Chocolate Lasagna

I made a version of Olive Garden's Chocolate Lasagna for a family party, and I thought I should share it. There is a more complex recipe you can find here. But I made a less time consuming version :D

The Olive Garden® Chocolate Lasagna

1 18.25-ounce box devil's food cake mix
1-1/4 Cups water
1/3 Cup oil
3 eggs

Buttercream Frosting
1-1/2 Cups butter, softened (3 sticks)
4 Cups powdered sugar
1/4 Cup milk
1/2 Teaspoon vanilla extract

4 Ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chilled

I added Heath bits as well

The Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees; mix cake mix, water, oil, and eggs together in a large bowl; pour batter into pan greased generously with shortening.
Bake cake in a 13x9-inch baking pan following instructions on the box of cake mix Allow the cake to cool completely.

Buttercream Frosting:
Beat the softened butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed. Add two cups of the powdered sugar, mix well, add remaining powdered sugar. When powdered sugar is incorporated with butter add 1/4 cup of whole milk and vanilla. Mix on high speed for 2 minutes or until frosting is light and fluffy.

Cutting the Layers
Turn cake out of the pan onto wax paper. Using both hands, carefully flip the cake over, so that it's right-side-up, onto another sheet of wax paper. Using a long, serrated bread knife cut through the cake twice, creating three layers. If you cake has a high dome, cut that off. You won't need this piece from the dome. Start with the bottom cut. Turn the cake and wax paper so that you can cut through all sides. When the cake is sliced, carefully flip the top section over onto the other sheet of wax paper. Frost the bottom layer of cake with approximately 1/3 of the buttercream frosting.

Assemble the cake:
Break the chilled semi-sweet chocolate into little bits that are slightly smaller than chocolate chips. Placing chocolate into a zip lock type plastic bag and breaking up the chocolate with flat side of meat mallet will make this easier to clean up. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the chocolate bits over the frosting on the bottom layer. Turn the top section back over onto the bottom layer. Slice through the top section creating the final two layers. Carefully flip the top over onto the wax paper, and frost the new layer and add chocolate bits Slice the top into thirds across the width of the cake. Carefully reassemble the top section on the rest of the cake. Frost the top of the cake with the remaining frosting, then sprinkle on the remaining chocolate bits.

To serve in triangular slices, cut through the middle of the cake, lengthwise then cut across the cake through the middle (widthwise) twice. Now you have six slices that just need to be cut from corner to corner one time each, creating 12 triangular slices. Keep uneaten portions refridgerated.
Makes 12 servings.

Special thanks to Meemo's Kitchen for posting this recipe!

Chicken Ole!

Or wussy enchiladas, take your pick :D

10 3/4-oz can Cream of Chicken

10 3/4-0z can Cream of Mushroom

1 cup Sour Cream

2 TBS Grated Onion

3-4 Cloves of Garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

12 Flour Tortilla; each torn into 6-8 pieces

4 cups Cooked & Cubed Chicken

7-0z Jar of Salsa

1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar

Lettuce

Can of Green Chillies

Bag of Tortilla Chips

Sour Cream

Combine soups, sour cream, onion, garlic, and 1 1/2 cups cheese. Mix well. Place 1/3 of each into the crock pot in layers: torn tortillas, soup mixture, chicken. Repeat layers 2 more times. Cover and cook on low for 4.5 to 5.5 hours. Stir gently and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Cover and cook on low for another 15-30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips and garnish with chillies, salsa, sour cream, and lettuce and desired.

Crock Pot Cookin

I recently bought the "Fix-It and Forget-It Big Cookbook" by Phyllis Pellman Good. It has 1,400 slow cooker recipes! I LOVE my crock pot- I'm big on easy yet delicious recipe that I can throw in before I can go to work, and this is perfect for me. Has lots of great ideas. I'll be posting my favorites as I try them out!

As you can see I already have something going in my pot!

Kathy's Famous Brownie Cake

The Cake:

1 c butter

2 oz unsweetened baking chocolate (i

use ghiradelli's 60% caoco)

1 c hot water

2 c sifted flour

2 c sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

1/2 milk

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter and chocolate in a sauce pan. Add water and boil for 2 minutes. Sift flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Combine with ch

ocolate mixture. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Beat with a mixer for several minutes until creamy (batter will be thin) Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

The Frosting:

1/2 c butter

2 oz unsweetened baking chocolate

1/3 c milk

16 0z powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

Melt butter and chocolate in sauce pan. Add milk and boil until it thickens. Add mixture to powdered sugar and mix with a mixer til creamy. Stir in vanilla.

Cool cake for about 10-15 minutes, frost while still warm.

Lemon Bars

2 c all purpose flour

1/2 c powdered sugar

2 TBS cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 c butter

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 c granulated sugar

3 TBS all purpose flour

1 tsp lemon zest

3/4 c lemon juice

1/4 c half-and-half, light cream, or milk

powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch pan. In a bowl, combine 2 c flour, the 1/2 c powdered sugar, the cornstarch ,and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Press mixture into the bottom of the greased pan. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until the edges are golden brown.

Meanwhile, for filling, in a medium bowl, stir together eggs, sugar, 3 TBS of flour, lemon zest, lemon juice, and half-and-half. Pour the filling over the hot crust. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or more til the center is set. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Sift powered sugar over the top. For easiest cutting, refridgerate first then cut into squares. Store in fridge. Should make 36 bars

Pulled Pork Sandwichs!

You'll need:
a 3 to 5 lbs pork loin roast
a 12oz can Dr pepper
1 envelope Dry Onion Soup Mix
1 bottle BBQ Sauce
{ you can use any flavor or brand you like, I like Honey Hickory Smoke by Kraft}
atleast a dozen rolls
So put you roast in the crock pot, pour the onion soup mix over it, and then the can of Dr Pepper over everything. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, until the pork is extra tender. Then pull the roast out and shred. After shredded, mix in the BBQ sauce. Serve on rolls, its best while still warm!

FOOD!

ok, so Jeremy requested I make a blog to share my delicious recipes. now, some of these are made up, and some i borrowed and tweeked from different cook books, friends, and family members. i hope you enjoy!