Chocolate Chewy Bars

Makes 12-15 Bars
Prep Time: 10 min.
Baking Time: 25-28

Ingredients:
2 - packages Fudge Frosting Mix
2 - cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 - cup powdered sugar
1/2 - cup margarine or butter, melted
1 - can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
2 - cups shredded coconut
1 - cup chopped nuts
6 - bars (7/8 oz.) milk chocolate candy bars

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

1) Combine 1/3 cup dry frosting mix, firmly packed, with graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and margarine or butter. Mix well.

2) Press mixture firmly in bottom of 13"x9" pan. In separate bowl, combine remaining frosting mix, sweetened condensed milk, coconut and nuts. Blend well. Spread over crust mixture.

3) Place pan in oven and bake for 25-28 minutes (edges will pull away from sides of pan). Remove from oven and place candy bars over top. Let stand until candy melts then spread evenly over top. Cool completely before cutting.

Country Chocolate Bars

Makes 9-12 Bars
Prep Time: 10 min.
Baking Time: 15-18 min.
Cooling Tile: 20 min.

Ingredients:
Crust1 - package Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
1/4 - cup margarine or butter, softened
1 - egg
2 - Tablespoon instant chocolate pudding mix

Frosting1 - package Fudge Frosting Mix
4 - oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 - cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 8" square pan.

1) Combine all ingredients for crust and blend well. Press mixture into bottom of prepared pan.

2) Bake for 15-18 minutes. Cool 20 minutes. Over low heat melt chocolate chips and set aside.

3) Mix frosting mix and cream cheese on high until well blended. Add melted chocolate chips. Blend until smooth. Spread over bars, cut and serve.

Country Apple Raisin Muffins

Makes 6-8 Muffins
Prep Time: 10 min.
Baking Time: 20 min.

Ingredients:
1 package Apple Cinnamon Muffin Mix
1 cup apples, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup raisins
2 Tablespoon milk
1 egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°. Grease a muffin pan or use paper liners.
1) In a large mixing bowl, mix Apple Cinnamon Muffin Mix, apples, raisins, milk and egg together until blended.

2) Pour batter evenly into prepared muffin pan.

3) Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Apple Cinnamon Country Coffee Cake

Makes 12-15 Servings

Prep Time: 10 min.
Baking Time: 42- 50 min.

Coffee Cake
3 - packages Apple Cinnamon Muffin Mix
1 package (3.4 oz.) instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup milk
3 eggs

Filling
1 package White Frosting Mix or
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 egg

Glaze
1 package White Frosting Mix
4 oz. cream cheese, softened or
2-3 Tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 13"x9" pan or 10 cup Bundt pan.

1. For coffee cake, combine muffin mixes, pudding mix and nutmeg. Add milk and eggs, mixing well. Set aside.
2. For filling, combine cream cheese with frosting mix or powdered sugar. Add egg. Beat until creamy. Pour half of batter into prepared pan; spoon filling over batter. Pour remaining batter over cream cheese mixture.
3. Bake 42-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Combine ingredients for glaze and drizzle over warm cake. Sprinkle with chopped nuts (optional).

Country Barbecue Pork Sandwiches

Makes 18 sandwiches
Prep Time: 15 min.
Baking Time: 2 - 2 1/2 hrs.
Cooking Time: 16 - 20 min.

Ingredients
Pork
4 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast
1 large (1 cup) onion, chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh garlic
1 cup water

Sauce1/2 cup butter
1 (24-ounce) bottle (3 cups) ketchup
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
2 tablespoons country-style Dijon mustard
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar

Buns
18 hamburger buns

Preheat oven to 325°F.

1) Place pork roast in roasting pan. Sprinkle with onion and garlic. Add water.

2) Cover and bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until roast shreds easily with fork. Remove from pan. Shred roast into small pieces with forks; discard fat. Keep warm.

3) In a 4-quart saucepan, combine sauce ingredients: butter, ketchup, chili powder, brown sugar, pepper, country-style Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and cider vinegar.

4) Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce comes to a full boil. Reduce heat to low and cook 10 minutes.

5) Stir in shredded pork. Continue cooking for 8 to 10 minutes, until heated through.  Serve pork mixture on hamburger buns.

Make Ahead and Take Along:
Prepare pork roast as directed. Place shredded pork in resealable plastic food bags. Prepare sauce as directed. Place in resealable food containers. Pack in coolers to transport.

To reheat, place pork in slow cooker; stir in sauce. Cook on Low heat setting for 4 to 5 hours or until heated through.

Country Roast Beef Special

Makes 4 sandwiches
Prep Time: 15 min.

Spread1/2 - cup light sour cream
1 - Tablespoon country-style Dijon mustard
1 - teaspoon prepared horseradish
1/4 - teaspoon salt
1/8 - teaspoon pepper

Sandwich1/4 - cup butter, softened
1/2 - teaspoon finely chopped fresh garlic
8 - slices sourdough bread
6 - ounces (12 slices) deli roast beef
8 - slices tomato
12 - slices cucumber

Heat broiler.

1) In a small bowl, mix light sour cream, mustard, horseradish, salt, and pepper.

2) In another small bowl, stir together butter and garlic.

3) Spread 1 side of each bread slice with garlic butter. Place onto ungreased baking sheet. Broil 5 to 6 inches from heat for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until bread is toasted.

4) To assemble each sandwich, layer 1 slice bread with 3 slices roast beef, 2 slices tomato and 3 slices cucumber. Spoon about 2 tablespoons spread over cucumbers. Top with 1 slice bread.

Chicken Sandwich With Spinach

Makes 2 sandwiches
Prep Time: 10 - 16 min.
Cooking Time: 4 - 6 min.

Chicken1 - Tablespoon butter
2 - (4-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves, flattened to 1/2-inch
1/4 - teaspoon finely chopped fresh garlic
1/8 - teaspoon salt
1/8 - teaspoon coarse ground pepper

Filling1 1/2 - teaspoons country-style Dijon mustard
1 - teaspoon lemon juice
2 - slices round sourdough bread*
8 - spinach leaves, trimmed**
1 - Tablespoon butter

Directions1) In a 10-inch skillet, melt 1 Tablespoon butter until sizzling. Add chicken breasts and garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2) Cook for 10 to 16 minutes over medium-high heat, turning once, until chicken is browned and no longer pink.

3) Meanwhile, stir together mustard and lemon juice in small bowl.

4) To assemble sandwiches, cut each slice bread in half; spread 1 side of 2 halves with mustard mixture. Place 4 spinach leaves on each bread half spread with mustard mixture. Place chicken on spinach leaves; top with remaining bread half.

5) Melt 1 tablespoon butter in clean 10-inch skillet until sizzling; add sandwiches. Cook 4 to 6 minutes over medium heat, turning once, until bread is lightly browned.

*Substitute 4 slices English muffin bread. Do not cut each bread slice in half.

**Substitute 1/2 medium cucumber, thinly sliced. Place about 5 slices cucumber on each bread half spread with mustard. Continue as directed above.

Artisan Ham and Cheddar Cheese Sandwich

Makes: 4 Servings

Prep Time:15 min.
Baking Time: 10 min.

Ingredients

Rosemary Butter4 - Tablespoons salted butter, room temperature
1 - teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced

Apple Mustard1/4 - cup no-sugar-added apple butter
1/4 - cup caramelized onions
1/4 - cup stone-ground mustard

Sandwich
8 - slices white extra sharp cheddar cheese
8 - slices fresh artisan levain bread (or other country-style bread)
1/2 - lb high quality smoked ham, thinly sliced

Directions

Rosemary ButterIn a small bowl, cream together butter and minced rosemary.

Apple Mustard In a blender or small food processor, blend together apple butter, caramelized onions, and mustard until smooth.

Sandwiches Spread rosemary butter on 1 side of each slice of bread. Place bread buttered side down. Spread apple mustard on the inside of one slice of bread for each sandwich.

Layer 1 slice of cheddar on each of the 4 slices of bread, then ham, then another layer of cheddar.

Cooking Sandwiches can be cooked open face on a pre-heated cast-iron pan in a 500°F oven, then closed and served. Or they can be closed, then cooked in a pan on a stovetop over medium-low heat until bread is toasted and cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Tip To make Artisan Ham and Cheddar Cheese Sandwich into a breakfast sandwich, add an egg. While the sandwich is cooking in a hot oven using the open-face technique, cook the egg “over easy” on a skillet over medium heat . Close the sandwich with the egg inside and serve immediately.

Sausage Rolls

Makes 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 min.
Baking Time: 10 min.

Ingredients:

1 package Refrigerated Dinner Rolls
1 lb. regular pork sausage

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Place each roll between sheets of waxed paper and roll thin.

Spread each with sausage and roll up. Place on baking sheet.

Place in oven and bake for 10 minute.

Six-Layer Breakfast Casserole

Makes 6 servings (1/6 casserole each)
Prep Time: 10 min.
Chilling Time: 1 hr.
Baking Time: 1 hr.

Ingredients

1 package hot pork sausage roll
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 slices wide-pan hearty country white bread (about 5x1-1/4 inches each)
6 eggs
1/4 - cup whipping cream
1/2 - teaspoon ground cumin

Directions
Preheat oven to 325°F.

In a large skillet, cook sausage, pepper and garlic over medium-high heat 8-10 minutes or until sausage is thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently; drain. Return sausage mixture to skillet. Stir in cheese.

Place 1 bread slice on bottom of lightly greased 1-½-quart round casserole or soufflé dish; top with 1/3 of the sausage mixture. Repeat layers twice.

Beat eggs, cream and cumin in large bowl with wire whisk until well blended; pour over ingredients in casserole dish. Press down on sausage mixture with back of spatula to completely cover sausage and bread with egg mixture; cover. Refrigerate 10 minutes.
Bake, covered, 1 hour or until knife inserted in center comes out clean, uncovering after 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Make Ahead: Assemble as directed. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, bake as directed.

Breakfast Sausage Peppers

Makes: 6 servings (1 stuffed pepper each)

Prep Time: 15 min.
Baking Time: 25 - 28 min.

Ingredients

6 poblano peppers
1 package hot pork sausage roll
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 - cup chopped onion
6 eggs
1/2 - cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cut off pepper tops. Remove seeds and membranes and discard. Cook peppers in boiling water 5 minutes; drain. Cool.

In large bowl, mix sausage, cheese and onion just until blended. Spoon into polbano peppers; place in shallow foil-lined baking pan.

Bake 25-28 minutes or until sausage is thoroughly cooked.

Meanwhile, beat eggs, cream and parsley in large bowl with wire whisk until well blended. When peppers have baked 20 minutes, melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add egg mixture; cook 5-6 minutes or until set, stirring occasionally.

Spoon eggs onto 6 serving plates; season with salt and black pepper. Top with stuffed peppers.

Alan’s Kitchen Tip: To microwave poblano peppers before stuffing as directed, place seeded peppers in 9-inch microwaveable pie plate. Add ¼ cup water. Cover with vented plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH 4-5 minutes or just until peppers are crisp-tender.

White Cheddar - Eggs on a Roll

Makes: 12 servings

Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 15 min.
Ingredients:

24 slices Quality bacon 1 lb.
12 (2 oz.) fresh baked Kaiser (or sandwich ) roll
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
12 large eggs
12 (1 oz. each) slices Sharp white Cheddar cheese
To taste Kosher salt
To taste Fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Cook bacon until crisp. Drain and keep warm. Toast roll until hot and crispy. Butter each cut side of roll with 1/2 Tablespoon butter.

For each egg, heat 1 teaspoon butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Cook eggs until whites are set (completely coagulated and firm) and yolks begin to thicken (no longer runny, but not hard).

Place a slice of cheese on one cut side of roll. Top with 2 slices bacon and fried egg. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper. Close with a bun top. Heat in microwave oven for 30 seconds, if desired, to melt cheese. Serve immediately.