Bavarian Fondue

Ingredients
1 cup Pilsner beer
1/2 cup dark beer
21 ounces Cheshire or Cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
black pepper
2 Tbsp. brandy

Directions
- Bring beer to a boil in fondue pot, stirring constantly.
- Add cheese to beer, a handful at a time, stirring until melted.
- Dissolve cornstarch in cold water.
- Add dissolved cornstarch and lemon juice to cheese mixture
- Cook until bubbly.
- Stir in pepper and brandy.

Hints
- It may be easier to make this on the stove top and then pour it into your fondue pot.
- You can use 1 1/2 cups of Guinness instead of two different beers.
- It still tastes great if you omit the brandy.

Submitted by Holly

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

Summer Pasta Salad

Ingredients
1 lb pasta(uncooked)
1 bottle Italian salad dressing (not creamy)
1 clove minced garlic

Optional Ingredients
Pepperoni
Salami
Onions
Artichoke hearts
Mushrooms
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Colored sweet peppers
Carrots
Zucchini or summer squash
Mozzarella
Fresh Parmesan
Black or green olives

Directions
- Cook pasta according to package directions and rinse in cold water.
- Combine pasta, salad dressing and garlic with optional ingredients in large salad bowl.
- Eat right away or chill before serving.

Hints
- You can use various types of pastas, whatever is left in the cabinet. Cheese Tortellini works well too.
- Chilling the pasta before serving allows time for the flavors to blend. If you chill it too long some of the ingredients can become mushy. A couple of hours is usually enough.

Submitted by Amy

Baked Chicken Breasts with Parmesan-Garlic Crust

Ingredients
1 cup bread crumbs, preferably fresh (see hint)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
Pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6-7 oz each), trimmed
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
1/4 cup mayo
Lemon wedges for serving (optional)

Directions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
- Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, garlic, oil, salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels and transfer to 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Combine basil and mayonnaise in small bowl and spread mixture evenly over chicken.
- Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over mayonnaise, pressing lightly to adhere.
- Bake until crumbs are golden brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of chicken registers 160 degrees, 18-22 minutes.
- Serve with lemon wedges.

Hint
- To make fresh bread crumbs, process 2 slices of hearty white sandwich bread in a food processor until coarsely ground.

Submitted by Kelly

Strawberry Salad

Salad Ingredients
- bag of fresh spinach
- pint of fresh strawberries

Poppy Seed Vinegarette Ingredients
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1/2 Tbs poppy seeds
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/2 cup veg oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp Worcestershire
- 1/2 tsp minced onion

Caramelized Almonds Ingredients
- 3 Tbs sugar
- 1 cup sliced almonds

Directions
- Rinse spinach, remove stems and tear into pieces
- Slice Strawberries
- Combine vinegarette ingredients in blender and blend until emulsified
- heat 3 Tbs sugar in frying pan over med heat until liquid *WATCH sugar carefully so it doesn't burn-it'll taste horrible*
- Toss sliced almonds in melted sugar until coated & golden brown
- Remove from pan & spread out to cool
- Combine spinach, strawberries, sugared almonds and dressing in serving bowl
- Serve immediately

Hints
- Baby spinach doesn't need to be stemmed and torn into pieces but regular spinach does
- Almonds will cool quickly on aluminum foil in the freezer
- Don't burn the sugar

Submitted by Corinne