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APPETIZERS
Makes 32, 1 Tablespoon Servings
3 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed)
1 cup water
1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup finely shredded Asiago cheese (2 oz)
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (4 medium)
Assorted fresh vegetables or baguette slices
In small bowl, mix tomatoes and water; let stand 30 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
In 3-cup microwavable ceramic fondue pot, mix tomatoes, cheeses, sour cream and onions. Microwave uncovered on Medium 3 minutes, stirring every minute, until cheese is melted.
Place fondue pot on stand with candle to keep dip warm. Serve dip with assorted vegetables or baguette slices.
Makes 24, 2 Tablespoon Servings
1 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 can (about 14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 box (9 oz) Green Giant® frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed to drain
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese (1 oz)
Toasted baguette slices or assorted crackers
Heat oven to 350ºF. Mix mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese. Stir in artichokes, spinach and bell pepper.
Spoon mixture into 1-quart casserole. Sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese.
Cover and bake about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm with baguette slices.
Makes 16 servings, 3 Pot Stickers each
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
1/2 cup shredded green cabbage
1/3 cup chopped green onion (4 medium)
2 teaspoons chopped gingerroot
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 egg white
1 package (10 ounces) round wonton skins
2 cups chicken broth
4 teaspoons soy sauce
Mix all ingredients except wonton skins, broth and soy sauce.
Brush each wonton skin with water. Place slightly less than 1 tablespoon chicken mixture on center of skin. Pinch 5 pleats along edge of half of circle. Fold circle in half over chicken mixture, pressing pleated edge to unpleated edge. Repeat with remaining skins and chicken mixture.
Spray 12-inch skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Cook 12 pot stickers at a time in skillet about 3 minutes or until light brown; turn. Add 1/2 cup of the broth and 1 teaspoon of the soy sauce. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Uncover and cook about 1 minute longer or until liquid had evaporated. Repeat with remaining pot stickers, broth and soy sauce.
Makes 12 Puffs
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups deli chicken salad
Heat oven to 400°F. In 2-quart saucepan, heat water and butter to rolling boil. Stir in flour and thyme; reduce heat to low. Stir vigorously about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball; remove from heat. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition.
On ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cool on cookie sheet away from draft, about 30 minutes.
Cut off top one-third of each puff and pull out any filaments of soft dough. Fill each puff with 1 rounded tablespoon chicken salad.
Makes 24
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
6 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (3 oz)
3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (3 oz)
2 cans (4.5 oz each) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles, drained
Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 24 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray. In 3-quart saucepan, heat water and butter over high heat to a full rolling boil. Remove from heat.
Stir in flour, cornmeal and salt until mixture forms a dough and all lumps have disappeared. Gradually stir in beaten eggs until well blended. Stir in both cheeses and the chiles. Spoon dough evenly into muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full.
Bake 25 to 29 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from muffin cups. Serve warm.
(Very Easy and Fat Free)
Makes 1 plate
8 oz fat-free cream cheese
12 oz. cocktail sauce
6 oz canned crab meat, drained
Spread cream cheese on a dinner plate, covering the entire plate.
Pour cocktail sauce over cream cheese, spreading to cover completely.
Crumble crab meat on top of cocktail sauce.
Best served with crunchy crackers or Ritz crackers.
Cream Cheese and Pineapple Ball
(8 oz.) pkg. softened cream cheese
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
2 c. chopped pecans
2 tbsp. chopped onion
1/4 c. finely chopped green pepper
1/2 tbsp. Lawry's season salt
Combine all ingredients except 1 cup nuts. Roll into a ball, chill. Roll chilled ball in 1 cup nuts.
2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
½ cup sour cream
1 jar (8 oz.) mild or med. Salsa
1 tsp. seasoned salt
In a medium-sized bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sour cream. Fold in salsa and seasoned salt. Store in fridge but serve at room temp. Serve with chips or veggies! Enjoy!
(Easy and Fat Free)
Makes 1 bowl
12 oz cottage cheese
1 T dill
1/4 tsp salt
2 T lemon juice
Combine all ingredients and blend at low speed. (Use hand-held or upright blender.)
Refrigerate for several hours to let flavors mix.
Sprinkle with dill just before serving.
Makes 12 Servings
Cranberry-Apple Chutney
2 medium apples, chopped (2 cups)
2 cups cranberries
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
1 small onion, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped gingerroot
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Cheese Platter
16 slices (1 oz each) assorted cheeses, such as Cheddar, Colby-Monterey Jack, Monterey Jack with jalapeño peppers and Swiss
1/4 cup hazelnuts, (filberts)
Crackers
In 2-quart saucepan, mix all chutney ingredients. Heat to boiling, stirring frequently; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered about 1 hour, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens and fruit is tender. Spoon into nonaluminum container. Store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
Cut cheese with 1-, 1 1/2- and 2-inch leaf-shaped cookie cutters. Place cheese on medium platter, overlapping leaves. Sprinkle hazelnuts on platter to look like acorns. Serve with chutney and crackers.
Makes 8 Servings
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
1/4 cup Old El Paso® salsa (any variety)
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup sliced ripe olive
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Assorted crackers
Place block of cream cheese on serving plate with shallow rim.
Mix salsa and preserves; spread over cream cheese. Sprinkle with olives and cilantro. Serve with crackers.
Makes 24 appetizers
2 eggs
1 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound Brie cheese, cut into 24 chunks
Heat oven to 450ºF. Generously grease 24 small muffin cups, 1 3/4x1 inch. In medium bowl, beat eggs slightly with fork or wire whisk. Beat in flour, milk, sugar and salt just until smooth (do not overbeat). Fill cups about two-thirds full. Bake 5 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350ºF. Bake about 10 minutes longer or until crusty and golden brown. Cut a small slit in top of each popover. Insert cheese chunk in each popover. Bake 5 minutes. Immediately remove from pans. Serve hot.
(Easy and Fat Free)
Makes 1 bowl
1 C fat-free sour cream
1 T brown sugar
Sugar to taste (optional)
Mix sour cream and brown sugar. If you want, mix in some white sugar for extra sweetness.
Serve with fresh fruit pieces.
Makes 1 Centerpiece
5 jars (7 ounces each) pitted queen-size green olives, drained
3 cups olive or vegetable oil
1/2 cup shredded orange peel
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup orange marmalade, melted
1 cone-shaped florists' foam topiary with dowel and base, 8 inches tall
Flowerpot to fit topiary base, about 5 inches in diameter
Rocks to weight flowerpot
Toothpicks
Tissue paper
2 cups honey-roasted peanuts
Mix olives, oil, orange peel, orange juice and marmalade. Cover and refrigerate 3 to 4 hours to blend flavors.
Press topiary base securely in flowerpot (glue if necessary). Fill pot 2/3 full with rocks. Insert toothpicks into topiary cone; place olives on toothpicks.
Line top of pot with tissue paper; cover with peanuts.
(Very Easy)
Makes 1 bowl
5 to 6 avocados
2/3 of a jar of salsa
Fresh cilantro (half a batch)
2 cloves garlic
1/4 C lime juice
Dash of cayenne pepper (more to make it spicy)
Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until fairly smooth.
Season to taste.
Refrigerate in air-tight container.
Makes 3 Dozen
36 medium whole fresh mushrooms (1 pound)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup chopped green onion (3 medium)
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
Grated Parmesan cheese
Heat oven to 350ºF.
Twist mushroom stems to remove from mushroom caps. Finely chop enough stems to measure 1/3 cup. Reserve mushroom caps.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chopped mushroom stems, onions and bell pepper in butter about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are softened; remove from heat. Stir in bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Fill mushroom caps with bread crumb mixture.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches, in oven. Place mushrooms, filled sides up, in pan. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 15 minutes.
Set oven control to Broil. Broil mushrooms with tops 3 to 4 inches from heat about 2 minutes or until tops are light brown. Serve hot.
(Easy)
Makes 1 1/3 cups
3 large garlic cloves
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, coarsely grated (2/3 cup)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups loosely packed fresh basil
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
OPTIONAL: Sun-dried tomatoes
With food processor running, drop in garlic and finely chop. Stop motor and add nuts, cheese, salt, pepper, and basil, then process until finely chopped. With motor running, add oil, blending until incorporated.
(Pesto keeps, its surface covered with plastic wrap, chilled, 1 week.)
Makes 12 Servings
1/2 package (17.3-ounce package) frozen puff pastry (1 sheet), thawed
1 round (14 to 15 ounces) Brie cheese
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
Fresh rosemary sprigs
Red currants or cranberries
Fresh bay leaves
Heat oven to 400°F. Place pastry on lightly floured board or surface. Cut pastry with 3-inch leaf-shaped cookie cutter dipped in flour to prevent sticking to make about 24 cutouts. Place cheese on ungreased cookie sheet; arrange pastry leaves in circle around cheese. Remove cheese. Cover and refrigerate pastry wreath 5 to 10 minutes.
Beat egg and milk with fork or wire whisk until well blended. Brush egg mixture on top of pastry wreath; sprinkle with chopped rosemary. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully remove pastry wreath from cookie sheet; place on serving platter.
Make impression in top of cheese about 1/4 inch deep with leaf cutter; remove cutter. Gently scrape and remove rind from leaf design, using spoon. Place cheese on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake cheese 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is soft and partially melted. Place cheese in center of pastry wreath. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, currants and bay leaves.
Makes 20 servings of 1 tablespoon of dip with 3 pieces of fruit
1/2 cup raspberry reduced-fat cream cheese spread, from 8-ounce container, softened
1/2 cup marshmallow creme
1 container (6 ounces) Yoplait® Original lemon burst yogurt
Assorted fresh fruit pieces or Berries
Mix cream cheese and marshmallow creme in medium bowl with wire whisk until smooth. Stir in yogurt
Serve dip with fruit.
1 lb. pecan halves
1 egg white
1 tsp. cold water
1/2 c. white sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 /2 tsp. cinnamon
Beat egg white and water until frothy, but not stiff. Add pecans and mix until all nuts are coated.
Mix sugar, salt and cinnamon together.
Add nuts and mix thoroughly.
Place in a buttered 10x15 cookie sheet with sides.
Makes 7 1/2 dozen
3 cups Original Bisquick® mix
1 pound bulk pork sausage
4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (16 ounces)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
Barbecue sauce or chili sauce
Heat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease bottom and sides of jelly roll pan, 15 1/2x10 1/2x2x1 inch.
Stir together all ingredients, using hands or spoon. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls. Place in pan.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brown. Immediately remove from pan. Serve warm with sauce for dipping.
Makes 4 1/2 Cups
2 packages (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 can (8 ounces) water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
1 cup sour cream
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup finely chopped green onion (9 medium)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
Rye crackers, rice crackers or raw vegetables for dipping
Squeeze excess moisture from spinach until it is dry. Mix spinach with remaining ingredients except crackers in glass or plastic bowl.
Cover and refrigerate 1 hour to blend flavors. Serve with crackers.
Slow Cooker Pepperoni Pizza Dip
Makes 14 Servings of 1/4 Cup
1 jar (14 ounces) pizza sauce
1 cup chopped turkey pepperoni, (from 6-ounce package)
8 medium green onions, chopped (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 can (2 1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened and cubed
Broccoli flowerets, cherry tomatoes and carrot sticks
Mix pizza sauce, pepperoni, onions, bell pepper and olives in 1 1/2-quart slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low heat setting 3 to 4 hours or until mixture is hot.
Stir in mozzarella cheese and cream cheese until melted. Serve with vegetables for dipping.
Note: This recipe was tested in slow cookers with heating elements in the side and bottom of the cooker, not in cookers that stand only on a heated base. For slow cookers with just a heated base, follow the manufacturer’s directions for layering ingredients and choosing a temperature.
Makes 7 Cups
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (16 ounces)
2 tablespoons basil pesto
1 tablespoon grated onion
1/4 teaspoon yellow mustard
2 drops red pepper sauce
1 container (4 ounces) whipped cream cheese, softened
Decorations (see Success Hint)
Assorted crackers
Mix 3 packages cream cheese and the Cheddar cheese; divide into 3 equal parts. Combine 2 parts to equal two-thirds of mixture; mix in pesto. Mix onion, mustard and pepper sauce into remaining one-third mixture.
Cover each cheese mixture and refrigerate about 4 hours or until firm enough to shape. Shape each cheese mixture into ball. Wrap each ball, label and freeze.
About 12 hours before serving, remove balls from freezer. Thaw in wrappers in refrigerator.
Arrange balls on serving plate with smaller ball on top for head of snowman. Frost snowman with whipped cream cheese before serving. Decorate as desired. Serve with crackers. Store covered in refrigerator.
(Easy and Fat Free)
1 C tomatoes, chopped
1/4 C Fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 C onion, chopped
2 yellow peppers, chopped
Lime juice (to taste)
Mix all ingredients, let sit in refrigerator for at least an hour for tastes to blend.