chocolate monkey bread

Ingredients:
Semisweet chocolate chips
24 frozen dinner rolls- thawed but still cold- (Make sure not to get the already baked kind- you need the uncooked kind that have to thaw and rise!)
1/2 cup sugar
2 TBS + 1 tsp cocoa
1/2 cup of Heath Bar chips
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 stick of butter

Preheat oven to 350.
Grease bundt pan.
Mix the cocoa and sugar together in a small bowl.
In a separate bowl mix the Heath Bar Chips and Pecans together.
Cut each thawed dinner roll dough in half and wrap it around approx. 3 choc. chips.
Then roll in the cocoa and sugar mixture and place in a greased bundt pan.
When first layer is complete, sprinkle 1/2 of the heath bar chip/pecans over top and save the other 1/2 for the last layer.
Sprinkle remaining cocoa/sugar mixture over. In the microwave, heat butter and brown sugar for 30 seconds, then pour over the choc covered rolls.
Let rise, in a warm place, almost to the top of the bundt pan- then bake for 35 minutes- covered with foil for the last 10 minutes.
Immediately dump onto serving platter and comsume!
It is best when just out of the oven- but I bake the night before and heat for 4 minutes in the microwave before eating and it is still yummy! Enjoy! I hope you like it!

from my friend Laurie

strawberry pretzel salad

Ingredients:
2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 (3 ounce) packages strawberry flavored gelatin
2 cups boiling water
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen strawberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Stir together crushed pretzels, melted butter and 3 tablespoons sugar; mix well and press mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until set. Set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl cream together cream cheese and 1 cup sugar. Fold in whipped topping. Spread mixture onto cooled crust.

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in still frozen strawberries and allow to set briefly. When mixture is about the consistency of egg whites, pour and spread over cream cheese layer.

Refrigerate until set.

From Alison & All Recipes

farmer's cobbler

this is called farmer's cobbler because farmer's always had the ingredients on hand and could "whip up" a cobbler any time. it's a familiar favorite in our family. my mom has fix this all my life and i love it! especially with fresh picked blackberries!

1 stick of butter
1 cup milk
1 cup self rising flour
1 cup sugar
1 bag of frozen fruit or 2 cups fresh fruit

• set oven at 350
• while oven is heating, place 1 stick of butter in a 11 x 13 x 2 pan
• place in oven so butter can melt
• meanwhile, mix milk, flour, and sugar together
• when butter has melted, pour fruit in the bottom of the pan (be careful with the hot, melted butter)
• pour mixture over fruit
• do not stir!
• bake in oven for 30-45 minutes until cobbler is brown

enjoy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

King Ranch Chicken

1 green bell lpepper, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 can reduced-fat condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes
6-ounces cubed chicken, cooked
4 corn tortillas, torn into pieces
1/3 cup shredded Mexican cheese

Saute pepper and onion in skillet with non-stick cooking spray.

Add soup, tomatoes, and chicken.

Alternate layers of tortillas and soup mix.

Sprinkle cheese on top.

Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Makes 4 servings

Weight Watchers points: 5 per serving

Paw Lick'N Chick'N

Don't forget about the family's best friend! Treats for your dog!

3 cups white flour
¾ cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup chicken broth
4 tablespoons softened margarine
1 egg
1 tbsp. milk

Preheat oven to 325. Combine flour, cornmeal, chicken broth and margarine.

Knead dough for 3 minutes. Apply a light layer of flour to rolling surface and pin.

Roll dough to ¼-inch thickness and stamp out with cookie cutter.

Beat egg and milk together and apply to top of biscuits with brush.

Bake at 325 for 35 minutes.

Makes approximately two dozen (Amount in large part by the size of cookie cutters you use).

Recipe is from The Doggy Bone Cookbook and Melva Shelor

Baked Brie in Puff Pastry

1/2 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1, 8 ounce, package brie cheese, round
1/8 cup toasted almonds, slices (optional)
1/4 cup apricot preserves - you can substitute raspberry preserves if you prefer

Preheat oven to 425.

Lightly grease cookie sheet.

Roll puff pastry out slightly.

Place cheese wheel on top (leave rind on).

Place preserves on top of cheese.

Place almonds on top of preserves.

Bundle Puff Pastry up and around the cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Let cool for five minutes.

Serve with your favorite crackers.

Thanks to JJ for the recipe from Recipe Czar

Pot Roast

1 Tbsp. oil
3-to 3-1/2- lb. boneless beef pot roast (rump, chuck or round)
4 carrots, sliced
4 medium all-purpose potatoes (about 2 lbs.), cut into 1-inch pieces
2 envelopes Lipton® Recipe Secrets® Onion Soup Mix
3/4 cup water

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and brown roast. (My mom skips this step and puts hers in frozen.)

Arrange carrots and potatoes in slow cooker. Top with roast and set aside.

Combine Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix with water in measuring cup. Add to skillet, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan. Add soup mixture to slow cooker. Cook covered on low 8 to 10 hours or on high 4 to 6 hours. Remove roast and vegetables to serving platter.

Thicken gravy, if desired, by combining additional 1/4 cup water with 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Cook on high 15 minutes or until thickened.

Serves 8
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 4 hours
Recipe from Lipton Recipe Secrets

Chicken & Chile Quesadilla's

1 package (11 oz) Old El Paso® flour tortillas for burritos (8 tortillas; 8 inch)

2	cups finely shredded Mexican cheese blend (8 oz)

2 cups shredded or finely chopped chooked chicken (I often use a store bought rotisserie chicken)
1 can 4.5 oz chopped green chiles
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup salsa

Top one half of each tortilla with cheese, chicken and green chiles. Fold other half of each tortilla over filling; press down with back of pancake turner. Lightly brush melted butter on both sides of each filled tortilla.

Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook 2 filled tortillas at a time 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and hot. Cut into wedges. Serve with salsa.

prep time: 20 mins
makes 8 servings

This recipe is from Betty Crocker

apple crumble

1 tub (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Honey Nut Flavor Cream Cheese Spread

64   NILLA Wafers, crushed (about 2-2/3 cups)

8 small apples (2 lb.), peeled, chopped

1/4 cup  sugar

4 tsp. ground cinnamon

HEAT oven to 400°F. Mix cream cheese spread and wafer crumbs with fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (Do not overmix.)

TOSS apples with sugar and cinnamon. Spoon into 1-1/2-qt. casserole dish; sprinkle with crumb mixture.

BAKE 15 to 20 min. or until topping is lightly browned and apples are tender. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.

Special Extra:  Top each serving with 2 Tbsp. thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping.

Variation: Prepare using 8 (4-oz.) custard cups.

Prep Time: 10 min

Total Time: 30 min

Makes: 8 servings

This recipe is from Kraft Foods

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp olive oil
1 pound package of Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage (removed from its casing)
2/3 cup to 2 cups pumpkin puree (depending on your personal taste)
1 can chicken broth
¼ cup half & half
½ cup sour cream (low-fat or fat free)
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp white pepper
1 tsp sage
2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
¼ cup Romano Cheese, shredded
1 pound penne or rotini pasta

In a large skillet sauté the garlic in the olive oil on medium heat. Add the turkey sausage and cook until no longer pink, breaking the meat up with your spoon as you cook it. Remove turkey sausage and garlic from the skillet. Pour the chicken broth into the skillet and deglaze the pan using a wire whisk, to bring up all of the flavors stuck to the pan. Whisk in the half and half, sour cream, pumpkin, and seasonings. Simmer for ten minutes. Meanwhile, boil the pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain pasta and stir into the pumpkin mixture along with the turkey sausage, simmering for another three minutes or until the sauce thickens and hugs the pasta. Stir in parsley and garnish with Romano and more parsley.

Side Note- If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a little addition of chicken broth until you get it to the right consistency.

Thanks to PCOS Chick for the recipe.  She found it here.