Best of the Best

This is a quick, healthy dinner with lots of vegetables! You are "supposed" to serve it over "toast points," (how 1950s does that make you feel?), but it would be great over biscuits or rice.

Toast Points

Shrimp a la King

3 tablespoons butter
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
8 oz fresh sliced mushrooms
1 small onion, diced
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk, divided
2 egg yolks
1 pound raw peeled shrimp
1 cup frozen peas
4 oz diced pimentos, drained
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons sherry
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute bell pepper, celery, mushrooms and onions for about 5 minutes. Mix the flour with 1 cup of milk. When the vegetables are soft, add the flour/milk to the pan. Using the same measuring cup, mix the egg yolks and remaining 1 cup of milk. Add to the pan and stir until thickened. Add the shrimp, peas and pimentos and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the shrimp are cooked through. Add the lemon juice, sherry, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over toast points.

2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli, cooked and drained
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated sharp cheddar
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups crushed crackers
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine broccoli, mayonnaise, cheese, soup and eggs. Mix well with a metal spoon. Place the mixture in the prepared baking dish. Top with the crushed crackers and pour the melted butter evenly over the crackers. Bake for 35 minutes or until set and browned.

~Caroline

I had this at the Pampered Chef party a week or two ago and several people wanted the recipe...


1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated swiss cheese
2 Tbl. chopped green onions
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup crushed Ritz crackers

Soften cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Add mayonaise, swiss cheese, and green onions; mix well. Transfer to a baking dish. Top with bacon and crackers. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until bubbly.

~Caroline

Well, you had to know that it wouldn't take me too long to introduce this oh so wonderful cake to Philadelphia. We spent a fun evening with two new friends--and brought this scrumptious thing along, in addition to a bowl of melon and a new recipe of baked beans . I know that most of you have the recipe already, but I'm sharing it just the same.

Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie

1 store bought oreo pie shell (or make one at home)
1/2 gallon mint chocolate chip ice cream (or your favorite kind of ice cream)
cool whip
caramel
hot fudge sauce
coursely crushed oreo cookies
Soften the ice cream slightly. Scoop it into the pie shell and pat down. Top with cool whip. Pour on caramel sauce, hot fudge sauce and oreos. There really are no measurements, because you can put as much of everything as you desire. Make it your own!



Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert

19 ice cream sandwiches
1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 jar hot fudge ice cream topping
1 cup salted peanuts or toffee bits (I used an ice cream nut topping that was a mixture of peanuts and pecans)

Cut one ice cream sandwich in half. Place one whole and one half sandwich along a short side of an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. pan. Arrange eight sandwiches in opposite direction in the pan. Spread with half of the whipped topping. Spoon fudge topping by teaspoonfuls onto whipped topping. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup peanuts. Repeat layers with remaining ice cream sandwiches, whipped topping and peanuts (pan will be full).
Cover and freeze for up to 2 months. Remove from the freezer 20 minutes before serving. Cut into squares.

This is the pasta we had at the party. Lucy and I grew up eating this dish at the Greenville Country Club after tennis lessons. It has become a family favorite! SBS


1 lb spiral pasta
6 grilled chicken cutlets (marinate overnight in Italian dressing)
1 yellow bell pepper sliced
1 red bell pepper sliced
chopped broccoli
chopped carrots (as much or as little as you like for the broccoli and carrots)
1 cup Italian dressing
1 cup Ranch dressing (I make my own Ranch from the dry packets, but bottled would be fine)

mix all ingredients and pour dressing over pasta! refrigerate.

My cousin, Ellen, came up with this sugar cookie recipe. It is the best! Make them today. Hope everyone has a great weekend. Good to see so many of you at the party last night. SBS


cookie
1 stick butter melted
1 cup sugar
1 t spoon vanilla
1 t spoon milk
1 t spoon baking powder
1 egg
2 cups self rising flour

mix first 6 ingredients then slowly add the flour
bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. do not over cook! take out of oven before they brown.

icing
1 stick butter melted
1 t spoon vanilla
1 t spoon milk
3 cups powdered sugar

if dough or icing is dry or crumbly, add a little milk if needed

enjoy!

This is a great recipe! I loved it. Husband loved it. I made some angel hair pasta with olive oil, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese to go along with it.

CHICKEN BOWTIE PASTA CASSEROLE

This is GREAT for a large group

Makes 2 9x13 casseroles
Cook assembled casserole 350o for 30 min or till bubbly.

Cook 16 oz box bowtie pasta according to directions.

Cook 4-5 chicken breasts, dice into cubes.

Saute:
1 8 oz jar sundried tomatoes (in oil) - the oil is your saute base.
8 oz fresh mushrooms sliced
5 sliced green onions
1 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS dry basil
1 TBS fresh parsley
last add cubed chicken

2 jars RAGU regular alfredo sauce ( l jar per casserole)

1 cup Parmesean cheese - fresh grated - not canned (1/2 per casserole)

Spray casserole dishes with PAM and add together - dividing between the 2 casseroles:
1. AlfredoSauce
2. Saute' mixture
3. Cooked pasta
(If it seems dry add 1/4 to 1/2 cup chicken broth left over from cooking the chicken - I do this)
4. Sprinkle top with Parmesean Cheese.
Can be made ahead and bake when ready.

rinse and drain the following 4 ingredients:
1 can of black eyed peas
1 can of unseasoned black beans
1 can of field peas
1 can of mexicorn
1 can of rotel, undrained
1/2 red, yellow and green peppers chopped
1/2 yellow onion chopped
1 Tbl. cumin
1/2 cup vinegar
salt to taste

chill and serve with chips

I posted this exact same post on my own blog, but since it was recipes I thought it was appropriate to put it on this one too! Caroline, what a cute idea. SBS

Pillsbury Crust (found by cookie dough in the grocery store)
olive oil
1/2 onion sliced
marinara sauce
tomatoes
spinach
Italian cheese blend
Parmesan cheese
Goat cheese

Saute onions in olive oil until brown/caramelized.


For a crispy crust, bake the crust BY ITSELF on cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 9 minutes, then remove from oven, add toppings...spread marinara sauce on crust, then add onions, tomatoes, spinach, Italian cheese mixture, and finally the best part...goat cheese!!! Brush the edges with olive oil. Put back in oven...DIRECTLY on the oven rack (be very careful when you do this) to heat up toppings and melt the cheese. Remove when spinach is wilted and cheese is melted.



2 squash

1 zucchini

1 cup flour

1 egg

1 1/2 cup bread crumbs (panko are my favorite)

vegetable oil





Heat pan on medium heat, pour in generous amount of vegetable oil.
Prepare flour, egg (beaten), and bread crumbs in separate bowls.
Cut squash and zucchini into 1/2 inch slices.
Rinse squash and zucchini in water (helps flour stick)
Coat vegetables in flour, then in egg, then bread crumbs.
Pan fry on both sides until golden brown.

Ingredients:
2 Cups Flour
2 Cups Sugar
1 Teaspoon Soda
1 Cup Butter
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Cocoa
6 Tablespoons Buttermilk
1 Cup Water
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1, 8-oz jar of crunchy peanut butter

Instructions:
Combine the flour, soda and sugar. Set aside. In a sauce pan on low heat whisk together the butter eggs, cocoa, buttermilk and water. Bring to small boil, but stir constantly. Add the mixture to the dry ingredients. Add Vanilla.

Bake on 375 for 25-30 minutes.

Take out and let cool.

Top with crunchy peanut butter.
Then pour icing over peanut butter.

Icing:
1, 16-oz box of confectioner sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 stick of butter
6 tablespoons of buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla

In the same saucepan stir the butter, cocoa, buttermilk together. Pour over confectioner sugar and add vanilla.

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