Carmelitas

Ingredients:

Crust

2 cups All Purpose or Unbleached Flour

2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups margarine or butter, softened

Filling

1 jar of Mrs. Richardson's Butterscotch caramel caramel ice cream topping

3 tablespoons All Purpose or Unbleached Flour

1 12oz package of milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped nuts

• 1 Heat oven to 325°F.  Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine all crust ingredients; mix at low speed until crumbly. Reserve half of crumb mixture (about 3 cups) for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture in bottom of pan. Bake at 325°F. for 17 minutes.
• 2 Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine caramel topping and 3 tablespoons flour; blend well.
• 3 Remove partially baked crust from oven; sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts. Drizzle evenly with caramel mixture; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
• 4 Return to oven; bake an additional 17 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until filling is set. Cut into bars.
•  NOTES: I don't use the nuts.  This is best made the day before you need it. 

Mexican Lasagna

White mix:

1 1/2 cup cottage cheese

1 cup sour cream

1 (4 oz) can of chopped green chiles

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/8 tsp salt

Beef mix:

1 lb ground beef

1/2 white onion chopped

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

3 cloves of garlic, minced

Brown all beef mix ingred. in pan until cooked

Other ingred:

2 1/2 c salsa (I used about a whole jar 16 oz I think))

Whole wheat tortillas, or flour (I think I usually use 6)

1 1/4 c. monterey jack cheese (I use mozzerella b/c I always have it on hand) I never measure this either

Oil 13x9 pan; preheat oven to 350 F

Order:

2 Tortillas

1/2 of white mix

1/2  of beef mix

Salsa (enough to cover beef mix pretty well, or however much you like)

Shredded cheese

2 tortillas

Remaining white mix

Remaining beef mix

Salsa

Cheese

2 tortillas

Salsa

cheese

Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes give or take

MEATBALLS ITALIAN STYLE

1 lb. ground beef
2 eggs, well beaten
3/4 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 c. Romano cheese, grated (imported preferred)
1 tsp. salt
Black pepper to taste
1 1/2 tbsp. basil
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 c. cooled spaghetti sauce (makes the meatballs moist and soft)

Mix all ingredients well and shape into golf-ball size. Place in a non-stick baking pan or spray pan with pan coating. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Drop in spaghetti sauce and let simmer for 1 hour. Makes about 15.

Grown Up Mac and Cheese

Total Time:

1 hr 10 min

Prep

10 min

Cook

1 hr 0 min

Yield:

2 servings

Level:

Easy

Ingredients

• 4 ounces thick-sliced bacon
• Vegetable oil
• Kosher salt
• 2 cups elbow macaroni or cavatappi
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
• 3 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
• 2 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch nutmeg
• 2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in 1 layer on the baking rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Remove the pan carefully from the oven - there will be hot grease in the pan! Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and crumble when it is cool enough to handle.
Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, blue cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and crumbled bacon and stir well. Pour into 2 individual size gratin dishes.
Place the bread slices in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Add the basil and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the pasta. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Note: I didn't use individual dishes.  I used a 9x9 pan.
 

Chocolate Pudding Pie

QUICK SHORTBREAD PIE CRUST 

1 1/4 c. flour
2 tbsp. powered sugar
1 cube butter

Put in mixer and blend. Press into pie shell. Pick with fork. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Mom added maybe ¼ cup milk to moisten.  Baked a couple minutes longer too.

COOL WHIP PIE 

1 container Cool Whip
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 pkg. Jello instant pudding (4 serving size), chocolate
1 c. cold milk
Graham cracker pie shell
Coconut (opt.)
Pecans or walnuts (opt.)
Chocolate flavored decors (opt.)

Cream cheese with 1/2 cup Cool Whip and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Spread on pie shell. Mix pudding and milk (pudding will be thick), spread on cream cheese layer. Top with Cool Whip. Garnish with coconut and pecan pieces or chocolate flavored decors. Refrigerate for about 2 hours before serving. You can also make this with vanilla instant pudding.

Cake Batter Cookies

Ingredients:
1 (18.25 oz.) box cake mix
1 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions: 
1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2-In a medium bowl, stir together the cake mix and baking powder. Add eggs and oil, then mix until well blended. (It was a bit crumbly for me so I used my hands to really mix it well- it's not as smooth as typical dough.)
 3-Stir in chocolate chips, or your choice of additions. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheets.
4- Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven.  Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Basic Crepes

Prep Time:
10 Min

Cook Time:
20 Min

Ready In:
30 Min

Original Recipe Yield 8 crepes

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.

Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot. 

Baked Chicken In a Sweet BBQ Sauce

Original recipe makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup red wine

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon dry mustard powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Whisk together the barbecue sauce, soy sauce, red wine, maple syrup, chili powder, dry mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin in a bowl until thoroughly combined.
3. Place the chicken breasts into a 9x13-inch baking dish, and pour the sauce over the chicken. Turn the chicken pieces over in the sauce to coat both sides.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 40 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a breast should read 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Remove the chicken from the baking dish, and keep warm.
5. Pour the remaining sauce into a saucepan, place over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Whisk the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl until smooth. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce; reduce heat to a simmer, and allow the sauce to thicken, whisking constantly. Return the chicken to the dish, and pour the thickened sauce over the chicken to serve.