Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

CAKE:
Solid vegetable shortening for greasing the pans
Flour for dusting the pans
1 package (18.25 ounces) devil's food cake mix with pudding
1 cup sour cream
3⁄4 cup water
1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FILLING:
Sweetened Cream
FROSTING:
Perfect Chocolate Frosting


Directions
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease three 9-inch round cake pans with solid vegetable shortening, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pans aside.

2. Place the cake mix, sour cream, water, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look well combined. Divide the batter among the prepared pans, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula, and place them in the oven. If your oven is not large enough to hold them on one rack, place two pans on the center rack and the third in the center of the highest rack.

3. Bake the cakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 20 to 25 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the layer on the highest oven rack. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto a rack, then invert again onto another rack so that the cakes are right side up. Allow to cool completely, 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the Sweetened Cream.

5. To assemble, place one cake layer, right side up, on a serving platter. Spread the top with half of the whipped cream, spreading it to within 1⁄2 inch of the sides. Place the second layer, right side up, on top of the first layer and spread with the remaining whipped cream, spreading it to within 1⁄2 inch of the sides. Place the third layer on top, and cover the cake lightly with waxed paper. Place it in the refrigerator to chill.

6. Prepare the Perfect Chocolate Frosting.
7. To finish the assembly, spread the top and the sides of the cake with the frosting, using clean, smooth strokes. Slice and serve. Store this cake, in a cake saver or under a glass dome, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Ranch Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients
2 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into chunks
1 cup bite-size cauliflower florets
1/4 cup KRAFT Light Ranch Reduced Fat Dressing


Directions
1. PLACE potatoes and cauliflower in large saucepan. Add enough water to completely cover vegetables. Bring to boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2. DRAIN vegetable mixture, leaving vegetable mixture in pan. Add dressing; mash until vegetable mixture is light and fluffy.


More Nutritional Information
0%DV, vitamin A, 20%DV vitamin C, 0%DV calcium, 0%DV iron
Cooking Know-How: For best results, cut potatoes and cauliflower into equal-sized pieces to ensure even cooking.

Green Beans Amandine

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cups green beans, broken into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons dried dill
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste


Directions
1. Sauté garlic in oil until golden. Add green beans and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add lemon juice and dill and simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove from heat and toss with sliced almonds, salt, and pepper. Serve immediately.

Glazed Stuffed Pork Chops

Ingredients
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1-1/2 cups apple juice
2 Granny Smith apples, divided
6 bone-in pork chops (3 lb.), each with pocket cut for stuffing (see Tip)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. KRAFT Light Raspberry Vinaigrette Reduced Fat Dressing, divided
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. GREY POUPON Dijon Mustard


Directions
1. PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Prepare stuffing as directed on package, substituting apple juice for the water. Cut 1 of the apples into 1/2-inch chunks; stir into prepared stuffing. Spoon 1/4 cup of the stuffing mixture into pocket in each chop. Sprinkle chops with pepper; set aside. Spoon remaining stuffing into 13x9-inch baking dish.

2. HEAT large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add half of the chops; cook 2 min. on each side or until browned on both sides. Remove chops from skillet, reserving drippings in skillet. Place chops over stuffing in baking dish. Repeat with remaining chops. Core remaining apple; cut crosswise into 12 rings. Place 2 apple rings over each chop. Brush evenly with 1 Tbsp. of the dressing.

3. BAKE 20 to 25 min. or until chops are cooked through (160°F). Meanwhile, mix remaining 1/3 cup dressing, the sugar and mustard in same skillet; cook on medium-high heat 1 min. or until bubbly and thickened. Serve spooned over the apples and chops.


How to Cut Pockets in Pork Chops:
Use small narrow bladed sharp knife to carefully cut pocket in rounded side of each chop, being careful to not cut all of the way through to opposite side of chop. Don't panic if it isn't perfect looking, it won't affect the flavor at all.

When making stuffed pork chops, you will want to use chops that are at least 3/4-inch thick in order create a nice pocket.

Stuffing the pork chops makes this dish extra special but, if you are running short on time, you can skip this step. Simply place all of the stuffing mixture in the baking dish, place the browned pork chops on top, brush with the dressing and bake.

Miscellaneous cooking tips:
You can substitute apple cider for the apple juice.

Round out the meal with fresh steamed green vegetable such as broccoli or green beans.

Substitute STOVE TOP Stuffing for Pork for the chicken variety.

Roasted Red Potato Bites

Ingredients
1-1/2 lbs. red potatoes (about 15 small)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (about 4 oz.)
1/2 cup Hellmann's or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil leaves (optional)
10 slices bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled


Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. On large baking sheet, arrange potatoes and bake 35 minutes or until tender. Let cool to handle.
Cut each potato in half, then cut thin slice from bottom of each potato. With small melon baller or spoon, scoop pulp from potatoes leaving 1/4-inch shell. Set aside shells and reserve pulp.
In medium bowl, lightly mash reserved pulp. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spoon or pipe potato filling into potato shells. Arrange filled shells on baking sheet and broil 3 minutes or until golden and heated through.

Chicken Wings Marinara

Ingredients
1 dozen chicken wings or 2 dozen drumettes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic powder or granulated garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup marinara sauce
2 tablespoons Durkee Hot Sauce, or to taste
4 garlic cloves, chopped
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish


Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

If using whole wings, disjoint wings and remove tips; you should have 24 drumettes.

In a large bowl, toss the chicken with oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Arrange on a rack in a baking pan. Roast chicken in preheated oven until done, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the marinara sauce, hot sauce and raw garlic in a blender and blend to puree garlic. When wings are done, remove from the oven, and toss wings with half the sauce. Leave oven on. Return wings to oven for 10 minutes more.

Sprinkle the wings with parsley. Serve with the remaining sauce on the side to dip the wings into.

Caramel Brownies

Ingredients
9 ounces caramels, unwrapped
1 (14-ounce) can low fat sweetened condensed milk
1 (18 ¼ -oz) box light devil's food cake mix
½ cup (1 stick) light stick margarine, melted
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips


Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and dust with flour.
2. In the top of a double boiler or in the microwave, melt the caramels with 1/3 cup of the milk. Keep warm and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, margarine, and remaining milk. Beat at high speed with a mixer until very well combined. Spread half of the dough into the bottom of the baking pan. Bake for 6 minutes, then sprinkle chocolate chips over the partially baked dough.
4. Spread the caramel mixture over the chocolate chips. Crumble the remaining dough on top. Return to the oven and continue baking for 15 minutes, or until the sides pull away from the pan. Do not overcook. Cool in the pan on a rack and cut into 48 squares.