Creamy Tomato- Basil Pasta with Chicken

3 cups penne pasta, uncooked
1/4 cup sun dried tomato vinaigrette dressing, divided
4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 lb)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 oz Neufchatel Cheese, cubed
2 cups grape tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
8 basil leaves, cut into strips

1. Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile heat 2 Tbsp dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken; cover. Cook 5-6 min on each side if until done. Remove chicken from skillet cover to keep warm. Wipe out skillet with paper towel.
2. Add remaining dressing, broth and seasonings to skillet; cook 3-4 min or until heated through. Add Neufchatel; cook and stir 2-3 min or until melted. Stir in tomatoes; cook 3 min.
3. Drain pasta. Add ingredients in skillet with Parmesan and basil; mix well. Serve topped with chicken.

I got this recipe from Kraft. The changes I made were I cubed the chicken, used dried basil (and added it when I added the chicken broth) and I used cherry tomatoes cut in half.

Chicken Puffs

2 packages refrigerator crescent rolls
2 cups crushed buttery crackers (ritz)
2 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1/4 C diced onion
1/2 C chopped celery
4 ounces (1/2 package) cream cheese
1/2 C sour cream

dash of garlic powder
dash of salt & pepper

Press together 2 crescent-roll triangles to form a square. Repeat with remaining dough. Place crushed crackers in a shallow dish. Stir together remaining ingredients in a large bowl and scoop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto dough squares.

Fold and pinch edges together. Roll each chicken puff in the cracker crumbs. Place puffs on a greased cookie sheet and put cookie sheet in freezer for 1 hour. Then place chicken puffs in a zip-top freezer bag and freeze.

To Serve:
Place frozen chicken puffs on a greased cookie sheet and back at 350* for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

This recipe came from the Fabulous Freezer Meals book. I am stocking up for the next few months since I never want to cook this late in pregnancy! Hopefully I can do another freezer meal night before baby comes to get even more meals in!!

Three- Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

• 1 1/2 cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked
• 1 pkg (9 oz) fresh spinach leaves
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 tsp dried basil leaves
• 1 jar (14.5 oz) spaghetti sauce
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 oz (1/4 of 8 oz pkg) Neufchatel Cheese, cubed
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375. Cook pasta as directed on package, adding spinach to the boiling water the last minute. Cook and stir chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium -high heat 3 min. Stir in spaghetti sauce and tomatoes bring to boil. Simmer on low heat 3 min or until chicken is done. Stir in Neufchatel. Drain pasta mixture; return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Spoon into 2 qt casserole or 8-inch square baking dish. Bake 20 min; top with remaining cheese. Bake 3 min or until mozzarella is melted.

I got this recipe from Kraft.

Chicken Mushroom Supreme

• 1/2 lb sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1lb)
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 4 oz (1/2 8 oz pkg) cream cheese, cubed
• 1 tsp tarragon

1. Cook and stir mushrooms in 1 Tbsp hot oil in large skillet on medium heat 2-3 min or until lightly browned. Spoon to one side of skillet.
2. Add remaining oil and chicken to other side of skillet; cook chicken 5-6 min on each side or until done. Transfer chicken to platter; cover to keep warm.
3. Pour broth into skillet with mushrooms; stir and cook 3 min. Add cream cheese; cook 2-3 or until cream cheese is melted and sauce is slightly thickened, stirring constantly with whisk. Stir in tarragon. Pour over chicken.

I didn't have tarragon so I substituted marjoram it still turned out pretty tasty!

Parmesan Fondue

1 1/2 C Milk
2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, cubed
1 1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 loaf french bread, cubed

In a large saucepan, cook and stir in milk and cream cheese over low heat until cheese is melted.  Stir in Parmesan and garlic salt; cook and stir until heated through. Transfer to a fondue pot or mini crockpot, keep warm.  Serve with bread cubes.

Copycat Cinnabuns

• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 cup plus 1 1/2 tsp milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 cups bread flour
• 2 1/2 tsp yeast
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
• 1/4 cup raisins (optional)
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. For the rolls, place melted butter, water, instant pudding, 1 cup milk, egg, granulated sugar, salt, flour and yeast in bread machine following manufacturer's instructions. Set for dough cycle.
2. After completion of dough cycle, remove from machine and roll out to an approximate 17x10-inch rectangle
3. For the filling, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon mixture over top.
4. Roll tightly from long end, pinching edges closed when completely rolled. Slice rolled dough into 1/2 inch slices, or larger if a larger bun is preferred.
5. Place into greased cake pans or a cookie sheet. If using cake pans, use three 9-inch pans. Let rise until doubled. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, until golden. Do not over bake.
6. For the frosting, combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup softened butter, confectioners sugar 1 1/2 tsp milk and vanilla extract. Spread on very warm rolls.
I'm not a bread maker at all and these were fast and EASY and delicious!

Salsa Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 24 ox jar salsa
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 pkg. tortillas

Cook chicke and salsa in a slow cooker on high for 3 hours. Shred chicken and add cream cheese. cook until cream cheese is melted. ***Freeze in freezer bag. Otherwise, spray a frying pan with cooking spray and fry tortillas until browned. put mixture on tortilla and roll up.

Quick cream puff dessert

Make cream puff dough by melting:
1/2 C butter or margarine in 1 C boiling water. Add 1 C four and 1/4 teaspoon salt at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. Allow to cool at least 10 minutes. Use 4 Large eggs at room temperature. Beat each egg into the cooled dough, one at a time...do not whip. Spread dough on greased jelly roll pan with spatula. Bake in preheated oven at 450* for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350* and bake an additional 15-20 minutes. There will be peaks and valleys in the dough. Let cool.

Mix large package of instant pudding according to package direction. (My favorite is to use vanilla.) Can use any flavor though. When pudding is set, beat together with 8 ounces of cream cheese. Spread on top of cooled puff dough. Next spread a layer of Cool Whip. Use one large container. Drizzle with chocolate flavored syrup. Draw a knife through syrup to make a pretty design if desired. I usually put fresh or frozen raspberries or strawberries on top. If I used banana pudding, I add cut up bananas soaked in pineapple juice to prevent browning!

ENJOY!!

Ham & Cheese Omelet Roll

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 C milk
2 TBL all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
12 eggs
8 ounces ham, finely chopped (1 1/2 C)
6 ounces cheddar cheese (1 1/2 C)
1/4 C green onions
2 TBS dijon mustard

Combine cream cheese and milk; whisk until msooth. Add flour and salt.

In another bowl, whisk eggs. Add cream cheese mixture. Mix well. Pour into greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375* for 30-33 minutes untilm omelt is puffy and golden. Remove omelet from oven, spread mustard on. Sprinkle with half of the cheese, top with ham and green onions. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Starting at one short side, roll up jelly-rool fashion. Garnish top with additional cheese and green onions. Let stand 5 minutes to allow cheese to melt. Slice and serve.

Chicken Roll-ups

3 chicken breasts cooked or a can of chicken.
Cream cheese
3/4 stick butter
Refrigerated croissants (2 packages)
Bread crumbs
Cream of chicken soup

Cook chicken. Soften cream cheese and butter in microwave. Shred chicken and mix together. Salt and Pepper to taste. Use two croissant shapes to form a square and stretch. Fill with the chicken filling and pinch edges to close. Roll in bread crumbs and cook according to croissant directions.

Make the cream of chicken soup according to the directions on the label. Spoon over finished product.

Raspberry Dream Cake

1 yellow cake mix
1 pkg. raspberry jello
1 pkg. cream cheese
1 1/2 cups water
1 can raspberry pie filling
1 container of Cool Whip

Bake cake according to directions. Boil water and add jello mix. Stir until dissolved. Poke holes in cake with a fork and pour jello over cake coating evenly. Let cool for 2 hours (Refrigerate).

Mix cool whip and cream cheese. Beat until smooth. Spread on top of chilled cake. Spread raspberry filling on top. Let refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Bread Bowl Artichoke Dip

Not a goodie, but boy is it YUMMY!!

2 - 16 ounce bread bowls
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 C milk
1 -14 ounce artichoke hearts drained
1 - 1.4 ounce envelope veggie soup mix
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 lemon juiced or 2 TBS lemon juice
1 - 8 ounce soure cream
parmesan cheese

-preheat oven to 450 degrees
-Slice off top of one bread round, remove inside. Place on baking stone. Cut other bread bowl into cubes and put around bread bowl. spray with veggie oil.
- whip cream cheese until smooth
- add milk to cream cheese and whip
- chop artichoke and add it with garlic and soup mix.
- microwave for 5-7 minutes until hot...do not boil
- Mix 2 tbs lemon juice and sour cream to hot mixture. Pour in bowl.
- Sprinkle parmesan cheese overall everything
- Bake 13-15 minutes or until top of bread is golden brown.

---Try not to eat it all :)!!

Cheesy Spinach and Bacon Dip

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
1 lb. (16 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
1 can (10 oz.) RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained
8 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, crisply cooked, drained and crumbled
Make It
COMBINE all ingredients in microwaveable bowl.
MICROWAVE on HIGH 5 min. or until VELVEETA is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 3 min. Serve with tortilla chips and cut-up vegetables.

**Since there is no theme yet, I made this the other day for a party I had and it was marvelous! I used the extra in the crock pot on chicken and it was pretty good as well!

Mini cheesecakes

I made these for a party we had and they seemed to be a big hit. They are a little on the sweet side for me but they were all gone at the end of the night and the kids especially seemed to enjoy them.

Mini Cheesecakes

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
12 OREO Cookies
multi-colored sprinkles (optional)

BEAT cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping.
PLACE cookies on bottom of 12 paper-lined muffin cups.
SPOON cream cheese mixture into muffin cups. Top with multi-colored sprinkles. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chicken Empanadas

This is a Paula Deen recipe. I have been loving her recipes lately! I haven't tried this one yet, but it is definitely on the list!

Ingredients:
3 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1 (8-ounce) package shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese blend
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts
Water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Lightly grease a baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine the chicken and next 7 ingredients. Unroll 1 piecrust onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 15-inch circle. Cut out rounds, using a 3-inch cookie cutter. Re-roll dough as needed. Repeat procedure with remaining piecrusts, making 12 to 15 circles total. Arrange 1 round on a clean, flat surface. Lightly brush the edges of crust with water. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of chicken mixture in the center of the round. Fold the dough over the filling, pressing the edges with a fork to seal. Repeat with the remaining rounds and chicken mixture. (Up to this point, the recipe can be made ahead and frozen for up to 1 month). Arrange empanadas on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

Cream Cheese Ranch Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

8 baking potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (1 ounce) package dry Ranch-style dressing mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter, softenedDIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain and mash.
In a large bowl beat the cream cheese and dressing mix until smooth. Stir in mashed potatoes, sour cream and butter; beat until desired consistency is reached.

Pasta with creamy pumpkin sauce

What You Need
1 pkg. (16 oz.) penne pasta, uncooked
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
1/2 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
1/2 cup milk
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper
ground nutmeg to taste
COOK pasta as directed on package.
MEANWHILE, place cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, butter and milk in large saucepan; cook on low heat until cream cheese is melted, stirring frequently. Add pumpkin and spices; cook until heated through, stirring occasionally.
ADD pasta; toss lightly. Serve topped with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Pumpkin Dip

• 2 cups powedered sugar
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

Mix sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Add remaining ingredients until well combined. Serve with gingersnaps or grahm crackers. SUPER YUMMY!!!!!!

Cheesecake Bars

O.k. it has been a while since I have posted and I know that I am a little bit late for a theme but better late than never! My theme for this week is anything that has cream cheese in it. I made these amazing bars the other day for my family. Enjoy!

2/3 c. finely crushed graham crackers
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. butter or margarine, melted
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 T. lemon juice
2 T. finely crushed graham crackers

Stir together 2/3 c. graham crackers, flour, pecans and sugar. Add melted butter; mix until crumbly. Pat into ungreased 9x9-inch backing pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Cream together cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs, lemon peel and lemon juice; mix well. Pour over baked layer. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the 2 T. graham crackers. Cool; cut into bars. Store in refrigerator. Recipe can be doubled.