Cheesecake - Pecan Pie

Cheesecake - Pecan Pie

 ---Crust---
1-3/4 cups Vanilla Wafers , crumbs
1/4 cup light Brown Sugar
1/3 cup Unsalted Butter melted
---Pecan Filling---
1 cup Sugar
2/3 cup Corn Syrup - Dark
1/3 cup Unsalted Butter melted
2 Eggs beaten
1-1/2 cups Pecans chopped
1 tsp Vanilla
---Cheesecake Filling---
3 pkg Cream Cheese, original - Philadelphia - 8 oz softened
1-1/4 cup light Brown Sugar
2 tbsp Flour (all-purpose)
4 Eggs
2/3 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 tsp Vanilla
---Topping---
3-1/2 tbsp Unsalted Butter melted
1/2 cup light Brown Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon, ground
1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 cup Pecans toasted/chopped


TO MAKE THE CRUST:
   1) Line the bottom of 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper and set aside
   2) Combine vanilla wafer crumbs and brown sugar, stir in melted butter, then press the mixture evenly into bottom and halfway up the side of 9 inch springform pan. Set in the fridge to firm the crust while making the filling.

TO MAKE THE PECAN FILLING:
   1) In a medium saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, eggs, pecans, and vanilla and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer stirring constantly until thickened, 5-7 minutes. Pour into prepared crust and set aside.
TO MAKE CHEESECAKE FILLING:
   1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
   2) Beat the cream cheese until creamy, then add brown sugar and flour and beat until fluffy.
   3) Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined after each addition. Do not overbeat it!!! Stir in heavy cream and vanilla, then pour cheesecake mixture over pecan filling.
   4) Place springform pan on a cookie sheet, put it in the oven and reduce the heat to 325 F Bake the cake for 60-70 minutes (until toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean). Turn off the oven and leave cheesecake in with oven door closed for 1 hour.
   5) Run a knife around edges of cheesecake but don't take out of the pan until completely cooled.

TO MAKE THE TOPPING:
   1) In a small saucepan combine butter and brown sugar. Cook for 3-5 min or until very bubbly, then stir in cinnamon, heavy whipping cream and chopped pecans. Cool to room temperature.
   2) Release the sides of springform pan and spoon the topping over cooled cheesecake.
   3) Store the cake in the fridge.
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Cheesecake - Cookies `n Cream Squares

Cheesecake - Cookies `n Cream Squares

50 Oreo Cookies 

1/4 cup Butter melted

4 pkg Cream Cheese, original - Philadelphia - 8 oz softened

1 cup Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

4 Eggs

Place 30 cookies in food processor container; cover. Process 30 to 45 seconds or until finely ground. Remove from food processor and put in mixing bowl. Add butter, mix well. Press onto bottom of 13 x 9 baking pan.

Chop the remaining 20 cookies in the food processor (not as fine as the crust). Set aside.

Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs; mix well until blended. Gently stir in 1 1/2 cups of the chopped cookies. Pour into crust. Sprinkle with remaining chopped cookies.

  

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Cut into squares.

TIP: Line pan with foil for easy removal of squares.

Makes: 18          Prep Time: 20 min +refrigerating           Bake Time: 40 min

Cheesecake - Chocolate Swirl

 Cheesecake - Chocolate Swirl

4 squares Semi-Sweet Chocolate Squares

2 pkg Cream Cheese, original - Philadelphia - 8 oz softened, divided

1/2 cup Sugar divided

2 Egg(s) divided

1 Oreo Pie Crust

1/2 tsp Vanilla

1. Heat over to 350.

2. Microwave chocolate in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 min, stirring every 30 sec. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.

3. Add 1 pkg cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 egg, beat with whisk until blended. Pour into crust.

4. Beat remaining cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla in same bowl with whisk until well blended. Spoon over chocolate batter; swirl gently with a knife.

5. Bake 40 min or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours. Let stand at room temperature for 10 min before serving.

Serves: 8

 

Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

Crust:

2 cups Graham Crackers crumbs (about 12 crackers)

4 tbsp light Brown Sugar

1 tsp Cinnamon, ground

6 tbsp Unsalted Butter melted

Cinnamon Crumble:

1 cup light Brown Sugar packed

1 tbsp Cinnamon, ground

6 tbsp Flour (all-purpose)

6 tbsp Unsalted Butter melted

Cheesecake Filling:

4 Cream Cheese, original - Philadelphia - 8 oz softened

1 cup Sugar

2 tbsp Flour (all-purpose)

2 tsp Vanilla

5 Eggs at room temperature

3/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

Cream Cheese Topping:

1 tbsp Unsalted Butter softened

1 ounce Cream Cheese, original - Philadelphia - 8 oz softened

1/4 tsp Vanilla

3/4 cup Powdered Sugar

1-1/2 tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9" springform pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

Start with the crust by putting about 12 graham crackers into a food processor. Pulse until you get a fine crumb. Add in the remaining crust ingredients and pulse until well combined.

Pour the curst mixture into the bottom of the prepared springform pan and (using a clean hand or a spatula) press down to form the crust. Be sure to take a little up the sides of the pan as well.

Bake the crust for about 10 minutes on 350 degrees, then set aside.


Cinnamon Crumble:
Combine all the ingredients into a medium size bowl and use a fork to mix them until you have a nice crumble. Set aside.

Cheesecake Filling:
Start by putting your room temperature cream cheese (4) into the bowl of a stand mixer. A paddle attachment would be good for this. Cream until light and fluffy and you do not see any bumps. Add sugar (1 cup) and flour (2 tbsp) and mix for about 1 minute.

While the mixer is on low speed, add vanilla (2 tsp) and each egg (5) one at a time. Allow each egg to combine fully before adding the next.

Once all the eggs are combined, set your mixer to a medium-high speed and mix for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, add in the heavy whipping cream (3/4 cup) and mix for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Pour about 1/3 of the cheesecake filling into the prepared crust. Top with about 1/3 of the crumble mixture, using your fingers to break the crumble into small pieces. Add another layer of cheesecake filling, followed by another 1/3 of the crumble. Add the remaining cheesecake filling, topped with the remaining crumble.

Place the cheesecake in the center of your oven and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 200 degrees F and bake for an additional 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Once the hour and a half are up, turn off the heat and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 30 minutes. DO NOT open the oven door.

After the 30 minutes, crack the oven door and allow the cheesecake to sit for 5 minutes. Take the cheesecake out of the oven and chill. I prefer to let it chill overnight in the refrigerator.

Cream Cheese Topping:
Add all of the ingredients for the cream cheese topping into a medium bowl and use a hand mixer to mix well until light and smooth. Put the mix into a piping bag or a sandwich bag with a small hole in one corner. Pipe the topping over the chilled cheesecake and enjoy!

German Apple Cake

 German Apple Cake

2 cups Flour (all-purpose)

2 tsp Cinnamon, ground

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

3 Egg(s)

2 cups Sugar

1 cup Vegetable Oil

1 tsp Vanilla

4 Golden Delicious Apples - peeled, cored, diced

1 cup Pecans - chopped

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 pkg Cream Cheese, original - Philadelphia - 8 oz - at room temperature

1/2 cup Unsalted Butter - softened

2 cups Confectioners Sugar

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Cinnamon, ground

1/2 cup Pecans - chopped

1 Golden Delicious Apples - thin sliced for garnish

1) Prepare your apples and pecans first. This takes a few minutes.

2) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. (To do a half recipe, use one 9-inch round pan!) Set aside.

3) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

4) In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix again until just combined. Fold in the diced apples and chopped pecans. The batter will be thick.

5) Spread the batter into your prepared baking dish. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. (For the 9-inch round pan with 1/2 recipe, bake for about 50 minutes.)

6) Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack.

7) Prepare the frosting: Using a mixer, blend the cream cheese and butter. Add the salt, cinnamon, and pecans and blend well. Slowly add the confectioner's sugar, one cup at a time.

8) Once the cake has cooled, spread the frosting over the cake with a spatula. 

9) Garnish with the apple slices.

NOTES: This makes a generous amount of frosting. Any excess can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You could use the extra to dip apples, frost cinnamon rolls, or spread on cookies. To prevent your sliced apple garnish from turning brown, toss the apple slices with a bit of lemon juiced before putting them on the cake.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Lasagna

Ingredients:

Lasagna Noodles cooked (see note)

4-1/2 cups Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts cooked and chopped

1-1/2 cups Ham cooked and diced

2 cups Bacon chopped and cooked

3 cups Swiss Cheese, shredded grated

Sauce:

1/2 cup Butter

1/2 cup Flour (all-purpose)

4 cups Milk

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Garlic Salt

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp White Pepper, ground

2 packs Cream Cheese, original - Philadelphia - 8 oz softened

Lasagna noodle note: Boiling lasagna noodles is a pain. After some research, I settled on this method for pre-cooking them. Boil a pot of water. Put a layer of noodles in a baking dish. Lay another noodle diagonally across the layer (as a separator). Do as many layers as needed with a noodle diagonally between each layer. Pour the boiling water over the noodles and let them set for 20-30 minutes.

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, melt butter and add flour. Blend well, cook for 1 minute, then slowly add milk. Add garlic powder, garlic salt, salt, and pepper. Stir with a whisk and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Stir in cream cheese and continue to stir until smooth. Remove from heat.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

3. Mix the cooked chicken, ham, and bacon together in a large mixing bowl.

4. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

5. Place 3 lasagna noodles as a layer in the baking dish.

6. Layer 1/3 of the combined meats over the noodles.

7. Pour 1/3 of the sauce over the meat.

8. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over the sauce.

9. Repeat steps 5 through 8 two more times.

10. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Squares

2 cans Crescent Rolls

2 Cream Cheese, original - Philadelphia 8 oz

1 cup Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

1 jar Strawberry Jam - Smuckers Low Sugar - 15.5 oz

1/2 stick Margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread 1 can crescent rolls in 9x13 loaf dish.

Beat Cream Cheese, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla and spread on top of crescent rolls.

Spread jam over cream cheese mixture.

Spread 2nd can of crescent rolls on top of cheese mixture.

Drizzle melted butter over top.

Bake 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Cut in squares after cooled and serve.

Gingerbread Cheesecake

2 cups Ginger Snaps finely ground

4 tbsp Butter melted

1-3/4 cups Sugar

2 Philadelphia Cream Cheese, original - 8 oz - at room temperature

1 tsp Vanilla

4 Eggs - at room temperature

1/4 cup Molasses (unsulfured)

1/4 tsp Salt

1-1/2 tsp Ginger, ground

1 tsp Cinnamon, ground

1 tsp Nutmeg, ground

1/4 tsp Cloves, ground

1 Lemon - fresh 1/2 tsp lemon zest

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan in 2 layers of foil.

2) To make the gingersnap crust, combine butter, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and the cookie crumbs in a bowl. Press the crumbs firmly and evenly into bottom and one-third of the way up sides of prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes and cool on wire rack.

3) Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in remaining 1-1/2 cups sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and beat on low speed scraping down the bowl after each addition. Beat in molasses, salt, spices, and lemon zest. Pour into the cooled crust.

4) Place cheesecake in a large, shallow roasting pan. Transfer to oven,and carefully add enough hot water to roasting pan to come about halfway up sides of the springform pan. Bake until cheesecake is set but still a little wobbly in the center about 65 - 75 minutes. Turn off oven, leave cheesecake inside and allow to set for 1 hour. Carefully remove to wire rack and cool completely. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 8 hours or overnight.

5) To serve run a hot knife around edges of cheesecake to loosen, and remove sides of pan. Arrange gingerbread cookies in center of cake in a circle with their heads facing in and arms touching. Slice with a large knife dipped in hot water, wipe clean after each cut.

Cream Cheese Dip

2 pkg Cream Cheese, original - Philadelphia 8 oz

2 cups Parmesan Cheese (or Swiss Cheese)

1 cup Mayonnaise

Green onions to taste 

2 slices Bacon cooked and crumbled

Mix cheeses, mayo and green onions
Cover w/bacon bits
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes

Courtesy of the Harris Family

Pioneer Woman's Cream Mashed Potatoes

This recipe came from my Pioneer Woman Cooks Cookbook.

PW's Creamy Mashed Potatoes pg. 146

You can see PW post on her blog with the recipe.

Ingredients

5 pounds Russet Or Yukon Gold Potatoes

12 tablespoons Butter

1 package (8 Oz.) Cream Cheese, Softened

1/2 cup (to 3/4 Cups) Half-and-Half (I used Heavy Cream because that's all I had on hand)

1/2 teaspoon (to 1 Teaspoon) Lawry's Seasoned Salt

Salt to taste

Black Pepper to taste

 Preparation Instructions

Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When they’re cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart.

Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.

Turn off the stove and add 1 ½ sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add about ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.

 Note: I made half of this recipe. Let's face it, 5 pounds of potatoes is ALOT of potatoes for two people! I also used Heavy Cream instead of half and half because that's what I had on hand. These mashed potatoes were delicious! I made them to go along with PW's Perfect Pot Roast! (recipe coming next week!)

Chicken and Black Bean Soup - Crockpot

Chicken and Black Bean Soup - 

The recipe came from this blog, the recipe doesn't have a name so I created one! You can click on the link and see her blog post.

Ingredients:

Bag of frozen chicken (a bag of frozen chicken is about 3 lbs. this is alot for two people so I only used half a bag)

1 (8 oz) block of cream cheese

1 can black beans (I had accidentally opened black beans instead of black olives the night before that is why they are in the container)

1 can corn

1 can rotel

Add Chicken then cream cheese.

Drain, rinse, and add black beans. 

Drain and add corn.

Add Rotel. Cook 6-8 hours stirring every few hours.

Somehow I managed not to get a picture of the final product but here is one about half way into the cooking after I stirred it.

On the original post she suggests serving it over rice but I am much more a soup fan so I served it with Frito's. If you don't eat this with Frito's you might want to add a little salt to it.

Sopapilla Cheese Cake

Sopapilla Cheese Cake2 Crescent Rolls
2 Cream Cheese, original - Philadelphia - oz 8
1-1/4 cups Sugar, divided
1 tsp Vanilla
1 - 2 tsp Cinnamon, ground

Spread 1 can crescent rolls in 9x13 loaf dish
Beat Cream Cheese, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla and spread on top of crescent
rolls.
Spread 2nd can of crescent rolls on top of cheese mixture.
Mix 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon and spread on top of crescent rolls.
Drizzle melted butter over top.
Bake 350 degreese for 30-40 minutes.
Cut in squares after cooled and serve.

From: Laura Byrd

Mississippi Mud Pie

1 cup Flour (all-purpose)
1/2 cup chopped Pecans
1 stick Butter, melted
2 tbsp Sugar
1 cup Cool Whip
1 cup Powdered Sugar
1 pkg Cream Cheese, original - Philadelphia - oz 8
1 tsp Vanilla
1 package Instant Chocolate Pudding
3 cups Milk

Mix flour, pecans, butter and sugar and spread in the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly brown. Set aside to cool.

Mix Cool Whilp, powdered sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla together and spread over the cooled crust. 

Mix chocolate pudding and milk and beat well with an electric mixer. Spread over cream cheese
mixture.

Spread the rest of the Cool Whip over the top of the pudding.

Refrigerate.

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken

Ingredients

·                     2.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I usually use 4)

·                     8 oz reduced fat cream cheese

·                     10.75 oz can cream of chicken or mushroom soup

·                     1/2 cup water

·                     1 packet Italian salad dressing dry seasoning

·                     16 oz pasta of choice (I use Penne or Rotini)

Directions

Use an electric mixer to combine cream cheese, soup, water and seasoning packet. Pour over chicken in crock-pot. Cook on high 4-5 hours or low 8-9 hours. 

Can be served over noodles or rice. Good with broccoli, drizzled with sauce. 

Makes 6 servings