Fiesta Taco Salad

4 oz. cheddar cheese
1 medium onion
1 (1 1/4 oz) package taco sauce mix
3/4 cup water
1 7 oz pkg tortilla chips
1 head of lettuce
3 medium tomatoes

Directions:
1. Cut/grate cheese and onion
2. Brown meat and drain
3. Add onion, taco mix, water and reduce heat to low. Simmer 5 minutes and refrigerate until cool
4. While meat is cooling, tear lettuce into bite sie pieces. Place in a large salad bowl. Add meat, tomato and cheese. Slightly crush ships and toss salad. Serve with favorite dressing.

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

1 pound large strawberries

8oz. block cream cheese – soft

3 – 4 tablespoons powdered sugar (depends on how sweet you want the filling)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or use almond, lemon, etc. )

Graham cracker crumbs

Instructions:

Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top and clean out inside with a paring knife if necessary. I found most of the strawberries already had a nice hollow center so that step was not necessary. If you want to stand your strawberries upright (like in the picture) slice a bit off the bottom. One strawberries are prepped set aside.

Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla with a mixer or by hand. Add cream cheese mix to piping bag and fill strawberries. Once strawberries are filled dip the top in graham cracker crumbs. Devour and fall in love.

You could also drizzle or dip strawberries in chocolate if desired.

Chicken in a Cream Sauce

4 chicken breasts, cut in half
1/2 cube of butter
2 T. minced garlic
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white cooking wine
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
1 beaten egg
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Directions:
Mix flour with salt, pepper and garlic powder. In a seperate bowl, beat egg. Pound chicken to tenderize. Dip chicken in egg and dredge in flour mixture. Let chicken rest for five minutes before cooking.

In a small bowl, mix soup, water, milk, broth; set aside. Melt butter in pan. Add minced garlic and saute until golden brown. Add chicken to hot butter and saute. Cook 1-2 minutes and turn over. Cook until golden brown on each side, add white wine. Let bubble for 2 minutes, then lower heat to medium. Add soup. Let simmer for 15 minutes then reduce heat. Mix in sour cream and simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve with rice.

If you want noodles, cut and slice chicken before coating. Add an extra 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup broth to soup mixture. Mix sauce with about 1 1/2 lbs. cooked pasta after sauce has finished simmering.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake

Cheesecake Ingredients:

20 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

3/4 cups sugar

Lemon zest from half a lemon

Lemon juice of half a lemon

1/4 t coarse salt

2 eggs

1/2 c sour cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Set a kettle of water to boil. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium until fluffy, scraping down side of bowl. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Beat in lemon zest and juice, and salt. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down side of bowl after each addition. Beat in sour cream.

Spray bottom of Springform pan with baking spray. Wrap bottom half of pan in foil. Pour in filling; place in a roasting pan. Pour in boiling water to come halfway up side of Springform. Bake until just set in center, about 45 minutes. Remove pan from water; let cool 20 minutes. Run a paring knife around edge; let cool completely. Cover; chill overnight, then wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.

Cake Ingredients:

1/2 c vegetable shortening

2 eggs

1 1/2 c sugar

1 t vanilla

2 1/2 cups cake flour

2 tbl cocoa

1 c buttermilk

2 oz red food coloring

1 tbl vinegar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9″ round cake pans with shortening and sprinkle with flour.

Sift cake flour once. Add in salt and cocoa, and sift again. Set aside.

Cream together the shortening & sugar, adding the sugar gradually, beating well. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well, then add vanilla.

Start alternating between flour mixture and buttermilk, beating well before each addition.

In separate small bowl add baking soda to vinegar and let it bubble.

Stir in vinegar mixture, then blend in the food coloring.

Pour batter into cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Let cakes cool 5 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack. Let cakes cool completely, then level.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

5 tbl softened butter, softened

1 1/2 tbl vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Directions:

Beat the cream cheese and butter until creamy & fluffy. Stir in vanilla. Gradually beat in powdered sugar on low speed, until well incorporated.

Assembly:

Place bottom layer on cake stand. Remove cheesecake from freezer, unwrap, and remove from metal bottom. Place cheesecake layer on top of the bottom layer of the red velvet cake.

If the cheesecake is wider than the cake, and it is necessary to trim it, wait approximately 10 minutes for the cheesecake to soften, then trim it with a knife. Place top layer of cake on top of the cheesecake.

Place a small amount of frosting in a small bowl, this will be your crumb coat frosting. Apply a generous layer of the cream cheese frosting to act as the crumb coat.

Refrigerate approximately 30 minutes, then frost with as much of the remaining frosting as necessary.

Country Style Barbecued Chicken

1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbs. dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
6 chicken breast halves

Directions:
1. Mix onions, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, dry mustard, salt and pepper in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a baking dish.
3. Arrange chicken in dish. Pour sauce over chicken.
4. Bake 25 minutes or until juices run clear.

Serves 6

Root Beer Freeze

2 cups ice cream
1/2 cup root beer

Place both ingredients into a blender, and mix for about 30 seconds on puree. Makes one serving.

Chicken Pasta Salad

2 tbsp. parmesan cheese
1/2 cup penne pasta
1/2 cup mixed vegetables
1 chicken breast, baked and cut
1/8 cup Oceanspray Craisens
1 tbsp. raw pine nuts
1 cup fresh raw spinach
2 tbsp salad dressing, low fat

Directions:
Dice and cook chicken breast. Cook pasta. Steam vegetables. Combine chicken breast chunks, pasta, vegetables, cheese, all other ingredients and salad dressing. Toss salad and chill. Serve cold.