"The Cheesecake Factory" Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
5 TB butter
1 TB sugar

Filling:
24 ounces cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice

Directions:
Combine the crust ingredients and press into the bottom of a springform pan. Bake at 350* for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add the pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and spices.

Pour the batter over the crust. Bake at 350* for 60-70 minutes. Cool and refrigerate. Serve with whipped cream.

Holiday Popcorn

This is a festive, easy, and tasty popcorn treat that is great to make around Christmas time!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unpopped popcorn kernels
6 ounces white chocolate chips
Crushed candy canes, to taste - I used about 5 or so

Directions:
Pop the popcorn and set aside. Melt the white chocolate chips. Once the chips are melted, stir in the crushed candy canes. Pour the chocolate/candy cane mixture into the popcorn and mix thoroughly; you will need to use your hands. Mold into popcorn balls OR break apart into pieces and let harden on wax paper.

Oreo Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1. 32 Oreo cookies, divided
2. 32 ounces cream cheese, softened
3. 1 cup sugar
4. 1 tsp vanilla
5. 8 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
6. 4 eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees ifusing a silver 9" springform pan (or 300 degrees if using a dark nonstick 9" springform pan).
2. Quarter 20 of the cookies and set aside. Finely crush the remaining 12 cookies; press firmly onto the bottom of the greased springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
3. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with electric mixer on medium spped until well blended. Add chocolate, mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition until just blended. Gently stir in 1 1/2 cups of the quartered cookies. Pour over the crust. Sprinkle with the remaining quartered cookies.
4. Bake 50 - 60 minutes or until the center is almost set. Run a knife around the rim of the pan to loosen the cake. Cool before removing the rim of pan.
5. Refrigerate at least four hours.

Taken from BAKER'S chocolate at www.allrecipes.com.

Coq Au Vin

Ingredients:

1. 2 TB flour
2. 4 lb fresh chicken cut into 8 pieces (ask your butcher to do this, OR use 8 chicken joints or chicken breasts)
3. 2 TB olive oil
4. 2 TB butter
5. 8 oz fatty bacon, cut into strips
6. 1 lb pearl onions, peeled
7. 3 cups red wine
8. 2 garlic gloves, peeled and crushed
9. 1 bouquet garni
10. 4 3/4 cup white mushrooms
11. 2 TB chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Season the flour and put it into a large plastic bag. Add the chicken and shake well to coat it evenly.
2. Heat the oil and butter in the casserole dish. Cook the chicken over high heat for 5-6 minutes until browned. You will need to do this in two batches. Lift it out ofthe casserole and keep warm.
3. Fry the bacon in the casserole for 3-4 minutes until crisp and well colored. Lift it out and keep warm.
4. Cook the onions over high heat for 4-5 minutes until they begin to brown. Pour in the wine and stir well to remove any sediment from the bast of the casserole dish.
5. Return the bacon and chicken to the casserole dish and add the garlic and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, cover, then cook in the center of the preheated oven for 1 1/4 hours.
6. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 15 minutes. Discard the bouquet garni and use a slotted spoon to lift out the chicken pieces, bacon, onion, and mushrooms. Put them in a serving dish and keep warm.
7. Return the casserole and its juices to low heat and check for seasoning. Boil rapidly until the sauce is thick and glossy. Pour the sauce over the dish and serve immediately, garnished with parsley.

Chicken Chillipa and Salsa

Chicken Chillipa

2 (10.75 oz) cans cream of chicken soup (undiluted)
1 C sour cream
2/3 C milk
1 (7 oz) can diced green chilies, drained
1 medium onion, chopped
4 to 5 green onions, chopped
12 corn tortillas, quartered
4-6 chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded
4 cups grated colby cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the soup, sour cream, milk, onion and green onions in a bowl. Spread a portion of the sauce in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Arrange half the tortilla wedges, overlapping slightly, on the sauce. In this order, layer all of the chicken, half the remaining sauce, half the cheese, the remaining tortillas, sauce and cheese.

Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325, remove the cover and bake for another 30 minutes.

Serves 8.

Salsa

2 cans Rotel (diced tomatoes and chilies)
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1/2 can diced jalapenos
Salt, pepper and garlic salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Best when chilled and the flavors are allowed to mix for a couple of hours.

Crescent Chicken Squares

I have no pictures, but these are one of our favorite dinners. I grew up eating these with left over turkey after Thanksgiving. So delicious.

Preheat oven to 350.

Blend 3oz pack softened cream cheese
2 Tbsp melted butter/margarine until smooth

Add:
2 C cooked cubed/shredded chicken (I've have used canned chicken, chicken breasts, leftover turkey. The canned chicken is super delicious and really easy)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp green onions
1 Tbsp chopped pimento (I've never put this in. I don't even know what it is)

8oz Pillsbury Refrigerated Quick Crescent dinner rolls

Separate crescent rolls into 4 squares. (the rolls come as triangles. with a rolling pin combine 2 triangles together to make a square). Spoon 1/2 C chicken mixture onto center of each square; pull 4 corners of dough to center of mixture; seal. Brush tops ith 1 Tbsp melted butter. Dip in 3/4 C crushed croutons.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Top with cream of chicken soup.

This makes 4 squares. They are really good as leftovers also.

I never have croutons to dip on top so I skip this part, but I'm sure it's good.

I have also noticed that if you put a little less milk in the mixture it is thicker which is nice.

I have realized recently how delicious the filling is as a dip with crackers with canned chicken. I made a double batch of this the other day, baked half of it for dinner and have the remaining in the fridge as a dip to snack on or I can make some more squares another night. Either way, it has been delicious. Hudson loves them as well as Grant.

Enjoy!!