Tomato Basil Pizza

Have you tried the new Philadelphia cooking cremes yet?  I bought a few after finding them for a great price and tried out the pizza recipe this week.  I love that they give you a few recipes to choose from on the box.  I already had pizza dough, so this was an easy choice for me.  The pizza was easy to make and done within 15 minutes.  I was a little hesitant about how it would turn out because there wasn't any sauce, but it was surprisingly good.  Just as good the next day left over as well.  I'm looking forward to trying more cooking creme recipes! 

What You Need

1 ready-to-use baked pizza crust (12 inch)

1/2 cup  PHILADELPHIA Italian Cheese and Herb Cooking Creme

1 tomato, thinly sliced

8   fresh basil leaves, torn

1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Make It

HEAT oven to 425ºF.
SPREAD pizza crust with cooking creme; top with remaining ingredients.
PLACE crust directly on middle oven rack.
BAKE 10 to 12 min. or until cheese is melted.

Easy Chicken Piccata

 I'm a huge fan of chicken piccata.  Love that it's easy to make and is delicious too! This easy recipe came from- you guessed it-Kraft Foods.  considering I've already made 10 recipes from their most recent magazine issue, I would say it was totally worth the subscription!  I made a few changes to this recipe (noted below) and was very pleased with how it came out.  Enjoy!

what you need

   3 large lemons, divided
4 small  boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
1/4 cup KRAFT Mayo with Olive Oil Reduced Fat Mayonnaise  (I used one egg)
22   RITZ Crackers, finely crushed (about 1 cup)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp.  chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp.  butter

1

CUT 4 thin lemon slices from half of 1 lemon; squeeze juice from remaining lemons. Coat chicken with mayo, then cracker crumbs.

2

HEAT oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 min. Turn; cook on medium heat 5 min. or until chicken is golden brown on both sides and done (165ºF). Transfer chicken to platter; sprinkle with parsley. Cover to keep warm. Carefully wipe any crumbs from skillet with paper towel.

3

ADD lemon juice and broth to skillet; cook on medium-high heat 6 to 8 min. or until slightly reduced, stirring occasionally. Add butter, lemon slices and capers; cook and stir on low heat 3 to 4 min. or until butter is melted and lemons are heated through. Serve over chicken.

Islander Artichoke and Spinach Dip

No party or get together is complete without spinach dip.  I made this one for a bridal shower last month.  This recipe is from King's Hawaiian Rolls,but I found it on All Recipes.com.  Overall, I would rate this a 7.  The guests at the shower loved it and I had to refill 3 times!  But, the last spinach dip I made is still my personal favorite! I served this dip cold.  Enjoy! 

Ingredients

• 2 (16 ounce) loaves King's Hawaiian® Sweet Bread
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 (1 ounce) package ranch-style dip mix
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Carefully hollow 1 loaf, leaving 1-inch on sides and bottoms. Cube removed bread and additional loaf.
3. Place bowl and cubes on baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Blend mayo, sour cream and dip; mix together in a large bowl. Add artichoke hearts, spinach and water chestnuts; mix well. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.
5. Transfer to bread bowl and serve with toasted bread cubes.
6. To serve hot: Stir in 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese; microwave on high 4-5 minutes or until hot, stirring occasionally.
7. Transfer dip to bread bowl and serve with toasted bread cubes.

Pork Chops with Apples and Stuffing

kraft recipes does it again.  it delivered a fabulous recipe to my inbox that i couldn't wait to cook.  i mean, apple pie filling for dinner- sold! i already had pork loin at home, so i used that instead of pieces of pork.  this mean was ah-mazing!  enjoy!  

*Sorry for the I phone pic, prettier in person!*

                                            what you need

1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken

1 can  (21 oz.) apple pie filling

6 boneless pork chops (1-1/2 lb.), 3/4 inch thick
make it
HEAT oven to 375ºF.

PREPARE stuffing as directed on package.

SPREAD pie filling onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with chops and stuffing. Cover.

BAKE 40 min. or until chops are done (160ºF), uncovering after 30 min

We served it with garlic and lemon potatoes!  YUM!

.

Ranch Deviled Eggs

I love me some deviled eggs!  I selfishly add them to every holiday menu and know I'll be the one enjoying them the most.  I may even set some aside before I put them out for the guests/family to enjoy.  This again, was an Easter recipe from Betty Crocker.  We enjoyed the eggs while we were cooking before our pasta course.  I love ranch dip and thought the addition of ranch to the typical deviled eggs recipe was genius! I enjoyed more than I'd like to admit, they were just. that. good.  Please note: I did not add any salt to this recipe and felt it did not need any.  Taste before you add salt.  I also omitted the chives, hubs doesn't like them. 


Ingredients:

12	eggs
3	teaspoons dry ranch dressing mix (from 1-oz envelope)
1/3	cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1	teaspoon Dijon mustard
1	tablespoon chopped chives 1In 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, place eggs in single layer. Add enough water to cover eggs by 1 inch. Heat to boiling. Immediately remove from heat; cover and let stand 15 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water. Place eggs in bowl of ice water; let stand 10 minutes. 2To remove shell, crack it by tapping gently all over; roll between hands to loosen. Peel, starting at large end. 3Cut eggs lengthwise in half. Into medium bowl, slip out yolks; mash with fork. Stir dressing mix, mayonnaise and mustard into yolks. 4Spoon or pipe yolk mixture into egg white halves. Sprinkle with chives. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving

Green Beans with Lemon Herb Butter

Talk about an easy and delightful side dish.  And they were just as good left over as they were the night of.  This side was part of our Easter menu from Betty Crocker.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1	package (12 oz) fresh green beans
3	tablespoons butter
1	teaspoon grated lemon peel
1	teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
1/4	teaspoon salt
	Lemon slices, if desired 1Cook green beans as directed on package; drain. 2Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, heat butter over medium heat until melted and beginning to brown; immediately remove from heat. Stir in lemon peel, marjoram and salt. Pour over beans; toss to coat. Garnish with lemon slices

Mashed Potatoes Gratin

I'm a sides kind of gal.  I could forgo all of the meet, pasta and salad and live off of sides.  This potato side from Betty Crocker was one of our Easter recipes.  Easy to make, tasty, perfect pair to brown sugar glazed ham.  Enjoy! 

                                             

  Ingredients: 

	Unsalted butter for greasing casserole
2 1/2	cups Progresso® chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
4	large russet potatoes, peeled, finely chopped (5 cups)
1	teaspoon salt
1/4	cup unsalted butter
4	cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2	cup grated Parmesan cheese
	Salt and pepper to taste, if desired
1/2	cup Progresso® Italian style panko crispy bread crumbs

1. 1
   Heat oven to 375ºF. Lightly butter 2-quart casserole. Pour broth into 2-quart saucepan. Add potatoes; stir in 1 teaspoon salt. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender. Place colander over medium bowl; drain potatoes, reserving broth.
2. 2
   Rinse and dry saucepan. In saucepan, cook 2 tablespoons of the butter and the garlic over low heat 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Return potatoes to saucepan with butter and garlic; mash with potato masher.
3. 3
   
   Add 1 cup of the reserved broth to potatoes; mix until smooth. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 1/4 cup of the cheese. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon potato mixture into casserole. Top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and the bread crumbs.
4. 4
   Bake about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
   

King Ranch Casserole

Loved this dinner.  It's a spin on chicken enchiladas with a ranch twist.  This recipe came from Daisy Brand. D and I had it for dinner last Wednesday and ate it for lunch on Thursday and Friday.  I didn't add the additional green chilies to the top of the casserole and thought it had enough kick the way it is.   

Ingredients

• 1 packet Lay’s® Dip Creations™ Country Ranch Dry Dip Mix
• 1/2 cup Daisy Brand Sour Cream
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 12 yellow corn tortillas
• 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
• 10 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
• 10 ounce can green chilies, undrained
• 3 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Directions

Heat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Mix the dip mix and sour cream in medium bowl. Whisk in the chicken stock. Pour 1/2 cup of the sour cream mixture in the bottom of the baking dish. Layer 4 tortillas over the sauce in the dish, overlapping. Top the tortillas with 1/2 of the chicken. Spoon 1/3 of the tomatoes with the green chilies over the chicken. Sprinkle the tomatoes with 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat the layers and top with the remaining tortillas, tomatoes and green chilies. Pour the remaining sour cream mixture over the top of the casserole. Let the casserole stand for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the casserole with the remaining cheese. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted and browned. Let the casserole stand for 5 minutes before serving to make slicing easier.