New Recipes

We tried several new recipes on our vacation. Although I cannot be sure where they came from, I follow these recipe blogs. Check them out for some great recipes:
Six Sisters  or Plain Chicken

Ranch Bean Dip (this one did come from Six Sisters)
1-16 oz. can refried beans
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix
2 cups shredded cheddar
sliced green onion to taste

Over medium heat, mix together beans, sour cream, dressing and cheese (reserving a little to sprinkle on top) until the cheese melts---about 7-10 minutes. Top with reserved cheese and green onions. Serve with tortilla chips or Frito scoops.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese (this was a HUGE hit---so good)
1 lb. elbow macaroni
1 lb. white, extra sharp cheddar, shredded---6 cups (I couldn't find white, so substituted yellow---plus, the kids ate about 2 cups of it, so I only had 4 cups to work with. It turned out so well, that I think 2 more cups of cheese might have been too much)
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
4 cups 2% milk

Pre-heat oven to 350. Cook macaroni according the the package directions. Start the cheese sauce by melting butter. Add flour, salt, pepper, onion powder and stir until pasty. Add milk and bring to a boil. Let boil for one minute or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and add 4 cups of cheese. Stir until cheese melts. Add macaroni. Pour in to 9x13 dish and top with remaining 2 cups of cheese (this is what I skipped). Bake 30 minutes until hot and bubbly. (Mine didn't really get bubbly.)

Reese's Peanut Butter Cake (another HUGE hit)
1 box chocolate cake mix (baked according to package directions)
1-8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1-14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1-12 oz. Cool Whip, divided
1 jar hot fudge, divided
8 Reese's peanut butter cups, crumbled

When cake is done, poke holes in the top with a wooden spoon while still hot. Microwave the hot fudge (be careful, mine overflowed making a huge mess in the microwave). Pour 3/4 of the jar over the cake. Combine cream cheese and condensed milk with a mixer until smooth. Add peanut butter and mix thoroughly. Add half the Cool Whip and mix until smooth. Spread peanut butter mixture over cake. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Spread remaining Cool Whip over top and sprinkle with crumbled peanut butter cups. Store in the refrigerator.