Chocolate-Cherry Cola Cake

Ingredients

• 1 jar (10 oz) maraschino cherries, drained, 1/4 cup liquid reserved
• 1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist devil's food cake mix
• 1 cup cherry cola carbonated beverage
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 container Betty Crocker Whipped vanilla frosting
• 1 cup marshmallow creme
• 24 maraschino cherries with stems, well drained, if desired

Heat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9 inch pan with baking spray. Chop cherries; set aside.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, cola beverage, oil, eggs and 1/4 cup reserved cherry liquid with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in chopped cherries. Pour into pan.

Bake 36-38 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

In small bowl, mix frosting and marshmallow creme until smooth. Frost cake. Top each piece with 2 cherries with stems. Store loosely covered. 

Classic Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 4 pkg. (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 eggs

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix graham cracker crumbs, 3 Tbsp sugar and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.

Beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.

*Place shallow pan with water on lower rack of oven to keep cheesecake moist while baking. Bake 55 minutes until center is almost set. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours.

Top with fresh fruit before serving. 

Chicken Alfredo Baked Ziti

Ingredients

Chicken Baked Ziti Ingredients

• 12 ounces ziti (or any pasta shape)
• 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken 
• 1 batch Alfredo sauce (see below)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• (optional toppings: additional shredded Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh parsley)

Alfredo Sauce Ingredients (*Can also buy store bought sauce)

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

To make the Chicken Baked Ziti:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 

Cook the pasta al dente in a large stockpot of well-salted boiling water according to package instructions. Drain. Return pasta to the stockpot and add chicken and Alfredo sauce. Gently toss to combine until the pasta is evenly coated.

Pour half of the pasta into a greased 11x7 inch or 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of cheese. Layer the remaining half of the pasta evenly on top. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and just barely starts to turn golden. Remove and serve immediately, sprinkled with additional toppings if desired.

To make the Alfredo Sauce:

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Sprinkle with flour, and stir to combine. Sauté for an additional minute to cook the flour, stirring occasionally. 

Slowly add chicken broth, whisking to combine until smooth. Whisk in milk, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let cook for an additional minute until thickened, then stir in Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper until the cheese melted. Remove from heat and set aside.