Philly cheesesteak braid

Ingredients:

4 portions, frozen sandwich steaks, thinly sliced, cut crosswise into 1/2" strips
2 T. margarine
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1 green pepper, large - cut into strips
salt and pepper to taste
2 8oz. cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 egg, beaten

Preheat over to 350. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook and stir steak strips in margarine until no longer pink; remove from skillet. Add onion and green pepper to skillet and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add cooked steak back to skillet; season with salt and pepper. Unroll 1 can of dough into 2 long rectangles. Place on ungreased cookie sheet with long sides overlapping 1/2"; firmly press edges and perforations to seal. Press or roll out to form 7" x 13" rectangle. On a second cookie sheet, repeat with remaining can of dough. Spoon half of meat mixture in 2" strip lengthwise down center of each dough. Use 1/2 cup of cheese on each and sprinkle over meat. Make cuts 1" apart on longest sides of each rectangle just to edge of filling. To give braided appearance, fold strips of dough at an angle halfway across the filling, alternating from side to side. Fold ends of braid under to seal. Brush braids with egg. Bake 16-22 minutes or till golden brown.

I found this recipe in a Pillsbury Bake-Off cookbook. I've made this for card parties and get-togethers, or even for dinner. It looks so pretty and impressive, but it really is simple. You can add mushrooms if you'd like in addition to, or instead of, the green pepper.

Taco Pie

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
2 frozen pie crusts, deep dish
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 16oz. can refried beans
1/3 c. taco sauce
24 tortilla chips, crushed
lettuce
tomato
sour cream

Preheat oven to 400. Pre-heat cookie sheet to 400 also. Thaw pie crusts 10 minutes. Prick bottom and sides of crusts with fork. Bake crusts on cookie sheet for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce to 350. Brown ground beef and onion, drain fat. Add taco seasoning mix according to package directions. In small bowl, combine beans and taco sauce. Layer 1/2 of bean mixture in bottom of each crust. Top with 1/4 of meat, 1/4 of cheese and 1/2 the crushed tortilla chips. Using the remaining 1/4 of the meat and 1/4 of the cheese, repeat layers of the meat and cheese. Bake on cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes. Slice into pie wedges and serve with taco toppings like lettuce, diced tomatoes and sour cream.

I love the flavor of the crust with all of the taco ingredients. For our family, after I assemble the pies, I usually bake just one pie for dinner and freeze the other. Then we can have a good, home-cooked meal anytime.   

Buckeye Bars

Ingredients:

1 c. margarine
1+ lb. powdered sugar
1 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Put 1 pound of powdered sugar in large bowl. In microwave-safe bowl, melt margarine and 1 cup of the peanut butter in the microwave for 45 seconds on high, stir to mix together. Add the melted margarine and peanut butter mixture to the powdered sugar and mix well. Add more powdered sugar as needed to form a stiff "dough." Pat the mixture into a 9"x13" glass pan. In microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and the other 1/2 cup of peanut butter in the microwave for 1 minute on high (or until melted); stir this melted peanut butter and chocolate together and pour over the peanut butter layer in the glass pan. Refrigerate over night. Use a sharp knife and cut into bars (about 1"x1") and ENJOY!


These are a tailgating favorite. I like them better than buckeyes candy - they're so much easier than rolling the balls and dipping them, and they're the perfect combination of creamy and gooey. Go Bucks!

Crockpot Chili

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 28oz. can peeled, diced, tomatoes
1 15oz. can tomato sauce
1 6oz. can tomato paste
2 15oz. cans kidney beans (I use one dark red and one light red)
1 packet chili seasoning mix
1 large onion, chopped

Brown ground beef and onion in skillet on stovetop. Put all ingredients including the prepared ground beef and onion into the crockpot and stir together. Cook on low 8-12 hours. Serve with saltines or oyster crackers, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, even hot dogs - whatever else you like with your chili.

Fall weather is upon us and I'm planning to make chili in the morning for Beggar's Night. It makes trick or treating so easy - dinner is ready when you walk in the door at the end of the workday, each person can eat as they're hungry and still get costumes and make-up on and everything ready for the all the little goblins that will be stopping by. Everyone has their favorite chili and this is my own take on it. It is very similar to what my mom used to make and my family loves it. It's even better reheated the next day.

Buckeye Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 chocolate cake mix
1 c. peanut butter
12 oz. cream cheese
6 Tblsp. milk
4 Tblsp. sugar
4 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners. Fill cupcake liners 1/2 full. Mix the filling: In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the peanut butter, 6 ounces of the cream cheese, 2 of the tablespoons of milk, and the 4 tablespoons of sugar. Mix it together into a stiff dough and roll into big gumball-sized balls (not as big as golfballs) and place in the center of the cake batter in each cupcake. Bake according to the cake box directions. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely. Make the frosting: In large mixing bowl put the other 1/2 cup of peanut butter, the remaining 4 tablespoons of milk and the other 6 ounces of cream cheese plus the vanilla. Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar, making sure the frosting doesn't get too thick.

When I made these I used the aluminum cupcake liners so I had the nice silver for the scarlet and gray tailgate party. I put the frosting on using a squeeze decorator so the tops were pretty, then I shaved dark chocolate on top (Giardelli extra dark chocolate bar using a vegetable peeler to shave pieces off) - you could substitute chocolate chips on top, some chocolate sprinkles, or even some Reese's pieces.

Today is a college football Saturday, so it's putting me in the mood for tailgate food. I got this recipe from a good friend of mine, Erin, who is a big OSU Buckeye fan. They are perfect for tailgate parties, though they are a little labor-intensive (but defnitely worth the trouble!). Thanks for the recipe Erin! (and thanks to Maria for taking the picture of them for me!)

Pumpkin Bites

Ingredients:
2 boxes of spice cake mix
1 29oz. can pure pack pumpkin (not the sweetened pumpkin pie filling...no, no, NO)
1 12oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dump both dry cake mixes in large mixing bowl. Add pumpkin and blend together well. Let dough sit 2-3 minutes, then stir in the chocolate chips. Batter will be very stiff. Drop dough by scant tablespoons onto cookie sheets, at least an inch apart from each other. Bake 12-15 minutes. Yield: Dozens of delicious pumpkin goodness.

My friend Denise made these for a work potluck last year. I loved them so I asked her for the recipe. You eat them like cookies but they remind you of muffins or cake and they're less messy. This was the first time I made them and it was so easy. And it made so many! I lost track of how many dozen I made. These are perfect for fall get-togethers - tailgating, Halloween parties, or marching band snacks. You can substitute carrot cake or other flavors of cake mix, but I've never tried those, just the spice cake mix. The house smelled like pumpkin spice for days afterward too.