Danita's Recipe Box

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (6 whole)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons margarine, melted
• 3 8 ounce packages cream cheese (softened)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 2 1 ounce packages Nestle unsweetened pre-melted chocolate

Combine crumbs, sugar and margarine; press onto bottom of 9 inch springform pan. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Combine softened cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla, mixing at medium speed on electric mixer, until well blended. Blend in eggs. Blend in chocolate. Bake at 450°F for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250°F; continue baking 30 minutes. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim of pan. Chill.

• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup sugar

In a large mixer bowl, cream butter, oil, eggs, sugars and vanilla. In another bowl, stir together flour, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar. Add to creamed mixture. Beat until smooth. Form into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar, coating on all sides. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten with decorative cookie press or bottom of glass. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes or unti light golden brown. Let cool on sheet for 2 minutes before placing on cooling rack.

• White cake mix (we used an 18-1/4-ounce box)
• Food coloring (red, blue, green, and yellow)
• Baking cups
• Whipped cream (optional)

Prepare your favorite white cake mix, then divide the batter evenly among six small bowls. Following the chart below, dye each bowl of batter a rainbow color.

RAINBOW COLOR DROPS OF FOOD COLORING
Purple: 9 red and 6 blue drops
Blue: 12 drops
Green: 12 drops
Yellow: 12 drops
Orange: 12 yellow and 4 red drops
Red: 18 drops

Line 16 muffin pan wells with baking cups. Evenly distribute the purple batter among the cups, then the blue, and so on, following the order shown. As you go, gently spread each layer of batter with the back of a spoon to cover the color underneath.

Bake the cupcakes according to your recipe directions. Before serving, remove the paper wrapping, and if you like, top each cupcake with a whipped-cream cloud.

• 1 cup margarine or butter, softened
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 3 cups uncooked Quaker oats
• 1 cup raisins

Heat oven to 350°F. Beat together margarine and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Stir in oats and raisins; mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack. (For bar cookies, bake 30 to 35 minutes in ungreased 13×9 inch metal baking pan.)

• 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing Mix
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons white wine or water
• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds white fish fillets

Combine salad dressing mix with lemon juice, olive oil and wine in a shallow dish. Mix well. Add fish and coat all sides with mixture.

Cover and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes. Remove fish from marinade and place on broiler pan. Broil 9 to 12 minutes or until fish begins to flake.

• 2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 packet (1 ounce) Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix

Place potatoes in a gallon-size storage bag and add oil; seal bag. Toss to coat. Add salad dressing mix and toss again until coated. Bake in ungreased baking pan at 450°F for 30 to 35 minutes or until potatoes are brown and crisp.

• 1 package (10 ounces) large shell macaroni
• ½ package (8 ounces) mini smoked sausages
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup Hidden Valley® Original Ranch Dressing
• ¼ cup milk

Cook macaroni in boiling water for 8 minutes; add sausages and cook 1 minute longer. Drain.
Stir in cheese until melted, then add dressing and milk. Heat mixture and serve.

• 1 packet (1 ounce) Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 4 hamburger buns

Combine dressing mix with beef and cheese. Shape into 4 patties; cook thoroughly, until meat is no longer pink in the center.

Toast buns before serving, if desired.

• 1 package Rice-A-Roni beef flavor
• 1 12 ounce can Mexican-style corn or sweet corn, drained
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• salt
• ground black pepper
• salsa
• sour cream

Prepare Rice-A-Roni mix as package directs, stirring in corn during last 5 minutes of cooking. Meanwhile, shape beef into six 1/2 inch thick patties. In lightly greased skillet, cook beef patties over medium heat, about 4 minutes on each side or until desired doneness. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Top rice with cooked beef patties, salsa and sour cream.

• 1 Chef Boyardee Cheese Pizza Kit
• 2 cups (about 1 pound) cubed cooked chicken
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• shredded cheese

Stir sauce from package, chicken, chili powder, and hot pepper sauce. Heat to boiling; simmer 5 minutes, remove from heat. Meanwhile, prepare crust mix according to package directions. Spray a 13x9x2 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread dough into the bottom and halfway up the sides of baking dish to form crust. Evenly spread chicken mixture over dough; sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake in preheated oven 20 to 25 minutes or until crust is desired brownness.