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Debi's Hot DishesSay Cheeeeese! |
Cheese is one of my very favorite foods and I like most cheese varieties. Cheese has a high calcium content and beneficial for teeth, bones and for preventing osteoporosis.
Plus, cheese is versatile: you can use it in desserts, main dishes, or side dishes.
Seafood Lasagna
9 cooked lasagna noodles (I used whole wheat)
3 T butter
1 cup minced yellow onion
3/4 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1-1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach, or frozen (thawed and drained)
1 T garlic, crushed
juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
1 T dried sweet basil leaves
Black pepper and sea salt to taste
8 oz cooked crab meat, chopped (can use imitation)
1 lb small cooked shrimp, peeled and tails removed
2-10.75 oz cans cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1 egg, beaten
1-1/2 cups of cottage cheese
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
8 oz pkg shredded mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with 1 T melted butter, set aside. In large skillet melt 2 T butter over medium heat: cook onion, fresh mushrooms and spinach until tender. Add garlic, lemon juice, basil, sea salt and black pepper.
Stir in cooked crab and shrimp and add soup mix and milk, turn off stove and mix well.
In large bowl, mix together cream cheese, egg, cottage cheese and parmesan cheese. Layer 3 large noodles in prepared pan, then add 1/3 shrimp mixture, then 1/3 cheese mixture: repeat layers twice more. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake for 45 minutes or until heated through and bubbly. Serves 10- 12.
Asparagus Hot Dish
2 - 9 oz pkgs frozen asparagus, thawed (or 2 cups fresh cooked)
10.5 oz can cream of celery soup
10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup
2 cups crushed crackers (I used whole wheat)
1 T butter, melted
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup reserved for topping
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and melt 1 T butter in 8x8 square casserole dish. In large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients except cheese reserved for topping. When wellmixed, add remaining cheese to top and cook for about 30 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes before cutting to serve. Serves 6-8.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes
1 box Devil’s Food chocolate cake mix (make batter according to directions)
8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 cup chocolate chips, either semi-sweet or milk chocolate
tube of cream cheese ready-made frosting (optional); can use chocolate instead
Preheat oven to temperature on cake box (usually 350 degrees) and line muffin tins with 24 liners. I always spray my paper liners with nonstick cooking spray. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and egg until light and fluffy. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour cake batter into bottom of paper liner about 1/3 full, then drop a heaping teaspoonful of cream cheese mixture into each cupcake and fill liners to the 2/3 mark with additional cake batter. Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool and frost if desired.