Easy Chicken Artichoke Penne

Mmmmm! I threw this together last night and it was so good I wanted to write it down so I wouldn't forget it.  It's creamy, tangy and a lovely entree! This is my quick and easy version but if you like the real deal you can use fresh chicken and fresh crumbled bacon. Either way it's super yummy!

Chicken Artichoke Penne

• 1 box of penne pasta
• 2 cans of chicken chunks
• 1 can marinated artichoke hearts, halved
• 1 pkg real bacon bits (the real bacon)
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup sliced celery
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese 
• Monari Federzoni Balsamic glaze - roasted pepper flavor  (on the vinegar shelf at Walmart)

Dressing

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use Kraft made with olive oil)
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 6 drops of lemon essential oil (essential oil is very concentrated which is why I prefer it to extracts or zesting. It adds to the flavor in a way I can't describe. I use doterra brand oil) 

Boil penne according to directions on box. Rinse and place in large salad bowl. Add chicken, artichokes with juice, bacon, tomatoes, celery, green onions and spinach and cheese. Toss together. In a separate small bowl mix together dressing ingredients and pour into pasta salad. Stir together. Enjoy!

Valentine Parfait

Mmmmm! This is super yummy and so beautiful. It's creamy and cold and who doesn't love cherries?

Valentine Parfait

1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling divided
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 pkg. (8 serving size) cherry Jell-O
1 1/2 cups cold water
4 cups angel food cake cubes
3 cups cold milk
2 pkg (4 serving size) instant vanilla pudding
1 tub (8 oz) cool whip topping, thawed and divided

Reserve 1/3 cup cherry pie filling for garnish, set aside. Stir boiling water into dry gelatin mix in large bowl at least 2 minutes until dissolved. Stir in cold water and remaining cherry pie filling. Refrigerate 45 minutes until slightly thick.

Place cake cubes in 3 quart glass serving dish. Spoon gelatin mixture over cake. Refrigerate 45 minutes until set but not firm.

Pour milk into large bowl. Add dry eat with whisk 2 minutes. Gently stir in 2 cups of whipped topping. Spoon over gelatin mixture in dish. Refrigerate 2 hours until set. Top with remaining whipped topping and reserved cherry pie filling. Enjoy!

Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Soup

 Found this recipe on pinterest. I added more flour and milk when I made it to make it extra thick and creamy.I think squeezing a lime over the top adds an extra zest!

Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Soup

• 1 envelope taco seasoning
• 1-½ pound Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, shredded
• ½ cups Chopped Onion
• 4 Tbsp Butter
• ⅓ cup Flour
• 4 cups broth, chicken or vegetable
• 8-12 oz. 2% Milk Velveeta, cubed
• 8 oz. Shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican 4 cheese blend shredded cheese
• 1 jar fresh salsa
• 1 cup half and half or milk
• 1 bag Fritos
• green onions, sliced 
• sour cream
• lime wedges

Place frozen chicken breasts in microwave for about 10 minutes. When chicken is white in center, shred with 2 forks. In a skillet on medium high, add 2 Tbsp butter, chicken and taco seasoning and cook until it is thoroughly cooked. Drain, and shred - set aside.

In large saucepan (or pot), saute onion in 2 Tbsp butter for 2 minutes. Stir in flour until blended, then gradually stir in the broth. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for two minutes longer, or until thickened slightly. Add Velveeta, shredded cheese and salsa. Cook on medium-low until cheese is melted.

Stir in half and half. Add the chicken back in. Stir. Heat through but do not boil. Remove from heat. Garnish with Fritos, sour cream,green onions and limes. Enjoy!

Savory Spaghetti

Oh, how I love a good bowl of spaghetti! Not the canned stuff - the real stuff! This is a recipe I got from my sister in law Stacey. I added my favorite secret ingredient to it that I think enhances sloppy joes, chili and spaghetti sauce- and that's cinnamon. I also added cumin. It's so yummy you'll eat the whole pot! Also, the white cheddar cheese makes all the difference. It's sharp and perfect for this dish. SO much better than Parmesan or mozzarella - trust me!

Savory Spaghetti

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 medium onion
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Brown all of these together in a pan. In a large pot on medium high, add the remaining ingredients (EXCEPT FOR OLIVES AND CHEESE):

• 1 qt tomato juice
• 2 1/2 cup water
• 1 (15 oz) can of tomato paste
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 Tbsp basil
• 1 Tbsp oregano
• 2 Tbsp parsley
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 6 drops Tabasco sauce
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 package of spaghetti, broken in half
• 1/2 cup ripe olives
• 1 bag of Great Value shredded white cheddar cheese

Add more water if needed. Liquid should always cover spaghetti so it will boil and become tender. Once it is soft (about 12 minutes) add hamburger mixture. Cover with lid and simmer on low for 40 minutes. Top with olives and white cheddar cheese. Enjoy!

Mini Cake Mix Dreams

 

You know me, I love my cake mix cookies!  I add fun variations on here all the time and here's my latest!

This was a last minute idea I came up with for a Valentine's Activity yesterday. It was quick, easy and from what I heard, DELICIOUS! They are creamy and oh so soft!

You can play around with this and try different options like lemon cake mix topped with raspberries. Call them raspberry lemonade cookies! Strawberry cake mix would be fun for a baby shower or Valentine's Day. Pistachio pudding (in the topping) for St. Patrick's day! Even carrot cake or red velvet cake mix would make some yummy ones using cheesecake pudding in the topping! Mmmm..and what about a banana pudding topping over chocolate cookies! Have fun and do share what you try!

Mini Cake Mix Dreams

• 1 box of cake mix (I used white and chocolate)
• 1 stick butter, softened 
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup whipping cream (or sour cream) to make them extra soft

Topping

• 1 large tub of cool whip
• 1 pkg coconut instant pudding (or cheesecake)
• 1 pkg of fresh strawberries, quartered 

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl add cake mix, butter and egg. Mix well. In a separate bowl whip cream together until stiff. Gently fold into cookie batter. Refrigerate dough for 2 hours. (If you skip this step your cookies will come out thin and flat. The cold temperature of the butter in the dough helps them hold shape in the oven). Shape dough into 2 inch balls and space 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. 

Bake for 11 minutes. Cool and set aside. 

Meanwhile, open cool whip container and empty dry pudding mix inside. Blend well. Spread onto cooled cookies and top with strawberries. Refrigerate until ready to eat. The topping will turn into a thick mousse and will stay that way at room temperature. Enjoy!

S'mores Shake

 I heard about a recipe for a marshmallow shake circulating the internet and I thought to myself, how about I take it a step further and create a s'mores shake! So that's what I did.

This is super yummy and perfect for enjoying near a fire!

S'mores Shake

• 1 bag jumbo marshmallows
• 2 cups milk
• 2 Tbsp. sour cream
• 3 cups creamy vanilla ice cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 box of graham crackers 
• 1/4 cup butter, melted 
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar 
• 1 king size Hershey milk chocolate bar 

In a medium sized bowl, crush cup of graham crackers into crumbs enough to make 1 cup. Add melted butter and brown sugar. Stir together until it forms a crust crumble.Set aside.

On a cookie sheet, place 1/2 bag of marshmallows in a row. Turn oven to broil. Place in oven for 2 to 3 minutes, until completely charred.Take out of oven and let cool.

Repeat this step but only let the marshmallows toast, so they are slightly burnt.Take out of oven and let cool.

In a blender, pour milk, sour cream, ice cream, vanilla extract and charred marshmallows. Mix for 5 minutes. Pour in a large glass about 1/3 of the way. Add layer of crust crumble, repeat until filled to the top. Top with crust crumble, graham crackers and a big toasted marshmallow!

It's always fun to have a little helper!

Polenta

So what is polenta? Well, I asked myself that very question when I picked it up on the pasta isle at Walmart. It looked very interesting indeed. It was packaged like a tube of ground hamburger but it's yellow as it's made from corn meal. It's a substitute for pasta and very popular in certain parts of Italy. At our house we like to try new things.

I put together this fun polenta dish that was very tasty! I used my own homemade bottled sweet spaghetti sauce from garden grown tomatoes. Here is quick version of it.

Polenta

• 1 pkg of Polenta
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups crushed tomatoes
• 1cup tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp dried parsley
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella

Heat a skillet to medium high. Add oil. Slice polenta and add to hot oil. Fry until golden brown. Add a pinch of salt. Remove from heat.

In a separate frying pan add tomatoes, tomato paste, water, salt, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder and cinnamon. Stir and let simmer on medium high until it becomes a thick sauce.

Arrange polenta slices on a platter and top with sauce. Sprinkle cheese and parsley over top. Enjoy!

Cookie Butter Waffles with Creme Fraiche

Wow! This is superb! I never knew what I had been missing out on until I went to a real Belgium waffle house in Salt Lake City where they make authentic Belgium waffles. Nothing like any American Belgium waffle I have ever tasted. The batter is sweet and they used something called pearlized sugar in the batter which makes it crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Almost like it was deep fried. Then there is a Belgium topping called Speculoos which you can buy online or at Trader Joes. It's a creamy spread made from crushed cookies. It tastes like cookie butter. Almost as though they used waffle cones and cookies. Then they serve it with creme fresh which looks like whipped cream but is much creamier (whipped longer) and has a little tang to it.

So I went home and experimented with what I could get just from Walmart. I found Lotus brand Biscoff spread. Very close to speculoos but not quite the same. It also is a cookie butter made from Biscoff cookies. Much creamier and smoother than the speculoos. I had to make my own creme fraiche since that is something I have only seen in Germany. My makeshift creme fresh works very well! You must use the Greek style plain yogurt - or it won't work at all. The Greek style yogurt is a completely different consistency, flavor and texture than the cheap American plain yogurts. It's what they use in Europe. here is the brand I chose.

Cookie Butter Waffles with Creme Fraiche

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup Greek style plain yogurt
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• (4 cups oil for frying)

Creme Fraiche

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup Greek style plain yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-3 Tbsp sugar

In a large bowl mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, milk. yogurt, vanilla, butter and sugar. Stir well. 

Heat waffle iron. Pour batter in and cook waffles. When waffles are all finished. Heat deep fryer or pan with 4 cups of oil. Heat on medium high. Fry waffles about 1-2 minutes on each side (they float so you have to turn them) until golden crisp. Lay on paper towel to absorb oil.

In a medium bowl add whipping cream, vanilla and sugar. Beat with mixer until whipping cream is quite stiff. Add yogurt and blend for 30 more seconds. 

While waffles are hot, spread cookie butter spread over the top. Top with scoop of creme fraiche. Sprinkle powdered sugar over top. Add fresh strawberry slices. Enjoy!

Lemon Balsamic Mushroom Penne

This is super delicious and super healthy! Especially if you use whole wheat penne. I created this one night as a quick, easy, and flavorful dish for the family. It was a hit!

The glaze I used is Monari Federzoni Sweet Onion Balsamic Glaze which I found at Walmart. I love it on fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and salads. It adds the perfect sweet and tangy flavor to any dish.

Also, the essential lemon oil I used in this recipe was amazing! Just a few drops and the whole kitchen smelled like I had just zested a lemon. You get all that lemon flavor without the bitterness from the peel our sourness from the juice. Love it!

Lemon Balsamic Penne

• 1 box of penne
• 2-3 fresh medium sized tomatoes, halved and then quartered
• 3 cups fresh spinach leaves
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 2 Tbsp dried parsley
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 drops lemon essential oil (I use doterra)
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• pepper
• Sweet balsamic glaze

Cook penned according to directions on box. Drain and rinse. Place back in pot. Stir in 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Turn pot on medium heat. Add mushrooms and continuously stir until mushrooms are tender. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach and tomatoes.

In a small bowl add lemon juice, lemon essential oil, 2 Tbsp olive oil, garlic powder, salt and a dash of pepper.Stir well and pour over pasta. Toss and coat pasta. Spoon onto serving plate. Sprinkle parsley over top and drizzle balsamic glaze. Enjoy!

Cauliflower Crust Pizzas

Another Pinterest delight! I was skeptical at first but in the end it exceeded my expectations big time! You wonder how in the world does grated cauliflower turn into or taste like pizza crust. Then when you put it in the oven you worry it will come out mushy or soggy. Nope! It really was a delicious, crisp, thin pizza crust! In fact we wished we would have doubled the recipe because 4 just wasn't enough.

I love that I can now enjoy pizza without feeling bloated from all the carbs. I felt perfectly satisfied after eating this! I think it's great for people with gluten allergies too. So worth making!

Cauliflower Crust Pizzas

Cauliflower Crust (Makes 4 individual pizzas)

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese
• 2 cups riced cauliflower (grate the cauliflower on a cheese grater)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh julienned basil

Pizza Toppings

• 1 cup marinara sauce (1/4 cup per pizza)
• 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
• Basil Ricotta (recipe below)

Note - I used mozzarella slices, shredded pizza blend cheese, onions, baby spinach leaves, and salami for my toppings.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray. In a medium bowl, combine riced cauliflower, basil, eggs and mozzarella. Divide into 4 amounts and press evenly into a pizza crust shape on the baking sheet. (At first you will wonder how this messy crust will turn into pizza crust. I was worried. Trust me - after it comes out of the oven it's really like a thin pizza crust! Not mushy at all)

Bake crust for 15 minutes. Add sauce and toppings and bake another 5 minutes. Carefully use a thin  spatula to remove pizzas from pan. Enjoy!

This is super delicious!! My husband is not a fan of cranberries but he loved this! I don't know what it is about berries and cheese but this is a perfect marriage!

Baked Brie with Cranberry Sauce

• 3/4 cup cranberry sauce
• 1 16-ounce brie round
• Zest of one orange
• 2/3 cup walnut pieces
• Crackers for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the top of the rind from the cheese using a serrated knife, and discard the rind. Place the cheese, cut side up on an oven safe plate or bowl. Just make sure to use a larger plate or a bowl so your cheese doesn’t start oozing off the plate like mine is in the above photo. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the cranberry sauce. Bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese is soft and warm. Sprinkle the top with orange zest and walnuts. Serve immediately with crackers.

Crispy Black Bean Tacos

I love these!! The taco filling is so creamy and filling! I love things that are creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside. 

Crispy Black Bean Tacos

• 2 C. black beans, cooked
• ½ C. red onion, minced
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
• 4-6 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 avocado, sliced
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 8 corn tortillas
• Hot sauce
• Salsa
• Sour cream

In a medium bowl, add beans along with red onion, cilantro, and spices. Add a pinch of salt and lightly mash all of the ingredients together. Grate your cheese and have it ready as well. In a large, non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet, add a few tablespoons of oil and heat over medium-high heat.

Add one corn tortilla at a time and let each get hot in the oil for a few seconds. Then add about 1?4 cup of the bean filling to one half of the tortilla. Top with a sprinkle of grated cheese.Using a spatula, carefully fold the tortilla over so it forms a shell. Press down lightly on the tortilla so it holds its shape.

As the first tortilla cooks, move it to the side and do a second one. Depending on the size of your pan, you should be able to get 2 or 3 tacos at once. If you have a griddle you can do even more at once. Cook each taco for about 3 minutes per side until they are nicely browned and crispy.

When flipping the taco to cook on the other side, use a spatula and flip the taco toward the fold so the filling doesn’t fall out.

Serve tacos with toppings like hot sauce, salsa, avocados, and sour cream.

Cheesy Garlic Potato Patties

My mom gave me this idea after a holiday dinner when we had a lot of mashed potatoes left over. It was genius! It's a great way to enjoy mashed potatoes. Soft, cheesy and velvety on the inside and crispy golden on the outside. We used real potatoes but instant would work just fine!

Cheesy Potato Patties

• Medium sized bowl of mashed potatoes (stiff yet velvety)
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• salt & pepper
• 3-5 eggs
• 2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
• 3 Tbsp oil

It works best if your mashed potatoes have been refrigerated over night and are very cold. They are easier to form and hold shape. Stir in 1 tsp garlic, salt & pepper and 2 1/2 cups of shredded cheese. Shape into patties and set aside on plate. In a soup plate add 3-5 whisked eggs. In a second soup plate add 2 cups bread crumbs. Stir garlic and 1/2 shredded cheese into bread crumbs. Heat up a skillet to medium high heat and add 3 Tbsp oil. Dip patties in egg mixture coating both sides evenly and then roll in bread crumb mixture, until all sides are covered. Place patties right away into hot skillet. Fry until golden brown on the outside. Serve with your dipping sauce of choice!

Sweet and Spicy Bacon

I found this on Pinterest and I loved it! It makes a nice little snack, side or appetizer.

Sweet and Spicy Bacon

• 1 package of bacon (I use turkey bacon)
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp pepper
• (optional) Nutella

Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange bacon sliced onto baking sheet making sure slices do not overlap.  Mix together sugar, chili powder and pepper. Sprinkle over bacon. Bake for approximately 8 minutes. CAREFULLY flip bacon slices and sprinkle sugar/pepper mixture onto slices. Return to oven and bake for an additional 8 minutes.

Try dipping bacon in Nutella, or you can spread the Nutella over the bacon!

Ham & Cheese Mornay

This is so delicious! I love making crescent roll braids stuffed with pizza fillings, tuna melt and so much more. My friend Lindsey Brown shared this idea with me and it was fabulous! It's easy, tasty and filling!

Braided Ham & Cheese Mornay

• 2 cans crescent refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2-4 cups of thick sliced ham
• 2 cups sharp white shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions

Mornay Sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 3 cup milk
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2-1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• pinch of ground nutmeg

Flour a clean surface. Roll out crescent roll dough into one long rectangle. Place on a cookie sheet. Down the center sprinkle ham, onions, mushrooms and white cheddar cheese. Take a knife and cut two inch slits spaced an inch apart down both sides of the dough. Fold them over the top of the filling in a braided fashion, pressing the dough together so it stays. Sprinkle with a little cheddar cheese on top. Bake at 375 degrees for 16 minutes.

While in the oven, in a saucepan on medium high melt butter. Stir in 2 Tbsp of the flour. Add 1 cup of milk. Then gently sprinkle remaining flour over top and stir well. In the microwave in a glass dish add bouillon cubes, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Heat liquid and then stir cubes until dissolved. Pour into milk mixture on stove. Stir well. Add nutmeg and Parmesan cheese. Sauce should begin to thicken and bubble. Set aside.

Remove braid from oven. Slice up and serve with Mornay sauce spooned over top. Enjoy!

Quick Orange Coffee Cake

I've found a few coffee cake recipes that I'd like to try. Coffee cake is intended to be dry and crumbly, yet somehow very delicious. Here is a Pilsbury recipe for an orange twist on coffee cake. It is delicious!!

Here is a recipe I just found for a Paula Dean Orange Coffee Cake that looks even more delicious!
Orange Coffee Cake

 Quick Orange Coffee Cake

Base

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 Tbsp butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg, beaten

Filling

• 11 oz can mandarin orange segments, drained welll

Topping

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts
• 1 tsp grated orange peel

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 9 inch cake pan. In medium bowl combine 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Blend well. Using pastry blender or fork, cut in 6 Tbsp butter until mixture is crumbly. Add milk, vanilla and egg; mix well. Spread batter in prepared pan. Arrange orange segment over batter. In small bowl, combine all topping ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle over orange segments. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

Minced Beef Pie

That is sour cream in the picture not whipped cream. Okay! So, what is the deal with minced meat pies? I have heard of them but never tried one. Upon my research I learned that minced meat pies are traditionally made with wild game meat, figs and dates and flavored with holiday spices such as cinnamon and clove. Hmmm...this probably wouldn't fly well with the husband and kids...so...I created a dinner approved minced meat pie. I gave it the sweetness of a sweet pulled pork or sloppy joe in a buttery, flaky crust and the savor of a nice Sunday roast! I then topped it with my special creamy roast beef sauce! It ended up being super delicious and the next day we took our left overs and melted cheddar cheese on top and the kids dipped in in ketchup.

It's a delightful winter comfort dish! Hope you enjoy!!

Minced Beef Pie

• 1 (2-3 lb) beef roast
• 2 frozen pie crusts 
• 2 cans refrigerated pie crust (I made my own)
• 1 pkg dry onion soup mix
• 1 pkg dry Italian salad dressing mix
• 2-3 cups water
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon 

Place thawed roast in a deep roasting pan. Pour dried soup mix, dried Italian dressing and water over the top. Cover with tin foil and place in oven at 250 degrees for three hours.

Remove roast from oven and cool for 20 minutes. Shred roast and place 2/3 of it in a food processor. Blend until meat is completely minced (almost like a thick dip). You may need to add some of the juices from the pan to the blender to help it blend. Add to a large bowl. Spoon onions from roasting pan and 1/4 cup of juices into bowl. Stir together. Add remaining shredded beef to bowl and stir together. Add ketchup, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Stir well. Add extra of these ingredients if desired. Scoop into thawed pie crusts all the way to top. Roll out refrigerated pie crust onto flour dusted surface in the shape of two 9" round circles. Place one on top of each pie and seal edges.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Slice pie while hot and top with cool, creamy roast beef sauce. Enjoy!

Creamy Roast Beef Sauce (it's not spicy my 2 year old loves it)

• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Whisk together all ingredients and chill.

Crab Corn Chowder

I created this when I wanted to get creative with some imitation crab that we had. This is so delicious! It's smooth, warm, comforting and you can't have just one bowl. My son hates peas but he loved them in this! Serve it with warm garlic bread.

Crab Corn Chowder

• 1 large package of flaked imitation crab meat (or real)
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 3/4 cup flour
• 6 cups milk
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen sweet corn
• 1 1/2 - 2 tsp salt (add 1/2 tsp at a time until it reaches your desires saltiness)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• ground pepper

Heat large saucepan to medium high. Melt all of butter then add green onions. Simmer for a couple of minutes until tender. Sprinkle over 1/4 cup of flour. Stir. Slowly add 1 cup milk and stir. Add remaining flour and stir. Add remaining milk and whipping cream - continue stirring until it's smooth and free of lumps. You can add more flour to thicken if needed. Flake crab meat and add to pot. Be careful with the salt adding 1/2 tsp at a time until it reaches your desire level of saltiness. Add remaining ingredients and simmer on low for 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Pumpkin Mousse Trifle

This is delicious and perfect for any holiday dinner! It's also pretty to look at. It's really easy especially if you buy an already made pumpkin spice pound cake. I found a delicious Paula Dean pumpkin spice pound cake at the Walmart bakery.

Pumpkin Mousse Trifle

      CAKE (You can skip this step and buy a pre-made pumpkin spice pound cake)

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

SUGARED PECANS

• 1 egg white
• 2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

PUMPKIN MOUSSE

• 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 carton (16 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided

In a large bowl, beat the sugar, pumpkin, oil and eggs until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; gradually beat into pumpkin mixture until blended. 

Transfer to a greased and floured 9-in. square baking pan. Bake at 325° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cut cake into 3/4-in. cubes.

Meanwhile, whisk egg white; stir in pecans, cinnamon and sugars. Transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 9-13 minutes or until puffed, stirring once. Cool completely. 

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Add the pumpkin, cinnamon and vanilla. Fold in 1-1/2 cups whipped topping. 

In a 3-1/2-qt. trifle bowl or glass serving bowl, layer half of the cake, pumpkin mousse, remaining whipped topping and pecans. Repeat layers. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Yield: 14 servings.

The Best Eggnog Ever! (made for eggnog haters)

Wow has it been a busy month, but I'm back! Here is a real treat for all you eggnog haters and lovers. My sister had told me about this brand of eggnog and how perfect it was. It's called Southern Comfort and I found it at Walmart and bought the Vanilla Spice flavor. Don't worry there is no alcohol in this it's found in the dairy section by the whipped cream.

This tasted like a vanilla milkshake whipped cream dream! If you have hated eggnog before or your family does, you have to try this! It's not rich and there is no strong nutmeg, egg flavor. Like I said tastes like a vanilla milkshake! I topped ours with whipped cream and dusted with cinnamon. The kids couldn't get enough of this drink!