Cookie Bars - Chocolate Chip Version

This is another fast, easy and fabulous recipe. With the holidays and cookie exchanges coming up this is sure to be a hit. Click on the Kraft link to see other versions of this great cookie bar.

From Kraft Foods

INGREDIENTS

1 stick butter
1 1/2 cups coconut (I do not use this because I do not like coconut)
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups crushed chocolate chip cookies
2 cups coarsely broken chocolate chip cookies
1 cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Melt butter in oven in foil-lined 13x9-inch baking pan.

Sprinkle with 1-1/2 cups crushed cookies and the coconut. Pour sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk) evenly over coconut; sprinkle with 2 cups coarsely broken cookies and 1 cup toppings.

Bake 25 to 30 min. or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. I like to put mine the refrigerator after they cool so it makes them easier to cut. Cut into 32 bars to serve.

White Chicken Chili

I wanted to make a white chicken chili, but I wanted to avoid sour cream and heavy cream to make it a little more healthy. After looking at recipes online I could not find one that appealed to me...so I came up with my own. I used a pre-made green salsa that was a blend of tomatillos, jalapenos, roasted tomatoes, lime, cilantro and other spices. Since I served this to a group for Sunday night football I made some rice to serve the chili over so it stretched further. And of course you can top with sour cream and shredded cheese (pepper jack or monterey jack maybe) if you would like.

INGREDIENTS

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups green salsa

2 can northern beans, drained and rinsed

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 small can green chilis

1 teaspoon cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons oregano

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

pinch of cayenne

salt and pepper to taste

cooked rice - optional

DIRECTIONS

In your slow cooker combine salsa, broth, beans, celery, green chilis, cumin, oregano, white pepper, cayenne, salt and pepper. Mix together thoroughly and nestle in the chicken breasts.

Cook on high for 4 hours.

When your 4 hours are up remove chicken and let cool, then shred. Place shredded chicken back in slow cooker and cook on low for another 2 hours.

Vegetable and Cheese Frittata

This is a perfect breakfast or fast weeknight dinner. Usually when a recipe says it take 25 minutes to cook...it takes me longer. But this was so easy I actually had it done on time. This is also very versatile. I changed to original recipe to accommodate what I had on hand. I can't wait to try it again and throw some new ingredients into the mix....ham, chicken sausage, black beans...the possibilities are endless!

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

INGREDIENTS

8 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

pinch of cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup whole kernel corn
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

kosher salt

freshly cracked black pepper

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl combine eggs, feta cheese, basil, salt and pepper; set aside.

Heat oil in a large broiler-proof skillet; add corn, spinach, tomatoes, cayenne, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat about 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

Pour egg mixture over vegetables in skillet. Cook over medium heat. As mixture sets, run a spatula around edge of skillet, lifting egg mixture so uncooked portion flows underneath. Continue cooking and lifting edges until egg mixture is almost set (surface will be moist).

Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Place the skillet under broiler 4 to 5 inches from heat. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes or until the top is just set and cheese is melted.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This must have been good because I only got a few bites before it was gone. Luckily I got this crappy photo before the dish was wiped clean. I was able to make use of my Magic Bullet when it came time to shredding the chicken. I really have no clue where the first buffalo chicken dip recipe came from...but this is my version that I adapted from a family friend.

INGREDIENTS

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce or hot sauce (I mixed the two)
celery sticks, tortillas and frito scoops for serving

DIRECTIONS

Mix chicken, cream cheese, racnch dressing, and wing sauce/hot sauce together and place into an 8x8 baking dish. Bake on 350 until warm and bubbly. This can also be done in the slow cooker.

Red Velvet Cake

Happy Birthday to me! My mom made me this red velvet cake for my birthday =). There are so many recipes for Red Velvet cake so I referred back to a comparison post I remembered seeing on The Way the Cookie Crumbles. I went with her top choice from Apple a Day. It was perfect!

From Saveur, originally from Cake Man Raven.

(Do you think I linked everyone?? lol!)

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

2 1/2 cup cake flour

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons (1 ounce) red food coloring

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

For the frosting:
12 ounce cream cheese, softened
12 ouce butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

DIRECTIONS

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa, and salt into a medium bowl.

Beat eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Add dry ingredients and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Divide batter evenly between 3 greased and floured 8" round cake pans.

Bake cakes, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 25–30 minutes. Let cakes cool 5 minutes, then invert each onto a plate, then invert again onto a cooling rack. Let cakes cool completely.

For the frosting:

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined. Add sugar and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, 5–7 minutes.

Put 1 cake layer on a cake plate, level off with a serrated knife, and spread one-quarter of the frosting on top. Set another layer on top, level, and repeat frosting. Set remaining layer on top, level, and frost top and sides with the remaining frosting. Press pecans into the sides of the cake, if desired.

Chill for 2 hours to set frosting.