Fantasy Fudge in a Cloud

This is sooo Heavenly it's not even funny!

Fantasty Fudge in a Cloud

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 (3.3 ounce) package instant white chocolate pudding mix
• 1 cup milk
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 3 bananas, sliced
• 1 cup chopped toasted pecans
• 1 1/4 cups chocolate fudge topping
• 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling

Directions

1. Prepare cake according to package directions and bake in a 9x13 inch pan. Let cool completely. Cut half the cake into 1-inch cubes (saving the other half for another dessert).
2. In a large bowl, beat together pudding mix and milk until thick and creamy. Beat in cream cheese until fluffy. Fold in half the whipped topping.
3. In a large punch or trifle bowl, layer one-third of the cake cubes, one-third of the cream cheese mixture, one-third of the banana slices and one-third of the pecans. Top with one-third of the fudge sauce.
4. Repeat cake and cream cheese layers and top with half the cherry pie filling. Cover the pie filling with one-third of the bananas, one-third of the pecans and one-third of the fudge sauce.
5. Repeat step 4, omitting the pecan layer. Top with remaining whipped topping; drizzle with remaining fudge sauce; and sprinkle with remaining pecans. Refrigerate 4 hours before serving.

Cocoa Apple Cake

This recipe comes from Rachel who got it from Allrecipes.com. She made it for me as part of her dinner to us after Ginger was born and it is amazing!!!
Holy Cow! It was so good!

Cocoa Apple Cake:

3 eggs 1 tsp. baking soda
2 C. gran. sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon
1 C. Butter, softened 1 tsp. allspice
1/2 c. water 1/2 c. semi-sweet choc. chips
2 1/4 c. A.P. flour 2 C. grated apple
2 T. cocoa powder 1 T. vanilla

*Directions:
-Cream together eggs, sugar, butter, & water until fluffy
-In separate bowl combine dry ingredients
- Add dry to wet ingredients
- Fold in choc chips, apple, & vanilla. Stir until evenly distributed
-Spoon into greased, floured 10 inch pan or bundt pan
-Bake @ 325 F 60-70 minutes

Tamale Pie

This is still Tori. :) I got the original Tamale Pie recipe from Kati and I've just added 1 extra ingredient. This is probably my favorite recipe. I make this about once a week. :O) Kati thinks I'm silly, but seriously this is sooooooo freaking good! (****For the best result I like to use the Marie Calender corn bread mix for the cornmeal)

Tamale Pie:

-Preheat oven to 375*

Saute the following ingredients:
*1 1/2 lb ground beef
*large onion chopped
*1 clove garlic crushed (I use 2-3 cloves..and wait until beef is almost completely cooked before adding so it doesn't burn)
*1 large can of diced green chilies (this is the extra ingredient that I add)

Stir in the following ingredients and cook for 5 minutes:
*1 16 oz chopped tomatoes (I use the Italian chopped stewed tomatoes because I have a ton of them)
*1 can of corn or 1-2 c. frozen corn
*1 tsp salt
*6 tsp chili powder
*1/2 tsp pepper

Mix and stir into the above ingredients and cook for 10 minutes:
*1/2 c. cornmeal
*1 c. water
*1 c. sliced black olives (I use a whole can of olives that I slice)

-Pour into 9 x 13 baking dish.

-Cornmeal topping: ( normally I double this...because I love the topping. When I do that I reserve some of the beef mixture and put it in an 8 x 8 pan so that I can freeze a small pan)
-In a medium sized sauce pan scald *1 1/2 c. milk
*1/2 tsp salt
*2 Tbsp butter
*gradually add 1/2 c cornmeal. Stir in until it thickens.
*stir in 1 c. of shredded cheddar cheese.
*stir in 2 beaten eggs
-Pour on top of casserole and bake for 40-50 minutes.

Russian Chicken

This is Tori. I haven't figured out how to post under my own name, so I'm using Kati's until I can do it myself. I'm a dork, I know! :) I make this Russian Chicken about once every two weeks.

Russian Chicken:

*16 oz of Russian, French or Catalina (I've tried all three and I prefer the Catalina) salad dressing
*2-3 lbs of Chicken pieces (I bet you could use pork instead and it's be yummy)
*1/2-1 tsp of Pepper (to taste)
*1 pkg of Onion soup mix
*10 oz of Apricot preserves (I've also used orange marmalade and it was really yummy)
*1/2-1 tsp Salt

**For immediate Cooking:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees, and place all ingredients into a large baking dish. Turn chicken to coat. Bake until chicken juices run clear, 45-60 minutes (just depends). You'd want to use THAWED chicken for this method.

***Crock pot Cooking: (This is how I always do it!)
I put the FROZEN (or you can use thawed but I've always used frozen this way) chicken in the crock pot and then in a separate bowl I mix the other ingredients together and pour over the chicken. Set the crock pot to low and let it cook away for 6-8 hours.

****For Freezing:
Place all ingredients into a 1-gallon freezer bag. Lay flat in freezer. You'd want to start off with THAWED chicken.

--Serve over rice. Crock pot method is the way to go! :) Enjoy!

Tori's Meatloaf

*3 lbs Hamburger
*Italian bread crumbs (no exact amt, use enough so that mixture isn't too soggy, want it to be that of meatball texture)
*2 Eggs
*1 tsp Salt
*1 tsp Pepper
*1 Medium chopped onion
*1-2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
*2 (15 oz) Cans tomato sauce (divided)
*1 Green bell pepper chopped
*1 c. Light brown sugar (divided)

-In a large mixing bowl mix first 9 ingredients together using only 1 can of the tomato sauce (save the second can for sauce!). Add in 1/2 c. of brown sugar and mix well.

-Spray cooking pan with nonstick cooking spray. (Don't have to do this step...I've done it both ways)

-Preheat oven to 350*. I just plop meat mixture in the casserole dish and smooth it out so the top is even and then poke the holes across the top. Bake it for about 45 minutes, and then pull it out and spoon most of the grease out of it. Before putting it back in the oven pour the topping on it.

-Topping:
*1 Can of tomato sauce
*1/2 c. Light brown sugar
**Heat sugar and sauce together until it's well incorporated. (Can heat in the microwave!)
**Pour on top of the meatloaf and put back in the oven. Bake for another 45 minutes or until the meat is cooked through. I like to let it bake until the top gets a little thick and carmaelized. This is our favorite meatloaf recipe. I found the original online somewhere and changed a few things to make it my own. Enjoy!!!

Mexican Chicken Bake

So, I have been getting WIC checks and didn't realize that I could be getting corn tortillas and finally went and picked some up last week. Then I also realized that I don't know any recipes that include them and I'm not a huge fan of eating them (unless they are fried). Anyway, so I browsed through some of my recipes and found another from my dear old friend, Paula, who I know can cook really well and I always loved her food. I can't seem to help myself when it comes to cooking and I end up adding a little of this or that or changing one thing or another, so once again it is a little more "my way."

Mexican Chicken Bake:

1 can cream of mushroom (I only had cream of mushroom...so I did two cans)
1 can cream of chicken
2 3/4 cups milk
1 chicken cooked and shredded (I did 3 split breast...well, I was going to only do 2 but I left Charles in charge and he put in all 3)

1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup salsa (I put in about 1/2 cup)
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 Lrg. onion finely chopped
(I also added pepper and onion powder)

1 pkg. about 18 small corn tortilla shells cut into quarters (like chips)

*Combine soups and milk; stir well. Add in everything else except tortillas pieces.
**Lightly grease a casserole pan and layer the chicken mixture and alternate with the tortillas. Make sure that you end with the tortillas because it makes a crispy topping.
Sprinkle with cheese and bake until hot and bubbling at 350 degrees.

*** This was the first time I've made this and I felt it needed something like corn thrown in there. Also, I found a similar recipe in another book and it said to lightly fry the corn tortilla's.
I may try it that way next time, but not frying them was really good, too.

Stuffed Giant Shells

I've been using this recipe for awhile now and have been tweaking it over time to get it just right. The original recipe is from my friend Paula who I met at BYU-H and it is so delicious!

Stuffed Giant Shells -my way.

Boil 1 box giant shells

approx. 1lb grnd beef, 1lb Italian sausage, 1lb shredded zucchini (throw the zucchini in once the meat is nearly completely browned)
1. lrg. onion chopped

Saute' together until completely cooked; hit it with salt, pepper, onion powder, and a little garlic powder and italian seasoning to taste and 1/4 cup fresh parsley or a couple tablespoons of dried.

Set the meat in a large bowl and let cool.

Once cooled: add 1 egg, 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs, and 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.

Mix by hand until it's all blended well and resembles a meatloaf.

In a large deep pan, cover the bottom with spaghetti sauce, save enough for another pan if you need it and to cover the shells. Sprinkle on some parmesan and mozzarella and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Stuff the shells and lay them face up or down. Cover with more spaghetti sauce. (I like the Fred Meyer brand)

I've made this many times but can never remember if the last time I laid them open side down or not...Note to self: I laid them open side down and the noodle was a little dry. Try open side up next time!