Turtle Cheesecake Bars

Not long ago we celebrated our 17th anniversary. 

I wanted to celebrate with a special dessert.

The one dessert we both love?

Turtle Cheesecake.

I remembered a recipe I had found on Pinterest for turtle cheesecake bars.

Perfect.

It was a little work. You have to plan ahead because the bars have to chill for a while.  And just looking at the ingredients can give me a headache; I like simple.

But there was no doubt that it was worth the effort.

Yum.

We will be having this again, though not too often.  If we did, I would weigh a TON!

Cheesecake crust:
3 cups finely chopped pecans
1 stick unsalted butter melted
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Cheesecake filling:
24 oz cream cheese, softened (yes, that is THREE boxes!)
1/4 cup full fat Greek yogurt OR sour cream (I used sour cream, full fat)
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
3 large eggs
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Toppings:
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
1 11 oz bag caramel candy, unwrapped (I actually used a caramel sauce...it worked fine)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 Tbsp milk, divided (unless you use the caramel sauce, then you only need 2)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Line a 13 x 9 inch pan with parchment paper, overlapping on the ends.

Use a fork to mix together the crust ingredients.  Press into the bottom of the 13 x 9 pan.

Bake for 20 minutes.

While the crust bakes, prepare the filling.

Cream together the cream cheese, yogurt/sour cream, sugar, and vanilla with a mixer.

Beat in eggs, one at a time.

After the crust finishes, sprinkle 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips over the crust.

Pour the filling over the crust and return to the oven.  Bake for 50 minutes.

Allow the cheesecake to cool off for an hour, then put it in the refrigerator overnight.

When ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator.  Lift the parchment paper off/out and place the cheesecake on a serving dish.

Toast pecans at 350 for 10 minutes.

If using unwrapped caramels, microwave the caramels and 4 Tbsp of milk at 30 minute intervals.  Stir until sauce is smooth.

Pour over the top of the cheesecake.

Microwave chocolate chips with 2 Tbsp milk.  Cook for 30 seconds, stirring in between.

Drizzle the chocolate over the top of the cheesecake bars.

Allow the chocolate to harden before serving.

Enjoy!

And don't think about the calories!

Turtle Cheesecake Ball

Today we had Souper Bowl Thursday at school.  The teachers, that is. 

We had a sign up earlier this week for soups, salads, chips and dips, and desserts.

I signed up for dessert.

Then I did a quick search on my Pinterest Sweet Treats board to see what I wanted to make.

I wanted something easy that I could make ahead.  Something with chocolate (of course). 

And then I found it.

Turtle Cheesecake Ball.

I have made something similar but the word "Turtle" really got my heart racing.

I LOVE turtle desserts.  (As in the combination of caramels, nuts, and chocolate, not the animal)

So I did a quick grocery run (and totally did NOT count that for my January challenge since my family didn't get to enjoy any of it).

A few minutes of my time, and I had a turtle cheesecake ball chilling in the fridge. 

Then today, I took it to school, added some sliced apples and some chocolate graham crackers, and a few hours later, I had nothing but a plate full of crumbs.

It was good stuff.

(I won't say how much of the eating of it was done by me, but I did have others tell me it was good too...)

Ingredients:
 cream cheese (8 oz), softened
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature (I used unsalted)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 package dry vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup caramel (ice cream topping)

Directions:
Cream the butter and cream cheese together with a mixer.

Add the caramel and mix together.

Add the brown sugar and powdered sugar.  Cream together.

Add the vanilla and pudding mix.

Fold in chocolate chips and pecans.

Pat into a ball and refrigerate for at least an hour.  (I used plastic wrap sprayed with non-stick spray to help form the ball, then wrapped the ball up for the fridge.)  By the way, I refrigerated it overnight.

One neat suggestion that the original website had was to drizzle caramel over the top.  And I think adding a few chopped pecans and chocolate chips on top would be nice too.

But I totally forgot to take any of that.

So mine was just plain and not very pretty.

But tasty.

It was very tasty.

I enjoyed each and every bite.

I want to make it again.  And I probably will.  But not until I exercise all of these calories off. :)

Happy cooking!

Reba

Chocolate Chip Sensation

 I needed a dessert to make for a church event. I wanted something I could make ahead of time. Instead of heading over to Pinterest this time, though, I headed to my kitchen cabinet and pulled out our family cookbook.  I browsed desserts and settled on this one...

 Chocolate chip sensation.

Chocolate chips, cream cheese, chocolate pudding.

How could I go wrong?

This dessert is very similar to Brownie Delight and Oreo Layer Dessert. 

But if I am completely honest, this one is my favorite of the three.

Oh, I like the others.

But chocolate chip cookies...yum.

That would be a weakness of mine.

Oh, this recipe is courtesy of my cousin Doug and his wife Tammy from Michigan. 

Ingredients:
1 package refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese (This time I used whipped rather than a "block")

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 container Cool Whip

1 pint half and half

1 package instant chocolate pudding

mini chocolate chips or chopped nuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. 

Flatten cookie dough (this takes a little armwork) onto a 15 inch pizza pan. Since I was transporting mine, I put it into a 9 x 13 glass dish that had been prayed instead. I needed a deeper dish than a pizza pan. Run knife or spatula under crust.

Bake for 12-15 minutes at 375.

Let the cookie cool for 10 minutes.

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese and the powdered sugar.  Set aside.

Combine the half and half and pudding.  Whisk together then set aside to set.

Spread cream cheese mixture over the cookie crust.

Spread the pudding mixture on top of the cream cheese.

Top with Cool Whip.

Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips or chopped nuts.

Enjoy!

Chicken Pillow Pockets

Recently my friend Carol, a faithful reader and commenter as well as a fellow lover of food, shared a recipe with me. She had made it for her family and thought I might like to try it.  The funny thing is I had pinned it once upon a time on Pinterest which means I was definitely interested.  I just hadn't gotten around to making it.

This past week, I finally did.

They reminded me of a fancier version of the "hot pockets" I make on occasion.  And when I say fancier, I mean even tastier.

Yum.

The sauce was just yum.

I had only one child turn her nose up at it, yet it is the same child who totally shuns the hot pockets I make. So that wasn't a total surprise.

As for me, I loved it.

Ingredients:
 
1 package of 8 crescent rolls (I used light)

8 oz cream cheese (I used light)

1/4 cup butter (Guess what...I used light :)

2-3 cups cooked and shredded chicken (I just boiled some frozen tenderloins then shredded)

1 egg

1 sleeve Saltine crackers, crushed

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/4 cup milk

2 spoonfuls of sour cream (I did use light but they were also heaping spoons :)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (yes, light again)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Soften butter and cream cheese (I just set out about half an hour before).  Stir together to a smooth consistency.  Add in cooked/shredded chicken.

Lay out the crescents and stretch out. Instead of triangles, I pinched the seams and rolled our rectangles, then I cut the rectangles in half to make squares. Does that make sense?

Spread two spoonfuls of the chicken mixture in the middle of the crescent roll squares.

Bring in the corners, pinching together any holes and seams.  It should look like a little pillow.

Take the egg and add a little bit of water (maybe 2 Tbsp) in a separate bowl.  Mix together.

Dip the pillows into the egg then into the Saltine crumbs.

Place on a cookie sheet or baking dish.

Cook the "pillows" for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

While the "pillows" cook, create the sauce by mixing together the cream of chicken soup and the milk to a desired consistency.  At the end, add in the sour cream and cheese.

Pour over the "pillows".

Then enjoy!

Reba

Brownie Delight

 I was making lunch for a church event this week.

 I needed a dessert.

If you know me at all...desserts should almost always involve chocolate.

So I checked out my Pinterest board ("Sweet Treats") and remembered this recipe.

Just what I wanted. I mean, just what I hoped to make.

It takes a little time (mainly due to cooking the brownies) but otherwise is fairly easy.

And yummy.

Perfect for a summer day.

I followed most of the recipe. My main changes involved using lighter ingredients when possible.  And I used one family size brownie mix rather than two boxes as the original recipe suggested. Otherwise, I followed it to a T. :)

Ingredients:
1 family size brownie mix for a 13 x 9 pan (I used dark chocolate because I like dark chocolate)

Oil, water, and eggs for brownie mix (follow directions on the package)

8 oz. package cream cheese, softened (I think I used light but I am not positive...I usually do)

1 cup powdered sugar

2 containers whipped topping (I did use light)

3 oz. package instant chocolate pudding

3 oz. package instant vanilla pudding

3 1/2 cup milk (we only have 1% milk here, it works)

Hershey bar or chocolate syrup (I used a Hershey bar)

Directions:
 Mix and bake brownie mix according to package directions in a 13 x 9 greased pan/dish.

Let the brownies cool.

Mix together softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and 1 container of whipped topping.  Spread over the cooled brownies.

Mix together both pudding mixes with milk.  Give it a few minutes to thicken.  Layer on top of cream cheese mixture.

Spread the second container of Cool Whip on top.

Top with grated or curled Hershey's bar or the syrup.

Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Enjoy.  Each and every bite.

Yum.

Reba

Cream Cheese Chicken

Amy, a mother of one of my former students, recently sent me a crockpot chicken recipe via Facebook. As soon as I saw cream cheese was involved, I knew we had to have it. That and it sounded really easy. I need easy, especially this time of year!

So earlier this week, I picked up the ingredients (very few, my favorite kind) and decided yesterday would be the perfect time to make it. I typically run home at lunch to make crockpot meals because my crockpot cooks faster than I want it to. But I had a meeting scheduled during my planning time, so I decided to throw it in and set it on low and hope for the best before I left for school. As soon as I walked in the house that afternoon, I knew it would be yummy. It was cooked thoroughly, so I set it at warm and we ate a bit earlier. It was a hit and will become a regular meal around here. Thank you so much, Mrs. G., for this!

Here is the recipe...
Cream Cheese Chicken

2 lbs of chicken breasts (Honestly, I used the 2.5 bag of frozen chicken breasts...I actually threw it in the crockpot frozen.)
1 8-oz package of cream cheese (I used a block of the "light")
1 can Cream of Chicken soup (I used 2 just because I knew my crockpot cooked quicker and wanted enough in the pot that it wouldn't burn...I use low fat on this too)
1/2 stick butter (Mrs. G said she used a 1/2 cup milk instead, so I did too just to keep calories down)
1 envelope Italian dressing mix (the little packet of dry mix)

Throw it all in the crockpot in the morning and cook on low all day. Serve over rice.

All I can say is yum. I think I could just eat the sauce by itself and be happy though it is good with chicken too. :)

There is actually a much more complicated recipe that was the original recipe, but Mrs. G shared that she actually just throws it in the crockpot in the morning. Much easier. I am all for ease.

Enjoy!
Reba