Date Nut Bars

2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped dates
2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans
4 large eggs -- lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter -- melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, dates and nuts. Stir to combine thoroughly. Add eggs, butter and vanilla; stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened (batter will be stiff). Spread in a greased 15-inch X 10-inch X 1-inch baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool bars on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar. Makes approximately 5 dozen. Freezes well in an airtight container.

Rocky Road Cookie Pizza

* Exported from MasterCook *


1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated chocolate chip cookies
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup salted peanuts
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup caramel topping

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 12-inch pizza pan with shortening or cooking spray. In pan, break up cookie dough. With floured fingers, press dough evenly in bottom of pan to form crust. Bake 12 to 17 minutes or until light golden brown

Sprinkle marshmallows, peanuts and chocolate chips evenly over crust. Drizzle with caramel topping.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes longer or until topping is melted. Cool completely, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cut into wedges.

Chili Con Queso Dip

1 pound Velveeta
1 cup half and half -- or less
4 ounces green chilies
4 ounces diced pimento
3 dashes Tabasco sauce


Melt Velveeta in microwave until it becomes stir able. Using amount of half and half that gives you the consistency you desire, combine two ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add one 4 oz can of chilies and an equal amount of pimientos.

Microwave again until the mixture is hot. For a little more spice, add a dash or three of Tabasco at this point. Pour into small bowls and cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator over night. Don't leave this step out. When ready to serve, take a bowl out and place into microwave, heat and stir.

Serve with tortilla chips

Frizzled Onions

2 small onions -- very thinly sliced
2/3 cup vegetable oil
salt -- to taste

Heat oil in a small saucepan placed over medium-low heat. A slice of onion should just sizzle a bit when added to the hot oil. Add 1/2 of the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are a deep golden brown, about 7 - 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, salt to taste. Onions will be soft at first and will crisp up as they cool. Repeat with remaining onions.

Note: I like to serve some of them on top of a hamburger

Twenty Dollar Burger

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 tablespoon butter
1 small red onion -- diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3/4 cup plain lowfat yogurt
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon horseradish
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon chipotle-flavored hot sauce
2 pounds lean ground beef

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add red onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion softens and begins to turn brown, about 8 minutes. Scrape onion into a large bowl. Add yogurt, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, mustard powder, garlic powder, horseradish, parsley, cilantro, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and hot sauce. Whisk together until smooth. Mix in the ground beef until evenly blended with the yogurt mixture. Cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat. Shape mixture in to 6 patties 1/2 inch thick, and 5 inches across.

Grill burgers until no longer pink in the center, about 6 minutes per side.



NOTES : The first comment I got about this burger was, 'I would pay twenty dollars for this...WOW!' I serve these on a whole wheat bun, with blue cheese and horseradish mayo.

Teriyaki onion Burgers

1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup teriyaki marinade sauce
1 can French-fried onions -- (3 ounce)

4 slices Cheddar cheese
4 hamburger buns -- split

Preheat a grill for high heat.
In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, teriyaki marinade and French-fried onions. Form the mixture into 4 patties.

Lightly oil the grilling surface, and place patties on the preheated grill. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until well done. Top with cheese, and serve on hamburger buns.

Inside Out Burger

Inside Out Burger

6 slices bacon -- cut into bite size pieces
8 ounces cremini mushrooms -- cleaned and sliced
2 pounds ground chuck
1 large shallot -- diced
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 ounces Swiss cheese -- cubed
4 sesame seed buns
2 tablespoons oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

Place the bacon in a large saute pan and cook until crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pan. Add the mushrooms and cook until caramelized, about 5 minutes. Set the mushrooms aside to cool in a bowl.

In a large bowl, combine the beef, shallot, black pepper, salt, and Worcestershire. Separate the mixture into 4 equal portions. Divide each portion into 2 separate patties.

Combine the cheese into the cooled mushrooms and bacon mixture. Take 1 patty and top with 2-ounces of the filling. Place another patty on top and pinch around the edges to make sure that the filling is totally covered. Make the rest of the patties the same way.

Over medium-high heat, heat a large ovenproof skillet with oil. Once hot, add the burgers and cook for 2 minutes per side. Place the pan into the oven and cook for 4 to 6 more minutes for medium burgers.

Remove from the oven and serve on a sesame seed bun.


NOTES : Instead of Swiss cheese, I prefer pepper jack, I also use just regular mushrooms. This makes big burgers - 1/2 pound each. This is a good basic stuffed burger recipe - use your imagination - I like green chilies, sauted onions, olives, sauerkraut...be creative.