Tortellini salad

We are finally having a few warm days and I’m trying to keep myself busy with tasty cold salads.

Here is another great recipe!

Enjoy!!

I adapted the recipe to our taste!

servings

Ingredient Checklist

• 1 (9 ounce) package cheese tortellini 
• 
  
  
  1 small red bell pepper, julienned 
  
  
  
•         ¾ cup broccoli florets, blanched
• ⅓ cup shredded carrots 
• ⅓ cup pitted green olives sliced in half 
• 1 clove garlic, chopped 
• ½ cup mayonnaise 
• ¼ cup prepared basil pesto ( I used my homemade pesto)
• ¼ cup milk 
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar (I used cider vinegar)
• In a separate bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, pesto, milk, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and vinegar. Pour over the tortellini and vegetables, and gently toss to coat. Cover, and place in the refrigerator 1 hour, until chilled. Serve over spinach leaves.
  

Eclair Cake

I changed my original recipe for the eclair cake to make sure I had double the amount of  pudding.  We enjoy lots of creamy pudding as an actual eclair would have.

 The original recipe has less pudding but everything else is the same.  Who doesn’t love lots of creamy pudding?

It seems over the years short cuts have been taken to make a dessert quicker and easier.

The crust is made the way cream puffs or eclairs have always been made for the exception that this recipe is made in a 13x9 in. pan.

I did take a short cut by using instant pudding which I really didn't want to but today wasn't the day to make the from scratch pudding.(I will do it but not today).  I do feel it would be better using homemade pudding. IMO

Here we go!

Bottom eclair crust

1 stick butter
1 cup water
1 cup flour
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Slightly Grease your pan(I used a 13"x 9"glass baking dish).  Just ever so slightly....I used a light spray.

In a saucepan combine butter and water. Bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and with a large spoon stir in flour until it thickens.  It will work away from the side of the pan.  Using a hand mixer add eggs one at at time until all are blended. 

#2

#1

The mixture will be somewhat gooey but I thought easy to spread.

Add mixture to baking pan using a large spatula and spread around the pan trying to get some up the sides.  Bake in 400 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes.  Please Note:  Watch oven carefully, mine was baked to a golden brown in 20 minutes.  

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Note:  I doubled the instant pudding for a double thick amount of pudding.

Eclair cream

2-5.1 oz.package real vanilla instant pudding
4 cups milk
1-8 oz. softened cream cheese
8 oz. cool whip

Chocolate syrup( drizzle or more)lol

In a large bowl make pudding and allow to thicken in refrigerator.  Once thickened beat in slowly softened cream cheese and 4 oz. cool whip.  Refrigerate until crust is completely cooled.

Once crust has cooled top with pudding cream cheese cool whip mixture.  Top with remainder of cool whip and drizzle with Hershey syrup or you can shave a Hershey bar and top the mixture with the shavings.

Enjoy!

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Baby Back Ribs

These Ribs were delicious. Finger licking good!

I lb.  Baby Back ribs

Salt, pepper 

Garlic powder

Onion powder

1/2 cup water 

Sweet Baby Rays Barbecue sauce of choice

 Season the ribs with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder.  I put 1/2 cup water in my crockpot fat side down and  placed seasoned ribs. Cooked on high for approximately 4 hours. 

 Removed from crockpot brushed heavily Sweet Baby Rays placed on a cooking sheet(I used a disposable pan for convenience and easy clean up) and broiled on high about 10 minutes or until barbecue sauce coated the ribs.

Homemade coleslaw, grated and sliced thin a 1/2 head of cabbage 1/4 piece of a red pepper too.  Added Miracle whip, pinch salt and sugar and a tablespoon half and half.  Mix thoroughly and refrigerate until serving.

Yummy dinner for two!  Homemade fries too!  Easy Meal!!

Note: Saves time using the crockpot!  No watching and waiting!

Enjoy!

Meatloaf Burgers

Tonight’s dinner!

 I didn’t feel like fussing so these burgers hit the spot.

Meatloaf burgers, topped with Swiss cheese, lettuce and Mayo on an artisan crusty roll.

Watermelon pieces as our side dish.

I lb. ground beef or meatloaf mix

1 tsp. Salt 

Pinch pepper 

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs 

1egg slightly beaten

I small onion grated 

I tsp.Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup ketchup 

4 slices Swiss cheese

Grate onion over ground beef, add breadcrumbs, half of the ketchup, egg, Worcestershire sauce. Salt and pinch of pepper.

Using you hands mix well.

Divide mixture into 4 equal balls and shape each into a patty.

Arrange on baking sheet and broil until the tops of patties firm up.    About 3 to 4 minutes. Flip patties and broil for another 2 or 3 minutes.

 

Brush each patty with remaining ketchup and top with cheese Continue to broil another 30 seconds or until cheese melts.

Enjoy!

Extra creamy macaroni and cheese

Note:  the creamy macaroni and cheese is 

           On top of picture.

I was determined to get my recipe for macaroni and cheese to be creamier and the below recipe is as close to perfect as you can get.

My family raved over it saying it was the tastiest, creamiest and delicious macaroni and cheese I ever made.  

Can’t totally say where I found it but it might have been Food  network.

I followed the recipe pretty much but where the cheese was added I added out favorites...***

I did make a few substitutions which we loved! 

▢ 1 lb. dried elbow pasta

▢ 1/2 cup unsalted butter

▢ 1/2 cup all purpose flour

▢ 1 1/2 cups whole milk

▢ 2 1/2 cups half and half

▢ 4 cups grated medium sharp cheddar cheese(***I used yellow sharp American cheese) divided (measured after grating)

▢ 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese divided*** ( I used white American cheese)(measured after grating)

▢ 1/2 Tbsp. salt

▢ 1/2 tsp. black pepper

▢ 1/4 tsp. paprika

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and grease a 3 qt baking dish (9x13").  Set aside.Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  When boiling, add dried pasta and cook 1 minute less than the package directs for al dente.  Drain and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil to keep from sticking.

While water is coming up to a boil, grate cheeses and toss together to mix, then divide into three piles.  Approximately 3 cups for the sauce, 1 1/2 cups for the inner layer, and 1 1/2 cups for the topping.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over MED heat.  Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine.  Mixture will look like very wet sand.  Cook for approximately 1 minute, whisking often.  Slowly pour in about 2 cups or so of the milk/half and half, while whisking constantly, until smooth.  Slowly pour in the remaining milk/half and half, while whisking constantly, until combined and smooth.
Continue to heat over MED heat, whisking very often, until thickened to a very thick consistency.  It should almost be the consistency of a semi thinned out condensed soup.  
Remove from the heat and stir in spices and 1 1/2 cups of the cheeses, stirring to melt and combine.  Stir in another 1 1/2 cups of cheese, and stir until completely melted and smooth.
In a large mixing bowl, combine drained pasta with cheese sauce, stirring to combine fully.  Pour half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Top with 1 1/2 cups of grated cheeses, then top that with the remaining pasta mixture.
Sprinkle the top with the last 1 1/2 cups of cheese and bake for 15 minutes, until cheesy is bubbly and lightly golden brown.  
Enjoy!