Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Cheesecake

This year for Thanksgiving I wanted to try Pumpkin Cheesecake instead of the traditional Pumpkin Pie. I'm excited to try it! Hopefully everyone likes it.

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham crumbs
5 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 Tbsp. sugar

Filling:
3- 8oz.pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
Whipped Cream

Mix crust ingredients together, just till coated and crumbly. Press onto the bottom and 2/3 up the sides of an 8" springform pan. Bake for 5 min. at 350. Set aside.
Combine cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl, mix until smooth with an electric mixer. add pumpkin eggs, and spices, beat till smooth and creamy. Pour into the crust. Bake for 60-70 min. or till the top turns a bit darker. Remove from oven and allow to come to room temperature, then refrigerate. After it has thoroughly chilled, remove the pan sides and cut. Serve with whipped cream.

Lion's Lasagna

Here is the lasagna that I am going to be making for the Lions game day. wish me luck :)

Prep Time:
20 min

Total Time:
1 hr 35 min

Makes:
12 servings, one piece each

What You Need

1 lb. ground beef

1 egg, beaten

2-1/2 cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided

1 container (15 oz.) POLLY-O Natural Part Skim Ricotta Cheese

1/2 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce

1 cup water

12 lasagna noodles, uncooked

Make It

HEAT oven to 350°F. Brown meat in large skillet on medium-high heat. Meanwhile, mix egg, 1-1/4 cups mozzarella cheese, the ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and the parsley until well blended; set aside.

DRAIN meat; return to skillet. Stir in spaghetti sauce. Add water to empty sauce jar; cover with lid and shake well. Add to meat mixture; stir until well blended. Spread 1 cup of the sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; top with layers of 3 lasagna noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture and 1 cup sauce. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining 3 noodles and the remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1-1/4 cups mozzarella cheese and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Cover with greased foil.

BAKE 45 min. Remove foil; bake an additional 15 min. or until heated through. Let stand 15 min. before cutting to serve.

if you head to http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/simply-lasagna-69196.aspx there is a lovely video to show you how to make it. much better than a picture if you ask me ;)

Cafe Rio from Dad

cafe rio pork

3 lbs pork roast [ask your butcher where it is if you don't know.. one time i came home with ham instead of pork..]
16 oz chunky salsa [or you can blend if you don't want chunky]
1 can coke
2 cup brown sugar

place pork in crock pot + fill half way up the side of the pork with water. cook on high for 4 hours. drain water. cut pork into thirds, then mix sauce [coke, brown sugar, + salsa] and pour on top. cook 4 more hours on low. shred pork. mix back in with sauce if you want it saucy or not.

cafe rio rice

3 cups uncooked rice
4 cups water
4 tsp chicken bouillion
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 can green chili's diced
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp zest of lime
2 tbs lime juice
2 tsp sugar
1 tbs butter
1/2 onion, chopped

saute onion, garlic + butter until the onion is soft. add water, rice, and remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. after it begins to boil rapidly, reduce the heat to low and cover with the lid + simmer for about 20 minutes.

cafe rio creamy cilantro tomatillo salad dressing

1 package dry hidden valley ranch salad dressing
1 cup mayo
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 large clove garlic
3 small-medium tomatillos, husk off [like tomatoes but green and has a husk on it]
1/3 cup buttermilk
juice of 1 lime
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or 1 small jalapeno) - optional
place all ingredients in a blender + blend until smooth. chill in fridge at least 1 hour before serving, then it will thicken.

black beans
[i just used a can of black beans without anything else, but this recipe looks good too]

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 cup tomato juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbs olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs fresh chopped cilantro

in a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. add beans, tomato juice, and salt. continually stir until heated through. just before serving stir in the cilantro.

assembly

salad- order of assembly
tortilla - i use the tortilla land brand of uncooked flour tortillas from costco or sams. they are awesome and taste like cafe rio's homemade tortillas
shredded colby +monterray jack cheese
rice
beans
pork
lettuce
pico de gallo - [or chopped tomatoes, diced onions, cilantro, lime juice]
guacamole
feta cheese crumbles
cilantro
lime wedge [for lime juice]
tortilla strips
cilantro tomatillo dressing

burrito

toritilla
rice beans
pork
shredded cheese
any other toppings wanted
roll it up

cafe rio chicken

1 small bottle of kraft zesty italian dressing
1 tbs chili powder
1 tbs cumin
3 cloves garlic-minced
5 lbs chicken breast

cook all together in a crockpot for 4 hours on high, shred, then cook for an additional 1 hour.

ENJOY!

Chocolate Bundt Cake

Lindsay actually found this recipe, so she should get the credit for it. I'm just posting it because I already had it on my blog and it was easy to copy & paste. oh, and just so you know, this cake is calorie and fat free! We can think that anyway :)

Cake
1 Package Betty Crocker Super Moist Butter Chocolate Cake Mix
1/2 Cup Chocolate Milk
1/3 Cup Melted Butter
3 Eggs
1 Pkg. Chocolate Fudge Instant Pudding
1 Bag Semi Chocolate chips (set 1 Cup aside for glaze)
16 oz cream cheese

Pour into a Bunt Pan & Bake at 350 for 55-65 minutes. Cool for 2 hours before removing from pan.

Glaze
1 Cup Chocolate Chips
2 Tbsp Butter
3 Tbsp Light Corn Syrup
1 1/2 tsp water

Melt all ingredients together and drizzle over cake. Top off with mini Chocolate Chips and enjoy.

*You can replace the chocolate chips with peanut butter chips for a different variety.

Speedy Salsa-Chicken Quesadillas

1 Cup salsa
4 Tablespoons Miracle Whip
1 Teaspoon chili powder
8 Flour tortillas
1 1/2 lb. cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced
2 Cups Kraft Mexican style shredded four cheese

• Mix salsa, dressing and chili powder

• Spread salsa mixture evenly onto tortillas

• Layer chicken and shrerdded cheese evenly on each tortilla

• Put another tortilla shell on top

Heat large skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat. Add quesadillas, 1 at a time. Cook 4-5 minutes on each side or until lightly browned on both sides. Repeat with remaining quesadillas. Cut into wedges

Serves 4

Gourmet Burgers......AKA Purple Turtle

This is one of my favorite recipes, and a common meal in our house :)

INGREDIENTS:

3 to 5 very hungry, yet very indecisive family members.
1 car
about 3 to 10 dollars in gas *depending on where you live in accordance with the restaurant and gas prices of the day.
15 minutes of waiting time
1 corner booth (away from the garbage can, depending on your dining partners...dad)

INSTRUCTIONS:

First take the very indecisive family members and get them all to agree on the usual but always loved purple turtle. Get in the car and drive to the restaurant. Walk to the counter, place your order and get your drinks. family members must sit at room temperature for roughly 10 to 15 minutes till food is ready. Pick up food when your number is called, check for extra pink sauces. Return to table and enjoy. Refills on drinks may be required before exiting restaurant


Prep time: zero, unless you count the time you take to decide on the restaurant.
serves as many as you would like to take with you.

Grilled Chicken Pasta in a Tomato Cream Sauce

I Havn't tried this recipe yet, but it looks so yummy! I'll let you all know how it is when I make it, unless one of you beat me to it :)

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Montreal Steak seasoning

1/2 pound penne pasta

2 tablespoons butter2

tablespoons olive oil2

cloves garlic, minced

½ cup chicken broth

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 to 1 tsp salt & pepper (to taste)

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

6-8 fresh basil leaves, chiffonaded

Rinse chicken breasts in cold water. Layer between sheets of wax paper and pound to even thickness. Season both sides with Montreal Steak seasoning. Preheat grill for medium high heat, lightly oil grate, and grill chicken breasts on medium high heat for 6-8 mins each side. OR heat 2 tbsp butter & 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter and olive oil is nice and hot, add chicken breasts and cook 5 mins each side. Set chicken aside to cool. In a large pot, boil water with 1 tbsp salt. Add 1/2 lb penne pasta noodles and boil according to package directions. Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is tender, but do not let the garlic turn brown (about 3-5 mins). Add the chicken broth to the pan and allow to reduce by half. Meanwhile, slice chicken. Once the broth has reduced, stir in tomato sauce. Add the heavy cream and stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to low. Chop the parsley and basil, add to sauce and mix well. Drain pasta and add to sauce. Stir well to coat. Serve pasta on plates, top with sliced chicken.

Strawberry Sheetcake

OK, here we go. This is the first official recipe for our blog. I figured I would put a recipe on here that I know we all love. It's one of our favorite summertime treats!Make white cake as directed on package
and bake in a large sheetcake pan.

Blend in a mixing bowl:
1 small carton whipping cream until slightly thick.
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
2 Cups Powdered Sugar

Mix until it reaches a creamy texture.
Spread on cooled cake.
Let it set for 2 to 3 hours
Top with Danish Dessert and Strawberries.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Nielsen Family Recipe Blog. Hopefully we can all benefit from this. I think it will be fun to continue to add recipes and try others out. I'm always looking for ideas as I'm sure you are as well.