My Grandma River's Cheesecake

1-10" ready made graham cracker pie crust

Filling
2-packages cream cheese (not fat free or low fat)
1/2 cup sugar
2-eggs
1tsp vanilla

Topping
1-8oz container of sour cream
1/4cup sugar
1tsp vanilla

Bring the cream cheese to room temperature before starting

Cream the 2 packages of cream cheese with the sugar using electric mixer.  Add eggs and the vanilla.  Mix until smooth, pour into the pie crust and bake for 25-27 minutes at 375 degrees.

Mix together an 8 oz container of sour cream with 1/4 cup sugar and 1tsp vanilla.  Pour and spread evenly over the baked filling and put back into the oven for another 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.

Variations: I have tested and tried
Orange Version - Zest about 1tsp of the orange and squeeze about 1T of the juice into the filling as well as the vanilla.  For the topping add about 1tsp of the juice along with the vanilla too. 

Lemon Version - Zest about 1tsp of the lemon and squeeze about 1T of the juice into the filling as well as the vanilla.  For the topping add about 1tsp of the juice along with the vanilla too. 

If you don't have an orange or lemon, just use the orange extract or lemon extract. 

The lemon version is good served with blueberry pie filling.

Chicken Upside Down Dinner

1 whole (4 cups) already cooked Costco chicken.  If using chicken breasts, lightly salt and pepper and cook till done, if cooked too long it will be dry. 
1 bag frozen peas, optional
1 bag frozen corn, optional (or use canned corn)

Sauce:
3 cups water
4 bouillon chicken cubes (or use chicken broth)
2 cups milk
6T butter
6-7T flour
1/2tsp salt, optional
1/2tsp pepper

Melt butter, stir in flour, salt and pepper and cook over low heat until bubbling.  Remove from heat and stir in the broth and milk slowly so no lumps develop.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Add the 4 cups of chicken, peas and corn to the mixture and mix. 

Grease a 9x13 pan, and pour the mixture into the pan

Corn Bread Topping:
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup milk
2T sugar
2tsp baking powder
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp baking soda
3T shortening

Combine all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, cut in the shortening.  Add the milk and stir it up. Drop spoonfuls over the chicken mixture. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbling.

Chicken Noodle Soup

1 whole cooked, taken off the bone chicken (I buy the already cooked ones from Costco)

12 carrots, cut up

5 celery stalks, split down the middle, cut up

1med onion
1tsp pepper
1tsp thyme

15cups water

12 chicken bouillon cubes
1 stick of butter
5-6T Extra Light Olive Oil

1 bag of frozen peas

1 bag of frozen corn

5-7 potatoes, cut into chucks

5-6 handfuls of Country Pasta (from Costco)

In a large stock pot (8 or 10 quart) melt the butter with the Extra Light Olive Oil, until melted.  Add carrots, celery and onion and saute for about 5-10 minutes.  Add the pepper, thyme, water and bouillon cubes.




In a separate pan, cook the potatoes until a knife can go thru easily, don't over cook. 

I also prepared the noodles in a separate pan until they're al dente.  You can add the potatoes and noodles without prior cooking, you will just need to add more water and bouillon cubes or chicken stock as they will soak up the broth.

About 20 to 30 minutes before serving add the frozen corn, peas and the cut up chicken.

(I add alot more carrots then mentioned as my kids love the carrots and I add peas and corn because they like them, so play add or omit what you would like.  The next day, you may need to add more chicken broth as the potatoes and noodles will continue to soak up the broth while in the fridge.

I also did not add salt to the recipe as the bouillon cubes and the chicken from Costco was already salted.