Paula Deen's Pumpkin Bars

Bars:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (I subbed 1 of the tsp of cinnamon for 1/2 tsp
cloves, 1/2 tsp ginger)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.
To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

-Amy P.

Cheesy Stuffed Shells

This recipe was actually shared with me by Aubrey Horner, and our family loved it. Liked it so much that it has since entered our rotation of meals, and better yet, I make a large batch of it, then package the supplies together and freeze for a fast meal during the week.

Ingredients:

1 16oz container of low fat cottage cheese
1 10oz pkg. frozen chopped spinach (for our family we omit the spinach)
1 c. mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
20 jumbo pasta shells, cooked, drained
1 26oz jar of spaghetti sauce
1 large tomato chopped

Directions:

Heat oven to 400. Mix cottage cheese, spinach, 1/2 c. mozzarella, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning, spoon into shells. Mix sauce and tomatoes spoon 1/2 into 9x13 dish. Add filled shells, top with remaining sauce. Cover and bake 25 min. Top with remaining cheese and bake uncovered for 2 min.

Blueberry Salad

1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 can blueberry
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup sugar
2 pkgs. dream whip- mix according to instructions on pkg.

Mix together the crushed graham crackers, melted butter, and 1/4 cup sugar. Save 1/3 of mixture for the top. Beat the cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar then combine it with the dream whip.
Then layer in 9x13 pan:
1 layer of crust
1 layer of cream cheese mixture
1 layer of blueberries
1 layer of cream cheese mixture
Sprinkle the rest of the graham crackers crumbs on top
Refrigerate over night and enjoy!

Chicken Crescents

2 c. cooked shredded chicken
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 packages crescent rolls

Mix together cream cheese, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir in chicken. Flatten out crescent rolls a little, then put some chicken mixture into each and roll up. Bake at 350 for 20 min.

Whisk together sauce in a small bowl:
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp poultry seasoning

Pour sauce onto baked crescent rolls. Bake for an additional 10 min.

Chicken Pillows

Ingredients:
2 pkg. Crescent Rolls
2 C. Cooked Chicken (If David is home to start the grill then I grill it. If not, then I just boil it. I usually use about 3 chicken breasts. I also just cut the cooked chicken into small pieces but you could shred it too. )
1 (8 oz) pkg. Cream Cheese (easier if it is at room temp)
1 T. Chopped Onion
1/4 C. Melted Butter
Bread Crumbs (I use Italian but any works)

Instructions:
1. Mix: Cooked chicken, cream cheese, and onion in a bowl. (I usually wash my hands and mix it)
2. Place one rounded spoonful of meat mixture on wide end of crescent roll wedge. Pull dough around mixture toward the point while pulling the small end wider. Tuck ends and pinch dough together to make sure that the mixture is covered.
3. Dip the "pillow" in melted butter and roll in bread crumbs.
4. Bake 20-25 min @ 400

Sauce:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 C. sour cream (or milk)
1/2 C. shredded cheese

Heat mixture together and serve over pillows

***for re-heating it tastes better if you can warm them up again in the oven....but the microwave works too!

Filo Onion Rolls

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

•8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
•2 cups grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese
•2 onions, chopped
•3 cloves garlic, minced
•1/4 cup butter
•1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
•1/8 tsp. pepper
•18 (9" x 14") sheets filo dough, thawed
•More melted butter (I use about 1/3 cup)


Directions:

In medium bowl, mix cream cheese and Gruyere. Set aside. In heavy skillet, sauté onions in 1/4 cup butter until very soft and beginning to brown, 10-15 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook another 1 minute. Cool 20 minutes. Mix together onion mixture and cheese mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Place one sheet filo dough on work surface. Brush with melted butter. Lay another sheet on top, brush with butter, and put one more sheet on top.

Take the onion mixture, divide it into six parts, and form a roll about 1 inch in diameter down one short edge of the stacked filo. Roll up carefully and place on cookie sheet. Brush thoroughly with more butter. Repeat with remaining filo and filling, making six rolls total. I place three rolls on each cookie sheet. Cover well with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F and remove the rolls from the refrigerator. Bake for 10-17 minutes or until rolls begin to brown and cheese filling melts. Let stand 5 minutes, then, using a very sharp knife, cut rolls into 1" pieces. Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then serve. The onion filling right out of the oven is super-hot. Serves 8-10. (Mine got too flat when they cooked as a roll and were cut after. I think in the past I have cut the rolls and then stood them up to bake, they held a rounder shape that way.)

You can also freeze these rolls. Wrap well in freezer wrap, label, and freeze up to 3 months. To bake frozen rolls, place rolls on cookie sheets and bake at 375 degrees F for 15-23 minutes or until the rolls are beginning to brown and crisp and cheese melts. Proceed as directed above.

"Tempt-Me" Truffles

Ingredients

4 c. powdered sugar

1 (8oz.) pkg cream cheese

5 (1oz.) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

1 tsp. vanilla

toasted almonds, chopped

cocoa

powdered sugar

Directions

Gradually add 4 cups powdered sugar to cream cheese, mixing well. Add chocolate and vanilla. Mix well. Chill for a few hours. Shape into 1-inch balls. Roll to coat in almonds, cocoa or powdered sugar. Chill.

Makes 4 dozen.

Fruit Pizza

1/2 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. sugar

1 egg

1 1/4 c. flour

1 tsp. cream of tartar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 80z. package cream cheese

1/2 c. sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl cream together the butter and 3/4 c. sugar until smooth. Mix in egg. Combine the flour, cream of tarter, baking soda, and salt; stir until just blended. Press dough into an ungreased pizza pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool.

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, 1/2 c. sugar, and vanilla until light. Spread on cooled crust. Arrange desired fruit on top of filling and chill.

Carmel Toffee Apple Dip

1 8oz block of cream cheese
1/4 cup brown sugar
carmel sauce for drizzling
a sprinkle of skor toffee bits or toasted pecans
Sliced apples for dipping.

Mix cream cheese with brown sugar. Spread on a plate, and top with a drizzle of carmel sauce and a sprinkle of toffee bits. Sliced apples for dipping. Dip the apple slices in pineapple juice after slicing to keep them from going brown. I also put about 2 Tbls. of carmel right into the cream chesse mixture.

Eclair Cake

1 cube butter
1 cup water
1 cup flour
4 eggs
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons milk
2 x 3 oz. pkgs instant vanilla pudding
3 cups milk
8 ounces cool whip
1 bottle Chocolate Magic Shell

Melt butter in water and bring to a full boil. Quickly add flour all at once and stir until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Spread this mixture on a large cookie sheet; it will be very thin. Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes. Cool. (It looks like a moon surface when cooked). Meanwhile, mix cream cheese with 3 tablespoons milk. Mix pudding mix with 3 cups of milk, then combine the two mixtures. Fold in cool whip, and spread filling on crust. Drizzle with topping, refrigerate and enjoy!!

Pineapple Whoopi

Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter, softened
8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
about 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 container cool whip
20 oz. can crushed pineapple, WELL drained
assorted berries


Directions:
Using mixer, combine butter and cream cheese; beat until smooth and no lumps are left. Add powdered sugar, (I estimate until it tastes good and sweet.) Add coolwhip. Stir in pineapple. Lastly you can add any berries you like, or leave as just pineapple.

Christmas Raspberry Crunch

Ingredients:
Crust:
2 c. crushed pretzels
3 TBSP. sugar
1/2 c. butter, melted

Filling:
1 8-oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
1 c. sugar (I used powdered sugar....?)
1 12-oz container whipped topping
1 16-0z can crushed pineapple, drained

Jello top:
1 6-oz pkg raspberry gelatin
3 c. boiling water
1 10-oz pkg frozen raspberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Crush pretzels with rolling pin. mix with sugar and melted butter. Press into bottom of 9x13-inch baking dish. Bake 5 minutes. Cool.

Beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Mix in whipped topping. Fold in drained pineapple. Spread mixture onto cooled pretzel crust.

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Mix in frozen raspberries. Place gelatin in refrigerator until very syrupy. Carefully pour over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate until set. Garnish with whipped cream.