Meals Made Easy

Oct. 31, 2007 — -- If you want great tasting food, but don't have the time to make it or don't want to slave over your stove, check out these recipes.

Get the taste of homemade, long hours spent in the kitchen without all the work. No one will know, but you.

Click here to read an excerpt from Sandra Lee's new memoir, "Made From Scratch."

Check out the recipes below from Sandra Lee.

Grandma Lorraine's Birthday Cake

Excerpted from: "Made From Scratch, a Memoir" by Sandra Lee

Yield: 2 single-layer cakes

1 box (18.25 oz.) yellow cake mix

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

½ cup white cranberry juice

2 ½ teaspoons raspberry extract

1 can (16 oz.) white frosting

1 pouch (6 oz.) pink writing icings

DecaCake Razzle Dazzle Rose flower and letter candy decorations

DecaCake, for decoration candy rainbow sprinkles, for decoration

Substitutes:

Chocolate cake mix

Almond or mint extract

Chocolate frosting

White writing icing

Sports ball candies

Shredded coconut mixed with green food coloring

You will need:

2 (8-inch) cake pans

2 (9-inch) pie tins small bowl

Bake two 8-inch cakes according to package directions, with the addition of 1½ teaspoons extract to the batter and substituting white cranberry juice for water.

Let cakes cool completely. Transfer cake to an inverted 9-inch pie tin.

Add 1 teaspoon extract to frosting. Stir thoroughly. Frost entire cake. Use a star tip to pipe pink icing around the bottom of the cake where it meets the pie tin.

Decorate as desired.

© Please note that the above recipe is excerpted from "Made From Scratch, a Memoir" by Sandra Lee

Prosciutto-Tied Asparagus

Excerpted from: "Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade 20 Minute Meals 2"

Makes 18 bundles

1 pound thin asparagus, ends trimmed

1 package (3-ounce) prosciutto, Columbus ®

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice, ReaLemon ®

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Cut prosciutto slices lengthwise into two thin strips. Gather two to three asparagus spears and carefully tie prosciutto into a knot around asparagus bundle. Continue until all ingredients are used and place asparagus bundles on prepared baking sheet.

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice. Drizzle over asparagus. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Roast in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

© Please note that the above recipe is excerpted from "Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade 20 Minute Meals 2"

Pumpkin-Maple Bread Pudding

Excerpted from: "Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Cooking 3"

Makes 10 servings

Butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray

1 loaf (16-ounce) cinnamon-raisin swirl bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, Oroweat ®

½ cup chopped pecans, Planters ®

1¼ cups milk

½ cup cream

4 eggs

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, McCormick ®

½ cup real grade A maple syrup

1 can (15-ounce) solid pack pumpkin, Libby's ®

1 jar (4.5-ounce) brandied hard sauce, Crosse & Blackwell ®

1 teaspoon maple extract, McCormick ®

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 3-quart casserole dish with butter-flavored cooking spray. Toss together cubed raisin bread and pecans in casserole dish. In a large bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients, except hard sauce and maple extract. Pour over bread cubes. Let soak for 1 hour, occasionally pressing bread down into custard.

Bake bread pudding in preheated oven for approximately 1 hour, or until knife inserted into center comes out clean.

Remove hard sauce lid and place jar in a microwave-safe bowl. Fill bowl with water halfway up the side of the jar. Heat on HIGH in microwave for 30 to 45 seconds. Remove and stir in maple extract. Drizzle over bread pudding.

Serving Idea: Serve this luscious bread pudding with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

© Please note that the above recipe is excerpted from "Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Cooking 3"

Thanksgiving in a Pot

Excerpted from: "Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Slow Cooker Recipes 2"

Servings 6

1 box (6-ounce) cornbread stuffing mix, Stove Top ®

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, Swanson ®

4 tablespoons butter

2 bags (8 ounces each) trimmed fresh haricots verts or French green beans, Ready Pac ®

1 cup frozen pearl onions, C&W ®

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning, McCormick ®

1 whole boneless skinless turkey breast, rinsed and patted dry

2 cans (15 ounces each) cut sweet potatoes, drained, Princella ®

1 can (10-ounce) condensed cream of mushroom soup, Campbell's ®

½ cup white wine, Chardonnay

1 packet (.95-ounce) turkey gravy mix, Lawry's ®

Combine stuffing mix, chicken broth, and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and cook in microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.

Place green beans and onions in the bottom of a 5-quart slow cooker.

In a small bowl, mix together salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Season all sides of the turkey breast with mixture. Insert a pop-up thermometer in the thickest part of the breast. Place in the slow cooker, and surround the turkey breast with the sweet potatoes.

In a large bowl, stir together mushroom soup, white wine, and gravy mix. Pour over turkey and sweet potatoes. Spoon stuffing mixture around the turkey breast.

Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours. Check to see that thermometer has popped up before serving.

© Please note that the above recipe is excerpted from "Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Slow Cooker Recipes 2"

For more go to www.semihomemade.com