Easter Sunday is now just hours away and what a glorious time to spend with our loved ones and reflect upon this special time of renewal.
It’s no accident that we celebrate Easter as everything around us seems to be springing forth from the ground with new life.
Enjoy the day and keep Easter in your heart long past the broken eggs and melting bunnies.
Fruity Rice Salad
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
4 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
2 oranges
2 cups cooked rice
12 maraschino cherries (halved)
2 cups miniature marshmallows
8 oz. Cool Whip
1 cup chopped pecans
Combine cream cheese, sugar and mayonnaise, blend until smooth. Peel oranges and separate, cut into bite size pieces. Add rice, cherries, oranges and marshmallows to cream cheese mixture, mixing well. Fold Cool Whip and pecans into mixture. Chill well.
Easy Deviled Eggs
12 hard-cooked eggs
¼ cup Miracle Whip Salad Dressing
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ tsp. paprika
Peel eggs; cut in half lengthwise. Remove yolks; place in small bowl. Mash with fork.
Add dressing and mustard; mix well. Spoon evenly into egg whites; sprinkle evenly with paprika. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Cheesy Potatoes
2 lbs. frozen hash brown potatoes
10 ¾ ounce canned cream of chicken soup
8 oz. sour cream
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. butter
Preheat oven to 375F. Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Transfer to a buttered baking dish and dot with butter. Bake about 1 hour or until bubbly and golden on top.
Pineapple Pudding Cake
1 pkg. yellow or white cake mix
1 lg. can crushed pineapple
½ cups milk
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding
2 cups cream, whipped
1 cup coconut, lightly toasted
Bake cake according to directions on package. When done, poke holes in top of hot cake. Spread the crushed pineapple over it, juice and all. When cake has cooled, mix milk and pudding and fold in whipped cream. Spread over cake and top with toasted coconut. Refrigerate for at least 8 before serving; keep leftovers in refrigerator.
Fruity Cream Cheese Biscuits
3 cups Bisquick
2 tsp. grated orange peel
¾ cup orange juice
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. strawberry preserves
Sugar, if desired
Heat oven to 450ºF. Stir Bisquick, orange peel and orange juice until soft dough forms; beat vigorously 30 seconds. Place dough on surface sprinkled with Bisquick; roll in Bisquick to coat. Shape into a ball; knead 10 times. Roll ½ inch thick. Cut with 2 ½ -inch round cutter dipped in Bisquick. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Stir together cream cheese and preserves. Spoon 1 tsp. cream cheese mixture onto center of each dough circle. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.
Easter Egg Cheesecake
40 vanilla wafers, finely crushed
1/3 cup butter, melted
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
¼ cup honey
1 tsp. zest and 1 Tbsp. juice from 1 lemon
4 eggs
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow crème or 8 oz. thawed whipped topping
1/3 cup coconut
3/4 cup mini sugar shell-coated milk chocolate eggs
Heat oven to 325°F.
Combine wafer crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch spring form pan.
Beat cream cheese, sugar, honey, lemon zest and lemon juice in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add 4 eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
Bake 55 min. or until center of cheesecake is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool completely before removing rim. Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hrs.
Beat whipping cream in medium bowl with mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Add marshmallow cream or whipped cream; beat until stiff peaks form.
Spoon marshmallow or whipped cream mixture over cheesecake to within ½ inch of edge, then use back of spoon to make 3-inch-diameter indentation in center to resemble a bird’s nest.
Sprinkle marshmallow cream mixture with coconut; fill center with chocolate eggs just before serving.
NOTE: This can also be made in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish if you prefer not to use the spring form pan and just serve from the baking dish.