Quick and Easy Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 (8 ounce) package low fat cream cheese
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 cups milk
• 6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Melt butter in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan, Mozzarella and pepper. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken rapidly, thin with milk if cooked too long. Toss with hot pasta to serve.

* This tastes great served over penne with crispy Cajun chicken strips. I add sliced mushrooms to my sauce and serve it over diced mushrooms and black olives as well. My family loves this!

Broccoli Salad

Ingredients

• 8 slices bacon
• 2 heads fresh broccoli, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 large red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/8 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, and crumble.
2. In a large bowl, combine broccoli, cheese, bacon and onion.
3. Prepare the dressing in a small bowl by whisking together the red wine vinegar, sugar, pepper, salt, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Combine dressing with salad. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

This is really easy and delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

1 package low fat cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup light brown sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Mix brown sugar and cream cheese together and enjoy. This is especially good for apples, but I haven't yet met a fruit that doesn't go well with this dip.

Sausage and Potato Casserole

What to do with your leftover kielbasa after you made jambalaya the other night? This casserole does seem weird, but my kids love it.

INGREDIENTS:

1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of potato or cream of celery soup

1/2 cup chive and onion sour cream

1-3/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1-1/4 pound cooked potato wedges

1 small can cut green beans

8 ounces fully cooked sausage, sliced in half lengthwise then across

1 cup French-fried onions

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 11x7 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix soup, sour cream and 1 cup of cheese. Stir in potatoes, green beans and sausage. Spoon into baking dish. Cover and bake half an hour. Sprinkle with onions and remaining cheese. Bake uncovered 10 minutes longer.

*I actually like this recipe more with cream of celery soup.

Jambalaya

I love this! When my husband is out of town I often make a pot of jambalaya and eat it for days. I love its spiciness and heartiness, and it's so easy.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped green sweet pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons cooking oil

2 cups chicken broth

1 14-1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

8 ounces andouille or kielbasa sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch slices

3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice

1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed

1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 cup cubed cooked ham

DIRECTIONS:

Thaw shrimp, if frozen; set aside. In a 6 quart stock pot cook onion, celery, sweet pepper and garlic in hot oil until tender. Stir in chicken broth, undrained tomatoes, sausage, rice thyme, basil pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Stir in shrimp. Return to boiling. Simmer, covered, about 5 minutes more or until shrimp turn opaque and rice is tender. Stir in ham; heat through. Discard bay leaf.

*I use low fat turkey sausage.

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

I have received so many compliments for these! I like to make them as Valentine's Day gifts for teachers and cut them into heart shapes. Then we dip half the heart in chocolate or white chocolate colored pink and the kids add sprinkles. In a pretty box these make a very nice gift.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 package cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups flour

FOR COATING

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or white chocolate)

2 tablespoons shortening

DIRECTIONS:

Combine butter, sugar, cream cheese, egg and vanilla in large bowl. Beat until light and fluffy. Add flour, beat until well mixed. Wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough out to 1/8 inch thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut dough with lightly floured cookie cutter. Place cutouts 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned. Remove immediately to wire racks to cool completely.

Melt chocolate chips and shortening in small saucepan over low heat. Dip half of each cookie into melted chocolate. Refrigerate on cookie sheets lined with waxed paper until chocolate is firm.

*This is a sticky dough. I divide the original dough ball into 3 parts so I have to take the dough out of refrigeration as little as possible. Any dough that is not being worked with needs to be put back in the refrigerator.

*If you don't have shortening, I have been successful with vegetable oil and butter. Just experiment with it until you get a good consistency--thin enough for dipping but not so thin that it won't firm up.

*Of course, if you want to embellish your cookies with sprinkles like us, do this before you allow the chocolate to harden.

Seafood Fettuccine

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 pound shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined

1 can mushroom stems and pieces, drained

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 package (8 ounces) fettuccine, cooked and drained

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

DIRECTIONS:

In a large saucepan, saute shrimp, mushrooms, garlic powder, salt and pepper in butter for 3-5 minutes. Stir in fettuccine, Parmesan cheese, milk and sour cream. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until heated through (do not boil).

*Scallops or crab may be substituted for half the shrimp.