Chocolate Brownie Cookies

6 squares semi sweet baking chocolate
4 squares unsweetened baking chocolate
6 Tbsp butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups toasted chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325.  Microwave chocolates and butter for 2 minutes or until butter is melted.  Stir until chocolate is completely melted.  Add sugar; mix well.  Blend in eggs and vanilla.  Add flour, baking powder and salt; mix until well blended.  Stir in pecans.  Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough, 2 inches apart, onto baking sheets.  Bake 12 minutes or until cookies feel set to the touch.  Cool 1 minute; remove from baking sheet to wire racks.  Cool completely.

Makes 4 dozen

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

8 oz fettuccine, uncooked
2 cups broccoli florets
1/4 cup italian dressing
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 2/3 cup milk
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp basil

Cook pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 2 minutes of the pasta cooking time.  Drain pasta mixture.  Meanwhile, heat dressing in large skillet.  Add chicken; cook 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally.  Stir in milk, cream cheese, parmesan cheese and basil.  Bring to boil, stirring constantly.  Cook 1-2 minutes or until sauce is well blended and heated through.  Add chicken mixture to pasta mixture; mix lightly.

Serves 4

Chicken Manicotti

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups water
4 oz velveeta, cut up
2 cups broccoli
12 manicotti pastas, uncooked
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 12 inch strips
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400.  Mix soup, water and velveeta in bowl.  Microwave on high 3 minutes or until velveeta is melted and mixture is well blended, stirring every minute.  Pour 1/3 of the soup mixture onto bottom of 13x9 pan; set aside.  Add broccoli to remaining soup mixture.  Stuff pasta with chicken strips; place in baking dish.  Cover completely with remaining soup mixture.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Cover with foil.  Bake 45-50 minutes or until pasta is tender and chicken is cooked through.

Serves 4

Chicken and Corn Chili

1 large onion, chopped
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups chicken broth
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp salt
1 can rotel, undrained
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp cornmeal
Shredded monterey jack cheese

In a slow cooker, combine onion, chicken, broth, green pepper, jalapeno, 1 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cayenne and 1/4 tsp salt.  Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.  Remove the chicken to a cutting board and allow to cool slightly.  Shred the chicken and return it to the slow cooker with remaining 1/4 tsp each of the cumin and cayenne and the tomatoes, corn and beans.  Gently mash some of the beans against the side of the bowl to thicken the chili.  Stir in the cornmeal and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt.  Let sit a few minutes to soften the cornmeal.  Serve sprinkled with a little of the monterey jack cheese. 

Serves 6

Chili Macaroni Skillet

1 pound bulk pork sausage
1 pkg Hamburger Helper chili macaroni
3 1/2 cups hot water
2 tsp chili powder
2 cups diced tomatoes (from 28 oz can), undrained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
Shredded Cheddar cheese

Cook sausage in skillet, until no longer pink.  Drain.  Stir in uncooked pasta, sauce mix and remaining ingredients except cheese.  Heat to boiling, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 14-16 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender.  Remove from heat and uncover (sauce will thicken as it stands).  Sprinkle with cheese.

Serves 5

Buffalo Shrimp

2 1/2 Tbsp butter
3 1/2 Tbsp hot pepper sauce
1 tsp garlic
24 peeled deveined extra large shrimp, tails left on (about 1 pound)

Heat broiler.  Line baking sheet with foil  Coat with nonstick spray.  Melt butter in small bowl.  Stir in pepper sauce and garlic.  Place shrimp on prepared baking sheet; drizzle and toss with 3 Tbsp butter mixture.  Broil, turning once, 2 1/2 minutes or until shrimp are just cooked through.  Toss with remaining sauce.

Serves 8

Mexican Cornbread

3 cups self rising cornmeal
1 onion, grated
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups milk
2 eggs
3/4 cup cream style corn
7 banana peppers, seeded and diced OR 3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease an 8 inch square baking pan.  In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, onion, cheese, and sugar.  Stir in milk, eggs, corn and peppers.  Pour into pan, and bake 40 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cut into squares to serve.

Orange Stir-Fried Chicken

1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp vegetable oil
3 cups thinly sliced fresh mushrooms (8 oz)
1 carrot, coarsely shredded (1/2 cup)
10 oz frozen broccoli
4 cups hot cooked rice

Mix soy sauce, 1 tsp cornstarch, ginger and garlic in bowl.  Stir in chicken.  Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Mix orange juice and 2 tsp cornstarch until cornstarch is dissolved; set aside.  Heat 1 tsp of the oil in large skillet or wok.  Add chicken; stir fry 4-6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.  Remove chicken from skillet.  Add remaining 1 tsp oil to skillet. Add mushrooms and carrot and broccoli; stir-fry about 3 minutes or until mushrooms and broccoli  are tender.  Stir in chicken and orange juice mixture.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir about 30 seconds or until thickened.  Serve over rice. 

Serves 4

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Ribbon Dessert

12 Nutter Butter cookies
2 Tbsp butter, melted
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
12 oz Cool Whip
2 squares semi sweet baking chocolate, melted

Crush 8 cookies.  Mix crumbs and butter.  Press onto bottom of foil lined loaf pan.  Mix cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar and vanilla.  Stir in 3 cups of Cool Whip.  Spoon 1/2 of cream cheese mix into small bowl.  Stir in melted chocolate.  Spoon half of the other half of the cream cheese over crust.  Top evenly with chocolate mix.  Cover with remaining cream cheese mix.  Freeze at least 4 hours.  Invert onto plate and remove foil. Then reinvert onto platter so that crumb layer is on bottom.  Coarsely break remaining 4 cookies.  Top dessert with remaining cool whip and cookies.

Serves 12

Pasta and Bean Skillet

1 pound ground beef, browned
1 cup salsa
2/3 cup uncooked elbow macaroni (2 oz)
3/4 cup water
2 tsp chili powder
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat all ingredients except cheese to boiling in large skillet; reduce heat.  Cover and simmer about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until macaroni is tender.  Sprinkle with cheese.

Serves 4