Vegetable Pizza

Vegetable Pizza
Jason Spindler, Attorney

    Many people these days are big on eating healthy. I'm just happy to have food and if it taste good all the better. But what if you can have healthy food that tastes good? Then you get the best of both. 

    I tried this veggie pizza at a fundraiser dinner and was so surprised at the flavor and texture. Even my hubby who is a complete carnivore thought this was really good.

Photo courtesy Taste of Home.

Vegetable Pizza

2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup mayonnaise

1(1 ounce) package dry Ranch-style dressing mix

1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 cup chopped cauliflower

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup chopped green olives

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Roll out the crescent roll dough onto a baking sheet, and pinch together edges to form the pizza crust.

Bake crust for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Once finished cooking, remove crust from oven and let cool 15 minutes without removing it from the baking sheet.

In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, and dry Ranch dressing.  Spread the mixture over the cooled crust.  Arrange broccoli, green bell pepper, olives, cauliflower, carrots and cheddar cheese over the cream cheese layer. Chill for one hour, slice and serve.

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

David Cordray, Shelter Insurance

    Appetizers are one of my favorite parts of a meal. I love nibbling and these little bacon wrapped water chestnuts are just perfect. The water chestnuts offer a slight crunch but the bacon with a simple sauce add the flavor. These little morsels were the award-winning appetizer at a local fundraiser and everybody raved about them. Since the "chef" was nice enough to share, we can make them, too.

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

1 pound smoked bacon

1 8 oz. can whole water chestnuts

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup brown sugar

20-25 toothpicks

Partially fry the bacon, it should still be limp but cooked. Cut bacon in half. Drain chestnuts.

Wrap bacon around chestnuts. Pierce chestnut and bacon with toothpick. Arrange on a lipped cookie sheet.

Mix ketchup and brown sugar. Pour mixture over bacon wrapped chestnuts. 

Bake at 225 degrees for 1 hour. The mixture should caramelize when completely cooked.

Classic Pecan Pie

Classic Pecan Pie

Courtesy of Patrick Waite, retired from TMMI

      When it comes to sweets, which kind of person are you - cake or pie? Some people love it all, whereas others prefer one over the other. Personally, I'm a pie person all the way. My absolute two favorite pies are strawberry and pecan. Strawberry pie is always best in the late spring when the berries are fresh but pecan is good anytime.
      A little while back I attended a fundraiser where this pecan pie was offered as a entry. It was just delicious. I was so glad the chef agreed to share.

Photo courtesy the Cooking Corner.

Classic Pecan Pie

1 cup light or dark corn syrup

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 T. butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups pecans (6 oz.)

1-9 inch unbaked or frozen** deep dish pie crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla using a spoon. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into pie crust.

Bake on center rack of oven for 60-70 minutes (see tips for doneness, below). Cool for 2 hours on wire rack before serving.

**To use prepared frozen pie crust: Place cookie sheet in oven and preheat oven as directed. Pour filling into frozen crust and bake on preheated cookie sheet.

Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

 Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce
 Courtesy of Cliff Ingram, WRAY Radio

     Everyone in the Midwest loves a good bread pudding. It should be moist but not soggy and have a nice hint of cinnamon. A sauce on top just completes the dish, but when you add a dash of Jack Daniels, this takes a basic dessert to a whole new level. 

     At a recent fundraiser dinner, this was the award winning dessert. This dish not only meets all the requirements of a good bread pudding, but it adds a little kick.

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

Bread Pudding

4 beaten eggs

2-1/4 cups milk

1 T. vanilla

1/2 tsp.cinnamon

A BUNCH of stale donuts, cut into cubes

Mix together the eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon in a big bowl. Put all the donut pieces into a 2-quart baking pan and then pour the liquid over it, making sure it's spread out evenly and soaked up by the donuts well.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, or until knife comes out clean in the center.

Whiskey Sauce

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 beaten egg yolk

2 T. water

1 T. whiskey (like Jack Daniels)

Melt the butter in a small saucepan then stir in the sugar, egg yolk and water. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and boils. Keep stirring and reduce the heat slightly so it doesn't boil over. Do that for about 4 minutes. 

With a minute to go put in the whiskey and watch the action, but keep stirring. You'll smell the alcohol boil away and then remove from heat.

Pour over bread pudding and let sit a few minutes before cutting.

Loaded Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Loaded Baked Macaroni and Cheese
By Derek McGraw, Princeton

      When the hubby stops me and says to try a dish, it must be good. When he says that about mac and cheese, it must be really good. At a recent fundraiser dinner, he did just that by pointing out how good a loaded mac and cheese dish was from a local "chef." This dish won honors at the event and one good look at the ingredients explains it all. Well done.

Photo courtesy Taste of Home

Loaded Baked Macaroni and Cheese
1 pound center cut bacon    
1 cup Wisconsin Jack Cheese
1 teaspoon of garlic salt        
1 (16 oz.) box of elbow macaroni
1 teaspoon of white pepper    
1 cup of milk
1/2 teaspoon onion powder    
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon paprika   
 2 cups (16 oz.) sour cream
1 packet of Ranch seasoning       
2 cups Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese
1 small pouch of bacon bits

Preparation -
Fry bacon until crisp; drain and crumble. Set aside.  Preheat oven to 350.

Cook pasta according to the al dente package directions. Drain well.

In a large bowl combine milk, eggs, sour cream, and seasonings with bacon bits. Whisk together until mixed well. Stir in the cooked pasta and Wisconsin cheese, reserving 1 cup of Cheddar.

Pour into a deep baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining Wisconsin Cheddar evenly over the top.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Remove when edges become golden.

Allow baking dish to set for 10 minutes. Garnish with crumbled bacon.

Grilled Chicken Pot Pie

Grilled Chicken Pot Pie

Courtesy of John Meadows, Princeton

     A pot pie is one of those warm comfort foods that hits everyone just right. From the flaky crust, to the chunks of veggies and meat within its doughy pocket, the pot pie is a classic keeper. One way to take the normal dish and give it a twist is to use grilled chicken. There's something to be said for that little extra touch.

 

Photo courtesy Taste of Home

Grilled Chicken Pot Pie

3 boneless chicken breasts

Worcestershire sauce

1 cup chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken

1-1/2 cup biscuit mix

1 cup milk

1 can carrots

1 can sweet peas

steak seasoning

Preparation - 

Grill the 3 boneless chicken breasts either on an outdoor grill or a Foreman grill. Chop them up and add to a pan on the stove. Douse chicken with Worcestershire sauce over medium heat. Season with a few sprinkles of steak seasoning. 

Preheat oven to 350º . 

In a greased 3 quart casserole dish, layer chicken, carrots and peas. Mix broth and cream of chicken and pour over layers. 

Stir together biscuit mix and milk and pour over casserole.

Bake 30-40 minutes until topping starts to brown.

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Seven Cracker Snack Mix

Seven Cracker Snack Mix

recipe courtesy of Jim and Susan Feutz

   
     If you're looking for a new snack for watching the basketball games or to take with you tailgating, or even for movie night, this is easy, tasty and makes a big batch. Our local vet and his wife brought this to a fundraiser dinner and were nice enough to share. They take this to the football games, but it comes in handy any time you need a snack for a crowd.

7 different boxes of crackers 

(Bugles, oyster crackers, pretzels, nuts, rye crisps, or other "mini" crackers etc.)

Mix together -

1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing, dry

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. dill weed

1 cup vegetable oil

Preparation - 

Mix crackers together and put in one 12" x 17" pan or two large pans.

Pour oil mixture over crackers and stir together. 

Bake at 200 degrees for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

This keeps for a long time and can also be frozen.

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White Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies

 

White Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies

courtesy of Jay Riley, PPD

    Do you ever wonder what to do with pumpkin? Well wonder no more. There are more options for pumpkin than just pies at Thanksgiving. One of my favorite ways to get some vitamin A into the kids and use this seasonal treat is to make cookies. Pumpkin cookies are moist, not overly sweet and easy to make.

Photo courtesy Taste of Home.

2 cups butter

2 cups sugar

1 can pumpkin

2 eggs

4 cups of flour

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 pkg. white chocolate chips

cream cheese frosting

Preparation - 

Mix together butter, sugar, pumpkin and eggs. Then add flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and baking soda. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips.

Bake at 375 until done. When cool, frost with cream cheese frosting.

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Chicken Enchiladas

 

Chicken Enchiladas

by Cliff Ingram, WRAY radio

    Rich and hearty are only two of the words to describe this enchilada dish. When I tasted this at the benefit dinner, it was full of flavor but the components blended perfectly so that nothing was overpowering. This dish is rich and filling so that it would easily feed a crowd. It's also good to note that instead of rolling the enchiladas individually, they can be layered in the casserole like a lasagna with the sauce and filling. Easy is always good.

Photo courtesy Taste of Home.

12 flour tortillas
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup sour cream
2 cups chicken broth
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies, drained
1 cup of shredded monterey jack cheese, divided
2 cups cooked chicken breasts, shredded (about 1 lb. uncooked)
sliced pitted black olives (optional)
sliced scallion (optional)
diced tomato (optional)

Preparation -
Preheat oven to 350.
Wrap tortillas in foil and heat in 350 oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until soft.

For the Sauce:
In a saucepan cook onion, garlic, coriander and pepper in butter or margarine until the onion is tender. Stir flour into sour cream; add to onion mixture. Stir in broth and chiles all at once. Cook and whisk until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the monterey cheese.

For the Filling:
Stir 1/2 cup of the sauce into the cooked chicken. Pour another 1/2 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a lightly greased 9 x 13" baking dish. Place about 1/4 cup of filling in the center of each tortilla and place seam side down in the baking dish. Cover with remaining sauce.

Bake covered for about 35 minutes or until bubbly. Remove foil and add the second 1/2 cup of cheese. Return to oven and bake until cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. If desired sprinkle on black olives, tomatoes and scallions. Let stand 10 minutes. Makes 12 enchiladas (6 servings).

Notes: Wrapping them individually can be a bit of a hassle. You can instead spread half the tortillas on top of the sauce in the bottom of the pan, spread the filling over those, then spread the remaining tortillas over the top, and pour the sauce over the whole thing. If you elect this method, no need to warm the tortillas before using.

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Guilt Free Banana Pudding

Guilt Free Banana Pudding

                                                    by Derek McGraw, PPD 

      For anyone with a sweet tooth that's trying to watch their calories, this dessert is light and creamy without being packed full of sugar. When my hubby tasted this, he "highly" suggested that I try it. I've learned that he is a wise man. There wasn't any taste of sugar substitute or fat free ingredients. This was just a perfect creamy pudding with a touch of wafer crunch.

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner

1-8 oz. pkg. fat free cream cheese
1-14 oz. can fat free condensed milk
1-3 oz. pkg. instant sugar free vanilla pudding mix
3 cups cold skim milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-8 oz. container frozen light whipped topping, thawed
4 bananas, sliced
1/2 (12 oz.) pkg. reduced fat vanilla wafers

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in condensed milk, pudding mix, cold milk and vanilla until smooth. Fold in 1/2 of the whipped topping.

Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch dish with vanilla wafers. Arrange sliced bananas evenly over wafers. Spread with pudding mixture. Top with remaining whipped topping. Allow to chill for at least 3 hours.  Serve 12.

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Squash Casserole

Squash Casserole

                                                        Morris Bitzer, D.D.S.

      This casserole was one of my husband's favorite dishes at the MenUmen fundraiser we attended. It had a mild flavor enhanced by the cheese and the crumb mixture on top balanced the texture. There are only a few simple ingredients and the steps are pretty basic. This will be a "Must Do" on my list.

Photo courtesy Taste of Home.

3 medium yellow squash, sliced and cooked until tender
1 small sweet onion, chopped and cooked until tender
1/2 cup fine Ritz cracker crumbs
1/3 cup shredded Velveeta cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
4 T. butter, melted

Steam squash and onion in small amount of salted water until tender. Drain well. 

Mix melted butter and 1/2 the cracker crumbs. Add 1/2 the crumb mixture, cheese, egg, salt and pepper to squash and onions. 

Pour into greased 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining crumb mixture. 

Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes, until brown. Serves 5-6 people.

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