A Recipe A Week

Dessert First This Week

My first one is for a Dream Pineapple Upside Down cake, this cake was the moistest cake I have ever eaten so yummy, especially if you love pineapple, or even if you don't cause Bruce hates them and he just picked them off and ate the cake. Here's what you need.

3 cans (8oz each) pineapple slices

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup butter or margarine melted

6 maraschino cherries, halved

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 pkg yellow cake mix

1 envelope Dream Whip Whipped Topping Mix

4 eggs

1 cup cold water

Preheat oven to 350* F. Drain pineapple, reserving 2 TBSP of the juice; set aside. Mix brown sugar and butter in 13x9 inch baking pan. Arrange pineapple slices in pan, cutting slices if necessary to evenly fit onto bottom of pan. Place cherry half, cut side up, in center of each slice. Sprinkle with the reserved pineapple juice and pecans.

Beat dry cake mix, dry whipped topping mix, eggs, and water in large bowl with mixer on low speed 2 mins. Beat on medium speed for 4 mins. Carefully spoon into prepared pan.

Bake 50-55 minutes or until top springs back when lightly pressed. Let stand 10 minutes; invert onto serving plate. Let stand 1 minute; remove pan. Serve warm or cooled.

Creamy Chicken and Pasta Bake

1 1/2 cups multi-grain rotini pasta, uncooked

1 small bunch of broccoli, cut into florets

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces

1/2 cup fat free chicken broth

2 oz cream cheese

1 cup mozzarella cheese

2 tbsp parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375*. Cook pasta in large sauce pan as directed adding broccoli for last 3 mins. Heat large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken, cook 3 mins or until no longer pink, stirring frequently. Stir in broth, simmer for 3 mins or until chicken is done.  Add cream cheese, cook on low heat until melted. Stir in a half cup of mozzerella.

Drain pasta and broccoli and mix with chicken mixture. Spoon into an 8 inch square baking dish, and cover.

Bake 15 mins or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses, bake uncovered until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 mins and serve.