Ranch Sausage Stars

The family all headed up to cabin for New Years - and we did our annual New Years Eve meal as appetizers!!  Of course I had to try  some new ones!!  We had a little issue with getting the right ingredients - so if any one has a good spring roll recipe, let me know :)

These were really, really, really good!!  Pretty easy - my only suggestion would be to let the wonton bake a little longer....ours were good, but it was really hard to get them out of the pan - so they sort of broke apart as you ate instead of being bite size.  Other than that - they were super tasty!!

Makes 4-5 dozen

Ingredients:
1lb sausage, cooked
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
1 cup ranch dressing
2.25 oz sliced black olives
1/2 cup green and red pepper, chopped
1 package wonton wrappers
canola oil

Heat oven to 350.  Mix all ingredients.

Press wrapper into a mini muffin pan.  Brush with oil and bake for 5 minutes.  Remove wrappers from pan and place on baking sheet.  Fill with mixture.

Bake 5 minutes or until bubbly.

Crab Spread

New Years up at the cabin - WOOT WOOT!!  So yeah - this app looks AWFUL!!  We had some "issues" with our meals this weekend....haha.  "We" (aka Ross) bought green taco sauce....but in all fairness - it did have chili's listed in the ingredients....so yeah, it was almost the same as chili sauce.  It actually still tasted good - just had to keep your eyes closed to eat it :)

Makes 2 cups - Recipe Girl

Ingredients:
12 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons mayo
1/2 small onion, grated
6 oz chili sauce
6 oz can crab meat, drained and flaked apart
freshly chopped parsley

In a medium bowl, use a mixer and blend cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, mayo, and onion.  Spread on a serving platter.  Spread chili sauce over - then sprinkle with crab meat.  Sprinkle fresh parsley on top.

Refrigerate for several hours.  Serve with crackers.

Christmas Wreath Appetizer

Had the "adult" cousins over to our house after Christmas Day for some games - so even though we had been eating all day I had to make up some apps!!  I made up everything for this app the day before - and then just assembled them when we got home - and they were a hit! (only had 2 left)....and look....it's a WREATH!!  :)

Taste of Home - 16 servings

Ingredients:
2 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon dill weed

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1-1/2 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets

1 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper

Remove crescent dough from packaging (do not unroll). Cut each tube into eight slices. Arrange in an 11-in. circle on an ungreased 14-in. pizza pan.

Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing to a serving platter; cool completely.

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, dill and garlic powder until smooth. Spread over wreath; top with broccoli, celery and red pepper. Form a bow garnish with celery leaves. 

Herbed Goat Cheese Bites

So this was super good - but we did it a little different than it says below!  I didn't have time to cook the bread etc - so I just used leftover pita bread from our Pita Tree Appetizers - and served it that way!  It still tasted really good - and it was different than your normal cheese dip.  I really liked it!!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
1 (8-oz.) goat cheese log, softened
12 slices of loaf bread
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or cooking spray

Combine and finely chop the fresh herbs. Place the chopped herbs and sun dried tomatoes in a bowl and combine with the softened goat cheese until fully incorporated. Cover bowl in plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare the bread slices by cutting off the crusts. Cut each slice in half and gently press each half slice into muffin cups in muffin pans. Drizzle bread slices with olive oil or spray with cooking spray.

Bake the bread in muffin tins at 350° for 7 to 9 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned. Remove from oven; let cool in pans 5 minutes.

Place a dollop of the goat cheese mixture onto the toasted bread slices and serve.

Pita Tree Appetizers

We are heading to the Sodahls for Christmas Eve - and we get to stay the WHOLE night long!!  First time for that - and first time for this app!!  Technically, new apps are not "allowed" to be introduced but these were so good - and hey....they were festive so it was ok :)

Betty Crocker - makes 32 servings

Ingredients:
4 flavored or plain pita folds or pita (pocket) breads (about 6 inches in diameter)
16 thin pretzel sticks, halved
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup guacamole
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon garlic-pepper blend
1/4 cup very finely chopped red bell pepper

Cut each pita fold into 8 wedges. Insert pretzel stick half into center of bottom of each wedge to form "tree trunk."

In small bowl, mix sour cream, guacamole, parsley and garlic-pepper blend. Spread about 1 teaspoon sour cream mixture on each pita wedge.

Blot bell pepper with paper towel to remove excess moisture. Sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon bell pepper on each wedge or arrange to form a garland. If desired, cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours before serving.

Sodahl "secret" Cheese Ball

It wouldn't be Christmas Eve at the Sodahls without chex mix from Bruce, chicken wings and wild rice soup from Barb, and the cheese ball from Stacy!!  Stacy was in Atlanta this year - so the tradition was passed onto us - so I made Ross make it :) Tastes amazing - and is a hit at every party!!  (Stacy even won an award somewhere for best app....)

Ingredients:

2 (8oz) cream cheese
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
Small jar Port Wine cheese (see picture)
Small jar Armour dried beef (see picture)
Sour cream
2 bunches of green onions
Crackers

Cut dried beef into small pieces.  Mix everything together in a bowl - and then squeeze with hands to form a ball.....snowman.....tree....whatever you want!!  (This is a good time to wear those kitchen gloves - keeps your hands all nice and clean!)

Then top with sour cream - and sprinkle green onions on top.  Super easy and Super tasty!!

Menu Boards

For Christmas this year - I decided to make some menu boards for people!! (including myself)!  I saw this idea given to someone for their wedding, and being that I cook and come up with my menu each week - I figured I would pass the love on! 

It's SUPER easy to make - and if you don't have a cricut machine to make your letters - COME ON OVER!!  (Rossy just got me one for Christmas -- woot woot!!)

Supplies:
Picture frame
Scrapbook card stock
Cricut
Vinyl Letters
Dry Erase Marker

All I did was create the letters using Perrine's silhouette machine - and NOW I can use my cricut!!  I headed to Michael's and found the Vinyl Letters (they were about $10) - and then print and stick!!

Throw some pretty scrapbook card stock in the back of the frame - and attach a dry erase marker....and AWESOME!!!  Super easy and so fun!!