APPETIZERS & DIPS 18
MARMALADE MEAT BALLS
2 pounds fully cooked frozen meatballs
1 bottle (16-ounce) catalina salad dressing
1 cup orange marmalade
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Place frozen meatballs in the insert of a slow cooker. In a bowl, stir to combine the remaining ingredients. Pour over meatballs and stir to coat. Cook on high setting for 2 to 3 hours.
SHRIMP STUFFED POTATOES
6 large Idaho potatoes
Vegetable oil, for coating
8 tablespoons butter
2 cups grated cheddar cheese, plus more for sprinkling
2 cups grated Monterey Jack
2 cups sour cream
Salt and pepper
1 pound shrimp, peeled and Sauteed
Paprika
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Begin by washing potatoes, drying them, and gently pricking them with a fork on the sides. Coat each potato with vegetable oil, place on foil covered pan, and bake for approximately 1 hour.
Place the butter in a large bowl. Remove the potatoes from the oven and slice each potato in half. Gently scoop out the potato and place in the bowl. Using a mixer on high, mix the potatoes, butter, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Fold the shrimp and both cheeses into the mixture. Gently stuff the mixture back into the potato shells, making sure not to break them. Pile the mixture as high as you can on top of the potato shells. Sprinkle each potato with cheese and paprika for color. Bake in the oven for approximately 20 to 30 minutes until browned on top.
HOLIDAY CHEESE TRUFFLES
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened
1 pkg. (8 oz) Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 tsp. garlic powder
Dash ground red pepper
1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 2/3 cups Chopped Pecans
Savory Crackers
BEAT cream cheese, shredded cheese, garlic powder and ground red pepper until well blended. Divide in half. Add roasted red peppers to one half and green onions to the other half; mix each half until well blended. Cover.
REFRIGERATE several hours or until chilled.
SHAPE each cheese mixture into 24 balls, each about 1 inch in diameter. Roll in pecans. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Jazz It Up
Try these other coatings for these tasty truffles -- sesame seeds, chopped fresh parsley, paprika and Shredded Cheese.
ALMOND CHEDDAR APPETIZERS
1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 cup slivered almonds, chopped
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 loaf (1 pound) French bread
In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce; stir in cheese, onion, almonds and bacon.
Cut bread into 1/2-in. slices; spread with cheese mixture. Cut slices in half; place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes or until bubbly. Yield: about 4 dozen.
Note:
Unbaked appetizers may be frozen. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet; freeze for 1 hour. Remove from the baking sheet and store in an airtight container for up to 2 months. When ready to use, place unthawed appetizers on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until bubbly.
FIESTA CHRISTMAS TREE
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
1 Yellow or green bell pepper cut in 2 in. pieces
1 green onion
1/4 cup Thick 'n Chunky salsa
1/4 cup apricot preserves or orange marmalade
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
Assorted tortilla chips, crackers or sliced vegetables, if desired
Cut block of cream cheese diagonally in half; arrange on serving plate with shallow rim to form triangle.
Cut star out of bell pepper with star-shaped cookie cutter; place at top of tree. Place green onion piece at base of tree.
Mix salsa and preserves; spoon over cream cheese. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips.
Special Touch
Add presents to your tree when you arrange small crackers at the base of the spread.
Planned-Overs
Thinly slice the rest of the green onion, and sprinkle it on top of the salsa mixture along with cilantro.
STRAWBERRY FRUIT DIP
1 (8 ounce) carton strawberry nonfat yogurt
3 tablespoons strawberry preserves
1 cup Cool Whip or other non-dairy topping
Combine yogurt and preserves. Fold in whipped topping. Serve with fresh fruit or cubed pound cake.
STRAWBERRY DIP
3 ounces low-fat cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons sugar
8 ounces vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup crushed fresh strawberries
Blend cream cheese and sugar.
Beat in yogurt.
Refrigerate until serving time.
Serve with berries, fresh sliced fruit like bananas and apples, and grapes.
STRAWBERRY DIP
1 cup sour cream
1 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding
1/4 cup pineapple juice
In a bowl, combine sour cream and instant pudding. Stir in pineapple juice.
CREAMY STRAWBERRY DIP
1/2 cup tub-style light cream cheese
1/2 cup strawberry low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup marshmallow creme
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat at low speed of a mixer until well-blended. Cover and chill 2 hours.
Note: You can try other yogurt flavors.
ALL PURPOSE CHEESE SPREAD
1 (6-ounce) jar cheese spread
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Place all of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Mix well with a handheld electric mixer for about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until completely combined. Store in a plastic container with a snap-on lid in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.
NOTE:
Try serving spread with celery sticks, crackers, crusty French bread or baked potatoes.
MOCHA FONDUE
1 4-ounce package sweet baking chocolate, broken up
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup light cream or milk
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon instant coffee crystals
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
Assorted fruits (such as star fruit slices, pineapple chunks, kiwi fruit wedges, strawberries, pear slices, banana slices)
Meringue cookies
In a heavy saucepan combine chocolates, cream, sugar, and coffee crystals. Heat and stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat; stir in liqueur. Pour into a fondue pot; keep warm over low heat. Serve with fruit and cookies. Makes 6 to 8 servings
SWISS FONDUE
3 cups shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese (12 ounces)
2 cups shredded Emmentaler, Gruyere, or Swiss cheese (8 ounces)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups dry white wine
1/4 cup milk
2 talbespoons kirsch or dry sherry
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
Dippers: French bread or rye bread, cut into 1-inch cubes and toasted,** precooked broccoli or cauliflower florets or bias-sliced carrots.
Bring shredded cheeses to room temperature. Toss with flour; set aside.
Heat wine in a large saucepan over medium heat until small bubbles rise to the surface. Just before wine boils, reduce heat to low and stir in the cheese mixture, a little at a time, stirring constantly, and make sure the cheese is melted before adding more. Stir until mixture bubbles gently.
Stir in milk, kirsch or sherry, nutmeg, and pepper. Transfer cheese mixture to a fondue pot. Keep mixture bubbling gently over a fondue burner. Serve with dippers. If mixture becomes too thick, stir in a little warm milk. Serves 12.
**NOTE:
To toast bread cubes, place the cubes on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree F oven 5 to 7 minutes or until the bread cubes are crisp and toasted.
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