No-Bake Cheesecake

Now that the weather is starting to warm up the last thing I want to do is heat up my kitchen.  This is a delicious dessert you can whip up without even having to turn the oven on.  Your family will love it!

No-Bake Cheesecake

1 graham cracker crust (recipe below)

2 (8 oz.) cream cheese, room temperature

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup lemon juice

Beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Beat in the condensed milk, vanilla, and lemon juice.  Pour the filling into the crust.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2-3 hours until firm.  Serve as is or with your favorite topping.

STEP-BY-STEP

 Beat 2 room temperature blocks of cream cheese until smooth.

 Beat in one can of sweetened condensed milk,

 one teaspoon on vanilla

 and 1/4 lemon juice.

Yeah yeah, I beat everything together at the same time cause I'm lazy like that.  

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2-3 hours until firm.

Serve as is or with your favorite topping(s).  

In the above photo, I macerated some fresh raspberries.  Other times I've served it with chocolate fudge and crushed Oreos, or I've even opened up a can of  pie filling (blueberry is good).

Graham Cracker Crust

2 packages of graham crackers (about 20 sheets) 

11 tablespoons of butter, melted

2 tablespoons of sugar

Crush crackers with a rolling pin or in a food processor until fine.  In a medium bowl, add cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar.  Stir until well combined.  Press into a pie pan spreading it 1-1/2 to 2 inches up the side.  Chill crust in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.

Cream Cheese Chicken

Isn't everything better with butter and cream cheese?  I think so.  This creamy, gravy-like meal is made with both.  Oh and I guess I should mention, it contains chicken too.

Cream Cheese Chicken

1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 12 tenders

1 (8 oz) block of cream cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

To a slow cooker, add melted butter and one envelope of Italian dressing mix.  Stir mix into butter.  If using chicken breasts, cut them into 1-inch strips and place them in the slow cooker.  If using tenders, just add them as is.  Stir the chicken in the butter mixture to coat.  Cover and cook on high 2 hours.  With a slotted spoon, remove chicken to a plate.  To what is left in the slow cooker, add cream cheese and soup.  Stir to melt and mix well until smooth and creamy.  Stir chicken into sauce.  Keep warm until ready to serve.

Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

STEP-BY-STEP

 To a crock-pot on HIGH, add 1 stick of butter melted

 then stir in 1 envelope of Italian dressing mix.

 Add 6 boneless chicken breasts cut into 1-in strips, or 12 tenders (like I did above).

Stir chicken in butter to coat.

 Cover and cook on High for 2 hours.

Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken to a plate.

 Add cream cheese

 and one can cream of chicken soup.

 Stir until smooth and creamy.

Now, stir the chicken back into the sauce.  Keep warm until ready to serve.

Serve over mashed potatoes or rice