Sorry, but definitely not a keeper recipe. I would classify this cookie as a "sinker". Just made these last night because I'm trying to find a recipe that is similar to my Grandmother's sugar cookies. Was sadly mistaken. These cookies are more like biscuits than cookies - bland and dense. In working with the dough, it was extremely sticky while trying to spoon onto cookie sheets even though I had refrigerated it for a few hours. Secondly, you absolutely MUST spray the cookie pans or else be prepared to scrub pans. After the first bland batch, I increased the amount of cinnamon/sugar toping by 3X's. That at least helped to sweeten it up a bit. Was surprised at how bland these cookies taste once baked since the raw dough was decent to taste. If you do try to bake these, you may want to add another layer of flavor like almond or maple. Back to looking for a sugar cookie recipe that is closer to the awesome flavor of my Grandma's. Am happy to accept recipe suggestions!

I'm spoiled having grown up in a household where Grandma spent an entire two days making a vat of homemade spaghetti sauce. This recipe is OK for a quick fix - but nothing beats slow cooked Italian perfection when there is ample time (but who has ample time these days?). Was pleased with the flavor considering the short cooking time - which us busy moms LOVE. Can't make meatballs though without the classic combo of the three meats - ground beef (at least 85% fat), ground pork and ground veal. Makes SUCH a huge difference in the texture, taste and consistency of the meatballs. I also increased the amount of parm cheese (used fresh grated)along with some home grown basil. Thanks for the quick dinner fix! Was really ready in 1/2 hour...

Tried this recipe which I found to be a bit bland and soggy. Depending on your taste for more zest - you may like to substitute dijon mustard. Also, I ALWAYS use panko crumbs now as they are so much lighter and crispier (found in the Asian food section at the market). Bought fresh crab from the store and made the following adjustments on the next round. I also added a bit of lemon juice, soy sauce, and hot sauce for flavor. Mix all of the wet ingredients together first then carefully mix in crab so that it doesn't break into small pieces. Excellent!

Actually a "Rachel" is typically made with turkey breast - not pastrami. In fact, you can use this same recipe with many different types of meat - all with their own unique flavors. It's a nice variation from corned beef. However, I must say that a lean (typically much more expensive at the deli - but worth it) corned beef is my absolute favorite. And, I use marbled rye instead of just plain old rye bread. Yes - recipe is intended to be messy - but if you have the right mix of sauerkraut and thousand island, it almost acts as a "glue" in holding the sandwiches together. I find that the easiest way to make these is on a lightly greased griddle rather than a frying pan. Wide, flat surface area makes it easy to flip and gives the bread a more even doneness.

This is absolutely one of our family favorites, however I will never use prepared pesto sauce again having made it from scratch. The pesto you buy in a jar at the grocery store tastes processed and there is a noticable difference when you use FRESH ingredients. The fun thing about pesto is that you can use various types of nuts, cheeses and herbs provided you are willing to use the food processor. For basic pesto - I use fresh basil, Parmesan and Romano cheeses, garlic, fresh pepper, pine nuts and olive oil. As you can see, it is simple to switch out any one of these ingredients (or add to it). For example, try walnuts instead of pinenuts or spinach instead of basil, other herbs, etc. Create your own master piece! I recently purchased my own basil plants because we use fresh basil in evertying from salads to sauces. Enjoy!!!

Great recipe! One tip - never "discard" half of the beer when you could DRINK IT! :) hehe Just my two cents...

Made this recipe last night for dinner and it was well received. I definitely seasoned the ricotta cheese/ spinach mixture with some garlic powder and salt, a bit of white pepper and a pinch of onion powder. I didn't have green onion, so I used onion flakes instead which worked just as well. Used a home made alfredo sauce that we love and it worked perfectly. I may incorporate some grilled chicken or shrimp the next time I make this as I'm sure it would add to the already outstanding flavor.

GREAT cake for chocolate lovers. Extremely moist and rich. Try this cake with french vanilla ice cream, drizzle with hot fudge, then top with chopped nuts and whipped cream. DIVINE! Thanks for the recipe. I used the "Satiny Chocolate Glaze" icing recipe from this site and it could have been better. Next time I'm going to give the chocolate ganache a try. Plus, I may use milk chocolate chips (mini!) instead of semi-sweet. Everyone raved about this cake on the first try! Will definitely make again for picnics, parties, you name it...

I found that the topping was not cripsy enough to counter balance the creaminess of the dish. Suggestion: Sprinkle cheddar cheese over entire top of casserole. Mix cracker crumbs with melted butter and sprinkle over cheese. Bake for recommended time. If you would like more of a golden crust, broil in the oven on low for a few minutes or until the crumbs reach the desired cripsness. Quick and easy recipe - and the family loved it!

Made this recipe for dinner tonight. Follwed the recipe fairly closely, though I changed just a couple of things. Instead of an egg, I added a bit of peanut butter. Salt and appropriate seasoning is necessary for ground turkey as it is very bland otherwise. Added salt, onion powder, onion flakes and garlic powder. For a nice crunch, I added chopped water chestnuts (YUM!). Even though soy sauce is salty, these burgers would have been bland without more salt. I used the George Foreman for the burgers and we loved them! I used very lean ground turkey so the burgers did not shrink much and they were very healthy. We topped our burgers with a bit of mayo-fresh green leaf lettuce and a bit of hot sauce. Perfect! Next time I'm going to try a sweeter topping - perhaps mango, pineapple salsa.

Made this for a quick dinner last night. Used low fat turkey chili, sharp shredded cheddar and regular beef hot dogs. Filling was tasty but we absolutely did not enjoy the "bisquick" topping. Despite my attempts to doctor the dough with cheese and spices- it simply was not the right way to go. Since my family enjoyed the chili, cheese and hot dogs, I am going to try this same recipe with Pillsbury Crescent dough rolled and placed atop instead.

I have been using this simple recipe for years. It's a great way to get kiddos to eat their veggies! You can make this in a slow cooker. Just saute some onion and garlic in a skillet then add lean ground beef and brown. Drain beef and transfer it to the slow cooker. Add frozen veggies and V-8. I usually use part beef stock to replace half of V-8 as it can be quite sour otherwise. Often times I'll chop up cabbage (fine) and throw that in with the veggies as well. (YUM!) Bay leaves and some added herbs (your preference) will add some flavor. Cook in crock pot on low for 7 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. Enjoy...

I utilize a similar recipe though I add parmesan cheese and a packet of (Hidden Valley) ranch dressing mix to the bread crumbs. It adds a much needed flavor boost. :) Real crowd pleaser! Thanks for sharing.

Another helpful tip: After washing and pricking potatoes, massage them with olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. Then put them in the microwave as directed. The oil helps to keep the potato skins nice and supple and it also helps to keep the salt and pepper seasoning in place. This method works well in a conventional oven as well. People who eat the skins will enjoy this cooking method as it leaves the skins tender yet crisp (in the oven). Enjoy!

I have yet to find an apple pie recipe that rivals my grandmother's. This recipe is good for a quick fix. I always make my own pie crust as there is a noticable difference. I have found the frozen or already prepared pie crusts to be too salty for our taste. I use Cortland apples which seem to be the best for pie (tart yet sweet and very crisp). Excellent for pie baking! Also, I prefer using white and brown sugar mixed with cinnamon to help sweeten the apples. I then top with tiny pats of butter (evenly) and cover with the homemade pie crust - careful to pinch the top and bottom crusts together. I always cut slits in the top of the pie to allow the steam to escape. This helps to keep the pie crust flaky. You can brush the top pie crust with milk and cover the crust with a crust presever just before baking. I check the crust with about 20 minutes of bake time left and sometimes I will remove the preserver so that the crust browns up nice. Serve pie warm with cinnamon ice cream for an extra treat! Enjoy!

Nice variation on the potatoes (Romano cheese). I use heavy cream instead of milk along with butter, garlic powder, salt and pepper to make my mashed potatoes. For an easy BUSY MOM recipe, add a large can of vegetable soup to the beef after it is browned (instead of adding veggies or tomato sauce). Let it simmer for a few minutes and then place beef mixture in the bottom of a glass baking dish. Continue layering with a large can of sweet corn (drained) and then mashed potatoes. Top with pats of butter and paprika - and serve with beef gravy. Talk about a crowd pleaser! You can make this dish well in advance and keep it in the fridge until you get home from work. Pop it in the oven on at 350 for approximately 1/2 hour and serve with a green leafy salad. My family loves this meal, and I am thankful that it is so easy.

WOW! Awesome recipe without any adjustments. Love the rich, sweet fudge center combined with the taste of creamy peanut butter "crust". OMG...we can't stop eating them. This recipe made 2 1/2 dozen cookies for me instead of only 24. The only tip I can add is to use a plastic zip lock bag, cut the corner and use it to pipe fudge into the cookie wells. It makes for a much neater end product. I started out filling wells with a spoon, but it was too messy. The next time, I may mix chopped pecans into the fudge filling insted of placing an entire half of a pecan on top of the cookie. Enjoy! These are a real crowd pleasure. Everyone loves them!

Sometimes adding wine too early in a recipe can leave a sour taste with the finished product. Many times I will add wine 1/2 to 45 minutes prior to the end of cooking. I avoid grocery store wines altogether (as they contain a ton of sodium and taste awful) and I never use a wine for cooking that I wouldn't drink. :) De-glazing pans with wine is a good idea for recipes that cook on the stove top for shorter amounts of time. Other ideas for this recipe: Always tenderize stew meat (pound cubes) and then shake them in seasoned flour before browning them. Tenderizing really does make a difference in tenderness. I never used to brown my meat so as to "save time". I realized, after browning my meat first, that I will NEVER skip this step again as the taste differential is very noticeable. The only other recommendation that I would make is more garlic and a couple of bay leaves (remove prior to serving). The house smells wonderful when I make this recipe. Such a great comfort food for a cold winter's day!

I have a version of this recipe that is only a bit different. I only add 1/4 cup of salsa so that the dip doesn't turn a strange shade of pink (not very appetizing even though it tastes good!). I also stay away from red pepper unless I chop them well in advance and they have been drained. Otherwise, the water from the peppers makes the dip runny... People at parties and picnics can't get enough of this dip and I have handed out the recipe 100 times. I prefer sharp cheddar cheese to mild as it gives the dip an extra kick. That is a matter of personal preference though...

I make a similar recipe served COLD with tortilla chips (Tostitos Scoops are a hit). Chill for at least 2 hours. This recipe is always a hit - people want to lick the bowl saying that it is "addictive". I agree. Recipe doubles easily, so I would suggest it because you will run out if using this for a party.