Vegetable Pizza

Vegetable Pizza

1 Tube Crescent Rolls
8 oz Cream Cheese
1 envelope of Ranch Salad Dressing Mix
2 tablespoons Milk
3 cups chopped vegetables (broccoli, sweet peppers, cauliflower, olives, etc)

Unroll crescent roll dough into one long rectangle. Spray cooking spray on a cookie sheet and smooth out the crescent rolls with a rolling pin to seal seams and perforations.  Bake at 375° for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.         

                   

 

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, salad dressing mix and milk until smooth. Spread over crust. Sprinkle with vegetables.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Cut into 16 pieces.

Cranberry Baked Brie

Cranberry Baked Brie

 

1 {13 ounce} Brie Wheel

1 sheet Frozen Puff Pastry, thawed

Pomegranate and Rosemary Cranberry Sauce {or your favorite jam}

1 whole Egg

1 tablespoon Water

Crackers

 

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Unfold the puff pastry sheet on a floured surface. Roll out slightly. Place the brie wheel in the center and spread the cranberry sauce on top in an even layer. Fold the puff pastry around the brie, crimping the top together and sealing the edges. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

 

 

 

 

Whisk together the egg and the water. Brush the egg wash on the puff pastry covered brie.

Place in the oven to bake for 20 – 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove and let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with crackers or crostinis. Enjoy!

 

This recipe comes a Dash of Savory.

Crock Pot Spicy Barbecue Kielbasa

 

Crock Pot Spicy Barbecue Kielbasa

2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp Creole mustard
1 tsp hot sauce
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup bourbon
2 lbs kielbasa, cut into 1/2 inch rounds

Combine all ingredients in the crock pot.

Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours, until sausage is hot.

This recipe comes from Timmile Tips!

Cold Corn Dip

Cold Corn Dip

3  cans Mexican-style corn
1  can diced green chilies, drained
1 can diced jalapenos diced, drained
1/3 diced onions
8 ounce  sour cream, I use reduced fat
3/4 cup mayonnaise
10 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese


In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine Mexican-style corn, green chilis,  onions, sour cream, jalapenos, mayonnaise, and cheddar cheese. Mix well. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and serve with corn chips.

This recipe comes from the blog, "Recipes we Love."

Charleston Cheese Dip

 

A good friend made this at a party a few months ago - it was so delicious and everyone raved about it!  I found the recipe and made it myself - oh yum - just as good.  The second time I made this, I added 1 can of chopped green chilies and it made a world of difference!  Yum!

Charleston Cheese Dip

1/2 cup mayonnaise

One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

2 green onions, finely chopped
1 sm. can of chopped green chilies

1 dash cayenne pepper

8 butter crackers, crushed, such as Ritz

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Corn chips, crackers or bagel chips, for serving

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise, cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, green onions and cayenne pepper.

Transfer the mixture to a shallow baking dish, such as a 9-inch pie pan. Top the mixture with the cracker crumbs and bake until heated through, about 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and top with the bacon. Serve immediately with corn chips, crackers or bagel chips.

This recipe comes from The Food Network.

Mozzarella Stuffed Peppers

 

Mozzarella Stuffed Peppers

These are great for your next party or even as a side dish.  All you need is mini peppers and string cheese.  Cut the peppers in half, stuff with string cheese, and broil for 10 minutes!  It's that easy.

Hawaiian Baked Ham and Swiss Sandwiches

Hawaiian Baked Ham and Swiss Sandwiches

1 12 pack of King's Hawaiian Original Rolls

1/2 lb. deli ham, shaved
1/2. Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
1 sticks butter
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons of poppy seeds
1/2 onion, chopped

Heat oven to 350. Melt butter and mix in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onion and poppy seed. Simmer for several minutes.

Cut the entire pack of rolls in half, horizontally (keeping all top and bottom halves in tact).

 

 

In a greased 9x13 pan, place bottom half of rolls and spread 1/3 of the onion mixture over the bottom of the rolls followed by the ham and cheese.

 

 

Replace the tops of the rolls and spread the remaining onion mixture over top.

 

 

Cover and bake for 15-20 minutes and, once finished, separate for serving.

 

This recipe was taken from the Navy Wife Cook.

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Hawaiian Baked Ham and Swiss Sandwiches

1 12 pack of King's Hawaiian Original Rolls

1/2 lb. deli ham, shaved
1/2. Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
1 sticks butter
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons of poppy seeds
1/2 onion, chopped 

Heat oven to 350. Melt butter and mix in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onion and poppy seed. Simmer for several minutes.

Cut the entire pack of rolls in half, horizontally (keeping all top and bottom halves in tact).

In a greased 9x13 pan, place bottom half of rolls and spread 1/3 of the onion mixture over the bottom of the rolls followed by the ham and cheese.

Replace the tops of the rolls and spread the remaining onion mixture over top.

Cover and bake for 15-20 minutes and, once finished, separate for serving.

This recipe was taken from the Navy Wife Cook.

Dijon Ham and Asparagus Roll-Ups

 

 

Dijon Ham and Asparagus Roll-Ups

16 asparagus spears, cut down to about 3 1/2-inches with the head
1 (8 oz) package refrigerated crescent rolls
1-2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
16 thin slices of ham

Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone liner.

Place the asparagus in a covered casserole dish. Add water until just covering the asparagus. Cover and microwave on high for 2 minutes. 

Meanwhile, separate the crescent roll dough into 8 triangles and lay flat on the baking sheet. Spread a thin layer of the mustard on each triangle.

Drain the asparagus. Wrap two spears together in two slices of ham, then place at the wide end of a dough triangle and roll up the dough. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Serve warm.

I found this recipe at Pennies on a Platter!

Raspberry Chipotle Bean Dip

This is an amazing recipe.  I haven't been able to find raspberry chipotle sauce sauce in stores, so I typically order it from Amazon.com.  It's not that expensive and worth waiting for the order to arrive in the mail.  This is one of my favorite appetizers - and it's a HUGE hit at every party.

Raspberry Chipotle Bean Dip

1 can (10.5 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

2 small red onion, diced

8 oz cream cheese,cold

1 cup Raspberry Chipotle Sauce

Place beans in a 9 inch square glass baking dish.  Sprinkle diced onions on beans.  Break cream cheese into pieces and flatten it between your hands and lay it on top of the onions.  

Pour and spread raspberry chipotle sauce over the cream cheese.  Microwave on high for 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Serve with tortilla chips. 

Cooked Salsa

This recipe comes from a friend I saw prepare this salsa a few years ago.  I've been making it like this since, minus the extra jalapenos - I can't eat anything too spicy.  Be careful because the longer the salsa sits, the spicier it gets.  By tomorrow my salsa is sure to be way spicier than it tasted today.  I'm pretty darn Caucasian, so my taste buds are a little sensitive.

Serve and eat with Blue Organic Corn Chips as they contain more protein than their yellow or white corn counterparts. In addition, blue corn tortillas have a lower starch content and lower glycemic index (GI) than regular corn tortillas.

I've also served this salsa over a plain grilled chicken breast for a healthy yet flavorful main dish.

Cooked Salsa

4 large tomatoes

1 jalapeno

3/4 bunch of cilantro

1 bunch green onions

1-2 tablespoons lime juice

Dash salt

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Drop in 4 tomatoes and 1 jalapeno.  In the picture below, I cooked two jalapenos because I wasn't sure how spicy I wanted the salsa.  In the end I only used one.

Once the skin on the tomato begins to peel off, remove the tomatoes from the water and cut out the hard stem area.  Next, cut the stem off of the jalapeno and add it to the food processor (or blender) with the tomatoes.  If you cannot fit everything into the food processor, puree the ingredients in batches.  Add the cilantro, green onions, salt and lime juice to the food processor as well.  Puree well.

Pour salsa into a bowl and serve warm!  This salsa is truly best when warm, but make sure you refrigerate the leftovers - it's still delicious cold.

Herbed Monkey Bread

This is a Paula Deen recipe that my mother recently prepared.  Paula Deen is the queen of butter and in my opinion, there was a bit too much butter and I might not add the last 1/4 cup next time I make this.  I didn't own a Bundt pan before - but this recipe convinced me that I needed one.  I also plan to serve this with marinara sauce next time.

Herbed Monkey Bread

1 stick butter melted, plus 1/4 cup melted butter, plus more for pan

1 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for sprinkling

2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

2 packages biscuits (Grands Buttermilk Buiscuits work best!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 12-cup Bundt pan; set aside.  In a small bowl, combine cheese and Italian seasoning.  Roll each individual biscuit into a ball. Dip each piece in the 1 stick of melted butter, then coat with the cheese mixture. Place dough into prepared pan; overlapping will occur. Bake bread, 30 to 35 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes of baking to prevent excess browning, if needed.

Let cool in pan, 10 minutes; invert bread onto a serving plate. Drizzle remaining 1/4 cup melted butter on top and sprinkle with grated Parmesan.

Oro Verde Spinach Dip

I've made this dip a hundred times and it is one of my favorite appetizers. The flavors are delicious and the consistency is cheesy and creamy! Yum!

Oro Verde Spinach Dip

1 can chopped green chilies

3/4 cup chopped onion

2 teaspoon cilantro (dried or fresh - if you use fresh - do about 4 tsp)

1 10 oz. package chopped frozen spinach thawed and drained

1 8 oz. cream cheese

2 cups Monterey Jack Cheese

1/3 cup half and half (or milk)

Thaw and drain spinach. Squeeze it tightly to remove all liquid. Mix all ingredients together in a casserole dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes till hot and bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips.

Brown Sugar Smokies

My mom made this recipe recently and it was a crowd pleaser.  They were so easy to make, yet absolutely sinful!  You can bake these with or without toothpicks in them - as long as you place them seam side down on the pan, you won't need them.

Brown Sugar Smokies

1 package (16-ounce size) little smokie sausages
1 pound bacon
1 cup brown sugar, or to taste

Preheat oven to 350F. Cut bacon into thirds and wrap each strip around a little sausage. Place the wrapped sausages seam side down on a baking dish.  Sprinkle them liberally with brown sugar. Bake until bacon is crisp and the brown sugar melted – roughly 30 minutes.  Serve with toothpicks.

Cheese Plate

I'm attending a White Elephant Christmas Party this evening, and thought instead of a side dish, I'd bring an appetizer. I didn't feel like cooking anything this afternoon, so I visited the market and purchased a variety of cheeses. I'm serving them with three types of crackers and sliced apples.

What's your favorite kind of cheese?