Eagle Cheese Bites from Hallmark™

Photo by Hallmark™

Yield: 20 to 24 cheese bites

Ingredients:

• One 8-oz. package cream cheese
• 11⁄2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese 1⁄2 tsp. onion powder
• 1⁄8 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese Round crackers for serving
• Black peppercorns
• 20 to 24 whole cashews

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, cheddar cheese, onion powder and garlic powder with an electric mixer. Chill in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
2. Spread shredded Parmesan in a shallow bowl or pan.
3. Remove cheese mixture from refrigerator. Scoop about 1⁄2 tablespoon of cheese mixture into your clean hands and form a ball. Roll the ball in the Parmesan. Shape ball into a slight oval, and place atop a cracker. Add a cashew beak and 2 black peppercorns for eyes. Continue until you’ve run out of the cheese mixture.

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Corned Beef Quesadillas

Recipe by Sarah Caron for Betty Crocker™

Photo by Betty Crocker®

Ingredients:

• 4 Old El Paso™ flour tortillas for burritos (8 inch; from 11-oz package)
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 8 slices (about 1 oz each) Irish Swiss cheese
• 1 cup chopped leftover corned beef
• 1/2 cup well-drained sauerkraut
• Thousand Island dressing, if desired

Directions:

1. Heat nonstick griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Brush 1 side of each tortilla with melted butter; place tortillas, buttered side down, on griddle.
2. Top each tortilla with 1 cheese slice, 1/4 cup corned beef, 2 tablespoons sauerkraut and another cheese slice. Fold tortilla in half over filling. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and cheese is melted.
3. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges. Serve with Thousand Island dressing.

 

Tips:

• Can’t find Irish Swiss? A domestic Swiss cheese can be substituted.
• You can use chopped corned beef from the deli if you don’t have leftovers.

Jalapeno Spinach Dip

Photo by Taste of Home©

Yield: 1/4 cup each or 16 Servings

Ingredients: 

• 2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup half-and-half cream
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped seeded jalapeno peppers
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dill weed
• Tortilla chips

Directions:
In a 1-1/2-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 10 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours or until heated through. Serve with chips.
Editor’s Note: Wear disposable gloves when cutting hot peppers; the oils can burn skin. Avoid touching your face.

Nutritional Facts
1/4 cup (calculated without chips) equals 153 calories, 13 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 43 mg cholesterol, 205 mg sodium, 4 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 6 g protein.
Originally published as Jalapeno Spinach Dip in Taste of Home Everyday Slow Cooker & One Dish Recipes Annual 2013, p85

Ghostly Cheese Pizzas

by Jennifer Fujita, writer for Hallmark™.

Scare up these tasty appetizers for your guests. (Photo by Hallmark™)

All you need to create these spooktacular mini pizzas are some refrigerated large flaky biscuits, a jar of pizza sauce and slices of mozzarella.

Pull apart the biscuit layers so each pizza crust is ⅓ to ½ of a biscuit. Add a spoonful of sauce. Then, use a cookie cutter to cut ghostly slices of mozzarella to cover the tops. Bits of chopped black olives were added for the ghosts’ eyes and mouths.

Bake according to the directions on the biscuit can.

Find more hair-raising recipes Here.

Carrot Fingers and Ranch Dressing

Recipe courtesy of Robin Miller

Yield: 6 to 8 Servings

Photo by Food Network.com

Ingredients:

• 1 bag peeled baby carrots
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• Cream cheese
• Ranch dressing (bottled or see recipe below)

Directions: 

1. Place a bit of cream cheese on the end of a baby carrot and place an almond slice face down on top. The almond should look like a fingernail on the carrot “finger”. Repeat until all carrots are finished.
2. Pour dressing in a bowl and stand a few carrot fingers upright in the bowl. Place the bowl on a platter and lay the remaining carrot fingers around the bowl.

Home in the Finger Lakes Recipe

Homemade Ranch Salad Dressing

Photo by Jennifer Morrisey/Home in the Finger Lakes blog

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chives
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, chives, parsley, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
2. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

Grilled Corn Dip Recipe

Yield: 5 cups or 20 servings

Photo by Taste of Home©

Ingredients: 

• 6 medium ears sweet corn, husks removed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
• 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
• Tortilla chips

Tip: Wear disposable gloves when cutting hot peppers; the oils can burn skin. Avoid touching your face.

Directions:

1. Grill corn, covered, over medium heat for 10-12 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally.
2. Cut corn from cobs. In a large skillet, saute the onion and jalapeno in butter for 2-3 minutes or until almost tender. Add corn and garlic; saute 1-2 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat.
3. In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream and chili powder. Stir in cheese and corn mixture. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish.
4. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.
5. Sprinkle with olives and green onions; serve with chips.

 

Originally published as Grilled Corn Dip in Taste of Home June/July 2008, p37

Gluten-Free Honey-Balsamic BBQ Meatballs

Yield: 24 meatballs

Photo by Iowa Girl Eats blogger Kristin Porter

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

• 1/3 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well (OR 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs, but meatballs will not be gluten-free)
• 2/3 cup water
• 1lb lean ground beef
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1 large shallot OR 1/2 small onion, grated or minced
• 2 garlic cloves, microplaned or minced
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (check label to ensure Gluten-Free – Lea & Perrins brand is)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary
• salt and pepper

For the Honey-Balsamic BBQ Sauce:

• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (check label to ensure Gluten-Free: – Lea & Perrins brand is)
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients for Honey-Balsamic BBQ Sauce in a saucepan then stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring every so often, then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until sauce is thick and has lost its vinegary bite, stirring every so often.
2. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a small saucepan then add rinsed quinoa, cover with a lid, turn heat down to medium-low, and then cook until quinoa is tender, about 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork then cool slightly.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil then place a cooling rack on top and spray very well with nonstick spray. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl combine cooled quinoa, egg, shallot, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme and rosemary. Stir to combine then add beef and mix to combine using hands. Separate mixture into eighths, then form three meatballs from each segment, to form 24 meatballs. Place on prepared cooling rack then bake for 15-17 minutes, or until no longer pink in the center. Add meatballs to sauce then turn heat down to low to keep warm, or transfer to a crock pot set to “warm”.

For more information, check out the Iowa Girl Eats blog.

Presidential Favorite Appetizers

The 8th United States President, Martin Van Buren (term from 1837 to 1841), reportedly named the following appetizer as his favorite.

U.S. President Martin Van Buren

Midnight Edam Cheese Spread

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. Edam cheese
• 1/4 lb. sweet butter
• 2/3 c. beer
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 c. plum tomatoes (peeled, seeded and chopped)
• 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. green onions, finely minced
• Toast slices

Directions: Cut a 2″ slice across the top of cheese and set aside. Scoop out the inside of the cheese. Using a blender or food processor, mix together the scooped-out cheese and butter. Slowly add beer.

Mix in Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, tomatoes, garlic salt and onions. Fill the shell with the cheese mixture and cover with the reserved 2″ cheese piece.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and serve with toast slices.

Yield: 6 servings (approximately 1/4 c. spread)

 

The following recipe was considered a favorite of the 19th U.S.President, Rutherford B. Hayes (term from 1877 to 1881).

Curried Cucumbers & Crab Meat

Ingredients:

• 1 c. mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. curry powder
• 1/2 c. crab meat
• 2 cucumbers
• 6 thin slices of bread
• 1/2 c. black olives (pitted and chopped)

U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes

Directions: In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, curry powder and crab meat. Peel cucumbers and cut them into thin slices.

Using a start circle-shaped cookie cutter, cut out small circles of bread. Spread bread circles with the curry-crab mixture. Place a cucumber slice on each bread circle and top with a small amount of curry-crab mixture. Top with chopped olives.

Yield: 24 slices

Zesty Appetizer

Italian-Style Sausage Cheese Balls

Makes: 20 servings (2 balls each)

Try these tasty sausage balls this holiday season.

Ingredients:

1 pkg. Jimmy Dean® Regular Flavor Pork Sausage Roll

3/4 cup all-purpose baking mix, such as Bisquick®

2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese

1 c. packed fresh spinach leaves, finely chopped

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 c. finely chopped red bell pepper

1 lg. clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375° F. Mix ingredients just until blended.  Shape into 40 (1-inch) balls; place in single layer in two lightly greased shallow baking pans. Bake 12-14 minutes or until done (160° F). Serve with toothpicks.

Sausage balls can be shaped ahead of time and frozen.  When ready to serve, heat oven to 375° F.  Place frozen balls on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake (160° F) for 16-18 minutes at or until done.

If using 1 pkg. Jimmy Dean® Italian Flavor Pork Sausage Roll (rather than regular flavor), omit the oregano.