest of the mozzarella cheese. Cover lasagna with plastic wrap which will seal in the moisture. Then cover that with aluminum foil (so the plastic doesn’t melt). Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes (or until the noodles are tender). Then increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees, uncover the lasagna and bake, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Let cool before serving.
I make a great pasta salad. It can be eaten hot or cold. (I prefer cold) Take a box of tri-color pasta (cook till al dente) rinse then add a 8oz bottle of any italian dressing and mix with pasta. I also add in a small can of garbanzo beans and some sliced black olives. Cover with plastic wrap and refridgerate overnight or until pasta is cold. Make sure you re toss mix before serving. (you can change the beans; like red beans or black beans-any canned bean is fine, also can add onions or scallions for different flavor.) No salt or spices necessary because the italian dressing is what makes it kick!
Easy zucchini/tomato side
3 medium zucchini sliced thin
1 can stewed tomatos
1 8 oz. package shredded cheddar cheese
Par boil zucchini for 5 min; drain. Pour in casserole dish, add undrained stewed tomatos and mix. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 until cheese is melted. Can make ahead of time! Enjoy :)