Southwestern Egg Rolls

An assortment of traditional Southwestern-style ingredients are wrapped inside small flour tortillas and deep fried.

Needed:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half
2 tablespoons minced green onion
2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
1/3 cup frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 tablespoons diced jalapeno peppers
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
5 (6 inch) flour tortillas
1 quart oil for deep frying

Make them! Eat Them!

1.Rub 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over chicken breast. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook chicken approximately 5 minutes per side, until meat is no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove from heat and set aside.
2.Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in green onion and red pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes, until tender.
3.Dice chicken and mix into the pan with onion and red pepper. Mix in corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeno peppers, parsley, cumin, chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes, until well blended and tender. Remove from heat and stir in Monterey Jack cheese so that it melts.
4.Wrap tortillas with a clean, lightly moist cloth. Microwave on high approximately 1 minute, or until hot and pliable.
5.Spoon even amounts of the mixture into each tortilla. Fold ends of tortillas, then roll tightly around mixture. Secure with toothpicks. Arrange in a medium dish, cover with plastic, and place in the freezer. Freeze at least 4 hours.
6.In a large, deep skillet, heat oil for deep frying to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Deep fry frozen, stuffed tortillas 10 minutes each, or until dark golden brown. Drain on paper towels before serving.

Cheese Ball

So before I begin, let me make a little confession, I love cream cheese. I personally think that cream cheese can be used in any meal, because it can be transformed into an appetizer, side dish, main dish, or even a dessert. When I am stuck for a recipe idea, cream cheese comes to mind because it has the ability to transform into whatever I want. During the holidays, I am often transported back to growing up, and the wonderful foods we had during the holidays. We had a lot of cheese balls, while cheese balls may not seem too glamorous, I think they are a wonderful appetizer to make. They are easy, and can be made days in advance.

Needed

8 ounces cream cheese
1/3 cup Danish Blue Cheese
1/2 cup sliced almonds or chopped walnuts

To make

Allow cream cheese to soften by reaching room temperature. In a medium sized bowl combine cream cheese and 1/3 cup Danish Blue Cheese. Mix together well. Refrigerate overnight, the cream cheese will become solid again. Roll into a ball, and then place nuts into a bowl, and press the cheese ball firmly into the nuts.

Now, let me say some options I would like to try is to use a stronger flavored blue cheese.

Cheeseburger Crescent Bake

A cheeseburger made easy right in your own oven! To serve as dinner or even a party appetizer! A kids favorite!

Needed

1 pound ground beef, cooked, drained
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup dill pickle relish (optional...)
1 1/2 cups shredded American cheese
1 (8 ounce) can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

To make:

In 10-inch skillet, mix beef and ketchup. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally; stir in relish and 1 cup of the cheese. Spoon into ungreased 9- or 10-inch glass pie plate.

Separate dough into 8 triangles; roll up 1 inch on shortest side of dough. Place dough on top of meat mixture in spoke pattern. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees F 15 to 20 minutes till golden brown. Serve with french fries or tator tots for an easy dinner!

Easy Bacon and Tomato Cups

These are one of my husbands favorite sides. He loves bacon so I sometimes add a little extra so he can get his bacon fill! these are the best biscuits for cold fall days!

Needed

8 slices bacon
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
3 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 (16 ounce) can refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough


To Make

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a mini muffin pan.

In a med. sized skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until evenly brown and slightly crisp (you do not want it too crisp and bacon will continue to cook in oven). Drain on paper towels..and gentley pat to get off grease. Crumble bacon into a medium mixing bowl, and mix with tomato, onion, Swiss cheese, mayonnaise and basil.

Separate biscuits into halves horizontally. Place each half into cups of the prepared mini muffin pan. Fill each biscuit half with the bacon mixture.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven , or until golden brown. Serve warm

Chicken Fajita Dip

2 blocks cream cheese softened (16 oz total)
1 pkg taco seasoning
2 cups chopped Chicken Fajita meat (2 to 3)
1 bottle taco sauce
2 cups +/- shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped lettuce
Chopped/seeded tomatoes
Jalapeno slices
Black olive slices

Cream taco seasoning and cream cheese together. Spread in a 9 X 13 baking dish. Top with chicken. Cover chicken with coating of taco sauce (as much as you like). Cover with shredded cheese.

Place in 350° F. oven for about 20 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and mixture is warmed through. You garnish this warm dip with chopped lettuce, tomatoes, jalapenos, olives. Serve with tortilla chips.

Blue Cheese Walnut Dip

4 ounces of softened cream cheese
1/4 cup of crumbled blue cheese
12 ounces of cottage cheese
2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts

Blend first three items together till really smooth. Stir in your nuts and serve with crackers or fresh fruit. Also great with pretzles.

Almond Delight Dip

If you love almonds, you will love this dip!

2 (8 oz) cartoons of vanilla yogurt
1/ teaspoon of almond extract
2 tablespoons of chopped toasted almonds

Combine yogurt and almond extract. Chill at least one hour. Sprinkle with almonds right before serving and serve with your favorite fresh fruit of chocie. (we love it with apples)

Curry Dip

A little spicy, but great when you have a craving for something different

1 cup of sour cream
1/2 teaspoon of curry powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt

Mix all items until smooth serve with chicken nuggets, chicken tenders or even cooked shrimp

Spicy Sausage Dip

This one is one real good dip! :) my husband's personal favorite

1 pound of lean burger
1 pound of Spicy hot Jimmy Dean Sausage
1 pound of Mexican Velveeta Cheese, cubed
1 can of cream of chicken soup

Brown hambuger and sausage, drain. Add cheese and soup and heat until cheese is melted. Serve with fritos or tortilla chips

Sweet Fruit Dip

1 (7oz) Jar of Marshmellow Cream
1 (8oz) Block of Cream Cheese
1 (8oz) Sour Cream
1 (14 oz) can of Sweetened Condensed milk

Combine all items and blend till smooth using a hand mixer. Chill one hour and serve with your favorite fresh fruit!

California Dip

Perfect dip for fresh veggies

2 cups of cottage cheese
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
2 tablespoons of skim milk
1 envelope onion soup mix

Mix the cottage cheese and lemon juice in the blender till smooth. Add skim milk. Place into a bowl and stir in the onion soup mix. Chill and serve with your favorite fresh veggies!

7-up biscuits

This is one of my grandmothers recipes. She makes these simple biscuits to go along with almost everything. They are easy to make and only take a few simple items to create and best of all they bake up real nice.



Needed:

1/4 cup of 7-up (sprite will work too)

1/4 cup of buttermilk

2 cups of biscuit mix

2 tablespoons of melted butter



Mix the first three ingredients together in a bowl and knead until smooth and elastic. Place on a well floured board and spread dough gently until 1 inch thick. Cut into biscuits and place onto a well greased cookie sheet. Brush the tops of the biscuits with your melted butter. Bake 20 mins at 450 degrees and cool slightly before serving!

Twist Sticks

This recipe is great to serve with baked chicken or even steaks on the grill! It is one of my son's favorite side dishes

Needed:
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/2 package of ranch salad dressing powder
1 can of crescent rolls

In a large bowl, mix your sour cream and ranch mix. Spread out crescent rolls into one large long piece of dough. Press the seams of the dough together. Spread your sour cream and ranch mixture onto the dough evenly. Cut the dough into 1 inch strips and twist each strip loosely. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 12 to 15 mins till golden brown.

Beer Bread and Smokey Cheese Spread

Beer Bread:

Needed:
3 cups of self-rising flour
3 tablespoons of sugar
1 can of beer (12 ounces)

Combine the items in a large bowl and stir till their is not any lumps. Pour into a well greased bread loaf pan. Bake in your oven on 350 for 45 mins or until the bread is golden brown.



Smokey Cheese Spread

Needed:
8 ounces of softened cream cheese
8 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese (the sharper the better!)
4 bacon strips cooked and crumbled or bacon bits
1 tablespoon of worcetershire sauce

Combine your cheese and cream cheese together in a bowl until well blended. Add the remaining items and blend well. Chill for at least a half an hour. Serve with beer bread or your favorite party crackers

Baked Crab Rangoons

My kids LOVE chinese food.. I mean LOVE it! And their all time favorite has to be the crab rangoons.. they could eat them by the dozen. But then again who can resist the gooy cream cheese filling dripping out of one of these little buggers? And this recipe creates them almost as good as the real thing! maybe even better?

1 can (6 oz.) white crabmeat, drained, flaked
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Neufchatel Cheese, softened
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup Light Mayo
12 won ton wrappers


HEAT oven to 350°F. Mix crabmeat, Neufchatel cheese, onions and mayonnaise.

SPRAY 12 muffin cups with cooking spray. Gently place 1 won ton wrapper in each cup, allowing edges of wrappers to extend above sides of cups. Fill evenly with crabmeat mixture.

BAKE 18 to 20 min. or until edges are golden brown and filling is heated through. Serve warm. Garnish with chopped greenonions, if desired.