No-Bake Turtle Cheesecake

From the Pillsbury website...


Prep Time: 20 min ; Start to Finish: 3 hr 20 min
Makes: 16 servings

Keep cool while you make a crowd-size cheesecake. No baking required!

Crust

1 1/4 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Filling

2 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 (3.4-oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding and pie filling mix
1/4 cup chocolate fudge ice cream topping (not hot fudge)
1/2 cup pecan halves
1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping
Whipped cream, if desired


1 . In medium bowl, combine all crust ingredients; mix well. Press mixture evenly in bottom of ungreased 9-inch springform pan.

2 . In medium bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in milk until mixture is smooth. Add brown sugar and vanilla; beat until well blended. Add pudding mix; beat at low speed for 2 minutes. Pour mixture over crust in pan.

3 . Drizzle with fudge topping; swirl into filling with tip of knife. Arrange pecan halves over top of cheesecake. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or until firm.

4 . To serve, cut cheesecake into wedges; place on individual dessert plates. Drizzle each serving with caramel topping. Top each serving with whipped cream.

Chicken Parmesan Filled Shells

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 tsp. parsley
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. oregano
1/8 tsp. pepper
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
16 jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained
2-3 cups spaghetti sauce



Directions:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, parsley, garlic powder, oregano and pepper; mix well. Stir in Parmesan cheese, 1-1/4 cups Mozzarella cheese and chicken.

2. Preheat oven to 350º.

3. Pour half of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of an 9x13-inch baking dish. Evenly fill shells with chicken mixture and place in dish. Pour remaining sauce over shells; sprinkle with remaining Mozzarella cheese.

4. Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Yield: 4-6 servings.

Root Beer Float Cake

Root beer floats . . . one of my all time favorites. One of our favorite cafes has recently introduced their soda fountain . . . I was so excited to see they added root beer floats to their menu. We have made it a tradition to visit the cafe after work on Friday afternoons . . . the root beer float is my TGIF treat, a reward for making it through another stressful week of work. Can't wait to try this cake . . . will post comments after we have made it . . . post your comments if you try it out before we do.

Ingredients

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) white cake mix
1-3/4 cups cold root beer, divided
1/4 cup canola oil 2 eggs
1 envelope whipped topping mix (Dream Whip)


Directions

In a large bowl, combine dry cake mix,
1-1/4 cups root beer, oil and eggs.

Beat on low speed for 2 minutes or stir by hand for 3 minutes.
Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan.

Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick
inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool completely on a wire rack.

In a small bowl, combine the whipped
topping mix and remaining root beer.

Beat until soft peaks form.

Frost cake.

Store in the refrigerator.


Yield: 12-16 servings.


Nutrition Facts:
1 serving (1 piece) equals 203 calories, 8 g fat (2 g saturated fat),
27 mg cholesterol, 216 mg sodium, 31 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 2 g protein.

Source: Quick Cooking May/June 2000, page 40

Pasta-Broccoli Salad

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Sour Cream
3/4 cup Mayonnaise
1/3 cup Scallions, sliced
2 tablespoons fresh Dill (or 1 teaspoon dried)
8 ounces medium Shell Pasta, cooked
3 cups Broccoli Florets
1 1/2 cups Red Pepper, thinly sliced


Dressing:

Mix sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions, and dill.


Combine cooked pasta, broccoli, and peppers.

Spoon in dressing and toss gently.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.




Recipe source: Cooking Light

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Mary Catherine Muir