Dump Cake

16 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
1 can cherry pie filling
1 box yellow cake mix
2 sticks butter, sliced into pats about 1/2 Tablespoon wide
chopped pecans, optional

Place in deep casserole dish in order listed.
Bake at 350 one hour.
Serve.

In my opinion: This was similar to something my mom made when I was a kid. It was fabulous...my kids loved it. We put a scoop of vanilla ice cream over it.

Caribbean Jerk Chicken with Tropical Fruit Salsa

Caribbean Jerk Chicken with Tropical Fruit Salsa by Lawry's

1 c plus 2 T Lawry's Caribbean Jerk Marinade with Papaya Juice

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/4 lbs)
24 1/2 oz can tropical fruit in light syrup, drained

1. In a large, resealable bag, pour 3/4 c Lawry's Marinade over chicken; turn to coat. Close bag and marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

2. Remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade. Grill or broil, turning once and brushing with 1/4 c marinade, 10 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

3. Meanwhiole, in medium bowl, combine fruit with remaining 2 T marinade. Chill, if desired. Serve fruit salsa over chicken.

We served over rice.

In my opinion: This was delicious and we will definitely have it a lot throughout the grilling season.

Barbecue Bacon Cheeseburgers

Barbecue Bacon Cheeseburgers from Paula Deen's magazine
1 lb bacon, cooked til crisp
2 lbs ground chuck
3 T hickory-flavored BBQ sauce
1 T liquid smoke
1/2 t salt
12 slices sharp CHeddar cheese, divided
1 lg sweet onin, cut into 6 rings
6 hamburger buns, split and toasted
BBQ sauce, lettuce, and tomotoes *opt
crispy ranch fries

1. Preheat grill to med-high (350-400). Spray grill rack with nonstick nonflammable cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, crumble 10 slices bacon; set remaining bacon aside. Add ground chuck, 3 T BBQ sauce, liquid smoke, and salt. Stir gently to combine.
3. Divide mixture into 12 equal portions and shape each into a 4" patty.
4. Cut 6 slices cheese into quarters. Place4 cheese quarters on top of 6 paaties. Place remaining 6 patties on top of cheese and press edges of patties together to seal.
5. Grill patties, covered with grill lid, for 3-4 minutes per side, or until onions are browned and tender.
7. Spread additional BBQ sauce over bottom halves of buns, if desired. Top as desired with lettuce, tomatoes slices, grilled onion, burgers, and reserved bacon slices. Cover with bun tops. Serve immediately.

In my opinion: I halved this recipe including the amount of cheese I pressed inside the patty. These burgers were fabulous! Be sure you get the patties as flat as possible when first forming them or the burger will be pretty fat!

Crispy Ranch Fries

Crispy Ranch Fries from Paula Deen's magazine
26 oz bag frozen extra-crispy fast food fries
1 oz pkg Ranch dressing mix, divided
1/2 c ketchup
1/2 c mayonnaise

1. Preheat oven to 450. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Place fries in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle evenly with 1 T Ranch dressing mix. Bake for 11-15 minutes or until fries are lightly browned and crispy.
3. In a small bowl, combine ketchup, mayo, and remaining dressing mix. Serve with fries.
6-8 servings ....I think it was more like 8-10.

In my opinion: I didn't think this recipe was anything great. It was a nice change from the ordinary fries. There was a lot of "dip" left over as well as a huge baggies full of fries so I felt like I wasted a lot of food.

Grilled Banana Quesadillas

Grilled Banana Quesadillas from Paula Deen's magazine
4 (10") tortillas
3 T butter, melted
2 medium bananas, thinly sliced
1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate morsels *I used butterscotch
5 T firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 t ground cinnamon
vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce optional

1. Preheat grill to medium-high (350-400). Spray grill rack with nonstick, nonflammable cooking spray. Brush one side of tortillas with melted butter. Place tortillas on grill, buttered side down. Place banana slices evenly on one side of each tortilla. Top bananas evenly with morsels. Sprinkle each evenly with brown sugar and cinnamon. Fold tortillas over to cover bananas. Grill for 3-4 minutes per side, or until chocolate is melted and bananas are soft. Cut into wedges. Serve with ice cream and caramel sauce if desired. Serve immediately.
4 Servings** If you are feeding small kids, you could stretch this to 6 servings.

In my opinion: This was fabulous! My husband doesn't like chocolate and we didn't have any so I used butterscotch morsels and it was divine! I went one step further and put some chopped nuts on top. If you have whipped cream and cherries, go for it!

White Chocolate Pistachio Cookies

White Chocolate Pistachio Cookies from Paula Deen's magazine

1 c butter, soft
1 1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t orange extract
3 c all purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
12 oz bag white chocolate morsels
1 c quick cook oats
1 c chopped pistachios

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. (I used my Pampered Chef stones).
2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed with electric mixer until fluffy.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and orange extracts.
4. In medium bowl, combine flour through salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until combined. Beat in morsels, oats, and pistachios.
5. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool on pans for 2 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks. Store in airtight containers.

In my opinion: These were delicious cookies! I didn't have orange extract either. These cookies do not change shape when baking so I smashed the 2nd batch down. They will be easier to store if they are flat. This recipe made about 38 large cookies.

Hearty Chicken & Noodle Casserole

Hearty Chicken & Noodle Casserole by Campbell's

Double the following if you are going to freeze some:

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c milk
1/4 t ground black pepper
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
1 c frozen mixed vegetables
2 c cubed cooked chicken
2 c medium egg noodles, cooked and drained
1/2 c shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Stir the soup, milk, black pepper, Parmesan cheese, vegetables, chicken and noodles in a 1 1/2 qt casserole dish. (Maybe a Crock Pot????). If you have doubled the recipe, be sure to pour into 2 dishes and freeze one.
2. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until hot. Stir.
3. Top with Cheddar cheese.

In my opinion: This is a great recipe. It is actually one of my favorites now and I make it often.

Polynesian Burgers

Polynesian Burgers by Lawry's

1 lb ground beef
1/2 c Lawry's Teriyaki Marinade with Pineapple Juice, divided
1 c finely chopped bell pepper
4 pineapple slices
4 hamburger rolls, toasted

1. mix ground beef, 1/4 c of the marinade and bell pepper in medium bowl until well blended. Shape into 4 patties.
2. Broil or grill on medium heat 4-6 minutes per side until burgers are cooked through (internal temp reaches 160). Meanwhile, broil or grill pineapple slices 1-2 minutes per side or until golden brown. Brush burgers and pineapple slices with remaining 1/4 c marinade while cooking.
3. Serve burgers on toasted rolls with pineapple slices.

In my opinion: These were good burgers! We will be having these again.

Dessert idea:
Grilled Hawaiian Donuts:
4-6 honey buns
1 pineapple ring per honey bun
1 T butter per honey bun
brown sugar
foil

Place each honey bun on a sheet of foil big enough to wrap the whole bun.
Place pineapple ring on each bun.
Put 1 T butter in the middle of each ring.
Sprinkle brown sugar on top of each.
Bring sides of foil up and wrap bun carefully.
Grill until butter is melted. Unwrap carefully.

Garlic-Lime Flank Steak

Garlic-Lime Flank Steak (marinate 8 hours) by Weight Watchers 5 points

2 lbs falnk steak, trimmed (we used skirt steak)
1/4 c fresh lime juice
1 T olive oil
4 lg cloves garlic, minced
1 t crushed pepper
1/2 t salt

1. Score a diamond pattern on both sides of steak.
2. Combine steak and next 4 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Marinate in the fridge 8 hours.
3. Prepare grill.
4. Remove steak from bag; discard marinade. Sprinkle evenly with salt. Place on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 4-5 minutes on each side or util desired degree of doneness. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices.
8 servings

In my opinion:
We made this recipe and served the skirt steak as fajita meat. It was fabulous!

Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken

Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken by Lawry's

1 c mayonnaise
1 T lemon pepper seasoning
1 T dried basil leaves, crushed
1/4 t salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1-1 1/4 lbs)

1. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except chicken. Reserve 1/2 c mayonnaise mixture.
2. Grill or broil chicken, turning once and brushin frequently with remaining mayonnaise mixture, 12 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve hot chicken with reserved mayonnaise mixture.

In my opinion: This was great chicken but we didn't use the leftover mayonnaise mixture on the side. It was good enough without it.

Grilled T-Bone

Grilled T-Bone by Weight Watchers 6 points

4 t EVOO
2 t finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 t finely chopped fresh sage
1 1/4 lb T-Bone, trimmed of fat, at least 1-1 1/2" thick
1/2 t salt
freshly ground black pepper

1. Spray the grill rach with nonstick spray; preheat grill.
2. In a small bowl, mix oil, rosemary, and sage. Rub steak with herb mixture; place on the grill rack. Grill 3" from heat, turning once, 6 minutes on each side for rare. Season with s & p as soon as the steak is done. Transfer the steak to a cutting board; let stand about 5 minutes before slicing. 4 servings

In my opinion: This steak was good but I found it tough to chew. It is a recipe I'd try again.

Mexican Chicken Soup

Mexican Chicken Soup by What A Crock blog

1/2 to 3/4 lbs chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, and cut into 1" thick cubes
2 lg sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
2 cans(14.5 oz) diced tomatoes and jalapenos
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 t oregano
1/2 t turmeric (we didn't have)
14 oz chicken broth
12 oz corn, drained

Place everything but corn in slow cooker and give it a good stir. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours. Add corn, stir and serve.

In my opinion: This recipe was okay. It had a unique flavor but we didn't eat the leftovers.

Citrus & Honey Grilled Chicken Breasts

Citrus & Honey Grilled Chicken Breasts by Jay Bush (Bush's beans)

4 boneless chicken breast halves
juice of 1 orange
juice of 1 lime
juice of 1 lemon
3 T honey
2 T olive oil
1/2 t hot sauce
1 T dried oregano

1. Place chicken between sheets of plastic wrap. Gently pound the chicken with your hand or meat mallet, just enough to make the breasts equal in thickness.
2. In a medium bowl combine the juices, honey, olive oil, hot sauce, and oregano, and pour into a re-sealable bag.
3. Add the chicken breasts and turn to coat well. Refrigerate, turning occasionally, for about 2-4 hours. Remove the chicken. Boil the marinade for 10 minutes if you wish to use it as a baste.
4. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, about 350.
5. Grill the chicken, turning oncve, for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.

The chicken is done when a meat thermometer placed in the thickest part of the breast measures 165, and when pierced with a fork, the juices run clear.

In my opinion: This was good chicken. We all liked it and will have it again.

Something New Potatoes

Something New Potatoes from Big John's Cookbook

18 sm red potatoes
1/4 c EVOO
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 T paprika
salt
1 bunch chives, finely chopped

1. Scrub potatoes and cut in half. Pour most of EVOO in a mixing bowl. Toss potatoes in oil to coat.
2. In a separate foil roasting pan pour the remaining olive oil & spread on the bottom of the pan. Place the red potatoes in an even layer in the panm. Sprinkle with garlic, paprika, and salt to taste. Cover with foil.
3. Preheat grill to 350. Place pan on bottom cooking surface and bake 1 hour with grill cover closed. After 1 hour remove foil and sprinkle chives over potatoes. Continue cooking, uncovered, for 15 minutes with grill cover closed.

In my opinion: We followed the directions and the potatoes were burned. We got a few bites that weren't burned and they were fabulous so we will definitely have this again but we will watch the potatoes more closely.

More recipes to come

I am currently trying to catch up at home and hope to post new recipes soon. I have several great summer recipes to post such as some grilling and frozen pie recipes. Check back in a couple of days!