Succulent Soups and Spooky Treats

October is here and we are dedicating the month to succulent soups and spooky treats! The whole month we will be posting yummy warm soup recipes for those cool autumn temperatures. Plus some fun spooky treats to make for your little trick or treaters! We hope you all enjoy them and test them out! Let us know what you think in the process!

Mummies

What You Need!
Twinkies
Stiff Frosting
Mini M&M's
Pastry Bags for Icing or other Icing tools

Make It!
Unwrap Twinkie cakes; and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place the frosting into the pastry bag; pipe the frosting to look like mummy wrappings to cover each Twinkie cake. Place the M&M mini candies on the cakes for eyes. Pipe around the eyes for a more realistic look

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

What You Need!
1 lb. baking potatoes (about 2), cubed
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup milk
3 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, crumbled and divided
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
1 green onion sliced, divided
1/4 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream

Make It!
MICROWAVE potatoes in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 5 min., stirring after 2-1/2 min. Stir in broth and milk. Microwave 10 min., stirring after 5 min. Carefully crush potatoes with potato masher.
RESERVE 2 Tbsp. each bacon and cheese and 1 Tbsp. onions for topping. Stir remaining bacon, cheese and onions into soup.
SERVE topped with reserved bacon, cheese, onions and sour cream.

Bacon, Cheese, and Potato Chowder

What You Need!
3 cups fat-free milk
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of potato soup
2 cups frozen Southern-style hash browns
1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, crumbled
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Make It!
MIX milk and soup in large saucepan. Stir in hash browns. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring occasionally; simmer on medium-low 10 min., stirring frequently.
SERVE topped with cheese, bacon and onions.

Football Fun

What You Need
6 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups cocoa sweetened rice cereal
White decorating gel

Make It
MICROWAVE chocolate, corn syrup and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2-1/2 min., stirring after 1-1/2 min. Blend in vanilla.
ADD cereal; mix well. Cool 10 min. Shape into 18 (3-inch-long) football shapes with lightly moistened hands. Place on large sheet of wax paper; cool completely.
USE decorating gel to add "lacings" to "footballs." Let stand until gel is firm.

Parmasean Meatballs

What You Need
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 egg
1 clove garlic, minced

Make It
PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Mix meat, cheese, parsley, egg and garlic. Shape into 12 meatballs.
PLACE in foil-lined 15x10x1-inch baking pan.
BAKE 25 min. or until cooked through

Mini Cheese Dog Wraps

What You Need!
1 pkg. (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
4 OSCAR MAYER Beef Franks
4 KRAFT Singles

Make It!
HEAT oven to 375°F. Unroll crescent roll dough; separate into triangles. Cut each triangle lengthwise in half. (You will have a total of 16 triangles.)
CUT franks lengthwise in half, then cut each piece crosswise in half. (You will have 16 pieces.) Cut each Singles into 4 strips. Place 1 frank piece and 1 Singles strip at short side of each dough triangle; roll up. Place, seam-sides down, on ungreased baking sheet.
BAKE 10 to 13 min. or until golden brown.

Dip In It's Game Time!

Okay football season is here, and so are the game time parties! Here are three dips you'll love and so will the guests!!! Dip in!

Cheesy Chips and Salsa

1 8oz. cream cheese

1 bottle of salsa (any type)

Directions:

Where you expecting more? Well all you do is soften the cream cheese to room temp. and pour the salsa on top! Get your favorite tortilla chips and enjoy!

7 Layers of Goodness

7 Layer Mexican Dip

1 pkg. taco mix

1 medium can refried beans

1 can sliced olives

1 16oz. sour cream

2 cups shredded cheese

2 large avocados, smashed and smoothed (or use pre-made guacamole)

3 tomatoes diced (optional)

Directions:

In a 9X13 inch baking dish, spread refried beans along the bottom evenly. Then sprinkle on taco mix. Spread avocados on top of that followed by the olives, tomatoes and cheese. Then spread the sour cream over the top! Enjoy with tortilla chips :)

My All Time Favorite Dip (Kattrina)

Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 package Cream Cheese

1 14 oz. can Artichoke Hearts (drained and chopped)

1/2 c. spinach, drained and chopped

1/4 c. mayonnaise

1/4 c. parmesan cheese

1/4 c. ramono cheese (or use all parmesan)

1 clove garlic finely minced

1 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 c. mozzarella cheese (reserve for the top)

Directions:

Allow cream cheese to come to room temp. Cream together mayo, parmesan, ramono, garlic and salt. Mix well. Add the artichoke hearts and spinach and mix until blended. Spray a pie tin with PAM and pour in dip and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until top is browned. Serve with chips, crackers, or my favorite thinly slice bruschetta!

Taco Salad

Taco Salad - recipe from Emily Beatley (Mary's sister)

1lb Ground Turkey Breast
1pkg. Low Sodium Taco Seasoning

1 Head of Green Leaf Lettuce (Large)
2 Fresh Diced Tomatoes
1 Fresh Diced Avacado
1 Jar of Salsa
1-2 Cups of Shredded Cheese
3-4 Tbsp. Sour Cream
1 Small Can of Sliced Olives
1 Bag of Tostitos Hint of Lime Tortilla Chips (Any Tortilla Chip Brand Will Do)
Your Favorite Dressing (We Prefer Ranch & Catalina)

Brown turkey breast. Add taco seasoning and follow the directions on package.

While meat is browning...prep lettuce, tomatoes, and avacado. When meat is finished, assemble salad with any or all of the toppings listed above. Break up tortilla chips over your salad and top with your favorite dressing.

Chicken Stew

Giada De Laurentis' Chicken Stew

I found this one on the Food Network Website under the easy recipes and I have to say it was pretty easy. Since it is summer and pretty hot, save this one for a rainy day. It is some yummy comfort food. She called for uncooked chicken breasts with the ribs but I used left overs from a rotisserie chicken and it turned out just fine.


Ingredients:

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 stalks celery, cut into bite-size pieces
* 1 carrot, peeled, cut into bite-size pieces
* 1 small onion, chopped
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
* 1 (14-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth
* 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
* 1 tablespoon tomato paste
* 1 bay leaf
* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
* 2 chicken breast with ribs (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
* 1 (15-ounce) can organic kidney beans, drained (rinsed if not organic)
* Serving suggestion: crusty bread

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy 5 1/2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery, carrot, and onion. Saute the vegetables until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, basil, tomato paste, bay leaf, and thyme. Add the chicken breasts; press to submerge.

Bring the cooking liquid to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently uncovered until the chicken is almost cooked through, turning the chicken breasts over and stirring the mixture occasionally, about 25 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken breasts to a work surface and cool for 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Add the kidney beans to the pot and simmer until the liquid has reduced into a stew consistency, about 10 minutes.

Discard the skin and bones from the chicken breasts. Shred or cut the chicken into bite- size pieces. Return the chicken meat to the stew. Bring the stew just to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the stew into serving bowls and serve with the bread.

Ranch Parmesan Chicken

I found this recipe on Simplify Supper. Not all of the recipes I have tried from there have been winners but this was really easy and super tasty!



Ranch Parmesan Chicken

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package dried ranch dressing mix
1 cup Parmesan, grated
2 cups corn flakes, crushed
3 tablespoon butter, melted

Combine corn flakes, Parmesan and ranch dressing. Dip each breast in butter then roll in corn flake mixture. Place in bottom of shallow baking dish and bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes.

Summer Slush

Summer Slush

1 12 oz. can limeade (frozen concentrate)

12 cups water

5 cups sugar

3-4 2 liter bottles of sprite or 7Up

Mix limeade, water and sugar together and freeze. An hour before serving, remove from freezer to soften (not melt). Break up and pour in soda! So yummy and perfect for Showers, Parties, or anytime in between!

Holt Family Favorite

Crock Pot Chicken

4 frozen chicken breasts

1 envelop Good Seasons italian dry dressing mix

1 8oz. cream cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

Cooked Rice

Put raw chicken in crock pot. Sprinkle with dressing mix. Cook on high for 4-5 hours (don't add water). Shred chicken; then return to crock pot. Add cream cheese and soup; warm. Serve over rice.

Swiss Cheese Chicken

Swiss Cheese Chicken

8-9 Chicken Breasts

Sliced swiss cheese (enough to cover each piece of chicken)

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1/2 c. sour cream

2 c. ritz crackers crushed (about 1 1/2 bags)

1/2 c. butter

Place chicken breasts in a 9X13-inch pan. Place cheese over each chicken breast. Mix soup and sour cream and pour over the chicken and cheese. Now sprinkle the cracker crumbs over the top. Melt your butter and drizzle over the cracker crumbs. Bake uncovered at 275 degrees for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Pumpkin Bars {thanks Alison}

Pumpkin Bars

4 eggs beaten

1 2/3 cups sugar

1 cup oil

1-1lb. 13 oz. can solid pack pumpkin

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

Mix and spread in an un-greased 10x15 inch pan.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Frosting

3 oz. cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 tsp vanilla

Beat until creamy. Spread on pumpkin bars. Cut and enjoy!

Grab some BBQ sauce!!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

2/3 c. BBQ sauce
1/2 lb. of diced cooked chicken breast (I used a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket to save time and plus they have good flavor)
1 bag shredded cheese- the pizza specific kind tastes the best
1/2 a medium red onion sliced
1 package refrigerated pizza dough

Directions:
Toss diced chicken with 2 Tbsp. of BBQ sauce and set aside. Shape dough to fill the sheet pan, about a 15 by 10-inch rectangle. Spread remaining barbecue sauce evenly over pizza dough. Sprinkle cheese, onions, and chicken over top. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese bubbles.

BBQ Cups

1 ground beef, lean
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1 can refrigerator biscuits
.75 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Brown meat, drain. Add the BBQ sauce and set aside. Place biscuits in ungreased muffin cups, pressing dough up sides of cup. Spoon meat mixture into cups and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 400 for about 12 minutes. If you like a clean oven, put a pan underneath just in case they spill over a bit while baking.

Yummy Truffles

Truffles

1 package of oreos (any kind, but mint is fablulous!)

1 8oz. cream cheese

Smash up the oreos and mix with the cream cheese. Roll into balls and then freeze. Once frozen dip in melted bakers chocolate. For a professional look squiggle with chocolate of an alternating color. (if you want to use double stuffed oreos cut cream cheese to 6 ounces)

Enchilada Soup

Enchilada Soup

1 large can enchilada sauce (rosarita is my fave)

2 cups cooked chicken (shredded or cubed)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can chicken broth

1 can beef broth

1 small can chopped olives

1 onion chopped

1 green chili pepper chopped (fine)

2 cups shredded cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

How to make:

In a large pot combine enchilada sauce, soups, chicken, olives, onion, chili pepper and bring to a boil (stirring regularly). Lower heat and add sour cream and cheese immediately, stir to make sure it all melts and blends.

You can add and subtract just about anything but the soups, and enchilada sauce to your preference. You can add things like corn, black beans....etc. If you would like to thicken it up at boiling add a little instant potato in and stir.

Serve with crushed tortilla chips and enjoy!!!! It is one of my favorites!

Easy Beef Sandwiches

Beef Sandwiches

1 roast (any kind)
1 packet italian salad dressing
1 packet au jus gravy
1 can beef consumme

*Put roast in crock pot with all ingredients and cook all day on low. Shred and serve on hoagie buns! It's yummy, fast, and easy!

Patriotic Fun

The Fourth of July is on its way, and for every holiday I love having fun foods to create for the kiddos!!!! These are two they love, that I have picked up since being a Mom! Hope you enjoy them too!!!
Patriotic Pops

1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Cherry Flavor Gelatin
1 cup sugar, divided
2 cups boiling water, divided
ice cubes
2 cups cold water, divided
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Berry Blue Flavor Gelatin 1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

COMBINE dry cherry gelatin mix and 1/2 cup of the sugar in medium bowl. Add 1 cup of the boiling water; stir at least 2 min. until gelatin is completely dissolved. Add enough ice cubes to 1 cup of the cold water to measure 2 cups. Add to gelatin; stir until ice is completely melted. Pour evenly into 16 (5-oz.) paper or plastic cups, adding about 1/4 cup of the gelatin to each cup. Freeze 1 hour.
MEANWHILE, combine dry blue gelatin mix and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in medium bowl. Add remaining 1 cup boiling water; stir at least 2 min. until gelatin is completely dissolved. Add enough ice cubes to remaining 1 cup cold water to measure 2 cups. Add to gelatin; stir until ice is completely melted. Refrigerate 1 hour.
SPOON about 3 Tbsp. of the whipped topping over red gelatin in each cup; top evenly with blue gelatin, adding about 1/4 cup of the gelatin to each cup. Freeze 1 hour or until almost firm. Insert wooden pop stick or plastic spoon into center of each cup for handle. Freeze an additional 4 hours or overnight. To remove pops from cups, place bottoms of cups under warm running water for 15 sec. Press firmly on bottoms of cups to release pops. (Do not twist or pull pop sticks.) Store leftover pops in freezer.

Firecracker Cupcakes

1-1/2 cups BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut, divided
4 drops each: blue and red food colorings
24 yellow cupcakes
2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
24 red string licorice pieces (4 inch)

PLACE 1/2 cup of the coconut in each of two separate resealable plastic bags; set remaining 1/2 cup coconut aside. Add blue food coloring to coconut in one bag and red food coloring to coconut in second bag. Seal bags; shake until coconut is evenly tinted.
SPREAD tops of cupcakes with whipped topping. Sprinkle with red, white (uncolored) and blue coconut as desired; press coconut gently into whipped topping to secure.
INSERT licorice piece into top of each cupcake for the firecracker's fuse. Store in refrigerator.

Toss It Up

I don't know about you, but during the summer months I enjoy eating things a bit on the lighter side! Don't get me wrong, I love a good hearty meal; but the heat leaves me less eager to eat one. So I've decided to share a recipe this week that can be used as lunch, dinner, or any time you need a great pasta salad for a party!!!

Chicken Pasta Salad

12-16oz. cooked linguine

1lb. chicken cooked and cubed

1 1/2c. chopped walnuts or pecans

14oz. can marinated artichoke hearts (chopped)

1 small can asparagus spears cut (or use fresh)

1/4c. Parmesan cheese

1/4c. basil

*Toss ingredients with 1 cup Bernstein's Italian dressing and 1/4 cup olive oil!!!

*Another great thing is you can eat it warm or cold, just Toss It Up!!!

Cheese Steaks and Cheesecake

For our first post, we thought we would share some favorite family recipes. We hope you'll send us some of your favorites as well. We are eagerly trying new recipes and looking for ones we can share.

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches

This is a recipe I found from Bobby Flay on the Food Network. I tweaked it a little to fit our budget and my cooking skills.

Ingredients:
* 1 lb or more of thinly sliced steak (Bobby called for the good stuff- strip loin steak, but I just use the affordable kind and slice it really thin.)
* Olive oil
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* Soft hoagie rolls, split 3/4 open
* Provolone Cheese
* Caramelized Onions, recipe follows
* Sauteed Peppers, recipe follows


Directions

Place steak in freezer for 30 to 45 minutes; this makes it easier to slice the meat. Remove the meat from the freezer and slice very thinly.

Heat griddle or grill pan over high heat. Brush steak slices with oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 45 to 60 seconds per side.

Place several slices of the meat on the bottom half of the roll, place cheese on the meat, and top with the onions, and peppers.

Caramelized Onions:
1 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1-2 large onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook slowly until golden brown and caramelized, stirring occasionally, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.


Sauteed Peppers:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 bag frozen cut pepper strips (These are located in the frozen veggie section of most supermarkets. You can use fresh peppers but I thought it was easier to use these. We use the leftover peppers for fajitas later in the week.)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in medium saute pan over high heat. Add the peppers and cook until soft. Season with salt and pepper.

Mini Cheesecakes

Ingredients:

2- 8oz.cream cheeses

3/4 c. sugar

2- eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. lemon juice

Beat all ingredients until light and fluffy.

Take 24 vanilla wafers- place one in each cupcake wrapper and place in a muffin tin.

Then spoon cream cheese mixture on top of vanilla wafers.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes

*Serve with pie filling on top of each (any kind)---- My favorite is cut up strawberries mixed with strawberry glaze.

You can cut the recipe in half if you only wish to make 12!