Saturday, May 21, 2011

Pear Custard Bars

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts
FILLING/TOPPING
1 pkg. (8ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 can (15 1/4 ounces) pear halves, drained
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in the flour and vanilla until combined. Stir in the nuts. Press into a greased 8 inch square baking pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
Increase the heat to 375. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, egg and vanilla; mix until combined. Pour over crust. Cut pears into 1/8 inch slices; arrange in a single layer over filling. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over pears.
Bake at 375 for 28-30 minutes (center will be soft set and will become firmer upon cooling). cool on a wire rack for 45 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting. Store in the refrigerator. 16 bars

Friday, May 20, 2011

Hot Macadamia Spread

If you like macadamia nuts, you'll love this one...

1 pkg. (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts (or blanched almonds if you prefer)
2 teaspoons butter

Beat the cream cheese and milk until smooth. Stir in the sour cream, horseradish, green pepper, onion, garlic salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture into an ungreased shallow 2 cup baking dish and set aside. In a skillet, saute the nuts in butter for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned. Sprinkle over the cream cheese mixture. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20 minutes. Serve with crackers. 6-8 servings

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Mississippi Sin Dip

This is a delicious appetizer. Everytime our family goes to the beach house in the summer I make this and it's gone in a flash.

1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled (or use pre-cooked)
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
1 (16 ounce) pkg. cubed ham (any ham lunch meat, cut in cubes)
1 (4 ounce) can green chilies, drained
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients well and pour into a lightly greased 10 x 8 inch baking dish. Bake for 30-45 minutes. Serve with Ritz crackers. Refrigerate leftovers (but don't expect any).

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Strawberry Sin Cake

1 (18 oz.) pkg. butter-recipe yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1 (15 oz.) can cream of coconut milk
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 pint fresh strawberries, cut in half
1 (13 1/2 oz.) pkg. strawberry glaze
1 (8 oz.) container whipped topping

Prepare the cake mix according to the directions on the package, adding the pecans. Bake in a greased 9X13 pan. In a small bowl combine the cream of coconut milk and condensed milk. When the cake is cooked and  slightly cooled, poke holes on the top with the end of a wooden spoon. Pour the milk mixture over the cake. Combine the strawberries and glaze and spread on top of the cake. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Spread the whipped topping on the cooked cake and refrigerate 1 hour before serving. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Zesty Italian Beef Sandwiches

So I made these Italian Beef Sandwiches the other night for dinner and the family loved them. Super easy too. I'll include the recipe which I got from gooseberrypatch.com.

3 pound chuck roast, quartered
1-2 tablespoons oil
2 oz. pkg. zesty italian salad dressing mix
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup prepared zesty italian dressing
12 ounce can beer
1 onion, chopped
6-7 pepperoncini peppers, chopped
6-7 hard crusty hoagies
Brown the roast in oil. Drain well and place in a slow cooker. Sprinkle with the dry salad dressing mix. Pour beer over top. Add remaining ingredients, mix well. Cover and cook on high 5-6 hours, until the meat shreds easily with a fork. I shredded the meat then added it back to the slow cooker with the sauce and cooked an additional 20 minutes. Spoon onto buns and add as much sauce as desired.

Or do like my husband did and dunk the whole sandwich into the sauce and eat it with a fork. I served it with salad and french fries. Terrific and easy!