Having friends over for an election night celebration? What are you going to serve for dinner? Since election night falls on a day that you’ve no doubt already packed with errands and chores, you’ll need a simple, no fuss dinner plan for your get together. I say a big fat pot of pasta is the way to go. Packed full of veggies and creamy sauce, have your guests make themselves at home and serve it up straight from the pot. This party isn’t about who you know or what fancy wine you like to drink, it’s simply about getting together with dear friends to celebrate one mighty fine election season coming to a close.
Veggie Pasta Primavera- A low fat alternative to a traditional creamy pasta. The fiber in the veggies will fill you up too!
Vegetable Fettuccine Alfredo- Creamy, cheesy, delicious home cooking. This recipe is sure to satisfy anyone and everyone.
The election is closing in on us! It sure seems like it’s been a long time coming. I don’t know about you, but I have a handful of election related parties to go to this weekend and on election night. There is a definite fever this year. I know the best way to bring people together at a party this election season is with the right food. Sometimes you need to leave your opinions and judgements at the door, let the issues lie where they may, and celebrate one heck of an election season with food and friends.
Try these super easy and extra delicious appetizers for your election night party.
SPREAD cream cheese spread onto 2 of the bread slices. Top with ham; cover with remaining 2 bread slices. Lightly press edges of each sandwich together to seal.
BEAT eggs, milk and sugar with fork in pie plate or square baking dish until well blended. Dip sandwiches in egg mixture, turning over to evenly moisten both sides.
SPRAY large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat on medium heat (adult assisted). Add sandwiches; cook 2 min. on each side or until golden brown on both sides. Serve with syrup.
If you’re anything like me, than in just a matter of hours, your kitchen is going to packed with fun sized candy bars. This is far from a from a crisis. I actually welcome the chocolate overload. When I get tired of the midnight chocolate snacking, this simple recipe is a great way to combine all of my fun sized candy bars into a delicious baked treat. If you’re feeling the candy overload, bake up a batch of cheesecake candy bar squares and pawn them off on your friends and neighbors. These are just too delicious to decline.
Cheesecake Candy Bar Squares
Makes: 24 servings, 1 square each
2 cups OREO Chocolate Cookie Crumbs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted
4 (8 ounce) packages PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
4 (2.07 ounce) bars chocolate-coated caramel-peanut nougat bars, chopped, divided
PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix crumbs and butter; press firmly onto bottom of 13×9-inch baking pan.
BEAT cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix just until blended. Gently stir in 1 cup of the chopped candy bars. Pour over crust. Sprinkle with remaining chopped candy bars.
BAKE 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Cut into 24 squares to serve. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator.
Size-Wise Enjoy a serving of this rich and indulgent treat on special occasions.
Chocolate-Covered Cheesecake Bars Prepare and bake as directed. Cut into 32 bars. Place bars on wire rack. Melt 1 (12 ounce) package BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks and 2 tablespoons shortening in saucepan on very low heat, stirring constantly. Pour chocolate mixture over bars to completely cover. Let stand until chocolate is firm. Store in refrigerator.
This sandwich idea is proof that you can make virtually anything festive enough for Halloween. Turn the kids’ lunch box into a Halloween extravaganza with these clever ham sandwiches. The best part is that you don’t have to do any special shopping. Use the same whole wheat bread, cream cheese and ham as you normally would and then fashion each sandwich into two super festive coffin shapes. Spooky but not scary and perfectly delicious.
COVER 1 of the bread slices with ham and Singles. Spread with cream cheese; top with lettuce. Secure with plastic toothpick, if desired.
CUT sandwich into coffin shape using coffin template and sharp knife. (Click here for template.) For a more durable template, trace the template onto a piece of cardboard and cut out.
This festive Halloween dessert is the perfect combination of creamy and fruity. The layered orange, white and chocolate cookie make it extra special as a Halloween treat. Throw this Jello Graveyard dessert together in less than half an hour, place it in the fridge to set, and forget about it until you’re ready to wow your guests!
MIX 1-1/2 cups of the wafer crumbs, sugar and butter in 13×9-inch pan. Press firmly onto bottom of pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.
BEAT cream cheese in medium bowl until well blended. Gently stir in 1/2 of the whipped topping. Spread evenly over crust.
STIR boiling water into gelatin in medium bowl 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Add enough ice cubes to cold water to measure 1-1/2 cups. Add to gelatin, stirring until slightly thickened. Remove any unmelted ice. Spoon slightly thickened gelatin over cream cheese layer.
REFRIGERATE 3 hours or until firm.
SPREAD remaining whipped topping over gelatin just before serving. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup wafer crumbs over whipped topping. Decorate sandwich cookies with icings to make “tombstones.” Stand tombstones on top of dessert with candies to resemble a graveyard. Cut into 15 squares. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator.
You’ve got the perfect Halloween costume picked out. Your kids are off the wall excited about this Friday night. The house is spookily decorated. You’ve loaded your biggest bowls with fun candy, and you’re ready for the kids to come knocking. But where will you turn when you need a snack that’s not chocolate covered or super sweet?
Halloween appetizers are definitely the way to go. Have a few of these easy and savory treats on hand for you and the kids to munch on when the sugar high hits. You’ll also want to have some savory goodies on hand if the neighbors stop by to gawk and your stellar Halloween decorations.
These appetizers aren’t overly spooky, but are perfect for the occasion. Happy Halloween?
Cheese and Bacon Jalapeno Rellenos- Packed with creamy cheese, salty bacon and just a hint of spice. These chili rellenos are easy to make and a sure crowd pleaser.
Zesty Stuffed Olives- Super easy and super yummy! With just a few simple ingredients, you’ll have a treat that you’ll seriously be snacking on all night long.
Easy Ham Wrapped Bread Sticks- Keep these munchies in a tall jar on the snack table. They’re sure to disappear just as fast as those mini Snickers bars. Promise.
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. (16 oz.) powdered sugar, sifted
12 JET-PUFFED Marshmallows, cut in half
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
PREPARE cake batter as directed on package; blend in dry pudding mix. Spoon into 24 paper-lined 2-1/2-inch muffin cups. Bake as directed on package for cupcakes. Cool completely.
BEAT cream cheese, butter and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add sugar gradually, beating well after each addition.
PULL each cupcake liner partially away from cake. Place a marshmallow half between paper and cupcake to create skull’s jaw. Frost cupcakes with cream cheese mixture. Decorate with chocolate chips.
Whenever the words ‘cheesecake’ and ‘brownie’ are joined together, I know I’m going to be one happy camper. These orange colored Halloween brownies are the perfect treat. Combine deep chocolate with luscious cream cheese, decorate with a bit of orange food coloring and Halloween sprinkles. Happy Halloween!
Halloween Cheesecake Brownies
1 pkg. (21-1/2 oz.) brownie mix
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
16 drops yellow food coloring
8 drops red food coloring
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Prepare brownie batter as directed on package; spread into greased 13×9-inch baking pan.
BEAT cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add egg and food colorings; mix just until blended. Pour over brownie batter; cut through batter with knife several times for marble effect.
BAKE 35 to 40 minutes or until cream cheese mixture is lightly browned. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into 32 squares.
We live in such a fast paced world that it’s rare that we actually slow down to let those around us know how much they are appreciated. Take, for example, my next door neighbors. Patty and Michael always have a kind word and smile for me, watch my darling kitty when I go out of town, and are always just a phone call away when something strange happens in the neighborhood. This weekend I’m going to take a few moments to bake them up a warm, rich casserole. I know, it’s pretty old school. I’m sure they’ll be absolutely delighted when I knock on their door with a homemade casserole for them. The great part about casseroles is that you can dig into them right away, or stash them in the freezer to bake up on a hectic mid week night. Here are the recipes I’ll choose between.
