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Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies

  • 1 box brownie mix (19.5 oz)
  • 1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
  • 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 3/4 cup chocolate frosting
  1. Heat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, beat brownie mix, melted butter, cream cheese, and egg 50 strokes with a spoon until well blended (dough will be sticky).
  2. Onto ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart to make 24 cookies; smooth edge of each to form round cookie.
  3. In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar and peanut butter with spoon until mixture forms a ball. With hands, roll rounded teaspoonfuls into 24 balls. Lightly press 1 ball into center of each ball of dough.
  4. Bake 10 to 14 minutes or until edges are set. Cool cookies on cookie sheets at least 30 minutes.
  5. Remove cooled cookies from cookie sheets. Spread thin layer of frosting over peanut butter portion of each cooled cookie.

High Altitude (3,500-6,500 ft.) Before baking, flatten cookies slightly. Bake 11 to 15 minutes.

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Pizza Sauce

  • 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbs minced fresh garlic
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 Tbs tomato paste

In a medium saucepan, saute garlic and onions in olive oil until tender. Add seasonings and continue cooking a few more minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, then tomato paste. Simmer on low for about 10 minutes.

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Perfectly Cooked Eggs

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 to 6 large or jumbo eggs

Pour the water into the Instant Pot. Place a steamer basket or trivet in the pot. Carefully arrange eggs in the steamer basket. Secure the lid on the pot. Close the pressure-release valve.

For soft-cooked eggs, select Manual and cook on low pressure for 3 minutes. When cooking time is complete, use a natural release to depressurize. (another recipe I found said to quick release the pressure instead) For medium-cooked eggs, cook for 4 minutes, for hard-boiled eggs, cook for 5 minutes.)

Remove the lid and gently place eggs in a bowl of cool water.

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Easiest Mashed Potatoes

  • 2 pounds russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1 to 2 inch chunks
  • 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
  • 1-1/2 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream (I think this would taste great, but never have so I use 2 cups milk)
  • 3 Tbs butter
  1. Pressure cook potatoes. Put the potatoes in the Instant Pot and sprinkle with salt. Add the milk, cream, and butter. Lock the lid into place. Select Manual; adjust the pressure to High and the time to 8 minutes. After cooking, quick release the pressure. Unlock and remove the lid.
  2. Mash the potatoes. Using a potato masher or large fork, mash the potatoes into the milk mixture until smooth and creamy. (Alternatively, you can remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon or skimmer and use a ricer to press the potatoes into the pot then stir to combine them with the cream and butter.) Season with salt and pepper, if necessary, and serve.
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Chocolate Meringues

  • 4 egg whites
  • 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1-1/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1-1/3 cups chocolate chips
  • 2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (optional)

Lightly grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 300 degrees

In a medium mixing bowl, beat egg whites on super high speed until soft peaks form. Add cream of tartar and vanilla; mix again. Scrape bowl. Return to high speed and add sugar 1 or 2 TBS at a time. If you want cocoa-flavored cookies, add the cocoa now. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Drop mixture by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes or until firm and the bottoms of the cookies are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire rack and let them cool. Refrigerate any leftovers. Makes 72 cookies.

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Baked Potato Fans

  • 4 Small baking potatoes
  • 1/4 cup Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing, divided (or your favorite Italian dressing)
  • 2 TBS Shredded Parmesan Cheese or Shredded Cheddar Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 375. Scrub potatoes thoroughly with brush; pat dry. Make 7-9 diagonal slices across tops of potatoes about 3/4 of the way through, being careful to not cut all of the way through to the bottoms of potatoes. (See picture)

PLACE potatoes on lightly greased baking sheet. While slightly spreading potatoes apart to open up the slices, drizzle each potato with 1 TBS of the dressing. Bake 1 hour or until potatoes are cooked through.

PLACE hot potatoes on serving dish and sprinkle each with 1/2 TBS of the cheese.

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Roasted Red Potatoes with Bacon and Cheese

  • 1/2 cup Ranch dressing
  • 1/2 cup finely shredded Italian Style 5 cheese blend
  • 1/4 cup Real Bacon Bits
  • 2 lb. small red potatoes, quartered (about 6 cups)
  • 1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

PREHEAT oven to 350. Mix dressing, cheese, and bacon bits in large bowl. Add potatoes; toss lightly.

SPOON into lightly greased 9X13 baking dish; cover with foil.

BAKE 40 minutes. Remove foil; bake an additional 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with parsley.

Makes 8 servings

We made them with russet potatoes and they were great. Brittney put the cheese and bacon on in the pan on the top of the potatoes and liked how they cheese browned a bit. We did them on the bottom rack in the oven while we cooked other stuff on the top rack and we liked how the cheese browned on the bottom.

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Stuffed Sweet Peppers

This is the recipe as I found it. I think you could substitute regular sausage, mozzarella cheese, and green peppers if you would prefer. I added the homemade sauce option since we never buy sauce.

  • 3 Medium sweet red peppers
  • 2 Medium sweet yellow peppers
  • 1 jar (14 oz) spaghetti sauce, divided (or homemade sauce)
  • 3/4 pound uncooked Italian turkey sausage
  • 3/4 cup uncooked instant rice
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta or blue cheese
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped tomato
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
  • 2 Tbs sliced ripe olives
  • 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Cut tops off peppers, chop tops and set aside. Discard stems and seeds; set pepper cups aside. Reserve 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce; pour remaining sauce into slow cooker. Combine sausage, rice, cheese, onion, tomato, parsley, olives, garlic powder, salt, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, reserved chopped peppers, and spaghetti sauce.

Spoon into pepper cups; place in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until peppers are tender. Yield: 5 servings