9.07.2010

Grilled Veggie Pasta Salad

Experimenting with all my SUMMER produce is always fun and tasty, and this SALAD combo just seemed to be a NATURAL. Grilled veggies with cheese and PASTA, I mean, come on!!


Grilled Veggie Pasta Salad
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 zucchini, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
1 yellow or red onion, sliced into rings
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 package spaghetti noodles, sticks broken into thirds, cooked, drained, and cooled
Asiago and/or Parmesan cheese, grated

Brush a grill pan with olive oil and heat. Place veggie slices in the pan and season with salt and pepper; grill until slightly browned and tender. Set aside to cool. When cool, cut veggies into smaller pieces (i.e., cut zucchini slices in half so they are easier to eat!). Toss veggies with pasta and a handful of cheese; drizzle with a little olive oil and toss again. Top with a couple more handfuls of cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled.

TIP: You can obviously add whatever veggies you want to this dish, as well as change up the type of pasta used. As usual, this recipe is so EASY, yet it tastes AMAZING! :)

9.04.2010

Homemade Oreos

This is a RECIPE my sister-in-law makes all the time, and EVERYONE loves it! These little COOKIES are so CHEWY and chocolaty, and EASY to make, you'll want to make them ALL the time too!


Homemade Oreos
1 box devil's food cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 to 1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 container store-bought cream cheese frosting

In a bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, and oil. Dough will be stiff. Roll the dough into small balls, about 1 inch, or use a small cookie scoop. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. The cookies won't look done, but leave them on the pan for 3 to 5 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool. They'll turn out perfect! Sandwich 2 cookies together with the frosting and enjoy!

TIP: Stir in some chocolate chips to make the cookies extra chocolatey. Also, feel free to use homemade cream cheese frosting too.

9.01.2010

Peanut Butter Brownies

Another easy SWEET treat for ya! I've been so into BAKING these days and I'm not really sure why! Anyway, you can WHIP these up in a snap if you need a YUMMY dessert to take somewhere.


Peanut Butter Brownies
1 box brownie mix (for a 9 x 13-inch pan)
Ingredients on back of box
1/3 to 1/2 cup peanut butter
1 bag milk chocolate and peanut butter swirl chips (or just peanut butter would be fine)

Mix brownies according to package directions. Stir in the peanut butter and 1 cup of the chips. Spread mixture into a greased 9 x 13-inch pan and sprinkle remaining chips over top. Bake according to package directions. NOTE: I had to bake mine about 5 minutes longer than the max time on my brownie box, so just make sure to check them!

TIP: I'm sure you all know the trick of adding ingredients to brownie mixes. I just think that we forget sometimes! Some other good combinations to add to a regular brownie mix: mint chips or chopped peppermint patties, chopped peanut butter cups or Snickers, M&Ms, nuts, etc.

8.28.2010

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches

This is a recipe from my book, 101 Things to Do with Cheese. I love how EASY it is and that it tastes like you ordered it from the CAFE or bistro around the corner. YUM!


Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches
Olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 small onion, cut into strips

1 package good-quality roast beef lunch meat, cut into strips
2 to 3 hoagie or deli-style buns
Provolone cheese slices or Cheez Whiz

Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and add the veggies. When tender and slightly browned, stir in the beef. Let the meat heat through and brown slightly as well. Open the buns and place cheese on both sides, whether using slices or spreading on the "Whiz." Divide the hot meat mixture evenly among buns and then let the cheese warm and melt slightly. Serves 2 or 3.

TIP: You can add sliced fresh mushrooms to the veggies when you are sauteing them, or stir in some drained canned mushrooms with the meat. It's really good!



8.24.2010

School Lunch Peanut Butter Bars

School is BACK in session! Who doesn't love this peanut butter COOKIE and chocolate combo? These dessert bars always REMIND of school back in the day, so I figured this was the PERFECT time of year to feature this YUMMY recipe!


School Lunch Peanut Butter Bars 
1 1/2 sticks butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter (creamy works fine too)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
2 cups oatmeal

Chocolate Icing
1 stick butter, room temp
2 cups or so of powdered sugar
Around 1/2 cup cocoa
3 or 4 tablespoons milk
1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla
Dash of salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cream together the butter and sugars. Blend in the egg, pb, soda, vanilla, and salt. Stir in the flour and oatmeal. Spread mixture onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes; let cool completely. Don't overbake!

To make the icing, blend together the butter, powdered sugar, milk, cocoa, and vanilla. Taste and adjust if necessary. Spread over bars and then cut and serve!

TIP: The measurements on the icing aren't exact, but that's because I think it turns out better when you mix it all together to taste. I always start with 1 stick of butter, and then blend in the rest of the ingredients until it looks and tastes right. This frosting should be more on the thin side and easy to spread—almost like a glaze, but not quite!

8.21.2010

Grilled Cherry and Steak Salad

Another CHERRY recipe! I wasn't kidding when I told you we had a lot of EXTRA cherries on hand! This salad was pretty SIMPLE, and extra tasty. Especially if you like SWEET cherries, salty cheese, and tender STEAK . . .


Grilled Cherry and Steak Salad
1 steak, cut of choice
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 onion, sliced into thin rings
20 to 25 cherries, halved and pitted
1 head romaine lettuce, torn or chopped
Gorgonzola cheese crumbles
Girard's Champagne Dressing (I use the light version!), or my Red Wine Vinaigrette (see Salad Dressings)

Brush steak with vinegar and oil and then sprinkle with salt and pepper; let come to room temperature. Grill to desired doneness in a grill pan or on a BBQ; slice into thin strips and set aside. In a grill pan, grill the onions and cherries, cut side down, until the onions are browned and the cherries are tender and warm, about 5 minutes. Divide the lettuce onto two plates and then top with equal amounts of steak, onion, cherries, and cheese. Serve with dressing of choice!    

TIP: This is a pretty simple salad that is loaded with flavor. Try to go easy on the dressing so you don't drown the great taste of the grilled ingredients. Also, a number of dressings would taste yummy paired with this salad, so don't feel like you have to stick with my two suggestions above!

8.17.2010

Banana Split Bread

We all know BANANA bread is yummy, but how about with the addition of FRESH cherries, chocolate chips, and NUTS? This recipe is a must try when there are fresh CHERRIES around!


Banana Split Bread
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
3 to 4 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (firmly packed AND heaping)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
12 to 15 cherries, pitted and roughly chopped
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the butter, bananas, sugars, vanilla, and eggs. Stir in the salt, baking powder, and flour until well mixed. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Divide into two loaf pans and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until done. When done, let cool in the pan 10 minutes and then remove and finish cooling on a baking rack.

TIP: This bread is so good straight from the oven with a little butter, but try topping a slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and then drizzle with chocolate sauce and caramel. Sooooo delicious! Make it even more of a "banana split" by adding fresh banana slices, whipped cream, and nuts on top of the ice cream!

8.14.2010

Chicken Cherry Lettuce Wraps

I've had a ton of cherries on hand lately and decided to figure out some fun things to do with them, so be prepared for some really yummy cherry recipes over the next week or so!

I actually found a recipe on allrecipes.com that sounded delicious, but I wanted to make it even simpler than it already sounded, so I made a few adjustments. It turned out soooo good that I can't wait to make them again!


Chicken Cherry Lettuce Wraps
Olive oil
2 large chicken breasts, cut into smaller-than-bite-size pieces
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 cups matchstick carrots, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onion
25 fresh cherries, pitted and then chopped (I quartered each half)
1/3 cup slivered almonds, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon honey
Lettuce leaves (iceberg, big leaves of romaine, leafy green, etc.)

Heat the oil in a frying pan and then add the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Toss around until starting to brown and then sprinkle with the ginger and cook completely, stirring with your spatula; remove from heat. Stir in the veggies, cherries, and nuts. Mix together the three liquids and then pour over mixture in pan and stir to coat. Serve with lettuce leaves to wrap. Yum!

TIP: Experiment with the ingredients! You could add chopped water chestnuts or cashews instead of almonds. I'm sure some chopped bell pepper would be a nice addition as well, along with cucumber or even a small amount of leftover rice. This filling, including the lettuce, would also taste fab rolled up in a tortilla!

8.10.2010

Healthy Veggie Lasagna

I'm still trying to use up some of my SUMMER squash! This easy lasagna really hits the SPOT, and it's a great way to sneak in TONS of veggies. :)


Healthy Veggie Lasagna
1 zucchini, halved and then sliced
1 yellow squash, halved and then sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cups chopped fresh spinach or Swiss chard
1 jar (1 pound 10 ounces) spaghetti sauce
4 ounces light or fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 container cottage cheese (I think it's the reg 16-ounce, not the "tall" container)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 box lasagna noodles
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a frying pan, lightly saute all of the veggies together until just tender. Spread a spoonful of sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan and set aside.

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, cottage cheese, Italian seasoning, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Place 3–4 lasagna noodles over sauce in bottom of pan. Top with half of the cheese mixture, half of the veggies, 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, and some of the sauce. Place 3–4 noodles on top and repeat layers. Cover with 3–4 more noodles and remaining sauce. Top with remaining cheeses. Cover and bake for 45–50 minutes, then uncover and bake 5–10 minutes more. Let stand 5–10 minutes before serving.  Makes 8 to 10 servings.

TIP: Other great veggies in this dish? You can substitute or add in any of these: chopped red or green bell pepper, sliced or diced black olives, corn, sliced mushrooms, chopped broccoli, kale, etc. Also if you have more leftovers than you know what to do with, freeze individual slices in a plastic Ziplock container and save them for lunches or another dinner!

8.06.2010

Easy Chicken Teriyaki Bowls

Here's another way to use up some of that EXCESS zucchini you might have this time of YEAR. The base of this RECIPE comes from my sister-in-law, Amanda. It is SOOOO good. Thanks for sharing!


Easy Chicken Teriyaki Bowls
1/2 onion sliced
1 zucchini, halved and then sliced
1 other summer squash (I used a yellow)
1 cup sliced carrots (this time I had the matchstick variety)
1/2 to 3/4 cup fresh or frozen peas 
1 large can good-quality chicken
Black pepper
Favorite teriyaki sauce (I use Soy Veri from Costco)
Warm cooked rice

Saute the veggies in olive oil in a large frying pan until tender. Stir in the chicken and season with some black pepper. Gradually add the teriyaki sauce to taste and then serve in bowls over warm rice.

TIP: This recipe is soooo versatile. You can make it according to whatever you have on hand. During the winter when there's a little less fresh produce around, I usually throw in some bell peppers and broccoli instead of the squash. But like I said, put in whatever your family likes and I'm sure it will be good!  

8.03.2010

Stuffed Zucchini

Zucchini is on! How are you using up your EXCESS? I love zucchini brownies (hmmm, upcoming post?) and ZUCCHINI bread, and I especially love this STUFFED zucchini that I discovered while watching the Food Network. Giada DeLaurentis came up with this TASTY dish and, with just a few little tweaks, I'm sharing my VERSION with you below! (P.S. I apologize for the very "red" photo. I should have used different plates!)


Stuffed Zucchini

Olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dry parsley leaves
1 large egg
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 pound ground turkey (or ground beef would be fine)
2 large zucchini, ends removed, halved lengthwise and crosswise (so 8 total pieces)
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 jar marinara sauce (I prefer a chunky veggie type)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle olive oil over the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan; set aside.

In a bowl, mix together the onion, parsley, egg, ketchup, garlic, salt, pepper, cheese, and breadcrumbs; stir in the turkey. Use a small spoon or melon baller to hollow out the centers of each piece of zucchini and remove the seeds. Fill zucchini with meat mixture and set in prepared pan. Sprinkle the bell pepper pieces over top and then pour marinara sauce over all. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until meat is thoroughly cooked and zucchini is tender. 

TIP: I don't always use all the meat mixture, so I cook it up and freeze it for another use—like adding to my spaghetti sauce. Also, try spooning the extra sauce from the pan over top of each serving of this dish to make it extra juicy!

Zucchini on FoodistaZucchini

7.30.2010

Quick Cookies (or No-Bake Cookies, or Monkey Poos!)

Whenever I ask my husband if I should I make these cookies, his response is almost always the same—no! But I make them anyway because I love them, and, lo and behold, he goes on and on about how good they are and says "why don't you make these more often?" What a nut!


Quick Cookies
1 stick butter, melted
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons cocoa
2/3 cup peanut butter (I like crunchy)
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 to 4 cups oats

In a large saucepan, mix together the first 4 ingredients and bring to a boil; boil for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until thoroughly mixed in. Stir in the oats until desired consistency is reached (I usually do around 4 cups) and then drop spoonfuls onto wax paper. Let set for a while and then they're ready to eat!

TIP: My friend and I always made these cookies when we were growing up and could never wait for the cookies to completely set, so we'd scoop the warm gooey cookie into a mug and pour a little milk on top—try it and you'll love it!

7.26.2010

Soft Chicken Tacos

These are pretty easy to throw together, especially if you have some leftover rice or buy the rice that you just stick in the microwave for a few minutes. We like to eat ours with sour cream, cheese, and salsa, of course!


Soft Chicken Tacos
1 to 2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (or a large can of good-quality chicken, drained)
Black beans, rinsed and drained
Corn
1/2 to 1 cup chicken-flavored rice (or regular will work just fine too!)
1 can diced green chiles
Red and green bell pepper, diced
Onion, diced
Couple scoops of salsa or Rotel Tomatoes (the kind with chiles/jalapenos)

Combine all ingredients in a large frying pan and saute until heated through and thoroughly mixed. Serve on flour tortillas with desired condiments.

TIP: The great thing about these tacos is that you can add how much of whatever you want, and they always taste good! I usually throw these together when I don't use a whole can of black beans or have a little leftover rice. I usually have everything else, so it makes it extra easy!

7.23.2010

Egg White Omelets

These can be a pretty HEALTHY breakfast (or dinner) depending on what you CHOOSE as your "fillers." We LOVE it with veggies, but bacon, sausage, and CHEESE do always taste good!


Egg White Omelets
8 egg whites
2–3 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup cottage cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup or so of toppings, such as cooked bacon or sausage, diced ham, peppers, onions, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, grated cheese, etc.

Mix together the egg whites, milk, and cottage cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Pour half of the egg mixture into a heated saucepan that has been sprayed generously with nonstick spray and let cook, swirling the pan occasionally to move uncooked egg to outer edge. Just before the egg is almost cooked and starting to brown slightly underneath, top half of it with desired toppings, and then fold the remaining half of cooked egg over top. Let cook a couple minutes longer to finish off and then serve. Makes 2 omelets. 

TIP: Don't try to fold the cooked egg over the toppings too early or it will just fall apart! Run your spatula along the edge of the egg to loosen it up and take a peek to see if it is starting to brown. When it is, then flip it over the toppings. Also, if you want to try the exact combo above, I used sliced Canadian bacon, bacon crumbles, sauteed onion, julienned fresh spinach, and grated cheddar. SUPER GOOD!

7.19.2010

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

My husband recently went on a HIKING trip and asked me to make these COOKIES for him and the guys. They are sooooo good I ate FOUR of them—one off of every pan FRESH from the oven!


Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 cup butter, room temp
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 heaping teaspoon salt
3 cups oats
1 2/3 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Beat together the butter and sugars until blended and then beat in the eggs and vanilla. Mix together the flour, soda, cinnamon, and salt, and then beat into the butter mixture until well blended. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips. Drop large teaspoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly golden. (Cookies may look a little doughy in the middles still.) Remove from oven and let cool about 2 minutes on pan and then completely on a cooling rack. Makes a few dozen.

TIP: I can never decide what chocolate I like more, semisweet or milk, so I often use a combo of the two in these cookies. However, my favorite combo is milk chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. YUMMY!

7.15.2010

Grilled Chicken Chili Salad

I've been wanting to TRY out some different ideas for SALADS the last few weeks, and this one ended up being pretty TASTY. Best part is that there is MINIMAL clean-up when all is said and done!


Grilled Chicken Chili Salad
4 chicken breast halves, rubbed with olive oil
Chili powder
Salt and pepper
Montreal Chicken Seasoning (optional)
4 thick slices onion (left as the whole "round" in one piece), rubbed with olive oil
Romaine or leafy green lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
Frozen corn, thawed
1 can vegetarian chili, heated
Sour cream (I use light!)
Salsa
Grated cheddar cheese
Texas Toast Chili Lime Tortilla Strips (I found these at Walmart by the salad dressing!)

Sprinkle the chicken with the chili powder, salt, pepper, and chicken seasoning on both sides. Grill chicken and onions on the BBQ until done. Slice the chicken in thin pieces and cut the onion slice into quarters so you have bite-size strips.

Divide lettuce onto individual plates and sprinkle with a good handful of corn, followed by the grilled onion. Lay the sliced chicken down the center and then top with one-fourth of the chili. Add a line of sour cream and salsa over the chili and then top with the cheese and tortilla strips. Makes 4 servings.

TIP: The onions will be slightly charred and tender when done, but to make it easy we just usually grill the onions and chicken the same length of time. Also, if you can't find the tortilla strips, some crushed Tostito's Lime Tortilla Chips would work just as well, or any other chip that you think sounds good!

BONUS TIP: I like to stir my salad all together once I've plated it because everything gets nice and coated with the chili, sour cream, and salsa!

7.12.2010

Fresh Blueberry Muffins with Streusel

I've been totally into buying BERRIES this summer, and the blueberries from Costco look so good, I can NEVER resist buying them when I'm there! Of course, the container is pretty BIG, so it's hard for me to go through it all FAST enough (because I also buy the strawberries and raspberries and blackberries too!). So, with all the excess berries, I find myself making all kinds of MUFFINS!


Fresh Blueberry Muffins with Streusel
Streusel
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons cold butter

Muffins
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 heaping cup fresh blueberries

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 6-cup jumbo muffin pan with nonstick spray; set aside.

Mix streusel ingredients together with a pastry blender until crumbly; set aside.

Whisk together the milk, oil, and egg. Stir in the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until moist. Gently fold in the berries. Divide batter equally into each muffin cup and then top with the streusel. Bake for 18 to 23 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool a few minutes in pan, and then run a knife around the edges and move to a cooling rack to cool completely. (This recipe is basically from Betty Crocker's Cookbook—the big red one—but with some minor changes on my part. Thanks Betty!)

TIP: If you have lots of blueberries hanging around, freeze them in little 1-cup increments so you can grab them from the freezer whenever you want to make these DELICIOUS and ADDICTIVE muffins!

7.09.2010

Creamy Lemon Pasta

I was EXPERIMENTING the other night and put this YUMMY pasta together because I had some FRESH lemons I wanted to use. It definitely fits in the EASY category and tastes AMAZING, especially if you LOVE lemon!


Creamy Lemon Pasta
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
1 to 2 lemons
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons heaving whipping cream
2 to 4 cups frozen broccoli florets, warmed in microwave
1 bag frozen cheese tortellini, cooked according to package directions
Fresh Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and then add the garlic and chicken; stir and let cook together a few minutes. Pour in the broth and let come to a low boil. Juice the lemon(s) and then combine with the cornstarch; pour into pan and stir. Let come to low boil again; mixture will start to thicken. Once thick, stir in the cream. (If sauce is too thick, add a little more broth.) Add the cooked broccoli and tortellini. Serve with grated Parmesan over top. Makes around 6 servings.

TIP: I use 2 lemons because my family likes a strong lemon flavor, but feel free to just use 1 lemon or about 1/4 cup lemon juice if you prefer a more subtle lemon taste. I actually also zest the lemons for even more lemony goodness!

7.05.2010

Steakhouse Quesadillas

I've found that I whenever we COOK or grill steaks (like on the 4th of July!), there's always LEFTOVERS. My family thinks this is one of the MANY great ways to enjoy STEAK the next day!


Steakhouse Quesadillas
Leftover steak, cut into pea-size pieces
A1 or other steak sauce
Leftover baked potato, cut into pea-size pieces
Chopped onion
Tortillas (I use whole wheat)
Grated cheddar cheese
Gorgonzola crumbles

Toss the steak in some A1 sauce and set aside. Heat the potato and chopped onion in the microwave just until warm and then toss with the steak. Lay tortillas on the counter and sprinkle with a small amount of cheddar cheese. Top with the steak and potato mixture. Sprinkle the Gorgonzola over top (we like a lot!). Finish off with a touch more cheddar and then top with another tortilla. Heat on a quesadilla maker or on your stovetop in a frying pan until cheeses are melted.

TIP: If cooking in a frying pan, make sure to add a touch of butter to the pan so each side of your quesadilla is slightly crispy when done. Also, some thinly sliced green onions and sour cream make a pretty garnish, and more A1 on the side is great for some light dipping!

7.01.2010

101 Things To Do With Cheese!


My newest book is here! I'm so excited for this cookbook, because, for one, who doesn't LOVE cheese? The recipes in this book are pretty darn tasty, even if I do say so myself. There are eight sections including breakfasts, appetizers, soups, salads, breads & sides, pizza & pasta, main dishes and desserts. Some of my favorites are:

Stuffed French Toast
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Spence's Cheesy Chip Dip
White Cheddar Broccoli Soup
BBQ Chicken and Smoked Gouda Salad
Gorgonzola Potato Salad
Dill and Cheddar Scones
Asiago Mashed Potatoes
Mexican Pizza
Swiss Stroganoff
Gooey Lasagna
Chicken Divan
Saucy Garlic and Blue Cheese Burgers
JalapeƱo Turkey Burgers
Philly Cheese Steak
Enchilada Casserole
Sour Cream Cheesecake
Cream Cheese Brownies 
AND SO MANY MORE!!! 

I think the cover turned out pretty darn cute as well. If anyone would like a copy, please let me know!