Sweet Pepper Poppers

12 mini sweet peppers(I got mine at Costco)
 6 slices bacon cut in half (I used pre-cooked)
 4 ounces (112g) cream cheese at room temperature
 4 ounces (112g) another cheese such as goat cheese, cheddar, mozzarella, swiss, jack, etc. (I used cheddar)
 1 teaspoon minced garlic
 2 tablespoons finely sliced green onion (use both green and white parts)
 1 lemon, juice and zest (I actually forgot this step..turned out ok)
 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (use more for a spicier popper)
 1/4 teaspoon dry oregano
 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
 Method

Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C). Slice each pepper in half lengthwise then use a spoon or your fingers to scoop out any seeds and membrane to make space for your filling. Combine both cheeses. Add sliced green onions, the zest and juice of a lemon, red pepper flakes, dry oregano and salt. Stir to combine. Spoon the cheese mixture into each pepper half, wrap the half-slice of bacon around each pepper half and place top side up in a baking dish. Bake the sweet pepper poppers for about 20 minutes or until the peppers have softened and the bacon slightly crispy.

Hot Corn Dip

Hot Corn Dip
Recipe by Emeril Lagasse

2 tablespoons butter
3 1/2 cups corn kernels (from 4 ears fresh white or yellow corn, or frozen fresh corn)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell peppers – I used roasted red bell peppers from a jar.
1/4 cup chopped green onions (green and white parts)
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 to 1 cup mayonnaise – 1/2 C was plenty for mine
4 ounces monterey jack or cheddar, shredded- I used monterey jack
4 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Tortilla chips, for dipping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the kernels turn deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Note that if you’re using frozen corn it probably won’t get golden brown. Just cook for about 5 minutes as the recipe states. Transfer to a bowl.
Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the skillet. Add the onions and bell peppers and cook, stirring often, until the onions are wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the green onions, jalapeno, and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened. Transfer to the bowl with the corn.
Add 1/2 C mayo, cayenne pepper, half of the Monterrey jack and half of the cheddar and mix well. If you need more mayo to hold the mixture together then add it, but I found that 1/2 C was plenty, and I even added a little extra cheese.
Pour into an 8-inch square baking dish, or something equivalent and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve hot with tortilla chips or Fritos.

Fruit Salsa with cinnamon chips

2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
8 ounces raspberries
1 pound strawberries
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor
10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
butter flavored cooking spray
*1-2 cups cinnamon sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar.
4. Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.


*Above is the original recipe...for tonight I used:
2 golden delicious apples
1 pound strawberries
2 peaches
3 Tablespoons raspberry jam
1 tablespoon white sugar
(I meant to use kiwi's but i forgot to get them while i was at the store)
Then to make the chips I used whole wheat tortillas, and to make this easier i cut them in wedges with a pizza cutter, arranged them on a baking sheet in a single layer, and then sprayed with cooking spray then sprinkled with cinnamon/sugar mix. Then bake the usual time and temp.

I've made this using different fruits--blueberries, blackberries, nectarines work well. Don't use bananas or grapes!

Hot Pizza Dip

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup pizza sauce
2 tablespoons chopped green bell pepper
2 ounces pepperoni sausage, chopped
2 tablespoons sliced black olives

Directions

In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, oregano, parsley, and basil.
Spread mixture in the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate, or a shallow microwave-safe dish. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese on top of the cream cheese mixture. Spread the pizza sauce over all. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, then top with green pepper, pepperoni and olive slices. Cover, and microwave for 5 minutes. Serve hot with crackers, bagel chips, or sliced baguettes.

Cordon Bleu Appetizer

1 pkg cream cheese softened
1 tsp dijon mustard
1cup shredded swiss cheese
3/4 cup cubed ham (cooked)
Sourdough baguette bread sliced

Mix together cream cheese and mustard. Add in swiss and ham. Spread about 1Tbsp of the cheese mixture on each slice of bread. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until tops are lightly browned.

Meatballs

Meatballs (I brought frozen meatballs from Costco, but this is a really good recipe if you want to make your own meatballs)

1 lb lean ground beef
3/4 cup crushed croutons
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
1 tbsp prepared yellow mustard
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp Cajun seasoning

Mix all ingredients together and roll into 1-inch balls. Bake in a 350F oven for 20 minutes or until desired doneness. I turn the meatballs halfway through baking. Drain off any grease and place cooked meatballs into crockpot.

Sauce

1 20oz bottle of Coke
20oz ketchup
1 pkg onion soup mix

Mix all ingredients together. Pour over meatballs in the crock and stir well, coating all meatballs with sauce. Cook in a low crockpot 4-6 hours until sauce is desired thickness.

Breakfast Biscuit or Appetizer

1 pkg. biscuits
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/2 c. cinnamon sugar mixture

Cut biscuits into quarters. Place into 8-inch round baking dish. Cover with melted butter. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over all. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden at 350 degrees. Also may substitute grated blue cheese and melted butter. Great appetizer.

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Spinach Dip

1 package (10 oz.) baby spinach, chopped, or 1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeeze dried.

1 container (16 oz.) sour cream

1 cup Mayonnaise

1 package Knorr Vegetable recipe mix

1 (8 oz.) can of water chestnuts, drained and chopped (optional)

3 green onions, chopped (optional)

Serve with fresh veggies, or bread. YUM.

Chocolate chip cookie dough dip

1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Vanilla wafer cookies, graham crackers, or fruit for dipping

1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the brown sugar over medium heat. Stir continuously, until the brown sugar dissolves.

2. Remove from heat, whisk in the vanilla and set aside to cool.

3. Beat the cream cheese and confectioner's sugar for 1 minute.

4. Slowly beat in the cooled butter mixture and beat again for another minute.

5. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts, if using.

6. Pour into a serving bowl and refrigerate. Garnish with additional chocolate chips or nuts, if you choose.

Cream Cheese Pinwheels

Two 8 oz. cream cheese bricks

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 package dry Hidden Valley Ranch mix

4 oz. can of green chilis

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1/2 cup chopped pimento (I used fresh red pepper)

Two 4 oz cans of chopped black olives

One package Homestyle tortillas

Mix everything (except tortillas, obviously) together and spread on tortilla fairly thin.  Roll tightly and refrigerate overnight.  

*Note:  I halved the recipe and it still made a lot - I think about 8 tortillas worth.  Also, I only refrigerated them for an hour or 2, and they were just fine.  

Potato skins

6 Potatoes (baked)
1/2 cup shredded cheese
5 slices cooked bacon,diced
2 green onions, diced
sour cream

Cut baked potatoes in half and scoop out the middle. Cut each slice in half again. Place on a baking sheet. Fill each potato with cheese, bacon and green onions. Bake at 350 for 20 min. Fill each one with a small scoop of sour cream.

Parmesan Fondue

1 1/2 cups milk
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, cubed
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 (1 pound) loaf French bread, cubed

In a large saucepan, cook and stir the milk and cream cheese over low heat until cheese is melted. Stir in Parmesan cheese and garlic salt; cook and stir until heated through. Transfer to a fondue pot or mini slow cooker. Serve with bread cubes.

This could be a main dish if you served it with meat and vegetables.

Taco Cups

By Anne Coleman click here to see it posted on Family.com
Hands-On Time: 5 minutes

Ready In: 5 minute

Yield: 8-12 servings

Ingredients
1 bag Tostitos® Scoops!®

1 can refried beans

1/2 lb cooked taco seasoned meat (I left the meat out and just added some taco sauce to each one)

1 cup shredded cheddar

1 cup salsa

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup sliced black olives

Directions
1. Set chips on a large platter and layer with beans, meat, cheddar, salsa, sour cream and black olives.

Chili cranberry meatballs

1lb frozen meatballs
1 jar Heinz Chili sauce (found in the ketchup isle)
1 can cranberry sauce

Mix all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 4 hours or high for 1-2 hours. Serve as an appetizer or on a roll as a sandwich.

Spinach & Artichoke Dip

**Kristen's from last year sometime**

* 4 cloves garlic
* 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
* 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
* 1 (10 ounce) container Alfredo-style pasta sauce
* 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
* 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place garlic in a small baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven 20 to 30 minutes, until soft. Remove from heat. When cool enough to touch, squeeze softened garlic from skins.
3. In an 8x8 inch baking dish, spread the roasted garlic, spinach, artichoke hearts, Alfredo-style pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and cream cheese.
4. Cover and bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until cheeses are melted and bubbly. Serve warm.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread

**Nicki's from..last year sometime!**

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread

1-8oz. Cream Cheese - softened
1/2 cup Canned Pumpkin
1/4 cup Sugar
3/4 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 tsp. Vanilla

I discovered that it is best to add the Pumpkin very last! It mixes smoother.
Beat all ingredients until smooth. Cover and refridgerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
(you can double this with no problem and I found it is better when it is refridgerated for over night)

You can use an assortment of breads (pumkin bread, zuccuini bread, banana bread)and bagels to go with the spread. It also goes nicely on toast or rolls. (especially Sam's Club Dinner Yeast Cluster Rolls...yummy) Whatever your fancy may be!

Fruit Dip

**Cinda's from June**

Fruit Dip

Container cool whip
package cream cheese
vanilla yogurt
splash of vanilla
sugar or splenda to taste

Basic Caramel chex mix

**this one is Toni's recipe for the month we went to the lake**
Basic Caramel Chex Mix

1/4 cup butter
6 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs corn syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla
4 1/2 c chex cereal

Melt first 4 ingredients in microwave, stir until melted, pour over cereal.

You can add whatever you want, nuts, chocolate, etc. But I like it plain!

Hot Bean Dip

I halved the recipe and put it in an 8x8 baking dish. I also used reduced fat cream cheese, reduced fat sour cream, and mozarella cheese in place of the pepper jack because I didn't have any, and it still tasted fantastic!


Ingredients
1 8oz package cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 16 oz cans refried beans
1/2 package taco seasoning mix
5 drops hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 8oz package cheddar cheese
1 8oz package monterey jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, blend cream cheese, sour cream, beans, taco seasoning, pepper sauce, parsley, green onions, and half the cheddar and monterey jack cheeses. Pour mixture into 9x13 baking dish and put remaining cheeses over top. Bake 20-30 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned. Serve with tortilla chips.

Salsa Dip

1 16 oz tub of sour cream (you can use Fat Free)
1 8 oz tub cream cheese ( you can use Fat Free)
2-3 cups of salsa
1 large bread bowl

Place sour cream, cream cheese and salsa in a microwavable bowl and heat on high for one minute. Continue cooking and stirring after each minute until cheeses are melted together and dip is warm.
Cut top of the bread bowl off and dig out the insides. Tear the inside into pieces and place the bowl and the bread pieces on a cookie sheet. Broil on high for 3-5 minutes, just enough to give the bread a little crunch. Pour the dip in the bread bowl and dip bread pieces in the dip.