Chicken Enchilada Soup

Source: Stacie Allred

Ingredients:
1 quart chicken broth
8 oz cream cheese
1 large can MILD green enchilada sauce
1 pint half and half
1 can corn, drained
1/2 Costco rotisserie chicken, shredded (OR 2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded)
1 1/2 cups instant rice

Directions:

1. In a large stock pot, add the chicken broth and cream cheese and whisk until well blended and cream cheese is completely melted.
2. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. 
3. Reduce heat and cook for 10 min, stirring occasionally. 

Makes 12-15 cups or servings.

Modified from a recipe by Terina Eaves, a close friend.

Stacie says: "We double this recipe so that we have plenty of leftovers for the next few days. One 3lb rotisserie chicken from Costco or Sam's Club will do the trick. Be sure to use a LARGE stock pot, 8qt or larger, if you're going to double the recipe like we do. It FILLS our 8-qt stock pot to the brim."

Award Winning Maryland Cream of Crab Soup

FB Source: Carl Barbaro

ORIGINAL SOURCE: Crab Place

Ingredients:
1 pint milk
1 quart half and half

2 pints heavy whipping cream

1 pound Maryland jumbo lump crab meat

1 tablespoon fresh parsley
3 teaspoons OLD BAY Seasoning
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
cornstarch (as desired for thickening)

Directions: 

1. Bring milk, half and half, and heavy whipping cream to a boil. 
2. Add crab meat, fresh parsley, Old Bay Seasoning, butter, salt and pepper. 
3. When it starts to boil, make a paste of cornstarch and water to thicken soup.

Candy Cane Cake

FB Source: Julie Morgan

Ingredients:
White cake mix, prepare as directed on the box
Red food coloring
Peppermint extract

Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 Tbsp half and half
Crushed candy canes

Directions:

1. Prepare a Bundt pan with oil and flour and preheat oven to 350° F or as directed on the box. 
2. After making the cake batter, remove 2/3 cup and add desired amount of red coloring and up to BUT no more than 1 tsp peppermint (as this is VERY potent). 
3. Pour ½ of batter into the pan and pour the ‘candy cane’ stripe in the middle, then finish with the rest of the white batter. 
4. Cook as directed and allow cake to cool completely. 
5. Prepare icing by mixing all together in a small bowl and drizzle over the top of your cake, immediately sprinkling on the candy bits. 

Enjoy ~ 

Kneaders' Pumpkin Curry Soup

FB Source: Kneaders Bakery and Cafe

Try a new recipe this weekend! Your family will savor every spoonful of October's Recipe of the Month, Pumpkin Curry Soup! Pair it with our Hazelnut 12 Grain bread for a wholesome fall meal.

Sugar Cookie Bars

Sonjas Crazy Wraps

Ingredients:
Cookies:
2-1/2 cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour is fine)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 Tbsp. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup half and half
1 tsp. vanilla
Pinch of salt
Several drops of food coloring (optional)

Directions:
Cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. (The longer you beat it, the fluffier your cookies will be.)
4. Add egg and combine well.
5. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until completely blended.
6. Slowly add the flour mixture and stir until well combined.
7. Gently press the batter into the greased baking dish and spread out with hands. (If you butter your hands, this will help with the stickiness.)
8. Bake 17-20 minutes, or until edges become lightly golden.
9. Set aside to cool completely.

Frosting:

1. In a medium bowl, cream together butter, powdered sugar, and half and half until light and fluffy.
2. Stir in vanilla and salt, combine well.
3. Add food coloring until desired color.
4. Frost your cooled cookie bars evenly.
5. Cut into squares and serve. 

I have to warn you - these are kind of addicting. Like, scary addicting. But, they honestly might just be worth the few extra pounds. Enjoy

I've seen the recipe for these in a few different places and all of them say the same thing: "If you want the taste of sugar cookies without having to go through the work and mess of rolling them out, then this is the perfect recipe for you!" I kind of thought they were exaggerating a little bit because let's be real - we roll out sugar cookies because it's fun and it's an adventure, not because it's a pain in the rear. Then I got making these and realized that all of those people were actually right. I was completely done in no time and I wasn't a slave to the kitchen, having to roll, cut, frost, and repeat. It was the perfect dessert! (I found this recipe at Cooking Classy)

Breakfast Enchiladas

Gail Kilman

Ingredients:
1lb sausage
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 (8 in) flour tortillas
6 eggs
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups of half and half
3 oz of real bacon bits

Directions:

1. Simply cook the sausage in a frying pan. Once cooked, stir together the sausage, 1 cup of the cheese, and half of the bacon bits.
2. Place an 1/8th of the mixture in the center of a tortilla and roll them up. Place them seam side down in a greased baking dish. Repeat until all tortillas are used.
3. In another bowl beat the eggs and flour. Mix in the half-and-half and pour over the tortillas in the pan. You can either cook immediately or cover and put in the refrigerator until morning.
4. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Sprinkle remaining cheese and bacon bits over the tortillas. Cover with foil and bake for 35 min. 
6. Uncover dish and bake 10 min longer.

No-Egg Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

Trisha Renee

No-Egg Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons of half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cup flour
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

For the coating:
2 cups of chocolate chips (melted)
1 tablespoon shortening

Directions:

1. Cream butter and sugar together.
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix well -- use your hands to get it together the best.
3. Roll into 1-inch balls.
4. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Dip in chocolate, drizzle with chocolate or eat as is -- equally delicious no matter what!
5. Let stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.

Store in the refrigerator.

Submitted By:" Kelli Jo Krominga Spray" Here's what I found online, as I was curious if they were baked as well...

Pumpkin Bread with Pumpkin Buttercream

Robert E L Bowman

Pumpkin Bread with Pumpkin Butter Cream

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 large eggs
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest (I omitted this)
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest (I left this out, too)
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/4 cups canned pure pumpkin puree
1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts, optional (I didn't add the nuts to the batter, but sprinkled them on top of the frosted loaf instead)

Directions:

1. Position your oven rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 5″ loaf pan; set aside.
2. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and allspice in a medium bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined; set aside.
3. In another bowl, or bowl of an electric mixer, beat eggs on medium-high speed for two minutes or until lightened in color. Add the brown sugar, mixing for about 2 minutes, then the granulated sugar, mixing for about 1 minute. Add the orange and lemon zests, if using, and beat for another minute. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
4. Drizzle in the canola oil with beater on medium-low. Reduce speed to low and add the pumpkin puree. Mix until thoroughly combined. Add the dry ingredients in two additions and blend for 10-15 seconds just until incorporated. Fold in the pecans using a rubber spatula.
5. Spoon the batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool loaf in pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

If you’re going to frost the loaf, you can make the frosting while the loaf is cooling.

Pumpkin Buttercream Frosting

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 Tablespoons canned pure pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons half & half or milk

1/4 to 1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional, for sprinkling on top

Cream the butter, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and vanilla, blending well. Add powdered sugar a cup at a time, blending well after each addition. Add half & half or milk and blend well. NOTE: This makes a very thick buttercream frosting. If you want a thinner, creamier frosting, add more half & half or milk until you get the desired consistency.

After frosting the cooled pumpkin loaf, sprinkle with chopped pecans or walnuts if desired.