Classic New York Style Cheesecake with Graham Cracker Crust

This is a classic, tried and true recipe for New York Style Cheesecake.

Make sure to let it cool for at least six hours or longer.  Cheesecake is always better the next day!

Crust:
1 cup Graham Crackers, crushed
3 tbs sugar
3 tbs butter, melted
1 tsp salt (omit if you use salted butter)

Cheesecake:
24 ounces cream cheese (plain, full fat) at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbs lemon juice
3 large eggs at room temperature

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  (If using a dark nonstick pan, preheat to 300 degrees).

Crush the graham crackers completely.  I find the easiest way is to put them in my food processor an pulse until the crumbs are uniform size.

In a small bowl, mix together the crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt.  Spread the mixture into a 9 inch springform pan. press into the bottom of the pan and about 3/4 inch up the sides.  To make it even thickness, I use a drinking glass to press down on the crumbs.

Bake for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, beat the cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar in a bowl.  Add the vanilla and lemon juice (I have substituted lemon zest and it is just as good) and beat until well incorporated.  Add eggs, one at a time while mixing.  Be sure to mix well after each egg.Pour the batter over the crust and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature on the counter, then cool in the fridge for at least five more hours.  I swear, this cheesecake hits it's peak at 3 days old! Before removing the sides of the pan, go around the edges of the cake with a butter knife or small pastry spatula to prevent sticking.

My favorite way to eat cheesecake is with dark chocolate drizzle.  Sometimes I can be talked into berry preserves (I can my own, but if you on't have any, one cup of unsweetened frozen berries, 2 tbs water, and 1/2 cup sugar on the stovetop until boiling works.  Cool before garnishing).

Another fun variation is to mix 2 tbs Wildtree Very Berry Cheesecake Mix with 1 cup full fat sour cream.  10 minutes before the cheesecake is done, remove fro over spread the sour cream mixture over it, and bake the remaining 10 minutes.  It's a twist on the classic sour cream frosting.

Wildtree Greek Tzatziki Sauce

Busy Mama Recipes





Homemade tzatziki is the best. This recipe goes great with pita bread, bagels, carrot sticks, crackers, or on salads with chicken. It is simple to make and requires on a few ingredients so its perfect for get-togethers or for a snack.

1 cup full fat Greek yogurt or sour cream (or mix the two)
1 tbs Wildtree Dill Dip Blend
3 tbs grated cucumber
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tsp Wildtree Lemon Pepper Blend

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and chill for an hour before serving.  Serve with pita chips, crackers, veggie trays, or put on wraps or sandwiches.

For a Middle Eastern twist, add basil or mint. Its great with cilantro on tacos, too!

Wildtree Dill Dip Blend- buy it here.

Smoked Mozzarella and Tomato Stuffed Mushrooms

Busy Mama Recipes





I made this yummy "snack" today for a little family get-together and it ended up being gobbled so fast I wish I would have made more. If you like stuffed mushrooms, this is a must-try!

Photo from www.wildtree.com, where this recipe is featured. 

One package white mushrooms (about 30)
8 ounces cream cheese
2 tbs Wildtree Smoked Mozzarella and Tomato blend
2 green onions, sliced very thin
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F and coat a 9x13 baking dish with pan spray. Wash and de-stem all mushrooms. Arrange the mushroom caps, hollow-side up, in the baking dish. Chop half of the stems and discard the rest. In a medium mixing bowl, add one tablespoon of warm water to the Wildtree Smoked Mozzerella and Tomato Blend and mix until the water is absorbed. Add the cream cheese, chopped mushroom stems, and green onions.  Mix until thouroughly combined. Place cream cheese mixture into a zip-top bag and cut about half of an inch off of its corner. Squeeze the cream cheese mixture into mushroom caps until filled and top with shredded mozzarella. Bake for 30 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and cheese is browned.

Wildtree's Smoked Mozzarella and Tomato Blend.  Buy it here.

Serve with lemon wedges and easy marinara sauce:
Combine 14 ounces crushed tomatoes with a 1/2 tablespoon of Wildtree Hearty Spaghetti Blend. Warm on the stove or in the microwave.

Readers: This recipe is featured on the Wildtree Website now!  Check out their recipes, which you can sort by Wildtree Product.  

Breakfast Casserole

Busy Mama Recipes


This casserole is so easy.  I put it together the night before and bake it in the morning to save time.  I have brunch with my parents every Sunday, and everyone always loves this.  The adults and kids eat it, and usually there are no leftovers.  I constantly get asked for this "Breakfast Lasagna" recipe:-)

It's pretty hard to mess up, and you can make it with anything you have.  My favorite is ham, which we had leftover from Thanksgiving, but you could make it with any meat.  Breakfast sausage is really good in it too.

In a 9x13 casserole dish, layer:

3 potatoes, shredded and tossed with 2 tbs Wildtree Smoky Bacon Flavor Grapeseed Oil***
1 cup cheddar cheese
2-3 cups cooked meat (cubed ham, bacon, or breakfast sausage works great)
1/2 white onion, diced
1/2 cup spinach or kale
3 Roma tomatoes, sliced thin
12 eggs whisked with 1/4 cup heavy cream and 1 tbs Wildtree Onion and Chive Blend
1 cup cheddar cheese for the top

*** I have used frozen tater tots- the kids love it!

Wildtree Onion and Chive Blend- buy it here.

Layer everything, in the order above, in the dish. bake at 375 for one hour, covered.  Uncover and bake for another 15 to brown the top.

Wildtree Smoky Bacon Flavor Grapeseed Oil- buy it here.

Jamaican Chicken Sausage Jambalaya with Rice & Shrimp

I made this for the first time a few months ago, and it quickly became a favorite of my kids.  Even though my three year old insists that it is "hot dog soup"- gross- it gets him to eat it.  So... sausage, hotdogs, whatever:)

It is easy to make and can be pretty healthy and "clean". The crockpot version is easier, but it can also be made in a stockpot. Both versions are below.

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I have also used chicken breasts but dark meat is better in this recipe)
18 ounces smoked link sausage (I use a mix of pork, beef, and chicken)
1/2 to 1 pound shrimp, de-veined and peeled
1 quart diced tomatoes in the juice
2 bell peppers, diced
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1 package sliced mushrooms
4 tbs Wildtree Jamaican Jerk Seasoning (You can order the mix from my personal website)
OR use 2 tbs cinnamon, 1 tbs nutmeg, 1/2 tbs cayenne pepper, 1/4 tbs thyme, 1/4 tbs oregano, and salt and pepper to taste.
Rice (optional)
Cilantro and parsley- as garnish (optional)

Place all ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. During the last thirty minutes, add the shrimp.

Serve over rice with some fresh cilantro, green onions, and lime wedges. If you left the chicken whole, shred with a fork once cooked.

If you use a stockpot, cube the chicken. Saute the chicken in some olive oil. Add the veggies and saute until tender. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Turn to simmer and add the shrimp. Serve like you would the crockpot version.

Jambalaya without the shrimp

Beer Cheese Soup

I made this soup for dinner tonight. It could probably be pretty simple: potatoes, stock, beer, cheese, but you know me. Thats too boring. Here is what I used:

3 carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1 large white onion, diced
I head cauliflower, chopped finely (I call this a "fake potato")
1 quart stock (I just made vegetable stock the other day so I used that, but chicken stock would be good too)
3 russet potatoes, diced (but not peeled... who has time for that? Just wash them.)

I sauteed all the veggies in a little Jalapeno Grapeseed Oil from Wildtree (but you could use any oil or fat). When they were tender I added the stock. I let everything boil for about 15 minutes then simmered it for another 20 minutes or so.

I pureed it with my immersion blender. I pureed it until it was completely smooth (you could leave it more chunky if you choose) but I was trying to make it look like plain potato soup.

I added half a bottle of beer- any kind will do. I used Blue Moon something or other. It was pretty good.

I added about 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar and about 1/2 cup heavy cream. I mixed it together with salt and pepper and added a few spices (a little parsley and paprika).

As it cooled it thickened. I served it with chives for the top, but next time i might make some real bacon bits to top it with. We had it with some jalapeno artisan bread that I popped in the oven at the same time.

Artisan Garlic Bread

I stumbled upon a recipe that looked easy enough for bread (I HATE baking).  It was so simple sounding that I was almost embarrassed to try it, haha.  So, I had to spice it up a little, literally.  This is the recipe I came up with over a year ago, and we have it at least once a week at my house.  It is now a favorite at our family dinners and get-togethers, and I get requests for it often.

Ingredients:
1 packet of active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups of very warm water
2 tbs of Kosher salt
3 cups + 4 tbs all purpose flour flour
3 cloves of pressed garlic.
1 tbs Wildtree Lemon Rosemary Blend (You can also use 1 tsp dried rosemary, 1 tsp fresh ground pepper, and 1 tsp dried Greek oregano instead).

In a large mixing bowl (I used my Kitchen Aid with a dough hook attachment), add the yeast, warm water and salt and mix together.  The mixture should be murky brown and slightly foamy.  Add the garlic and spices of your choosing and mix well.  Add the flour and mix.  A few times you will need to pull the dough off of the hook and re-mix.  Be careful not to over-knead.

Split the dough in half and knead each piece with your hands.  On a greased surface (a large baking sheet will do), roll each piece into a ball and cover with saran wrap.  I always pierce the wrap in one spot so the gasses can escape, then I cover it with a hand towel.  Make sure to set the dough in a warm place so it can rise.  Let it rise for 1 hour, then punch the dough down, re shape, and sprinkle flour on it.  This will create a "gluten crust".  Using a sharp razor blade or knife, cut two slices across the top of each loaf (you can also do an "x" or cross hatch). Let the dough rise for another hour.  By this time it should have almost doubled in size.

If you think you don't have a warm enough place in your house, it's okay to turn your oven onto warm (170 degrees) and put the dough in the oven to rise.  Follow the directions above, but don't cover the bread, and cut the rise time in half.  When it's done rising you will have to remove the dough from the oven while it is preheating to bake.  I have to do this in the winter time because my house is too cold.

***Preheat oven to 400***

In a small container, add one cup of water and put it in the oven  This will create steam which will make the outside of the bread very crunchy while the inside stays soft.  Bake the bread for 30 minutes.

Let your bread cool before serving.  Warm bread is amazing, but the texture gets fluffier as it cools.  We ate one entire loaf in one night.  We had it with salad and herbed garlic butter.  Holy crap it was good.

Variations I have tried and loved:

Jalapeno Cheddar Bread: Omit the spices and add 2 tbs chopped jalapeno.  When the bread is baking, sprinkle cheddar cheese on top.

Sun Dried Tomato and Olive Bread: Omit the spices.  Add 2 tbs of Kalamata olive tapenade and 1 tbs chopped sun dried tomatoes.

Greek Bread:  Omit the spices.  Add 1 tsp dried dill, 1 tsp dried oregano, 3 tbs grated cucumber (seeded and most of the moisture squeezed out), 1 tbs Greek yogurt, 3 tbs crumbled feta cheese.

Pesto Ranch

This dressing is so good I could drink it.  But I won't.  But I want to:

In a food processor, combine: 
1 bunch sweet basil, leaves only
1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves, chopped
3 green onions
3 cloves garlic
1 large egg or two small eggs
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tbs honey
salt and pepper

Blend until smooth then slowly add 1/4 cup oil (grapeseed or a mild oil works best).  I love Wildtree Basil Pesto Oil in this one! Yummy. 

This recipe is really good in a vinaigrette too.  Just omit the egg and up the vinegar to 1/2 cup.