Mini Cheesecakes

Well, since the theme for this month's Supper Club was based on our Diva name, I got to bring dessert! I turned to Pinterest, of course, and found these delicious little cheesecakes that were a cinch to make and perfect for sharing. Also, did I mention that they aren't too terribly bad for you either?!? You can't beat that!

Ingredients
3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (or Oreos, I suppose!)
2 tbsp. butter, melted
2/3 cup low fat cream cheese
6 tbsp. fat free cream cheese
3 tbsp. lemon juice
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup light fruit pie filling, any flavor you want

Directions
Place 12 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter; mix well. Spoon 1 tbsp. of mixture into bottom of each cupcake liner and press down gently; refrigerate until ready to use.

In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, beat both types of cream cheese until fluffy. Add in lemon juice, egg whites, vanilla and sugar; beat until smooth.

Spoon cream cheese mixture evenly into cupcake liners; bake until set, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

DO NOT BE LIKE MR. DESSERT DIVA AND BEGIN EATING THE CHEESECAKES NOW. THEY ARE WARM AND DO NOT HAVE THE FRUIT ON TOP. THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE VERY GOOD. ALSO, DO NOT ASK DESSERT DIVA WHY HER CHEESECAKES AREN'T VERY GOOD, AT THIS POINT. THAT WILL NOT SCORE YOU ANY POINTS.

OK, I'm glad I got that off my chest. :)

Top each cheesecake with 1 tbsp. of pie filling. I used cherry and blueberry, but use whatever makes you happy here. They will be delicious...I promise! Enjoy!

Source: www.recipe-diaries.com

Beer-Braised Sausage and Red Peppers (from Dessert Diva)

My contribution this month is a delicious Beer-Braised Sausage and Red Peppers that I have slightly adapted from my favorite food blogger, Annie's Eats. We have had this no less than 3 times in the past month...that's how much we love it!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we have!

Ingredients
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 lb. cooked kielbasa sausages, sliced
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 large red bell peppers, sliced
2 tbsp. flour
1 bottle of beer
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped

Directions
In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the sausages and cook, stirring often, until browned, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Add the onion and bell pepper to the pot, reduce the heat to medium and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until golden, about 1-2 minutes.

Whisk in the beer until smooth and bubbly. Add the chicken broth and thyme, whisking to blend. Bring to a simmer. Return the sausages to the pot. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until flavors are blended, about 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Serves 4-6

Panera Mac 'n Cheese (from Dessert Diva)

Greetings, Diva fans! I've been on a bit of a bloggy break for quite some time, but I'm back and ready to give you an awesome recipe! Our theme for this month is "Restaurant Copycats." I went back and forth several times on which recipe to go with, but ultimately, I chose a recipe from one of my favorite food bloggers and one of the very few chain restaurants we frequent in my family. Panera's Mac 'n Cheese is delish! Hope you give this recipe a try and love it!

Here's the link to the recipe over at Annie's Eats!

Shredded Mexican Chicken (from Dessert Diva)

My contribution to this month's Supper Club was Shredded Mexican Chicken. This is a fabulous, versatile recipe that can be used to make tacos, enchiladas, tortilla soup and more! It is definitely a go-to recipe for me now.

Ingredients
1 jar salsa (whatever kind you prefer)
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1 brick cream cheese
4-6 chicken breasts (really just depends on how much chicken you want)
Tortillas
Enchilada sauce
Mexican cheese

Directions
In a slow cooker, add the salsa, taco seasoning mix and cream cheese. Place the chicken on top. Cook on low for 10 hours. A half hour before it is done, use two forks to shred the chicken breasts. Stir and let cook for 30 more minutes.

At this point, you can serve as tacos or add to another dish. For enchiladas, fill tortillas with chicken mixture, roll and place in a baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over tortillas and top with Mexican cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until tortillas are warm and cheese is melted.

Leftover chicken freezes easily for use in other dishes. Enjoy!

Florentine Mac 'n Cheese with Chicken Sausage Meatballs

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!

Summer Grilling - Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Lemon Mustard Sauce

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

Crock Pot - Polynesian Roast Beef

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.

Turkey Tacos with Fresh Corn and Avocado Salsa

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!

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

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.

Loaded Brownies (from Dessert Diva)

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)

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 :)

Mom's Spaghetti Sauce (from Dessert Diva)

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'.

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

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.

Sweet Crockpot Meatballs (from Dessert Diva)

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.

Lemon Cheese Logs (by Dessert Diva)

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

Slow-Cooked Chili (from Dessert Diva)

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!

Spring Appetizer Pizza (from Dessert Diva)

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.

Creamy Black Bean Salsa (from Dessert Diva)

**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)

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!

Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars (from Dessert Diva)

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!