Mature mac and cheese

BBQ Chicken Crusted Smoked Cheddar Mac

(from pickypalate.com)

• 1 lb mini farfalle pasta (use any pasta of choice)
• 5 Tablespoons butter
• 5 Tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 4 cups milk, I used 2%
• 5 cups shredded Tillamook smoked cheddar cheese (you could use any cheddar cheese)
• 2 cups shredded BBQ Chicken
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

2. Melt butter into a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper; cook for 1 minute stirring. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Increase heat to medium high, stir continuously until liquid thickens and comes to a low boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheddar cheese until smooth then add cooked pasta. Pour mixture into a large baking dish then top evenly with BBQ chicken. Sprinkle with additional cheddar cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

3. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and serve.

The kids loved this! Not the chicken part as much, because they don't like bbq chicken flavor, so I only put chicken on half of it. This makes a huge 13x9 pan so next time I'll halve it for my family.

Chewy White Chocolate, Chocolate Cookies

(from pickypalate.com)

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 1/4 cups cocoa powder
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsps. baking soda
• 1 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 cups white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheet.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well with each addiction. Add the salt and vanilla.

3. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa and baking soda and gradually add to the creamed mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.

4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until fluffy but still soft. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Great cookies! Make sure not to overbake, as they will set up nicely on the cookie sheet after baking for about 8 minutes and taste best not well-done! This recipe uses a lot of cocoa which makes it extra chocolatey.

Lasagna Roll-Ups

(goodthingsutah.com)

Ingredients:

• 14-18 lasagna noodles (about 1 pkg), cooked al dente (I didn't use all of mine)
• 1 16 oz jar Alfredo sauce
• 1 16 oz jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 packet creamy pesto sauce, prepared with all milk (found next to the spaghetti seasoning packets)
• ½ C parmesan cheese
• 
  

• 1 lb ground turkey
• ½ lg onion, diced
• 4 slices bacon, chopped (optional)
• 1 2 lb container ricotta cheese
• ½ box frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
• Heaping ¼ C sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (optional)
• 1 ½ C 5 Italian cheese blend
• 1 lg egg, lightly beaten
• spices: salt, black pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, & ground nutmeg

1) Cook lasagna noodles until al dente. They should still have a good bite to them.
2) Combine chopped bacon and onion in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté until onions are translucent. Drain all but 2 Tbs bacon grease.
3) Add ground turkey to the bacon & onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste, ½ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp nutmeg and 1 tsp Italian seasoning, or to taste. Cook through.
3) Place meat/onion mixture in large bowl along with remaining filling ingredients. Season with ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp salt,1/8 tsp black pepper, & ½ tsp Italian seasoning. Combine thoroughly.
4) Spoon ¼-1/3 C filling along entire noodle then roll’er up. Continue with remaining noodles.
5) Spread ½ the jar of Alfredo sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking pan. Place lasagna rolls, seam side down in the pan. Pour remaining Alfredo sauce, then marinara and finally the pesto sauce atop rolls. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
6) Bake @ 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until parmesan is golden and lasagna rolls are cooked through. Enjoy!


These were a hit at our house, well relatively; half the kids ate them happily. I liked the sauciness, and the spinach/ricotta cheese. I used regular ground beef and skipped the bacon and sun-dried tomatoes. Of course you could do it meatless, too. The pesto sauce is pretty optional too but I think it adds a little something.

Oatmeal Coconut White Chocolate Cookies

Oatmeal Coconut Cookies 'n Creme Cookies
(from tasteandtell.blogspot.com, originally from Martha Stewart Cookies)

Makes about 4 dozen

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 cups Hershey's Cookies 'n Cream candy bars, cut into coarse chunks (or you can use plain white chocolate)
• 1 cup sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Mix in eggs one at a time until combined. Stir in vanilla.

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Gradually stir into butter mixture until combined. Stir in oats, chocolate, and coconut.

Drop batter by heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly. Bake cookies until golden, 16 to 18 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

Quick no-bake cheesecake

Fluffy Cheesecake

• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature (I like Neufchatel)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 8 oz. container whipped topping, thawed
• 1 t. vanilla
  
• 1 graham cracker pie crust (I like making one with Nilla Wafers)

1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Gently fold in whipped topping. Spoon into crust. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.
2. Cover with any toppings you desire or eat plain.

I don't know how I haven't posted this recipe yet, since this is one of my favorite desserts. I love cheesecake that is baked, but this no-bake cheesecake is rave-worthy as well.

Blueberry Cheesecake Squares

Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake Squares
(from kraft.com)

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 cup plus 3 Tbsp. sugar, divided

3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

4 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup sour cream

4 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Mix crumbs, 3 Tbsp. of the sugar and the butter. Press firmly onto bottom of foil-lined 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake 10 min.
2. Beat cream cheese, remaining 1 cup sugar and the vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust. Puree the blueberries in a blender or food processor. Gently drop spoonfuls of the pureed blueberries over batter; cut through batter several times with knife for marble effect.
3. Bake 45 min. or until center is almost set; cool. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

I have made this recipe several times, and we love it. I usually half the ingredients and cook in a 11x7 pan.

Pink cookies

Strawberry Nesquick Nibblers
(pickypalate.com)

• 2 sticks softened butter
• 1/2 cup strawberry milk Powder, Nestle's
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1-2 drops red food coloring
• 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 10 oz bag White Chocolate Chips

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer beat the butter, strawberry milk and brown sugar until well combined.
2. Place eggs into a bowl and whisk in 1-2 drops of food coloring. Pour into mixer along with vanilla and beat until combined, about 30 seconds.
   
3. Place flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl; mix to combine then slowly add to wet ingredients along with white chips. Mix on low until just combined.
4. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart (or grease the pan).
5. Bake for 9-11 minute or until edges just start to brown. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. about 3 dozen cookies

These were a hit and the whole family loved them. Will try with Chocolate Nesquick next time.