Caprese Lasagna Roll Ups

• 8 lasagna noodles, uncooked
• 14 oz freshly shredded, low-moisture part skim Mozzarella cheese, divided
• 3/4 cup Ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg white
• 1/3 cup freshly, finely shredded Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/4 oz)
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 - 4 medium Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced (about 1/6 inch thick slices)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
• 1 cup marinara sauce

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to directions listed on package to al dente. Drain pasta (DO NOT rinse with water) and align lasagna noodles in a single layer on a large sheet of parchment or wax paper.
• For filling, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese and egg white until well blended. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Mix in 12 oz. of the Mozzarella cheese and season with black pepper to taste (I wouldn't recommend seasoning with salt just because the cheeses already have plenty of salt).
• Place 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture over each lasagna noodle and spread into an even layer, going from one end of the lasagna to the other. Align 4 thin tomato slices over cheese mixture then sprinkle fresh basil over top. Snugly roll lasagna noodles to opposite end. Spread about 1/4 cup pasta sauce in the bottom of an 11 x 7 inch baking dish. Align lasagna roll ups, seam side down in dish. Top each roll up with about 2 Tbsp of the pasta sauce (covering edges of pasta so they don't dry out while baking). Sprinkle top with remaining 2 oz. shredded Mozzarella. Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Remove from oven, plate pasta and garnish with plenty of basil ribbons. Serve warm.

Snickers Cake

1 box devils food cake mix, plus ingredients to make the cake
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar Smucker’s hot caramel ice cream topping
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 snickers candy bars, chopped
1/3 cup peanuts, chopped
caramel sauce
chocolate sauce

Bake cake in a 9×13-inch pan according to direction on the package.

While cake is baking, mix condensed milk and hot caramel topping until well blended. When the cake is done and while it’s still hot, poke holes in it with a fork or straw. Pour milk mixture over the cake. Allow cake to cool completely. Sprinkle chocolate chips over cake.

In a chilled bowl, whip together heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla. Whip on high speed of an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes. Stir in chopped snickers. Spread over cake. Sprinkle chopped peanuts over cake. Drizzle caramel and chocolate sauce on top. Chill.

Chicken Gyros

Tzatziki sauce:
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• Extra virgin olive oil
For the chicken:
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• Juice of 1 lemon (2-3 Tablespoons)
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 heaping Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
• 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
To assemble:
• Pita bread
• Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
• Red onion, sliced thin

Instructions

1. Shred the cucumber or chop in food processor. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.
2. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
3. To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
4. Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler. Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into strips. Heat pitas. Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately.

Pulled Chicken Suiza Sammies

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped (all I had was half an onion)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 cups salsa verde (I used Goya brand)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 rotisserie-style chicken, skin discarded and meat shredded
4 sandwich rolls, split
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

Instructions:
Preheat the broiler. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and honey, then stir in the salsa and heat through. Mix in the sour cream. Add sauce a little at a time to your bowl of shredded chicken. YOU MAY NOT NEED ALL THE SAUCE depending on how much shredded chicken you have. Stir in the sauce to coat.
Pile the chicken mixture on the roll bottoms. Top with the cheese and broil to melt. Set the roll tops in place and serve with the chips. *I have lettuce in my picture but I liked it better without!

*Recipe Notes: My meat was a little on the wet side because I didn’t get all of the dark meat off the chicken so my meat to sauce ratio was a little off. You may want to make the sauce and then add as much as you like to your meat.

Cheesy Potato Soup

• 1 package cubed frozen hashbrowns
• 2 cans cream of chicken
• 1 can cream of celery
• 1 pint Half & Half
• 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup butter
• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Melt butter in crockpot. Add remaining ingredients (except cheese, salt and pepper).
2. Cook in crockpot on high for 3-4 hours.
3. Add 1 cup cheese, salt and pepper before serving. Use reserve cheese to sprinkle on top.

3 Envelope Roast

• 3 to 5 pound beef chuck roast (or other braising roast)
• 1 cup of water
• One envelope of dry onion soup mix
• One envelope of dry Italian dressing mix
• One envelope of dry brown gravy mix

Instructions

Whisk together the water with ingredients from all 3 of the envelopes. Pour about 1/4 cup of the liquid on the bottom of the crockpot, place the roast on top. Don't be tempted to season the roast. There is plenty of salt and other seasonings in these envelopes.

Pour the remaining liquid mixture all over the top and all around the roast. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high 4 to 5 hours.

To thicken gravy, remove the roast and tent with foil to keep warm. Carefully transfer the contents of the crockpot to a saucepan and stir in a slurry of one tablespoon of cornstarch with just enough water to loosen. Stir into the sauce, bring up to a boil, reduce and simmer until thickened.

Cook's Notes: Use a larger roast for planned leftovers. Can use any appropriate braising beef roast including eye or bottom round steak (not top round), rump, shoulder, arm or blade pot roast.  The traditional 3 envelope roast uses a brown gravy mix, Ranch dressing mix and Italian dressing mix.

"Mississippi Roast" Variation: Use one envelope of brown gravy or au jus gravy mix with one envelope of Ranch dressing mix. This recipe calls to sprinkle the envelope contents over the roast and top with a stick of butter, but I don't find the added fat necessary when using a chuck roast, so I omit that and substitute a cup of water. Whisk the contents of the envelopes with the water and pour over the roast. Add 5 whole pepperoncini peppers to the top of the roast, cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high 4 to 5 hours.

To Make Sliders: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter the insides of dinner rolls and toast, butter side down, on a baking sheet in the oven just until warmed through and browned on the bottoms. Meanwhile in a skillet, caramelize a sliced onion in a tablespoon of canola oil and one tablespoon of butter. While onions are browning, use the lowest setting on the microwave to gently warm the leftover beef, just enough to take the chill off. Use a fork to shred the meat. Place a scoop of beef on the bottom half of dinner rolls, then top with caramelized onion, and some finely shredded Swiss cheese. If you like, stack all the sliders back on the baking sheet and cover the whole pan tightly with aluminum foil. Return to the oven just long enough to melt the cheese. Stack the sliders on a platter and serve with condiments at the table or with a nice sauce like a Sour Cream Horseradish Sauce.