Cream Pie (Coconut, Banana, Chocolate)

Recipe Contributed by Rachel Nielson

First of all, why am I the only person who ever posts anymore?  Since when did I become the domestic sister??

My husband and I recently moved from Buffalo, New York, and anyone who is familiar with western New York knows about the grocery store called Wegmans.  It is amazing.  Truly.  We miss it daily.  One of the many amazing things about Wegmans is the phenomenal in-store bakery.  Over the four years that we lived in Buffalo, I became addicted to their cream pies.  They sell small "personal" size ones for $4 (I put personal in quotes because these little pies should probably feed two, but I could easily eat one by myself), and I often found myself eating one after a long grocery trip.  Mmmmm.  Heaven.  My personal favorite was their banana cream, and I've been craving it ever since we moved.  Well, over Thanksgiving weekend, my mother-in-law made a bunch of cream pies, and I think hers are almost as good as Wegmans!!  And guess what??  They're super easy!  You basically make the same "base" (a creamy custard) for all of the pies, but you add different ingredients at the end to make the pies different flavors.  I love them all!

Sally's Cream Pies


5 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup sugar*
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup half-n-half
3 egg yolks (beaten)
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Baked 9-inch pie shell (this can be homemade or storebought)

*For a chocolate cream pie, reduce the sugar to 3/4 cup.

1. Mix cornstarch, sugar, and salt in 3 quart saucepan.
2. Add milk and cream and cook over medium heat until smooth and think, stirring constantly.
3. Pour small amount of hot mixture into beaten egg yolks; blend, then pour back into saucepan.
4. Cook another 2-3 minutes.  (I do a full three minutes because when I've done two minutes, the pies didn't ever set up.)
5. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla.
6.  Mix in flavoring:

       Coconut Cream: Add 1/2 cup coconut to pie filling.

       Banana Cream: Slice two bananas into the pie shell and pour filling over the bananas.

       Chocolate Cream: Don't forget to decrease sugar when making the filling!  Add 1/2 cup chocolate    syrup to the cooked filling.

7.  Pour filling into baked pie shell and refrigerate at least 3-4 hours or overnight.  Top with whipped cream!

"Guiltless" Alfredo Sauce (Our Best Bites)

This recipe was shared by Rachel Nielson

This is another recipe that I found in the Our Best Bites cookbook. It's very easy and fast.  I love fettuccine alfredo from the Olive Garden, so I was skeptical of this recipe which is a lower-fat version of the old classic.  I was so pleasantly surprised that it tasted so yummy!  (It's not Olive Garden good, but really, what can you expect??  I still thought it was delicious.)

You can serve it over pasta or on a pizza.

Check it out:  http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/08/guiltless-alfredo-sauce/

French Dip Sandwiches (Our Best Bites)

This recipe was shared by Rachel Nielson

I consider this blog to be a repository of EASY recipes, no matter where they come from.   None of the recipes is original (we are, after all, NOT chefs).  I recently got the Our Best Bites cookbook, and I have been trying several recipes each week (remember, I just became a stay-at-home mom for the first time).  I still hate cooking, but it's a little more fun when I have more time to do it.  Anyway...I tried this recipe from Our Best Bites last week, and my husband and I thought it was really tasty, and it was so easy.  

Give it a try:  http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/03/french-dip-sandwiches/

P.S.  Since it's just the two of us (plus our baby who doesn't eat anything but formula right now), I cut the roast in half, put the portion that I would not be using in a tupperware, added one of the packets of dry onion soup mix and one of the cans of beef broth, and froze it.  When I am ready to use it, I will dump it in a crock pot, add a cup of water, and add 1-2 hours on the cooking time.  (By the way, these were the freezer directions provided in the cookbook.  I am not smart enough to figure this out on my own.)

Pumpkin Waffles

I looove these waffles!  They scream fall, and they are a quick, easy, and cheap meal.  The recipe looks a little complicated, but it comes together very quickly.  To really do them justice you should serve them with the Magelby's Fresh Copycat Buttermilk Syrup.  Yummmmm......

Pumpkin Waffles

2 cups flour
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix and set aside.

4 eggs (Separate the yolks and whites!)

Beat egg yolks with a mixer, save the whites.

Add to the beaten egg yolks:

1/2 cup milk
1 cup pumpkin
3/4 cup margarine or butter (softened)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix well.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.

Beat egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into mixture.

Cook and enjoy!  Don't forget the Magelby's Fresh Copycat Buttermilk Syrup!

Sally Nielson Chicken

We got this recipe from Rachel's mother-in-law, Sally, so we just call it Sally Nielson chicken.  I'll never know what it's truly called.  But it is YUMMY!  I have served it to company and they always ask for the recipe, especially once I mention how easy it is!  Enjoy!

Sally Nielson Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts  (cut in 1/2)
Swiss cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup, mixed with 1/4 cup water
1 cup herb-seasoned stuffing, crushed
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine

Rice

Place chicken breasts in greased baking dish.  Place one big slice of swiss cheese over each piece of chicken.  Mix the cream of chicken soup with 1/4 cup water and pour over the top of the chicken.  Crush the croutons and spread over the top.  Melt butter or margarine and drizzle over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and serve over rice.

Molten Lava Chocolate Cakes...yum yum yummer

This recipe was contributed by Rachel Nielson.

These molten lava cakes are so delicious and so easy that I am tempted to make them all the time.  It's possible that I made them twice last week.  You can bake them in ramekins, custard cups, or even just ceramic bowls.

2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
6 Tbsp flour

Preheat oven to 425.  Butter four custard cups.  Place on baking sheet.  Microwave chocolate chips and butter in large bowl until butter is melted.  Stir until the chocolate is completely melted.  Stir in powdered sugar until well blended.  Whisk in eggs and egg yolks.  Stir in flour.  Divide batter between cups.

Bake 13-14 minutes or until sides are firm but centers are soft (and runny and gooey).  Let stand 1 minute.  Run knife around cakes to loosen.  Invert cooks into dishes.  Serve with vanilla ice cream!

Coffee Cake and the Big Winner!

Congratulations to the winner of our first GIVEAWAY!

And the winner is . . . . . Sara Lee!

Please email your full name and address to forcedtocook@gmail.com ASAP so I can get this fun little package to you in the mail before I leave for the holidays!

Thank you to everyone who participated!

And NOW for the up-until-now Super Duper Secret COFFEE CAKE RECIPE!  Yum!  ENJOY!

COFFEE CAKE!

Cake: 
2 cups flour 
½ cup sugar 
½ cup brown sugar 
1 tsp. baking soda 
½ tsp. baking powder 
½ tsp. salt 
1 tsp. cinnamon 
1 cup buttermilk 
2/3 cup shortening 
2 eggs 

Topping: 
½ cup brown sugar 
½ tsp. cinnamon 
½ tsp. nutmeg 

Glaze: 
1 cup powdered sugar 
6-8 tsp. milk 
½ tsp. vanilla 

Cream batter thoroughly with a mixer. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch rectangular cake pan. Mix topping in a small bowl with a fork. Sprinkle evenly over cake batter. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or bake immediately uncovered). Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Pour glaze over the top of the cake immediately. 

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

This recipe was contributed by Sarah McKenna.  I pulled it from Rachel's blog, and she got it from her friend Natalie Dayton, who is well-known to be a fabulous cook.  It is not as easy as most of the recipes I post, but it is worth the tiny bit of extra effort.  YUM, YUM, YUM!!!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded
1 box Long Grain and Wild Rice mix
2 cans chicken broth
4 cups milk (Regular or evaporated.  I use a mix.)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 Tbs. cornstarch
(1/2 tsp poultry seasoning, optional)
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
Salt and pepper

-Cook the chicken.
-At the same time, cook the rice according to the directions on the box.
-In a large pot, melt butter. Add chopped carrots and celery and pepper to taste, and sauté for about 10 minutes until tender. Add flour, cornstarch and the poultry seasoning (optional), and whisk together quickly.
-Add chicken broth and milk, whisking quickly as you pour.   Cook over medium-low heat stirring often.
-When the chicken and rice are finished, cut chicken into bite-size pieces and add both to the soup.

Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Sauteed Apples

This recipe was contributed by Rachel Nielson from Cooking Light magazine.

This was super fast and easy and quite delicious.  I even liked the pork without the sauteed apples!

1.  Trim 1 pound pork tenderloin and cut crosswise into 12 pieces

2.   Combine and sprinkle over pork:

1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground coriander
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 t. ground cinammon
1/8 t. ground nutmeg

3.   Heat large skillet and coat with cooking spray.  Add seasoned pork to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.  Remove pork from pan; keep warm.

4.  Melt 2 T. butter in pan.  Swirl to coat.  Add the following and saute 4 minutes or until apples start to brown:

2 cups thinly sliced unpeeled Braeburn or Gala apple
1/3 c. thinkly sliced shallots (I left this out because we didn't have any)
1/8 t. salt

5.  Add 1/4 cup apple cider to pan, and cook for 2 minutes or until apples are crisp-tender.  Stir in1 t. fresh thyme leaves (I used 1/2 t. dried thyme).

Serve apple mixture with the pork.

Grand Junction Peach Cobbler

This recipe was contributed by Sarah McKenna.  It is the favorite dessert of Ryan Nielson, Rachel's hubby and Sarah's brother-in-law!

Don't you just LOVE peach season?!  I do.  Whenever I bite into a juicy, ripe peach I think of poor Kramer with his damaged sense of taste not being able to enjoy those precious Mackinaw peaches!  (That one's for you, Laura!)  They are such a sweet treat!  There are many delectable ways to bake with peaches, including my mom's famous fresh peach pie, but today I want to focus on my current craving and obsession: peach cobbler.  Yum!   Rachel got this recipe at a road-side peach stand in Grand Junction, Colorado, and it is the best cobbler recipe any of us has ever tasted.  Top it with a little vanilla ice cream (the slow churned, half fat Edy's kind is shockingly yummy for low fat!) and you can't get a much more delicious summer treat.  This particular recipe is super easy.  I have made it several times recently, but every time I forget to take a picture.  Oh well.  Enjoy!

Peach Cobbler*

*We suggest 1 1/2 - ing the topping if you want some extra gooey goodness.  Your call.  :)

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

2 cups sugar (SEPERATELY)

3/4 cup milk

1 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

dash salt

cinnamon to taste

4-6 peaches, peeled and sliced

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Melt butter in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. 

3.  Mix flour, ONE cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

4.  Add milk.

5.  Pour batter into the pan over the butter, but don't mix/stir.

6.  Lay peaches over the top of the batter.

7.  Sprinkle ONE cup sugar over the peaches.  Sprinkle cinnamon over the peaches to taste.

8.  Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 45 minutes to one hour.

9.  Top with ice cream and enjoy!

Brownie Berry Trifle

This is one of my favorite desserts to bring to parties because it looks super impressive even though it is very easy!  However, I must say that the key to the presentation is a trifle bowl.

Ingredients

• One box brownie mix, prepared (I am partial to the Hershey or Ghiradelli triple chunk versions so you get big chunks of chocolate surprises in your trifle)
• Two small boxes of chocolate pudding mix, prepared (You need 8 oz total, so the larger 6 oz box isn't quite enough.  I have even used the sugar free, fat free mix before and it was still delic!)
• 8 oz container of cool whip (I use light and you can't tell the difference)
• Frozen or fresh berries (I love the mixed bag of frozen blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries with a few fresh strawberries mixed in.)

Directions

Cut the entire pan of brownies into little bite sized squares and layer in the bottom of your bowl.  Top with pudding, then cool whip, then berries.  Start over with the brownies again and repeat three times.  Voila!  Easy as pie (actually way easier). 

A few notes:

• If you use frozen berries, they tend to bleed all over the cool whip on top and ruin the presentation.  Rinse the ones for the top layer in a colander first.  They will still bleed, but not nearly as much.  I don't rinse the inside ones because the berry juice soaking into the brownies is what makes it so, so good. :)  
• Sometimes I do a smaller version of just two layers.  The 6 oz pudding box is perfect for this.  

Enjoy!

Genie's Chocolate Sauce

This recipe for homemade hot fudge sauce was contributed by Ann Brown via Sarah McKenna.  It is her grandma's recipe.  And it is divine!

Genie's Chocolate Sauce

6 oz (1 cup / half of a standard sized bag) of semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup butter

1 1/3 cup evaporated milk (just under one full can)

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Slowly melt chocolate chips and butter. Add other ingredients and boil for 8 minutes. Serve over ice cream or pound cake.

Cowboy Cookies

This recipe was contributed by Rachel Nielson.

Dad's Winning Cowboy Cookies

(He won a church bake-off against all of the ladies!)

2 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar (packed)

2 sticks butter or margarine (at room temperature)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt

2 cups unsifted flour

2 cups regular oats (not quick oats)

1/2 bag of chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix together dry ingredients in a separate bowl and set aside.

3. Mix eggs, both sugars, and butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until mixture is thoroughly mixed and fluffy.

4. Add vanilla, and mix well.

5. Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

6. Add chocolate chips, and mix well.

7. Drop cookies on sprayed/greased baking sheet.

8. Bake for 12-13 minutes. Take out when spongy on top. Be careful not to over bake.

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe was contirbuted by Laura Webb.

This recipe comes from my (Laura's) mother-in-law, Jan.  She is an amazing cook and (unlike us) tends to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.  So I was thrilled to discover how easy these enchiladas are.  I always keep pepper jack cheese and green chilis on hand because the rest of the ingredients are no brainers.

Jan's Enchiladas

Serves about 4 people (but they make great leftovers, so I usually make extra)

Approx. 3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1–2 smalls cans of chopped green chilis (I think Ortega brand medium are the best)

Soft taco sized flour tortillas

1 lb. Pepperjack cheese

½ lb. Cheddar cheese

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup

½ pint sour cream (thinned slightly with milk so it is more runny than super thick)

Mix shredded chicken with 1 can green chilis.  Load tortillas with chicken mixture and a generous amount of both cheeses. Roll tightly and place in shallow pan. Mix the cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, and second can of chilis if you want more "kick."  Pour sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Bake at 350º until bubbly (about 30 mins).  

NOTE:  They are still delicious even if you cut back on the cheese.  I am a BIG TIME cheese lover, and even I never use that much.  

ENJOY!!

Chicken Pot Pie

This recipe was contributed by Rachel Nielson.  

 This recipe is my crowning glory as a chef.  I created it.  Yes, it's true...I, Rachel Westover Nielson, the laziest, worst chef in the world, created a recipe that is delicious.  Amazing, right???

When we were little, my mom made a chicken pot pie that we all loved, but she never wrote down the recipe; so when she passed away, we thought the recipe was gone forever.  But a few years later, I was eating a dish with a white sauce base, and I realized that it tasted very similar to my mom's famous pot pie.  Using that recipe as a basis, I started experimenting with white sauces, and I eventually figured out how to make a pot pie filling that tasted a lot like my mom's...but even better.  I am going to go ahead and say that this pot pie is delicious.  I am allowed to brag about this one achievement in my life because I am a terrible cook overall, so this pie is especially impressive.

It's not particularly healthy, but it's easy and fast, and it's an impressive "company meal."  It makes enough filling for two good-sized pies (which is a lot).  I usually make one pie, and then I freeze the rest of the filling in a gallon bag to use another time.  (Or you can give away the second pie--whenever I bring this pie to people who are sick, who have had babies, etc. I get rave reviews!)


Melt 2 sticks of butter in a skillet.
Slowly add 1 cup flour.  Stir until mixed.
Slowly add 2 1/2 cups chicken broth.  Stir until mixed.
Slowly add 2 cups milk.  Stir until a thick gravy sauce has formed.
Add 1 packet of dry ranch dressing.
Add salt and pepper to taste.  This is very important or else the filling in bland.

Add as much of the following as you'd like:

-Cooked and shredded chicken
-Frozen peas
-Frozen corn
-Sliced potatoes (I use them from a can)
-Cooked and chopped carrots

Pour filling to two pie crusts.  (I used the roll-out Pillsbury crusts that you can find in the dairy aisle of the grocery store.)  Add top crusts.  Make sure to cut slits or a design into the top crust, so the air has a way to escape.

Bake at 425 until the crust is golden brown.  (about 30 minutes?)
 

Emily's Zucchini Soup

This recipe was contributed by Sarah (Jacobs) Huff via Sarah McKenna.

Emily's Zucchini Soup

Saute until tender:
2 medium zucchini, chopped (green and yellow crookneck are pretty together)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 T parsley
1 t dried basil (use more if you've got fresh)
1/3 C butter

Stir in:
1/3 C flour
salt and pepper to taste, about 1 t salt and 1/4 t pepper

Stir in:
3 C chicken broth
1 t lemon juice

Let boil for 2 minutes, then add:
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 large can of evaporated milk
2 C of frozen corn

Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Just before serving add:
1/4 C parmesan
2 C shredded cheddar

Paulette Corn Bread

This recipe was contributed by Sarah McKenna.

This is an extremely easy recipe for the sweetest, moistest cornbread on this planet!  Our dad calls it "Paulette Corn Bread" because my mother-in-law, Paulette, made it once while he was eating at their home with us.  In reality, it comes from a cookbook called The Essential Mormon Cookbook: Green Jell-o, Funeral Potatoes, and Other Secret Combinations.  What a clever title!  We always make this to accompany the infamous chicken tortilla soup, so I thought I'd better post it as well.  Enjoy!

**Please note: This recipe is for a SQUARE PAN!  For a 9x13 pan, DOUBLE IT and cook it for a bit longer.***

Cousin's Corn Bread (a.k.a. Paulette Corn Bread)

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups milk

Cream butter, sugar, and eggs.  In a separate bowl blend cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt.  (For this recipe I don't think it really matters, so I always just throw them in the same bowl to save on dishes.  But that's just me.)  Combine creamed mix, dry mix, and milk.  Blend.  Bake in a square pan at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes.  

This cornbread is super yummy with honey butter!  Just mix equal parts softened butter and honey, and then throw in a dash of vanilla.  Yum!

The BEST Chicken Tortilla Soup in the World!

This recipe was contributed by Sarah McKenna.

This soup is divine.  It has become a family staple, and I mean a serious staple.  Our dad makes himself a batch and then eats it every day for a week.  Know why else it is great?  It makes a gigantic batch, so unless you are feeding a huge group of people, you will have some left over to freeze. So here it is . . .

Chicken Tortilla Soup

INGREDIENTS

3 cans chicken broth

1 can beef broth

2 cans tomato soup

2 cans Rotel tomatoes

1 chopped onion

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1/2 c. fresh cilantro

1 T chili powder (you can add a bit more or less with the spices)

1 T cumin

1 can black beans, drained

1 can corn, drained

1 can garbanzo beans, drained

DIRECTIONS

Place all ingredients into a large pot.  Bring to a boil; turn down heat and simmer for at least one hour.  Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips on top.

Enjoy! 

Our Mother's Divine Pumpkin Bread . . . Yum!

This recipe was contributed by Sarah McKenna.


In the spirit of this lovely fall season, the first recipe that we are going to share is our mom's divine pumpkin bread. YUM! Seriously. It is so easy---throw everything in a mixer and bake---but perfectly moist and scrumptious. Whenever I make it people rave about it and say it's the best pumpkin bread ever. They think that I am quite skilled. Little do they know. :) Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

3 1/3 cups flour

3 cups sugar

1 teaspoon nutmeg

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Mix together.

Add:

1 cup cooking oil

2/3 cup water

4 eggs

2 cups canned pumpkin

Mix well.

Add:

1 cup chocolate chips (or nuts or coconut)

Pour into 2 or 3 greased and floured bread tins. (Baking PAM, baby! It ROCKS!)

Bake for one hour at 350 degrees.