Easy Cheddar Broccoli Soup

6 servings

1/4 tbls chopped onions
1 tbls butter or margarine
1 1/2 c milk
3/4 lb (12 oz) velvetta cheese
1 10 oz pkg frozen chopped broccoli thawed and drained
Pepper

1. Cook and stir onion in butter on medium high heat until onion is tender. Reduce heat to low. Add remaining ingredients.
2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until velvetta is melted and soup is thoroughly heated.
3. Garnish each serving with toasted slivered almonds if desired.

Italian Sausage Pasta

6-8 servings

1 lb Penne rigata or rotini pasta
1 lb Italian sausage (mild or hot)
1 lb Mozzarella cheese
20 oz pasta sauce (mushroom and roasted garlic recommended)

1. Crumble sausage and brown. Grate cheese.
2. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain.
3. In large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients in 9x13 baking dish
4. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Cover loosely with foil for first 20 minutes
**This makes a generous amount, so you may want to half the recipe. Goes well with tossed salad and garlic bread.**

Cold Tuna Macaroni Salad

4-6 servings

3 c uncooked Macaroni
16 oz can of Tuna
1/4 c mayo
1/3 c frozen peas
Salt & pepper

1. Cook macaroni according to package instructions. Drain.
2. Cover and place in fridge for at least 1 hour.
3. Before serving, add tuna, mayo and peas. Mix gently. Salt and pepper to taste.

Cranberry Apple Crisp

9 servings

4 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 C frozen cranberries, thawed
1/2 C plus 2 Tbls brown sugar, divided
1 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
1/2 C flour
3 Tbls cold butter
1 C Post Selects Great Grains Raisins, Dates, Pecans Whole Grain Cereal
1. PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Toss apples with cranberries, 2 Tbls of the brown sugar and 1/2 tsp of the cinnamon in 8-inch square baking dish.
2. MIX remaining 1/2 C brown sugar, flour and remaining 1/2 tsp cinnamon in large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cereal. Sprinkle over apple mixture.
3. BAKE 30 minutes or until apples are tender and mixture is hot and bubbly. Serve warm.
**Great Substitute: Prepare as directed, substituting pears for the apples**

Fruit Pizza

Sugar Cookie Crust
3 oz Margarine
2 ½ oz Shortening
6 oz Sugar
1 egg
1 tsp Vanilla
7 oz Flour
¾ tsp Cream of Tartar
½ tsp Baking Soda
½ tsp Salt

Filling
6 oz Cream Cheese
6 oz Whipped Topping
12 oz Sugar
1 ½ oz Instant Vanilla Pudding Powder
Fruit slices

Glaze
¼ C peach preserves mixed with 1 T. water

1. Measure out dry ingredients and set aside. Cream together margarine, shortening & sugar til combined well, mix in eggs & vanilla, add dry ingredients & mix well. Spread dough evenly onto greased sheet pan, bake at 350*F for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
2. Cream together cream cheese & sugar, fold in whipped cream and beat mixture until it resembles thin frosting, scrape sides of bowl, add pudding powder & mix thoroughly. Spread evenly onto cooled crust (about ¼ inch thick). Cut BEFORE PUTTING FRUIT ON TOP.
3. Put your favorite fruit on top decorating each piece individually. Glaze top to maintain freshness if longer holding time is desired.

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Crust
2 ¼ C Coarsely Crushed pretzels
¼ C Sugar
¾ C Melted Margarine

Cream Cheese Layer
2 C Riches Whip (whipped)
8 oz Cream Cheese
¼ C Sugar

Jello Layer
6 oz Strawberry Jell-O
2 C Boiling Water
20 oz Frozen Strawberries (partially thawed)

1. For crust, preheat oven to 350°F. Mix pretzels, sugar, and melted margarine. Press into pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool, set aside.
2. For Cream Cheese layer, beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. In a separate bowl whip the Riches Whip, and then fold the two together. Spread over pretzel crust. Cool until firm in refrigerator.
3. For Jello layer, dissolve gelatin in boiling water, add partially frozen strawberries with juice. Pour on top of cream cheese layer. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into squares. Crust tastes like nuts.
To make a low sugar version eliminate sugar in pretzel crust, use frozen strawberries without sugar in the juice and sugar free gelatin. Other fruits and flavors may be used, if desired.

Butternut Squash Soup

1 C chopped white or yellow onion
2 tsps olive oil
1 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 C low-sodium chicken broth*
1 butternut squash (1 1/2 lb),
2 tbls finely grated Parmesan cheese

1. Take squash and peel, unseed and chop into 1-inch cubes**
2. In a large stockpot over medium heat, sauté the onion in the olive oil until nearly translucent, about 4 minutes.
3. Add seasonings, broth, and squash and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes, until squash is tender.
4. Puree half the soup in a blender; return to pot.*** Stir in Parmesan cheese and serve.
This is great with hunks of French bread and a tossed green salad. If you want to be a bit wicked, try swirling in some half and half or even whipping cream. It's extra creamy.
You could substitute acorn squash for the butternut
*Sometimes I use more because the amount of squash I have is more than 1 1/2 pounds. I usually want the broth to just cover the squash. If you add even more, it just makes for a thinner soup. You can compensate by adding a bit more seasoning so it doesn't become bland as well as thin.
** Hack off the very top part with the stem first. Peel it with a regular old vegetable peeler, like peeling a carrot. Scoop out the seeds using an ice cream scoop or a melon baller.
***My family actually prefers the entire soup being pureed. The texture is super smooth