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.