Easy recipes for your graduation feast

Graduation heralds a time of change and new beginnings. Many students look forward to the day that they can complete their studies and earn their degrees. Often graduation is marked by a ceremony, in which graduates wear gowns, or academic attire. These gowns date back to medieval times. Students today might find that the gowns are uncomfortable to wear only a short period of time, but in medieval times, students had to wear academic dress every day.

At least one thing hasn't changed over the years. Today, as in times past, celebrations are often marked by a feast. During this time of year, you might have a hungry crowd to feed. Luckily today we have microwave ovens and other conveniences. Nothing beats simplicity when it comes to preparing food in a hurry. Below are some easy recipes:

Chicken Enchiladas

1 (1 pound) loaf processed cheese food, cubed
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
8 fluid ounces evaporated milk
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (10 ounce) can chicken chunks, drained
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
chopped black olives, to taste
10 (10 inch) flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium size microwave safe bowl, combine the processed cheese food, sour cream, 1 can of soup, and evaporated milk. Stir together, and heat in microwave oven until smooth, stirring at intervals. Add cumin to taste, and set aside. In a medium size bowl, combine the chicken, remaining can of soup, shredded cheese, and chopped black olives. Drop spoonfuls of chicken mixture in center of tortillas, and roll up. Place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour reserved sour cream mixture over all. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Macaroni Salad

3 cups elbow macaroni
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup mayonnaise
2 1/2 teaspoons mustard
1 red pepper finely chopped
2 celery stalks finely sliced
3 eggs hard boiled diced
1 onion finely chopped
pepper to taste

Bring 4 quarts of water to boiling, add salt to add flavor and reduce stickiness. Add macaroni to the boiling water, stir. Bring back to a rapid boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally. Cook until desired tenderness, drain well. Let macaroni cool slightly. Combine remaining ingredients with cooled macaroni into mixing bowl. Stir until well combined. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.

Chocolate Brownies

1/4 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup cold water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate pieces
2 teaspoons sifted powdered sugar

Lightly coat the bottom of a 9x9x2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, being careful not to coat sides of pan.

In a medium saucepan melt butter; remove from heat. Stir in granulated sugar, the water, and vanilla. Stir in flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder until combined. Stir in chocolate pieces. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Remove from pan. Cut into 16 bars. Sprinkle with the powdered sugar. Makes 16 brownies.

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Planning ahead? Sometimes the best recipes are those you can make in advance. Here are some make-ahead recipes to feed a crowd:

Mini Quiches

5 ounces processed cheddar cheese spread
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons water
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup ham - finely chopped
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese - shredded
1/4 cup green onions - diced

In a mixing bowl, place the cheese spread, butter, flour and garlic powder. Use two forks or a pastry blender to cut the ingredients together until well blended. Add the water and keep incorporating until it starts to come together into a ball. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Spray the mini muffin pan with a non stick cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, combine the egg, milk, ham, shredded cheese and the green onion. Mix until well combined. Take a walnut sized ball of dough and press it into the bottom and up the sides of each muffin cup. Spoon a small amount of the egg mixture into each cup. Bake in a preheated 350 F. oven for 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Serve warm. Can be made a day ahead and warmed in the oven before serving.

Lemon Cheese Tarts

1 package cream cheese (8 oz.) softened
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 lemon zested
1 cup butter (2 sticks) softened
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
fresh strawberries or raspberries and mint leaves for garnish

In small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in milk, lemon juice, vanilla and lemon zest. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. In another mixing bowl, beat butter, flour, confectioners sugar, and cornstarch until smooth. Roll into 1" balls. Place in greased mini muffin tins. Using floured fingers, press into bottom and up sides of pan. Prick with fork. Bake at 325° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

In last few mintues of baking, if pastry is puffed in center, take small spoon and gently press down so you have an indentation for filling. When finished baking, immediately run a knife around each tart to loosen. Cool completely.
Remove from pans. Pipe or spoon about 1 tablespoon cheese filling into each tart. Just before serving, garnish with fruit and mint leaf.

Refrigerate leftovers.

Recipes adapted from www.recipetips.com, allrecipes.com, and www.bhg.com.

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