Hawaiian Cheesecake Salad

SERVES 16  |  ACTIVE TIME 15 Min  |  TOTAL TIME 15 Min

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1 (3.4-ounce) package instant cheesecake pudding, unprepared
1 cup International Delight French Vanilla Creamer
1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced
4 mandarin oranges, peeled and sectioned
1 (20-ounce) can pineapple tidbits, drained
3 kiwi, peeled and cut into half moons
2 mangoes, cut into bite size chunks
1 banana, cut into coins
juice of 1/2 lemon

In a medium tall bowl (I use my 8 cup measuring cup), using an electric mixer, whip cream cheese until it becomes smooth. It may bind up in the beaters, but continue as is and it will loosen up. Add the dry pudding mix. Beat until well combined.

With the mixer on low, slowly add the creamer to the cream cheese mix. Add it about a tablespoon at a time and then mix until it becomes a smooth mixture and all of the creamer has combined into the cream cheese, repeat until all of the creamer has been added to the mixture. Whip until smooth.

In a large bowl, combine strawberries, oranges, pineapple, kiwi and mango. Add the cheesecake mixture to the fruit. Gently fold cheesecake mixture into fruit. In a small bowl combine the banana coins and the lemon juice. Toss until well coated, drain the excess lemon juice. Gently fold the banana into the cheesecake salad.

Chill until ready to serve or serve immediately.

DONNA'S NOTES: Do not pour all of the creamer into the cream cheese at once. It will get clumpy and no matter how long you beat it, it will stay that way. Trust me on this one.

To make this ahead: prepare the cheesecake mixture and refrigerate in a bowl. Mix all of the fruit in a large bowl and refrigerate. Before serving, drain any excess liquid from the fruit and then fold the cheesecake filling into the fruit. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe developed by Donna Elick - The Slow Roasted Italian
Copyright ©2017 The Slow Roasted Italian – All rights reserved.

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Easter Crockpot Candy

MAKES 12 dozen (1 Tbsp) Candies  |  ACTIVE TIME 30 Min  |  TOTAL TIME 2 Hours 30 Minutes


34.5 ounces honey roasted dry roasted peanuts (I used planters)
48 ounces vanilla-flavored candy coating (Almond Bark or CandiQuik)
11.4 ounces M&M Milk Chocolate Plain
optional garnish: seasonal sprinkles (I used jimmies and nonpareils)

Layer peanuts and then vanilla candy coating into the crockpot (I used a 5 quart). Cover. Cook for 1 hour on low temperature without lifting the lid. After 1 hour, stir the mixture and continue to cook, stirring every 15-20 minutes for another hour (a total of 2 hours).

Meanwhile, line 3 cookie sheets with Silpat mats or line countertop or table with a long piece of parchment paper.

Turn off crockpot. Reserve 1/2 cup M&M's.

When you are ready to scoop, pour remaining M&M's into the crockpot and fold in.

Working quickly, use a 1 tablespoon scooper to portion out candy from crockpot and onto parchment paper. Make sure candy is not touching. Once entire cookie sheet is scooped (before candy dries) top with 1 M&M and sprinkles.

Allow the candy to cool completely.

Serve and enjoy!

Recipe developed by Donna Elick - The Slow Roasted Italian
Copyright ©2016 The Slow Roasted Italian – All rights reserved.

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Mint Chocolate Chip Fudgy Brownies

Mint Chocolate Chip Fudgy Brownies
SERVES 16  |  ACTIVE TIME 15 Min  |  TOTAL TIME 35 Min

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8.5 oz bag creme de menthe thins, divided

Mint Chocolate Chip Frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons ID
1 1/2 teaspoon mint extract, to taste
pinch salt
green food coloring
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Chocolate Drizzle
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
2 tablespoons ID French Vanilla Creamer

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Set 16 candy mints aside for garnish and unwrap and cut the remaining candy in half.

Line a 8x8 baking dish with aluminum foil sprayed with non-stick spray, set aside.

Place the butter in a large microwave safe mixing bowl and melt completely. Add sugar, cocoa, vanilla and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Add the remaining ingredients (except the creme de menthe thins). Mix on low just until completely combined, but do not over mix. Add 1/2 of the halved candies and stir to combine.

Pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining halved candies over the top and lightly press into the batter with a spatula.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean, well with no batter and no crumb. You may have chocolate if you stick it into a candy mint. Allow to cool completely. I pop them in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the frosting.

In a large mixing bowl combine the butter and powdered sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Add the creamer and beat on low until completely combined. Add the mint extract to taste, I start with 1/2 teaspoon and work my way up until it tastes perfectly minty. Add food coloring and mix until combined. I added 1 drop of green gel food coloring. If you are using liquid, start with 1/4 teaspoon and go from there. Sprinkle in chocolate chips and mix until combined. Once the brownies are cool, frost with the icing.

Meanwhile: combine the 1/4 cup chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons creamer in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and let the chocolate and cream melt together for about 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Drizzle the chocolate over the frosted brownies.

Serve and enjoy!

DONNA'S NOTES: The creme de menthe candies are the chocolate and mint rectangle candies that are wrapped in silver and green foil.

Recipe developed by Donna Elick - The Slow Roasted Italian
Copyright ©2017 The Slow Roasted Italian – All rights reserved.

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Garlic Parmesan Cheesy Sausage Bombs

SERVES 12  |  ACTIVE TIME 20 Min  |  TOTAL TIME 35 Minutes

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
12 frozen white dinner roll dough balls
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
12 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 12 (1-ounce) pieces
1 (7 ounce) package Jones Dairy Farm Mild Pork Breakfast Sausage Links, chopped into bite size pieces  
2 tablespoons fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried parsley

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Move the oven rack to the center. Lightly flour the counter top.

Place 12 dinner rolls on a microwave safe plate and microwave on defrost for about 2 minutes (or until dough is no longer frozen, but not cooked).

Meanwhile cut the cheese into 12 (1-ounce) pieces and chop the sausage into bite size pieces. Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

In a small bowl melt the butter and add the salt and the garlic powder. Stir the mixture until the it is combined. Set aside.

Toss 1 dough ball in the flour and flatten and stretch it like you are making a mini pizza. Stretch the dough to about 3” across. Add 1 cube of cheese and a 2 tablespoons of chopped sausage to the center of the dough. Pull the edges of the dough together to create a ball. If the ball won’t seal, tap your finger tips into the flour and crimp the seal together.

Place the bombs on the baking sheet, crimped side down. Repeat until they are all on the baking sheet. Brush the bombs with about 1/2 of the butter and then sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.

Bake the bombs for 12-15 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the bombs are no longer doughy.

Meanwhile, add the parsley to the remaining butter.

Remove the tray from oven and brush them with the remaining butter.Place them on a serving tray.  Serve with marinara or alone. Enjoy!

DONNA'S NOTE:  The ooey gooey cheese may escape some of your sausage bombs.  That is a beautiful thing!  Scoop all that cheesy goodness up onto the plate and serve.  Your guests will go crazy over them.

Recipe developed by Donna Elick - The Slow Roasted Italian
Copyright ©2017 The Slow Roasted Italian – All rights reserved.

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Lucky Charms No-Bake Ice Box Cake

SERVES 12  |  ACTIVE TIME 30 Min  |  TOTAL TIME 8 Hours 30 Min

4 cups Lucky Charms Cereal (marshmallow and cereal mixture)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff
2 1/2 cups Lucky Charms marshmallows, divided

Add 4 cups Lucky Charms cereal to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is fine crumbs. Slowly pour melted butter in through the feed tube. Pulse until combined and crumbs are completely moistened.

Pour the crumbs into a 9” pie plate and press mixture onto the bottom and around the sides to form pie crust. Place in the freezer while you prepare the filling.

Whip heavy cream and powdered sugar with an electric mixer, in a tall bowl. Whip until stiff peaks form. (In other words when you turn off the mixer and lift the beaters out of the cream, the cream stand up on the end of the beater). Place the whipped cream in the refrigerator while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Combine the cream cheese and marshmallow fluff in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Fold in 1/2 of the whipped cream and 1/2 cup Lucky Charms marshmallows until completely incorporated. Pour into the chilled pie crust. Smooth the filling into an even layer with a spatula. Pour the remaining whipped cream over top or you can pipe it into a decorative look. Sprinkle the 2 cups of remaining marshmallows around the edge of the pie.Freeze for 8 hours or overnight. Transfer to the refrigerator or allow to set at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Refrigerate overnight.

Serve and enjoy!

Recipe developed by Donna Elick - The Slow Roasted Italian
Copyright ©2014 The Slow Roasted Italian – All rights reserved.

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Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

SERVES 8  |  ACTIVE TIME 5 Min  |  TOTAL TIME 3 Hours 5 Min

3 bell peppers, sliced (I used red, orange and yellow)
1 medium white onion, sliced
2 seeded and deveined jalapenos, diced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
2 1/2 - 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half (longways)
3 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning (recipe at bottom)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 lime

Add half of the peppers, onions, jalapenos and tomatoes to the bottom of a 5 quart slow cooker.
Layer chicken on top of vegetables. Sprinkle 1/2 of taco seasoning over chicken breasts and flip them over. Season the other side with the remaining 1/2 of seasoning.

Add garlic and remaining jalapenos on top of chicken. Then add remaining vegetables. Squeeze lime juice over top. Cover and cook on high 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

Remove chicken from slow cooker and slice into strips. Return to slow cooker and mix with tongs. Allow to simmer in juices for 10 minutes.

You can drain extra liquid from slow cooker or transfer liquid to a saucepan and cook until reduce and use as a sauce on your fajitas.

Serve and enjoy!

DONNA'S NOTES: The longer it cooks the more tender it will become. If you remove it sooner, you will be able to slice it. About 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low. Longer time will yield pulled chicken, which is equally delicious. If that is what you desire, remove chicken from slow cooker after long cook time and shred with 2 forks.

Homemade Taco SeasoningYIELD 3 Tablespoons | Equals 1 store bought packet

1 tablespoon New Mexico chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Combine seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and use as taco seasoning.
I quadruple this recipe and store it in resealable jars for easy use.

Recipe developed by Donna Elick - The Slow Roasted Italian

Copyright ©2015 The Slow Roasted Italian – All rights reserved.

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Cheesy Sausage Jalapeno Popper Empanadas

SERVES 8 | ACTIVE TIME 15 Min |TOTAL TIME 35 Min

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 (5-ounce) package Jones Dairy Farm Fully Cooked Chicken Sausage Patties, diced
1 medium jalapeno, diced

1 large egg, beaten
1 package of puff pastry (2 sheets)
8 ounces Colby Jack cheese, shredded
kosher salt, for sprinkling
cilantro, chopped

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl combine cream cheese, sausage, and diced jalapeno. Mix until well combined. Set aside. In a small bowl combine 1 egg and a tablespoon of water. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.

Lay 1 sheet of puff pastry on a floured counter top and gently roll it out to about 8 by 8 inches. Use a 4-inch cookie cutter or bowl to cut the pastry into 4-inch rounds. Place the rounds on the baking sheet. Repeat with the second sheet.

Add a scoop of sausage and cheese mixture to the center of the puff pastry and top with Colby Jack cheese, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Pull the sides together to create a half circle and press the edges together to seal, pushing in any escapees that are on the edges.

Use two fingers to create a ruffle crimp around the edges or use a fork to crimp closed. Brush the tops of the empanadas with egg wash and sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Serve and enjoy!

Recipe developed by Donna Elick - The Slow Roasted Italian
Copyright ©2017 The Slow Roasted Italian – All rights reserved.

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