Perfect recipes to get into the back-to-school spirit

It is hard to believe back-to-school time already has arrived. Families are busy organizing and stocking up on supplies to go back to school. Parents are ready to get back into a routine and the students, although few would admit it, are ready to go back and see friends and start having another fun school year.

It would be a good time to have a last minute back-to-school get-together with your children's friends, and this cheese ball would be perfect for such an event.

Funfetti cake cheese ball

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups Funfetti cake mix, dry

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup rainbow jimmies (sprinkles)

vanilla wafers, graham crackers, fruit or other cookies for dipping

* In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until combined. Then, add in the Funfetti cake mix, sugar and powdered sugar and beat until combined.

* Place the mixture on a large piece of plastic wrap. Bring up all the corners of the plastic wrap and wrap into a ball. Freeze the ball for about 1 1/2 hours or until it is firm enough to keep its shape.

* Place the rainbow jimmies on a flat plate and roll the unwrapped cheese ball in the jimmies. Make sure to press the jimmies into the cheese ball until it is fully covered.

* Place the ball on a serving dish, cover with plastic wrap and freeze the cheese ball for another 2 hours or overnight. If frozen overnight, thaw for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

* Serve with Vanilla Wafers, graham crackers, fruit, or other cookies.

No-bake cookie bars

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

3 cups quick-cooking oats

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* Spray an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray and set aside. Measure the peanut butter and oats and set aside so they're ready when you need them. Have your vanilla bottle handy along with a teaspoon.

* In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter and cocoa. Bring to a boil and once it reaches a full rolling boil, cook for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring constantly.

* Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter until melted, then stir in the vanilla and lastly the oats.

* Immediately pour mixture into prepared pan and put on a cooling rack to set until completely cool. Once cool, cut into bars.

To make this recipe into the regular round cookies, just drop the mixture by spoonfuls onto waxed paper and let cool. You can store them in an airtight container several days at room temperature or over a week in the refrigerator.

Casseroles are always great for family suppers and for getting back into a routine, what better than chicken and dumpling casserole? The secret of this is not to stir anything. That's what makes your dumplings. When you dish it out, you have your dumplings on top.

Chicken and dumpling casserole

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (you can use a store bought rotisserie chicken)

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 stick of butter

2 cups buttermilk baking mix

2 cups whole milk

1 can cream of chicken soup (the herbed cream of chicken soup if you can find it)

3 teaspoons of chicken bullion granules

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of salt or more to taste

* Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

* Melt 1/2 stick of butter in 9x13 casserole dish. Spread the shredded chicken over butter. Sprinkle black pepper and dried sage over this layer. Again do not stir.

* In a small bowl, mix the milk and baking mix. Slowly pour evenly all over chicken. Again do not stir.

* In medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups of chicken broth, the chicken granules and the chicken soup. Once all mixed, slowly pour over the baking mix layer. Again do not stir.

* Bake the casserole for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Crisp cucumber salsa

2 cups finely chopped, seeded, peeled cucumber

1/2 cup finely chopped, seeded tomato

1/4 cup chopped red onion

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped

4 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro

1 garlic clove, minced or pressed

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

Tortilla chips

* In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients.

* In another bowl, combine the sour cream, lemon juice, lime juice, cumin and seasoned salt.

* Pour over cucumber mixture and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately with chips. Serving size is 1/4 cup, and is only 16 calories.

You can always purchase spicy ranch dressing if you don't want to make your own. The beauty of this salad is you can make it your own by adding or deleting ingredients to suit your family's taste.

Cornbread Salad

For the spicy ranch dressing:

1 (1.0 ounce) package of Spicy Ranch dressing mix

1 1/3 cups milk/buttermilk

1 cup mayonnaise

For the pico de gallo:

6 medium Roma tomatoes

1 medium purple onion

1 medium jalapeño pepper

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons lime juice

Garlic salt and black pepper to taste

For the salad:

1 (7.5 ounce) box cornbread mix plus ingredients to prepare

2 (12 ounce) packages frozen Southwestern corn or 2 (11 ounce) cans Mexi-Corn

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

8 ounces shredded iceberg lettuce

12 ounces bacon cooked, crumbled and cooled

1/2 cup sour cream, for the top

* Prepare the cornbread per the instructions on the package and cool. Divide into thirds.

* Prepare the dressing using 1 1/3 cup of milk/buttermilk and 1 cup of mayo, then chill until assembling the salad. This is slightly more milk than called for on the package, but, I prefer the dressing a little thinner for this salad.

* To prepare the pico de gallo, dice the tomatoes, onion, and jalapeño pepper. If you like your salsa super spicy, leave the seeds in the jalapeño, otherwise, use a teaspoon and remove them. Always wash your hands well after handling hot peppers.

* Add to a bowl, and toss with the chopped cilantro, lime juice and seasonings. If making ahead, place into the fridge and chill until you assemble.

* If you're using canned corn, drain the Mexican corn and black beans, and rinse the beans thoroughly. Mix together. If you're using frozen corn, cook according to the package directions and cool before tossing with the black beans.

* To assemble the salad, I use a trifle bowl, simply because the colors are so pretty, it adds to the presentation. Gather all of your ingredients to help the layering process move along smoothly.

* Divide the ingredients in thirds. Layer in this order: shredded lettuce, crumbled cornbread, bacon, Mexican corn and black beans, pico de gallo, dressing and shredded cheese. Repeat until all of the ingredients are used.

* For the top, reserve some of the pico de gallo, bacon crumbles, and cheese to garnish. So, theoretically, there are four layers of pico, bacon and cheese in the salad.

* Refrigerate for several hours, or preferably overnight to allow the flavors to come together before serving. Yield: 12 to 14 servings.

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at news@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.