Easy No-Bake Cheesecake {Chow Hall Monday #3}

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It's Monday and y'all know what this means....it's another edition of Chow Hall Monday :)  For those who are aren't familiar with Chow Hall Mondays, here's the skinny on them.  Every other Monday here on the blog, I like to shine the spot light on one special Military family and their recipe of choice.

During our last Chow Hall Monday, we were blessed to have Amy Crane, who is married to her soldier-hubby John, share her recipe for Taco Casserole.  

Y'all will not believe this, but this week we've been blessed with John's mother, Janice, and her contribution for their family's recipe for Easy No-Bake Cheesecake.  

I'll let Janice take over now :)

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 I am a mother to 4 adult children and 6 grandchildren with 1 on the way!  We home educated our 4 children, which includes our youngest son, John.  John joined the U.S. Army in the fall of 2009. He is an Aircraft Structural Repairer and is currently stationed at Ft. Bliss, TX.  John is a Specialist and is currently slated to begin preparing for an upcoming deployment.  He is married and they are expecting a baby in October.  

Our son, John, in his teens took a liking to having dessert after our meals.  On a more regular basis than was normal. He had developed a love for Cherry Cheesecake.  On occasion I would get a box mix so he could have some. This became rather frequent and didn't make very much.  I began searching for an alternative.  I found this recipe, I have no clue where I found it as it's been many years ago.  It is quick, easy, and makes more than a box mix and is richer.  

Easy No-Bake Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1-ready made Graham Cracker Crust
1-8oz. cream cheese (softened)
1-8oz. Cool Whip
1/2 C. Sugar
1 can of Cherry pie filling (optional)

Directions:

1.  Blend cream cheese and sugar together until smooth.  

2.  Fold in Cool Whip.  Blend until smooth.  

3.  Pour mixture in to Ready Made Crust.... Chill at least 2 hrs.  

4.  Top with Pie filling of your choice...we like Cherry....

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This looks like such a yummy and easy recipe!  I'm loving the fact that you can top it with any pie filling of your choice ;)

Major thanks go out to Janice and her daughter-in-law, Amy for contributing their recipes and sharing their stories about their number one soldier, John.  Thoughts and prayers go out to John and his family as he makes his way through his upcoming deployment.  

For more information on Chow Hall Mondays and how you can be a part of them, click HERE.  
OR
If you are a Military Spouse (past or present) or the parent of a Military Service member and you would like to submit your recipe and story, please send an e-mail to: 

olivias@cookingwithlibby.com.

Chicken and Cornbread Dressing/Casserole

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While making our bi-weekly menu the other day, I realized we had numerous amounts of left over food just waiting to either be eaten up or tossed in the trash.  I scoured the internet for ideas and inspiration to see what I can use with these specific ingredients. 

I should have called this recipe, "What Ever Is Left" Casserole/Dressing cause it literally is made from the scraps and remains of past meals.  

Have some left over cornbread?  Toss it in there.  Have some hot dog and hamburger buns that need to be used up?  Toss it in there.  Have some eggs that are getting ready to expire?  Toss them in there.  Have a few pieces of chicken left over from that barbecue over the weekend?  Shred them and toss em in there.  Can't get any better then this folk ;)  

This is also similar to how my mother-in-law makes her southern cornbread dressing for the holidays.  Hers has more ingredients though :)  I felt like I was not only using up left overs, but that I also made my very first dish of Southern cornbread dressing....sort of :)  Here's how to make it:

Chicken and Cornbread Dressing/Casserole

(serves 8-10)

Ingredients:

2 and 1/2 cups of cornbread, chopped into one inch cubes

2 and 1/2 cups of any other type of bread (I used left over hot dog buns and hamburger buns), chopped into one inch cubes and toasted in the oven on 400 degrees for 10 minutes.  

1 and 1/2 stalks of celery, chopped

1/2 an onion, chopped

2 tbsp. butter

2 hard boiled eggs, chopped

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

1 and 1/2 tbsp. dried sage

1 and 1/2 tbsp. dried parsley

2 pinches of salt

2 pinches of pepper

2 cups of shredded chicken (or turkey)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Take the toasted cubes of bread and the cubes of corn bread and place them in a big bowl.  Mix them up.

2.  Take the chopped onion and celery sticks and saute' them with the 2 tbsp. of butter in a frying pan over medium heat.  When the onions are translucent and the celery is on the soft side, take them and pour into the big bowl.

3.  Take the chopped up eggs and place them in bowl.  Stir everything up until well mixed.

4.  Take the 2 lightly beaten eggs and pour them into the bowl.  

5.  Take the can of Cream of Chicken Soup and pour it over the beaten eggs.

6.  Stir everything together again and sprinkle the sage, parsley, salt, and pepper into the bowl.  Stir again to mix in the seasonings.

7.  Take your shredded chicken (or turkey) and place it in the bowl.  Mix everything together one last time.  I used my hands to mix it all this one last time.

8.  In a buttered 9x13 inch casserole dish, spoon the mixture in.  Making sure to make it nice and even.

9.  Place in oven to bake for one hour or until lightly brown.  

**Libby's Notes:  You can serve this during the holidays as a side dish or you can turn it into a main course and serve it with corn bread and vegetables on the side.  Or you can serve it with mashed potatoes.  Don't forget the gravy :)

Also, if it comes out to dry for your taste, you can always make it again and increase the amount of eggs to three and/or add another can of Cream of Chicken...or add some chicken broth to it until it reaches the consistency you like.  Experiment with it and have fun!  That's what it's all about!**

Recipe Source: www.messythrillinglife.blogspot.com

Taco Casserole {Chow Hall Monday #2}

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Welcome to the second ever post for Chow Hall Monday, where every other Monday I will shine the spot light on one special Military family and their recipe of choice.

Let's get started with our second Military Spouse, Amy Crane from Ft. Bliss, TX ;)  She's sharing her family's recipe for Taco Casserole.  

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My name is Amy, and my soldier is John, a Spc in the Army, stationed at Ft Bliss, TX. We’ve been married for just over a year, and my cooking has GREATLY improved since being married to him. Husbands are great for honing cooking skills. :D

This recipe was originally given to me by my sister-in-law, right after my husband and I got married. My husband declared that no one could make it better, and since my cooking confidence was shaky, at best, he wanted me to learn how to cook it. So one night about 4 days after the wedding, my sister-in-law and I set to each making a pan of it. John (my husband) wasn’t in the room and so the only other person that knew who made which one was my mother-in-law, and she was sworn to secrecy. 

We sat everyone down and wouldn’t tell John or my father-in-law who made which one; they were made to take a piece of each. And, very nervously, John chose mine as his favorite! My dear sister-in-law doesn’t hold it against me; she’s proud to have taught me a recipe he loves so well, and it’s become a favorite amongst some of the other Army wives in my acquaintance as well, since it’s so kid-friendly.

Taco Casserole

Ingredients:

2 lbs. of hamburger or ground meat of your choice (I like turkey)

1 (1 lb. can) of Hunt's Spaghetti Sauce

1 packet Taco Seasoning

1 (16 oz.) container of sour cream

1 bag of Doritos Nacho Cheese or tortilla chips if you prefer

2 lbs. shredded cheese, fiesta style

Directions:

1.  Brown the meat.  Combine with spaghetti sauce and taco seasoning, and mix well. Set aside.

2.  In a 9x13 casserole dish, crush enough chips to cover the bottom completely. 

3.  Pour in half of the meat mix, then spread half of the sour cream.  Then coat with 1 lb of the shredded cheese.  Repeat the layers again. 

4.  Put in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes (really, you’re just waiting for the cheese to melt and bubble a bit, since the meat is already cooked).

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Yummmmo!  This casserole looks so scrumptious I can eat it through the computer screen!  Even better that it's kid friendly.  

Thank you so much Amy for this recipe and for sharing the story behind it. You are right, husbands are wonderful for honing your cooking skills ;)

For more information on Chow Hall Mondays and how you can be a part of it, click HERE.

OR 

If you are a Military Spouse (past or present), a parent of a Military Service member, or an active duty member and you would like to submit your recipe and story, please send an e-mail to: olivias@cookingwithlibby.com.

Chow Hall Mondays {Welcome}

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Welcome!  

Thank you for your interest in contributing to Chow Hall Mondays here at Cooking With Libby.

This post will hopefully answer any questions that you may have.

What is Chow Hall Mondays? 

It is a new feature that I am starting here on the blog, where every other Monday a different Military member (active duty, spouse, or parent of active duty) will be featured, along with their story and their recipe of choice.

Why Chow Hall Mondays?

The reason why I decided to start this project stems from my deep roots in the Military.  I am not only a Military Spouse, but also a former Military Brat (dad served his 20 years in the Army).  Throughout my childhood, young adulthood, college, and adult years, the one constant memory that has stood out among the rest is trying awesome dishes and recipes from fellow Military friends and family.  Sometimes with a recipe, there is a story to go along with it.  It is these stories that made me want to start this project and bring them to life through this blog.

Who can participate in Chow Hall Mondays?

Anyone who meets the following criteria:

*A spouse (past or present) of an active duty (past or present) member*

*A present active duty member*

*A parent of an active duty member*

Do the recipes have to have a story behind them?

Yes...they do.  Whether it's a story about how you and spouse/active duty family member came across the recipe or a funny story about your spouse/family member and the recipe...or simply why this recipe is your spouse's/family member's favorite one, we want to hear it :)

Can I participate more then once?

No.  This may change in the future, but as of now, only one entry per person will suffice.

I'm interested in participating, where do I go from here?

You can e-mail me at:

olivias@cookingwithlibby.com

and we will take it from there :)

Any other questions can be directed to me at the e-mail address above.  

Thank you for interest in contributing to Chow Hall Mondays :)

Hope to hear from you soon!!!!!