Cherry Cheesecake Squares

I like to pretend that these are low fat because the cheesecake layer is actually quite thin, compared to an actual cheesecake. This would also be a good recipe to involve kids, because someone needs to squish the crust out over the bottom of the pan.

What You'll Need:

1 8 oz brick cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 18 oz package refrigerated sugar cookie dough

2 21 oz cans cherry pie filling*

1/2 tsp almond extract, if desired (I do not desire, but you might)

How To Make It:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, flour, sugar, vanilla, and egg; beat until well blended. Cut the cookie dough in half crosswise, then cut each section in half lengthwise. With lightly floured fingers, press the dough evenly in the bottom o fan ungreased 13x9 inch pan to form a crust. Top the crust with the cream cheese mixture and spread evenly. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until edges begin to brown*. C

ool 40 minutes or until completely cooled. Meanwhile, combine the cherry pie filling and almond extract if you're using it. Spread the cherry mixture over the cheesecake layer. Cut into squares and serve.

*Cheesecake may crack around the edges as it's baking. Don't freak out if yours does. A lot of my cheesecake-y recipes are topped with some lovely additions so you usually can't see it, anyway.

*Also, pie filling makes a really yummy topping on French toast. I like cherry, with a dusting of powdered sugar and maybe a bit of homemade whipped cream.

Turkey Chili

This recipe makes a LOT of chili- it will generously serve six to eight people.

What You'll Need:

4 tbsp butter

3 lb ground turkey

Salt and pepper

2 medium carrots, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped*

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 1/2 8 oz cans tomato sauce

1 13.5 oz can chopped tomatoes, drained

1 can black beans, drained

1 can navy beans, drained

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

How To Make It:

Melt 2 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and saute until lightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, and set the turkey aside. Pour out the grease from the turkey (if there is any) and melt the remaining butter in the pan. Add the carrots, onions, celery, and garlic and saute until softened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add turkey, sauteed vegetables, and remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Turn the heat on low and cook 3-4 hours.

*I am not a fan of cooked celery, so I usually omit it from recipes that call for it. If you choose to leave the celery out, the chili will turn out just fine.

Zesty Italian Crescent Casserole

I'm 99% sure I got this one from a Pillsbury cookbook. I adjusted the recipe a bit, though. This was really yummy!

What You'll Need:

1 lb lean ground beef

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 pkg (1.5 oz) spaghetti sauce mix

1 can tomato sauce

2 cups mozzarella

3/4 cup sour cream

1 can crescent rolls

1/3 cup grated Parmesan

2 tbsp butter, melted

How To Make It:

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a 10-inch skillet, cook the beef and onion over medium heat 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in the sauce mix and tomato sauce and heat until hot and bubbly. In a small bowl, mix the mozzarella and sour cream. Pour the hot meat mixture into an ungreased 13x9 inch glass baking dish. Spoon the cheese mixture over the meat. Separate the crescent roll dough into 2 rectangles. Place rectangles over the cheese mixture. In a small bowl, mix the Parmesan and butter; crumble evenly over the dough. Bake for 18-25 minutes until deep golden brown. Cut into squares and serve.

Cream Scones

These were kind of famous in my high school. Once one of my friends ate 13 of them. They're so yummy and small, it's hard not to eat a bunch!

What You'll Need:

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup cold butter, cubed

1 cup heavy cream

How To Make It:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Add the cream to the flour mixture, stirring until moistened. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface; knead 5 or 6 times. Roll out the dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with a biscuit cutter and place on greased cookie sheets. Bake for 15 minutes until golden.

Marbled Peanut Butter Fudge

If chocolate fudge and no-bake cookies had a baby.

What You'll Need:

4 cups sugar

1 12 oz can evaporated milk

1 cup (2 sticks) butter*

1 7 oz jar marshmallow creme

3 cups chocolate chips (about a bag and a half)

1 tbsp vanilla

1 cup creamy peanut butter

How To Make It:

Combine sugar, evaporated milk, and butter in a large heavy saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat; cook 8 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the marshmallow creme, chocolate chips, and vanilla and stir until the chocolate melts. Pour half the mixture into a buttered 13x9 pan and dollop with peanut butter. Spoon the remaining chocolate mixture over the peanut butter and swirl with a knife. Be sure to swirl the knife deep enough so you don't have random globs of peanut butter floating through the fudge! Cover the pan and chill until firm; cut into 1-inch pieces. Store this fudge in the refrigerator.

*Margarine is great for baked potatoes, toast, and macaroni out of the box, but if you're going to cook something and you want it to taste good, go with real, honest-to-goodness butter. Your desserts will taste even better, trust me!