Jennifer’s Loaded Potato Soup

1 onion (diced)
1 stalk of celery (diced)
2 fresh cloves of garlic (grated)
3-4 tbsp of butter
2 tbsp bacon grease
6-8 potatoes (peeled and sliced to 1/4" rounds)
Water
2 slices of thick cut deli ham (diced)
1 cup of bacon crumbles
1 can of cheddar cheese soup
1 can of milk (using empty soup can)
1 cup of sour cream
S & P to taste

Saute onion, celery, and garlic in butter and bacon grease on medium heat until translucent and tender. Add in the potatoes, bacon, and ham and add enough water to cover. Raise the heat to medium/high and boil until potatoes are fork tender but not mushy.

In a separate bowl, mix the undiluted cheddar cheese soup, can of milk (using the empty soup can), and 1 cup of sour cream and whisk until smooth. Once the potatoes are done, whisk in the cheese soup mixture into the pot of soup and simmer an additional 10-20 minutes.

Serve with Sister Schubert rolls or cornbread if desired.

Chocolate Fudge

Chocolate Fudge

1 stick of butter
1/2 lb of velveeta cheese cut into tiny chunks

1 tsp of vanilla
1/2 cup of chopped pecans

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 (1 lb) boxes of Confectionary sugar


Melt the first two ingredients in a skillet over low to medium heat. Once smooth, stir in the vanilla and pecans. Dump the powdered sugar and cocoa powder into a large mixing bowl and pour in the cheesy. Stir it in until the mixture gets cool enough you can handle and kneed with your hands until it comes together as fudge. Pat it into a greased pan. You CAN cut it immediately and serve, but it cuts easier if you wait 5-10 minutes before removing it from platter.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Fudge

Peanut Butter Fudge

1 stick of butter

1/2 lb of velveeta cheese cut into tiny chunks

1 cup of peanut butter

1 tsp of vanilla

1/2 cup of chopped pecans

2 (1 lb) boxes of Confectionary sugar

Melt the first three ingredients in a skillet over low to medium heat. Once smooth, stir in the vanilla and pecans. Dump the powdered sugar into a large mixing bowl and pour in the peanut butter mixture. Stir it in until the mixture gets cool enough you can handle and kneed with your hands until it comes together as fudge. Pat it into a greased pan and wait at least 30 minutes before cutting and removing from platter. If you have a whole lot of butter and it runs out the top while youre patting it down into your pan, feel free to blot it with a papertowel.

Enjoy!

Sausage balls

Sausage balls

• 1 lb of Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1 lb of Regular breakfast sausage (Mild or hot)
• 3 cups of biscuit mix

Dump everything in a bowl (with the sausage raw) and mix with your hands and kneed everything until it comes together and isn't too dry or too wet. Sometimes the consistency varies because of other factors ( i.e. weather, altitude, etc). You can add up to 1 cup extra of biscuit mix if its too wet and add up to 1/4 cup of milk if its too dry. Roll into little balls or use a 1 tbsp ice cream scoop (like you use for cookies) and scoop out onto a greased pan. I line mine with tinfoil and spray the tinfoil. Bake 18-20 minutes at 350.

You can precook your sausage, but then you have to wait on the grease to cool and its a bigger mess. If you precook your sausage, you only need to cook them about 10-12 minutes.

The Best Cheesecake you've ever had!

The Best Cheesecake you've ever had!


Crust:
1.5 cups of crushed Honey Graham Crackers
1.5 tbsp of melted butter
1/4 to 1/2 tsp of Cinnamon (Depending on your taste)
1/2 cup light brown sugar

Filling:
4 (8 oz) blocks of cream cheese
1 + 1/3 cup of white sugar
1 tbsp + 1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs (added one at a time)

Parchment paper, Nonstick Spray, Aluminum Foil

(Use a 10'' nonstick spring-form pan with the outside covered in tinfoil and the inside lined with parchment paper and lightly sprayed with nonstick spray)

1. Preheat oven to 300.
2. Mix crumbs, butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar; press firmly onto bottom and 2 inches up side of pan.
3. Remove your cream cheese block from the foil and microwave for about 30 seconds up to 1 minute (cream cheese can cook and brown just like mozzarella cheese on a pizza - so be careful and don't over do it on the time in the microwave!)
4. Place into mixer and mix until creamy. Add sugar in slowly. When sugar is completely incorporated, add in the vanilla, 1 tsp at a time. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Do NOT over mix your cheesecake! It will make it rise and fall like a souffle and then leave the possibility wide-open for your cheesecake to crack during the cooking process (which can also happen if the cheesecake is cooled too quickly).
5. Pour into crust. Bake 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on the counter for at least one hour, preferably two. If you cover your cheesecake and refrigerate it while still warm, condensation will gather on the underside of the cover and drip onto the cake, making the first layer slimy and discolored -- so its important that you cool it slowly. By cooling too quickly -- not only do you have to worry about the slimy discoloration, but also the risk of having a cracked cheesecake and a huge trench to fill -- so don't skip this part......Trust me :)
6. Run knife or metal spatula around side of pan to loosen cake. Chill completely for at least 4 hours (if not overnight) in the fridge before removing side of pan.
7. After cooling, run the knife around the edges again. Unlatch the spring form around the circular bottom and gently lift it up the sides of the cake. Gently lift the cheesecake off of the spring form bottom and parchment using a large, thin spatula and transfer it to whatever you're going to serve it in. Do not top your cheesecake until its transferred to your serving platter or else you'll have a mess! You may top your cheesecake with whatever you want before serving, whether its a chocolate ganache, fresh fruit, a fruit topping, or just plain. My family loves it just the way it is. The first time I served it, I served it with a strawberry sauce. At the end of the night, I ended up taking home an empty cheesecake platter and a bowl full of strawberry sauce. If you're looking for something to serve this in, without having to use your spring form pan, I found some party platters that are perfect for Cheesecakes at Walmart. They have a thick aluminum bottom and a plastic top. Totally disposable! The only thing is -- wrap them in at least two layers of aluminum foil (the platter with the cheesecake inside) before transporting them anywhere. It will ensure your dessert will arrive safely and more intact!
8. Store left overs in fridge! Enjoy!

Cheesy Chicken Crescent Casserole

3 pieces of chicken (boiled with salt/pepper + 2 tbsp butter and shredded)
1 can (8 oz size) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350F

Separate crescent dough into triangles. Place about 3 Tbsp chicken on wide end of each triangle and roll to opposite point. Place all 8 spaced evenly in the bottom of a baking dish (either a 9 x 9 dish or a glass casserole dish) sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the crescents start to turn golden brown.

In a bowl, mix the soup and milk together until creamy. (You may need to microwave for up to 1 minute to make it pourable). Pour the soup mixture over the crescents stuffed with chicken and bake for 30 minutes.

During the last five minutes, remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle with cheese. Pull out whenever the cheese is JUST melted and enjoy!

Spinach & Cheese Dip

Spinach & Cheese Dip Prep Time: 10 min Total Time: 1 hr 10 min Makes: 3 cups or 24 servings, 2 Tbsp. each

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese , softened 1/2 cup KRAFT Mayo Real Mayonnaise 1/3 cup sliced green onion s 1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach , thawed, well drained 1 cup KRAFT Natural Italian* Cheese Crumbles 1/2 cup chopped roasted red pepper s

1. BEAT cream cheese, mayo and half of the onions in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add spinach; mix until just blended. 2. STIR in cheese crumbles and peppers; cover. 3. REFRIGERATE at least 1 hour. Sprinkle with remaining onions just before serving.

Mexican Lasagna

THIS IS A DOUBLE RECIPE AND MAY
BE HALFED FOR JUST ONE 9 X 13 PAN
OF MEXICAN LASAGNA

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 pounds ground turkey
• 1 large can of refried beans
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 packet of taco seasoning *powder* (mild or medium depending on your taste)
• 1 sweet onion (chopped finely)
• 1 large can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 (8 oz) jar of taco sauce *liquid* (mild or medium depending on your taste)
• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed until water runs clear
• 1 small bag of frozen corn
• 1 bag of burrito sized flour tortillas
• 4 (8 oz packages) shredded cheese (2 fiesta blend cheese & 2 mild cheddar)
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• Sour cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350
2. Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil – twice around the pan. Add turkey and onion. Brown the meat and onion mixture. (Drain if necessary)
3. Add the crushed tomatoes, taco seasoning, taco sauce, black beans and corn. Heat the mixture through and simmer a couple of minutes.
4. In a separate pan, take the large can of refried beans and add the olive oil and water. Mash them with a potato masher or something similar and stir until they are spreadable.
5. Coat a 9 x 13 baking dishes with remaining extra-virgin olive oil.
6. Cut the tortillas in quarters.
7. Layer as follows: (From the bottom up) - Olive oil to coat the pan. . . Then: meat sauce, cheese, tortilla, beans, meat sauce, cheese, tortilla, beans, meat sauce, cheese, tortilla, cheese.
8. Bake lasagna 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly.
9. Cook for 10 minutes and top with scallions and sour cream.

This is a Racheal Ray adaption. Her method - I of course adapted it to fit MY family's taste! So this is my recipe from her method! This is always a HUGE hit and makes great left overs!

You could omit the refried beans layer and use ground chicken and have HER recipe -- or you could also add olives, peppers, etc and make it your OWN~ but I prefer it just the way I usually make it!

Mexican Chicken Pasta

• 3 cups bow tie pasta, uncooked
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/4 lb.), cut into strips
• 1/2 lb. (8 oz.) Velveeta cheese, cut up
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
• 1/4 cup milk

1. COOK pasta in large saucepan as directed on package; drain. Return to saucepan.
2. SPRAY large skillet with cooking spray. Add chicken; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until cooked through.
3. ADD to pasta in saucepan along with the remaining ingredients; cook on low heat until VELVEETA is melted, stirring occasionally.
   

Hamburger Roll-up

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onions (about 1 small)
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) Velveeta cheese.

1 pkg. (13.8 oz.) refrigerated pizza crust

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cook ground beef and onions in large skillet on medium-high heat until ground beef is evenly browned, stirring occasionally. Drain; return meat mixture to skillet.
3. Add Velveeta in thin small chunks; cook until completely melted, stirring frequently. Cool 10 min. (It will turn almost into a paste consistency).
4. Unroll pizza dough onto baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Press into 15x8-inch rectangle. Top evenly with meat mixture. Roll up dough, starting at one of the long sides. Rearrange, if necessary, so roll is seam-side down on baking sheet.
5. BAKE 20 to 25 min. or until golden brown. Cut diagonally into six slices to serve.