Ellen's Baked Spinach Dip Loaf (aka Crack Dip)

Caraway Rye Bread recipe

Ingredients:
2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
1-1/2 cups warm water (110° to 115°), divided
3 tablespoons molasses
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 to 2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup rye flour

Directions:
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup water. Add molasses, butter, caraway, salt and remaining water; mix well. Combine flours; add 3 cups to batter. Beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a firm dough.
Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down; shape into a round loaf. Place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 1 loaf.


Baked Spinach Dip Loaf

Ingredients:
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 can (8 ounces) water chestnuts, drained and chopped
5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 green onion, chopped
2 teaspoons dill weed
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 unsliced round loaf (1 pound) sourdough bread
Raw vegetables

Directions:
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and mayonnaise. Stir in the spinach, cheese, water chestnuts, bacon, onion and seasonings.
Cut a 1-1/2-in. slice off top of the bread; set aside. Carefully hollow out bottom, leaving a 1/2-in. shell. Cube removed bread and set aside. Fill the shell with spinach dip; replace top. Wrap in heavy-duty foil; place on a baking sheet.
Bake at 375° for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until dip is heated through. Open foil carefully. Serve warm with bread cubes and vegetables. Yield: 4-1/2 cups.

Holly's Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie

Crust:

1 1/3 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
1/2  teaspoon salt
1/2 stick well-chilled  Crisco® Baking Sticks All-Vegetable Shortening OR 1/2 cup well-chilled   Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening
3 to 6  tablespoons ice cold water
Filling:
   
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin or 15 oz of cooked/pureed pumkin
1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
 Whipped cream (optional)

Directions:
 
MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl.  Beat eggs in large bowl.  Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture.  Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
POUR into pie shell.
BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes.  Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.  Top with whipped cream before serving.                                        

Jaymie's Banoffee Pie

Banoffe Pie (Paula Dean)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
10 tablespoons butter, softened
2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
3 large bananas
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix graham cracker crumbs with softened butter and press mixture into 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes.

Lower the oven to 300 degrees F for the toffee filling.

To create toffee filling, caramelize the sweetened condensed milk. Pour the condensed milk into a 9 by12 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Cover with foil and place dish inside a larger poaching pan. Add water to poaching pan until half way up sides of baking dish. Bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Once both the crust and toffee filling are cooled, spread half of the filling evenly inside crust. Slice the
bananas and layer on top of filling. Pour remaining half of filling over bananas, spreading evenly.

Whip the cream with the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and spread on top of toffee filling and bananas.

Pie Night

For our Girl's Night this month, the lovely hostesses decided to do a Pie/Fall Treats night. I think we can all agree that was a wonderful idea.

Here is my addition to the night:

Make Ahead Blueberry Pie (Cook's Country)

1 recipe double-crust pie dough (The Pillsbury Just Un-Roll is fine I used this times 2)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 whole graham crackers, crushed to fine crumbs
6 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 ¼ dried cranberries
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons minute tapioca
2 teaspoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt

On lightly floured surface, roll 1 dough into 12-inch circle (or just unroll if using store-bought). Transfer to 9-inch pie plate. Brush crust with 2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with half of cracker crumbs. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll second dough into 12-inch circle and brush with remaining butter, leaving 1-inch border around edge. Refrigerate, covered, on large plate for 30 minutes.

Heat 4 cups blueberries and cranberries in saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally and mashing slightly, until blueberries break down and mixture is thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool slightly, then stir in sugar, tapioca, lemon juice, salt and remaining blueberries. Refrigerate until cool, about 15 minutes.

Transfer filling to dough-lined pie plate. Sprinkle remaining cracker crumbs over filling. Fold lip of bottom crust inward over filling. Brush border of dough with water, then arrange top crust, buttered-side down, over pie. Crimp edges of pie. Cut six 1-inch slits, about 1 inch from crust and four 1-inch slits near center of pie. Allow pie to firm in freezer for 1 hour. Once pie is firm, wrap it tightly with plastic, then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.

To cook: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 375. Bake until juices are bubbling and crust is golden brown, about 80 minutes. Let cool on wire rack at least 2 hours.

I will post any other recipes I get. Can't wait to go tonight and gorge!

Greek Chicken Florentine Pasta

This recipe was invented by me...I'm sure someone else has already done this, but tonight this came out of my head.

Greek Chicken Florentine Pasta

· 1 box whole wheat pasta (rotini, bow tie, penne)

· 2 ½ Tbsp. EVOO divided

· 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast cubed

· ½ C chopped onions

· Salt & pepper to taste

· 1-2 tsp. minced garlic

· 20 grape tomatoes halved

· 2 green onions chopped

· 4-5 C baby spinach leaves

· ½ C bacon crumbles

· 1 Tbsp. fresh oregano chopped
· 4 oz. crumbled feta

Boil large pot of water (don’t forget to salt your water) for your pasta. Heat 1 Tbsp. EVOO over medium heat. Cook chicken, onion, garlic, salt & pepper until chicken is just cooked through (don’t over cook). Once chicken is cooked add tomatoes, green onions, spinach, and bacon. Cook just until spinach is wilted. Once pasta is cooked and drained add back to pot and immediately add feta & remaining (1-1 ½ Tbsp.) EVOO, mix well. Add chicken mixture and stir in fresh oregano.

Serve with crusty bread…enjoy!

this dish serves 8 and is 8 Weight Watchers points per serving :)

Warm Bacon Cheese Dip

Warm Bacon Cheese Dip

1 round loaf sourdough bread
8 oz. cream cheese
1-1/2 cups sour cream (12 oz)
2 cups shredded cheddar (I used sharp)
1-1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup green onions
assorted crackers

Hollow out bread, leaving 1 inch shell.

In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese. Add sour cream, cheddar cheese, and Worcestershire sauce until combined. Stir in bacon and onions.
Spoon into bread shell. Wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil. Bake 325 for 1 hour or til heated through. Serve with crackers and reserved bread cubes.

Popeye Pasta

Casual in looks, good in flavor. Fresh-tasting garlic and tomato with salty feta cheese. A Mediterranean look and taste. Really quick and easy with great flavor (I add diced chicken if I want to make it more filling but it doesn't need it). One of our FAVORITES!



8 oz. spaghetti noodles/angle hair pasta
12 c. boiling water
1 T. olive (or cooking) oil
2 c. diced roma (plum) tomatoes (I just used canned diced tomatoes usually)
3 garlic cloves, minced (or 3/4 t. powder)
2 T. olive (or cooking) oil
3 c. coarsely chopped fresh spinach, lightly packed (I've used 1 lb. frozen spinach)
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. chopped fresh marjoram (or 3/4 t. dried)
1/2 t. salt
granulated sugar, just a pinch
pepper, sprinkle
1 c. crumbled feta cheese

Cook pasta in boiling water in large uncovered pot for 6 minutes until tender but firm. Drain. Return to pot.

Add first amount of olive oil. Toss. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, saute tomato and garlic in second amount of olive oil in large frying pan for about 2 minutes until tomatoes have released their juices.

Add next 6 ingredients. Heat and stir about 1 minute just until spinach is wilted and heated through. Pour over pasta. Add feta cheese (or like I did for food group, I added mozzerella instead since we pregnant ladies can't eat feta right now!). Toss well.

Sarah's addition to the Cheese Food Group!