Mexican Cheese Dip

Mexican Cheese Dip
1 pound white American cheese, cubed
1/2 cup milk, or as needed
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chilies
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
cayenne pepper to taste
Place cheese, milk, and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook until cheese has melted, stirring frequently. Stir in green chilies, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper to taste. Add more milk if dip is too thick. Heat through and serve immediately.

Crock-Pot Tortellini Soup

Crock-Pot Tortellini Soup
1 bag of frozen tortellini
1 small bag of fresh spinach or kale
2 cans of Italian style diced tomatoes
1 box or 4 cups of chicken broth
1 block of cream cheese
Put all ingredients in crock-pot, chunking up the cream cheese.  Cook on low for 5-6 hrs.

Chicken Ferocious

Chicken Ferocious
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
1 cup SPLENDA
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
2 tablespoons garlic powder, or to taste
1 tablespoon onion powder, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 (8 ounce) package button mushrooms, sliced
1 cup frozen green peas
3 green onions, chopped
3 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over high heat. Add chicken pieces, and fry, stirring, until browned. Pour in the vinegar, soy sauce, and SPLENDA; stirring until sweetener is dissolved. Season with red pepper flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, and ginger. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste the sauce at this point and adjust seasoning to taste. The sauce should be very sweet. If it is too tart, add more SPLENDA; if it is too sweet, add more vinegar.  Once the sauce is to your liking, add the mushrooms, peas, and green onions. Simmer gently over low heat for another 5 minutes, until the mushrooms shrink a bit. Stir together the cornstarch and water, and stir it into the sauce. Continue to simmer until it reaches the desired thickness.

Refrigerator Pickles

Refrigerator Pickles
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1-2 teaspoons celery seed (I use 2)
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups sliced cucumber
3 small onions, thinly sliced
Place sliced cucumber and onions in a large container or bowl. In a separate bowl, stir vinegar, sugar, water and salt together until dissolved. Add celery seed. Pour mixture over cucumber and onions and refrigerate.

Stuffed Shells

Stuffed Shells
1 (16 ounce) package jumbo pasta shells
4 cups large curd cottage cheese
12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 pinch garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cook shells according to package directions. Place in cold water to stop cooking. Drain.  Mix together cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, eggs, and garlic powder. Rub the dried herbs in the palms of your hands to pulverize them, and stir into the cheese mixture. Stuff mixture into the shells.  Spread 1/3 of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 15 x 10 inch pan. Place shells open side up, and close together in pan. Spread remaining sauce over top, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 35 minutes, or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Caramel Banana Nut Poke Cake

Caramel Banana Nut Poke Cake 
Cake:
1 (16.5 ounce) box yellow cake mix, prepared according to directions
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 ounce) jar caramel sauce
Topping:
1 (3.4 ounce) box instant banana pudding
1 1/2 cups milk
1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip
Nut topping
Make yellow cake according to the box directions for a 9x13 cake.  Let cool.  Using a fork, poke holes all over the top of the cake.  Pour sweetened condensed milk and caramel sauce over the top of the cake, letting them soak into the cake.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together banana pudding mix and milk for two minutes, until it begins to thicken.  Fold in Cool Whip until completely combined.  Spread Cool Whip/pudding mixture over the top of the cake.  Sprinkle on nut topping and drizzle with any leftover caramel.  Store in the refrigerator until time to serve.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake

No-Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake
18 regular oreos, finely crushed (in a food processor or with a rolling pin)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
⅓ cup sugar
1 8-oz container cool whip
¼ cup peanut butter
¼ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup milk
Mix together oreos and butter. Press firmly into the bottom of an 8x8” pan.  In medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Fold in cool whip.  Spoon mixture into the 8x8 pan.  In a separate bowl, mix together peanut butter, powdered sugar, and milk.
Place mixture in dollops on top of the cream cheese, and swirl with a knife. If you want to set it up so it cuts a little better, you can refrigerate it for 2-3 hours.