This recipe makes 2 kick-ass cheesecakes. Half it for half the awesomeness (and possibly less heart attacks)

Crust:
4 cups graham crackers mixed w/ 1/2 cup of butter

mix the crumbs in a bowl with the melted butter and pat into a 10-12 inch cheesecake tin. bake at 350 for 8 minutes

Filling:
3lbs cream cheese
2 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup bailey’s irish cream
1 T vanilla
2 cups dark chocolate chips

beat the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, sour cream in an electric mixer until smooth. add irish cream and vanilla and pour filling into crust

bake at 300 for approx 45 mins until set

Topping:
2 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup irish cream

blend together in a bowl and spread over the tops of the 2 cheesecakes. bake at 375 for 4-5 minutes until set

Thank you Gerri Gilliland!

Ingredients:
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1lb carrots, peeled & cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
3lbs boneless beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1lb parsnips, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
3 onions chopped
1 12-ounch bottle of Guiness Stout
1lb rutabagas, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups beef stock or canned broth

Heat 1tbsp oil in heavy large Dutch oven over high heat. Season beef with salt and pepper. Add 1/3 of beef to Dutch oven and brown well, about 5 minutes. Transfer beef to plate. Repeat with remaining 2 tbsp. oil and beef in 2 more batches. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions to Dutch oven and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Return beef and any accumulated juices to Dutch oven. Add Guinness stout and enough beef stock to cover meat. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until meat is almost tender, about 1 hour.

Add vegetables to stew and simmer uncovered until beef and vegetables are tender and gravy thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Reheat over medium high heat before serving.)

Thank you Gerri Gilliland!

This one’s simple and good!

Ingredients:
8oz tub of cream cheese
1 can hormel chili (no beans)
2 cups shredded colby jack cheese

1) In a pyrex pie dish spread (in this order) the cream cheese, chili, and then cheese on the top.

2) Bake in a preheated oven @ 350 degrees for 20-30min until cheese is melted and slightly brown on the side. Turn the oven off and allow to cool a bit while still in the oven (will prevent cheese from hardening too quickly).

Steak (see previous entry)

Garlic Mashed Potatoes (via cooks.com)

Ingredients:
2 lb. peeled and diced potatoes
1/2 to 1 head garlic cloves, peeled and mashed
6 tbsp. butter
1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy cream, half&half or milk

1) Cover potatoes with water sufficient to cover in a heavy-bottomed pan. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and simmer until potatoes are fork-tender.

2) Drain potatoes and set aside. Return empty pan to heat and add butter, leaving until butter melts. In a separate pan, bring cream or milk to boil (do not allow to curdle; remove from heat immediately when it starts to boil).

3) Mash the potatoes, beating in the butter and half&half, cream or milk, mashed garlic, and salt and pepper, until potatoes are smooth and fluffy.

Ingredients:
8 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1. Mix together seasoning ingredients and rub into each side of steak.

2. Grill steaks on a large frying pan over medium-high heat; press down on steak with spatula or tongs to sear the edges.

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 (16-ounce) bag fresh cranberries
1 cup chopped apple
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
1/2 orange, juiced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated

Combine the sugar and water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the cranberries and return to a boil, then lower the heat so that the liquid simmers. Add the apples, walnuts, raisins, Grand Marnier, orange and lemon juices, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and let the sauce cool.

Serve in a side bowl with turkey or any preferred holiday dish.

Ingredients:
2 boxes of stouffers stuffing (turkey or chicken flavored)
1 large onion
1 stick of butter
olive oil
3 cups of water

In a large pot heat up olive oil and saute diced onions until browned.

Add stick of butter and when melted, pour in 3 cups of water and bring to a boil.

Pour in two packages of stuffing; mix well and cover and remove from heat. Let sit for 5-10 minutes and then serve.

I didn’t have cooking string to tie the ends up so I used bamboo skewers instead (w/ onions on the end)

Ingredients:

under-skin rub:
3 sticks of butter, softened
12 sprigs of rosemary, stripped
6 sage leaves

13lb turkey
salt
pepper
1 lemon, thickly sliced
1 large onion, large dice

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Strip rosemary sprigs and rip up sage leaves and combine in pestle & mortar. Moderately smash together the herbs and then squish together with 3 sticks of softened butter. Put the mixture back in the fridge to harden.

Arrange celery, carrots, and diced onions in the bottom of a roasting pan. Add chicken broth and set aside.

Rinse the turkey and pat dry. Use your finger to carefully loosen the skin around the entire bird. Take the butter mixture and cut into large pieces. Place the butter pieces under the skin of the entire turkey. Rub the remaining butter pieces on the outside of the skin and season with salt and pepper.

Stuff the inside of turkey cavity with diced onions and lemon slices. (Truss if necessary.)

Insert the meat thermometer at an angle about 3-inches down from the neck cavity and 2-inches from the breast bone, in the thickest part of the breast.

Place turkey on the bed of vegetables in roasting pan. Place in the oven and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F. Roast for 1 hour, then baste with pan juices every 20 minutes until the thermometer reads 165 degrees F, about 3-4 hours.

Ingredients:
1lb of meat
1/2 onion finely chopped
spice to taste (I used rosemary, oregano, pepper, salt)
filo dough (or puff pastry)

Here they look like folded napkins, but inside the crispy filo dough are mini-cheeseburgers!

Mix up the beef, onion, and spices and make 8-10 silver dollar sized patties. Cook thoroughly.

Split up the filo dough (or puff pastry) into sections big enough to wrap each burger. Wrap cooked burger in the dough and put about a half splice of cheese on the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

So I’m sitting here typing while smelling the two pumpkin pies I just put in the oven bake - AND THEY SMELL DAMN GOOD! Much props to Paula Dean and her southern cooking..

Ingredients:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional
1 piece pre-made pie dough
Whipped cream, for topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grab the pre-made frozen pie dough (I got a two-pack and the filling was just enough to fill both). Put the shells in the oven for about 5-10 minutes just to get them soft.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.