Pizza dip with Mini Garlic Breads

 "I found this recipe on pinterest.  It came from the Noble Pig.com and they got it from the Slow Roasted Italian
 blog.  I did not add bacon to the top, but I will next time.  This was great.  I served it with a French baguette cut in small slices roasted with melted garlic butter."

 INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
8 ounces shredded Italian cheese blend, divided
14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
9-12 slices of pepperoni (I used enough to cover the top)
4 slices of cooked bacon, chopped


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350^o.
In a blender or a food processor combine tomatoes, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.  Blend until pureed. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream and 2 ounces of shredded Italian cheese.  Mix until well combined.  Spread cream cheese mixture in an even layer over baking dish (8 x 8 or a pie plate).  Pour blended sauce over cream cheese mixture and evenly distribute with spatula.
Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese over pizza sauce.  Top pizza dip with pepperoni and bacon.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cheese is browned and bubbling.


*I also turned the broiler on for an additional three-five minutes to brown the cheese and crisp up the pepperoni
 
~Timesaver...instead of pureeing the tomatoes, just use canned tomato sauce and mix the seasonings in with a spoon.  Or if you are really in a hurry, just use already made pizza sauce.

Jen's Spinach and Sun-dried Tomato Stuffed Mushrooms

"I threw this together for a quick low-carb lunch and they were awesome."



INGREDIENTS:

Small package of white mushrooms, wiped clean and stems removed
1 t. olive oil
3 c. fresh baby spinach
6 sun-dried tomatoes diced
1/2 t. minced garlic
1/4 c. feta cheese smooshed with fork to make fine
1/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Saute spinach with olive oil, garlic and sundried tomatoes in medium fry pan until spinach is wilted. In small bowl mix spinach mixture with cheeses. Spoon into mushroom caps and bake for 15 minutes.

Buttery Soft Pretzels

"I found this on allrecipes.com. They remind me of Auntie Ann's pretzels."

INGREDIENTS:

4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup baking soda
4 cups hot water
1/4 cup kosher salt, for topping

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 415 degrees F. In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water.
4. When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is all shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes or until browned.

Serve with melted butter, or your choice of dipping sauce.
Yield: 12 pretzels

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

"I originally found this recipe on allrecipes.com, but I've modified it to make it healthier."


INGREDIENTS:

2 cups fresh fruit diced (my favorite combo is strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and peaches...1/2 cup each)

6 standard sized tortillas cut into 8 wedges each (I used wheat tortillas...and you can also use pita)

3 Tablespoons sugar / 1 Tablespoon cinnamon mixed

cooking spray (I like Pam baking spray because it's sweet)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lay out tortilla wedges on large rectangular cookie sheet (you can only bake 1/2 at a time). Spray tops only with cooking spray and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve with mixed fruit.

Artichoke and Sun-Dried Tomato Cheesecakes

"I found this on allrecipes.com. They are super easy to make, and so delicious! The recipe is from campbells."

INGREDIENTS:

2 (9.5 ounce) package Pepperidge Farm® MINI Puff Pastry Shells
6 oz cream cheese, softened
2 egg yolk
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup finely chopped artichoke heart
2 tablespoon minced sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoon minced parsley
Cracked black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Bake, cool and remove the 'tops' of the pastry shells according to the package directions. (You'll need a large baking sheet)
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Stir the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl.
Spoon 1 teaspoon of the artichoke mixture into each pastry shell. Place the filled shells onto a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes or until the filling is hot.

Serves 12

Note:

The pastry shells come frozen. Leave them frozen.

Garlic and Cheese Bruschetta

"I found this on allrecipes.com, and it was very tasty."

INGREDIENTS:

1 (8 oz.) cup cream cheese
6 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I use miracle whip)
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced parsley
2 tablespoon minced green onions
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 (1 pound) loaves French bread, cut diagonally in 1 inch slices
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in 1/2 of the Swiss cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, green onions pepper and garlic.
Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
Spread French bread slices with the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with remaining Swiss cheese. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Serves 12

Cocktail Meatballs

"These were absolutely the best I've ever had. They remind me a little of mamwich sauce. The changes, as suggest in a review, are included."


INGREDIENTS:

2 pound lean ground beef
2 egg
1/2 cup ketchup
1 cup bread crumbs
6 tablespoons minced onion
1 (16 ounce) can jellied cranberry sauce
1 1/2 cups chili sauce
2 tablespoon brown sugar
3 teaspoons lemon juice
2 t. soy sauce
parsley to taste


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, egg, ketchup, bread crumbs, parsley and minced onion. Roll into small meatballs.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once.
In a slow cooker or large saucepan over low heat, blend the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce and lemon juice. Add meatballs, and simmer for 1 hour before serving.

Notes:

Chili sauce comes in a glass bottle. I found it in the store near the ketchup, it really doesn't have anything to do with chili. I had to buy two bottles for this recipe, but I had some left over.

Serves 12

Jen's Fresh Fruit Burst

"I'm sure this isn't original, but I didn't have a recipe or photo to go by, so I'm claiming it as mine. The only problem if you choose to use pineapple is that you have to be careful because it splits when you stick it on the skewer."


Ingredients:

-At least five kinds of fresh fruit that won't brown

Ideas:

cantaloupe
honeydew
watermelon
kiwi
cherries
grapes
pineapple
oranges
strawberries

-Skewers (I made about 30-35 skewers for the half melon)

-a halved melon (cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon)

Feta Cheese Ball

"I've made this twice and it was a big hit. I originally got the recipe from allrecipes.com"

INGREDIENTS:

2 -8 oz packages cream cheese, softened

6 oz sundried tomato and basil feta cheese

4 tablespoons olive oil

3 green onions, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons dill weed

2 teaspoons oregano

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

In large bowl mix all ingredients well. Form into ball. Cover and chill for two hours before serving.