Month: March 2024

Key Lime Pie

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March 14th was Pi Day. My daughter texted me and asked if I had a piece of pie to celebrate Pi Day. I had not. She said she brought home a piece of strawberry rhubarb (one of my dad’s and my favorites), a piece of banana crème, and a piece of key lime. I also realized that I hadn’t had a paczki on Fat Tuesday either. To make up for those two dessert opportunity fails, I made a key lime pie for St. Patty’s day. Other recipes I’ve used for key lime pie have sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, and eggs and require baking. This recipe is super simple and requires no baking. And it comes together quickly, especially when you use a pre-made graham cracker crust.

Ingredients

1 package of lime jello (regular or sugar free)

3/4 c boiling water

8 oz of room temperature cream cheese

3/4 c powdered sugar

1 1/2 c heavy cream

lime zest

4-6 T of fresh squeezed lime juice (I used key limes)

Graham cracker crust (your own or from the grocery)

In a small bowl whisk together the jello and boiling water. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a mixing bowl beat together the cream cheese, lime zest, and powdered sugar until thoroughly combined.

Add the jello that has cooled to room temperature, the lime juice, and the heavy cream.

Beat at medium speed for a couple minutes, then increase the speed, and whip until light and fluffy. Using a rubber spatula put the mixture into your pie shell. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving.

Slice and enjoy!

NOTE: I have also made this substituting lemon for the limes. While I haven’t tried it, I think you could easily change this up using raspberries or strawberries and coordinated gelatin. Always great to have a dessert that comes together so quickly and satisfies the sweet tooth without being too heavy or filling.

Seven Layer Salad with Pasta, Fancified

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I’m kind’a embarrassed to blog this recipe because everyone is familiar with this salad. But every time I plan to make a 7-Layer Salad I start counting ingredients on my fingers, and am always missing an ingredient (fingers are all still there). Since I just made this salad for our Saturday night group I decided to save my version of the recipe so the next time I can skip the finger counting. This is a salad I like to make for potlucks because it comes together quickly, and is best when it sits overnight and is tossed just before serving. As with most recipes this can be modified based on personal taste, or what’s in your fridge, and there is an endless array of 7 (or more) possible ingredients. I called this salad fancified because I made it in my not-just-for-dessert trifle bowl. I also added pasta which is not a standard ingredient, but works very well in this salad. And who doesn’t like carbs?

Salad Ingredients:

3 cups of cooked short cut pasta

Romaine lettuce chopped or torn

1 red bell pepper diced

1 bag of frozen peas

1 red onion chopped

1 cup of celery chopped

1 pound of ham cubed

10 oz of shredded cheese

Dressing:

3/4 cup sour cream

3/4 cup mayonnaise

2 T granulated sugar

2 T white wine or cider vinegar

Whisk together your dressing ingredients. Cook your pasta according to package instructions, drain, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, and allow to cool to room temperature. In this salad the pasta is the first layer down.

While your pasta is cooking chop/dice your vegetables.

Next layer down is the lettuce.

Followed by diced red onion, celery, and red bell pepper.

Next add your peas, and top with your dressing.

Next add the cubed ham and cover with shredded cheese.

Cover with Saran Wrap and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. Once the salad is tossed it isn’t nearly as pretty, but it tastes delicious. Enjoy, no matter the vessel it is served in. With or without the carbs.

NOTES: Traditional 7-Layer Salad calls for iceberg lettuce. Iceberg or Romaine hold up best in this salad, and either works. Also, the traditional salad calls for bacon rather than ham. I did recently discover that Hormel pre-cooked bacon works really well here.

You can also change things up by using cauliflower or broccoli, using sweet or spring onions, and the shredded cheese of your choosing.