Creamy Penne Pasta

INGREDIENTS:
1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tomato, diced
salt and pepper to taste
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

DIRECTIONS:
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
- Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat olive oil.
- Stir in garlic, basil, oregano, parsley, tomato, salt and pepper, and cook 5 minutes.
- Stir in cream cheese until melted. (Add meat, if desired, at this time.)
-Heat through, toss with cooked pasta and serve.

Submitted by Kelly

Crab Melts

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. crab meat
8 oz. cheez whiz
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 stick butter or margarine
6 pk. english muffins

Directions
- Cream cheez whiz, butter and garlic powder.
- Add crab meat and mix well.
- Cut each muffin in half and each half in quarters.
- Spread 1 heaping tsp. of mixture on each quarter.
- Put on cookie sheet(s) in a single layer and cover lightly with wax paper or paper towel and chill until set.
- Put in baggies and keep frozen until ready to use.
- To serve... broil frozen melts until lightly brown and bubbly.
- Serves 8-10.

Hints
- You can use canned crab meat but make sure you drain it well and check for shells.

Submitted by Arlene

Chocolate Lush

Ingredients:
2 C oreo cookie crumbs
1/2 C margarine, melted
8 oz. cream cheese, *room temperature
1 C cool whip
1 C powdered sugar
3 C whole milk
2 sm. pkgs. instant chocolate pudding
extra cool whip for on top (largest container should be enough for entire recipe)

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Scrape out filling from cookies and crush into crumbs.
- Mix cookie crumbs with melted margarine then evenly spread and press into a 9x13 pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes then cool completely.
- Mix cream cheese, cool whip and powdered sugar together; spread over the cooled crust.
- Mix pudding and milk and whisk for 2 minutes; spread over the cream cheese mixture.
- Let chill in refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Top pudding mixture with a layer of cool whip.

Submitted by Arlene