Illinois Finest Cooking

Oreo Ice Cream Dessert
Ruth McKoon

45 Oreo cookies, crushed 4 T. margarine, melted 1/2 gal. ice cream, flavor of your choice 1 can Hershey's fudge topping, softened 4-6 Heath candy bars 1 lg. cm. Cool Whip

Crush cookies, 15 at a time, between pieces of wax paper. Mix 1/2 C. of crumb mixture and margarine. Press into the bottom of a 9xl3-inch pan. Freeze. Spread ice cream over cookie base and freeze again. Spread fudge topping over ice cream and sprinkle with bits of Heath bar and freeze again. Cover with Cool Whip and sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.

Mexican Stuffed Shells
Annette Wilkens

20-24 jumbo pasta shells 1 lb. ground beef 1 (12-16-oz.) jar picante sauce 1/2 C. water 1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce 1 (4-oz.) can chopped green chilies, drained 1 C. Monterey jack cheese 1 (2.8-oz.) can French fried onions

Brown beef and drain. Combine picante sauce, water and tomato sauce. Stir 1/2 C. tomato mixture into the beef along with the chilies, 1/2 C. cheese and 1/2 can onions; mix well. Pour 1/2 of sauce into the bottom of an 8xl2-inch baking dish. Stuff shells with beef mix and arrange in the dish. Pour remaining sauce over the shells. Bake, covered, at 350° for 30 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and onions. Bake uncovered for 5 minutes more.

Chicken Salad Bake
Rosie Upton

4 C. cooked chicken, cubed 2 C. celery, diced 2/3 C. slivered almonds 4 hard boiled eggs, chopped 3/4 C. Hellmann's lite mayonnaise 2 T. lemon juice 1 tsp. salt 1 T. onion 1 can cream of chicken soup 1/2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese 1-1/2 C. crushed potato chips

Mix together mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, onion and cream of chicken soup. Stir in chicken, celery, almonds and eggs. Pour into a casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese, then crushed potato chips. Bake uncovered at 400° for 25 minutes or until hot. This can be prepared a day ahead, adding the cheese and potato chips just before baking.

Champagne Salad
Dianne Adkisson / Sr. Marilyn Kraus

1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softenend 3/4 C.sugar 1 (10-oz.) pkg. frozen strawberries, thawed and drained 1 lg. can crushed pineapple, drained 2-3 bananas, sliced 1 (8-oz.) ctn. Cool Whip

Cream together cheese and sugar. Fold in remaining ingredients. Chill. Best served same day.

22 | ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING | www.icl.coop

Dreamsicle Cookies
Gail Eisenbarth

1/2 C. orange-flavored drink mix 3/4 C. white sugar 1-3/4 C. all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 C. softened butter 1 egg, slightly beaten 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1-1/2 C. vanilla baking chips

Combine drink mix, sugar, flour, baking soda and baking powder. Add butter, egg and vanilla. Mix until completely blended. Add vanilla baking chips. Roll heaping tablespoonfuls into balls. Place 2-inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 12 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes, the transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Goulash
Marilyn J. Whisker

1-1/2 lb. ground beef 2 C. uncooked macaroni 1/2 C. minced onion 1/2 C. green pepper, chopped 2 (8-oz.) cans tomato sauce 1 C. water 1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1 to 1-1/2 T. Worcestershire sauce

Cook beef in a large skillet until it loses its redness. Add macaroni, onion and green pepper. Add tomato sauce, water, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer 25 to 30 minutes.

Easy Beefy Casserole
Bonnie Nosh

1 lb. ground beef 2 sm. onions 1 can chicken noodle soup 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 C. uncooked Minute Rice 1 sm. can French fried onions

Brown ground beef and onions. Add soups and rice. Put in a greased 8x8-inch pan or a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes at 350°. Add the French fried onions and put in the oven for an additional 5 minutes.

Raspberry Streusel Muffins
Carolyn Turtle

1-1/2 C. all-purpose flour 1/2 C. sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 C. milk 1/2 C. butter, melted 1 egg, beaten 1 C. fresh or frozen whole unsweetend raspberries, divided Pecan Streusel Topping: 1/4 C. pecans, chopped 1/4 C. brown sugar 1/4 C. all-purpose flour 2 T. butter, melted

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder. In a small bowl, blend milk, butter and egg. Stir milk mixture into flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon about 1 T. batter into each of 12 greased muffin cups. Divide half of the raspberries among the cups; top with remaining batter, then remaining raspberries. Topping: Combine ingredients until mixture resembles moist crumbs; sprinkle over muffins. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes, or until golden. Let stand 5 minutes, carefully remove from pans. Yields 12 muffins.

May 2004 | www.aiec.coop | 23