Recipes

Shrimp Rounds

Shrimp Rounds

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Ingredients

Makes 1½ dozen

Prep: 30 min., Cook: 5 min., Bake: 15 min.

Instructions

  • Bring 2¼ cups water to a boil in a large saucepan; add shrimp, and cook 3 to 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink.
  • Drain and rinse with cold water.
  • Peel shrimp; devein, if desired.
  • Cut 9 shrimp in half lengthwise; set aside.
  • Dice remaining shrimp.
  • Bake baguette slices on a baking sheet at 350° for 5 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted.
  • Stir together diced shrimp, cheese, and next 6 ingredients; spread mixture on baguette slices.
  • Bake at 350° for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
  • Top each with a shrimp half.
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Course; Appetizer / Fish

Layered Spinach-Tomato Spread

Layered Spinach-Tomato Spread

Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 12 appetizer servings

Prep: 30 min., Stand: 5 min., Chill: 8 hrs.

Instructions

  • Microwave spinach according to package directions.
  • Let spinach stand 5 minutes.
  • Beat spinach, 1 package cream cheese, garlic powder, and red pepper at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
  • Set aside.
  • Beat remaining 1 package cream cheese, tomatoes, and salt at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended.
  • Stir in green onion.
  • Spread half of tomato mixture in a plastic wrap-lined 4-cup glass bowl; top with half of spinach mixture.
  • Repeat procedure with remaining tomato mixture and spinach mixture.
  • Cover and chill 8 hours.
  • Invert chilled mixture onto a serving plate; remove plastic wrap.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve with baguette slices.
Let’s Freeze, Please
Many appetizer spreads made with cream cheese can be frozen. Just prepare the recipe as directed, omitting any garnish, and place in an airtight container. Freeze up to one month. Thaw in the refrigerator for eight hours before serving.
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Course; Appetizer

Curried Chicken Pâté

Curried Chicken Pâté

Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Garnishes:

  • Italian parsley sprig
  • chopped pimiento
  • Hot mango chutney
  • Crackers or beaten biscuits

Instructions

  • Process first 3 ingredients in a food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.
  • Add butter and next 3 ingredients; process until smooth.
  • Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 6- x 3-inch loaf pan.
  • Cover and chill 8 hours.
  • Unmold, and garnish, if desired.
  • Serve with hot mango chutney and crackers or beaten biscuits.
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Course; Chicken

Chicken-Chile Quesadillas

Chicken-Chile Quesadillas

Quesadillas lend themselves to a variety of fillings, so have fun and experiment.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 8 appetizer servings

Prep: 20 min., Cook: 6 min. per batch

Toppings:

Instructions

  • Sprinkle 5 tortillas evenly with chicken and next 4 ingredients.
  • Top with remaining 5 tortillas.
  • Cook quesadillas, in batches, in a lightly greased skillet or griddle over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until browned.
  • Cut each quesadilla into wedges.
  • Serve with toppings.
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Course; Bread / Chicken / Toastie
Cuisine; Mexican

Rosemary Popcorn With Pine Nuts

Rosemary Popcorn With Pine Nuts

Give the usual popcorn an upscale twist with a double infusion of rosemary. Use leftover herb-flavored oil in salad dressings, marinades, or sauces.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 14 cups

  • 1 cup olive oil
  • ½ cup unpopped popcorn kernels
  • 12 6-inch rosemary sprigs, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1½ teaspoons sea salt divided
  • ½ cup pine nuts toasted
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat 3 minutes.
  • Add popcorn kernels, rosemary sprigs, and 1 teaspoon sea salt.
  • Remove mixture from heat; cover and let stand at room temperature 48 hours.
  • Drain kernels, reserving oil; discard rosemary sprigs.
  • Place 3 tablespoons herb-flavored oil and popcorn kernels in a Dutch oven.
  • Cook kernels, covered, over high heat, shaking the pan often 4 minutes or until popping begins to slow.
  • Remove popcorn from heat, and let stand until the popping stops.
  • Place popcorn in a large bowl.
  • Add remaining salt, pine nuts, and chopped rosemary, and toss.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes & Wine Advice

Quick-and-Easy Asian Popcorn: Omit steeping kernels step. Substitute 2½ tablespoons dark sesame oil plus ½ tablespoon hot chili oil for olive oil, garlic salt for sea salt, and roasted cashew pieces for pine nuts.
Garlicky Basil-Parmesan Popcorn: Substitute basil for rosemary and ½ cup grated garlic-and-herb Parmesan cheese for pine nuts.
Note: For testing purposes only, we used Kraft Parm Plus Garlic Herb.
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Course; Appetizer / Nuts

Blue Cheese Crisps

Blue Cheese Crisps

Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 6 dozen

Instructions

  • Beat cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
  • Add flour, poppy seeds, and pepper; beat until blended.
  • Divide dough in half; shape each portion into a 9-inch log.
  • Cover and chill 2 hours.
  • Cut each log of dough into ¼-inch-thick slices, and place on ungreased baking sheets.
  • Bake at 350° for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden.
  • Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
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Course; Appetizer

Honey-Nut Snack Mix

Honey-Nut Snack Mix

Try this flavorful mix over yogurt for a quick breakfast or snack. You can also substitute cashews for pecans.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 7 cups

Instructions

  • Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; set aside.
  • Stir together butter, brown sugar, and honey in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until butter melts and sugar dissolves.
  • Pour butter mixture over cereal mixture, stirring to coat.
  • Spread evenly on an aluminum foil-lined 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan.
  • Bake at 325° for 20 minutes, stirring once.
  • Stir in cranberries; bake 5 minutes.
  • Spread immediately on wax paper; cool.
  • Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Notes & Wine Advice

or testing purposes only, we used Quaker Oat Bran cereal.
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Course; Appetizer / Nuts

Easy-as-Pie Cheese Straws

Easy-as-Pie Cheese Straws

Couverts5
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 5 dozen

  • 1 11-ounce package piecrust mix
  • 1 5-ounce jar sharp processed cheese spread
  • ½ teaspoon ground red pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon dry mustard

Instructions

  • Process all ingredients in a food processor 30 seconds or until mixture forms a ball, stopping twice to scrape down sides.
  • Use a cookie press fitted with a bar-shaped disc to shape dough into 2½-inch straws, following manufacturer’s instructions.
  • Or divide dough in half, and shape each portion into a 7-inch log; wrap in plastic wrap, and chill 1 hour.
  • Cut logs into ¼-inch slices.
  • Place cheese straws on greased baking sheets.
  • Bake at 375° for 8 minutes or until golden.
  • Remove to wire racks to cool.
  • Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
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Course; Appetizer / Cheese

Starry Nibbles

Starry Nibbles

Couverts15 cups
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 8-ounce packages crispy cereal squares snack mix
  • 1 16-ounce package raisins
  • 1 12-ounce jar honey-roasted peanuts
  • 1 9.5-ounce package fish-shaped Cheddar cheese crackers

Instructions

  • Stir together all ingredients.
  • Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Notes & Wine Advice

For testing purposes only, we used Bold Party Blend Chex Mix for crispy cereal squares snack mix and Goldfish Crackers for fish-shaped Cheddar cheese crackers.
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Course; Appetizer / Nuts

Orange Pecans

Orange Pecans

These tasty snacks pair well with an assortment of Cheddar cheeses.
Couverts5 cups
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Bring first 4 ingredients to a rapid boil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
  • Stir in pecan halves; cook, stirring constantly, until pecans are coated and syrup is absorbed.
  • Remove from heat; stir just until pecans separate.
  • Spread in a single layer onto wax paper; cool.
  • Store in airtight containers up to 5 days.
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Course; Appetizer / Nuts