Stuffed Mushrooms

1 pound Jimmy Dean 'Hot' Sausage, cooked and crumbled
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
2 (8 ounce) packages of mushrooms, either white or baby bella

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix the cream cheese into the sausage while it's still warm. Clean the mushrooms. Remove the stems and reserve for another use. Stuff the sausage mixture into the mushroom caps. Bake on a baking sheet for 20-25 minutes.

Kayla's Fresh Salsa

12 roma tomatoes
1 T. chopped purple onion
1-2 jalapeños
2 garlic cloves
1/2 bunch of cilantro
lots of garlic powder and salt to taste

Chop cilantro, garlic, and onion in a food processor. Cut the tomatoes in fourth's. Add half of them and pulse. Add the rest of the tomatoes, garlic powder, and salt. Serve with chips!

Hummus and Avocado Toasts with Roasted Tomatoes

6-8 slices of bread [gluten-free, whole wheat, etc.]

1/2 cup hummus [store bought or homemade]

1 avocado – halved, pitted and peeled

4 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, cores and seeds removed

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Arrange the tomatoes on your baking sheet, cut sides up, in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast for 25-30 minutes, until the tomatoes are beginning to caramelize.

While the tomatoes roast, toast your bread. Using a cookie cutter or circular object, cut out 1-2 circles per toast, depending on how big the piece of bread is.

Spread ½-1 tablespoon of hummus on each circular toast.

In a bowl or plate, mash avocado with a fork, leaving large chunks.

Layer the mashed avocado over hummus, season with salt + pepper, and then top with a roasted [or fresh] tomato.

Serve immediately.

Optional: top with goat cheese or feta or serve on the side.

Stuffed Jalapeno Tortilla Bites

1 large package of flour tortillas
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. finely diced onion
1 -8 oz. cream cheese
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 small tomato, finely chopped
1/3 c. jalapeños, finely chopped

Saute onions in butter until soft. Add cream cheese and and blend with a mixer until creamy. Fold in bacon, tomato, and peppers. Stuff into tortillas and fold over. Cut into wedges and serve.

Cheeseball

2 packages cream cheese, softened
1 c. shredded cheese of choice
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/4 t. garlic salt
1/4 t. onion salt

Combine all and form into a ball. May roll in chopped nuts if desired. Refrigerate to firm up. Serve with crackers or veggies.

Stuffed Mushrooms

1 package cream cheese, softened
1 pound spicy sausage, cooked and drained
whole mushrooms

Add sausage to cream cheese and combine well. Wash mushrooms and pull out stems. Fill with cheese mixture. Bake at 300 degrees until warm and tender, 15-25 minutes.

Bubble Bread

This recipe takes some time but it is so worth it!

1 pkg. yeast
1 t. sugar
1 c. warm water
3 c. flour
1 t. salt
3/4 t. dried thyme
2 T. veg. oil
1 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
4 T. melted butter
1/4 c. chopped parsley

Sprinkle yeast and sugar over warm water in a small bowl; stir. Let stand 5 minutes. Combine flour and salt in electric mixer. While running, add yeast mixture and oil. Process until a soft dough forms. Place in a large greased bowl; turn to coat. Cover with a towel. Let rise until doubled. Punch down. Knead in cheese on a floured surface. Cover with towel and let rest for 10 minutes. Grease a 1-1/2 quart dish and set aside. Combine butter, parsley, and thyme. Roll out dough to 8x6 rectangle. Cut into 48 squares. Roll into balls. Dip into butter mixture and place into pan, snuggling them together. Cover with towel again and let rise until double. Bake 35-40 minutes at 375 degrees. Immediately remove from pan. Serve hot.

Absolutely delicious with soup.

Pumpkin Dip

Small can of pumpkin
Small package of vanilla pudding
Small container of Cool Whip
1 t. pumpkin pie spice

Whip all together. Chill. Serve with fruit, graham crackers or tortilla crisps.

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs

32 oz. package of precooked, frozen meatballs 

13.5 oz can of unsweetened pineapple chunks (put juice aside)
1 large green pepper, diced
1 cup of brown sugar

2 Tbl. cornstarch

2/3 cup of white vinegar
2 Tbl. Soy sauce

Place meatballs in crock pot and top with green pepper and drained pineapple chunks.  In a separate bowl, mix reserved pineapple juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, vinegar and soy sauce.  Pour sauce over meatballs, pineapple and green peppers.  Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated through. Serve with rice or as an appetizer.

Red and Green Christmas Jalapeno Jelly

1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped jalapeno pepper
5 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 (6 fluid ounce) container liquid pectin

Remove stems, veins and most of the seeds of the bell and jalapeno peppers. Mince peppers in a food processor.
In a 5-quart pot over high heat, combine bell peppers, jalapenos, sugar and vinegar. Bring to a rolling boil; boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.
Stirring constantly, add the pectin and let mixture continue to cool for 2 minutes more. Now stir for 1 minute.
Pour into hot, sterilized jars and top with sterilized lids. Secure lids with bands and allow jars to cool slowly, creating a vacuum seal.

PW's Potato Skins

8 slices of bacon (I used a nice thick bacon)
8 russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
canola oil
kosher salt
1 1/2 C. grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 C. sour cream
4 green onions, sliced

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Rub the outside of the scrubbed potatoes with canola oil. Place on foil lined baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until the potatoes are fork tender. Let potatoes cool so the are easy to handle. Slice in half lengthwise.

W ith a spoon or small scoop, scrape out the inner flesh of the potatoes, leaving a small margin of potato in the skins. Brush both sides of the potato skins with canola oil and salt liberally. Place the skins cut side down on the pan and return to the oven. Bake for 7 minutes and then flip the skins over to the other side. Bake for 7 minutes more or until the skins are crispy.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet and chop into small bits. Set aside. Grate the cheese.

When the skins are crisp, remove them from the oven and sprinkle each with cheese and bacon pieces. Return to the oven just until the cheese melts (2 minutes). Just before serving, spoon sour cream onto each skin and sprinkle with sliced green onion. Serve piping hot.

Dill Dip

1-1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. real mayo
1 T. Bon Appetit
1 T. Dill

Combine all until smooth. Serve with veggies.

Tropical Chocolate Fruit Dip

1 small instant chocolate pudding
1 small instant coconut cream pudding
1 c. milk
16 oz. cool whip

Combine pudding mixes. Add milk. Mix until well blended. May need a little more than 1 c. milk. Fold in cool whip. Serve with assorted fruits.

Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

15 low-sodium Saltines
2 cups Dry minced parsley flakes
1/2 cup Dry minced onion
2 tablespoons Dry dill weed
1/4 cup Onion salt
1/4 cup Garlic salt
1/4 cup Onion powder
1/4 cup Garlic powder

Put crackers through blender on high speed until powdered. Add parsley, minced onions, and dill weed. Blend again until powdered. Dump into bowl. Stir in onion salt, garlic salt, onion powder, and garlic powder. Put into container with tight−fitting lid.
Store dry mix at room temperature for 1 year.

2 T. of this mix is equivalent to 1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch packet.

Marinated Tomatoes

1 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
4 Tablespoons Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
3 whole Green Onions, Sliced
1/4 cup Chopped Parsley
18 whole Basil Leaves (chiffonade)
1/4 teaspoon Ground Thyme
2 cloves Garlic, Minced Finely
2 pounds Tomatoes, Cut Into Quarters (if Big) Or Halves (if Small)
1 whole Baguette, Sliced
1 clove Garlic, Peeled



Combine all ingredients except tomatoes in a large glass bowl. Whisk to combine, then add tomatoes. (You can up the quantity of tomatoes if need be.) Use regular red tomatoes, or a mixture of red, yellow, heirloom, etc. Use different sizes of tomatoes, too--pretty!

Allow to marinate for at least 3 to 4 hours, several hours if possible. Tomatoes will give off liquid as they marinate.

Use leftover tomatoes to make bruschetta: slice baguette and brush slices with olive oil. Grill on a skillet or grill pan until golden. Rub slices with garlic cloves. Top with tomatoes, allowing juice to drip on the bread.

Bacon Wrapped Pineapple

• 1 pound Bacon
• 1 can Chunked Pineapple (large Chunks) or I cut up a fresh pineapple
• ½ cups Brown Sugar

Preparation InstructionsSet your oven to 375F.

Cut the pound of bacon in half. Put the brown sugar in a shallow bowl. Take a half a slice of bacon and dredge it through the brown sugar. Put a chunk of pineapple on one end of the bacon slice and roll up. Secure with a toothpick.

I put a cookie cooling rack into a foil-lined jelly roll pan. Lay the bacon pineapple bundles onto the rack.

Bake for at least 25 minutes, or until the bacon looks brown and crispy. Sometimes I pop them under the broiler for the last few minutes just to get them really crisp. But watch out – the sugar will burn!

Try to wait for them to cool slighty – only because the tasty goodness will burn your lips if it’s too hot! Enjoy.

Chili's Southwestern Eggrolls

1 chicken breast

1 T. veg. oil

2 T. minced red bell pepper

2 T. minced green onion

1/3 c. frozen corn

1/4 c. canned black beans, drained and rinsed

2 T. frozen spinach, thawed and drained

2 T. diced jalapenos

1/2 T. minced fresh parsley

1/2 t. cumin

1/2 t. chili powder

1/4 t. salt

dash of cayenne

3/4 c. shredded monterey jack cheese

5 (7 inch) flour tortillas

Rub breast with some oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper then grill on bbq 4-5 minutes per side. Set aside.

Preheat 1 T. oil over med-high heat. Add pepper and onion and saute for a couple of minutes. Dice chicken into small pieces and add to pan. Add rest of veggies and all spices to pan. Cook for another 4 minutes; stir well so that spinach separates into mixture. Remove from pan and add cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.

Wrap tortillas in a moist cloth and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. Spoon 1/5 of mixture into each tortilla. Fold in ends and roll like an eggroll. Hold together with a toothpick. Place in freezer for 1 hour.

Heat oil to 375 degrees. Deep fry each roll for 3-4 minutes on each side. Let each roll sit for 2 minutes then slice on the diagonal and serve with Avocado Ranch dipping sauce.

Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce:

1/4 c. mashed avocado

1/4 c. mayo

1/4 c. sour cream

1 T. buttermilk

1-1/2 t. white vinegar

1/8 t. salt

1/8 t. dried parsley

1/8 t. onion powder

dash of dillweed

dash garlic powder

dash pepper

Combine all until smooth. Chill.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese (light works great)

1 c. mayonnaise (light also works here, but DON'T use Miracle Whip!)

1 c. Parmesan cheese

1 4-oz. can fire roasted green chilies

1-2 jalapenos, minced very fine, depending on how much heat you like

1-2 sourdough baguettes, sliced, and/or crackers

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, combine the ingredients and spread into a 9" pie plate or a small baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until dip is bubbly and golden brown.

Chicken Wonton Cups

• 48 whole Square Wonton Wrappers
• 2-½ cups Chopped Cooked Chicken
• 1 dash Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1 cup Coleslaw Mix, Chopped
• 2 whole Green Onions, Finely Chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 teaspoons Grated Fresh Ginger
• ¼ cups Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1-½ Tablespoon Brown Sugar
• 1-½ teaspoon Dark Sesame Oil
• 1-½ teaspoon Sriracha (asian hot sauce)
• 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• ¾ cups Chicken Broth
• ¼ teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 Tablespoon Toasted Sesame Seeds

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray, and place one wonton wrapper in each cup, forming a little bowl.

Spray wrappers with additional cooking spray, and bake 5-7 minutes.

Remove wonton wrappers from tins and place upside-down on a baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray.

Bake an additional 5 minutes, until cups are crisp and golden. Remove from baking sheet and let cool.

Combine chicken, salt and pepper, coleslaw mix, and green onions in a bowl.

In a small saucepan, combine garlic, ginger, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, sriracha, canola oil, broth, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until dressing is slightly reduced. Add to chicken mixture. (You might not need all the dressing.) Stir in sesame seeds.

Spoon a teaspoon or two of filling into each wonton cup. Serve at room temperature.

Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos

• 20 whole Fresh Jalapenos, 2-3 Inches In Size
• 2 cubes Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 pound Thin(regular) Bacon, Sliced Into Thirds

Preparation Instructions

If you have them, slip on some latex gloves for the pepper prep… Cut jalapenos in half, length-wise. With a spoon, remove the seeds and white membrane (the source of the heat; leave a little if you like things HOT). Smear softened cream cheese into each jalapeno half. Wrap jalapeno with bacon pieces (1/3 slice). Secure by sticking toothpick through the middle. (At this point, you can freeze them, uncooked, in a Ziploc bag for later use).

Bake on a pan with a rack in a 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes. You don’t want the bacon to shrink so much it starts to the squeeze the jalapeno. If, after 20 minutes, the bacon doesn’t look brown enough, just turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes to finish it off. These are best when the jalapeno still has a bit of bite to it.

Serve immediately, or they’re also great at room temperature.