Banana Pudding Poke Cake

This recipe is from a magazine "Southern Living Cakes & Pies " from July of 2018. I've been thinking of banana cream pie recently, and then came upon this recipe and found it interesting. So here it is. This cake serves 16 - 20 people. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

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Cake
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups mashed, overripe bananas (about 3-4 large bananas)

Homemade Vanilla Pudding
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
pinch kosher salt
2 cups whole milk
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste (You may use vanilla extract if you don't have vanilla bean paste)
1/2 tbsp butter

Additional Ingredients
4-5 large barely fresh bananas, sliced
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
20 vanilla wafers, coarsely crushed
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tbsp granulated sugar

1. Prepare the Cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13" baking pan, or spray with cooking spray. Stir or sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a mixing bowl and set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed for approximately 2 minutes, until well combined. Add the flour mixture in three parts, beating on low speed just until mixture is smooth after each addition. Fold the mashed bananas into the creamed batter and then pour into the prepared pan.

3. Bake at 350 degrees in the middle of the oven for 30 - 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes in the cake, about 5 across, and 6 down, for a total of 30 holes.

4. Prepare the Pudding: In a large saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Then whisk in the milk. Whisk in the egg yolks until well blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Immediately reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring constantly, just until pudding is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 1-2 minutes.

5. Pour the pudding through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Whisk in the vanilla bean paste and butter. Cool, stirring occasionally until the pudding is lukewarm, about 15 minutes. Spread the pudding evenly over the cake. Cover cake with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Chill the cake for a minimum of 2 hours, but preferably overnight.

6. Remove plastic wrap from the pudding. Slice the 4-5 barely ripe bananas and scatter them on top of the pudding. Using an electric mixer, whip together the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. (If you chill the mixing bowl and beaters first, you will yield an even greater volume of whipped cream.) Beat cream until stiff peaks form. Spread over the bananas in an even layer.

7. For the Topping: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stir together the crushed vanilla wafers, melted butter, flour, and granulated sugar in a small bowl. Press mixture together to form small clumps and spread on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 5-6 minutes. Cool completely, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle over the whipped cream topping and serve the cake immediately.

Ham and Cheese Croissant Bake

I bought some of those really large croissants at Costco, that were perfect for this dish. I found this recipe on Plain Chicken blog. I love making breakfast dishes for dinner. It is pure comfort food for me. Follow the link for the original recipe. 

This recipe is pretty versatile, so you can use whatever breakfast meat you would like: browned sausage, bacon, ham ... You can easily add some chopped bell peppers and onions if you would like. This is somewhat of a savory dish and if you want more of a sweet dish, you can easily add some sort of berries to it if you would like. In that case, I probably wouldn't add the bell peppers and onion.

I made some tweaks to the recipe and then doubled it, baking in a 9x13" pan. Here is what I did differently:
- I used some deli ham that I needed to use up, so I gave it a rough chop using about 1/2 to 3/4 of a pound in total
- I used shredded Colby-Jack cheese
- I forgot to add the dry mustard. I am not not really a fan of mustard in general, but I will add it to a recipe when calling for dry mustard. Next time I will add it, because in a dish like this, it does give it some good flavor without being too overpowering. However, I might cut the amount in half, since the original recipe is for an 8x8" pan.
- I added the honey, but I thought 4 tbsp would make it too sweet so I only added 1 tbsp of it for the doubled recipe. It gives it a great flavor, so when I do make this again, I will play around with the amount of honey until it has the right balance. 
- The croissants from Costco are huge - larger than 5 inches each, and I ended up using 5-6 of them, which is more than what the recipe calls for if using a 5-inch croissant There is a large amount of custard here, and it worked out just fine. 
- I even drizzled some maple syrup over it at when serving, and it was fantastic.

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3 (5-inch) large croissants
1 (8-oz)  package chopped cooked ham
1 (5-oz) package shredded Swiss cheese
     (I'm not a fan of Swiss cheese, so I used a Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend. Use whatever kind          of cheese you would like, and I'm sure it would be great.)
6 eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tbsp honey
salt and pepper to taste

Cut up croissants into 10 to 12 pieces. Place in a lightly greased 9x9" deep dish pan. Sprinkle ham and cheese over the croissants. Whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, dry mustard, honey, salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over the croissant mixture and press the croissants down so they are submerged into the egg mixture. Cover dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate for 8-24 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake, covered, for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 25 minutes, or until set. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. If desired, drizzle with maple syrup.

NOTE: I followed the baking instructions but because of the amount of custard, there was still some runny egg mixture on the bottom of the pan. So I bumped up the oven temperature to 400 degrees and baked for an additional 10-15 minutes, and it baked it right up just perfectly. 

** UPDATE:
I made this for a second time recently (again, doubling the recipe), and used the following:
- 5" croissants that you can get from the grocery store, using 10 croissants instead of 6
- 10 eggs, instead of 12
- 2 tbsp honey, instead of 4
- I added 1 tsp of dry mustard, but having tasted it without, I prefer to leave it out all together

Meatball Parmesan

This is another recipe that I got from work. You can use frozen meatballs for a quick and easy meal, or make them from scratch. I'll post some links to some recipes for homemade meatballs at the bottom of this post.

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20 - 25 large meatballs, cooked*
2 (24 oz.) jars marinara sauce (or make from scratch)
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, or to taste
1 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh or dried parsley, or to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place meatballs in a greased 9 x 13" pan. Pour sauce evenly over the top. Bake, covered, at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

2. Uncover, and top with the Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Sprinkle evenly with Italian seasoning. Bake, uncovered, for another 15 minutes or until the cheeses have melted and are beginning to brown.

3. Remove pan from the oven and sprinkle with the parsley.

Serve as is, over cooked pasta, in meatball subs, or even over warmed garlic bread.

*You can use frozen meatballs, or make your own. If you use frozen, you should thaw them out, first.


Here are some links to homemade meatballs, the first two coming from this blog.

https://thesugarqueenbakes.blogspot.com/2010/05/meatball-subs.html

https://thesugarqueenbakes.blogspot.com/2019/04/italian-meatballs.html

https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-meatballs-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-108048

https://dinnerthendessert.com/easy-homemade-meatballs/

https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/homemade-meatballs-505491

Biscuit Pizza Bake

This is an easy recipe that comes from Taste of Home Biscuit Pizza Bake.

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1 pound hamburger (can use half hamburger, and half Italian sausage)
2 (12-oz each) tubes buttermilk biscuits
1 (15-oz) jar pizza sauce
1 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (3 1/2 oz.) package sliced pepperoni
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese  (may use all Mozzarella cheese)


Brown the hamburger and/or Italian sausage, and drain. Quarter the biscuits, and place the biscuits in a greased 9 x 13" baking pan. Sprinkle the meat over the biscuits. Top with pizza sauce. Sprinkle on the green pepper, onion, pepperoni and cheeses. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and the cheese has lightly browned and melted. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.


Notes:
 I have notes on the recipe stating that is would be better if it were spicier, but if you like your food mild, this is a tasty recipe. To spice it up you can use Italian sausage, or adding some seasonings to the browned hamburger, such as crushed red pepper flakes. You can also doctor up the pizza sauce by adding Italian seasoning and/or some crushed red pepper flakes to that, rather than the hamburger.

Confetti Squares

This ia a Martha Stewart recipe. I've made them once or twice, and they are real good. The recipe calls for the cereal mixture to be patted down into a 9" square pan. If you use this size, they will be very thick bars. I recommend using a buttered 9 x 13" pan so they will be much more manageable.

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5 tbsp butter
6 cups mini marshmallows
3 cups Rice Krispies cereal
3 cups Cap 'n Crunch cereal
3 cups Fruit Loops cereal

Butter a 9" or 9 x 13" baking pan and set aside. In a large saucepan, melt together the butter and mini marshmallows until smooth. Add the cereals and mix until thoroughly combined. Press into the prepared pan and smooth out. If using the smaller sized pan, you will need to pack in the cereal mixture firmly. Store, covered, for up to 3 days.

Fudge Krispies

This is another recipe I made often when my kids were little. They are easy to put together, and very tasty. You can find the recipe at the Rice Krispies website.  This also is a nice alternative to the regular Rice Krispy bars.

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2 cups milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
4 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Melt together the chocolate chips, butter, and corn syrup in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until melted and well combined. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Add the Rice Krispies cereal and mix thoroughly. Spread in a buttered 9 x 13" baking pan. Refrigerate. 

Crunch Fudge Sandwiches

This is a very old recipe, back when chocolate and butterscotch chips also came in 6 oz packages. I used to make these frequently when I was a kid, and then also when my own kids were little. They are a nice alternative to Rice Krispy Bars. Use semi sweet chocolate chips rather than milk chocolate chips, as they do not turn out as well when using milk chocolate. You can find the original recipe at the Rice Krispies website.

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1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
4 cups Rice Krispies cereal

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp water


In a large saucepan, melt together the butterscotch chips and peanut butter over very low heat. May also do this in the microwave in a large mixing bowl. Stir until smooth. Stir in the Rice Krispies cereal and stir until well coated. Press half of the cereal mixture in a well-buttered 8" square baking pan. Chill.

Meanwhile, using the same saucepan or bowl, melt the chocolate chips until smooth. Stir in the powdered sugar, butter and water. Mixture will become very thick. Spread over the chilled butterscotch mixture, then top with the remaining Rice Krispie mixture and smooth out. Chill again until everything has set.

Orange Cream Cake

This recipe can be found at Taste of Home Orange Dream Cake.

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Cake
1 package lemon cake mix
1 (0.15 oz.) envelope orange Kool Aid soft drink mix
3 eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Topping
1 (3 oz.) package orange jello
1 cup boiling water
1 cup cold water

Frosting
1 (3.4 oz.) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (3 oz.) package orange jello
1 cup cold milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 (8 oz.) carton Cool Whip

To make the cake:
Combine the cake mix, Kool Aid, eggs, water, and oil. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into a greased 9 x 13" pan. Bake 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and poke holes in the cake all over with the tines of a fork. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

To make the topping:
Dissolve the jello in the boiling water, and stir for 2 minutes. Add the cold water and mix well. Pour over the cake. Cover the pan and refrigerate for 2 hours.

To make the frosting:
In a large bowl, combine the pudding mix, orange jello mix, cold milk, and vanilla and beat on low for 2 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fold in the Cool Whip and mix until thoroughly combined. Frost the chilled cake and serve.

Store the cake in the refrigerator.

Caramel Chocolate Pie Supreme

This recipe comes from an old Betty Crocker magazine but can also be found on the Betty Crocker website at: Betty Crocker Caramel Chocolate Pie Supreme.

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Pat-in-Pan Pie Crust (recipe follows) I would much prefer a different pie crust (recipes follow)
30 caramels, from a 14-oz bag, unwrapped
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp water
1/2 cup pecans, toasted*
2 (3-oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup pwd sugar
4 oz sweet baking chocolate
3 tbsp hot water
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp powdered sugar
chocolate curls, if desired

Pat-in-Pan Pie Crust
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup finely chopped nuts

For the Crust
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all of the ingredients until a soft dough forms, then press firmly against bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until light brown. Cool completely.

For the Pie
Bake Pat-in-Pan Pie crust. Heat the caramels, butter and 2 tbsp water in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until caramels are melted. Pour into pie crust. Sprinkle with pecans. Refrigerate about 1 hour, or until chilled.

Beat cream cheese and 1/3 cup pwd sugar with a spoon until smooth. Spread over caramel layer: refrigerate.

Heat chocolate and 3 tbsp hot water in a 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted. Cool to room temperature. Stir in the vanilla.

Beat the whipping cream and 2 tbsp pwd sugar in a chilled medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff; reserve 1  1/2 cups. Fold chocolate mixture into remaining whipped cream. Spread over cream cheese mixture in pan. Garnish with reserved whipped cream and chocolate curls. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to firm up, but no longer than 48 hours. Store covered in the refrigerator.

*To toast the pecans
Bake uncovered in an ungreased shallow pan at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Watch closely so they do not overbake.

Variations on the pie crust:

Vanilla Wafer Pie Crust
1  1/2 cups crushed Vanilla Wafers
4 tbsp sugar, granulated or pwd (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted

Mix the above and press into an ungreased 9-inch pie pan. Bake 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool.

Chocolate Wafer Pie Crust
1  1/4 cups crushed Chocolate Wafer cookies
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Mix the above and press in an ungreased 9-inch pie pan. Bake 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool.

Graham Cracker Pie Crust
1  1/2 cup crushed Graham Crackers
1/4 cup sugar, granulated, pwd, or brown
1/3 cup butter, melted

Mix the above and press into an ungreased 9-inch pie pan. Bake 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool.

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

This quick bread is very moist and delicious, and keeps for quite some time. You could add some mini chocolate chips or raisins, if you would like.

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Makes 2 loaves

3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 (16-oz) can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup water
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking pwd
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp allspice

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, oil and eggs. Add the pumpkin puree and mix well. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, stirring to mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture alternately with the water. Pour into two greased 9 x 5 x 3" loaf pans. Bake 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, and then remove and cool on a wire rack to cool completely.

Metropolis Bars

A rich cookie base, covered with caramel and then a milk-chocolate coating.
Adapted from A Passion for Baking

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Cookie Base
2  1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp corn syrup
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, cut into chunks
2 tbsp whipping cream or whole milk
1 tsp vanilla

Caramel Filling
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butter
3 tbsp corn syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 (4-to 6-ounce) milk chocolate bars, such as Cadbury Dairy Milk or Hershey's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 11 x 7" pan* with non-stick cooking spray, then place it on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

In a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, corn syrup, granulated and brown sugars. Add the butter and pulse to break in the butter until mixture resembles a fine meal. Turn out into a bowl and drizzle over the whipping cream and vanilla. Toss by hand, until you have a slightly damp, sandy mixture. Press gently into the pan. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake 350 degrees, 20 - 25 minutes, or until edges are barely browned. Remove from oven.

Meanwhile, prepare the caramel filling. In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, stir together the sweetened condensed milk, butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar over low heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 8 - 10 minutes, until sugar is completely dissolved and is thickened and is about 245 degrees on a candy thermometer. As best as you can, make sure the bottom does not burn. If it does occur, do not stir into the burnt part into the rest of the caramel, and slightly remove the pan from the heat, to allow it to finish cooking. (If it does happen to burn, there is probably only another 1 -2 minutes of cooking time, anyways.)

Pour hot caramel over the warm cookie crust. Gently place the chocolate bars over the caramel. The hot caramel will melt the chocolate. ** Using an offset spatula, evenly spread the chocolate. Refrigerate bars a few hours to allow them to set. Before serving, remove bars from the refrigerator to warm them up a bit before cutting into narrow bars.

*You can use a 9 x 13" pan, but you will have a thinner bar, and you will probably need more milk chocolate for the topping.

**You could chop the chocolate up first, to allow for quicker melting.

Rich Hot Fudge Sauce

I've been going through some of my blog posts that are just in the draft stage and came upon this recipe I started to post back in 2010. I never published the post but I'm not sure why, so I'm publishing it now. It sounds good, as it has both cocoa powder and unsweetened chocolate. I've got several ice cream topping recipes on the blog. Check them out by clicking on the labels at the bottom of the post.

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1 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup butter, cubed
1  1/3 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
pinch  salt
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp light corn syrup
2 squares (1-oz each) unsweetened chocolate
3 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tsp rum extract

In a heavy saucepan, combine cream and butter. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until butter is melted. Add the sugars and salt, and cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly; about 4 minutes. Stir in the cocoa and corn syrup; cook and stir for 3 minutes.

Add the chocolate and cook and stir for 3-4 minutes or until chocolate is melted. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 12-16 minutes or until desired thickness is reached, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in the extracts. Cool slightly. Serve warm over ice cream. Refrigerate leftovers.

Strawberry Fluff

When I first started this blog, I posted a recipe that I got from a friend, but it had no real name. All I could come up with was "Creamy Orange Jello Pudding". Years later, I would find the recipe online, and it was called Orange Fluff. What is nice about this recipe is that you can use any flavor of jello that you like. In the past, I have served this at family gatherings, and it has always gone over well.

I've been making this quite frequently lately, and my favorite flavors so far are, strawberry, lime, and then orange. The lemon flavor is nice, but subtle. The cherry flavor is very tart. I haven't tried any other flavors of jello, but I'm considering trying the grape flavor because I like grape, but I'm curious as to how it would work out.

The recipe is very simple to make, but you do need to plan ahead of time, because it needs a good 8 hours to set up in the fridge before adding the Cool Whip.

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1 (3 oz.) package jello
2 (3.4 oz) packages Vanilla Cook & Serve pudding mixes
2 1/4 cups hot water
Cool Whip (8 to 12 oz) - I use the Cool Whip Lite

In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the jello, pudding mixes, and hot water and cook until  it has thickened and become transparent in color, stirring constantly. It will start to boil at this point. Just be sure to continually stir, so it does not scorch. Allow to cool slightly, then cover the pan and chill in the refrigerator overnight, or for about 8 hours. Using an electric mixer, add the Cool Whip and beat until it is fluffy and well combined. I like to "cream" the jello mixture until smooth before adding the Cool Whip just so that it is fully incorporated and there are no flecks of the jello mixture remaining. This keeps for several days stored in the refrigerator.

Notes:
1. You may add fruit to this if you would like. I haven't added anything to the strawberry flavor, but I think sliced strawberries would be nice, or even sliced bananas to your individual servings just before serving it.

2. To the orange flavor of jello, I have added a can of (drained) mandarin oranges.

3. I have also seen recipes online where people have added mini marshmallows. I'm sure that would be good, too.

Pizza Casserole

This recipe is an adaptation of a recipe from http://www.kitchme.com/recipes/pizza-casserole. I've made it numerous times, and you can adapt it however you like to suit your tastes. It's very versatile.  Try adding browned Italian sausage, onion, black olives, cheddar cheese, etc. - whatever you would like.  This casserole is very good. Use whatever kind of pasta you want. I usually use Ziti or the corkscrew pasta. I have another version of this dish that I will post, soon.

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2 cups uncooked Ziti pasta (about 1/2 of a 16. oz box)
1 pound ground beef
chopped green pepper
1 cup pepperoni slices - I maybe use 1/2 of a package
1 - 2 (16 oz.) jars pizza sauce
4 tbsp milk
1 cup (at least) shredded Mozzarella cheese (I've used shredded Mozzarella-Provolone)

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, brown the hamburger and drain. Add the cooked pasta, green pepper, pepperoni, pizza sauce, and milk. Stir well. Pour into a 9 x 13" baking dish and top with the cheese. Add additional pepperoni slices on top, if you wish. Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until cheese has melted and browned.

Notes:
You can sprinkle on Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning on the top of the casserole dish before baking, if desired.

Zesty Meatball Sandwiches

These are extremely good sandwiches. To really simplify this, you can use a jarred marinara sauce in place of the homemade, and/or frozen Italian beef meatballs, in place of the homemade. However, it is worth the extra effort to make these from scratch.

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Sauce
chopped onions
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 of a (6-oz.) can tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp oregano leaves
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

In a large skillet, saute the onion and garlic in the oil until tender-crisp. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and set the sauce aside.

Meatballs
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp water
4 slices white bread, crusts removed and bread cubed
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
dash pepper

5-6 Italian rolls, or hoagie buns
Sliced Mozzarella or Provolone cheese, optional


In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and water, then toss in the bread cubes. Add the ground beef, parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix together and form into 1 1/2" balls. Place meatballs on a parchment paper-lined baking pan with sides. Bake 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through.

Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes. Serve the meatballs on the rolls, and spoon the sauce over. If desired, place a thin slice of cheese over the top. Wrap loosely in aluminum foil and bake 350 degrees, for about 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned.

Note: It is not necessary to bake the sandwiches if you don't want to, but it might be best if you are adding the cheese. Serve with sauce on the side.

Chicken How-So (Similar to Chicken Chow Mein)

I got this recipe from an elderly woman many years ago. It is similar to chow mein. It is very good.


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2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp butter
1 can Golden Mushroom soup (if you cannot find, you can use cream of mushroom soup)
1/2 can water
1 beef bouillon cube
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 (8 oz.) can bamboo shoots, drained
1/2 cup sliced celery
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 (3-oz.) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 small green pepper, cut into strips

hot, cooked white rice
hard chow mein noodles, optional

Cut chicken into 1 1/2" pieces. In a medium skillet, brown the chicken in the butter until golden brown. Stir in the mushroom soup, water, bouillon, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the bamboo shoots, celery, onion and mushrooms. Simmer, covered, another 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp. Stir in the green pepper and simmer, covered, another 2-3 minutes longer.

Serve over rice and chow mein noodles.

Crispy Cheddar Cheese Potatoes

I used to make this frequently, but haven't made it in years. These are really good, especially with the crispy topping. I have always use crushed corn flakes but you can also use bread crumbs.

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6 cups (5 or 6) potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (these can also be cubed, small)
chopped onions, as much as you would like
2 tbsp butter, melted
2 cups (8-oz. package) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper, optional

Topping
1 cup bread crumbs or crushed cornflakes
1 tsp paprika


1. Crush the cornflakes in a ziplock bag and add the paprika. Set aside.

2. Combine the potatoes, onions, melted butter, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl.

3. Grease a 9 x 13" pan and alternate layers of potatoes and cheese, ending up with cheese. Sprinkle on the topping.

4. Bake 350 degrees, covered for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender and cheese is browned.

Lemon Cake

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1 (9 oz.) Jiffy white cake mix 
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups milk
1 large (5.1 oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (21 oz.) can Wilderness Lemon Pie Filling
1 (12 oz) carton Cool Whip

Mix and bake cake in a 9 x 13" pan according to package directions. Cool cake. In another bowl, mix together the pudding mix and milk according to package directions. Let stand for 5 minutes and beat in the cream cheese, beating until smooth. Spread mixture over the cake and chill for one hour. Spread pie filling over the cream cheese mixture and then top with the Cool Whip. Serve and store in the refrigerator. 

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

I've never made this, but I did have it somewhere, only I don't remember where. I remember it being very good.

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Crust
1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted

1st Layer
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 (8 oz) cartons Cool Whip, divided

2nd Layer
2 (3 oz.) packages strawberry jello mix
2 cups boiling water
2 packages frozen strawberries, about 16-20 oz, total


To make the crust:
Mix together the pretzels, sugar and butter in a bowl and press into a lightly greased 9 x 13" pan. Bake 375 degrees for about 7 minutes. Cool.

To make the 1st layer:
Cream the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl. Fold in the Cool Whip and spread over the crust.

To make the 3rd layer:
Dissolve the jello in the boiling water and then stir in the frozen strawberries, stirring until jello mixture has thickened. Pour over the cream cheese mixture. Chill several hours, until set. Spread second carton Cool Whip on top and serve. Store in the refrigerator.

Lemon Lime Jello Poke Cake

In searching for a different recipe online, I came upon this website that had a cake recipe that I used to make for my kids' birthdays, when they were little. Because most of them happened to have birthdays in the summertime, I wanted something that was light and refreshing. This certainly fit the bill, and it was easy to make, and delicious, too.

Since it is always nice to have a photograph of the finished product of any recipe I post (and since I don't have one of my own yet), I decided to post a link to the recipe blog where I found this recipe. I'll have to find my own recipe, then compare the two. There are some slight differences, but I'll come back and post them if they are significant. One difference I will mention is that I used an 8-oz container of Cool Whip in place of the Dream Whip. See note below.

The recipe can be found here at Cleverly Simple: Lemon Lime Jello Poke Cake. 

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1 box Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme cake mix - Baked according to package directions in a 9 x 13" pan
1 (3-oz) package lime jello
3/4 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water

Frosting
1 small box (3 oz) lemon instant pudding mix
1 envelope Dream Whip
1 1/2 cups cold milk

1. As stated, bake the cake mix according to package directions in a 9 x 13" pan. Cool cake for 20 - 25 minutes.

2. While the cake is cooling, prepare the jello as follows: Combine the jello mix with  the boiling water and stir until dissolved. Add the cold water and stir. Let cool to room temperature.

3. Using the tines of a fork, poke holes all over the cake and pour cooled jello over the top. Refrigerate the cake until it has chilled.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting by beating the lemon pudding and Dream Whip mixes together with the cold milk. Spread over the top of the cake and refrigerate. Store cake in the refrigerator.


Note: If you prefer, or have trouble finding the Dream Whip (which can be found in the baking aisle in your grocery store along with the cake mixes and canned frosting), you may use an 8-oz container of Cool Whip. Just prepare the pudding mix by mixing with the 1 1/2 cups cold milk (since you want a stiffer pudding, you use less milk than called for in the directions on the box). Let set. Fold in the Cool Whip and spread over the cake.

Strawberry Angel Food Cake Dessert

I got this recipe YEARS ago from a friend. I made it several times way back then, but haven't made it since. I had forgotten about this recipe, but in going through my recipe file, I came upon it again and decided to share it here. It is a nice and light dessert, perfect for spring or summer - especially when strawberries are in season. Try it out and let me know what you think.

Note: See link at the bottom for a similar recipe I found using strawberry jello mix, if you are unable to find the Danish Junket.

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1 full-sized angel food cake, purchased from a bakery, or prepare one, using a boxed cake mix
2 (4 3/4-oz.) packages Danish Junket dessert mix, strawberry flavor 
    (You should be able to find this at your grocery store in the baking aisle, along with the jello and           pudding mixes)
3 1/2 cups water
2 (10-oz.) packages frozen strawberries, partially thawed
1 (8-oz) container Cool Whip, thawed
fresh strawberries, sliced, for garnish (optional)

1. Tear or cut angel food cake into pieces and place in a glass 9 x 13" pan (preferably one with a cover).

2. Mix 2 packages Danish Junket mix with 3 1/2 cups water, and cook according to package directions.

3. Stir in the partially thawed strawberries and allow to sit so the strawberries will finish thawing.

4. Pour strawberry mixture over the cake pieces in the pan. Chill until set.

5. Refrigerate until ready to serve and top with the Cool Whip. Garnish with fresh strawberries, if desired. Store this dessert in the refrigerator.


Note: I found a similar recipe online that uses Jello mix, if you are unable to find the Danish Junket mix. It is here at Cleverly Simple: Strawberry Angel Food Cake.