Twisted Inside-Out Stuffed Peppers

I seem to be on an inside-out quest these days, with inside-out cabbage rolls and now this delicious inside-out stuffed pepper dish. Since I only had 2 good-sized peppers - a yellow and an orange pepper -  on  hand but wanted to make an economical, diet-friendly dish that would last several meals, this just seemed to make sense. The flavors of the ingredients were simmered to delectable perfection and the dish turned out delicious. I do love 'one pan dinners!' So here is my secret to the "perfect," easier to prepare 

[Yes, these are the left-overs since we devoured dinner before I could take photos - oops]

Twisted Inside-Out Stuffed Peppers.

                                            

 Ingredients

• One lb lean ground beef - 80% lean or so
• 3/4 sweet onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 yellow and one orange bell pepper (or green or red), coarsely chopped
• Combined 2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp garlic salt, pinch of pepper and dash of salt
• 1 24-oz jar of your favorite spaghetti or marinara sauce
• 1/4 c. water
• 3 c. cooked white or brown rice 
• 1 c combo of sharp cheddar and mozzarella cheese (or whatever you have at home)

Preparation

1. Cook rice as directed on package. Remove from heat and cover.
2. Place 1 tbsp oil into large skillet or saucepan. Add ground beef, onion and seasoning. Cook over med-high heat, stirring often, until ground beef is brown - about 10 minutes. Add peppers to the mixture and stir for another 10 minutes or so, until the beef is crumbly and onions are translucent. With lean beef you shouldn't have to drain off any fat.
3. Pour jar of sauce over the top, place water in jar and swirl, pouring into pan to use up the last of the sauce in the jar. Stir, then reduce heat to let mixture simmer after  it reaches a gentle boil. Simmer, stirring often, for approximately 10 minutes to blend flavors and heat sauce.
4. Add rice and stir thoroughly, simmering for an additional 5 minutes until thoroughly heated and all ingredients are combined.
5. Grate cheese and sprinkle on top while the mixture is simmering, then turn off heat. The cheese will melt into gooey deliciousness on top.
6. Let sit five minutes, then serve in bowls or plates with sides. Refrigerate left-overs as soon as slightly cooled.
7. This will serve 6-8 hungry people and may be accompanied with a green salad, breadsticks or rolls if desired.

This is what it looks like when hungry critters smell the concoction cooking :) I won't post a photo of what we looked like it eating it. It might be embarrassing.

 

No Bake Italian Cake

<from Wrap You Skinny With Tonya>

No Bake Italian Cake

No-Bake Italian Cake

Ingredients

• 1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 c crushed pineapple, un-drained
• 40-50 vanilla wafers
• 1 8-oz. carton light cool whip, thawed
• 2 cups sweetened, flaked coconut
• 12-16 maraschino cherries, rinsed

Whisk together sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. Mix in pineapple with juice and set aside.

Line the bottom of a small glass baking dish (8x8 or 7x10) with vanilla wafers. Pour all of the pineapple mixture over vanilla wafers then add another layer of vanilla wafers on top of pineapple mixture. Spread cool whip evenly on top of vanilla wafers then sprinkle with coconut. Top with cherries then cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours before serving.

Simply Delicious

                                  

Note: I got this recipe on Facebook and had to try it. I used a more-or-less 7x10 dish that came with a cover so I broke some of the wafers in half to fill the pan. It worked :)

Taco Tortilla "Lasagna"

Taco Tortilla "Lasagna"

I made this dish for the first time last night, using a bit of ingenuity and improvisation, and once he tasted it, Mike said this is better than a "Taco Tortilla Lasagna," and so the recipe name was crowned.  I was lucky to be able to use some home-made tortillas that a friend gave me from a trip to New Mexico, and that certainly added to the flavor, but the whole thing blended extremely well and tasted delicious. Here's the recipe for anyone who loves Mexican food with a twist:

Ingredients

• 6 flour tortillas (8 inch or so in diameter)
• 3/4 lb lean ground beef
• 1/2  16 oz. jar taco sauce
• 1/2 pkg taco seasoning 
• 1/2  24 oz. jar medium salsa
• 6 oz low fat refried beans (1/2 can)
• 1 lb grated sharp cheddar cheese
• reduced fat sour cream (if desired)
• 3 green onions, chopped

Preparation

1. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Brown ground beef in approximately 1 tbsp oil until no pink shows. Drain, Mix with half the taco sauce and the package of taco seasoning. Simmer until blended and slightly thickened (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat.
3. Place 1 tortilla on prepared pan. Top with half the beef mixture and 1/4 of the grated cheese.
4. Spread refried beans on another tortilla and place it on top of the first tortilla to add to the stack. Top with 1/2 the salsa and 1.4 of the grated cheese.
5. Place tortilla on top and repeat step 3
6. Repeat step 4 with a 4th tortilla.
7. Place the final tortilla on top. Spread with remaining taco sauce, sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and top with the chopped green onions. 
8. Place in preheated oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes, until the tortillas are slightly crisp and the fillings are melted and thoroughly heated.                         
9.  Let rest for 5 minutes. Slice into wedges and serve with reduced fat sour cream, if desired.

Monkey Bread

                       

Golden gooey deliciousness

I made a different kind of Monkey Bread last week - it had large (Grands) biscuits and it turned out especially good. I had to share this with you

Monkey Bread

Ingredients

• 1 can of Grands or large generic biscuits
• cinnamon sugar (white granulated sugar and powdered cinnamon)
• melted butter
• cooking spray
• caramel topping (commercial)

Preparation

1. Spray a small bundt or angel food pan with cooking spray. Cut biscuits in quarters (half and half again) using kitchen scissors. 
2. Dip biscuit pieces in melted butter and then roll in cinnamon sugar (you can place the sugar mixture in a ziplock bag and shake pieces to make it easier). 
3. Drop into prepared cake pan and repeat until all biscuit pieces are used and pan is approximately 1/2 to 3/4 full. Make sure biscuit pieces are more-or-less evenly distributed so they rise and bake evenly. 
4. Drizzle with your favorite thick caramel topping (I used Smuckers).  
5. Bake as directed on biscuit package - approximately 20-25 minutes or until biscuits are golden. 
6. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before turning onto plate or platter. I just put a plate over the bottom  of the pan and inverted it, tapping it gently to release any stuck pieces. 
7. Serve right away for best flavor and texture.

top view of golden gooey deliciousness

Strawberry Fritters

This recipe is delicious with any fruit, from a fascinating website that gives 21st century flair to traditional French and British dishes. This is actually a French recipe, and it looks amazing. I could only imagine the taste! Another one on my 'to do' list!

Strawberry (or any seasonal fruit) Fritters

Ingredients

• 1 lb. all-purpose flour
• 5-8 oz. of white wine
• 2 large eggs
• 2 Tbsp. brandy
• zest of two lemons (approximately 2 tsp.)
• 2 lb. strawberries
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 lb. of lard or peanut oil

Preparation

1. Make a batter with the first four ingredients. Add the lemon zest. The batter is right when it resembles a medium pancake batter and can make a rope or a figure eight in the bowl as it drips from a spoon.
2. Dunk the strawberries in the batter and then set them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. When the pan is full, put it in the refrigerator for about an hour.
3. Melt the lard in a frying pan. When the lard has reached 360 degrees on a thermometer, fry the strawberries in the hot fat.
4. Fry them a nice brown, then dust them with sugar.
5. Put the sugared strawberries under a broiler for a minute or two to melt the sugar.

Lemon Syllabub

Here is a recipe that's right up my alley - you can use sweet vermouth, sherry or white wine to concoct this delectable traditional dish and make it even better! This is the lemon-flavored version, from the BBC.

Lemon Syllabub

Ingredients

• 4 lemon shortbread biscuits
• 110ml/4fl oz sweet vermouth
• 250ml/9fl oz double cream (whipping cream)
• 4 tbsp icing sugar
• 8 tbsp lemon curd
• 2 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted 
• 2 sprigs fresh mint (or lemon peel)

Preparation method

1. Crumble a biscuit into the bottom of each of four sundae or whiskey glasses.
2. Drizzle over one tablespoon of sweet vermouth into each glass.
3. Pour the cream into a bowl and add the icing sugar.
4. Whisk the cream until soft peaks form.
5. Fold in the remaining sweet vermouth.
6. Add the lemon curd and lightly fold through, leaving a marbled effect.
7. Spoon the cream mixture into each of the glasses.
8. Top with the flaked almonds and a sprig of mint or lemoon peel (as pictured).
9. Serve chilled.

Apple Cinnamon Bread and Rolls

Aren't recipes that do double duty fun? This one makes a perfect (huge) loaf of apple cinnamon bread AND 9 humongous or 12 big apple cinnamon rolls, just by doubling the recipe. Easy to do, and the result is very impressive! I prefer real eggs to substitutes when making bread, so that's what I used.

Apple Cinnamon Bread

Huge and delicious Apple Cinnamon Bread

Ingredients (may be doubled to make bread AND rolls)

• 2 1/2 - 3 c all-purpose flour
• 1 pkg active dry yeast
• 2/3 c fat-free milk
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp cooking oil (I used 2 tbsp margarine)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 large egg
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1-2 tsp packed golden brown sugar (or more)
• 1-2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp melted margarine
• 1 medium cooking apple (I used Granny Smith)
• 1/3 c powdered sugar (optional)
• 1- 1 1/2 tsp apple juice or fat-free milk (optional)

Talk about a huge loaf of bread! 

Directions

1. Place 1/2 c warm water and 1 tsp sugar in a glass measuring cup or bowl. Sprinkle on 1 pkg yeast and let sit to rise for 10 minutes. Place 1 c of flour in a large mixing bowl. 
2. In saucepan, heat and stir milk, granulated sugar, oil (margarine) and salt JUST until warm. Add to flour mixture along with the yeast and egg. Beat with an electric mixer on low or medium speed for 30 seconds to blend. Increase mixer speed to medium or high and mix and scrape the sides of the bowl for an additional 3 minutes. This gives you the desirable air bubbles to help the dough rise. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can. 
3. On a lightly floured surface, knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that's smooth and elastic. This takes 5 to 10 minutes. You may need to sprinkle on a bit of extra flour as you work the dough to keep it from being sticky. Shape into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. 
4. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double (about one hour). I turned my oven to 150 degrees, let it preheat and turned it off. A couple of minutes later, it proved to be a perfect rising spot for my dough. I wrapped dough and bowl in a clean tea towel to keep it warm.
5. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Cover to rest for 10 minutes. Spray an 8x4x2 inch loaf pan WELL with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. In a small mixing bowl, stir together brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. Peel and chop apple into small pieces and sprinkle with lemon juice. 
6. Roll dough into a 12x8 rectangle. Spread with approximately 2 tbsp of melted margarine. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon mixture and then sprinkle apple chunks evenly on top.
7. Starting from the short side, roll carefully like a jelly roll. Seal the edges and ends, placing bread seam-side down in a prepared (cooking spray coated) pan. Cover and let rise until double in side (about 30 to 45 minutes). 
8. Bake in 375 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the bread sounds hollow when tapped. Mine took the full 30 minutes. You may cover bread with foil during the last 10-15 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning. 
9. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack or clean tea towel. 
10. If desired, stir together powdered sugar and enough apple juice or milk to drizzle over the top of the loaf. This makes one loaf of bread.

TO MAKE ROLLS:

My kitchen never smelled better!

**DOUBLE THE RECIPE.** 

1. Make bread as directed, using half the dough and reserving the remaining half of the dough to make the rolls. I simply chopped up 3 medium apples and a little extra cinnamon and brown sugar to make sure we would have enough to give it that delicious flavor. 
2. Use the other half of the dough to make another roll-up, as you would for the bread. Using a serrated knife, dental floss or thread, cut the roll into 9 to 12 equal sized pieces to form rolls. Instead of placing in a loaf pan, spray a 9x9 or 9x13 baking pan WELL with cooking spray. 
3. Spread bottom of pan with approximately 2 tbsp melted butter or margarine and sprinkle with brown or golden brown sugar. Place rolls in prepared pan, either 3 across and 4 down for smaller rolls (in 9x13 pan) or 3 across and 3 down in 9x13 pan for huge rolls. Place tiny pieces of butter or margarine between rolls to give you a bit of a glazed/sticky bun effect once baked. Your choice.

 

4. Let rise for half an hour, as with the bread and then bake with the bread to give you twice the deliciousness. It should take approximate 20-25 minutes, depending upon the size of the rolls.

5. Once done, remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack or clean tea towel. You may spread with frosting (as above) if desired. This recipe makes wonderful cinnamon apple rolls.

Note: it's better not to frost bread or buns before freezing. If you wish, you may save half to eat now and freeze the rest in Ziploc bags or freezer containers. Thaw and frost before serving. I froze the loaf and kept the cinnamon rolls to eat now :P

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Shepherd's (Sheppard's) Pie

I always had a romantic vision of this dish: probably after watching "Heidi" when I was young. I envisioned shepherds sitting it their little huts eating this dish after a long, hard stint on the hills. Maybe that's not so far-fetched, but lately I have been seeing it written as "Sheppard's Pie," not "Shepherd's Pie." I think I like my lonely shepherd version more :)

Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

• 4 oz green beans, chopped in 1 inch pieces
• 2 each yellow corn cobs (cut corn from the cobs) or use 1 can corn
• 4 each Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 red and 1 yellow pepper, diced
• 1/2 sweet onion, sliced and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb ground beef or chicken (I prefer beef)
• 1 c turkey gravy (the original recipe called for beef gravy)
• 1/4 c water
• 4 oz (1/2 an 8-oz pkg) Neufchatel or soft cream cheese)
• 1 c milk, divided
• 4 -5 medium potatoes, peeled, cubed,boiled and drained
• 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Blanch green beans and cut corn in salted boiling water. Drain and set aside
2. Brown meat with garlic and onion. Pour off the excess fat. Stir in gravy, vegetables and water; simmer for 5 minutes or heated through, stirring occasionally. 
3. Microwave cream cheese and 1/4 c milk in medium microwavable bowl on HIGH for 30 seconds; beat with whisk until blended.
4. Mash potatoes with cream cheese mixture to make a creamy texture (not runny)
5. Spoon meat mixture into bottom of a large, greased casserole (I used "Pam"). Top with mashed potato mixture, spreading to edge of casserole. Sprinkle with Parmesan, swirling it gently into the potato mixture to give it a bit of texture and taste. 
6. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 min. It gives the potatoes a nice golden edge and combines the flavors. 
7. Let sit for 10 minutes before spooning out of the dish. Serve with a green salad or your choice of side dish. It's literally a meal in a casserole.

Note from The Little Cook: The original recipe called for potato flakes. I prefer the 'real deal' to commercial. It also had the potatoes spooned on top of the meat combination to look like little ghosts, with pea eyes. Cute, but with just the 2 of us, we prefer it as a casserole. I have discovered that Neufchatel is much creamier for dishes such as this and tastes every bit as good with half the calories. I actually enjoyed cutting the corn from the cob, but some folks prefer canned or frozen corn. Whatever suits you best, or even better, whatever you have in the house to save you a bit of cash! Also, I think beef gravy would be very strong. I deliberately used turkey gravy (commercial) and we preferred the taste.

Easy Crescent Danish Rolls

My boss at work gave me this recipe and said I "had" to try it (Thanks, Kathy!) and she was right! Easy Crescent Danish Rolls was the Pillsbury Bake-Off Winner in 1978 and it hasn't lost an ounce of ooph since them. Chock full of ooey gooey deliciousness (as you will see from the photos) it's a winner from start to finish. Best yet, it's quick to prepare even when you make you own apple filling, like I did (recipe included). Great with my afore-published breakfast patties for a totally decadent, yum-filled brunch of champions (or something like that).

Easy Crescent Danish Rolls

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients

• 1 8 oz package of Neufchatel cheese (1/3 less calories than cream cheese)
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cans Crescent seamless dough sheets
• 4 (or more) tbsp of your favorite fruit preserve (my recipe follows)

Icing

• 1 tsp vanilla (I used rum extract because I had no vanilla in the house)
• 1/2-1 c powdered sugar (depending on how runny you like your glaze)
• 2-3 tsp milk (I used about a tablespoon or 2 with about 1 c of powdered sugar)

My imperfectly perfect spiral coils

Preparation

1. In a small bowl, blend Neufchatel, sugar and lemon juice.
2. Roll out crescent dough, one can at a time, and cut into 4 rectangles.
3. Spread rectangles of dough with about 3 tbsp of the cream cheese mixture.
4. Starting at long side, gently roll and twist at the same time until the roll is about 10 inches long. Coil loosely into spirals with seam inside. Seal ends (ok, I am not a perfectionist and my rolls aren't all that neat, but they sure look good!)
5. There should be an indentation in the middle of the coil, but use your thumb to make it slightly larger and fill with half a tablespoon or so of preserves (we like lots of filling).
6. Arrange on parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 to 30 minutes (until deep golden brown)

The cream cheese is oozing out - more ooey gooey deliciousness!

Mix the powdered sugar, rum or vanilla extract and milk. Drizzle over warm rolls. Serve and enjoy!

Jealous yet? Yum!

Apple Filling

Peel, core and finely chop 2 Granny Smith apples. Place in small saucepan with enough water to cover the apples. Cook on 'medium' heat on stove until the apples are tender (about 15 minutes). Add 1/2 c sugar, 1-2 tsp cinnamon and 2-3 tbsp cornstarch, mixed into a paste with 1/2 c of water. Cook mixture together on 'medium' heat until thickened - approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop from sticking and scorching. Remove from heat and use to fill the danishes. Since you will only use half, the rest can be canned, frozen or kept in the fridge until you need apple preserves for pancakes, waffles or (most likely) another go-around of this recipe!

Totally Tasty Brunch Patties

Totally Tasty Brunch Patties

Tasty, totally yummy deliciousness

Getting creative in the kitchen can sometimes yield some pretty yummy treats. And then again, sometimes not. These were on the totally tasty side of things. With sausage, mashed potatoes, squash, peppers and onions, not to mention grated cheese and seasoned bread crumbs, you get the full blend of everything lovely for breakfast, brunch or a light lunch or dinner. For breakfast, these patties are delicious with sliced apples, pear and peaches, or even a fruit compote. For lunch or dinner, a side of spinach or green salad (or even a nice tart coleslaw or Waldorf salad) would be ideal. Like Mike said, "It's everything in a patty." Yes, indeed.

Ingredients

• 4 medium to small potatoes, cubed, boiled in lightly salted water until tender
• 2 medium butternut squash: halved, seeded and baked in 350 degree oven for half an hour (until tender).
• 1/2 small sweet or white onion (about 1/2 c) - finely chopped
• 1 large yellow pepper, seeded and chopped into small pieces
• 1/4 c light golden (or brown) sugar
• 2 c fine Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 2-3 mild Italian sausages
• 1/2 c grated mixed cheese (I used Mexican cheese blend)
• 1/4 c evaporated milk mixed with 1/4 c water
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp butter or margarine
• 1 tbsp canola oil + 1/2 c canola oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp parsley
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper (or red pepper flakes)
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Method

Shaped patties just begging to be cooked!

1. Prepare potatoes and squash as directed. 
2. While they are cooking, remove sausage meat from casings and break into small pieces, placing in cold frying pan sprayed with cooking spray, along with 1 tbsp canola oil, chopped onion, chopped yellow pepper, sugar, garlic, parsley, thyme and ginger. Cook until no pink remains in the sausage, and the onions are cooked through and translucent (about 10 minutes). Add apple cider vinegar, stir thoroughly and simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes. Drain and let stand.
3. Let squash cool for 10 minutes before scooping out the flesh and chopping into cubes. Mash together with mashed potatoes, salt, pepper, meat mixture, margarine/butter, egg, evaporated milk and water, and grated cheese
4. Stir in 1 c finely crushed Italian seasoned bread crumbs.
5. Let cool in fridge for approximately half an hour. This makes it easier to handle
6. Spread remaining bread crumbs on a sheet of waxed paper. Remove mixture from fridge and shape into 8 patties. 
7. Place approximately 1/2 c canola oil  in a medium frying pan which has been sprayed with Pam or an alternate cooking spray. It should just cover the bottom. Heat on medium high. 
8. Dredge each pattie in the bread crumbs, patting gently before flipping to the other side, and place carefully in frying pan. Cook on high for approximately 1-2 minutes on the first side and 1 minute on the second, until the pattie is golden and sizzling. Press pattie gently as it cooks so it holds together. You should be able to cook 4 at a time in a medium frying pan.
9. Place patties on absorbent paper (paper towel) or preferably parchment paper (so no sticking) for oil to drain. You want the flavor, not the grease!
10. Voila! Let patties drain for a couple of minutes before serving. Warning: It smells so delicious it's difficult to keep your fingers off them before they cool slightly!

Especially decadent with Crescent Danishes with homemade apple filling - recipe in next blog entry. The total brunch experience.

Baked Ziti

The Little Cook's Baked Ziti

I have found dozens of recipes for baked ziti, but for some reason I keep trying new ones. As you can tell by the photo, this latest one turned out pretty dang good! So here is The Little Cook's latest variation on the theme of Baked Ziti.

Ingredients

• 1 lb of your favorite type of pasta, precooked as to package directions
• 1 tub of ricotta cheese
• 1 large (20 oz?) jar of your favorite spaghetti or marinara sauce - I used home-made
• 1c water
• 1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 pkg (about 6 - 8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 pkg (about 6 - 8 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 small jar/can of black olives, cut in half

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a 9x13 inch lasagna or cake pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
3. Place cooked pasta in a large mixing bowl. Add ricotta cheese, 3/4 of the jar of spaghetti/marinara sauce and water. Mix in parsley and salt (about 1 tsp). Fold mixture until blended.
4. Cover the bottom of the baking pan with the remainder of sauce. Spoon pasta mixture on top, evenly spreading with a spatula. Sprinkle cheeses evenly on top to cover. Sprinkle olives over the cheese.
5. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the top is slightly golden in color.
6. Let set for about 10 minutes, for the pasta to settle, before enjoying. Serve with a green salad, additional olives and some good fresh bread. Mangia!

*Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake*

Ingredients

§          2 pkg. (21.4 oz. each) JELL-O No Bake Cherry Topped Cheesecake

§          10 Tbsp. margarine, melted

§          1/4 c. sugar

§          2 Tbsp. Water

§          3 cups cold milk

§          3 squares  BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted, cooled

 

Preparation

1.       MIX Crust Mixes, margarine, sugar and water in medium bowl with fork until crumbs are well moistened. Press firmly onto bottom and 2 inches up side of 9-inch springform pan. Spread contents of 1 of the Fruit Pouches onto bottom of crust.

2.       POUR milk into medium mixing bowl. Add both Filling Mixes; beat with electric mixer on low speed until blended. Beat on medium speed 3 minutes. (Filling will be thick.) Remove 1 cup of the filling mixture; blend with the melted chocolate. Add to remaining filling mixture; mix well. Spoon into crust. Top with contents of the remaining Fruit Pouch.

3.      Refrigerate at least 1 ½ hours or until firm. Garnish with dollops of whipped cream or chocolate curls (shaved chocolate from a large bar with a cheese grater or slicer) if desired. To serve, run small knife or spatula around side of the pan to loosen crust, then remove side of pan. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

VARIATION

Cheesecake can also be prepared in 13x9-inch pan. Prepare as directed, pressing all of the crumb mixture onto bottom of pan. If you line the pan with parchment paper, waxed paper, or plastic wrap, it will be easier to remove the cake after cooling.

GREAT SUBSTITUTE

         Prepare as directed, using JELL-O No Bake Strawberry Topped Cheesecake.


*Recipe originally adapted from kraft.com. Imagination provided by you!