Sausage Dip

December 10, 2011

Here’s a simple dip recipe from the Cooks.com site (original here) that everyone will scoop up. It can be easily modified to change the spiciness. Sausage Dip is the tenth of my 25 Appetizers of Christmas.

Ingredients

  • 1 package sausage
  • 1 can Rotel tomatoes
  • 1 package cream cheese
  • Tortilla chips

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Brown sausage in skillet, drain.
  3. In a clean skillet, place drained sausage back into pan with tomatoes and cream cheese.
  4. Mix until well blended together.
  5. Place in a baking dish in oven for 20–25 minutes.
  6. Serve with tortilla chips.

Variations

  • Choose the sausage that your family prefers. We go with mild or sage because some family members have acid reflux problems. You could obviously use a hot sausage to spice things up. Chorizo, very well-drained, would work nicely also.
  • I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, but I suspect this recipe could go in the crockpot for an hour in lieu of baking.
  • A cup of Mexican or Cheddar cheese would make a nice addition.

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Ham Meatballs with Pineapple Sauce

December 9, 2011

This recipe is listed on the Cooks.com site (original here) as “Ham Balls,” which I found an unusual and not necessarily inviting name. Still I clicked through and found a recipe for ham meatballs that are served with pineapple sauce. Now I’m eager to try them out, though I’ve changed the name so that I’ll be more likely to convince the family to eat them. Ham Meatballs with Pineapple Sauce is the ninth of my 25 Appetizers of Christmas.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ham ground (3 c.)
  • 1 cup soft bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 lb lean ground pork
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 8 oz can crushed pineapple
  • ½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
  • ⅓ cup ketchup
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • ½ tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • ⅓ cup vinegar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Combine ingredients for ham balls in bowl; mix well.
  3. Shape into 1 inch balls and place in a 9 x 13 x 2 inch dish, and set aside while you make the sauce.
  4. Empty pineapple into bowl.
  5. Mix brown sugar and cornstarch; add to pineapple.
  6. Stir in remaining ingredients.
  7. Pour over meatballs and bake for 50 minutes.

Variations

  • The sauce is similar to a sweet-and-sour sauce. You could easily add some rice and veggies for a full meal.

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Slow Cooker Reuben Dip

December 8, 2011

There are versions of this recipe all over the Internet. This one came from the AllRecipes site (original here). Slow Cooker Reuben Dip is the eighth of my 25 Appetizers of Christmas.

Ingredients

  • 1 (16 ounce) jar sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
  • 2 cups shredded cooked corned beef
  • ¼ cup thousand island dressing
  • Crackers (ideally Rye Triscuit) or cocktail rye

Directions

  1. In a slow cooker, combine the sauerkraut, cream cheese, Swiss cheese, corned beef and thousand island dressing.
  2. Cover, and cook on high for 45 minutes if you’re in a hurry, low for longer if you’re not, or just until hot and cheese is melted.
  3. Stir occasionally while cooking.
  4. Serve with cocktail rye or crackers.

Variations

  • You can also bake this mixture in a 350° oven for 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Or microwave until heated through.
  • You can leave out the sauerkraut, but the mixture will be a bit looser.
  • You can substitute cream cheese for the mayonnaise if desired.

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Pita Tree Appetizers

December 7, 2011

From the Pillsbury site (original here), this appetizer is all about clever assembly. There’s no cooking involved! As the note with the recipe explains, “Plant a forest of pita bread trees on your table in less than 30 minutes by topping wedges with store-bought guacamole.” Pita Tree Appetizers are the seventh of my 25 Appetizers of Christmas.

Ingredients

  • Pita Tree Appetizers4 flavored or plain pita folds or pita (pocket) breads (about 6 inches in diameter)
  • 16 thin pretzel sticks, halved
  • ½ cup fat-free sour cream
  • ½ cup guacamole
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic-pepper blend
  • ¼ cup very finely chopped red bell pepper

Directions

  1. Cut each pita fold into 8 wedges.
  2. Insert pretzel stick half into center of bottom of each wedge to form “tree trunk.”
  3. In small bowl, mix sour cream, guacamole, parsley and garlic-pepper blend.
  4. Spread about 1 teaspoon sour cream mixture on each pita wedge.
  5. Blot bell pepper with paper towel to remove excess moisture.
  6. Sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon bell pepper on each wedge or arrange to form a garland.
  7. If desired, cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours before serving.

Variations

  • For variety, use cilantro in place of the parsley.
  • If you have time, make your own guacamole. Simply mash a ripe avocado and throw in a dash of salt, lime juice and chopped garlic.

Time Required: 25 minutes

Servings: 32 appetizers

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Pizza Pinwheels

December 6, 2011

A Pillsbury recipe that Mom has included in her recipe files, this appetizer is simple and can be adapted to include your favorite pizza topping. Pizza Pinwheels are the sixth of my 25 Appetizers of Christmas.

Ingredients

  • 1 Can (8oz) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
  • 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped pepperoni (about 1½ oz)
  • 2 Tbsp finely chopped green bell pepper
  • ½ cup shredded Italian cheese blend
  • ½ cup pizza sauce

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.
  3. Unroll dough and separate into 4 rectangles; firmly press perforations to seal.
  4. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese, pepperoni, bell pepper and Italian cheese blend over each rectangle.
  5. Starting with one short side, roll up each rectangle; press edge to seal.
  6. With serrated knife, cut each roll into 6 slices; place cut side down on cookie sheet.
  7. Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
  8. Meanwhile, heat pizza sauce.
  9. Immediately remove pinwheels from cookie sheet.
  10. Serve warm with warm pizza sauce for dipping.

Variations

  • Any finely chopped, fully cooked pizza topping could be used as a substitute for the pepperoni—bacon bits, chopped onion, ham, black olives, mushrooms, and so forth.

Time Required: 35 minutes

Servings: 24

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Mini Crescent Cheeseburgers

December 5, 2011

The taste of cheeseburgers in a simple appetizer, what more could you ask for? From the Taste of Home site (original here), the note with the recipe explains, “A friend first brought these snacks to a Sunday school party. The original recipe called for pork sausage, but I substituted ground beef with taste-tempting results. – Pam Buhr, Mexico, Missouri.” Mini Crescent Burgers are the fifth of my 25 Appetizers of Christmas.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 envelope onion soup mix
  • 3 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 375° F.
  2. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.
  3. Stir in cheese and soup mix; set aside.
  4. Separate crescent dough into triangles; cut each triangle in half lengthwise, forming two triangles.
  5. Place 1 tablespoon of the beef mixture along the wide end of each triangle.
  6. Roll up; place pointed side down 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.
  7. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Variations

  • Mini Crescent Burgers can be assembled up to 2 hours in advance. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake.
  • Mix in some bacon bits for Mini Crescent Bacon Cheeseburgers.

Time Required: 45 minutes

Servings: 16

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Almond Cheddar Appetizers

December 4, 2011

Another of Mom’s recipes, these appetizers are tasty, cheesy, and melty. Mmm. Almond Cheddar Appetizers are the fourth of my 25 Appetizers of Christmas.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • ½ cup onion, minced
  • ¾ c. slivered almonds, chopped
  • 8 bacon strips
  • 1 loaf French bread

Directions

  1. Toast almonds at 350° for 5-10 minutes.
  2. Cut bacon into ¼-inch pieces, fry and drain.
  3. Cut bread into ½-inch slices and cut slices in half.
  4. Combine mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, cheese, onion, almonds and bacon together in small bowl.
  5. Spread on bread halves, and place on a greased baking sheet.
  6. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes or until bubbly.

Variations

  • To make ahead, assemble and place on cookie sheet. Cover and freeze for 1 hour. Place in Ziploc bags to store for up to two months.

Time Required: 1½ hours

Servings: 48

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Katie’s Caramel Crunch

December 3, 2011

This highly-customizable recipe makes a delicious snack mix. It can work for any holiday or event. Just adjust the added candies to fit the color scheme. The recipe came from the Kellogg’s site (original here), and is very close to a recipe I used to make for Halloween. Still can’t find that recipe, but this one is a great substitute. Katie’s Caramel Crunch is the third of my 25 Appetizers of Christmas.

Ingredients

  • 6 cups Kellogg’s® Crispix® cereal
  • 3 cups popped popcorn
  • 2 cups small square pretzels
  • 1 cup cocktail peanuts (optional)
  • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 250°F.
  2. In 17 x 11 x 2-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray, combine Kellogg’s® Crispix® cereal, popcorn, pretzels and peanuts (if desired). Set aside.
  3. In heavy 3-quart saucepan combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup.
  4. Bring to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly.
  5. Reduce heat. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
  6. Remove from heat.
  7. Stir in vanilla and baking soda. This mixture will foam up, so be sure you don’t let it boil over!
  8. Immediately pour over cereal mixture.
  9. Stir until evenly coated.
  10. Bake at 250°F about 1 hour or until deep golden brown, stirring every 15 minutes.
  11. Spread on wax paper. Separate clumps.
  12. Cool completely. Store in airtight container.

Variations

  • My version of this recipe is a little different. Instead of moving the mix to wax paper, stir it in the pan to ensure it is broken up properly. Allow it to cool a bit and add seasonal candies (like candy corn and pumpkins, holiday M&M’s, etc.). The mix needs to be cool enough that the candy will not melt.
  • I recommend buying a bag of prepopped popcorn on the chips aisle at your grocery store for this recipe. You can pop your own, but then you have to sort through the bowl to remove any unpopped kernels or burned pieces. If you buy the prepopped stuff at the store, you save a lot of time and don’t have to worry about missing a kernel.
  • Change the cereal mix to your liking. You can use 6 cups of whatever you like. Obviously 3 cups of Rice Chex and 3 cups of Corn Chex would be the same as 6 cups of Crispix. It’s highly adaptable though. You can use whatever cereal mix you like. I’d just stay away from anything fruity or “candy” like (e.g. Chocolate).
  • I am not savvy about gluten-free recipes, but I am told this recipe can be easily adjusted for a gluten-free snack mix.

Time Required: 1½ hours

Servings: 24

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Muddy Buddies

December 2, 2011

We first encountered this chocolatey snack mix at Girl Scout camp, many years ago. These days you can buy a bag of Chex-branded Muddy Buddies in the store, but it’s not quite the same as making it yourself. Since it’s a Girl Scout camp recipe, it’s kid-friendly. Expect a fun, chocolatey mess and giggles! Muddy Buddies is the second of my 25 Appetizers of Christmas.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • ½ cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 9 cups Rice Chex, Crispix, or Rice Krispies
  • 1½ cups powdered sugar

Directions

  1. Melt together the chocolate chips, peanut butter and vanilla over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid sticking.
  2. Add cereal and mix until well coated.
  3. Add powdered sugar and mix until coated.

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Chicken Cheese Ball

December 1, 2011

This recipe is from Mom’s personal collection. Its origin is lost to the mysteries of time. Chicken Cheese Ball is the first of my 25 Appetizers of Christmas.

Ingredients

  • 2 – 8 oz. pkgs cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 – 10 oz. can chicken breast, drained
  • 1 pkg. dry Itallian dressing mix
  • ½ cup Chopped pecans

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients but pecans, then roll chicken cheese ball in chopped pecans to coat.
  2. Refrigerate until firm.
  3. Serve with crackers.

Variations

  • You can also combine the pecans into the chicken cheese ball mixture and spread into a dish. Refrigerate until firm and serve as a spread.

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