No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

I must admit, I’ve never made a cheesecake before and I’m kinda scared to attempt it.  But I was having a friend over for dinner last night and I wanted to make a yummy dessert to go along with my favorite dinner, Parmesan Crusted Tilapia, Parmesan Roasted Green Beans, and hush puppies.  I actually made my hush puppies from scratch last night, but wasn’t really pleased with them, so I have some work to do to come up with a better hush puppy.

But back to the dessert….I came across a no bake chococlate cheesecake that looked easy enough.  I mean, really, can you mess up a no-bake cheesecake?  I figured if anyone could, I could.  But I gave it a whirl and it turned out perfect, so I had to share it!

I did cheat and buy a graham cracker crust.  I have had bad experiences in the past trying to make graham cracker crust and since I was making this for guests, I wanted to be sure it would be good.

No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups Cool Whip

1 graham cracker crust

Chocolate syrup for drizzle, optional

Additional Cool Whip for topping, optional

Beat cream cheese with mixer till smooth and creamy, then add cocoa and beat till well blended.  Add vanilla, blend again. Slowly add powdered sugar and continue blending cream cheese mixture.

Once well mixed and creamy, fold in whipped topping until color is uniform. Pour into graham cracker crust  and let chill for 1-2 hours. Top with Cool Whip or drizzle with chocolate syrup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was so yummy and definitely not diet-friendly.  You could opt for the 1/3 less fat or fat free cream cheese and the Light or fat-free Cool Whip as well.  But sometimes you just have to splurge!!  It is very hard to eat just one slice of this, but it is very rich, so start off with a thin slice!!

Let me know if you get a chance to make this and how you like it!  It was so easy and good, I will definitely be making this again and again!!

Happy cooking,

Lori

 

Crockpot Ravioli Casserole

Tonight, I made a delicious meal that my daughter wouldn’t eat, until we were clearing off the table.  See, my daughter is either a picky eater, or in a rut and I haven’t offered enough variety in the past to where she won’t try anything new.  So as I was clearing off the table and getting ready to throw her uneaten dinner out, she decided she wanted a bite because she wanted to go to Starbucks.  She ended up eating her whole helping and kept saying “Delicious!  I love bowtie pasta now!”  This girl is something else.

Anyway, on to the recipe…I know you are dying to run in the kitchen and make this now!!

Crockpot Ravioli Casserole

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

salt/pepper

10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed

16 oz. bowtie pasta, cooked

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded

*Brown ground beef with onion and garlic. Put in crock-pot and add sauce, tomatoes and seasonings. Cook for 6-7 hours on low. Add the last 4 ingredients during the last 30 minutes of cooking and turn crock-pot to high. I added the spinach, pasta, parmesan and 1 cup of the mozzarella and I mixed it all up really well. Then I added the last 1/2 cup of mozzarella to melt on the top.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you get a chance to make this because it is delicious!!  Let me know how you like it!!

Happy Cooking,

Lori

 

Awesome Meatloaf

Ok…so I have been MIA lately between my daughter having strep throat a few weeks ago and me having 2 teeth pulled within a couple of weeks, I didn’t even feel like eating, so why cook?? But now that we are all back to normal, it’s time to get cooking again. We’ve been eating out or eating fast food or meals that I’ve already posted on here so now it’s time for some new recipes.

Tonight, I made an oldie but goodie…Meatloaf!!

It was super yummy and I think it was because this time I mixed in some ground pork with the ground beef and it was delicious!!

Recipe adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

Meatloaf

 

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup milk

2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs or 2 cups soft bread crumbs

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried leaf sage, basil, or oregano, crushed

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 pound ground pork

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

 

Directions

 

1.   In a medium bowl combine eggs and milk; stir in bread crumbs, onion, parsley, salt, sage, and pepper. Add ground meat; mix well. Lightly pat mixture into an 8x4x2-inch loaf pan.

 

2.   Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until internal temperature registers 160 degrees F. Spoon off fat. In a bowl combine ketchup, sugar, and mustard; spread over meat. Bake for 10 minutes more. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into eight slices.

 

3.   Makes 8 servings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was delicious and everyone loved it….except for Cheyenne.  She was in a mood tonight and wouldn’t even try it even though last time I made meatloaf, she loved it!!  I also fixed her favorite, carrots and mashed potatoes with it so she had carrots and mashed potatoes for dinner…..and no dessert!  Haha….

I’ve always made meatloaf with just ground beef before and have seen recipes and heard people talk about using turkey, pork and/or veal mixed with the beef.  I decided to try pork and it was so delicious and I think I will make it this way from now on!!

Let me know if you get a chance to try this!!

Happy Cooking!!

Lori

 

Crack Potatoes

I made the best potatoes last night and ate way too much!!  I found this recipe at Plain Chicken and had to try it.  They are absolutely delicious and next time I will have to half it or maybe even divide it into thirds and freeze the others for later.  It makes a lot and for just the 4 of us (although Cheyenne didn’t eat any) it was way too much.  I even had a plate of it for lunch today.

 

Crack Potatoes or Loaded Potato Casserole

2 (16oz) containers sour cream

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

2 (3oz) bags real bacon bits

2 packages Ranch Dip mix

1 large (28 – 30oz) bag frozen hash brown potatoes – shredded kind

 

Honey Roasted Red Potatoes

I love red potatoes and I love them roasted in the oven and I am constantly looking for new flavors to make them.  I tried these Honey Roasted Red Potatoes tonight and they were amazing!!
Recipe adapted from My Tasty Treasures

 

 

Honey Roasted Red Potatoes

1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 tablespoons finely chopped onion
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons dry mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Place potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet and top with onion. In a small bowl, combine butter, honey, mustard, salt and pepper; drizzle over potatoes. Mix thoroughly to coat all of the potatoes. Place back in a single layer.

Bake for 40 minutes or until tender, stirring a couple of times during cooking. Stir one more time and turn on broiler and place under broiler for about 2-3 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These were so yummy and went perfectly with the Glazed Pork Chops.

Let me know if you get a chance to make these and how much you love them!!

Happy Cooking,
Lori

 

Glazed Pork Chops

I made a delicious dinner tonight and it was devoured by everyone!  I love pork chops and I’m always looking for different ways to fix it.  Tonight I made Glazed Pork Chops adapted from a recipe I found via Pinterest from Budget Bytes.

This had such good flavor and I adapted the recipe and made it a little different and it was amazing!  I will definitely be making it again.

Here’s how I made it:

Glazed Pork Chops

4 pork chops (I used regular, not thick cut)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Additional brown sugar

In a bowl, combine brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Take pork chops out of package and rub the brown sugar mixture all over both sides of each pork chop. Make sure you use all of the mixture.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot (it will look wavy in the pan) add your pork chops. Cook the pork chops for about 5 minutes on each side.

Add some brown sugar to each side and cook for about 4 or 5 more minutes per side or until cooked through.

I really love brown sugar, so I added a handful of brown sugar each time I flipped it and they were amazing.

Place on a serving platter and pour/spoon glaze from skillet over the chops.

These had such good flavor and everyone loved them. I made some yummy coleslaw and Honey Roasted Red Potatoes to go with this and it was a delicious meal!

Let me know if you have a chance to make this and how you like it!!

Happy Cooking,
Lori

 

Maple Glazed Baby Carrots

I made these the other night with the Crockpot Italian Chicken and they were delicious!

I love carrots and these had such great flavor, there wasn’t any left over.

 

 

Maple Glazed Baby Carrots

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. Butter

3 Tbsp.Brown Sugar, packed (Light or Dark)

1 Tbsp.Maple Syrup

1 pound Baby Carrots (or whole carrots chopped into chunks)

Directions:

In a medium skillet, heat the butter, sugar, and maple syrup over medium heat, stirring until smooth and the butter is melted.

Add the carrots and toss to coat. Cover and reduce the heat to low.

Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender and glazed.

I had to cook mine a little longer, because I turned my burner too low on the stove.  Once I turned it back up to medium instead of simmer, they finally started to soften and I could have cooked them a little longer to soften a little more, but the rest of the meal was ready and they had softened up quite a bit.

Here’s the delicious dinner we had….

Let me know if you get a chance to make these and how you like them!!

Happy Cooking,

Lori

 

Crockpot Italian Chicken

I know…I haven’t posted in a while.  We’ve eaten out a few nights and some of the meals I have made, I haven’t been all that impressed with.

But the other night, I fixed a very tasty meal!  I made Crockpot Italian Chicken and it was so yummy and everyone ate it up, even Cheyenne!

So without further ado, here is Crockpot Italian Chicken…

Crockpot Italian Chicken

Recipe from: Chef in Training

2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (thawed or frozen will work too.  I used frozen chicken cutlets & they turned out perfect!)

1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 pkg. Italian dressing mix

rice or pasta

Place the chicken in the crockpot.

Mix softened cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, and Italian dressing mix together and pour evenly over the chicken.

Cook on high 4-6 hours or until chicken is fully cooked and tender.  I had to turn mine down to low after about 3 1/2 hours because it started bubbling and boiling.

Serve over rice or pasta!

I served peas and Maple Glazed Baby Carrots with this and it was delicious!!

This was so good and the flavor is amazing.  I was so preoccupied with the Maple Glazed Carrots I was making that I forgot to make the rice. This was so delicious, I bet it would taste even better with the rice, but it was still delicious!!  Even Cheyenne loved it and said “This is good chicken, Mommy!”  It just warms my heart when she likes what I fix, eats it and especially when she tells me how good it is!

Let me know if you get a chance to make this and let me know how you like it!

 

Oma’s Sour Cream Chicken

I haven’t posted the last couple of days’ recipes due to a sever sinus headache/migraine yesterday.  Needless to say, I didn’t cook anything last night.  I was able to get a little quiet time to myself last night, because my parents went out to dinner and took Cheyenne with them.  So I was able to lay down in a quiet room for about an hour and just rest.  They brought me some dinner back and I managed to eat it slowly but surely between waves of nausea.

So today, I am feeling better and can finally post what I’ve fixed the last few nights.

I made a yummy meal the other night that everyone loved!  Even Cheyenne ate quite a bit and loved it!  I love hearing “Mommy you make good chicken!”  or whatever we’re eating when she eats the meals I fix.

So here it is….this recipe is from Making Life Delicious

Oma’s Sour Cream Chicken

• 2 pounds chicken breasts or tenders (Oma prefers breasts)
• 1 1/2 cups of Pepperidge Farm Herbed Stuffing, the crumbles not the cubes (Oma accepts no substitutes)
• 1 cup (approximately) of full fat sour cream
• kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper
• garlic powder
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  This is classic Oma in that it is less about the recipe and more about the process.  Lay the chicken close together on a foil lined baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Coat with a thick layer of sour cream.

Top that with the seasoned Pepperidge Farm breadcrumbs and then dot with the butter.

Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 35 minutes for chicken tenders or up to an hour for chicken breasts.

Its ready when the chicken is cooked through and the breadcrumbs are nicely browned.

I used tenderloins because I didn’t have any breasts when I went to take some chicken out to thaw.  It was really good and I think I’ll use breasts next time and see how that turns out.

I made baked potatoes and okra to go along with this delicious chicken and I will definitely be making this again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let me know if you get a chance to make this and how your family likes it!

Happy Cooking,

Lori

 

Baked Chicken, Broccoli and Rice

I made another good dinner tonight that everyone seemed to like.  Again, I found it on Pinterest, and it came from Recipe.com.

I love chicken and rice and have made several different recipes over the years and thought I’d try this one.  It was so quick and easy to make and only took about 5 minutes or less to put together.  It was pretty yummy and the rice really had good flavor due to the cream of broccoli soup.

Baked Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Cream of Broccoli soup

1 cup water

3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)

Paprika

Stir the soup, water, rice and black pepper in a 2 quart shallow baking dish.  Top with the chicken.  Sprinkle chicken with paprika.  Cover the dish.

Bake at 375* for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.

Here is my yummy dinner!!

Let me know if you get a chance to make this and how you like it!!

Happy Cooking,

Lori