Good Cooks’ Recipes

As a little girl in grammar school in the 1960′s, we had a lunchroom dessert occasionally that was my absolute favorite. Loved it! Was so excited when we had them. I’ve hunted the recipe all these years since. The only thing I could remember was that were peanut buttery, they were not cooked and were chewy. Finally, in some old recipes I bought, there it was. Had to be it. So I made them — and yes! These are the peanut butter bars of my childhood!

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1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2/3 confectioners’ sugar
1 cup nonfat dry milk

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper.
Stir peanut butter and corn syrup in a medium size bowl until blended and smooth.
Stir in sugar. Gradually stir in dry milk until blended.
Form rounded teaspoonfuls into balls. Place on cookie sheet and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.
Store with wax paper in tightly covered containers.

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Were they as good as I remember? Maybe not quite, but still very good. VERY. My husband couldn’t stop eating them.

The recipe, which was clipped out of a magazine, says it’s great for the kids to make themselves since there is no baking. But let me say that I don’t believe a child could do this with just a wooden spoon like the original recipe suggests. I couldn’t. It calls for a heavy duty mixer to blend it all together. I used a hand held mixer and it kept bogging down and the beaters would fall out. Next time, my Delonghi will be put to use.

Tags: Other sweets // Add Comment »

Very easy, quick and delicious recipe for a chicken casserole using cream cheese and sour cream. The two magic ingredients that make almost anything better.

8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
6 cups diced cooked chicken breasts
1 regular size roll Ritz crackers
1/2 cup melted butter

Soften cream cheese. Stir in sour cream, soups, chopped onion and chicken and pour mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

To make topping, crush crackers to make crumbs and combine with butter. Sprinkle over the chicken mixture.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Tags: Meats // Add Comment »

Baked Cheese and Broccoli Twist

2 eggs
4 oz. of cream cheese (1/2 of an 8 oz. package)
1/2 cup Kraft Italian Six Cheese Blend (Or Italian Three Cheese Blend)
3 cups fresh or frozen broccoli cuts – If using frozen, thaw and drain
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 cans (8 oz. each) crescent dinner rolls

Heat oven to 375°. Mix first 3 ingredients in large bowl until well blended. Stir in next 2 ingredients. Unroll crescent dough; separate into 16 triangles. Arrange in an 11″ circle on a pizza pan or baking sheet, with short sides of triangles overlapping, almost pinwheel style, in the center and points of the triangles pointed outward. (There should be a 5″ diameter opening in the center of the circle.)

Spoon cheese/vegetable mixture onto dough near the center of the circle. Bring outside points of triangles up over filling then tuck under dough in the center of the ring to cover filling. (Don’t worry about that too much. Just do the best you can.)

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is heated through.

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That is how I made it. The original recipe also calls for:
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms cut into quarters and 4 sliced green onions, to be added with the broccoli and cherry tomatoes.

I can’t imagine it being any better than the version I made, so if, like me, you don’t “do” mushrooms, it’ll be fine without them.

You can also change up the veggies or add chicken or ham.

For a video on how to make it go to prepare it, especially if you can’t picture how to do the dough ring, go to Kraft Food & Family.

Tags: Vegetables // Add Comment »

Paula Deen’s Baked Garlic Cheese Grits

6 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups regular grits
16 ozs. Cheddar cheese, cubed or shredded
1/2 cup milk
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
8 ozs. grated sharp white Cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 4 quart casserole dish.

Bring the broth, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to a boil in a 2 quart saucepan. Stir in the grits and whisk until completely combined. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the grits are thick, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cubed cheddar cheese and milk and stir. Gradually stir in the eggs and butter, stirring until all are combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with the white cheddar cheese and bake for 35-40 minutes or until set.

Tags: Side Dishes // Add Comment »

Recipe for Summer Squash Casserole

3 cups Pepperidge Farm Corn Bread Stuffing or Herb Seasoned Seasoned Stuffing
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 can (10-3/4 ozs.) Condensed Cream of Chicken soup or Cream of Mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (2 ozs.)
2 small yellow squash, shredded (about 2 cups)
2 small ucchini, shredded (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup shredded carrot

In small bowl, combine stuffing and margarine. Reserve 1/2 cup stuffing mixture. In 2 quart, low sided, oblong baking dish, spread remaining stuffing mixture.

In medium bowl, combine soup, sour cream and cheese. Stir in yellow squash, zucchini and carrot. Spread soup mixture over stuffing mixture. Sprinkle with reserved stuffing mixture.

Bake at 350° 40 minutes or until hot and bubbling.

**Note – 4 cups of yellow squash can be used instead of using yellow squash, zucchini and carrot.

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This recipe came from Kraft Foods Food and Family magazine, Holiday ’09. I’ve made it and can attest that it is delicious! It’s been a hit at two parties this year. One prepared by a friend, the other prepared by me. Wonderful both times – which is saying something if I had anything to do with it.

Layered Sundried Tomato and Artichoke Spread

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, chilled
3 Tablespoons finely chopped sundried tomatoes in oil, well drained*
3 Tablespoons finely chopped drained canned artichoke hearts
2 Tablespoons pesto
2 Tablespoons chopped smoked almonds**
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
Ritz Crackers or other snack crackers of your choice

Cut cream cheese horizontally into 3 slices using dental floss. Place 1 slice on large sheet of poastic wrap; top with tomatoes and second cream cheese slice.

Combine artichokes and pesto; spoon over second cream cheese layer. Top with remaining cheese slice, nuts and parsley. Press lightly to secure

Refrigerate 1 hour. Serve with crackers.

*I used the sundried tomatoes found in the produce section. They’re in slices and there’s no oil. I pulverized them in the food processor.

**Regular, slivered almonds work great

See a video of the making of Layered Subdried Tomato and Artichoke Spread on the Kraft Foods website.

Tags: Appetizers // Add Comment »

1 can of English peas
1 can asparagus
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 small package potato chips, crushed

Place layer of peas in bottom of casserole; add layer of asparagus. Pour half the soup over the two layers. Repeat the process with peas, asparagus and soup. Sprinkle potato chips over the top. Bake in 325 degree oven about 25 minutes or until casserole bubbles.

(From 100 Years of Florence Cooking)

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1 small can of sliced pineapple
2 small oranges
6 or 8 marshmallows cut in pieces
1/2 cup chopped cherries
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup whipped cream
Juice from pineapple and enough water to make one cup
3-4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 egg

To the sugar add flour and stir in pineapple juice. Place in double boiler and allow to cook until mixture begins to thicken. Add well beaten egg, then butter. Stir thoroughly and allow to cool. Beat the cream until thick. Chop the pineapple, orange, nuts, and cherries. Mix with the cream and add to the cooked mixture. Pour in freezing trays and allow to freeze. May be used as dessert or salad.

Tags: Other sweets, Salads // Add Comment »

Cranberry Salad Recipe

2 cups washed cranberries
1/2 orange, juice and peeling
1 cup sugar
1 package strawberry gelatin
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup chopped apple
1/2 cup chopped celery

Grind the cranberries and orange peel. Add the sugar and orange juice and place over fire. Cook until mixture thickens or has clear jelly appearance. Allow to cool. Dissolve the gelatin in boiling water and mix with the cranberry mixture. When cool add the nuts, celery and apple. Place in molds or dish and allow to set until congealed. Makes a delicious salad to serve with chicken or meat.

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Cheese Omlet Recipe

6 eggs
1/2 cup grated cheese
2 tablespoons milk
Salt and pepper

Beat yolks and whites of eggs separately. Add the salt, pepper and milk to the yioks, then fold in stiffly beaten whites. Place in a well greased skillet. Grate cheese over top. When mixture begins to cook around the edges raise up the sides and allow to cook through. Loosen around edge and fold toward the center.

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