Two New Recipes

I love to try new recipes. This week I found a couple that looked super easy and super good and I was right on both cases.

First up: Tex-Mex Shells & Cheese from Kraft.com

Great Texas horny-toads - this was good. It was just the right amount of spice with the right amount of cheese - it made plenty too - I had leftovers for lunch and for dinner the next day!

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 pkg. (12 oz.) VELVEETA Shells & Cheese Dinner
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Mexican-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1-1/4 cups water
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

1) Brown meat in nonstick skillet; drain.
2) Stir in shells, tomatoes and water. Bring to boil; cover. Simmer on medium-low heat 15 min.
3) Add Cheese Sauce; stir until blended. Top with shredded cheese

How simple is that? Give it a try - sometimes simple recipes are the best !

Second Up: Cream Cheese Danish

Now, the other recipe, a dessert, I have been wanting to try for months. During Thanksgiving, I was browsing through my mom's cookbook and there was a handwritten one in there from my Aunt Wanda - who I think is an excellent cook and one of the best bakers I know! It was for a Cream Cheese Danish. I copied it down and after I got home, got busy with the holidays and totally forgot about it, until... I stumbled upon Gourmet Mom-on-the-Go's very similar recipe. The only difference... she added cinnamon (which I only thought would improve my aunt's version)

Ingredients:

2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
¾ c. white sugar
2 (8 oz. each) packages cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla

Topping (if desired):
¼ c. white sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1) Unroll and press 1 crescent roll package on bottom of greased 9 x 13 cake pan.
2) Mix together 2 packages cream cheese, ¾ c. sugar, and 1 tsp. vanilla and spread on top of crescent roll.
3) Unroll and place 2nd crescent roll package on top of mixture (sealing pieces together).
4) Mix ¼ c. sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon and sprinkle on top.
5) Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Cool and enjoy !