Lasagna Dip

I'm a big fan.

Recently, I took a little hiatus from recipes to focus on my schoolwork.  Maybe I should rephrase that.  See, I've been making recipes - a girl's gotta eat, ya know - but I haven't been posting them.  I figured that I had spent so much time on the computer handing in assignments that I couldn't handle the idea of writing anything else.

I'm only human, after all.

Now that I'm back, hopefully for good, I'm posting a few of these recipes I've been essentially living on while I've been cramming.  A couple days ago, for instance, I made this dip.

I almost want to call this low-carb.  It's not, but compared with its namesake, it kind of is.  No pasta.  And, I'm not counting the half loaf of crusty bread I ate this with.  It's not in the pot, so it doesn't count.  Dipping utensils just don't count.

Write that down.

Anyway, I love the creamy cheesiness of this dip and it really does make me think of lasagna or manicotti or any cheesy, saucy pasta dish.  Needless to say, I'm a big fan.  This was the perfect comfort food to help me get through midterms and the cabin fever this never-ending winter has produced.

And, since winter isn't going anywhere anytime soon... this might be a staple of my diet for the next undetermined amount of weeks!






Lasagna Dip

1 loaf crusty bread, cut into cubes

1 8oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups pizza sauce or marinara sauce
2 tsp Italian seasoning


Mix all of the cheeses, seasoning and sauce in a slow cooker.  Cook on high for 1 hour, then switch to warm setting to serve.

Serve with cubed bread.

Irish Cream Cheesecake

Once again, my favorite holiday is coming up.

My favorite REAL holiday, that is.  Everyone knows, the Super Bowl is a holiday to me, and constitutes as my favorite holiday of all time.  But, St. Patrick's Day, being a faithful Irish girl, is a close second.

There's a few recipes I've been wanting to get to that make me think of Irish food, and this is one of them.

I'm a big fan of putting Irish Cream in my coffee, but I'm not wholly well-versed in its use in desserts.  I will say, after making this, that I'm a full-fledged believer in the power of Irish Cream, whether it's in your morning coffee or in your after-dinner indulgences. 

The base cheesecake recipe is my favorite type of cheesecake to use because it has always worked so well for me.  I try to come up with ways of adapting the flavors to keep it interesting, and this Irish Cream version was definitely a slam-dunk.  I'm so excited to add this to my St. Patrick's Day holiday dessert file.

Speaking of which...

Happy St. Patty's Day everyone!






Irish Cream Cheesecake

Crust:
1 1/2 cups crushed Chocolate graham crackers
1/3 cup butter, melted

Filling:
3 8oz. packages cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup Irish Cream liquer2 tbsp instant espresso powder
1 tbsp. cocoa powder


Preheat oven 350F.

For the crust, combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Press down into the bottom of a greased springform pan wrapped in a double layer of aluminum foil.  Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then let cool.

Reduce oven temperature to 325F.

For the filling, beat the cream cheese, sugar, liquer, espresso powder and cocoa together on medium until the cream cheese is smooth.  Add eggs and beat for an additional minute on low.  Pour into the crust.  Bake in a water bath for 45-50 minutes.

Refrigerate overnight.

Top with chocolate ganache or chocolate syrup prior to serving, if desired.