Chicken in Gravy by Kraft

 I'm not sure the picture does this recipe justice, this is a good meal!

4 slices bacon, chopped
4 sm. boneless, skinless breast halves (1 lb)
4 lg carrots (1 lb, thinly sliced)
1 lg onion, ch
1 c fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth
2 oz cream cheese, cubed
3 c hot cooked brown rice (I used white)

1. Cook & stir bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Discard drippings from skillet.
2. Add chicken to skillet; cook 5-6 minutes on each side or until golden brown and done.
3. Transfer chicken to plate; cover to keep warm. Add veggies and 1/2 c broth to skillet; cover & simmer 10 minutes or until veggies are tender.
4. Stir in remaining broth & cream cheese; cook, uncovered, 2 minutes or until cream cheese is melted & sauce is thickened, stirring frequently. Return chicken to skillet; cook 2 minutes or until heated through. Spoon rice onto serving plate. Serve chicken and gravy over rice.

In my opinion, this is surprisingly good. The carrots were sweet and a nice addition to this meal. It was quick and easy. We will have it again.

Pork and Pineapple Kabobs

by Kraft
1/2 cup KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce
2 Tbsp. GREY POUPON Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 lb. boneless pork loin, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
1 cup green pepper chunks (1 inch)
1/2 cup red onion chunks (1 inch)

1. MIX first 3 ingredients in large bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup for later use. Add meat to remaining sauce; toss to coat. Refrigerate 15 min. to marinate.

2. HEAT grill to medium-high heat. Remove meat from marinade; discard marinade. Thread meat onto skewers alternately with pineapple, peppers and onions.

3. GRILL 12 to 14 min. or until meat is done, turning occasionally and brushing with reserved sauce.

In my opinion: We really liked this recipe. It was the first time we've grilled pork and we were pleasantly surprised.

Chicago-Style Steak with Blue Cheese Butter

by Kraft
1/2 cup A.1. CHICAGO STEAKHOUSE Marinade
2 beef T-bone or Porterhouse steaks (3/4 lb. each), 3/4 inch thick
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 Tbsp. ATHENOS Crumbled Blue Cheese
1 Tbsp. finely chopped green onion


1. POUR marinade into large resealable plastic bag. Add steaks; turn to coat. Seal bag. Refrigerate 30 min. to marinate.

2. MEANWHILE, mix butter, cheese and onion until well blended; cover. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3. PREHEAT grill to medium heat. Remove steaks from marinade; discard marinade. Grill steaks, uncovered, 10 to 12 min. for medium-rare to medium doneness, turning occasionally. Remove steaks from grill. Remove bones; cut steak into thin slices. Top with the butter mixture

In my opinion: This steak was delicious. The butter added flavor and pizazz. Can't wait to have it again.

Leprechaun's Kiss

1 square BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate,(or green candy melts) melted optional
2 cups boiling water, divided
2 pkg. (3 oz. each) JELL-O LIME Flavor Gelatin
1-1/2 cups cold water, divided
Ice cubes
1 cup thawed COOL WHIP
Whipped Topping Decorations: assorted St. Patrick's sprinkles and candies
1. DRAW heart design or write Valentine's Day message in each of 8 (6-oz.) clear plastic cups by piping chocolate onto insides of cups. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm.
2. ADD 1 cup boiling water to 1 pkg. gelatin mix in medium bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Stir in 1 cup cold water; pour into cups. Refrigerate 1 hour or until gelatin is firm.
3. MEANWHILE, add remaining boiling water to remaining gelatin mix; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add enough ice to remaining cold water to measure 1 cup. Add to gelatin; stir until thickened. Stir in COOL WHIP; spoon over gelatin layer in cups. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm. Decorate as desired.

Creamy Corn and Turkey Soup by Kraft

I just found this recipe in a stack in my classroom. I first made it in January of '05. Thank goodness I make notes on my recipes because I don't even remember making this. My notes said that I used chicken and I might use more cream cheese next time. Overall, this was a good soup and I said I'd have it again. Now that I've found the recipe, I guess I will :)
1/2 cup chopped onions 1 Red pepper, chopped, divided
2 Tbsp. Butter or margarine  substitute I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light for WW points
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed MUST USE LIGHT FOR WW points
2 cups shredded cooked turkey
1 can (14.75 oz.) cream-style corn
2 cups Chicken broth
3/4 cup Milk
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper

COOK onions and half the red peppers in butter in large saucepan on medium heat 5 to 6 min. or until crisp-tender, stirring frequently.

ADD cream cheese; cook on low heat 3 to 4 min. or until melted, stirring constantly. Stir in turkey, corn, broth and milk.

COOK 5 min. or until soup is heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve topped with remaining red peppers and black pepper.
Kraft Kitchens TipsSubstitutePrepare using PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese.Special ExtraFor more robust flavor, roast and peel the red peppers before chopping. Add to soup along with the turkey. Or, use drained, jarred roasted red peppers instead.

Make AheadSoup can be made ahead of time. Cool, then refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat before serving.

Easy BBQ Ribs by Kraft

4 lbs pork ribs
1 c BBQ sauce


1. CUT ribs into 2-rib sections.
2. PLACE ribs in Dutch oven or stockpot. Add enough water to completely cover ribs; cover with lid. Bring to boil; simmer on medium-low heat 20 min. Drain.
3. HEAT grill to medium heat. Grill ribs 10 min. or until done, turning occasionally and brushing generously with barbecue sauce

In my opinion: We've never made ribs before so we don't have much to compare to, but not only were these EASY to make, they tasted fabulous! I'm not sure that there's a need to try another recipe.

Velveeta Tex-Mex Beef and Potatoes by Kraft

prep time 10 min total time 45 min makes 6 servings, about 1-1/3 cups each

1 lb. ground beef 1 red pepper, chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz.) TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Taco Seasoning Mix 1/2 cup water 4 cups frozen Southern-style hash browns (cubed not shredded variety) 1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen corn 1/2 lb. (8 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes Make It!HEAT oven to 350°F.

BROWN meat with peppers and onions in large skillet; drain. Return to skillet.

STIR in taco mix and water. Add potatoes, corn and VELVEETA; mix well. Spoon into 13x9-inch baking dish; cover.

BAKE 20 min.; stir. Bake, uncovered, 15 min. or until heated through.

In my opinion: This was a good dish. It was a quick one for sure.

Slow Cooker Lasagna (by Kraft)

1 lb ground beef
26 oz jar spaghetti sauce
1 c water
15 oz ricotta
7 oz mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, divided
1 egg
2 T fresh chopped parsley (I used dried)
6 lasagna noodles, uncooked (I didn't use all 6)

1. Brown meat and drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and water. Mix ricotta, 1 1/2 c mozzarella, 2 T Parmesan, egg, and parsley (in separate bowl).
2. Spoon 1 c meat sauce into Crock Pot; top with layers of half the noodles, broken to fit; and cheese mixture. Cover with 2 c meat sauce. Top with remaining noodles, remaining cheese mixture and meat sauce. Cover with lid.
3. Cook on low 4-6 hours or until liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Let stand covered 10 minutes or until cheeses are melted. Do not cook on high setting.

In my opinion: I was disappointed with the sauce even though I used my favorite spaghetti sauce. The bottom began to burn and I wonder if the burned part affected the sweetness of the sauce or if the ground beef was cooked too long. I loved the noodles and cheese but hope I can figure out the sauce problem next time. I loved that I only dirtied the skillet and a bowl preparing this meal.

For more Slow Cooker recipes that I've tried, click here.

Apple Cranberry Pecan Stuffing

Last year I decided to try a new stuffing recipe. There wasn't anything wrong the old one, my mom had made it for years and years. I just thought this one looked delicious. And it was!

Apple Cranberry Pecan Stuffing by Kraft
1 1/2 c apple juice
2 T butter
1 small apple, chopped
1/2 c cranberries
1 6 oz pkg stuffing mix for chicken
1/4 c chopped toasted pecans

1. Bring juice and butter to a boil in a med. saucepan on high heat. Stir in apple, cranberries, and stuffing mix; cover.
2. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes.
3. Stir in pecans.
Makes 8 1/2 c servings

Cranberry and Pecan Cheese Log

Cranberry and Pecan Cheese Log by Kraft
8 oz light cream cheese spread
1/4 c chopped dried cranberries
1 Tbsp. grated orange peel
1/2 c coarsely chopped toasted pecans
crackers

1. Mix cream cheese, cranberries and orange peel until well blended. Shape into 6" log.
2. Roll in pecans until evenly coated. Wrap in plastic wrap.
3. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving.

In my opinion: This was a fabulous cheese ball. I loved it and can't wait to have some more.

Caramel Crunch Bars

Caramel Crunch Bars by Kraft

4 1/2 Graham Crackers
11 oz pkg caramel bits
2 T milk
1/2 c peanuts
1/2 c miniature marshmallows
1/2 c coarsely crushed pretzels
4 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted

1. Line an 8" squarepan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Spray with cooking spray.
2. Place grahams on bottom of pan, cutting to fit if necessary.
3. Microwave caramel and milk on high 2 minutes or until caramel is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring every 30 seconds.
4. Pour over grahams; top with peanuts, marshmallows and pretzels. Drizzle with chocolate.
5. refrigerate at least one hour. Use foil handles to remove dessert from pan before cutting into bars to serve.

In my opinion: These were good the first day but got chewy and messy after that.

Tomorrow's recipe: My FAVORITE pumpkin fudge. I can't believe I am giving his recipe away.

Mandarin Almond Chicken Bites

Mandarin Almond Chicken Bites (also chicken salad) by Kraft

1/2 c finely chopped cooked chicken
1/2 c mand. orange segments, cut into 3rds
1/4 c dried cranberries
2 T sliced almonds
2 T Miracle Whip
48 crackers

1. Mix all ingredients. Cover. Refrigerate 1 hour.
2. Top each cracker with 1 t. Serve

In my opinion: This recipe was yummy. It could easily be served as a chicken salad.