Ranch Chicken and Rice

Recipe from Lori Litanski.

6 chicken breasts

1 envelope ranch dressing mix

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese

1-2 cans cream of mushroom soup

Place chicken in crockpot.  Mix ingredients and pour over chicken.  Cook on high for 4-5 hours.  Serve over rice.

***I altered this slightly:  I used 1 can of cream of mushroom and 1 can of Cream of Chicken with mushrooms.   I cooked the chicken from frozen for about 3 hours, or until cooked through.  Then I combined all the other ingredients in the warm crockpot and stirred until smooth.  I then shredded the chicken and mixed with the sauce, then cooked another hour.  I served it over rice.  

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, broken up

1/2 C butter

1 C sugar

2 eggs

1 3/4 C flour

1/4 tsp. salt

2 TBSP. cocoa powder

1 tsp. mint extract

4 oz. white chocolate, broken up

1/2 tsp. vegetable oil

1/3 C crushed candy canes

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray two large baking sheets.

Place chocolate in microwave-safe bowl.  Heat for one minute, then stir until smooth.  Let cool for 5 minutes.

Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until blended.  Beat in cooled chocolate.  Add eggs and beat until smooth.  Stir in flour, salt and cocoa powder until soft dough forms.  Beat in mint extract.

Drop dough by rounded spoonfuls onto baking sheets.  Bake for 16-18 minutes or until dry on top.  Cool on wire racks.

While cookies are cooling, combine white chocolate and oil in glass bowl.  Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, then microwave another 30 seconds.  Stir until smooth.  Spoon 1 tsp. white chocolate onto each cookie, then top each with 1/2 tsp. of crushed candies.  Let stand to harden about 30 minutes.  Store in an airtight container.  Makes about 30 cookies. 

Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

Recipe from Mandie Peterson.

2 C sugar

1 cube butter

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 C milk

1 C peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

3 C oatmeal

Bring sugar, butter, salt and milk to a boil; boil hard for one minute.  Add peanut butter and vanilla and stir until smooth.  Add oatmeal and mix together.  Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper to cool.

Chili Egg Puff

Recipe from Sue Hodson.

10 eggs

1/2 C flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 small can chopped green chiles

1 small carton cottage cheese

1/2 C margarine

Optional:  green onions, bacon, sausage

Mix all these ingredients, then add 1 lb. shredded cheddar cheese.  Pour into 9x13 pan.  Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Spicy Breakfast Casserole With Hashbrowns

Recipe from Sue Hodson.

3 C frozen, diced hash browns, thawed

1/2 C frozen, whole kernel corn, thawed

1/4 C chopped roasted red bell peppers

1 can chopped green chiles, undrained

1 1/2 C shredded colby-monterey jack cheese

10 eggs

1/2 C small curd cottage cheese

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 C -1 C chopped onions

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray baking dish (9x13).  Layer potatoes, corn, bell peppers, chiles, and 1 C cheese.  In bowl, beat eggs, cottage cheese, oregano and garlic with whisk.  pour over potatoes.  Sprinkle with onions and remaining cheese.  Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake another 30 minutes.

Harvest Pumpkin Dip

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

2 C powdered sugar

1 can (15 oz) solid-pack pumpkin

3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

In large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar.  Gradually add the pumpkin, pie spice, vanilla and ginger.  Beat until smooth.  Refrigerate till ready to serve.  Serve as a dip for apples, pears, wafer cookies and gingerbread cookies.