BLT Pasta Salad

BLT PASTA SALAD

Ingredients

• 12 ounce corkscrew shaped pasta
• 1/2 cup milk
• 12 ounces lean bacon
• 3 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise  
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 4 tablespoons chopped chives
• 5 heads Bibb lettuce, quartered, or 5 cups chopped romaine hearts

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water as the label directs. Drain and toss with the milk in a large bowl; set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Discard all but 3 tablespoons drippings from the pan. Add the tomatoes, thyme and garlic to the pan and toss until warmed through; season with salt and pepper.  Crumble the bacon into bite-size pieces; set aside 1/4 cup for garnish. Toss the remaining bacon and the tomato mixture with the pasta.

Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream and 3 tablespoons chives with the pasta until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lettuce; toss again to coat. Garnish with the reserved bacon and the remaining 1 tablespoon chives. Serve at room temperature.  

Blackberry Cobbler

 

Blackberry Cobbler

Ingredients

• 6 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon grated lime peel
• 
  SOUR CREAM PASTRY:
• 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 7 tablespoons cold butter, divided
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

• Place the blackberries in a large bowl. Combine the sugar, cornstarch and lime peel; sprinkle over berries and gently toss to coat. Pour into a greased 9-in. square baking dish.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda; cut in 5 tablespoons butter until crumbly. Combine sour cream and heavy cream; gradually add to crumb mixture, tossing with a fork until mixture forms a ball.
• Roll out to fit top of baking dish; place pastry over filling. Trim and seal edges; cut slits in top. Melt remaining butter; brush over pastry. Sprinkle with remaining sugar.

Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 30 minutes. Cover and bake 15-20 minutes longer or until filling is bubbly and crust is golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Berry Cheesecake Pie

 

Berry Cheesecake Pie

Ingredients

• 8 sheets phyllo dough (14 inches x 9 inches)
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup strawberry jelly
• 1 cup whipped topping
• Sliced fresh strawberries and additional blueberries, optional

Directions

• Place one phyllo sheet in a greased 9-in. pie plate; brush with butter. Repeat seven times; trim edges. (Keep remaining phyllo covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.)
• Bake at 425° for 6-8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned (center will puff up). Cool on a wire rack.
• For filling, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Fold in blueberries. Spoon into crust.
• Bake at 350° for 10 minutes; cover edges with foil to prevent over browning. Bake 23-27 minutes longer or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate until chilled.

In a small bowl, beat jelly until smooth; spread over filling. Spread with whipped topping. Garnish with strawberries and additional blueberries if desired.

Baked Oatmeal

 

Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients

• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• Additional milk

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the oats, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, combine the milk, butter and eggs. Stir into oat mixture until blended.

Spoon into a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until set. Serve warm with milk.

Bacon Corn Chowder

Bacon Corn Chowder

Ingredients

• 8 ounces bacon, chopped
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 12 cups chicken stock
• 6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)
• 10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1/2 pound sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

Directions

In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.

White Chocolate Key Lime Calypso Bars

White Chocolate Key Lime Calypso Bars

INGREDIENTS

1 roll (16.5 oz)  refrigerated sugar cookies

1 cup chopped shelled pistachio nuts

1 cup coconut

1 1/2 cups white baking chips

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

1/2 cup Key lime juice, fresh lime juice or thawed frozen limeade concentrate

3 egg yolks

1 teaspoon Vegetable Oil

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9-inch pan. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Stir or knead in pistachio nuts and coconut until well blended. With floured fingers, press dough mixture evenly in bottom of pan to form crust. Sprinkle 1 cup of the white baking chips over dough; press lightly into dough.

Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until light golden brown. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat condensed milk, lime juice and egg yolks until well blended. Pour milk mixture evenly over crust.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until filling is set.

In small microwavable bowl, place remaining 1/2 cup white baking chips and the oil. Microwave on High 45 seconds. Stir until smooth; if necessary, microwave 15 seconds longer. Drizzle over warm bars. Cool 1 hour. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 6 rows. Cover and refrigerate any remaining bars

Strawberry Cobbler

 

Strawberry Cobbler

Ingredients

• 2 cans (21 ounces each) strawberry pie filling or fruit filling of your choice
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 package (3 ounces) Cream Cheese, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 packages (9 ounces each) yellow cake mix

Directions

• Pour pie filling into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 5-7 minutes or until heated through.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla.
• Place cake mixes in a large bowl; cut in cream cheese mixture until crumbly. Sprinkle over hot filling. Bake 25-30 minutes longer or until topping is golden brown.