Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

I really love cheesecake. Well, honestly- I really love cream cheese. I mean, really. Cream cheese fillings are the best things ever. I am a sucker for anything cream cheese. Ok, I think you get it. I got this great little cookbook, Nestle Toll House Best-Loved Recipes. It's actually a board book, like a kid's book. Anyway, I have really enjoyed trying some yummies from it. This cheesecake is great, and easy. Oh, and if you happen to forget about it and not hear the oven go off and let it cook for who-knows-how-many extra minutes, it will still taste great. Yeah, it happened.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
Crust
1 1/2 cups (about 15) crushed Oreos
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 cups NESTLE' TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Morsels, divided

Filling
2 packages (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp. flour
3/4 c evaporated milk
1/2 c sour cream

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Combine cookie crumbs and butter in bowl.

Press into a 9-inch springform pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup morsels.
Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
Beat in eggs and flour. Gradually beat in evaporated milk and sour cream.
Pour over crust.
Sprinkle with remaining morsels.
Bake for 25 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for an
additional 30-40 minutes. DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CHEESECAKE.
Edges should be set, but center still will move slightly.
Place in refrigerator immediately; refrigerate 2 hours.Remove sides of springform pan, slice.

Even though I cooked it who-knows-how-long, it was still creamy, and delicious. Not too chocolate-y. It was gone after 2 days. I will definitely be making this again.

Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breasts

My dad used to make me this yummy chicken dish, and I felt so grown up eating it. I was under 10, but this was one of my favorite meals!! Chicken, pounded thin, filled with a pesto- cream cheese spread and baked, then topped with bernaise sauce. It's divine!!! I was worried, though. I hoped it would still be as good as I remembered. Good news- It was!!! My husband and I were talking during dinner of the endless possibilities you could fill the chicken with- you could pretty much put anything you want in them. Try it this way first- then let your imagination have some fun!

Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breast
boneless skinless chicken breast, pounded thin
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 package dried pesto sauce mix
3/4 c cornflakes (I used Ritz crackers)
1/4 c bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. paprika

Mix pesto and cream cheese. Season with salt and pepper

mix bread crumbs, ritz cracker crumbs and paprika
Chicken breast pounded thin. I seasoned with salt and pepper
Spread the pesto cream cheese
Roll them up, secure with toothpicks and cover in cracker mixture
REFRIGERATE for at least one hour
I cheated. Sorry! I'm so cheap. When I looked up the recipe for bernaise sauce, I would have to buy 3 or 4 special ingredients just for the sauce. I knew the packaged sauce was good, and the dinner was just for us, so I just bought the package.
Bake the chicken for 25 minutes at 325.
Let cool for a minute, then slice. Cover with bernaise sauce.
I am thinking of a garlic-cream cheese spread next time.
What kind of filling would you like to use?

Creamy Tomato Soup

My tastes have really changed in the last few years. I would never even tasted a tomato soup, even 3 years ago. Once I really started cooking everyday, I realized I needed to branch out a bit. And, through cooking, I realized how many great flavors there are out there. They always say, if you want your kids to eat better, have them help you in the kitchen. First, they will take pride and ownership in what they are cooking and want to eat it. Second, in preparing it, they will see it come together and smell it, and it will be more appetizing to them. I think that is totally true.
Now, I could still use some branching-out. It's not like I cook all types of food. But, cooking has helped me to learn and appreciate more flavors. It's- what? you mean, you don't want to hear about my foodie pilgrimage from cheeseburger pie to creamy tomato soup?
Alright, here's the recipe.
This soup is creamy (as the title promises) and not too rich. My kids even liked it!! Of course, they crunched up half a sleeve of Saltines in there's, but who cares. They ate tomato soup!!! We have been enjoying this all week. It makes quite a bit.

Creamy Tomato Soup
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 slice bacon, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
5 Tbsp. flour
4 1/2 c chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes
3 parsley springs
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 cup heavy cream

Heat the butter in a large pot on medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook,
stirring, until crisp and the fat has rendered. Remove the bacon. Lower the heat.

Chop your veggies (they don't have to be perfect- you will be blending it all later
in your blender or immersion blender, if your a fancy pants.)
Add the onions, carrots, garlic and celery and cook,
stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes.Stir in the flour, and cook, stirring for 2 minutes.
Pour in the broth,
and crush the tomatoes through your fingers into the pan. Bring to a boil while whisking.
Tie the parsley, thyme and bay leaf together with string and add to the pot. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
Remove and discard the herb bundle. Transfer the mixture in batches to your blender until it is all pureed. Or, just stick your fancy pants immersion blender in the pot and puree away. *I need another kitchen gadget like I need 5 more pounds, but an immersion blender is just so neat.

Reheat puree over medium heat. Whisk in cream, salt and pepper, to taste. Divide among bowls and serve. I topped mine with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

This was perfect this week, when we had ice and no school on Wednesday. Nothing better than a middle of the week "snow" day!!

Pumpkin Yeast Rolls

Make these rolls. Just trust me- you want to make these rolls. Let's see- first off, they are easy. They aren't quick, but they are easy. And second- let's see, how do I put this- they are AMAZING. Buttery, dense yeast rolls- with pumpkin. Oh, I love these rolls.


Pumpkin Yeast Rolls
3 3/4 cup flour
1 package yeast
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c milk
1/4 c honey
1/2 c canned pumpkin
1 egg
1/2 cup warm water
1 stick butter

In a large bowl, mix flour, yeast and salt

(I add more salt, maybe 1.2 tsp.)

Pour the milk into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds.
Whisk in the honey, squash, egg and water.

With a fork, blend the squash mixture into the flour mixture until you have a soft dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. (You can go longer than this. When I made them for Thanksgiving, I did this part the day before and they refrigerated all night.)

Two hours before baking, turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly. Melt the butter and set aside in a small bowl. Divide the dough in half.

Divide each half into 6 sections.
Divide each section into 3 pieces.Roll each section in the melted butter and place in a muffin cup.

There are 3 buttered pieces per cup.

Pour the rest of the butter over each roll.

Let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Bake for 15-17 minutes in a 350 oven.

Seriously- these are good rolls. I meant to freeze half of the dough to see how that would work, if they would thaw and still rise a second time, but I forgot. Oh, darn. I guess I will just have to make them again. The sacrifices I make for having a cooking blog.
We are at home today. School's closed!! No snow, just ice. The kids have already been outside sliding around on the driveway and sliding down my dad's driveway in a box (he lives next door). It's not stuff you get to do every winter in Texas, so we are enjoying this "real winter weather" while we have it. It's will be 70 by this weekend.

Twice Baked Potatoes

Mmmm, just typing twice baked potatoes makes me lick my lips. Extra creamy, cheesy potatoes and they are great for company. They are the perfect make-ahead side item.
It is raining today and cold (for Texas). There is supposedly freezing rain on the way and all the schools are posting their information about possible late starts tomorrow. We are such wimps in Texas. If it ices just a little bit, we have NO IDEA what to do and everything gets cancelled. Not that I'm complaining- at all. Who doesn't love a snow day in the middle of the week? So, come on ice. We will happily awaiting your arrival.

Twice Baked Potatoes
baking potatoes
grated cheddar cheese
1 egg
butter
sour cream
bacon, cooked and crumbled
salt and pepper
*These are what I like to put in my potatoes. This is very versatile. Use what you like.

Bake the potatoes as usual. Let cool slightly, so you can handle them.
There are two ways to cut your potato. If you have large potatoes,
I cut them in half and serve one half to each person.
If you have smaller potatoes, or just want to serve one potato per person, cut an oval out of the top of your potato. You need a big enough opening to spoon out the insides and fill it back up.
Spoon out the insides and place in a large bowl.
To the potato insides, add an egg. If you are doing more than 4 potatoes, add another egg. Add shredded cheese, bacon bits, sour cream, butter and season liberally with salt and pepper.
Mix well.
Fill potatoes with mixed filling. At this point, you can wrap these and freeze them or top with shredded cheese and bake at 400 for 15 minutes. You want the cheese to melt (and you have that egg in there- you want to make sure and cook it for at least 15 minutes)
One of my favorite potato dishes- definitely top three.
And, yes, I am the type of person that would think about and rank potato dishes.