Some Recipes I Wanted To Sharefor The Holidays

[MollyBeth]

The first one...Decadent Chocolate Chunk Cheesecake

I was supposed to post this one somewhere a while ago but I kept forgetting! Sorry!

The only part of this one that needs to be converted to be gluten free is the oreo's.

18 OREO Cookies Crushed

1/4 cup melted butter

3, 8 ounce pgk's of cream cheese, softened

3/4 cups of sugar

1/2 sour cream

3 eggs

12, 1 ounce squares baker's semi-sweet baking chocolate, divided

1/2 cup whipping cream

preheat oven to 350 degrees F if using a 9-inch silver springform pan or to 325 if using a dark nonstick springform pan.

combine crumbs and butter. Press firmly onto bottom of pan.

Beat Cream Cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add Sour Cream: mix well. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating on low after each addition just until blended. Chop 8 of the squares of chocolate: stir into batter. Pour over crust.

bake 45 to 50 minutes or until center is almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around side of pan to loosen cake. Cool completely.

Chop remaining four squares of chocolate. Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan on low heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate: stir until completely melted. Cool slightly. Pour over cheesecake. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. Remove side of pan before serving. Store leftovers in the fridge.

This next one I thought would be a good substitute for green bean casserole. I haven't made it yet but it sounds delish and I'm making it to take to my Christmas when I finally get home on the 3rd!!

It's called Green Bean Blue Cheese Gratin

1 1/2 Lbs of green beans

3 oz of blue cheese (I think it would be possible to sustitue other types of cheeses here..perhaps feta or fresh motzerella)

1 pint of heavy cream (chef on internet said you need to use cream. No skim milk substitute.)

1/2 cups of plain gluten free bread crumbs

1/4 cup of melted butter

Boil green beans for 6 minutes. So they are still a little firm. Mix butter and bread crumbs. Put half the bread crumbs on the bottom of baking pan. Then put the green beans in pan. Then break up cheese and put over top of green beans. Pour cream over top into pan. Them sprinkle remaining bread crumbs over the top. Bake on 350 until bubly and golden.

So neither of these recipes is going to win any dieting awards but I thought they were perfent for the holidays when many of us may not be as worried about the calories...or for an event when you feel like splurging!!