Mini Chile Relleno Casseroles

Everyone gets his own portion with this fun, vegetarian, Tex-Mex mini casserole. A normal-size casserole like this would take close to an hour to bake—these are ready in half the time. Heatproof ramekins are a cook’s best friend—we use them all the time to hold ingredients while cooking. You can buy them at most grocery stores. Make it a meal: Enjoy with steamed corn tortillas and salsa on the side.

Make Ahead Tip: Equipment: Eight 6-ounce or four 10-ounce heatproof ramekins
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
2 4-ounce cans  diced green chiles, drained and patted dry
3/4 cup  frozen corn, thawed and patted dry
4   scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup  shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups  nonfat milk
6   large egg whites
4   large eggs
1/4 teaspoon  salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat eight 6-ounce or four 10-ounce heatproof ramekins with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet.


Equally divide green chiles, corn and scallions among the ramekins. Top each with cheese. Whisk milk, egg whites, eggs and salt in a medium bowl until combined. Divide the egg mixture evenly among the ramekins.


Bake the mini casseroles until the tops begin to brown and the eggs are set, about 25 minutes for 6-ounce ramekins and about 35 minutes for 10-ounce ramekins.

Shaker-Style Lemon Pie

It’s not often that the lemon’s fruit is used in a recipe. In this pie, thin slices of lemon cook together into a thick, creamy filling. To decorate the top, lay parallel strips of waxed paper a few inches apart, dust with powdered sugar, then remove the strips.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup water
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
3 slightly beaten eggs
2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel
2 lemons, peeled, very thinly sliced, and seeded
Pastry for Double-Crust Pie
Sifted powdered sugar
Other necessary recipes:
Basic Pie Pastry

DIRECTIONS
In a large mixing bowl combine sugar, flour, and salt. Add water, margarine or butter, eggs, and lemon peel; stir till well combined. Gently stir in lemon slices.


Prepare and roll out pastry as directed. Line a 9-inch pie plate with half of the pastry. Transfer filling to pastry-lined pie plate; trim pastry even with rim. Cut slits in top crust. Place crust on filling. Trim, seal, and crimp edge of pastry.


To prevent overbrowning, cover edge of pie with foil. Bake in a preheated 400 degrees F oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10-15 minutes more, or till top is golden. Cool on a rack. Before serving, dust with powdered sugar. Store, covered, in the refrigerator.

Featherlight Buttermilk Pancakes

Cooking.com Tip: The secret to making these amazing pancakes is the lumpy batter. So whatever you do, do not overmix the batter! To cook the pancakes, use a heavy large griddle. A very low-sided griddle, makes sliding your spatula underneath the pancakes and turning them over easy. The griddle's large surface area allows you to cook a large batch of pancakes each time.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups sour cream
2 large eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Additional unsalted butter
Pure maple syrup, warm

DIRECTIONS
Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Whisk buttermilk, sour cream, eggs and vanilla in another large bowl. Add to dry ingredients. Stir until batter is just blended but still lumpy (do not overmix).


Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter on griddle over medium heat. Pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls onto griddle, spacing 2 inches apart. Cook until bubbles break on surface, about 3 minutes. Turn pancakes over. Cook until bottoms are golden, 3 minutes. Transfer to plates. Repeat with remaining batter, adding butter to skillet as needed.


Serve pancakes immediately with butter and warm maple syrup.

Frosted Banana Bars

RECIPE INGREDIENTS
For the Banana Bars:
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
For the Frosting:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 3/4 to 4 cups confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS
FOR THE BANANA BARS:
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in bananas.


Spread into a greased 15-by-10-by-1-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool.


FOR THE FROSTING:
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Gradually beat in enough confectioners' sugar to achieve desired consistency. Frost bars. Store in the refrigerator.


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Three Cheese Crab Quesadillas

Delicious appetizer that's great for holiday entertaining!

RECIPE INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups (8 oz.) fresh, cooked or chopped imitation crabmeat
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded monterey jack cheese, divided
1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
1 jar (12 oz.) CROSSE & BLACKWELL® Seafood Cocktail Sauce, divided
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
8 8-inch soft taco-size flour tortillas
4 tablespoons butter as needed (approximately 1 tablespoon per quesadilla)

DIRECTIONS
Combine crabmeat, 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup CROSSE & BLACKWELL® Seafood Cocktail Sauce, green onions and garlic in medium bowl; mix well. Spread about 1/2 cup mixture onto each of 4 tortillas; sprinkle evenly with remaining Monterey Jack cheese. Top with remaining tortillas.


Melt about 2 teaspoons butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add one quesadilla; cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining butter and quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into eight wedges. Serve with remaining cocktail sauce.