"Melted Wicked Witch" Mint Cookies and Cream Gooey Cake Bars

I know I have been MIA for awhile now.... 25 days to be exact, and I do apologize deeply. This month has proven to be rather crazy, and I am sure you all can understand how life sometimes manages to get in the way of some of our obligations and activities! Hopefully, November will prove to yield more regular postings from me. And, since I am in the process of beginning to compile and organize recipes to start working on a cookbook, I often finding myself torn between what recipes I share and what recipes I keep all to myself, saving them for some far-off, magical date when they can appear on the pages of a cookbook I can call all my own... someday....

In the meantime, I want to share with you a fabulous Halloween recipe perfect for last minute celebrations on this perfectly spooky day. When I picked Brooklyn up from daycare last Friday, I noticed that they had a sign-up sheet posted for individuals wanting to volunteer to bring some sort of treat for the cake walk they were having as part of their Halloween party that evening. Luckily, I had taken off early that day to spend some extra time with my father while he was in town, so I went ahead and signed up and started brainstorming what I could take that I could whip up in just a couple hours, still allowing for time to cool and set up properly. I recalled seeing several recipes of late where the food bloggers used a cake mix from a box to form the base layer of a cookie bar recipe of sorts and decided to go with that. As I was in the kitchen, the rest of the recipe just sort of fell into place and the end result was not only delicious, but fun in a special Halloween sort of way.

Here is what you will need to make "Melted Wicked Witch" Mint Cookies and Cream Gooey Cake Bars:

- 1 box chocolate or devil's food cake mix
- 1 stick of butter, softened to room temperature (or thrown in the microwave if you're running short on time like I was)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup Andes Mint baking pieces
- 16 Mint Oreo Cookies, crushed and broken into small pieces
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
- Green food coloring

1. Line a 9x13" cake pan with aluminum foil, leaving excess foil at each end to create handles. Generously spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the cake mix, the butter, and the egg until well-combined. I used my hands and it worked way better than the spoon I initially started the process with. You will get a Play-Doh result when the ingredients are sufficiently combined. Press this mixture evenly into the bottom of your prepared pan.
3. Next, sprinkle the Andes Mint baking pieces onto the crust layer, followed by the Mint Oreo cookies. Top with the chocolate chips.
4. Add a few drops of green food coloring to your can of sweetened condensed milk and mix well. Pour the now-green sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top of all.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, until cooked through. Cool to room temperature and cut into 16 bars. Store covered in an airtight container. ENJOY this spook-tacular treat- we sure did!

Layers of chocolatey-minty-cookies and cream goodness... To die for! 

Happy Halloween! Here is a picture of Miss Brooklyn in her kitty cat costume, which, oddly enough, she was terrified of until she realized it was her golden ticket to free candy. Now, even though she won't smile in most of the pics we take, she at least doesn't scream bloody murder when we try to put it on her... Thank goodness!

And yes... it's cold here. For those of you not from Wyoming, we select our Halloween costumes based on how many warm layers we can fit comfortably underneath. It was about 35 degrees on Saturday when we were downtown trick-or-treating. But, in spite of the chilly temps, fun was had by all! Round 2 starts tonight!

Cheesy Pasta & Ham Casserole

I don't know about you guys, but when the temperatures start to drop, my craving for comfort foods skyrockets almost instantly. This is definitely one of those creamy, cheesy, ooey, gooey, all-around delicious foods that just begs to be eaten on a chilly fall evening- the epitome of comfort food, really.

We had some leftover ham we needed to use up, so we decided to be a little more creative than packing sandwiches for lunch for the next few days. Homemade macaroni and cheese plus ham....what's not to love? I will admit, though, that this dish is a little on the indulgent side.If you're counting calories... keep on walking browsing. :-) This recipe is probably not for you...Sorry!

Cheesy Pasta & Ham Casserole

- 1 lb. cellentani pasta, cooked and drained (or any type of small pasta you have on hand)
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 8 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 3 cups cooked ham, diced into cubes
- 1 1/4 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
- 1 1/4 cups shredded Swiss cheese
- 4 tablespoons Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

1. Start by cooking your pasta according to package instructions, chopping your ham into small cubes, and shredding your cheese. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour, whisking well to combine, and cook, stirring continuously until the mixture is bubbly and frothy. Add in the milk and stir constantly until the mixture begins to thicken and is smooth and creamy. Add in the seasoned salt, paprika, and garlic powder. Mix well to combine, then slowly add all of your shredded cheese until completely melted into mixture. Reduce heat to low and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly to keep sauce mixture smooth.
3. Combine the cooked pasta, diced ham, and sauce in a large pot (I just used the one the pasta had been cooked in) and mix well.
4. Coat a 9x13" casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon mixture into casserole dish.
5. Mix bread crumbs, melted butter, and Parmesan cheese in small bowl, then sprinkle mixture over the top of the pasta mixture.
6. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes until topping is lightly browned. Makes 12 servings.

AH-Mazing! :)

This was a hit all around, and was perfect served with nothing more than a salad of sorts. Hopefully, your family enjoys this as much as we did!

What are some of your favorite go-to comfort foods for cold weather?