Caramel Apple Crisp Cheesecake

Source: a mix of Mel and my Uncle Bryan (cheesecake maker, extraordinaire)

Yield:
1 9-inch round cheesecake + an extra oval casserole dish of cheesecake bars (not quite as thick as a traditional cheesecake, but just as delicious)

Ingredients:
for the crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

for the cheesecake:
1 cup granulated sugar
24 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
2 cans apple pie filling
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon cinnamon

for the streusel topping:

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup quick cooking oats

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened

for the caramel sauce:

4 Tablespoons butter

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

½ cups half-and-half or cream

pinch of salt

1 Tablespoon vanilla

(or you can just use your favorite stuff from the store, which is what I did the first time)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For the streusel, in a medium bowl, combine all the streusel topping ingredients and mix until crumbly. Set aside.

For the crust, in a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two forks until mixture is crumbly but combined. Press evenly into a 9-inch spring-form pan.  (I had enough extra crust mixture to press into a small oval 1.5 qt casserole dish, too.) Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Decrease oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

For the cheesecake part, combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla using a hand mixer.  Mix until smooth.  Add eggs and mix until incorporated.  Blend most of one can (enough to get you 1 cup blended) of apple pie filling until smooth. Add blended apple pie filling, sour cream and cinnamon to the cream cheese mixture. Blend with hand mixer until ingredients are incorporated (avoid over mixing to reduce cracking).  Pour filling into crust.  Evenly add apples from remaining cans of apple pie filling on top of the cheesecake mixture (you don't need to use all of the filing, just the apples).  (My 9-inch springform would have overflowed with all the cheesecake filling, so I added some to the small oval casserole mentioned above - it wasn't as thick as in the springform pan, but it worked great.  I had enough apples from the filling to cover the top of it, as well.)

Sprinkle the streusel topping over the apples.  (You may notice the amounts above are a half-batch of Mel's recipe - it was plenty to cover both my 9-inch round cheesecake, plus my "extra" oval casserole dish.)

Place a cake pan half-filled with water on the bottom rack of the oven.  Place cheesecake on top oven rack in middle of oven directly above the cake pan.  Bake for approximately 1 3/4 to 2 hours (the cheesecake is done when the top is lightly browned and is puffy and starting to show some cracks).

Remove from oven, cool for approximately 2-3 hours to room temperature, and then refrigerate 6-8 hours or overnight.

Drizzle with the caramel topping (or plate individual slices and drizzle with topping one by one).

For the caramel sauce, mix butter, brown sugar, half-and-half or cream, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until thickened slightly. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Turn off the heat and pour the sauce into a jar. Refrigerate until cold. If the caramel sauce has cooled in the fridge long enough to harden, warm slightly before drizzling on bars.  (Or you can always just use store-bought caramel sauce of your choosing - that's what I did the first time and it was fantastic.  Actually, come to think of it, I didn't even serve it at the party with caramel sauce at all.  I only drizzled the leftovers with some caramel ice cream topping we had in our fridge after we got home.)

Notes:

For my grandpa's birthday in March (he turned 88!) my aunt requested that I bring a cheesecake for dessert.  When I asked Gregg for ideas on what kind I should bring, he wondered if there was such a thing as an apple crisp cheesecake combo.  I knew right where to look, and by doing a little mixing and matching, I came up with the above recipe.  It was a hit with the crowd at the birthday party, as well as with my dishy husband, because he requested a repeat appearance of it for his birthday in June.  Since I wanted to make sure I remembered everything I did back in March (I hope what I've typed is accurate - my brain is getting a little fuzzy in my old age), I decided to return to the land of the neglected food blog to share my notes and keep them safe for next time I attempt this creation in a couple of weeks.  

I hope to be back for good!  I don't know why my recipe posting habits have disappeared since last July (oh wait . . . I had a baby 8 months ago . . . maybe that has something to do with it?) but it isn't because I haven't been cooking!  I have a huge list in my "to blog" file that I have been meaning to share, so I have a new goal to post one each day during naptime for your viewing (and making and eating) pleasure.  Baby steps.

Crockpot Shredded Chicken- no msg version

I found that the regular Cafe Rio knock off shredded chicken recipes I found all called for a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing, which is full of MSG. :(
So I made up one and we loved it!
I served it at our Mother's Day dinner in 2016.

INGREDIENTS:
In large crockpot put:
1 bag of chicken tenders (large Costco bag) @4 lbs

Mix the following and pour over chicken:
1 cup zesty Italian dressing (I used Kraft)
1/2 cup ranch dressing (I used lighthouse)
1 cup Jacks Salsa (also from Costco)
2 T minced garlic (I used bottled)
1/2 Tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons of cumin

Cook for 5 - 7 hours until chicken is very tender
shred chicken

Will be soupy

I made it the day before, shredded the chicken and then put it in the fridge overnight and then just heated it up the next day.

It was yummy!

Carolina-Style Pulled Pork Sandwiches (Slow Cooker)

Source

Ingredients:
1 boneless pork shoulder butt roast (4-5 pounds)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 medium onions, quartered
3/4 cup cider vinegar
4 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:
1. Cut roast into quarters.
2. Mix brown sugar, salt, paprika, and pepper. Rub over meat.
3. Place onions in the base of a crockpot, and place meat on top.
4. In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, worcestershire sauce, sugar, and seasonings. pour over roast. Cook, covered, on low 6-8 hours or until meat is tender.
5. Remove roast; cool slightly. Reserve 2 cups cooking juices and skim fat, discard remaining. Shred pork with two forks and return meat to reserved juices in slow cooker. Heat through.
6. Serve pork warm on hamburger buns, topped with your favorite BBQ sauce and coleslaw.

Notes: Bret and I LOVE Carolina-style barbeque and this did not disappoint! My adaptation was much more mild than the original, as I omitted all but a few dashes of the cayenne and crushed red pepper. I also increased the tenderness of the meat by adding some sparkling cider that we had leftover from New Year's and increasing the cooking time to 10ish hours (overnight). Absolutely delicious!

Sweet and Sour Meatloaf

Source: My friend, Tyrelle Erikson

Ingredients:

Meatloaf:
1 lb. ground turkey or ground ham
1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. ground beef
2 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp. parsley
1/2 green pepper, minced
1/2 onion, minced
salt/pepper

Sauce: (See Notes)
1 can tomato soup
1/4 - 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. mustard (wet)
cornstarch, if needed to thicken sauce

Directions:
Mix together all meatloaf ingredients, press into a loaf pan, and bake at 350 F for 1 hour. Meanwhile, stir/blend together sauce ingredients. After baking, discard any grease that has accumulated. Pour 1/3 of the sauce on top of loaf ad bake for an additional 1/2 hour, reserving some of the sauce to top with meatloaf slices when serving.

Notes: Our friends have served this to us for dinner a couple of times, and holy smokes, it is delicious! The first time we had it, Bret ate so much that he was stuffed sick for a few hours - it was just so hard to stop! The best part is most definitely the sauce. I noticed that Tyrelle usually doubles the sauce recipe so that there is plenty to add on as you eat and/or sop up with some garlic bread.

Frozen Hot Chocolate

Source

Ingredients
6 fluid ounces milk
1/2 cup hot cocoa mix
2 cups crushed ice cubes
whipped cream (optional)

Directions
1. Pour milk into blender.
2. Add hot cocoa and ice.
3. Blend first at low speed and then high speed until ice is finely crushed and slushy.
4. Pour into tall glass and top with whipped cream and a dusting of hot cocoa mix, if desired.

Notes
This is my new favorite summer treat! It's fast and simple to make, and easy to multiply for crowds. Love it! Feel free to tweak measurements to accommodate your preferences.

Peach BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Source

Ingredients
1-4 pound pork shoulder
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
1 pound skinned and diced peaches (I used canned)
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ginger
3/4 cup ketchup

Directions
1. If desired, sear the pork shoulder and place in the bottom of a slow cooker.
2. In a saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add in the onion and cook until translucent. Add in the peaches, cider vinegar, dijon, worcestershire, brown sugar, pepper, garlic powder, ginger, and ketchup. Cook until the sauce has slightly thickened and the peaches have softened, about 10 minutes.
3. Transfer the sauce to a food processor or blender and process until smooth (working in batches, if needed)
4. Pour the BBQ sauce over the pork in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the pork is cooked through and pulls apart easily.
5. When the pork is done, remove it to a cutting board. Transfer the BBQ sauce from the slow cooker into a saucepan. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook until reduced down and thickened, 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the pork.
6. When the sauce has reduced and thickened, add back into the slow cooker along with the shredded pork. Stir to combine and serve on hamburger buns.

Notes
This is the pork that we made at the family reunion. It's one of my favorite crock pot dishes. The only changes that I make to the original recipe are to use canned peaches instead of fresh (just for the sake of convenience), and to double the sauce (the shredded pork soaks up all of the sauce, and I like to have extra for topping). I highly recommend serving this with coleslaw on top and/or grated apples!

Pretty Dang Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies

Source: Mel

Ingredients:
2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup packed light brown sugar (7 ounces)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet or milk chocolate chips (always semisweet)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make sure an oven rack is in the center of the oven.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

Either by hand or with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until well mixed. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla. Mix well until the batter has lightened slightly in color, about 2 minutes.

Add the dry ingredients and chocolate chips at the same time. Mix until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Form dough into tablespoonful-sized balls and place on parchment or silpat-lined cookie sheets.

Frozen cookie dough can be stored for up to 2 months in the freezer.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set and just lightly browned (keeping in mind that ovens can vary in temperature so use your best judgment). Don't overbake or else the cookies will be tough and hard. If baking frozen cookie dough, add 1 to 2 minutes onto the baking time. Store the baked cookies in an airtight container (or baked cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months).

Notes:
One rainy day in May I found out that it was National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day.  Now, I have plenty of chocolate chip cookie (and varieties) recipes in my arsenal, but I decided I wanted to try something new that day.  So, of course, Mel came to the rescue with what she calls "the best" chocolate chip cookies.  I don't know if I can say that yet, after only making them once.  But I can say that they are the bomb.  And I will probably be making them again - if it ever gets cool and rainy instead of hot, hot, hot again!