Christmas Crack (Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich No-Bake Cookies)

1 box (15.1oz) Ritz crackers
3 bags (11.5oz each) semi-sweet chocolate chips
peanut butter (how much you need will depend on how much you like!)

1. Make sandwiches using a dab of peanut butter sandwiched between two crackers. Make sandwiches until all of the crackers have been used.

2. Empty one bag of chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on 70% for 75 seconds. Microwave in additional increments of 15-20 seconds until chocolate is melted. Stir until smooth.

3. Carefully drop each sandwich into the melted chocolate, turning with a fork until it is fully coated. Remove from chocolate using a fork and place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Repeat until all the melted chocolate has been used. Add more chocolate chips to the bowl; melt, and continue coating sandwiches until all sandwiches and chocolate chips have been used.

4. Set cookie sheets aside for the chocolate to set; decorative sprinkles or a white chocolate drizzle may be added at this point, if you wish. (They may be placed in the refrigerator or freezer to speed the setting process.) Once chocolate has hardened, cookies may be stored in tightly closed containers with wax paper between the layers; can also be stored in the refrigerator.

Makes approximately 50-60 cookies.

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Shortbread Bites

1.25 cups all purpose flour
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup butter (no substitutions), cold, cut into pieces
1.5 tbsp red and green nonpareils or sprinkles

1. Preheat oven to 325 with baking rack in top third of oven.

2. In a food processor with knife blade attached, pulse flour and sugar until combined. Add butter and pulse until dough begins to come together. Place dough in a medium bowl. Gently knead in nonpareils or sprinkles until evenly blended and dough forms a ball.

3. On lightly floured wax paper, pat dough into 8x5" rectangle; freeze 15 minutes. Cut dough into 1/2" squares. Place squares 1/2" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake cookies 18-23 minutes, rotating once, or until lightly browned on the bottom and just beginning to get a hint of light brown on top. Transfer cookies to wax paper-lined wire rack to cool. Store cookies in tightly covered container at room temperature for up to one week or in freezer up to 3 months.

Makes approximately 100 pieces.

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Sugar Cookies

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup cream cheese
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly grease two baking sheets, or line with parchment.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract, and the egg; scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.

4. Add the flour mixture, and mix at low to medium speed until the mixture is evenly moistened.

5. Scoop the dough by tablespoonfuls. Place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2" between them. Using a flat-bottomed glass, flatten the cookies to about 1/4" thick.

6. Bake for 10-12 minutes — 10 minutes for softer cookies, 12 minutes for crunchier. The edges of the cookies will just barely begin to brown.

7. Remove from the oven and cool on the pan for 5 minutes, before transferring to a rack to finish cooling completely.

Makes 6 dozen 2-inch cookies.

Note:
For rollout cookies, make the dough with 3 1/2 cups flour; place the dough in a plastic bag, flatten it into a disk, and chill for 1 hour before rolling it out and cutting. Bake the cookies for 8 minutes, until golden brown at the edges.

(adapted from King Arthur Flour)

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Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

1 pie crust
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup carrot, finely chopped
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/3 lb fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into uniform bite-sized pieces
2 cups leftover turkey, light and dark, diced
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup flour
2 cups turkey or chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
fresh or dried thyme
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400. Put potatoes and green beans in a pot of water. Boil, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Cover and boil an additional 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. Melt butter in a large skillet. Add carrots, onion and celery. Cook until translucent, a couple of minutes. Add turkey and stir. Sprinkle flour over mixture. Cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Pour in broth, stirring constantly. Add cream, continuing to stir. Add peas, potatoes and green beans. Bring to a slow boil, and allow mixture to cook and thicken for several minutes. Add salt, pepper and thyme to taste. (Do NOT underseason!)

4. Pour into a casserole dish or deep pie dish. Roll out crust so that it is one inch larger than the dish. Place crust on top of pot pie mixture, pressing crust into sides of dish. Cut vents into top of crust.

5. Place in oven on baking pan to catch any drips. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Allow to cool for a bit before serving.

Serves 4-6.

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Classic Pumpkin Pie

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1-3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp salt
1 can (12oz) evaporated milk
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
1 (15oz) can pumpkin (*not* pumpkin pie filling)
cooking spray
1/2 (15oz) pkg refrigerated pie crust

1. Position oven rack to lowest position. Preheat oven to 425. Remove crust from refrigerator to bring to room temperature (15 minutes).

2. To prepare filling, combine first six ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add pumpkin; stir with whisk until smooth.

3. Unroll crust. Roll out to 11". Spray pie dish with cooking spray. Fit crust into plate. Tuck edges under and flute.

4. Pour pumpkin filling into crust. Place plate on a cooking sheet. Place cooking sheet on lowest rack in oven. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 (do not remove pie from oven); bake an additional 50 minutes or until filling is almost set. Cool completely on wire rack before serving.

Serves 6-8.

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Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans

1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
5 strips bacon
5 tbsp butter, divided
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 clove garlic, pressed or finely chopped
1/8 tsp soy sauce

1. Preheat oven to 400. Put green beans in a large pot of water. Boil, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Cover and continue to boil for an additional 10 minutes, until tender.

2. Meanwhile, fry bacon in a skillet over medium-low heat. You want the bacon to cook "soft;" do not "crisp" the bacon. Set aside on paper towels to cool and reduce grease. Cut bacon strips into halves when cool.

3. Drain beans and return to put. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to melt over beans.

4. In a 13x9" baking dish, lay on bacon half. Place 6-7 beans on the piece of bacon, then wrap the bacon around the beans and secure with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining bacon pieces and beans.

5. Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan. Add brown sugar, garlic and soy sauce, whisking continuously, over medium-high heat. Once completely blended, brush over bean bundles with a basting brush until mixture is completely gone.

6. Bake in oven 10-15 minutes, until bacon begins to brown.

Serves 6-8.

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Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

1 pkg (6oz) Stove Top Stuffing for Chicken
1 can (10.5oz) cream of chicken soup
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 cups small fresh broccoli florets
12 slices thin-sliced deli ham, chopped
8 slices Swiss cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Prepare stuffing according to package directions.

3. Mix soup and mustard in a small bowl. Spray a 3qt casserole dish with cooking spray. Mix chicken, broccoli, ham and soup mixture in casserole dish, stirring well. Spread out into an even layer; top with cheese and then stuffing.

4. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil. Return to oven an additional 5-10 minutes, until heated through and stuffing just begins to brown.

Serves 6.

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Stuffed Peppers

1 (3.5oz) bag boil-in-bag long-grain rice
4 medium red, yellow or orange bell peppers
3/4 lb ground sirloin or ground Italian sausage
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground allspice
2.5 cups bottled tomato-and-basil pasta sauce, divided
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup dry red wine
Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 450.

2. Cook rice according to package directions, omitting any salt and fat. Set aside.

3. While rice cooks, cut tops off bell peppers. Discard seeds and membranes. Place peppers, cut sides down, in an 8" square baking dish; cover with plastic wrap. Microwave at high 2 minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender. Set aside to cool.

4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add meat and the next 5 ingredients (beef/sausage
through allspice); cook 4 minutes or until meat is lightly browned, stirring to crumble. Remove from heat.

5. Add rice, 1/2 cup pasta sauce, and cheese to meat mixture, stirring to combine.

6. While meat cooks, combine 2 cups pasta sauce and wine in a small saucepan; bring to a boil.

7. Spoon about 3/4 cup meat mixture into each pepper. Place peppers in a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray; add wine mixture to pan. Cover with foil.

8. Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake an additional 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve peppers with sauce.

Serves 4.

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Baked Summer Squash

1.5-2 lb summer squash (such as zucchini, pattypan squash, yellow crookneck squash)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs such as basil, thyme, parsley and oregano

1. Preheat oven to 350. Remove stem ends and slice squash cross-wise in 1/4"-thick rounds. Toss with olive oil.

2. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, salt and pepper. Arrange half the squash rounds in bottom of a 9" by 12" rectangular baking dish, or similar. Sprinkle with half the bread crumb mixture. Arrange remaining squash on top and sprinkle remaining bread crumb mixture.

3. Cover baking dish with foil and bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another five minutes.

4. Top with chopped herbs and serve.

Serves 6.

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Zesty Calzone

1 tube (13.8oz) refrigerated pizza crust
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
8 thin slices deli ham
8 thin slices hard salami
1/4 cup chopped roasted red pepper
1/4 cup chopped tomato
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella or Italian blend cheese
tomato sauce

1. Preheat oven to 425. In a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan, pat dough into a 13-in. x 8-in. rectangle. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese to within 1/2 inch of edges.

2. On half of the dough, layer the ham, salami, roasted pepper and tomato to within 1 inch of edges. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Fold dough over filling; pinch edges to seal. Cut slits in top. Brush with melted butter.

3. Bake for 20-22 minutes or golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes. Cut in half. Serve with tomato sauce for dipping.

Serves 2.

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Slow Cooker Stuffed Cabbage

12 large cabbage leaves
2 slices bacon
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup cooked rice
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1. Place cabbage leaves in boiling water for 3 minutes, until wilted somewhat; drain. Fry bacon and set aside; keep the drippings as well.

2. Combine beef, pork, egg, milk, onion, rice and seasonings; mix well. Place 1/4 cup meat mixture into cabbage leaves. Roll and put into slow cooker (fasten with toothpicks if desired).

3. Combine tomato sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce; pour over leaves. Add bacon and drippings. Cook on low 7-9 hours (or on high for 4-5 hours).

Serves 4-6.

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Sausage, Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells

1 (12oz) pkg jumbo pasta shells (about 36)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 lb bulk sweet Italian sausage
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large egg
1 (15oz) container ricotta cheese
1 (9oz) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 oz shredded mozzarella
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 (32oz) jar tomato sauce

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add pasta shells and cook according to package directions. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.

2. Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat; add onion and cook until softened. about 5 minutes. Add sausage, breaking up into smaller bits with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring frequently, until sausage is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Remove pan from heat.

3. Beat egg lightly in a large bowl; stir in ricotta, spinach, 1/2 cup of Parmesan, mozzarella, salt, pepper and the cooled sausage mixture until blended. Fill pasta shells with mixture.

4. heat oven to 350. Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce over the bottom of a 3qt baking dish. Arrange stuffed shells in dish. Spread remaining tomato sauce over pasta shells. Cover dish with foil; bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbling. Remove foil; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes longer.

Serves 8.

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Chicken Florentine Pesto Pasta

12 oz dried short pasta (bowties, penne, gemelli, etc)
4 chicken breast cutlets (1.25-1.50 lbs total)
salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow or white onion, chopped, about 1 cup
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine or stock
10 oz of fresh spinach, washed, long stems removed and chopped
black pepper
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup (or more, if desired) pesto

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the dried pasta and cook according to package directions.

2. While preparing the pasta, cook the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan and brown the chicken cutlets on both sides over medium-high heat. They don't need to be cooked all the way through, just browned. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

3. Add the chopped onion to the pan and sauté 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the onions cook, slice the chicken into strips. Put any pieces that are cooked all the way through in one pile, and put the ones that still need a little cooking in another pile.

4. When the onions are just beginning to brown, add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the white wine or stock and boil vigorously until the liquid is reduced by half.

5. Add the spinach and the undercooked pieces of chicken to the pan. Using tongs, turn them over to coat them with the juices in the pan. Continue to cook, turning and stirring often, until the spinach is wilted and the chicken cooked through, about 2 minutes.

6. Turn off the heat and add some black pepper, the pile of cooked chicken pieces and the pesto. Stir to combine. Drain the pasta put it in a large bowl. Add the cream to the saute pan and stir well to combine. Add the contents of the pan to the bowl with the pasta and mix well. Serve at once.

Serves 6.

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Tortellini Florentine Soup

1 package (9 oz) refrigerated 3-cheese tortellini
5 cups chicken broth
1 container (10 oz) refrigerated light Alfredo sauce
3-4 plum tomatoes chopped OR 1 (22oz) can chopped tomatoes, drained
5 oz fresh baby spinach
1 oz Parmesan cheese, shaved or shredded

1. Combine broth and Alfredo sauce in a large pot. Bring to a gentle boil and add tortellini.

2. After 3-4 minutes, add tomatoes. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

3. Stir in spinach. Cook for 1-2 minutes to heat through and wilt spinach. Sprinkle with cheese before serving.

Serves 4.

Notes: You can add 1 lb browned ground Italian sausage or 1.5 cups of cooked chopped chicken, if desired. Add it at the same time you put in the tortellini.

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Linguine with Clam Sauce

8 oz linguine, uncooked
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cans (6.5oz each) chopped clams, two drained, two undrained
1/2 cup diced roasted red pepper
2 tbsp fresh parsley
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook linguine according to package directions. Drain, cover and set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, stirring frequently; cook for 30 seconds. Add clams, roasted red pepper, parsley, lemon juice, oregano, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper and Parmesan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes.

3. Add sauce to pasta, tossing with tongs to coat thoroughly. Serve with additional grated Parmesan if desired.

Serves 4.

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Chicken and Dumplings

3 tbsp butter
half of a large onion, diced
5 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
5 stalks celery, cut into 1/4" pieces
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cups flour
1 can (14.5oz) low-sodium chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 2" pieces
2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup milk
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen peas

1. In a dutch oven or heavy 5-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and thyme. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add flour; cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly; season with salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken to pot, reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.

2. While the chicken is cooking, mix Bisquick and milk in a bowl. Mixture will be sticky. Set aside.

3. Once chicken has been cooking for 20 minutes, stir in peas. Raise heat to return to a simmer, then drop dumpling batter into the soup by tablespoonfuls, evenly spaced throughout the pan. (They grow while they cook, so be sure to space them out.) Reduce heat so soup maintains a simmer, cover and simmer for additional 15-20 minutes, until chicken is tender and dumplings are firm. During this final simmer, the soup and chicken may to stick to the bottom of the pot, so gently stir occasionally with a small spatula so as not to disturb the dumplings too much.

Serves 4-6.

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Mini Crab Cakes

1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
2 tbsp finely chopped scallions
3 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 lb lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus more as needed
lemon wedges

1. Mix the bell pepper, parsley, scallions, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, Worchestershire sauce, egg and black pepper in a large bowl. Add the bread crumbs and crabmeat, and toss gently to mix.

2. Divide the crab mixture into 12 equal portions (about 1/4 cup each) and shape each into a 1-inch-thick patty.

3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the crab cakes to the skillet and cook until they are golden on both sides, approximately 3 minutes per side, adding more oil as needed. Serve warm with lemon wedges.

Makes 12 crab cakes.

Notes: There is a Fire Roasted Aioli Sauce I think might complement the crab cakes very well, which I will link to once we've tried it, if my suspicion is correct.

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Chocolate M&M Cookies

3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2.25 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup M&Ms chocolate candies (plus more for decorating the tops)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease them; set aside.

2. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars with an electric mixer until well blended.

3. Beat in egg and vanilla. Scrape down sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure everything gets blended.

4. In medium bowl, stir flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt until combined.

5. Add flour mixture to butter-sugar mixture. Stir in M&Ms.

6. Place heaping tablespoonfuls of cookie dough about 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Press a few more M&Ms into the top of the mounds of cookie dough.

7. Bake 12-14 minutes for chewy cookies or 14-16 minutes for crispy cookies.

8. Remove from the oven and transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Store in tightly covered container.

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.

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