Author: Sharon

Categories
Appetizers Cheese Vegetarian

Cheese Bites

1/2   8 oz. package cream cheese
1     16 oz. can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, flaky kind
1/2   cup jalapeno jelly
1.Cut cream cheese into 24 pieces and let soften.
2. Seperate each biscuit into thirds, making 3 rounds.  Press biscuit rounds into bottom and up sides of 24 mini-muffin cups.  Spoon about 1 tsp. pepper jelly into each biscuit cup.  Top each with 1 cream cheese piece.
3. Bake at 425 for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
*alternate version
Mix cream cheese, chopped green onion, chopped sun dried tomatoes, pepper, salt and oregano.  let sit in fridge overnight to blend flavors.  Fill biscuit cups using melon baller, or a teaspoon.
24  Servings
Categories
Snacks

Caramel Popcorn

2 cups popcorn, unpopped
2 cups light brown sugar
1/2 pound butter, or margarine
1/2 cup Karo light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pop the popcorn.  Put into a large metal bowl.  In a saucepan, combine sugar, butter and syrup.  Bring to a boil, cook for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Add the soda then stir mixture well.  Pour over the popcorn.  Bake for 1 hour at 250 degrees, stirring every 15 minutes. 
10  Servings
Categories
Appetizers Pizza Vegetarian

Biscuit Pizzas

1 package Grands Buttermilk Biscuit dough
1 cup pizza sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
pepperoni, or your favorite pizza toppings
1. Press each biscuit to a 6″ round and place on greased cookie sheets.
2. Top with pizza sauce, cheese and pepperoni.
3. Bake in 375 degree oven, 10 – 15 minutes.
*Vegetarian: omit pepperoni

8  Servings
Categories
Appetizers Cheese Vegetarian

Basil Cheddar Cheese Ball

1 cup fresh basil, loosely packed 
2 8 oz. packages cream cheese 
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded 
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2/3 cup walnut halves, finely chopped
In a food processor, combine basil, cream cheese, cheddar & parmesean cheeses and black pepper.  With slightly wet hands, roll into a ball; coat with walnuts.  Chill before serving.
24  Servings
Categories
Appetizers Dips Seafood

Baked Creamy Seafood

4 tablespoons butter
1 cup baby scallops, rinsed and drained (about 8 oz.)
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups half and half
1 1/2 cup asiago cheese
2 cups medium, peeled, shelled and deveined cooked shrimp
6 oz. can chopped clams, well drained
1 to 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Oil for deep frying
1/2 of a 12 ounce package won ton skins
In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add scallops and stir fry over high heat until just cooked through; set aside in bowl. In same skillet, melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat.
Whisk in flour until smooth and bubbly. Cookand stir 1 minute. Whisk in half-and-half and continue whisking until mixture comes to a boil.  Boil 1 minute, whisking, until bubbly. Turn off the heat. Add asiago cheese, stirring until melted. Stir in the scallops, shrimp and  clams. Spoon into a 9 inch glass pie plate. Sprinkle with the  Parmesan cheese. Bake in a preheated 350F degree oven for about 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
Meanwhile, heat plenty of oil in a wok or deep fryer to 375F. Fry 3 or 4 won ton skins at a time, a few seconds on each side, until just golden. Drain on paper towels. Use wantons as chips for dipping into baked seafood appetizer.
4  Servings
Categories
Appetizers Bacon

Bacon and Green Chile Roll-ups

8 slices bacon
1 (9-oz.) container (1 cup) bean dip
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
6 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 (4.5-oz.) can Old El Paso® Chopped Green Chiles
1 .   Cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon; set aside.
2 .   In medium bowl, combine bean dip and cream cheese; mix well. Spread each tortilla with bean dip mixture. Sprinkle each with bell pepper, green chiles and bacon. Roll up each tortilla. Wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until ready to serve.
3 .   To serve, cut each roll into 8 pieces. If desired, secure each piece with toothpick. 
Categories
Appetizers Dips Vegetarian

Artichoke Spinach Dip

2 fresh artichokes
1 lemon, juice squeezed
1 tsp salt
OR
1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
1 lb cream cheese, room temperature
8 oz mascarpone cheese, room temperature
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour, sifted
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
5 green onions, chopped
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
1 6-oz pack fresh spinach, chopped
8 slices crusty Italian bread
Extra virgin olive oil (to drizzle)
Preheat oven to 325ºF.
PREPARATION WITH FRESH ARTICHOKES
Boil artichokes in 3 quarts water with 1 tsp salt and lemon juice.
Cool artichokes. Clean, peel, remove center “choke” and slice artichoke.
Follow Dip Preparation steps below using fresh artichokes.
DIP PREPARATION
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, except bread and extra virgin olive oil.
Coat a large non-stick baking pan with pan spray; fill pan with mixture. Bake at 325ºF for about 25 minutes or until bubbling and center is hot.
Drizzle both sides of bread with extra virgin olive oil. Grill bread on both sides.
Sprinkle top of heated dip with parmesan cheese. Serve hot with grilled bread.
4  Servings
Categories
Pasta Pumpkin Ravioli

Pumpkin Ravioli with Gorgonzola Sauce

I found this recipe on Cooking Light’s website. Perfect for a romantic fall dinner!

For a new way to enjoy pumpkin this season, try these pumpkin ravioli with a rich yet mellow Gorgonzola sauce.

You can assemble the ravioli a day ahead, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. The ravioli will float when they are perfectly cooked. Pour a chilled chardonnay.

Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients

* 1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin
* 2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
* 2 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh sage
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 30 round won-ton wrappers
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch
* Cooking spray
* 1 cup fat-free milk
* 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
* 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
* 3 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts, toasted

Preparation

Spoon pumpkin onto several layers of heavy-duty paper towels, and spread to 1/2-inch thickness. Cover with additional paper towels; let stand 5 minutes. Scrape into a medium bowl using a rubber spatula. Stir in breadcrumbs, Parmesan, salt, minced sage, pepper, and nutmeg.

Working with 1 won-ton wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers with a damp towel to keep from drying), spoon 2 teaspoons pumpkin mixture into the center of wrapper. Brush edges of wrapper with water and fold in half, pressing edges firmly with fingers to form a half-moon. Place on a large baking sheet sprinkled with cornstarch. Repeat procedure with remaining won-ton wrappers and pumpkin mixture.

Fill a large Dutch oven with water; bring to a simmer. Add half of ravioli to pan (cover remaining ravioli with a damp towel to keep from drying). Cook 4 minutes or until done (do not boil), stirring gently. Remove ravioli with a slotted spoon; lightly coat with cooking spray, and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining ravioli.

Combine milk and flour in a saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook for 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add butter, stirring until butter melts. Gently stir in Gorgonzola.

Place 5 ravioli in each of 6 shallow bowls, and drizzle each serving with 3 tablespoons Gorgonzola mixture. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons hazelnuts. Serve immediately.
Nutritional Information

Calories: 250 (33% from fat)
Fat: 9.1g (sat 4.5g,mono 2.7g,poly 0.7g)
Protein: 9.5g
Carbohydrate: 33g
Fiber: 3.1g
Cholesterol: 22mg
Iron: 2.4mg
Sodium: 636mg
Calcium: 162mg

Categories
Casseroles Main Dish Make Ahead Mushrooms Stuffing Turkey

Turkey and Mushroom Casserole

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can sliced mushrooms
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 6-oz can diced chicken or turkey
1/2 cup packaged stuffing mix

Combine 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, 1 can sliced mushrooms (drained), 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce in 1 qt baking dish. Add 1 6-oz can diced chicken or turkey. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup packaged stuffing mix for poultry. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until bubbly hot. Or bake in individual serving sized baking dishes for 20 minutes.

Categories
Chicken Italian Pasta

Chicken & Mushroom Fettuccine Ala Vodka

I made this for dinner last night…it was super yummy! It’s a keeper!

8 oz Fettuccine – cooked and drained
2 tbs each butter and olive oil
2 chicken breasts – sliced thin
1/2 pound mushrooms – washed and sliced
4 oz white wine
4 green onions – sliced
2 cloves crushed garlic
garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 jar Vodka Pasta Sauce (or 16 oz homemade)
2 tbs crumbled feta cheese
Parmesan cheese for garnish

In a deep saute’ pan, heat up butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink on the outside. Add the mushrooms, wine, green onions, crushed garlic, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and continue cooking until chicken is done on the inside and mushrooms are soft. Add the jar of pasta sauce and feta cheese. Stir until well blended. Taste and season with more salt, pepper or garlic powder if needed. Heat thoroughly. Serve over cooked fettuccine. Add bread sticks and a salad for a lovely dinner.