By Sherrie Norris
With Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror and all eyes on the road ahead, the calendars are filling up fast with parties and gatherings. Most of us find ourselves needing that special something to take to church, civic and community events and to share in more intimate settings with families and friends. Many of us are known for our signature dish, dessert and/or candy, but sometimes we like to veer off the beaten path for something new and different. However, keep in mind that It might be a good idea to test a new recipe at home before sharing it with the office crew. Family might be more forgiving than the boss!
Savory Cream Cheese Rolls
1 pkg. Hawaiian sweet rolls
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
½ cup butter, melted
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp. Italian seasoning, divided
1 tsp. garlic powder
Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a flat baking dish or pan with 2 Tbsp. melted butter. Separate rolls and cut an X into the top of each one, taking care not to cut through to the bottom. With a large spoon, make the hole wide enough for the filling. Arrange rolls evenly in the baking dish. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Mix in 1½ cups mozzarella, garlic, and ½ tsp. Italian seasoning.
Spoon cream cheese mixture into a piping bag or large Ziplock bag with the corner snipped. Fill rolls to the top with cheese mixture. (A spoon can be used, too, but the bag works better.) In the small bowl, mix together remaining melted butter, 1½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, and garlic powder and mixture over rolls. Top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Serve warm alone or with a marinara dipping sauce.
Cheese Straws
4 cups plain flour
1 lb. shredded cheese
1 lb. butter or margarine
Pinch of salt
Dash of Tabasco sauce
Mix all ingredients together. Press through cookie press to form a straw or roll into ball and flatten with fork on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes, or until lightly brown.
Jalapeno Poppers
1 Tbsp. olive oil or baking spray
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
4 pieces cooked thick-cut bacon, crumbled
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
10 jalapeños, halved and seeded
2 Tbsp. salted butter, melted
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
Preheat oven to 350° Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside. In a small bowl, combine parmesan cheese, cream cheese, crumbled bacon, chives, garlic, salt and pepper. Using kitchen gloves to protect your hands, halve each jalapeño lengthwise. Remove seeds and membranes with paring knife. Spoon cheese mixture evenly into each jalapeño half. Melt butter and pour over panko. Toss to coat. Sprinkle evenly over each popper. Place peppers, cut side up, on a baking sheet and bake on bottom rack until cheese has melted, jalapeños have softened and panko is golden brown. About 30 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Sweet and Salty Bites
1 (9 oz.) pkg. oyster crackers
2 sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Pour crackers onto parchment paper, spreading into an even layer.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; stir in the brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon until dissolved.
Bring mixture to a boil while continuously stirring. Continue cooking the bubbling mixture for 2-3 minutes until it begins to thicken and turn lighter in color.
Remove from heat and immediately pour over crackers, mixing into the crackers until evenly coated. Top with salt.
Bake for 7-9 minutes, watching closely to keep from burning.
Allow crackers to cool before breaking them into small pieces. Store in an airtight container.
Christmas Crack
Saltine crackers
Two sticks of butter
One cup of brown sugar
Chocolate chips
Optional toppings: M&M’s, chopped nuts, almond bark drizzle
Preheat oven to 400. Line a cookie sheet with saltine crackers. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter with brown sugar, stirring until it begins to caramelize. Pour mixture over crackers, spreading evenly. Cool in fridge for about 5 minutes. Cover with chocolate chips and spread evenly as they melt.
Nuts or M&Ms can be sprinkled over the chocolate and melted white almond bark or white chocolate coating can be drizzled over the top.
Refrigerate until completely cooled. Break into pieces, serve and enjoy!
Holiday Ritz Treats
Ritz crackers
Peanut butter
Candy coating of choice: red, green, white, etc.
Make “sandwiches” with two crackers and peanut butter. Melt candy coating as directed on package, being careful not to burn. With fork, dip one cracker sandwich at a time into coating while hot, covering completely. Allow excess coating to drip back into the saucepan/bowl. Place coated sandwich on wax paper to set. Add sprinkles if you wish. You will be pleasantly surprised at the outcome. Make plenty – they disappear quickly.
Note: These freeze well in air-tight container.
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