Three Cheese Pasta Bake

my best friends came over to exchange Christmas gifts & i needed a semi-quick lunch. i didn't want regular mac & cheese & i was craving ricotta- so this was perfect!

Three Cheese Pasta Bake

You Need:

• 1 (16-ounce) package ziti (i used Rigatoni)
• 1 batch homemade Alfredo sauce (see recipe below)
• 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
• 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (i used 1 tblspn dried)
• 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
• 
  
• Directions: Pre-Heat oven to 350°

Prepare ziti (or whatever pasta you choose) according to package directions; drain and return to pot.

Stir together Alfredo sauce and sour cream; toss with ziti until evenly coated. Spoon half of mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

Stir together ricotta cheese and next 3 ingredients; spread evenly over pasta mixture in baking dish. Spoon remaining pasta mixture evenly over ricotta cheese layer; sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Homemade Alfredo Sauce (or go buy a jar!)

1 pint heavy cream

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano (or 1 cup of Kraft Parm Cheese)

fresh cracked black pepper to taste

salt to taste

1 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

Heat heavy cream over low-medium heat . Add butter and whisk gently to melt. Add the nutmeg, salt & pepper- then sprinkle in cheese and stir to incorporate.

This makes a lot- so consider splitting it into 2 pans & freezing one! Enjoy!

Elvis Presley's Favorite Pound Cake (Pound Cake)

i wanted a nice, sweet, moist & fluffy pound cake. this was PERFECTION. seriously- don't let the 7 eggs scare you. this cake is epic.

Elvis Presley's Favorite Pound Cake (Pound Cake)

You Need:

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for buttering pan

3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring) plus additional for dusting

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups sugar

7 large eggs, at room temperature 30 minutes

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Put oven rack in middle position, but do not preheat oven.

Generously butter pan (10in Tube or Bundt Pan) and dust with flour, knocking out excess flour.

Sift together sifted flour (3 cups) and salt into a bowl. Repeat sifting into another bowl (flour will have been sifted 3 times total).

Beat together butter (2 sticks) and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or 6 to 8 minutes with a handheld mixer.

Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour, then all of cream, then remaining flour, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down side of bowl, then beat at medium-high speed 5 minutes. Batter will become creamier and satiny.

Spoon batter into pan and rap pan against work surface once or twice to eliminate air bubbles. Place pan in (cold) oven and turn oven temperature to 350°F.

Bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 1 to 1 1/4 hours (mine was PERFECTLY cooked after 55 min)

Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around inner and outer edges of cake, then invert rack over pan and invert cake onto rack to cool completely.

try not to eat it all. or half of it....like i might have.

Flat & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Christmas Edition)

Flat & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

i made several dozens of these for Christmas gifts- but this time i used Peppermint & Dark Chocolate Chips (thank you Toll House Limited Edition Chips!!!)

Delicious!

Peppermint Truffle Pie

um- omg, right? the above picture should have you wiping your mouth. if it doesn't- you're not human. simple as that.

i found this recipe courtesy of Cheeky Kitchen & i simply HAD to try it. so i did- and it was awesome. it was rich enough that i nixed the chocolate ganache that the recipe calls for- but feel free to indulge- i think i just might next time. sinful.

Peppermint Truffle Pie

For the Pie:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
¼ cup crushed candy canes
1 deep dish pie crust
7 eggs
1 cup high-quality cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 ½ teaspoons peppermint extract

Directions:
Use a basting brush to spread a thin layer of butter around the edge of the pie crust. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on the buttered edge. Set aside.

Crack the eggs into a large bowl. With an electric mixer, beat in the cocoa powder, sugar, and peppermint extract until well mixed. Pour into pie crust.

Bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes, or until the center of the pie is set.

Cool before serving with easy ganache drizzle, fresh whipped cream, and crushed peppermint candy.

For the Ganache Drizzle:
1 cups heavy whipping cream
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
Pour cream and chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 60-90 seconds, then whisk together the mixture until smooth.

For the Fresh Whipped Cream & Garnish
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ cup crushed candy canes
In a large bowl, beat the cream with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and beat just until incorporated. Serve atop cooled pie, sprinkle with crushed candy canes before serving.

Chocolate & Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls

everyone loves Pillsbury Crescent Rolls- right? it's just the way it is.

i love them enough to doctor them up as often as i can.

this is one of my new favs- simple, yummy & good for breakfast or dessert.

Chocolate & Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls

You Need:

- 1 roll of Pillsbury Crescents

- mini chocolate chips

- cinnamon & sugar mix (i eyeball- but probably about 1/4 cup sugar + 1 tblsp cinnamon)

- cream cheese

Directions:

roll out the crescent rolls. spread some cinnamon & sugar mix on each one. place about 1 tblsp cream cheese on each crescent. sprinkle with mini chocolate chips:

carefully roll up & pinch (as you go) the crescent:

sprinkle the tops with a little cinnamon & sugar mix & pop on a few mini chips.

bake @ 375 for about 12 minutes (or as your oven goes)

let them cool for about 5 minutes & then try not to eat them all. that'd be gluttonous.

Easy Peasy & Delish!

i like to make these with cream cheese only or chocolate only or cinnamon & sugar only or even use different types of chips (milk, semi sweet, mint, cinnamon, peanut butter- etc etc)

there are way to many things you can do with crescent rolls & your imagination.

Heath Bar Cake

oh. my. goodness.

this cake is awesome. and easy. perfection. loved by all. seriously.

i made it for the husband's birthday & he loved it. as did his parents, and his work & my work.

like i said- all.

Heath Bar Cake (also referred to as the Better Than Sex Cake)

You Need:

1 box Devil's Food Cake mix

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 jar caramel

1 container Cool Whip

4 Heath Bars

Directions:

Bake the Devil's Food Cake according to the package directions. Once the cake is done, allow to cool for 10-15 min. You can leave the cake in the pan or transfer it to a serving/carry dish (if you're going to transfer it make sure you grease/flour your baking pan REALLY well so that the cake comes right out & you don't end up with a pile of broken Devil's Food)

Poke holes all over the cake with a wooden spoon handle, fork- etc etc. whatever you've got (i used a chopstick)

Once the cake has been sufficiently stabbed- slowly pour the entire can of sweetened condensed milk over the cake. Then slowly pour about 3/4 of the jar of caramel over the top as well (i poured the caramel into a Pyrex measuring cup & heated it up for about 30 seconds)

it'll look scary wet- don't be scared. everything soaks in quite nicely.

pop the cake in the fridge overnight to let it all meld. you should REALLY make this cake the day before- the longer it soaks the better! i made it on a wed night & served it on a thursday night. 24 hours worth of soakage!

pull the cake out & clean off the edges of the serving platter (if you transferred it)- otherwise, no worries. cover the cake with the Cool Whip:

then break up the Heath Bars & pop them into the food processor:

chop & pulse until you get a nice sprinkling consistency.

then sprinkle the cake with the Heath Bar bits.

Keep the cake refrigerated until you're ready to serve. Then try not to eat an inappropriate amount.

Crock Pot Beef Stew

easy peasy.

Crock Pot Beef Stew

You Need:

1 1/2 lb stew chunks

1/2 cup wine (red)

1 can tomato soup

1 can beef consomme

1 can cream of celery

4 medium/large potatoes (cut into chunks)

1 tblsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic

1 tsp thyme

2 bay leaves

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tsp Kosher salt

3 tsp sugar

2 beef bouillon cubes

1 can corn

2 cans water

To thicken: (do not add till after the stew is done)

cornstarch/water

Directions:

get everything together (potatoes cut up, liquids measured out- etc etc)

toss the meat into a skillet with some oil & the garlic & sear it:

it'll take all of 3-5 minutes. then remove the pan from the heat.

now everything can go into the crock pot.

potatoes, meat, corn, seasonings, b cubes, liquid- all of it.

give it a stir & cook on low for 8-10 hours.

once the meat is tender (8-10 hours in) and everything smells awesome, it's time to thicken up your stew.

some people like flour- but i hate lumps & i use cornstarch.

i eyeball it- so use as much or as little as you want to reach your desired thickness.

i like to start with about 2 tblsp & i mix it with just enough water to dissolve the cornstarch- i then slowly stir it into the stew.

i give it a few minutes, see how thick it is & go from there.

like i said- it's your preference.

once you've got it where you want it- ladle it out & server with some crusty bread.

perfect!

FYI: i'm not a huge fan of tomato based beef stew- so i ended up draining about 3 cups of liquid from the finished stew & replacing it with water (and a little extra salt & an extra boullion cube)

this worked for me- but lots of people DO like tomato based stew. so yeah- whatever you like. i think next time i'll use 1/2 can tomato soup & see how that goes.