Spinach and Chicken Alfredo Pizza

Alfredo Pizza

• 15 minute pizza dough
• alfredo sauce, or jarred (Classico is best)
• cooked, chopped chicken
• chopped tomato
• spinach, frozen and thawed and dried, or fresh, chopped
• mozzarella cheese

1. Bake the dough as directed for about 5-6 minutes, without any toppings.  
2. Remove from oven, poke some holes in the crust with a fork.  Add alfredo sauce, chicken, spinach, tomatoes, then cheese.
3. Return to oven and bake for about 5 more minutes or until brown and crispy on the bottom.  

This is a great recipe!  And because of the spinach and tomatoes on there it's really healthy...right! Cooking the pizza this way makes it so crispy, which I really prefer for pizza.  

Crock Pot Hot Fudge Peanut Butter Pudding Cake

Hot Fudge Pudding/PB Cake
(melskitchencafe.com)

Cake:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup milk
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup smooth or chunky peanut butter
• ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Topping:

• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 ½ cups boiling water

Vanilla ice cream for serving

Coat a medium round or oval slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center, add the milk, oil, and vanilla, and stir in widening circles, gradually incorporating the dry ingredients, until you have a smooth batter. Stir in the peanut butter. The batter will be thick. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spread evenly in the crockpot.

To make the topping, in another medium-size bowl, combine the cocoa, and sugar; pour in the boiling water and whisk until smooth. Gently pour over the batter in the cooker; DO NOT STIR. Cover and cook on HIGH until puffed and the top layer is set, 2 to 2 ½ hours.(Mine took less time, probably about 1 hour 15 min, so keep watch the first time!)

This is great!  Not much to complain about here.  The sad thing is, you still have to dirty another dish, but, it's all worth it if you needed to delay your dessert or if the oven is in use.  Plus the taste is worth it!  If you are looking for the same dessert using the oven instead (you can also add peanut butter if you want) go here.

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Easy Cheesy Manicotti

Manicotti
(from cucinafamiglia.com)

• 1 8oz manicotti shells
• 2 cups spaghetti sauce (jarred or homemade)

Mix the following together:

• 1 c. cottage cheese
• 1 c. ricotta cheese
• 1 c. mozzarella
• 1 c. parmesan
• 1 T. basil
• 1 t. minced garlic
• 1 egg

 
Boil manicotti as directed on package. Make sure that they are al dente (cook the least time said on package, probably 8 or 9 minutes).  Let cool. Then fill mancotti with cheese mixture.  Line  9x13 pan with spaghetti sauce, place noodles in pan, pour over more spaghetti sauce.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 15 minutes, remove foil, top with parmesan cheese and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Enjoy. 


Everyone has a manicotti recipe- and this is pretty basic, but it works and it's great!  I love how the cheeses are all the same measurements- easy to memorize and just throw together.  This is a pretty quick meal, too, and leftovers are really yummy.  Me?  I loved it!

Pumpkin Cobbler

Pumpkin Cobbler
(favfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com)


Crust: (reserve 1 cup after mixing)
1 pkg. yellow cake mix 
1 egg beaten
½ cube butter, melted

Filling:
1 (1 lb.) can pumpkin
1 c. sugar
½ c. milk
2 eggs, beaten
2 ½ t. pumpkin pie spice (you can substitute 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg and a heaping 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves if you don't have pumpkin pie spice)
cinnamon and nutmeg as a substitution)

Topping:
1 c. cake mix (reserved from crust)
½ c. sugar
¼ cube butter, softened
1 ½ c. chopped pecans (optional)

Mix crust ingredients together and pat dough into a 9x13 cake pan. Mix filling ingredients and pour over dough. Blend topping (except pecans) and sprinkle evenly over filling. Sprinkle pecans over the top and bake at 350 for 1 hour (check after 50 minutes. If you move the dish around a little and the center is "jiggley", it's not finished. It may take more or less than an hour, just keep an eye on it.) Cool and sprinkle with cinnamon. Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.


This is a delicious change from pumpkin pie.  Even Pumpkin Pie dislikers (like myself) found plenty of enjoyment in this cobbler with ice cream!

Marshmallow Chocolate Cookies- Winners!

Marshmallow Brownie Cookies

(from realmomkitchen.com)

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• Large marshmallows, cut in half
• chocolate frosting

1. With a mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla extract; mix well.
2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, salt, soda, and cocoa.
3. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in thirds alternating with the milk. Stir in nuts if desired.
4. Drop by teaspoon (I use my cookie scoop) onto a greased cookie sheet approximately 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees F for 9 minutes and remove from oven. (My total cooking time was about 9 minutes, but I used my small cookie scoop.  I added the marshmallow at about 7 minutes in.  Just do what works best for you- just don't overbake!)
5. Immediately place a marshmallow piece (place with the sticky cut side down) on the top of each cookie and bake for 2 more minutes. When cookies are cool, frost each cookie with frosting.  Makes 2 1/2 dozen.

These are fun.  The kids love 'em, they look impressive, and they taste like a ding-dong, only better.  They don't take much extra time- I just tear apart the marshmallows and use canned frosting.  For chocolate flavor, the canned works just fine for me.  Try these!