Stuffed Mushrooms

Liven up you Super Bowl party with these little tidbits.  Step up you average finger food that you would normally serve and let your guests enjoy a more refined pallet.  Make these stuffed mushrooms as a bonus and I know that you will enjoy making them as much as your guests will enjoy eating them.

 Ingredients:

• 1 pound of white  button mushrooms (try to get all the same size)
• 1 small onion, diced very fine
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 slice of day old or crusted bread, broken or crumbled into small pieces
• 1/4 cup Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
• 1 tsp of green onion, chopped

 Directions:

• Pre heat oven to 350°
• Wipe off mushrooms with a damp towel.  Do not rinse with water
• Take the stem out of each mushrooms cap.

• Place all these stems into a food processor and chop fine. Place in a small bowl and set aside
• Place mushroom caps onto a ungreased cookie sheet.  Set aside
• Cut up the small onion and place this into the food processor and chop fine.
• Melt the butter into a small sauce pan or skillet over medium heat.
• Add the onions and saute for 1 minute and then add the chopped mushrooms stems. Saute for another minute
• Turn heat off and add crumbled bread into the mixture and stir until moistened.  Add half of the Pepper Jack cheese and stir until melted

• Take 1/2 tsp of mixture and add to a mushroom cap.
• Continue until all caps are stuffed
• Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes.
• Take out and place on platter and top with leftover cheese and sprinkle chopped green onions on top and serve.

Turkey Salad Medley

Ham is usually tradition for Christmas.  With our families, we have both Ham and Turkey (we tend to try and please everyone).  Now by this time, I am a little tired with all the cooking and big family get togethers and just a little more tired of Turkey.

I have a recipe though that will change your mind about what to do with that left over Turkey other than making sandwiches out of it.  If you are planning a small get together for New Years, try this recipe.

 Ingredients:

• 1 small turkey breast (cooked,de-boned skinless) about 2 cups grated
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped fine
• 1/2 onion, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup sweet relish (I used zucchini relish I canned this fall)
• 3 tablespoons salad dressing (do not use Mayonnaise here)
• 2 tablespoons of diced green onions or parsley
• Salt/pepper to taste
• Dash hot sauce (optional)

 Directions:

• Grate the Turkey breast until fine in a food processor
• Place in a large bowl
• Add celery, onions and relish.
• Stir

• Add the Salad Dressing and hot sauce (optional)
• Add salt and pepper to taste
• Sprinkle in the green onions or parsley

Add more or less of each ingredient to taste.  This is absolutely wonderful on crackers.  I have tried it on a sandwich, but its sooo much better with the crackers.  This is a really good dish when you have all your other finger foods for New Years.  Or just sit and have it with a cup of hot tea and enjoy.

 Avocado Dip in Adobe Sauce

The day for the BIG GAME is approaching fast.  Are you planning on staying in and inviting friends over?  Or just the family?  Either way, I have been cooking up some appetizers just for the occasion.  Try these wonderful, yet simple and easy finger foods for the big day.

 Ingredients:

• 3 Avocados, chopped
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1 tbs Chipotle in Adobe Sauce
• 1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped
• 1 lime

Always start with ripe Avocados.  These should be somewhat soft to the touch.  Avocados bruise easily, so when you buy them, please do not squeeze, or they will not last very long

 Directions:

• Cut Avocado in half long ways
• Twist apart
• Take knife and tap the seed until it sticks and then twist the seed out

• Cut each half into squares and spoon out and place in a medium bowl
• Mash with a fork
• Stir in onion, Chipotles in Adobo Sauce and the juice of the lime.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

I serve mine with slices of French Bread baguette.  If you don’t have Chipotles in Adobo Sauce, then Hot Sauce, any hot pepper or pepper flakes can be substituted.

If you have any left   use it on Tacos

 Stuffed Jalapenos

Now, I make these every year when they come ripe in the garden.  I usually flash freeze a bunch of them and then vacuum pack them for later in the year.  They are just as good as when I first made them.

Another wonderful Game Day munchie.

I will have to confess, once you have fresh vegetables out of the garden (especially your own) nothing tastes better.  But Jalapeno peppers, I find are just one of the exceptions.  You can find these green jewels in almost any grocery store and they really are just as good as you would find in a garden, any time of the year.  Don’t try this with tomatoes, they never are as good as they are in the summer. OK, lets get back to the recipe……….

Ingredients:

• 10 (or more) Jalapeno peppers, or any hot pepper that is available
• 1/2 lb Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded
• 1/2 lb cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teas hot sauce
• 2 cups oil (for deep frying)

Directions:

• Cut each pepper length wise and take out seeds.  Put aside
• Place flour and bread crumbs in separate bowl.
• Break eggs in a small bowl and whisk until mixed
• Mix cream cheese and Pepper Jack cheese together.  Stir in hot sauce
• Fill each pepper half with the cream cheese mixture
• Roll the stuffed peppers in the egg mixture, then roll in flour, and then roll in bread crumbs
• Place the coated stuff peppers on a cookie sheet and place in refrigerator for 1/2 hour
• Heat oil to 325° and drop peppers into hot oil carefully.  Deep fry until peppers are brown.  About 2 minutes.  Do not overcook.

Serve with any ranch dressing.  These are excellent to freeze and warm up later.  To warm up, heat oven 350°. Place frozen peppers on cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.  Do not over bake at this step

Time for the BIG GAME and some food.

Queso Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp butter or margerine
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/2 lb Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
• 1/4 cup Cream Cheese
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup Salsa

Directions:

• Combine butter and flour in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Cook for 1 minute, stirring to combine
• Stir in the Cheddar Cheese, Cream Cheese, milk and salsa until combined
• Place in bowl and serve with torilla chips.

Other great recipes that you create for game day?  Let us know and we will share your favs.

• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 to 4 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 2 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1/2 medium head iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced ripe olives
• 2 jalapeno peppers, sliced
• Sour cream and salsa, optional

Directions:

• In a large bowl, combine 1 cup cheese, water and taco seasoning. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 16 balls.
• Place meatballs on a greased rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 12 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Drain meatballs on paper towels. Reduce heat to 375°.
• Arrange crescent rolls on a greased 15-in. pizza pan, forming a ring with pointed ends facing the outer edge of the pan and wide ends overlapping.
• Place a meatball on each roll; fold point over meatball and tuck under wide end of roll (meatball will be visible). Repeat. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.
• Transfer to a serving platter. Fill the center of the ring with lettuce, tomato, onions, olives, jalapenos, remaining cheese, and sour cream and salsa if desired.

 Sauerkraut Balls

As promised when I did a restaurant review on The Golden Lamb in Lebanon.  This is one of their many signature dishes.  I re-created this with a cayenne ranch horseradish dip that is to Die for.  This dip really brings out the flavor of the appetizer.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 med. onion chopped small
• 1 lb. bulk sausage
• 1/2 cup sauerkraut juice
• 1 small can beef broth
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 lb. sauerkraut drained and chopped.
• Oil for frying

Breading Mixture:

• 1 cup flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup bread crumbs, I used the Italian style.
• 1/2 cup milk

Directions for breading:

1. Using medium bowl, add 1/2 cup milk to eggs and stir.
2. Pour the flour in a medium bowl
3. Pour bread crumbs in another medium bowl
4. Set aside for breading

Directions for the Sauerkraut Balls:

1. Melt butter and add onions and saute until are softened
2. Add sausage and brown
3. Stir in the sauerkraut juice, beef broth, salt and pepper
4. Add flour and mix
5. Remove from heat and add sauerkraut, stir.  This will be a thick mixture
6. Form 1 inch balls.
7. Roll in flour.
8. Dip in egg and milk mixture.
9. Roll in bread crumbs.
10. Deep fry until golden brown.
11. Put on cookie sheet to drain.

Serve warm or at room temperature with the dip of your choice

These can be quick frozen (arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet and flash freeze). Place in plastic bags and label. Reheat oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

These are ready in about 10 minutes for your guests without the hassle.

Baked Honey Hot Legs with Blue Cheese Dressing

Here is another Game Day Winner.

I wanted to make chicken wings for Game Day.  The problem is, I could not find any that was on sale.  What I did find on sale however, was chicken legs.  I usually don’t buy chicken wings (and then only on sale) unless I am going to use them within a day or two, thus the problem of no wings for Game Day.

These turned out better than the wings.  There is more meat and the flavor is the same as on the wing.  Try these legs instead of chicken wings.  Kids love them just as well as the little drummies, just tell them that the drummies grew up

Chicken Legs

• 3 lbs. chicken legs, (skin removed, optional)
• 4 stalks celery, cut into thirds
• 4 carrots, cut in half
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup fat-free low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup Frank’s Red Hot sauce (or 1/2 cup other hot sauce)
• 2 Tbsp paprika
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp honey

Dip:

• 3/4 cup reduced fat sour Cream
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 2 Tbsp mayo
• 1 small clove garlic (chopped)
• 1 Tbsp skim milk or buttermilk
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions for Dip:

1. Stir sour cream, blue cheese, mayo, garlic, milk and lemon juice in a medium bowl until combined but still chunky.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Directions for Chicken Legs:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°.  Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Put chicken legs in deep skillet; add 3 pieces of celery, 3 pieces of carrot, bay leaves, chicken broth, hot sauce, paprika, butter, honey and 1/2 cup water and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Simmer till chicken is cooked, about 10 min.
3. Transfer legs to prepared baking sheet and arrange in single layer; reserve the sauce in the skillet.
4.  Bake legs, turning once, until skin is golden and crisp about 40-45 min.
5. Meanwhile, simmer the reserved sauce over medium-low heat until slightly thickened about 15 min.
6. Discard celery, carrot and bay leaves.
7. Return legs to skillet and toss with the sauce.

Serve legs with the blue cheese dip; cut the remaining celery and carrot into sticks to serve on side.

Oh, by the way….the other half of Frugal Creations, Ruth,  is promoting healthier foods.  Check out her posts to eat healthy and exercise.  (I guess she doesn’t know that you really can’t start this until after the Super Bowl )