Quick & Easy Family Dinners Cookbook (4 page)

2 c. graham cracker crumbs

4 T. sugar

4 T. butter, melted

2 8-oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 c. sugar

1 t. vanilla

8-oz. can cherry pie filling

Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter; press into a lightly oiled 13”x9” baking dish. Beat cream cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla together until fluffy and pour into crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until set. Cool for 2 hours. When completely cooled, top with pie filling. Serves 10 to 12.

When whisking ingredients in a bowl, a damp kitchen towel can keep them mixing bowl in place. Just twist the towel securely around the base of the bowl.

29-oz. can sliced peaches, drained

1 t. lemon zest

1-1/4 c. pie crust mix

3/4 c. brown sugar, packed

2 T. butter

Garnish: whipped topping or ice cream

Place peaches in an ungreased 8”x8” baking pan. Add lemon zest. Crumble pie crust mix and brown sugar together, mix well. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture evenly over peaches and dot with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve warm with whipped topping or ice cream. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Enjoy leftover slices of pie or cobbler by heating them in the microwave on high for about 10 seconds. Top servings with a big scoop of ice cream and drizzle of honey for a yummy dessert.

3 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. baking soda

1-1/2 t. salt

1 c. margarine

1-1/3 c. sugar

2/3 c. brown sugar, packed

2 t. vanilla extract

2 eggs, beaten

3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Cream margarine and sugars in a large mixing bowl; blend in vanilla and eggs until smooth. Gradually mix in dry ingredients; fold in chocolate chips. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls about 3 inches apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets; bake at 325 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen.

Make a game of table talk! Write fun questions on file cards…what kind of animal would you like to be? What’s your favorite book? and so on. Pull a different card each night to talk about.

1/4 c. shortening

1 t. sugar

1 c. all-purpose flour

2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 t. garlic powder

1 egg, beaten

1/3 c. milk

1 c. Cheddar cheese, grated

Cream shortening and sugar. Mix dry ingredients together; add to shortening and sugar mixture. Blend in remaining ingredients. Divide mixture equally into greased muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until golden. Makes one dozen.

Oops, you got carried away and brought home too many fresh veggies from the farmers’ market! Save them by cooking up a big pot of soup or stew and freezing it in meal-size portions.

1-1/2 oz. pkg. onion soup mix

4 c. water

10-3/4 oz. can cream of mushroom soup

3-lb. boneless beef chuck roast

12-oz. pkg. kluski egg noodles, uncooked

2 T. dried parsley

Combine onion soup mix and water in a covered roasting pan; stir in mushroom soup. Place roast in pan on top of soup mixture. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 4 hours, or until meat is very tender. Remove roast from pan and shred; return to pan. Add noodles to pan; reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, checking and stirring every 15 minutes until noodles are tender. Add water if necessary to prevent drying out. Sprinkle with parsley before serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Whip up a cool fruit dessert…you won’t believe how easy it is. Freeze an unopened can of your favorite fruit. At serving time, scoop out frozen fruit and process in a food processor until smooth.