The Dinnertime Divas

Blue Cheese and Pear Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

2012-01-20T14:14:00.003-05:00

Our Dinner assignment this month was to get fancy! I found this recipe for blue cheese and pear stuffed pork tenderloin on my favorite meal planning website, Relish!

As complicated as it sounds, it was actually very easy to prepare and did not require a lot of ingredients.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 shallots , thinly sliced
1 Anjou pear , chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons parsley
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Prep:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees

[1] Heat half of the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; cook 6 minutes. Add pear, wine, and thyme; cook 2 minutes. Cool. Stir in nuts, cheese, crumbs, and parsley.

[2] Slice pork lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, other side. Open halves. Place pork between sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/4 inch. Top pork with pears; leave 1/2-inch border. Roll, starting with long side; secure pork with picks. Sprinkle with salt.

[3] Heat remaining oil in a large ovenproof pan over medium-high heat. Add pork; sauté 5 minutes, browning all sides. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until cooked but still slightly pink in the center. Remove pork from pan, and let stand 5 minutes, slice and serve.

Oh you fancy, huh?

Pasta Milano by The Big Cheese

2012-01-18T17:45:00.002-05:00

This recipe was inspired by Macaroni Grill and found online. One word: yum!

What you'll need:
3 slices bacon, diced
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
4 cloves roasted garlic, mashed
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 cup white mushrooms, sliced
1 cup chicken broth, divided
1 cup heavy cream (or half & half for a lower fat version)
salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces dry farfalle (bowtie) pasta
water for boiling pasta
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

In a large skillet over high heat, brown the diced bacon. Season the cut up chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and saute until lightly browned. Once the chicken is cooked, add the sliced mushrooms and saute until browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the roasted garlic, sundried tomatoes and chicken broth to the hot skillet. Allow it come to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender. Add the cream and bring to a boil; stirring.Take off heat and add the bacon, chicken and mushroom to the sauce and set aside.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add dry pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, transfer to a bowl.

Pour the chicken and sauce over the hot pasta and toss. Place in a baking dish and top with shredded Parmesan cheese and bake in preheated oven for 5-7 minutes until cheese melts.

December DTD Meeting

2011-12-24T12:41:00.007-05:00

December's DTD theme was of a spherical nature!

We had yummy appetizers...

Popcorn Chicken Balls

Deep Fried Butter Balls (that's right, you heard me)

Cheese balls

Beef and Cheese Ball

Buckeye balls

and wine, of course.

We also had a good variety of meals!

Saucy Diva made Porcupine Meatballs

Gourmet Diva made Slow Cooker Tamale Balls

Cheesy Diva made Sausage and Cream Cheese Balls

Wine Diva made Deep Fried Mac and Cheese Balls (that's right, you heard me again)

and Dessert Diva made Florentine Mac and Cheese with Chicken Meatballs

If you think these sound delish, you can find the recipes on the blog!

This month was also a very special occasion! It was The Little Cheese's first Diva Meeting!

Isn't she precious? Another diva in the making!

Merry Christmas from the Dinnertime Divas!

Florentine Mac 'n Cheese with Chicken Sausage Meatballs

2011-12-21T10:56:00.002-05:00

For our ball-themed Diva month, I always like to try to find a recipe that is just a little bit different. Well, I think I found what I was looking for on Food Network's website. This recipe is courtesy of Rachael Ray. You really get a bang for your buck with it, as you can eat it together as one meal or separate it into two (as I will be doing because there is no way Mr. Dessert Diva will eat this together...he likes to keep his food separate!).

Because this recipe is fairly involved (not difficult...just ingredient-heavy), I am just including the link to the recipe here. I hope you enjoy it!

Cream Cheese Sausage Balls - The Big Cheese

2011-12-20T22:50:00.004-05:00

Oh how I love the Divas "ball themed" month! For this year's month of balls, I turned to Pintrest for a recipe. This proved to be very helpful and easy! Thank you, Pintrest and all those "pinners" who pinned this recipe for my viewing/tasting pleasure.

1 lb hot sausage, uncooked
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups Bisquick
4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400F.

Mix all ingredients until well combined.
Roll into 1-inch balls.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until brown.

Sausage balls may be frozen uncooked. If baking frozen, add a few minutes to the baking time.

When I first tried these balls, I served with a side of green beans and mashed potatoes!

Chocolate Butter Cookies

2011-12-20T11:05:00.003-05:00

When I discovered my girl Paula Deen's 12 Days of Holiday Cookies on Twitter, I knew I'd fine something great... and I did! Day 5 was Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies. Delicious! They are very cake-y so you need to be prepared for that. But Saucy Diva and I decided they would be divine warm, with a scoop of ice cream, maybe some hot fudge and definitely whipped cream.... I want one now. Enjoy!

Paula Deen's Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (18-ounce) box moist chocolate cake mix
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so that you can roll the batter into balls. Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in confectioner's sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and "gooey." Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Fried Mac & Cheee Balls

2011-12-20T10:56:00.003-05:00

My December Ball recipe is Fried Mac & Cheese Balls. Yum! (And seriously unhealthy, but that's why I'm cramming them in before the new year :-)

I found this recipe at NoRecipes.com which is a pretty cool site. Anyway, I'm attempting to freeze them pre-frying and then have the divas fry them up on their own. I'm not sure how this process will work but we will give it a try!

Fried Mac & Cheese Balls
makes 8 balls
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoon flour
3/4 cup half and half
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 packed cup leftover mac & cheese (I used Kraft)

1/2 cup flour
1 beaten egg
1 cup panko (you can also use regular bread crumbs)

pecorino or parmesan cheese for serving

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the flour and stir vigorously until the mixture is bubbling. Remove the pan from the heat, then slowly whisk in the half and half until it is fully incorporated and there are no lumps. Return the pan to a medium-low heat stove and use a silicone spatula to continuously scrape the bottom of the pan to keep the sauce from burning. When the sauce is thick and bubbly, remove the pan from the heat and add the mac & cheese. Stir to combine, then taste for salt and adjust as needed. Cool to room temperature, then place the mixture into the fridge to harden.

Once the macaroni mixture has cooled, it will be very firm. Use a spoon to scoop out a 1 1/2″ ball, then roll it between your hands to make it round, pressing down a bit to remove any air pockets. You should be able to make about 8 balls.

Add about 2 inches of oil into a heavy bottomed pot. Turn the heat onto medium high, and watch for the temperature to reach about 320 degrees F. In the mean time, get 3 shallow bowls out, and put the flour in one, the egg in another and the panko in the third. Roll each ball in the flour to coat evenly, then in the egg (make sure it’s well coated with egg or the panko won’t stick). Lastly, drop the balls in the panko and roll around to coat evenly.

Line a wire rack with paper towels to place the balls on once they’re fried. Fry each ball, rolling them around so they brown evenly until they are golden brown and crisp. Transfer the fried mac and cheese balls to a paper towel lined rack and let them drain. Let them cool for a minute before serving, then top with plenty of grated cheese.

Game Night Divas

2011-10-28T19:36:00.008-04:00

Sometimes it's nice to see each other outside of our monthly supper clubs. This month's the divas planned a game night. We even invited our better halves...the diva husbands!

We had a lot of fun catching up with everyone, playing games, laughing, and of course eating. Whenever the divas get together, there is usually some great homemade food. Tonight was no exception.

Sorry these aren't the best pictures..by the time we got around to taking them, most of the snacks were half eaten!

Dessert Diva's Black Bean Salsa

Gourmet Diva's homemade party mix

Dessert Diva's brownies (I'm not sure what these are really called, but I call them milky way brownies because they have an AMAZING layer of carmel inside)

Cheesy Diva's meatballs

Saucy Diva's ....hmmm...we'll call these cheesy sausage-y goodness on toast :)

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October 2011 - Cheesy Diva's Favorite Recipes

2011-10-25T20:31:00.005-04:00

Our next baby diva (Cheesy Diva Jr) is arriving this November.

(thanks google images for the random baby cheesehead picture)

Since Cheesy will probably want to have some of her favorite meals in the freezer for when the baby arrives, we let her choose her all time favorite meals for this month's theme.

Her choices?

Wine Diva: Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
Gourmet Diva: Spicy Buffalo Shrimp Wraps
Dessert Diva: Pork Tenderloin Medallions in a Lemon Mustard Sauce
Saucy Diva: Island Spice Pork Tenderloin
Cheesy Diva: Alfredo Tortellini

All of the divas were very happy with her choices! If you are new to our blog this is a great month to start cooking with us.

Look below this post to find all of the recipes mentioned above (you can also click on the "October 2011" link on the right of the page).

Until next dinner...

Spicy Buffalo Shrimp Wraps

2011-10-25T20:00:00.000-04:00

The divas typically make meals to freeze. I thought I'd share a recipe in "Freezer Ready" format. This is the type of recipe we put at each of our stations each month so the divas know how to package their meals.

Bag 1:
1 Cup of Panko Bread Crumbs

Bag 2:
1 “tub” of egg beaters and 1 tablespoon of milk

Bag 3:
½ cup flour

Bag 4:
Shrimp (frozen raw, uncooked shrimp)

Bag 5:
5 flour tortillas

Bag 6:
1/3 cup of either ranch or blue cheese (you may not want to freeze this one)

Bag 7:
½ Jar of wing sauce

To make at home:
1. Thaw in refrigerator for at least 24 hours.
2. Drain liquid from shrimp bag and remove shells and tails!
3. Batter shrimp in this order:
a. Toss shrimp in flour and coat well.
b. Dip shrimp into milk and egg mixture
c. Coat shrimp in panko crumbs
4. Once all your shrimp have been battered, heat ½ inch of cooking oil to med-high heat in a large stovetop skillet.
5. Carefully place shrimp into the hot oil and cook for 2-3 minutes, turn each shrimp over and continue to cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until done. then remove from pan.
6. Toss shrimp in buffalo wing sauce and wrap in tortillas with blue cheese or ranch. (I also like to add shredded cheddar cheese!)

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

2011-10-25T19:03:00.000-04:00

Originally Posted: 3/9/10

Servings: 6

1 large onions -- thinly sliced
Chicken Breast
1/2 cup roasted red peppers -- chopped
6 ounces cream cheese -- cubed
2 tablespoons butter
1 package flour tortillas
1 large green (or red… or both) enchilada sauce -- can
8 ounces Monterey jack cheese -- grated
salt -- to taste

This is my favorite method of cooking chicken for enchiladas and quesadillas. If you have another method you prefer, you may use that, but let’s be honest, it just won’t be as delicious :-)KIDDING!!

Ok, fill a large skillet about halfway with chicken broth and about ½ C of water. Throw in some seasonings. When I’m making Mexican, I usually add a bay leaf, some cumin, oregano, and maybe a little bit of the chopped onion. Bring the broth to a boil, and place the chicken breasts in the pan, return to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Poach chicken in broth 10 minutes. Remove chicken breasts to a bowl and shred with 2 forks, or cool slightly and just shred with your hands.

In a wide frying pan over medium heat, cook the onions in butter, for 20 minutes. Stir frequently to keep onions from burning. Remove from heat and add chicken, red bell peppers, and cream cheese; stir gently to blend, and season with salt. Pour a little sauce in bottom of 9X13 baking pan. Spoon about 1/3 C of filling down center of each tortilla and roll. Set enchiladas, seam side down in baking pan. Continue until pan is full. Cover with remaining sauce and top with grated cheese. At this point you may cover and refrigerate, or cook immediately. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes covered, remove foil and bake 15 minutes more.

I do not have a picture of this, because if I did, you would probably not make it. But go.
Make it. Eat it. Love it. :-)

In the words of Aaron Lewis (and some Island Spice Pork Tenderloin)

2011-10-25T19:02:00.000-04:00

Originally posted: 6/5/11

"It's been awhile..."

Sorry, let's redirect our attention away from early 2000's rock to our regularly scheduled blog post. It has though, been awhile since a saucy blog post and I apologize. This will be the first of three (THREE!) posts today.

Our April DTD theme was recipes from blogs. One of the rules was there could be no Pioneer Woman. The other Divas said it was because we almost always have a PW recipe. I like to think it is because we still have no proof that P-dub herself has visited our blog like she said she would when we met her. C'mon Ree! It is not hard to post a comment or become a follower. Such a simple task for you is a life changing event in the eyes of 6 divas.

And so there's that.

One of my favorite foodie blogs just happens to be local! Annie, from Indianapolis happens to be a gal with a super cute blog (Annie's Eats) with some yummy recipes.

I chose the Island Spice Pork Tenderloin recipe because the flavors used in the rub and glaze were a reminder of past Caribbean vacations. It turned out to be one of our favorite meals that will definitely go on the repeat list. It is the perfect balance of sweet and savory and the spiciness can be adjusted to your liking.

Instead of typing the directions out for you, here is the link to the recipe

http://annies-eats.net/2010/03/17/island-spice-pork-tenderloin/

Make it a dining experience by turning on a little Bob Marley!

Alfredo Tortellini - By: The Big Cheese

2011-10-25T19:00:00.001-04:00

Original post date: 8/18/11

Pasta lovers beware! August 2011 brings the Mac-Daddy of all things good and creamy! Sweet Heaven, this diva LOVES this dish!

What You’ll Need:
1 (8 oz) pkg cheese tortellini 
1 cup ham, diced 
(8 oz) cream cheese 
1 pkg dry Italian dressing 
1 can cream of chicken soup 
1/2 cup milk 
1/2 stick butter

What You’ll Do:
Add tortellini to a large pot of boiling salted water and let cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a skillet to medium heat. Add the cream cheese, butter, cream of chicken soup, Italian dressing, and milk and stir until smooth. Once smooth, add in ham and stir to coat.
After the tortellini finishes boiling, drain, then add to cream sauce. Stir to evenly coat and serve warm.

Summer Grilling - Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Lemon Mustard Sauce

2011-10-25T07:01:00.002-04:00

Originally Posted: 6/27/11

Pork Tenderloin Medallions in Lemon-Mustard Sauce (Dessert Diva)

Ingredients:
2 (12-14 oz.) sections of pork tenderloins

For the rub:
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. olive oil

For the sauce:
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
¼ cup shallots, finely chopped
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp. minced fresh parsley
kosher salt

Directions:
Cut off any scrawny tail ends from the tenderloins. Slice each tenderloin into 6 equal rounds. Pound the medallions with a meat mallet to about 1-inch thickness. In a small bowl, mix together the rub ingredients. Coat the medallions with the rub. Allow to sit for a couple of hours to deepen the flavor, if desired. Let sit uncovered at room temperature while the grill heats to medium high heat.

To make the sauce, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft and beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth and mustard, and continue cooking until reduced by about one half. Stir in the lemon juice, parsley and salt to taste. Keep the sauce warm over low heat.

Transfer the pork medallions to the grill. Grill, turning once, until cooked through and tender. If any of the medallions begin to look dry drizzle with a bit of the sauce. To serve, place medallions on plates and top with a couple of spoonfuls of the sauce.

Source: Annie's Eats adapted from Made by Melissa

DTD September 2011

2011-09-29T16:20:00.012-04:00

It is officialy fall and the weather is finally getting cooler. What a perfect month for "Crock Pot Meals".

The DTDs met last night for our monthly supper club. Wondering what we made?

September Appetizers:
Mantraps
Apple Dumplings

September Meals:
Cheesy Diva: Chili and Cheese on Rice
Saucy Diva: Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Dessert Diva: Polynesia Roast Beef
Gourmet Diva: Chicken and Mushroom Stroganoff over egg noodles

We always start our evening with some appetizers and conversation.
Mmmmm...spinach dip, pita bread and Mantraps! Instead of our normal wine, we opted for some sparkling apple cider since Cheesy Diva Jr. is due in less than 2 months!

Then after at least an hour of catching up with the ladies we devoured some Pioneer Woman Apple Dumplings. (We will share this recipe with you later this week, but you can always find it on PW's amazing site!)

Finally we decided we should probably start making our meals...
Here are all of the ingredients for Chicken and Mushroom Stroganoff.

A fully assembled bag of Chicken and Sausage Gumbo...all ready to throw in a crock pot!

Here's an action shot...putting together all the ingredients for Chili and Cheese on Rice

Here is the Polynesian Roast Beef station. (and a belly shot of Baby Diva to Be...aww!)

It was great month of meals! We're meeting in two weeks for October's DTD gathering. The theme? Cheesy Diva's choice! Since Cheesy Diva is going to have her hands full this November with Baby Diva we decided we needed to stock her freezer with some of her favorite Dinnertime Diva meals. She's going to look back at past recipes and decide which were her favorites from each Diva. We are waiting in anxious anticipation to see what she picks. She'll post a sneek peek on this blog once she figures out her requests! If you are new to our site this will be a great way for you to try out some of our all time favorite Diva meals!

In the next few days we will be posting all of the recipes from this month. Just click on the September 2011 tab on the right of the page and you will find the recipes as they are added.

Until next dinner....

Crock Pot Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

2011-09-29T09:16:00.000-04:00

A Crock Pot Haiku

Goodness dumped inside
cooks all day, no need to watch
I love you crock pot

September was crock pot month at DTD. It's a repeat but easily one of my favorites. Who doesn't like to crock pot it up during a busy week or a lazy Sunday? My recipe was Chicken and Sausage Gumbo. We just had it this Sunday, and its delish. I dumped all the ingredients in when I woke up in the morning and when we got back from the Colts game, dinner!

I am a spice wuss, so I keep a shaker of Creole seasoning out so those that want it spicy can add it to their bowls.

Ingredients:
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 package fully-cooked smoked sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 carrots , peeled and sliced
1 yellow onion , chopped
1 14.5-ounce can stewed tomatoes, undrained
5 cups water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 10-ounce bag frozen okra, thawed and drained
3 cups long-grain white rice (quick cooking)

Prep:

1. Mix together chicken, sausage, carrot(s), onion, tomatoes, water, bouillon and thyme in a slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on low until chicken is no longer pink in center, 7-8 hours. Stir in okra. Cover and cook on low 20 minutes longer.

3. Meanwhile, cook rice according to package instructions. Serve gumbo spooned over rice in individual soup bowls.

Crock Pot - Polynesian Roast Beef

2011-09-28T20:23:00.000-04:00

1 boneless beef top round roast (3-1/4 pounds)
2 tablespoons Browning sauce, optional
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium onion, sliced
1 can (8oz) unsweetened sliced pineapple
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 medium green pepper, sliced

1. Cut roast in half; brush with browining sauce if desired. Combine the flour, salt and pepper; rub over meat. Place onion in 3 qt. slow cooker; top with roast.
2. Drain pineapple, reserving juice; refriderate the pineapple. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cornstarch and ginger; whisk in the broth, soy sauce, garlic and reserved pineapple juice until smooth. Pour over meat. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.
3. Add pineapple and green pepper. Cook 1 hour longer or until meat and green pepper are tender.

Chili & Cheese on Rice (By: The Big Cheese!)

2011-09-27T11:52:00.002-04:00

If you ask me...it's officially Slow Cooker season! Praise the heavens above!!!!!! For my September Diva Meal, please enjoy this easy and yumm-o recipe that I found in my "Fix It and Forget It" Cookbook.

What you’ll need:
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
16-oz. can light red kidney beans
15 ½ oz. can chili beans
1 pint stewed tomatoes, drained
cooked rice (whatever amount you desire)
grated cheddar cheese (whatever amount you desire)

What you do:
1. Brown ground beef and onion in skillet. Season with basil and oregano.
2. Combine all ingredients except rice and cheese in slow cooker.
3. Cover. Cook on LOW for 4 hours.
4. Serve over cooked rice.
5. Top with cheese.

Nutella Swirl Pound Cake

2011-09-20T19:07:00.004-04:00

Yes, you read correctly.

Nutella. Pound. Cake.

All good things people.

It's the 20th of the month, so that means its time to post for the Cake Slice Bakers. For those that don't know, Saucy Diva belongs to a cake baking bloggers club and every month on the 20th, we post the cake we've made for the month. September is the last month we'll be cooking out of the book "Cake Keeper Cakes" by Lauren Chattman. All in all it was a good cookbook that I would recommend. There have been some mishaps (Fresh Strawberry Cake with White Chocolate Chips) but definitely more triumphs.

Ever since I purchased this book this time last year, I secretly hoped that one month the members would vote to make the Nutella Swirl Pound Cake. No such luck. Thankfully, September was "choose your own adventure" month (I named that, not an official theme)! I have an unhealthy obsession with Nutella and can often be caught eating it straight from the jar. So combining it with my favorite kind of cake was a no brainer.

Make this cake. Seriously.

Ingredients:
4 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups, unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
i jar (13 oz) Nutella

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and dust with flour.
2. Combine the eggs, vanilla in a small bowl.
3. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
4. Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric
mixer until fluffy.
5. With the mixer on medium low, pour the egg mixture and mix until combined.
6. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, 1/2 a cup at a time. Mix
for 30 second after the last addition.
7. Scrape 1/3 of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Spread 1/2 of the Nutella (I warmed it up a bit in the microwave first) and smooth. Scrape another 1/3 of the batter over the Nutella and smooth. Repeat in layers until you end with the last 1/3 of batter on top.
8. Run a knife through the batter to create the swirl effect. Do not over mix.
9. Bake the cake until golden brown and it can pass the toothpick test. About an hour and 1/2. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Slice and serve.

*thanks to Sprinkle with Salt for the picture!

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2011-09-20T10:22:00.005-04:00

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Crock Pot Appetizers: Reuben Delight

2011-09-19T16:24:00.003-04:00

This recipe is from my sister-in-law's family cookbook. Thanks Melinda!
It's easy to make and something a little different to serve as an appetizer.

Reuben Delight

In a crock pot base combine the following:
-1 can sauerkraut, drained
-8 ounces swiss cheese, shredded
-8 ounces mozarella cheese, shredded
-4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
-8 ounces corn beef, shredded

After the above ingredients are mixed together add 1-2 cups of mayonaise.

Bake crock pot insert (NOT THE LID!!!) at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Then you can transfer to crock pot and keep on low.

Serve with crackers.

Crock Pot Appetizers: Artichoke Cheese Dip

2011-09-15T15:51:00.005-04:00

Did you know that your crock pot insert is oven safe up to 400 degrees? Just make sure you don't use the lid. If you are questioning my expertise you can confirm this information at Crock Pot's FAQ's!

This recipe I bake in the oven and then turn on low in the crock pot to keep it warm during a party. Enjoy!

Artichoke Cheese Dip

2 cups of mayonnaise
2 cups of grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups of drained, canned artichoke hearts (I've also used frozen)
several drops of Tabasco
2 clove minced garlic
2 teaspoons lemon juice

This recipe makes a lot so you may want to "half" it.

Put all ingredients in a food processor or blender (if you have a small processor do this in two batches). Mix until smooth. Spray Crock Pot with vegetable spray and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Move to crock pot on low to keep warm.

Great with rye or pumpernickel bread.

Crock Pot Appetizers: Italian Biscuits and Marinara Sauce

2011-09-10T21:36:00.002-04:00

So...technically this isn't a crock pot appetizer. But if you read Monday's post you know I have a triple crock pot and I like to mix it up a bit.

You will use your crock pot, but just to heat up marinara sauce to put next to these heavenly appetizers....Italian Biscuits and Marinara Sauce.

I bet the other Divas are reading this right now thinking...it's been awhile! I seem to recall the last time I served these there was an argument as to who got to eat the last one(which is the true sign of a great recipe).

This is a variation of a Pillsbury recipe I found years ago. The biggest difference is in how I wrap them. The original recipe called for a different way to cut the biscuits, but we have experimented over the years and found this works best.

Italian Biscuits and Marinara Sauce
-1 can of buttermilk biscuits (large/jumbo...the big ones!)

-10 precooked frozen meatballs, thawed and cut in half
(to thaw, I put in microwave for 60 seconds, or until slightly warm)

-2 pieces of string cheese (each cut into 10 small pieces)

-1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

-1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

-1 tablespoon grated Parmesan

Directions:
1. Cut each biscuit into thirds (3 triangles)
2. In the middle of each triangle, place an upside down meatball half, flat side up
3. Place a piece of string cheese on top of the meatball
4. Wrap the points of triangle around meat/cheese and form a ball of dough around the ingredients
5. Place the balls seam side down into sprayed baking dish. If I'm making the recipe as written I use a 9 inch round pan. But if you double it (which I usually have to do to appease the guests!) use a 12 X 8 brownie pan.
6.Sprinkle the garlic powder, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese on top (do the cheese last!)
7.Cook at 375 for 25 minutes or until they are no longer "doughy" on the inside.
8. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping

Enjoy! (My husband said to add "Yum")

Crock Pot Appetizers: Pizza Dip

2011-09-09T20:14:00.003-04:00

This is a variation of Spicy Diva's Hot Pizza Dip. You can also find that recipe on this blog under "dips". If you have time to bake it in the oven, I would go with that recipe! If you want a crock pot version...follow the directions below!

Crock Pot Pizza Dip

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 cup (4 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup (3 oz) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 can (8 oz) pizza sauce
1/4 cup pepperoni pieces

Put all ingredients in crock pot and cook on high for about 1 hour. Turn to low once melted. Serve with toasted baguette slices.

Toasted Baguette Slices

24 slices French bread, cut 1/4 inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place bread slices on cookie sheet, lightly brush tops with olive oil. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Crock Pot Appetizers: Spicy Nacho Dip

2011-09-07T15:34:00.004-04:00

Here is the next crock pot appetizer recipe Check back later this week to see the rest of the recipes listed on Monday's post!

I can't take credit for this recipe, as this is actually my husband's specialty. There are tons of similar recipes out there, but I must admit this one is pretty tasty (and easy)!!

Spicy Nacho Dip

1 lb ground beef, cooked
1 16 oz block of velveeta cheese, cut up into small cubes
1 16 oz jar of Pace Picante (we like Medium)
1/2 tsp pepper

Combine in crock pot and cook on low for 1 to 1/2 hours or until melted.
Serve with Tortilla chips or veggies.

Great snack for football season....GO COLTS!

Crock Pot Appetizers: Buffalo Chicken Dip

2011-09-06T16:06:00.004-04:00

Did you see our crock pot appetizer post on Monday? Well, this is part one of the recipes!

If I could only make one thing in my crock pot for the rest of my life it would be this recipe. It's that good!

All of the Divas are teachers or school administrators...and let me tell you, educators like to eat! This is a recipe that one of our old co-workers used to bring in to lunch pitch-ins at work. Thanks Mrs. V for introducing us to the wonder that is Buffalo Chicken Dip.

BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP
2- 8oz packages of cream cheese
1 cup of ranch dressing
3/4 cup hot sauce/buffalo sauce (I prefer to use Frank's Red Hot Original)
1 - 10oz can cooked chicken
2 cups finely shredded cheese (I prefer colby jack)

Put in crock pot and heat on low for 3-4 hours.
If you are making this for a party and are in a time crunch you can start it on high and turn in down to low after it is melted (usually about an hour).

Serve with Tortilla Chips or Veggies

A few tips:
This is a spicy dish...if you do not like spicy things you may want to use less hot sauce.

If you don't want to use canned chicken, throw a few boneless chicken breasts in boiling water for 30-40 minutes and then shred chicken with a fork for this recipe.

Warning: If you make this once for your friends, they will request it every time they are at your house. I know this from experience. You have been warned.

Stuffed Tomatoes

2011-09-06T11:27:00.004-04:00

The Saucy household is overflowing with fresh veggies! I have been loving all the cucumbers, zucchini, peppers and tomatoes that we've gotten from our garden and the gardens of family and friends.

This past weekend was filled with grilled deliciousness and these stuffed tomatoes are the perfect side for such meals.

Ingredients:

3 tomatoes
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup green onions, chopped

Prep:

Hollow out the tomatoes, much like you would a pumpkin. Make sure to leave a little bit of tomato "meat" around the edges.

Combine cheese, mayo and green onion.

Fill tomatoes with the cheese mixture, filling to the top.

Grill or broil until cheese is melty.

Special thanks to the Berndt family for supplying this weekend's tomatoes.

Crock Pot Appetizer Trifecta

2011-09-05T12:00:00.002-04:00

At our monthly Dinnertime Diva gatherings the host diva always prepares some appetizers for the group. When possible, the appetizers reflect the theme of the month.

Since September is "Crock Pot Meals" I am once again in search of the Appetizer Trifecta for one of my favorite appliances....

Oh my triple crock pot...what a fun Christmas gift from my parents. Since getting it last year it has been a hit at many get togethers (including Dessert Diva's baby shower!). Since most of the diva gatherings involve appetizers I've been in search of 3 appetizer recipes that really compliment each other.

This is harder than it sounds because variety is key. For example, I never want 3 things that are all served with tortilla chips (too boring). On the other hand you don't want 3 things that are so different that the flavors don't go well together (too crazy). I want 3 recipes that make people go "mmm" (just right). Ah...the search for the appetizer trifecta.

Here are some of the Divas favorite crock pot appetizers:
(Be sure to check back this week as we post the recipes for all of the food listed below!)

-Buffalo Chicken Dip
-Spicy Nacho Dip
-Pizza Dip
-Mexican Dip
-Jalepeno Popper Dip
-Meatball Biscuits with Marinara Sauce
-Artichoke Spread
-Reuben Delight

We'd love to hear your ideas...what 3 recipes would you put as your crock pot "Appetizer Trifecta"?

Until next dinner...

Sneak Peek September

2011-09-03T10:17:00.006-04:00

Have you been wondering what our September theme will be? Well wait no more...Crockpot Meals!

We've done this theme in the past and it's one of our favorites. However, we chose to do it this month as a shout out to a new website we ran across this month..."The Crockpot Girls". This is a group of friends that does something similar to us. Check out their awesome website crockpotgirls.com

Check back later this month to discover our latest recipes!

Until next dinner....

Pastie Pies (By Gourmet Diva)

2011-08-29T21:48:00.001-04:00

You may be thinking, "I've seen this post before".....you are correct. This is a previously posted recipe, but it also happened to be my "Original Diva" recipe for this month. Enjoy!

Pastie (pronounced past - y) pies are a family tradition in my house. I will try to retell the "background story" my mom used to tell us as kids. According to Scandanavian tradition, wives would bake these early in the morning for their husbands to take with them for lunch at the coal mines. The husbands would put them in their pockets and they would stay warm until lunch. (I have no idea how much truth there is to this story...but it's what I grew up with, so I thought I'd share!)

Ingredients:
Crust:
3 cups flour
1 TBSP salt
1 cup crisco
1 cup cold water

Filling:
1 lb ground chuck (I reccomend 90% lean)
4 medium potatos (cut into small squares)
1 medium onion (chopped small)
butter (you will use several small pats for each pie)
salt and pepper

Directions:
Crust
Sift flour and salt. Add Crisco and work in with fork (this will take a few minutes, be patient!). Add water and stir to form soft dough. Refridgerate overnight, or at least a few hours to reduce stickiness. (the longer you refridgerate the easier it will be)

Divide into 5 or 6 balls, roll into circles a little bigger than a small plate. When rolling, add flour to reduce stickiness. Then drape each circle over a small plate with a little hanging over the end.

Filling:
In the center of your circle place a layer of meat (pull apart with your fingers), a layer of potato, a layer of onion, salt and pepper to taste, and a small pat of margarine. Repeat all layers again and end with a layer of meat.

Fold the edge of the dough over the top of the filling and crimp edges. Poke the top of the pies with a fork to release steam during cooking. Flop the pastie into your hand and transfer to a lightly greased pan (use a cookie sheet or pan with sides, as you will have some juices escape during cooking.

Cook in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 25 minutes. Then turn oven down to 375degrees and bake 20 minutes or until golden.

Serve with ketchup to dip your bites in. It sounds strange, but the ketchup totally completes this delicious meal!

TO FREEZE:
Very important tips if you freeze these!
1. I reccomend wrapping each individual pie in wax paper before freezing. If you don't the dough tends to stick together and it's hard to get them apart!
2. YOU MUST COOK THIS STRAIGHT FROM THE FREEZER TO THE OVEN. Do NOT, I repeat DO NOT thaw first. (never ever thaw a frozen potato...just ask Saucy Diva...it's not pretty!)

Sidenote: This dough is awesome. Get creative with calzone recipes, etc. :)

Also, if you are in a pinch for time, you can make it as a true "pie".

-Gourmet Diva

Bowtie Pasta with Marscapone and Roasted Veggies (from Dessert Diva)

2011-08-29T20:52:00.002-04:00

This was my contribution to this month's "Original Recipes" DTD. I don't remember where I first got this recipe, but it has evolved over time. This is definitely one of our go-to recipes when I need a quick and easy dinner.

Ingredients
1 box bowtie pasta
1 head (I don't think that is the correct term, but I don't know what is so I'm going with it) asparagus, sliced into 1 inch pieces
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
8 oz. marscapone cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Boil pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, lay asapargus and mushrooms on a baking sheet in a flat layer. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes or until veggies are fork tender. Drain pasta; add veggies and marscapone. Mix well and serve immediately.

This dish is best served immediately. I'm a big "leftovers" person, but these leftovers are kind of blah. If you aren't feeding an army, I would suggest halving the recipe. Enjoy!

Cilantro Lime Marinated Pork Tenderloin

2011-08-25T13:41:00.003-04:00

This month's theme is Original Recipes. I'm not going to lie, this freaked me out! I am very quick to admit that I'm a chef wannabe. I love to cook, but I'm not at the level of making up my own recipes.

The other night I made a (non-original) chicken with cilantro sauce recipe and liked the flavor so much, I tweeked the sauce recipe to make it marinate and paired it with pork tenderloin...because let's be honest, what ISN'T good with pork tenderloin.

I know that creating a marinade is the equivalent of a baby step, but I hope you enjoy my first attempt at an original recipe.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano

Directions:
1. Mix together the marinade
2. Place pork and marinade in a Ziploc bag, marinate over night
3. Heat grill to medium high
4. Discard marinade and grill for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through.
5. Let stand for 5 minutes, then slice thin.

Sneak Peek: August 2011

2011-07-14T13:19:00.002-04:00

Coming in August 2011...5 original Diva recipes! We decided yesterday that next month's theme would be "Original Recipes." That's right, people...we're taking it to the next level!

Turkey Tacos with Fresh Corn and Avocado Salsa

2011-07-14T11:56:00.003-04:00

For this month's Iron Chef Supper Club, I drew avocado out of the hat. Eeks! It's not easy to find an avocado recipe that is not a dip or a sandwich so I decided to put my own spin on a few recipes I found.

First, I found P-Dub's recipe for Fresh Corn and Avocado Salsa. I thought this sounded delicious, but it wasn't going to cut it as a meal. I figured it would make a delicious topping for tacos, though! My next dilemma was that I wanted a homemade taco seasoning...no packets full of preservatives for my Divas! I came across this recipe on Brown Eyed Baker's blog (love the blog too, by the way!) that was just what I was looking for.

Here's what I ended up with...

Ingredients
1 lb. ground turkey
Fresh Corn and Avocado Salsa
Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix (the recipe makes enough to season 7 lbs. Make the whole thing and store it...or don't! It's up to you!)
1/4 cup water
Taco shells

Directions
Brown turkey in a large skillet; drain. Add taco seasoning mix and 1/4 cup water. Simmer over medium heat until liquid reduces. Serve on taco shells with the salsa and your favorite taco toppings.

Enjoy!

Creamy Asparagus Pasta - by The Big Cheese

2011-07-13T10:14:00.002-04:00

This month I was so excited to use asparagus as my "Iron Chef" ingredient!

Ingredients

1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pint light cream
1 pound linguine pasta
1 lemon, juiced

Directions:
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Boil asparagus for 3 to 4 minutes; drain.
In a large saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Saute garlic and asparagus for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cream and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add linguine and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and transfer to a serving dish.
Stir lemon juice into asparagus mixture; pour mixture over pasta.

Until the next dinner...

Thai Peanut Noodle Stir-Fry

2011-07-13T09:13:00.005-04:00

Can you believe it?!?! Wine Diva is posting??? It's been ages, but I'm posting my July Recipe. My ingredient for the Iron Chef Edition was Sugar Snap Peas. I wasn't super thrilled with this at first. The two main foods I don't usually enjoy are beans and peas. But that's what happens when you go on vacation during a Diva get together :-) I do enjoy eating raw snap peas with veggie dip, but I figured if I walked in today with 5 bags of peas and 5 bottles of ranch dressing, I would be impeached from my position! So... I figured that I like stir-fry and can eat whole pea pods that way, which led me to find the Thai Peanut Noodle Stir-Fry at Allrecipes.com... and it has some sake in it, which is kinda wine-ish, right? (Don't worry Lil' Cheesy Nugget, the alcohol cooks out!.. By the way, isn't a cheesy nugget kind of a cheese curd? I love those things.) :-)

Ingredients

8 ounce package uncooked noodles (I used Thai rice noodles)

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup broth (I used chicken, but you can use vegetable to make it vegetarian)
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (I omitted this ingredient… technically, because some of the ladies don’t enjoy the extra heat, but emotionally it was in mourning of the moving of Spicy Diva :-(
2 tablespoons sake

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
*I added chopped chicken breasts/tenderloin
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup carrots, sliced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup sugar snap peas

Directions

Bring water to boil in a pot.
Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch into the vegetable broth until dissolved. Whisk in the peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, sesame oil, ground ginger, and red pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sake and keep warm.
Place noodles in boiling water. Cook for about 4 minutes. (If you choose to use spaghetti noodles, follow package directions.)
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and onion (I also added the chicken at this point); cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the broccoli, carrots, red bell pepper, and sugar snap peas. Reduce heat, cover, and steam until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Toss the vegetables with the peanut sauce and pasta to serve.

Cheesy Chivey Chicken

2011-07-13T08:00:00.005-04:00

I was searching for a recipe that included cream cheese for this months Iron Diva Challenge and made a few minor adjustments to a recipe I found on All Recipes.com.
Cream cheese and bacon...Sounds good to me :)

Cheesy Chivey Chicken

Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons dried chives
1 clove garlic, minced
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast pounded thin
4 slices bacon
2 tablespoons butter, melted

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Precook bacon for a few minutes (microwave, pan, oven...whatever you want)This will just ensure that it gets crispier as it cooks in the oven because lets face it -crispy bacon is happy bacon.
2.In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, chives, and garlic. Divide the mixture into 4 balls.
3.Place 1 cream cheese ball in the center of each chicken breast(that you have already pounded thin). Roll the chicken over the cream cheese, wrap with a slice of bacon (that you have precooked a bit), and secure with toothpicks. Arrange the chicken in a baking dish. Pour the butter over the chicken.
4.Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.
5. Broil for a few minutes at the end for a crispy finish to the bacon.

Pictures will be posted soon.

Until next dinner...

Sneak Peek: July 2011 "Iron Chef Divas"

2011-07-09T19:56:00.008-04:00

This month we all thought of an ingredient we like to cook with. We wrote them down on paper and drew out of a bowl to see who was cooking with each ingredient for our July DTD gathering.

In case you are wondering what some of the recipes for the upcoming month will be...here is your sneak preview. We are meeting this week so be sure to check back next weekend for full recipes and details of our July Dinnertime Diva gathering!

Cheesy Diva: Asparagus
Recipe: "TBD"

Saucy Diva: Cous Cous
Recipe: "One Pot California Chicken with Cous Cous"

Dessert Diva: Avacado
Recipe: "Ground Turkey Tacos with Corn and Avacado Salsa"

Gourmet Diva: Cream Cheese
Recipe: "Cream Cheese, Garlic, and Chive stuffed Chicken"

Wine Diva: Snap/Sugar Peas
Recipe: "TBD"

Until next dinner...

Summer Grilling - Peaches and Pork

2011-06-29T20:43:00.009-04:00

This is a recipe I found in a 2005 Cooking Light cookbook. I had not tried it before this month, but I will definitely be making it again! It was a nice light meal and something different than what we usually grill.

First, a round of applause for Mr. Gourmet.....a fine grilling job!

The finished product....

Peaches and Pork

Ingredients
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut pork loin chops
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 large peaches, peeled, halved, and pitted
6 cups trimmed arugula (I couldn't find arugula so I used Escarole)
1 teaspoon turbinado or granulated sugar (I didn't use this when I made it)

Preparation
Place each piece of pork between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound each piece to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or a rolling pin.

Combine 2 tablespoons vinegar, juice, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Reserve 1 tablespoon juice mixture. Pour the remaining juice mixture in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add pork; seal and marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour, turning occasionally.

Preheat grill to medium heat.

Place peaches, cut sides up, on a plate; drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar.

Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until pork is done. Set aside.

Place peaches, cut sides down, on grill rack; grill 4 minutes or until soft and slightly browned. Turn and cook 2 minutes or until heated through. Cut each peach half into 4 slices. Slice pieces of pork into 1-inch-thick strips.

Drizzle trimmed arugula with reserved 1 tablespoon juice mixture, tossing to coat. Divide arugula evenly among 4 plates. Top with grilled pork strips and peach slices; sprinkle evenly with sugar.

We even had extra grilled peaches so we were able to come up with a duo of peach desserts! (actually it was a little husband/wife cook off....Mr. Gourmet won)

Enjoy! Until next dinner....

Marinated Steak Kabobs (from Saucy Diva)

2011-06-28T23:28:00.001-04:00

[This is a repost of a previous recipe...it was so good we had to have it again!]

This was my contribution for the April DTD meeting. The weather is starting to get nice and these are perfect noms for the grill!
* thanks to www.tasteofhome.com for the great picture!

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:
1/8 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper seasoning
2 oz lemon lime soda
1 pound beef sirloin steak cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
a variety of veggies and things to "kabob" (I used mushrooms, green peppers, onion, cherry tomatoes, and pineapple)

PREP:
1. Place meat in a large ziploc bag. Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, seasoned salt, garlic pepper, and soda in the same bag. Refrigerate overnight.

2. Chop veggies into big pieces.

3. Preheat grill for high heat

4. Assemble kabobs by threading steak and veggies onto a skewer.

5. Lightly oil the grill grate. Cook kabobs on the prepped grill for 10 minutes
or to desired doneness.

Goes great with a cold beer!!

Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Kabobs

2011-06-26T19:43:00.003-04:00

Quick, easy and so much fun to eat!!

What you'll need:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
- 3 cups assorted vegetable pieces, such as bell pepper, onion, corn, zucchini and mushrooms
- 1 bottle of Italian dressing (you get to choose the brand!)
- 6 skewers, soaked in water for a few hours before preparing

What you do:
1. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add marinade; turn to coat well.

2. Refrigerate 30 minutes or longer for extra flavor. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade. Alternately thread chicken cubes and vegetables onto skewers.

3. Grill over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender, turning frequently.

Cheey Potato Casserole

2011-06-26T19:24:00.004-04:00

Whatever you're in the mood for, this recipe on how to make cheesy potato casserole will always be a real hit. The divas LOVED it this month! Special thanks to Momma Carv Diva, who shared the recipe with me. LOVE YOU MOM!

You will need:
- 8 potatoes, cubed and boiled
- 1 handful of cooked bacon bits
- Half of an onion, roughly chopped
- Dash of salt and pepper
- 2 or 3 heaping spoonfuls of light mayo
- 1 cup (or more, if you're feeling cheesy!) Cheddar cheese

Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Oven Temperature: 350°F

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Step 2: Boil cubed potatoes, rinse and let cool
Step 3: In a 9 x 13 dish, add cooled potatoes and all other ingredients. Mix well, and cook in oven for 40 - 45 minutes!

So easy, and soooooooo cheesy!

DTD - June 2011

2011-06-25T13:12:00.000-04:00

Dinnertime Divas June 2011

Theme: Summer Grilling

Hosts: Cheesy Diva and Gourmet Diva

Appetizers:
Cheesy Diva Nacho Dip
Cheesy Diva Divine Potato Bake

Take Home Recipes:
Peaches and Pork (Gourmet Diva)
Sirloin Kabobs (Saucy Diva)
Italian Chicken and Veggie Kabobs (Cheesy Diva)
Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Lemon Mustard Sauce (Dessert Diva)

The divas were reminiscing about past DTD nights and realize that they are now just distant memories! We decided we really should do a monthly blog post about our Dinnertime Diva get togethers so anyone can reference back and find their favorite recipes. So, begining this month the Diva that hosts the gathering at her house will take a few pictures and spread the DTD love.

You may have noticed there were only four recipes this month instead of the normal six. This month we sadly said goodbye to Spicy Diva as she began a new adventure in life and has moved out of state. But once a diva, always a diva, so we hope she comes back and visits often!

Wine diva was out of town so that left four divas, two baby divas, and one diva in the oven (Cheesy Diva Jr. coming this November to a kitchen near you!)

So enjoy the fuzzy pictures of our day (sorry...didn't realize my lens was smudged until the end of the day!)

Getting some appetizers while we set up our stations.

Peaches and Pork Station

Sirloin Kabob Station

A glass of wine (and Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Lemon Mustard Sauce Station) :)

Italian Chicken Kabob station

Baby Diva and Baby Divo entertaining themselves while the mommies cook!

And....since we are all educators and are FINALLY on summer vacation we decided a trip to a local ice cream parlor was in order.

Do you love our new monthly post? Check back later this week and you will find all the recipes for "Summer Grilling" posted for your convenience (check below this post to see the recipes for this month). I bet you are also waiting in anxious anticipation to see what we are cooking next month?

July 2011 "Iron Chef Divas"
For next month we all thought of an ingredient we like to cook with. We wrote them down on paper and drew out of a bowl to see who was cooking with what next month.

Drumroll please...

Cheesy Diva: Asparagus
Saucy Diva: Cous Cous
Dessert Diva: Avacado
Gourmet Diva: Cream Cheese
Wine Diva: Snap/Sugar Peas

Until next dinner.....

May Cake: Orange-Almond-Caramel Upside-Down Cake

2011-06-05T15:05:00.003-04:00

I took this cake over to a friends to have after a delicious dinner. The overwhelming response to the cake...."Meh".

I have to agree. "Meh" was my initial thought too. It was good, not great. The texture and the topping were the shining stars of the cake. Saucy Hubby thought the orange zest was a little strong. Amazingly the cake got better after a few days. Almost like it needed time to let the flavors blend.

This turned out to be a great cake, and that almond caramel topping is a keeper. Here is the recipe in case you want to give it a whirl.

Ingredients:

Topping:
1 cup sliced almonds
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cups light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey

Cake:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch round nonstick cake pan and dust with flour (THIS IS SO IMPORTANT). Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper (ALSO IMPORTANT)and grease and flour the paper.

Directions for the topping:
1. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Whisk in the brown sugar, turn the heat to low, and cook, whisking, for 2 minutes. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. Drizzle with the honey. Scatter the toasted almonds over the honey. Set aside.

Directions for the cake:
1. Comine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Comine the sour cream, eggs, orange juice, and vanilla in a different bowl and lightly beat.

2. Comine the butter and sugar in a large bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Stir in the orange zest.

3. With the mixer on medium-low speed, pour the egg mixture into the bowl in a slow stream, stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides.

4. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture a 1/2 cup at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. After the last addition, mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.

5. Pour the batter over the almonds, gently spreading it into an even layer.

6. Bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 - 45 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let stand for 5 minutes.

7. Holding the pan and a plate together, immediately invert the hot cake onto the plate. Peel away the parchment paper. Let the cake cool for at least 20 minutes.

April's Cake: Cold Oven Cream Cheese Pound Cake

2011-06-05T14:40:00.005-04:00

I'm a little behind in posting for the Cake Slice Bakers. We're supposed to post on the 20th of each month, but while I'm not behind on the baking and eating of the cakes, I'm behind on the posting of the cakes.

April's cake was on of my favorites! Cold Oven Cream Cheese Pound Cake was moist and dense and the ginger added a special zing! One way that I judge pound cake is by the "crust". I like a golden brown and chewy crust and this recipe fit the bill.

The only thing I may change is to add less lemon zest. This is definately a must make again cake!

Ingredients:
3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese
2 1/2 cups sugar
6 eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Directions:
1. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan and dust with flour. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

2. Combine the butter, cream cheese, and sugar in a large mixing bowl and ceram with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 mintues, scraping down the sides as necessary.

3. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla, ginger, and lemon zest.

4. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. After the last addition, mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.

5. Place the cake in a cold oven. THurn the oven to 325 degrees and bake, without opening the oven door, until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 65-80 minutes. **Mine took about 90 minutes

6. Cool the cake in pan for 15 minutes, then invert it onto rack. Cool completely before slicing and serving.

Goes great with some fresh whip cream and raspberries!

Chicken Chimichangas (from Spicy Diva)

2011-05-26T20:08:00.005-04:00

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (1 1/2 lbs)
1 package taco seasoning mix (I made the homemade recipe from last month’s Supper Club)
2 onions, sliced
3 tablespoons butter
1 8-ounce package Mexican shredded cheese
10 8-or 10– inch flour tortillas
1 16 ounce jar picante sauce

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub chicken breasts with taco seasoning mix. Place chicken in a large baking dish with 1 cup water. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through. Let cool about 15 minutes. Shred or slice chicken into thin pieces; set aside.
2.) In a large skillet, cook sliced onions in hot butter, stirring occasionally, until tender; set aside. Spoon a handful of chicken, onions, and cheese onto each tortilla. Drizzle with some picante sauce. Fold opposite sides in and over filling. Roll up from bottom.
3.) Pour remaining picante sauce into a large baking dish; spread evenly. Arrange filled tortillas over sauce in dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Spoon remaining sauce from dish over chimichangas.

Enjoy!

Bacon Cheeseburger Chicken (by Cheesy Diva)

2011-04-15T09:32:00.004-04:00

*Pic from the blog of choice*

Helloooooooo Diva Followers! Long time, no see! I'm back in action, I swear!
This month, my recipe is coming to you straight from the blog of Kevin & Amanda. I randomly found them through my endless blog stalking that takes place...daily.

Super easy, and SUPER delicious. I have made a few of the measurements smaller due to all diva families being so small. However, feel free to follow Kevin and Amanda's recipe for the true measurements if need be.

1 ½ tbsp olive oil
1 ½ tbsp butter
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, split
¼ cup teriyaki sauce
1/3 cup Ranch dressing
¾ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
¼ lb bacon (or bacon bits)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large skillet, heat oil & butter over medium-high heat.
Add chicken breasts, and sauté 4 to 5 minutes each side, until lightly browned.
Place browned chicken breasts in a 9×13 inch baking dish.
Cover with teriyaki sauce and ranch dressing.
Sprinkle with cheese and top with bacon bits.
Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Loaded Brownies (from Dessert Diva)

2011-04-01T13:39:00.003-04:00

I begged for this recipe after tasting them at one of my best friend's family functions. Apparently, her sister-in-law is famous for them, and I can certainly attest to their deliciousness. I took some to the other Divas at our March Supper Club, and my husband, who is very picky about sweets (I know...weird, right?) has been devouring them after dinner each night. I hope you think they are just as delicious (and easy!) as I do!

Ingredients
1 box chewy fudge brownie mix
Chocolate syrup
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 bag milk chocolate chips

Directions
Prepare the brownie mix according to the package directions, substituting chocolate syrup for half of the water called for. Mix into the batter 1/2 of each bag of chocolate chips. Bake the brownies according to the package directions. Remove from oven; dump the remaining chocolate chips on top. At this point, you can either just let them sit on top of the brownies or you can run a knife over the top to create an icing. Once the brownies are somewhat cool, pop them in the refrigerator to allow the chips/icing to harden. Finally, cut 'em, eat 'em and drool over 'em!

March Supper Club (Spicy Diva)

2011-03-31T20:17:00.018-04:00

One of my favorite parts of Supper Club is the beginning....where we come face to face with prepared deliciousness to devour before getting to work. We were greeted with a wide variety of food items when we arrived at Wine Diva's house.

I'm not sure of the name nor the recipe, but these are pure heaven to the tastebuds.

We also enjoyed Dessert Diva's delicious meatballs.

After we filled up, we got straight to work.

Saucy Diva and Gourmet Diva putting together the Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ Chicken.

Dessert Diva working on her Chicken Pot Pie.

Preparing the chicken for the Chicken Pot Pie.

We each left the Supper Club with Chicken Crepes, Chicken Pot Pie, Mom's Spaghetti Sauce, Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ Chicken, and Chicken 'n' Dumplings. Can we say YUM!?!?

Personally, I've already greedily devoured the Chicken Pot Pie and am longing to have another one already prepared in my freezer.

Check back in late April to get a glimpse of just a few of the bloggers we stalk for the pure pleasure of food. We are all choosing a recipe from fellow food bloggers like us :)

Slow Cooker Chicken 'n' Dumplings (Spicy Diva)

2011-03-29T08:52:00.006-04:00

Oh Deen family, how I love thee! This recipe is borrowed from Paula Deen's The Deen Family Cookbook, and this recipe in particular is created by Michael, Paula's husband. Enjoy!

Ingredients
One 3 1/2 pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
4 sprigs fresh parsley
4 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium yellow onion, cut into chunks
3 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons shortening, melted
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons butter, softened

Directions
1.) Put the chicken in a slow cooker and cover with water. Add the parsley sprigs, celery, carrots, onion, 2 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, the pepper, and bay leaves. Cook for 3 hours on high or for 7 hours on low, until the meat falls from the bone.

2.) In a bowl, combine the 1 1/2 cups flour, the baking powder, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. In a separate bowl, combine the milk and shortening. Stir the liquid into the dry ingredients. Fold in the chopped parsley. Drop the dumplings by tablespoon into the chicken broth. Cover the slow cooker and simmer on low for 40 to 45 minutes, until tender and cooked through.

3.) Transfer the dumplings to another bowl using a slotted spoon. Transfer the chicken to another bowl. Once it's cool enough to handle, separate the chicken meat from the skin and bones and discard the skin and bones. Strain the broth into a medium sauce pan and discard the vegetables.

4.) Mix the butter and the 3 tablespoons flour to form a paste. Bring the broth to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk in the paste and let simmer until thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken to the sauce, then spoon the mixture over the dumplings to serve.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ Chicken (Saucy Diva)

2011-03-28T21:21:00.003-04:00

I love coming home to dinner waiting for me in the slow cooker. This savory bbq chicken sandwich is delicious paired with a salad and corn on the cob.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups of ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
4 hamburger buns

Prep:
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Brown the chicken, turning once, for 4 minutes per side. Remove from heat and place in slow cooker.

2. Combine the ketchup, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, vinegar, mustard, pepper, and garlic salt. Pour over chicken.

3. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Remove chicken, shred, and return to the sauce. Serve chicken mounded on the buns.

Mom's Spaghetti Sauce (from Dessert Diva)

2011-03-28T12:02:00.000-04:00

I've been enjoying this recipe for years! Growing up, this spaghetti sauce was a staple in our house, and now my husband just loves it so it's part of our regular rotation. The greatest part about this recipe is that it is incredibly easy to put together, makes enough for an army and freezes really well!

Side note: It is a VERY thick, meaty sauce...not very liquidy at all. Just beware, if that's not really your thing!

Ingredients
2 lbs. hamburger
1 onion, diced
1 tbsp. garlic
2-15 oz. cans diced tomatoes (or use fresh...whatever!)
2-6 oz. cans tomato paste
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 green pepper, diced

Directions
Brown beef in a large skillet; drain off fat. Add remaining ingredients; simmer for 1hour. Serve over pasta.

P.S. I also like to put it on top of garlic bread. Just sayin'.

Beef Stew Galore (from Spicy Diva)

2011-03-27T16:25:00.005-04:00

Ingredients
2 lbs stew beef, cubed
2 potatoes, peeled and quartered
3 stalks celery, diced
4 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
2 onions, quartered
2 c. cocktail vegetable juice
1/3 c. quick-cooking tapioca, uncooked
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbap salt
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp pepper

Arrange beef and vegetables in a 5 quart slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients and pour them into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high setting one hour, reduce heat to low setting and cook for 7 hours. Enjoy!!!

Chicken Goodness (By Cheesy Diva)

2011-02-20T20:13:00.000-05:00

This is a recipe that comes from a "back in the day" friend. It is delicious, cheesy and OH SO good!

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 soup can size sour cream

¼ cup sherry cooking wine

1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cooked Shredded chicken

Crumbled ritz crackers on top with a stick of butter (yes, a whole stick!) poured over the crackers

Cook 350 for about 20 to 25 minutes or until its bubbly

I usually double the recipe and use 2 cans of soup, 2 cans sour cream, and ½ cup of sherry wine, however much chicken you want, and then add more mozzarella (about 2-3 cups – depending on how cheesy you want it…so for me maybe 4 cups of cheese...KIDDING....kinda!
If you add the ritz crackers at the beginning cover the pan with foil for the first 10 – 15 minutes so the crackers don’t burn. Then take the foil off so they can get just a little crispy.

I cannot tell a lie, this meal is not the healthiest recipe on the blog - however, it's so worth every.single.calorie!

Coffee Heath Crunch Cake

2011-02-20T19:21:00.004-05:00

It's that time! Time to post February's Cake Slice Bakers cake. This one is by far my favorite. The cake has a great dense texture and the streusel is scrumptious. The recipe called for instant espresso powder but I substituted cocoa powder. Ive seen other Cake Slice Baker's post and they are equally happy with the espresso.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1½ cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp instant espresso powder (I used cocoa powder)
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk
For the Streusel:

4 Heath bars (1.4 oz. each) chopped, or 1 cup prechopped Heath bits
2 tbsp light brown sugar
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 Tbsp butter, softened
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch round springform pan.

For the Streusel: Combine the Heath toffee bits, brown sugar, flour and butter in a medium mixing bowl. Work the mixture with your fingers until it resembles large crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Cake: Combine the flour, espresso powder, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

Combine the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

With the mixer on low speed, add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla.With the mixer on low speed, add a third of the flour mixture and then half the milk, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Repeat, alternating the flour and milk, ending with the flour.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer with a spatula. Scatter the streusel onto the batter, distributing it evenly over the cake.

Bake the cake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Release the sides of the pan and use a large spatula to slide the cake from the pan bottom to onto a wire rack.

Cool completely, cut into wedges and serve. Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

When Dreams are Realized (Saucy Diva)

2011-02-19T11:02:00.007-05:00

I've been sitting in front of my computer for about 10 minutes now trying to think of an eloquent way to describe yesterday. I can't, so here goes... WE FREAKING MET REE DRUMMOND!!!!!! Anyone who knows the divas or follows this blog, knows that Ree, otherwise known as the Pioneer Woman is our hero. Seldom does a DTD meeting go by where someone doesn't contribute one of her delicious recipes.

Ree, or P-dub as we lovingly call her, is currently on a book tour for Black Heels to Tractor Wheels , a true story about how she met the love of her life, Marlboro Man. While sadly she was not stopping in Indianapolis, she was scheduled to be in Cincinnati, a mere hour and 1/2 away. So a Diva Ditch Day was declared!

After stops at Jungle Jim's, a foodie paradise, and IKEA (Dear Indianapolis, We need one of these. Thank you.) we arrived at the Joseph-Beth Bookstore and waited not so patiently for our chance to talk to Ree.

She was amazing, just like we knew she would be! So stinking cute too! Just a real person who loves to cook, her kids, her dog Charlie, and a good show tune.

So Ree, if you are reading this, thank you for being an inspiration to female foodie bloggers like us. Keep posting deliciousness on the interwebs and thank you for a great memory.

Diva Dream Day (By Gourmet Diva)

2011-02-18T17:12:00.003-05:00

Fellow readers,

Today instead of a recipe I am going to tell you a story. A story of wonder. A story of fabulousness. A story of how 3 of the 6 divas get to fulfill a diva dream. That's right ladies and gentlemen, 3 of our own get to meet P Dub today. P Dub, Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond....Diva Superstar.

Alas, I am not one of the lucky 3 divas. But I am going to live vicariously through them. We wanted this to be a true diva day, but due to pesky things like pregnancy and shaping young minds (aka: teaching) three of us were unable to make the journey.

"Living the dream"
There are a few things the dinnertime divas have always hoped for....
1. Meeting Pioneer Woman
2. Having Ree check out our blog
3. Hanging out with P Dub on her ranch

Today, number one will happen. Maybe number two if we're lucky. I think the closest we will ever to get to number three is re-watching our DVR episode of her Thanksgiving throwdown with Bobby Flay...but if we're going to dream, we may as well dream big!

So throughout the day I have been texting the road trip divas. Getting messages such as:
"Do you think PW will be weirded out if Saucy Diva and I bring a cheese board and charcuterie and ask her to partake in a wine/cheese/meat feast with us?"

And reading Facebook messages such as:
"Waiting on her royal Highness to get this party started"

Sigh. So here I wait, anxious to hear all about the fabulous day, and drowning my jealousy in some Pioneer Woman Apple Dumplings.

Stay tuned. Saucy Diva, Wine Diva, and Spicy Diva will be blogging about their day later this evening.

Lamb Chops with Horseradish-Pecan Sauce (from Dessert Diva)

2011-02-18T10:55:00.002-05:00

This was my contribution to our February Supper Club...enjoy!

Ingredients

6 slices bacon
6 boneless lamb loin chops
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. onion powder
Horseradish-Pecan Sauce (see recipe below)

Directions

Cook bacon over low heat until cooked but not crisp. Wrap each chop with 1 piece of bacon. Secure with a wooden toothpick. Place lamb chops on broiler pan. Combine next 5 ingredients. Brush chops with marinade. Broil 4 inches from heat 10 minutes or until desired doneness. Turn chops once and brush with marinade occasionally while cooking. Serve with Horseradish-Pecan Sauce.

Horseradish-Pecan Sauce

Combine 1 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. flour in a small saucepan. Add 1/8 tsp. white pepper and 1/8 tsp. minced garlic. Heat until bubbly. Gradually add 1 cup half-and-half, stirring constantly. Add 1 tbsp. horseradish sauce and 1/4 cup chopped pecans. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens.

Oh, oh.....I want s'more!

2011-01-21T20:51:00.003-05:00

Greetings from Florida! It is time for my monthly Cake Slice Bakers reveal! I made this simple cake before I left for my conference. This month's cake is a graham cracker, chocolate chip snacking cake with a marshmallow frosting. I was very excited to try this cake because I heart s'mores!

While the cake was baking, I made the frosting and SHWEET SHMELLOW its good!!! I'd even go as far as saying that it saves the mediocre cake.

Over all, this is a good (not great) cake. It didn't have as strong of a s'more taste as I would have liked, but it was moist and chocolaty. I highly recommend eating it warm, whether that means eating it when it comes out of the oven or sticking it in the microwave for a few seconds. The frosting is definitely worth making again.

Here is the recipe...

January’s Cake: Graham Cracker Chocolate Chip Snacking Cake
(Recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman)

For the Cake
8 whole graham crackers, finely ground (about 1 cup) *
¼ cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
6 tbsp (¾ stick) butter, softened
¼ cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup milk
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

For the Frosting
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup confectioners sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup marshmallow fluff *

Method – Cake
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease an 8inch square baking pan and dust it with flour, knocking out any extra. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. With the mixer on low speed, add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat until smooth.
With the mixer on low speed, add a third of the flour mixture, then half of the milk, stirring until combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and milk, ending with the flour. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Invert it onto a wire rack, and then turn it right side up to cool completely.

Method – Frosting
Place the butter in a medium mixing bowl and beat until creamy. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Stir in the vanilla and the marshmallow fluff and beat until smooth. Use immediately or cover the bowl with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Cut the cake into squares and serve each one with a dollop of frosting on top. (Bring the frosting back to room temperature first if it has been stored in the fridge). Store any uneaten cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Meatball Chili (with a little spice)

2011-01-17T15:34:00.003-05:00

Ingredients
1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes
1 large onion
1 medium green pepper
3 cups Chili Cheese Fritos
1 tbsp vegetable oil
5 garlic cloves, pressed, divided
2 tbsp plus 2 tsp chili powder, divided
1 tbsp cumin, divided
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (16 oz) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups water
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb lean ground beef
Shredded cheese (optional)

Cooking Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Chop tomatoes and set aside.
Finely chop onion.
Dice bell pepper.
Place chips in plastic bag and crush using a rolling pin.

Place oil, onion, and bellow pepper in a pot.
Cook over medium heat for 7 - 8 minutes.
Add two of the pressed garlic cloves, 1 tbsp chili powder, and 2 tsp cumin.
Cook and stir for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, water, and half of the crushed chips to the pot.
Bring to a gentle simmer.
Reduce heat to low and cook for 18 - 22 minutes or until chili is thickened. Stir often.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Combine egg, milk, and salt in bowl. Add remaining chips, garlic, chili powder, and cumin.
Mix well.
Add beef and mix until just incorporated.
Scoop beef mixture and roll into meatball.
Bake 8 - 9 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees.

Gently stir meatballs into chili.
Cover and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes or until meatballs are tender.

Serve with cheddar cheese if you'd like.

Sweet Crockpot Meatballs (from Dessert Diva)

2011-01-16T09:35:00.002-05:00

It's January! Do you know what that means for the Dinnertime Divas? It's our annual balls themed Supper Club. Here is the recipe for my contribution this month.

This is one of the easiest and most delicious appetizers or dinners around. I came across this combination for the sauce by accident. My mom always makes her meatballs with BBQ sauce and grape jelly. Unfortunately, I didn't have any grape jelly one time so I substituted cherry preserves instead. The result was an even sweeter sauce that we liked even more than the original. I've never made it with grape jelly since!

Ingredients
1 - 1 lb. bag of frozen meatballs
1 jar of your favorite BBQ sauce
1/3 jar cherry preserves

I usually don't even measure out any of the ingredients so add or subtract according to your own taste.

Directions
Place the frozen meatballs in a slow cooker. Add the BBQ sauce and cherry preserves. Give it a stir. Cook on low for about 4-5 hours or until meatballs are heated through.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we do. It is definitely a go-to meal when I need something in a pinch, since I usually have all the ingredients on hand.

Momma Carver's French Toast Casserole (by Cheesy Diva)

2010-12-24T11:13:00.003-05:00

This is Dessert Diva. I'm posting this recipe for the Big Cheese. This was her contribution to our December Supper Club. The theme was Breakfasts and Appetizers.

Ingredients
1 stick of butter or margarine
1 c brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
6 slices of bread
5 eggs
1 1/2 c milk

Directions
Melt butter in a saucepan on the stove. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Spread in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

Halve the slices of bread diagonally. Place in pan on top of brown sugar mixture in a double layer.

Beat eggs; add milk and whisk together. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Uncover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Enjoy! This makes a delicious breakfast!

Cranberry Cake (from Saucy Diva)

2010-12-21T20:03:00.003-05:00

Good news and even better news! Good news...this cake is delicious!! Better news...This will be my last blog post without pictures! I'm getting a really nice camera from my really nice husband for Christmas!

Ok, back to this cake. This is my December Cake Slice Bakers cake from the book "Cake Keeper Cakes" by Lauren Chattman.

I did not have much luck with last month's cake. It was a downright disaster. So I was really nervous about this month. Was I not cut out to bake with these talented ladies? Was the book selection a nightmare? Fears were calmed when this warm strueulsly cake cake out of the oven. Here is the recipe. I suggest eating it with a big mug of coco.

Ingredients:
For the streusel:
1 cup of sliced almonds
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

For the cake:
2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 bag fresh cranberries (12 oz) - I substituted a 12 oz bag of craisens I had left over from the big cookie bake.

Prep:
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 10 inch round spring form pan.
streusel:
Combine all ingredients for the streusel until large crumbs are formed. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Cake:
Whisk together dry (except white sugar)ingredients in a medium bowl.
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, white sugar with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low, add the butter and vanilla. Turn the mixer to medium and beat another 2 minutes.
Gently fold in the flour mixture and the cranberries.
Scrape batter into the prepared pan.
Sprinkle the streusel on top.
Bake until golden brown about an hour and 10 minutes.
Release the sides of the pan and cool completely before slicing into wedges.

LikeI said, this cake is delish. I love it's simplicity. Oh, and I love streusel. Streeeeuuuuusssssseeellll. It is even fun to say. One thing though...this cake is dying to be in muffin form!

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 10 inch round spring form pan.

Egg Souffle (by Dessert Diva)

2010-12-13T20:01:00.002-05:00

This souffle is my contribution to our December Supper Club night. The theme this month is Appetizers and Breakfast. This delicious souffle is a tradition at my house. I have eaten this every Christmas morning for as long as I can remember. My mom always prepared two of them for our family, as Christmas morning was the only time she would make it, and we all loved it! We would always eat it after opening our presents. This souffle brings back so many great memories for me...I hope you and the Divas agree that it is delicious! Enjoy!

Ingredients
6 eggs
2 cups milk
4 slices of bread, cubed
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 cup grated cheese (whatever kind you want; I use cheddar)
1 lb. sausage or ham, browned (use whatever you want here)

Directions
Beat eggs; add milk, bread, salt and mustard. Stir. Add cheese and meat. Put in a greased 9x12 pan. Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

Feel free to adjust the ingredients to fit the taste of your family. This is such a versatile recipe!

2nd Annual Diva Cookie Day (by Dessert Diva)

2010-12-11T16:08:00.015-05:00

A few weeks ago, we held our annual Cookie Day! Unfortunately, a couple of the divas had other plans and couldn't make it, but there was still no shortage of cookies!

The night before, my kitchen looked like a disaster as I prepared cookie dough and appetizers...

The next morning, the Divas showed up with bags of cookie dough, ingredients, pans and utensils in tow. We had plenty of food to munch on as we worked...

Saucy Diva made her famous Chocolate Mints, as well as some delicious fudge!

Spicy Diva also made Saucy's famous Chocolate Mints (there was a little mix-up!) and some Pistachio Cranberry Cookies! The only bad thing about there being twice as many Chocolate Mints is that there were twice as many balls to roll and Andes Mints to unwrap.

But we rolled...

and we unwrapped...

and we rolled some more...

and we kept rolling. Meanwhile, Baby Diva got bored and went to sleep...can you blame her?

She woke up in time for the important part, however! Here she is checking out her mommy's (Gourmet Diva) Peanut Butter cookies and Dessert Diva's Chocolate Oatmeal bars. We also made Truffle cookies and Heath bars.

We make so many cookies that they were literally cooling everywhere! I actually found some a few hours after the Divas left outside on my patio table...ha!

We hope you get to enjoy some holiday baking with friends and family like we did! Happy Holidays and Happy Baking from the Dinnertime Divas to you!

Lemon Cheese Logs (by Dessert Diva)

2010-11-28T15:46:00.002-05:00

Today was our annual Diva Cookie Day! We made hundreds of cookies to share. The following is a recipe for cookies I made at last year's Cookie Day. These are a favorite in my house during the holidays. I grew up making these with my mom and sister. I have absolutely no idea where the recipe originated, but they are absolutely delicious!

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
3 oz. cream cheese
1 egg yolk
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. lemon rind
6 oz. chocolate chips
Sprinkles

Directions
Combine first 3 ingredients. Cream until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk; beat well. Stir in flour, nuts, salt and lemon rind; mix well. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. Shape into 2 inch logs; place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. Dip half of the cookie into melted chocolate and immediately decorate with sprinkles.

Yield: 12 dozen

Paula Deen's Chicken and Rice Casserole

2010-11-01T08:45:00.004-04:00

I am the queen of efficiency!

Ok, not really. Things just worked out really well for me this month. Not only was this recipe the October Cookbook Club recipe (chosen by my fellow MCHS alum, Molly) but the theme of DTD this month was comfort food.

This recipe is definitely comfort food! The ingredients were simple, the preparation easy, and the outcome was delicious. I'll admit that I was a little nervous about adding water chestnuts to a casserole, but it adds a whole new dimension of texture.

I'll be adding this recipe to my regular rotation!

Oh! And it's pretty too! You'll have to trust me on this one. I totally forgot to take a picture before we scarfed this one down. My apologies.

Ingredients:
3 cups diced, cooked chicken
1 medium onion, diced and sauteed
1 - 8oz can of water chestnuts, drained and chopped
2 - 14 oz cans french cut green beans, rinsed and drained
1 - 4 ounce jar of pimentos, rinsed and drained
1- 10.5 ounce can condensed cream of celery soup
1 cup mayo
1- 6oz box of Uncle Ben's long-grain and wild rice, cooked according to directions on the box
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Prep:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a 3 quart casserole dish.
3. Bake for 25 minutes.

WARNING! This recipe makes ALOT of casserole! It can easily serve 6-8 people. I halved the recipe for DTD and it was still plenty for 3-4 people.

Pizza Casserole

2010-10-25T14:33:00.003-04:00

This is my "comfort food" for this month. Its super easy and super delicious. When you use healthy/lean/low-fat products, it's not TOO bad for you :-) Because my grocery store had NO meat, my DTDs got extra fancy, ground ANGUS. That's how we roll up in here ;-) Enjoy!

Pizza Casserole

1 ½ Lbs ground beef
1 oz package of spaghetti noodles (or other pasta)
1 can Cheddar Cheese soup
1 jar pizza sauce
2 C shredded cheddar cheese
2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

Pre-heat oven to 350°

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Brown beef and drain fat.

In a large bowl combine cooked pasta, cooked beef, cheese soup, pizza sauce, and cheddar cheese. Mix until thoroughly combined. Place in 9 x 13 pan. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 40-45 min, or until cheese is golden brown and bubbly.

Slow-Cooked Chili (from Dessert Diva)

2010-10-23T12:24:00.002-04:00

I know, I know...I've been M.I.A. for quite some time now. I've been just a tad bit busy...being sick. You see, our next Baby Diva is due at the beginning of April and so far, pregnancy has not agreed with me. Now that I'm beginning to feel better, I hope to start posting more recipes!

I'll start with the recipe for the meal I'm taking to our next Supper Club on Monday...slow-cooked chili. What better way to celebrate fall and football season than cozying up with a nice, hot bowl of chili?

Ingredients
2 lbs. ground beef
2 - 16 oz. cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 - 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes, undrained
8 oz. tomato sauce
2 onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Directions
Brown beef in a nonstick skillet; place in slow cooker. Add all remaining ingredients. Cover; cook on high 4 hours or on low 8-10 hours. Garnish with cheese or whatever makes it a great bowl of chili to you!

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake (aka...Autumn in a Loaf)

2010-10-21T10:04:00.004-04:00

I love the word loaf. Good things come in loaves. I enjoy loafing around the house. So I was super excited to see that my first Cake Slice Bakers recipe was for a pumpkin chocolate chip pound cake...in the form of a loaf!!

What is Cake Slice Bakers you ask? Well its a somewhat "secret society" of bloggers who work out of one cake cookbook a year and one recipe a month. On the 20th of each month, we reveal our recipes on our blog. So drumroll please.....

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake!!

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 cup of unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Prep:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat the inside of a 9x5 loaf pan.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and nutmeg
in a medium mixing bowl.
- Comine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric
mixer on medium high speed until fluffy.
- With the mixer on medium, add the eggs one at a time. Stir in the pumpkin,
vanilla, and milk.
- Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time until well
combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top.
- Bake until firm and an inserted toothpick comes out clean...about an hour (mine
took about an hour and 15 min.)
- Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack, flip back over and let
cool all the way.

Taaaaaaadaaaaaaa!

I loved preparing this cake! My entire house was filled with the smells of fall. It turned out to be a beautiful orange color with delicious chocolate bites throughout.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2010-09-27T15:42:00.003-04:00

This was my contribution to DTD this month. Its a lighter version of the fried sweet and sour chicken you get from the asian take out establishments.

Ingredients:
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cubed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup sliced green bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced red bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, juice reserved
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Preparation:
1. Brown chicken in oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add green bell pepper, red bell pepper, onion and garlic and stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and soy sauce and mix together; pour mixture into the skillet, along with the pineapple and liquid, vinegar, sugar and ginger. Stir together and bring to a full boil.

Serve over rice.

Beef Tenderloin Bites on a Bed of Arugula

2010-09-27T15:23:00.004-04:00

Guess who's back, back again? Saucy's back, tell a friend...

First of all, my apologies for my lack of posting lately. School started, camera broke, stuff happens. In my efforts to be a regular poster and not get the diva boot, I joined a cookbook club. It is a collection of wonderful bloggers that all make the same recipe once a month and blog about it. This month we are cooking from a Rachel Ray book and the recipe is Italian stuffed shells (pssst, Saucy, look at the title of the post, there are no mention of a stuffed shell). I know. I've been a little stuffed shelled out lately. I made my own Italian stuffed shells not too long ago, and the Big Cheese made some scrumptious Mexican stuffed shells last month.

Luckily, the creator of the cookbook club offers an alternative recipe. Hence, Beef Tenderloin Bites on a Bed of Arugula! It was fantastic! I made it after a busy workday, and it was a light but delish meal that hit the spot. One note: Make sure your beef is cut in cubes similar in size. I rushed a little and some of my smaller pieces were way over done.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Italian bread crumbs, eyeball it
Handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, a couple of handfuls
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it, plus some for drizzling
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 tenderloin steaks, 1 inch thick, cut into bite sized pieces
Salt and pepper
5 to 6 cups arugula, chopped
1 lemon, juiced

Directions:
Preheat broiler to high.

Mix bread crumbs with parsley, cheese. Warm the oil and garlic over low heat to infuse flavor, 5 minutes. Pour oil into bread crumbs and combine to distribute equally and moisten the bread crumbs.

Season the meat with salt and pepper. Coat the meat in bread crumb mixture to coat evenly. Spread meat onto baking sheet and broil until crisp and meat is tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Serve meat on bed of shredded arugula. Give a squeeze of lemon juice over the beef and arugula.

Another note about the picture: Remember the broken camera? Still broken. So thank you to the Rachel Ray website for the picture!

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches (by Gourmet Diva)

2010-08-25T20:13:00.005-04:00

The divas have been meeting for 10 months now and August's theme is "Diva Favorites". We all got to vote on what the other divas would bring back for an encore meal.

This recipe is a great way to add a little "Gourmet" to a BBQ with friends. I will also add that the leftovers are great as a cold sandwich the next day. Happy BBQing!

-Gourmet Diva

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches

Ingredients
1/4 cup hot jalapeño jelly
1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
Cooking spray
1/4 cup light ranch dressing
1/4 cup sweet hickory smoke tomato-based barbecue sauce (such as Bull's-Eye)
8 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns or Kaiser rolls
Preparation
Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

Combine jelly and water; set aside.

Combine paprika and next 6 ingredients (through pepper); rub evenly over pork. Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray; cover and grill 15 minutes, turning pork occasionally. Brush pork with jelly mixture. Grill an additional 5 minutes or until thermometer registers 155° (slightly pink).

Place pork on a cutting surface. Lightly cover with foil; let stand 10 minutes. Thinly slice pork. Combine ranch dressing and barbecue sauce. Serve pork and ranch mixture with buns.

Nutritional Information
Calories:329 (22% from fat)
Fat:8g (sat 2g,mono 2.1g,poly 1.6g)
Protein:27.8g
Carbohydrate:34.6g
Fiber:1.8g
Cholesterol:76mg
Iron:3.1mg
Sodium:920mg
Calcium:73mg

This is a Cooking Light recipe from many years ago!

Cheesy Appetizer Loaf (by the BIG cheese)

2010-07-21T20:35:00.002-04:00

I made this dish while hosting the divas this evening! I heard great reviews, so I thought I'd share. I got the recipe from www.kraftfoods.com - so easy and SO GOOD!

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Italian Cheese Crumbles
3 Tbsp. Real Mayo Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. chopped Spanish olives
1/2 tsp. Garlic powder
1 loaf French bread (24 inch), cut lengthwise in half
Paprika

How do you make it? It's easy...

Heat broiler. Mix first 4 ingredients.
Spread onto cut sides of bread; sprinkle lightly with paprika.
Broil, 6 inches from heat, 1 min. or until cheese is melted.
Serve warm

Beef and Corn Enchiladas

2010-07-21T15:43:00.001-04:00

1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 yellow onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup nonfat sour cream
1 - 15 ounce dice tomatoes drained
1 cup low fat ricotta cheese
1 - 7 ounce diced mild green chilies
8 - 5 inch corn tortillas
2 cups low fat shredded cheese
3 green onions, diced

1. Cook beef until browned
2. In a large bowl, combine the onions, garlic, sour cream, tomatoes, ricotta cheese, and green chilies and stir until incorporated. Set aside
3. Arrange 4 corn tortillas on top of the sauce.
4. Spred half of the ground beef over the tortillas.
5. Top with half of sour cream mixture.
6. Cover the sour cream mixture with 4 more tortillas.
7. Spread shredded cheese and green onions over the tortillas.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and back for 45 minutes. Remove foil, and back for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Spring Appetizer Pizza (from Dessert Diva)

2010-06-29T08:44:00.002-04:00

Here is the recipe for the final dish I made for our Diva BBQ last week. I have had and been making this recipe for forever. I have no idea where I found it, but I love that it's a bit different than the traditional veggie appetizer pizzas you typically see. It makes a great appetizer, vegetarian snack or breakfast. Also, feel free to change up the veggies, add more or less of things, use flavored cream cheese, etc. This recipe is very versatile!

Ingredients
1 pkg. refrigerated crescent rolls
8 oz. cream cheese
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 small garlic clove, pressed
1 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning
4 oz. ham, cut into short, thin pieces
3/4 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 cup cucumber slices, quartered
1/3 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/8 small red onion, cut into thin wedges

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Unroll crescent dough; separate into 8 triangles. On a pizza stone (or cutting board), arrange the triangles into a circle with points in the center (I often just roll it out into a rectangle). Using a lightly floured roller, roll out dough to a 12 inch circle, pressing seams together to seal. Bake 14-17 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic and lemon pepper seasoning. Spread evenly over cooled crust. Top pizza with ham and vegetables. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Cut into squares.

Garlic Green Beans (by Cheesy Diva)

2010-06-25T10:43:00.002-04:00

Truth be told, this dish is better when you make it, then eat it right away. For the DTD BBQ, I made the dish then traveled about 45-50 minutes before warming it up and serving. In the past, I have served it right away, and enjoyed it 100% more.

AND - I never thought the day would come where these words come out of my mouth...but...you can use too much cheese (don't hate me!). Follow the amounts listed below! Believe me, a fellow cheese lover, that you do NOT want to over-do it!

So, if you need a new twist on a classic green bean, this is the dish for you!

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon butter
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 medium head garlic - peeled and sliced
* 2 (14.5 ounce) cans green beans, drained
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter with olive oil; add garlic, and cook until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Stir in green beans, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until beans are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Creamy Black Bean Salsa (from Dessert Diva)

2010-06-25T10:10:00.003-04:00

**Photo and recipe courtesy of Taste of Home**

This salsa is to die for. Since I made it for our Diva BBQ, I have eaten it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is THAT good!

Ingredients
15 oz. black beans, rinsed and drained
1-1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
3/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
Tortilla chips

Directions
In a large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; pour over corn mixture and toss gently to coat. Serve with tortilla chips. Refrigerate leftovers.

Port-a-Pit Chicken (from Dessert Diva)

2010-06-24T17:00:00.003-04:00

I have no idea where this recipe came from, but my mom has been making it for as long as I can remember. I made it for our DTD barbeque last night, and everyone raved over it and insisted I post the recipe ASAP. Out of fear for my life, here it is...

Ingredients
6 cups water
2-1/2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. garlic salt
1/4 cup salt (hey, I never said this was a healthy recipe)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. pepper
6 tbsp. butter
1-1/3 cups cider vinegar
2 pkg. (8) chicken drumsticks

Directions
Boil all ingredients (except chicken) for 15 minutes in a large stockpot. Add chicken and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Heat on grill until brown.

**You can boil this in multiple batches, if necessary. Just return all chicken to marinade to sit until time to grill.

That's it! How easy was that? I promise you will love this dish. Now, just wait until you see some of the other dishes the Divas brought over for our BBQ!

Easy Appetizer Bites by Da Big Cheez

2010-06-15T10:27:00.003-04:00

This is sooooo easy that it's unreal! They are cold, yumm-o and perfect for a summer day.

You will need:
1 pkg. (9 oz.) Ham and Turkey
5 Claussen Bread 'N Butter or Kosher Dill Sandwich Slices, cut in half lengthwise
1 tub (8 oz.)Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese Spread

Easy to make:
1. Pat meat and pickle slices dry with paper towels.
2. Spread each meat slice with about 1 Tbsp. cream cheese spread. Top each with 1 pickle slice; roll up. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
3. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Cut each roll-up into 4 pieces to serve; secure each with toothpick.

Easy as pie!

Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars (from Dessert Diva)

2010-05-22T14:31:00.004-04:00

I love desserts. I mean, seriously...chocolate, nuts, peanut butter, coconut, etc., etc., etc...what's not to love? This dessert is definitely high up on my list of favorites. It has chocolate and pecans and tastes just like pie, but it's all wrapped up in a neat little bar! Yum!

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature, plus 2 tbsp. melted
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1 package semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Line the bottom and sides of a 9x13 pan with foil.

In a bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter, brown sugar, flour and salt until coarse crumbs form. Pour mixture into prepared pan; press firmly into the bottom.

Bake until lightly browned, 25-30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in the same bowl, mix eggs, corn syrup, sugar and melted butter until well combined. Add chocolate chips and pecans; spread over crust. Bake until set, about 25-30 minutes. Cool completely in pan before lifting out. Cut into 32 bars.

Enjoy!

Watch Out World - Baby Diva is in the HOUSE!

2010-05-13T11:13:00.004-04:00

The divas would love to introduce the newest addition to the Diva clan.
Baby Addison has already started loving food, P-dub and life.

Congrats Gourmet Diva!
We love you.

Baked Potato Soup (By Cheesy Diva)

2010-05-01T08:47:00.003-04:00

This rainy weather put me in the mood for a good soup. This soup was found out of Spicy Diva's Pampered Chef cookbook. Tried it, loved it.

Thanks Spice, you are super spicy - indeed!

Ingredients:
4 medium baked potatoes
2 slices bacon
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup green onions with tops, thinly sliced
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 coup light sour cream
2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)

1. Remove skins from baked potatoes, coarsely mash.
2. Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon to paper towel to drain; crumble and set aside. Discard all by 1/2 teaspoon drippings in pan.
3. Meanwhile, chop celery. Thinly slice green onions. Add chicken broth, milk, mashed potatoes, celery, onions, garlic, salt and black pepper to drippings in pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Stir in sour cream and reserved bacon. Ladle soup into bowls. Shred 2 tablespoons of cheese over each serving (or more if you like...I love cheese!)

Semi-easy and OH SO yummy!

Super Simple Raspberry Oatmeal Cookie Bars (from Saucy Diva)

2010-04-29T21:45:00.003-04:00

I found this really easy recipe that a bunch of people were raving about on allrecipes.com. I gave it a whirl and it turned out to be a really yummy treat with a good combination of sweet and savory flavors.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup old fashioned oats (not instant)
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

Prep:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease one 8 inch square pan.
3. Combine the first 5 ingredients.
4. Fold the softened butter into the dry mix until it becomes crumbly.
5. Press 2 cups of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
6. Spread the jam within 1/4 inch of the edge.
7. Sprinkle remaining dry mix on top of the jam.
8. Bake 35 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

Since it has oatmeal and jam, I can eat this for breakfast right?

Making Amends with Jamie Oliver - Macaroni and Cauliflower Cheese Bake (from Saucy Diva)

2010-04-28T19:36:00.005-04:00

I don't claim to be the most health conscious person on the planet. I mean, have you seen some of the recipes I've posted on here?? But even I was embarrassed by the snack I purchased for students taking ISTEP at school. Sugar wafers that were loaded with calories, fat, and trans fat. I feared that someone would report me to Jamie Oliver and I would be featured on the next episode of Food Revolution. So I decided that to make amends, I would prepare something from his cookbook "Jamie's Food Revolution" tonight. I just so happened to have all the ingredients on hand for this ooey gooey bake. It was delish!

Ingredients:
1/2 head of cauliflower
8 oz of cheddar cheese (use the real stuff!)
4 oz of Parmesan cheese (again, use the real stuff...save the green bottle for spaghetti night)
parsley (to taste)
sea salt
1 lb dried macaroni (the book suggests elbow, I used penne)
1 cup of sour cream

Prep:
1. Chop 1/2 head of cauliflower into small florets and grate the cheddar and the parm.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and the cauliflower and cook according to the directions on the macaroni.
3. In a separate sauce pan, combine the cheese and the sour cream and cook over medium low
heat until melty. Add the parsley and a dash of sea salt to the cheese.
4. When the macaroni is fully cooked, drain and return to the pot.
5. Pour the cheesy goodness over the pasta and cauliflower and mix well.
6. Transfer mixture to a casserole dish and put under a broiler until golden and bubbly.

I know what you're thinking..."Hey Saucy, there's no picture!"

Delicious isn't always pretty people. Trust me on this one, its gooooood.

Ham and Cheese Corn Muffins (from Dessert Diva)

2010-04-25T11:08:00.004-04:00

I made these delicious, hearty and healthy (only 204 calories and 6 g of fat per serving) muffins for breakfast this morning. The best part is they are freezer-friendly so I can enjoy one anytime I'm in a rush!

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 tbsp. sugar

1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. ground red pepper

1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk

1/2 cup egg substitute (or 2 eggs)

3 tbsp. canola oil

3/4 cup reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup finely chopped green onions

1/2 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed

1/3 cup diced extra lean ham

Cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour with next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk. Combine buttermilk, egg substitute (or eggs) and oil in a small bowl; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in the cheese, green onions, corn and ham.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake for 23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove muffins to a wire rack to cool.

Hope you enjoy these as much as I did!

Bruschetta 'n Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breast (by The Big Cheese)

2010-04-20T08:32:00.003-04:00

What a fancy sounding recipe, yes? Believe me, I am not Gourmet Diva! This recipe sounds a lot more involved than it is. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1-1/4 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 pkg. (6 oz.) Stuffing Mix for Chicken
8 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (2 lb.)
1/3 cup Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing

What you do:
First, heat the oven to 350°F. Mix tomatoes, 1/2 cup cheese and basil in medium bowl. Add stuffing mix; stir just until moistened.

Place 2 chicken breasts in large freezer-weight resealable plastic bag. Pound with meat mallet or side of heavy can until chicken is 1/4 inch thick. Remove from bag. Then place, top-sides down, on cutting board. Repeat with remaining chicken. Spread chicken with stuffing mixture. Starting at 1 narrow end, tightly roll up each breast. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish. Drizzle with dressing.

Bake for 40 minutes or until chicken is done. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 5 min. or until melted.

Mmmmmm....cheeeeeeesssssse.

Chicken & Pasta Toss with Sun-Dried Tomatoes (by Cheesy)

2010-04-14T11:01:00.003-04:00

*Thank you, Kraft Foods, for the pic*

This meal is quick, easy and REAL good!

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (16 oz.) bow tie pasta, uncooked
4 cups frozen broccoli florets
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 cup prepared Italian Dressing Mix, divided
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, cut into strips
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

How to Get it Poppin':
Cooke the pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli to the cooking water for the last 3 min. of the pasta cooking time.
While that is all going on, cook chicken in 1/4 cup of the dressing in large skillet on medium heat 8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, stirring frequently. Drain the pasta mixture and place in large bowl. Add chicken and all remaining ingredients. Mix it lightly together and serve.

Easy, Breezy, Beautiful!

Ranch Turkey Burgers (From Saucy Diva)

2010-04-11T18:51:00.003-04:00

Ever since Saucy Hubby and I got back from our cruise, we've been trying to counter the gastronomical devastation the delicious food on the boat caused (aka....we ate like royalty for 7 days and we're lucky the airline didn't make us buy extra seats on the way back). The weather has been awesome this weekend, so I whipped up these yummy turkey burgers to throw on the grill.

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 tablespoon bread crumbs
1 tablespoon powdered ranch dressing mix
1 egg white

Prep:
Mix all ingredients together and form into 4 patties. Grill to your liking! We topped with fat free cheese slices.

Outside-the-box pasta pie (By Cheesy Diva)

2010-04-08T20:09:00.005-04:00

Truth be told, “The Big Cheese” didn’t come into marriage with a ton of cooking knowledge. So, when I received The Food Network “How To Boil Water, Life Beyond Takeout” recipe book for a shower gift, I was THRILLED! This is the very first recipe I ever tried from this book, and Mr. Cheese and I fell in love all over again. It is my pleasure to introduce “The Big Cheese’s” first recipe…so good, I just may make this one tonight!

What you need:
1-teaspoon salt
8 ounces penne pasta
½ cup milk
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of nutmeg
Black Pepper
2 slices of bacon
½ medium onion (I like red!)
¼ cup drained sun-dried tomatoes
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed
2 ounces cream cheese
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

How it’s put together:
1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.
2. Boil pasta for 6-8 minutes, or until al dente
3. Whisk milk, eggs, mustard, Worcestershire, nutmeg and black pepper in a large bowl. Add cooled penne pasta to the bowl.
4. Slice bacon into thin strips, roughly chop onion and tomatoes.
5. Melt butter and cook bacon until it begins to crisp (3-4 minutes)
6. Add onion, tomatoes and broccoli to the bacon filled skillet – cook for about 5 minutes.
7. Toss the vegetable mixture with the pasta, cream cheese, and 1 ½ cup of cheddar cheese until cream cheese melts.
8. Grease a 9-inch pie dish with butter. Mound pasta mixture in the dish. Scatter the remaining cheddar cheese over top. Back for 25 minutes.

Side Note: When I’m feeling crazy, I will add chicken to the dish!

Crabmeat and Sherry Fettuccine Alfredo (by The Big Cheese)

2010-04-08T20:04:00.006-04:00

A big thanks to “Momma Cheese” for giving me the recipe book “The Dinner Doctor”. It is a fun recipe book that is jammed packed with quick/easy/yumm-O recipes.

I loved this recipe for many different reasons.
Reason #1: I love ANYTHING with Alfredo sauce!
Reason #2: Crabmeat and I are BFF’s
Reason #3: It takes 8 minutes to prep, and 12 minutes to cook…hello, convenience!

What you need:
8 ounces fettuccine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 container (10 ounces) refrigerated Alfredo-style pasta sauce
2 tablespoons medium-dry sherry
Cayenne pepper
2 cans (6 ounces each) lump crabmeat, drained and picked over
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
¼ cup pre-shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnish

How it’s made:
1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling H20 for 12 minutes, or until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper; reduce heat to medium and stir, cooking for 2-3 minutes.
3. Stir in the pasta sauce, sherry and season cayenne pepper to taste. Bring this mixture to a boil, stirring. Remove the skillet from the heat and fold in the crabmeat.
4. Drain pasta, spoon in the crab sauce. Serve at once, garnished with the parsley and Parmesan cheese.

"Momma Cheese" - thanks for sharing the love of cooking! I love you!

Hot Pizza Dip (from Spicy Diva)

2010-04-07T19:07:00.005-04:00

I know...I know....I'm the slacker of the group. This is my first official blog post...ever.
Here it goes...

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 cup (4 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup (3 oz) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 can (8 oz) pizza sauce
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper, sliced green onion, chopped olives, or any other pizza topping of your choice

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In small bowl, combine cream cheese and Italian seasoning. Spread onto bottom of pan.
2.) In small bowl, combine mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese mixture over cream cheese mixture. Top with pizza sauce, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese mixture. Back 15-20 minutes or until bubbly. Top with vegetables.

Toasted Baguette Slices

24 slices French bread, cut 1/4 inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place bread slices on cookie sheet, lightly brush tops with olive oil. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Place Hot Pizza Dip on top of Toasted Baguette Slices.

A Veggie Trick (from Dessert Diva)

2010-04-07T10:15:00.006-04:00

We love veggies at our house, especially in the summer when you can get them fresh from the farmer's market. Well, I recently came across a box of frozen chopped broccoli while I was cleaning out the freezer. I have no idea where it came from, as I typically never buy frozen vegetables unless they are specifically called for in a recipe. Anyways, I decided to make the broccoli last night to go along with the Mexican Chicken Meatballs I was making. The only problem was I didn't have anything to put on top.

Now, I mentioned that we like vegetables, and my husband will eat them, but he prefers to have some kind of sauce on top to mask the taste. I started rummaging through the fridge and came across this...

Now, I love this stuff. I put it on everything...crackers, sourdough bread, raw veggies and now...cooked broccoli. I threw 2 wedges into the steamed broccoli and voila...deliciousness! Plus, each wedge is only 4 g of fat and 50 calories so it's a fairly healthy way to give veggies that cheesy flavor that kids (and husbands) love.

As you can probably tell, I am super excited about this little trick. It's healthy, easy and delicious...what more can you ask for?

Dijon-Roasted Potatoes (by The Big Cheese)

2010-04-04T20:10:00.003-04:00

*Thank you google images for the pic*

I love this easy, side dish recipe! Sadly, no cheese in this one. However, I know you will enjoy. Also, whoever is viewing this...THANK YOU! If you are trying out any of our recipes, please let us know how they turn out. We love comments!

For starters note:
Coating the potatoes in Dijon mustard and a small amount of olive oil helps make them crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

1 spray cooking spray
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 pounds uncooked new potatoes, quartered

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Whisk together oil, mustard, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper in a large bowl; add potatoes and stir to coat.

Transfer potatoes to baking dish and roast 15 minutes; stir and roast until tender on inside, about 15 minutes more.

Serve warm and enjoy!

Dijon-Crusted Tilapia (from Dessert Diva)

2010-04-03T20:07:00.002-04:00

This is a recipe I have been making for a long time. It is definitely a favorite at our house, and I'm not even a huge fan of seafood. Try it with tilapia, cod or any white fish. The best part about this dish is that not only is it delicious, but it's healthy too!

*Photo courtesy of Taste of Home

Ingredients

3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon horseradish
4 tilapia fillets (5 ounces each)
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
2 teaspoons butter, melted

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon cheese, lemon juice, mustard and horseradish. Place fillets on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Spread mayonnaise mixture evenly over fillets.

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, butter and remaining cheese; sprinkle over fillets.
Bake at 425° for 13-18 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Rainbow Cake (from Dessert and Spicy Divas)

2010-03-29T10:12:00.002-04:00

Head on over here to check out the awesome Rainbow Cakes that Spicy Diva and I made. Not only are there some really cool pictures, but there are also full how-to instructions if you want to give it a try. If you do, leave us a comment...we'd love to hear from you! Have fun!

Buttercream Frosting (from Dessert Diva)

2010-03-28T16:12:00.005-04:00

As I mentioned on my personal blog, Spicy Diva and I are taking cake decorating classes. We are almost finished with Course 1 (there are 4 courses). Soon, I will be posting some of our adventures in cake decorating. For now, you'll have to make do with the recipe for the delicious buttercream frosting we've been using on our cakes.

Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. meringue powder (find it at your local arts and crafts store)
2 lbs. powdered sugar
*1 tsp. flavoring (find it at your local arts and crafts store)

*Flavoring is basically clear vanilla extract. You can use traditional vanilla extract in place of the flavoring, but your frosting will not be white. If you plan on dyeing your frosting, this would be fine, but if you want white frosting, pick up the flavoring.

Instructions
In a medium bowl, mix the meringue powder into the powdered sugar. In a large bowl, put the shortening into the water; add the salt, flavoring and half the powdered sugar. Beat for five minutes. Add the remaining powdered sugar and beat just enough to mix together. Add additional water or powdered sugar to reach desired consistency. Store in an airtight container, if not using immediately.

**If you want to make chocolate buttercream, add cocoa powder and increase the water just a bit.

Enjoy, and don't forget to check back soon to see some of the cakes Spicy Diva and I have made!

Tuna Tortellini Gratin (by Cheesy Diva)

2010-03-17T11:10:00.004-04:00

I assure you this meal is Yumm-O! I will be preparing this dish for our monthly DTD Supper Club tonight. However, I made some earlier this week to ensure the yumminess of it first. Technically, I'm not a fan of tuna - however - this isn't "tuna-y" at all. Plus, the tortellini has CHEESE in it. You all know how I love my cheese!

*Picture taken from Google Images*

What You Need:
1 ¼ pounds cooked tortellini
2 – 6 ounce cans tuna
½ cup red bell pepper
½ cup onion
½ jar Alfredo sauce
½ jar of Marina sauce
½ cup white wine
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
3 tables spoons olive oil

Putting the pasta together:
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the bread crumbs and oil and stir. Transfer the mixture to the prepared backing dish (coated with nonstick cooking spray). Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top of each baking dish and drizzle with olive oil.

To Freeze:
Put tortellini/tuna mixture into large plastic bag – seal tightly. Put bread crumbs into another small bag – seal tightly. When ready to cook, thaw at room temperature before cooking as directed below.

After Freezing:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes, until bubbly. Remove the foil and slide the dish under the broiler for 3-4 minutes, until the topping is golden brown.

Easy Meatloaf (from Saucy Diva)

2010-03-16T20:20:00.004-04:00

Grandma Gert is one of my favorite people. She's brave, sweet, and above all hilarious. She's not what one would call technologically savvy, however her friend is. When he showed her this blog she thought it was the pretty neat. During our regular Sunday night chat, she threw in how she had this really easy meatloaf recipe that I should put on our...and I quote... "internet recipe thingy". If you knew Grandma Gert, you wouldn't be able to say no either.

Made it. Ate it. Liked it. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 pounds of ground beef
1 box of chicken flavored stuffing
2 eggs
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of bbq sauce
Extra bbq sauce for the top of the meatloaf

Prep:
1. Coat a 13x9 baking dish with non stick spray
2. In a large bowl combine all ingredients; mix together until well combined (go ahead, use your
hands, I dare you)
3. Form meat into a loaf and place in baking dish
4. Coat the top with bbq sauce
5. Bake for an hour and 15 min at 375 degrees

Meatball Tortellini Soup (from Saucy Diva)

2010-03-13T18:59:00.004-05:00

Our Supper Club nights usually have a theme. This recipe was my contribution for our "foods that are spherical" night. And no, that wasn't the actual theme. I've been warned about mentioning the real theme.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 quart beef stock
1 (12 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup green beans
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup chopped kale
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 pound frozen, cooked meatballs - thawed ( more if you really love meatballs)
1/2 pound fresh cheese tortellini

Prep:

1. Melt butter in a large pot and cook the onions and garlic until tender.
2. Pour the beef stock into the pot.
3. Add everything except the meatballs and the tortellini. Bring mixture to a boil.
4. Add the tortellini and meatballs and return to a boil. Cook for another 5 minutes.

* Makes 3-4 servings.
** If you'd like to precook and freeze this meal, stop after step #3 and freeze broth mixture separate from meatballs and tortellini.

I suggest serving with some warm crusty bread.