Lemon-Blueberry Cream Pie

Ingredients: 

• 1 2/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar 
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted 
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 (3.4-ounce) package lemon instant pudding mix
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind 
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 
• 1 pint fresh blueberries 
• 2 tablespoons blueberry preserves
• 1 cup whipping cream 
• Garnishes: lemon slices, fresh blueberries 

Directions: 

1. 1. Stir together first 3 ingredients; press evenly in bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate.
2. 
   
3. 2. Bake piecrust at 350° for 8 minutes; remove piecrust to a wire rack, and cool completely.
4. 
   
5. 3. Beat cheese, milk, and powdered sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add pudding mix, rind, and juice; beat until blended. Spread half of lemon mixture evenly into prepared crust.
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7. 4. Stir together blueberries and preserves; spread evenly over lemon mixture. Spread remaining lemon mixture over blueberry mixture; cover and chill 2 hours or until set.
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9. 5. Beat whipping cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, and spread around outer edge of pie, forming a 3-inch border. Garnish, if desired.

               Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 5 PINTS OF BUTTOM MUSHROOMS
• 4 ITALIAN SAUSAGE LINKS
• 8 ounces CREAM CHEESE (room temperature)
• 2 YELLOW ONIONS MINCED
• 5 GARLIC CLOVES MINCED
• 5 ounces ASIAGO CHEESE SHREDDED
• 7 tablespoons OLIVE OIL
• 3 tablespoons BALSAMIC VINEGAR
• SALT & PEPPER

Directions: 

1. Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp cloth and pull out the stems and discard. Toss the cleaned de-stemmed mushrooms with 5 tbs of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Spread out on a sheet pan and bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Set aside and cool.

2. Slit the Italian sausage and remove casing. Crumble in a heated pan and saute until golden brown. Break up into small pieces while it is cooking. Set aside and cool.

3. Add the remaining 2 tbs of olive oil in a saute pan and add the onions. Cook until dark and caramelized, about 15-20 minutes. Then add in the garlic and cook for a minute.

4. Now add the cooked sausage, onions and garlic, cream cheese, salt & pepper, and 3 oz of shredded Asiago cheese to a bowl and mix well with your hands. Break apart any large pieces of sausage.

5. Line up your mushrooms in a greased baking dish with the core side facing up. Stuff each mushroom with a generous portion of the creamy sausage mixture. Top the mushrooms with the remaining Asiago cheese.

6. Now put the baking dish in a pre-heated oven at 375 degrees for roughly 45 minutes or until the cheese on top is golden brown. (This dish can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and put in the cooler, and then take out when you are ready to put in the oven.)

Chocolate-Caramel Bread Pudding

Ingredients: 

• 6 ounces Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped
• 2 cups Heavy Cream
• 1 1/2 cups Milk
• 2 tablespoons Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 (vanilla bean) Seeds Scraped And Pod Reserved
• 1 large Egg
• 5 large Egg Yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) Salt
• 1/2 cups Sugar
• 7 cups (13 ounces) Challah Bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Unsalted Butter
• 6 ounces Semisweet Chocolate Chips
• 4 ounces Caramel Candy Chews, such as Werther's Original, halved

Directions: 

1.  Make the pudding: Place the chocolate in a large bowl and set aside. Place the cream, milk, cocoa, and vanilla bean seeds and pod in a medium pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat, and strain into the bowl of chocolate. Gently stir to combine and set aside. Whisk the egg, yolks, salt, and sugar together in a medium bowl. Pour the cream mixture into the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking continuously until combined. Place the challah in a large bowl, pour the egg-and-cream mixture over the bread, and let sit, tossing occasionally, until the bread absorbs the liquid — about 30 minutes.

2.   Bake the pudding: Heat the oven to 325 F. Lightly coat a 10-inch (1 quart) deep-dish pie pan with the butter. Gently mix chocolate chips and the soaked bread together. Spoon half of the pudding into the pie pan, sprinkle with half of the caramel candies, top with the remaining pudding and caramel. Tightly cover the pie pan with aluminum foil, fit it into a 10- by 15-inch roasting pan, and place them on the middle shelf of the oven. Fill the roasting pan with hot water until the level reaches halfway up the sides of the pie pan. Bake for 40 minutes, uncover, and continue to bake until the liquid has set and the caramel is melted — about 20 more minutes. Serve warm. Pudding can be stored covered tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

 Peanut Butter Truffle Pie

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups whipping cream, divided 
• 3 tablespoons margarine or butter 
• 1 package (8 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 
• 1/2 teaspoon orange extract or vanilla 
• 1 Keebler Ready Crust Chocolate Pie Crust 
• 1/3 cup sugar 
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions:

1. Chill small mixing bowl and beaters of electric mixer.

2. In medium saucepan heat 3/4 cup of whipping cream and margarine or butter over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate and orange extract or vanilla until chocolate melts. Pour into crust. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until thoroughly chilled. 

3. In chilled bowl beat remaining whipping cream, sugar and peanut butter on medium speed of electric mixer until soft peaks form. Spread over chocolate mixture in crust.

4. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Garnish as desired. Store in refrigerator.

                            Pork or Beef on a Bun

            

Ingredients:

• 1 3- to 4-pound pork-butt roast or beef brisket
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 1 16-ounce jar barbecue sauce
• Soft rolls

Directions:

1. Carefully trim the meat of visible fat and season it with salt and pepper. Place the onions in the bottom of the crock pot, then lay the meat on top of them. (You may have to cut the brisket in half and stack the piece.)

2. Pour about a half cup of the barbecue sauce over the meat and flip it around to coat it. Cover and let it cook for 9 to 10 hours on low.

3. Carefully remove the cooked meat from the crock pot and pour out the fat and juices, retaining the onions. For the pork: Using two forks, shred the meat into stringy chunks, discarding any fat.

4. Put the meat back in the crock pot, mix in the remaining barbecue sauce, and let it cook another half hour or so. (You could eat it now, but it's better if it soaks awhile.)

5. For the beef: Slice the brisket across the grain and place it on a platter, discarding any fat. Cover it with sauce and let it sit for 10 minutes or so if you can bear it! Serve on soft rolls, onions on the side. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

                       No-Bake Crispy Potato Chip Mac and Cheese  

                                  

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup elbow macaroni, uncooked
• 1 (8 ounce) bag white cheddar kettle-style potato chips, crushed into medium-fine crumbs
• 1/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 
• 2 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 cups prepared white sauce (see footnotes)
• 1/2 pound shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 pound shredded Gruyere cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

Directions: 

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain. 

2. Combine prepared potato chip crumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, bread crumbs, and butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir until golden brown. about 5 minutes. Set aside.

3. Heat prepared white sauce , Cheddar cheese, Gruyere cheese, and dry mustard in a large saucepan over low heat; cook and sit until cheese melts, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Combined cooked macaroni and cheese together in a large bowl. Spoon mixture into 4 (10 ounce) ramekins and cover with toasted potato chip topping. 

Footnotes: 

White Sauce: 

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 quart milk
• 4 springs fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• salt
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour and cook for about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in 1 cup cold milk, about 1 minute. Stir in second cup of milk for an additional minute. 

3. Stir in remaining 2 cups of milk, cayenne pepper, salt, thyme, and nutmeg; bring to a simmer over low heat until sauce begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. 

                          Banana Crumb Muffins

                        

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers. 

2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the bananas mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. 

3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins. 

4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean. 

    

    

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