Sausage Rolls

Photos courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

     I was looking for an appetizer idea to bring to a party in March, so an Irish-themed item came to mind. But what? After some thought, I remembered that years ago I had made sausage rolls over the holidays.
     Sausage rolls are standard fare throughout Scotland, Ireland and England. They're filled with very basic ingredients (sausage and onion) and wrapped in a light dough. The rolls bake just until the light crust is a golden brown. They're perfect little hand-held snacks.
    At our house, we like them with a spicy mustard or mayonnaise based dip. The girls that came over for cards the other night liked them just fine, too, and asked me to share.

Sausage Rolls
1 lb. ground sausage

1/8 cup onions, diced fine
1/8 cup bread crumbs
1 pkg. puff pastry (thawed but chilled)
Dijon mustard
2 eggs
1 tsp. parsley
salt and pepper to taste (not much)

Preheat oven to 400.

Mix sausage, onion, 1 egg, parsley, bread crumbs and a little salt and pepper in medium bowl.

Layout pastry on baking sheet.
(Do not spray pan.)

Cut into 6 pieces along fold. Spread a little Dijon on pastry.

Make 6 large balls out of sausage, almost baseball size.

Roll each into a log and place on pastry.

Fold pastry over sausage, tucking edges together.

Turn so that seam is on bottom of pan.

Filled pastries.

With sharp knife cut to desired length. (about 1-1/2 inches for appetizers)

Brush lightly with 1 beaten egg.

Rolls brushed with egg for oven.

Bake 15-20 minutes until golden.

Makes 24 snacks.

Just out of oven

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Cheeseball

Photos courtesy of The Cooking Corner.

     Recently we poker girls got together for our annual birthday card party. Everyone brings a dish and their beverage of choice, along with a birthday card and lottery ticket. We have a grand time and snacks are always a priority. 
     This time I brought an easy cheeseball that I'd been wanting to try for awhile. It was a simple, tasty treat that would be perfect for any upcoming sports events or party.

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Cheeseball
2 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (1 oz.) packet Ranch dressing mix (dry)
1/4 cup onion, fine diced
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup chives, freeze-dried
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
 
Combine all ingredients in medium bowl, mixing well. Form into a ball. 

Wrap in plastic wrap, put in a bowl and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Turn onto plate surrounded by choice of crackers.

Serves 10-12.

Texas Bean Dip

Photo courtesy the Cooking Corner.

    Not too long ago the girls and I got together for card night. We all bring a dish, play cards and laugh a lot. Sometimes it gets a little loud, but it's always funny. 
   Since it was getting close to "game day," we all brought dishes to share that had a football food theme. Appetizers and cards just seem to go together. 
   The dish I brought to share was a bean dip that featured some Tex-Mex flavors that was so simple. Most of the ingredients are just your normal kitchen staples. It didn't take long at all to fix and was best right out of the oven, all warm and creamy.
   One note, this is very rich and filling, so a little goes a long way. It's easy to cut the batch in half. Sturdy crackers or chips are recommended since it's a tad thick.

Texas Bean Dip
1 cup sour cream
1 (8oz.) pkg. cream cheese, cut into chunks
2 cans refried beans
1can diced green chilies
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
4 cups (2-8 oz. pkg.) shredded Mexican cheese blend

Preheat oven to 350. Spray coat a 13x9x2 baking dish.

In a large microwavable bowl, place cream cheese and sour cream. Cook in microwave 1 minutes and stir or whisk well to blend.

Add remaining ingredients except 1 pkg. or 2 cups of the shredded cheese to the softened cheese mixture. Stir well to combine.

Pour into 13x9 pan and spread evenly. Top with remaining cheese and bake 25- 30 minutes until cheese is melted and hot.

Serves 10-12.

Spinach Dip

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

      A zipped up veggie dip is a nice thing to offer at any get together. This spinach dip was one of the options at a recent carry-in at work. There's only a few easy ingredients, it takes very little time and can be made with as much heat as you like.

Spinach Dip

Recipe courtesy Nancy (and Steve) Wilder
10 oz. frozen spinach

1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped

1 pkg. Knorr's vegetable dip

16 oz. sour cream

1 cup mayonnaise

crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Combine all ingredients, mixing well. 

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Dipping options - carrots, celery, sliced button mushrooms and crackers 

Slow Cooker Drunken Smokies

Photo courtesy Mark Short.

    Once a month our company has "food day." We all pitch in, bring a dish and share. It makes work a little more fun. Recently, our theme was football food and all kinds of goodies came in for testing. There were dips, cookies and soups.
     The most talked about dish of the day was these drunken little baby hot dogs that tasted like a shot of booze with each bite. What a surprise. But upon reheating later, these little smokies were just fine with a nice BBQ flavor.
    I had to ponder this because usually any alcohol cooks off. But maybe not when all the moisture is captured in the slow cooker? Once the lid was removed and the pot sat for a while, the strong alcohol flavor had time and means to evaporate. This is so well worth giving a test run.

Slow Cooker Drunken Smokies

Recipe courtesy of Mark Short, 
Princeton Daily Clarion Production Manager
2 - 18 oz. bottles BBQ sauce

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup ketchup     

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 cup chopped onion, (minced onion can be substituted) 

1/2 cup bourbon         

2 - 32 oz. pkg. little smokies

Mix all ingredients except smokies in a slow cooker. 

Stir well to combine. Add smokies.

Cook on low in 4-5 hours. 

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

   For those of you who like chicken wings, but aren't a big fan of BBQ or buffalo sauces, here is a different twist on wings. My son made these one Sunday afternoon and we were very pleased with the outcome. There's a slight garlic flavor and the cheese coating provides a nice mellow crunch. Boiling the wings before hand seems to keep them moist (like a brine) and helps reduce baking time. It's a nice change of taste for wings.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings

Cooking spray

3 quarts cold water

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup salt

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. rosemary

8 cloves garlic, minced

1 pinch salt

3 T. olive oil, or as needed

1 T. ground black pepper

2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

4 pounds chicken wings, separated at joints, tips discarded

2 T. Italian bread crumbs

1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 450. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat foil with cooking spray.

Combine water, vinegar, 1/4 cup salt, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, and rosemary in a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Add chicken wings, return to a boil, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove chicken wings with a slotted spoon to a cooling rack and allow to dry for 15 minutes.

Mash garlic and a pinch of salt together in a mortar and pestle until smooth.

Combine mashed garlic, olive oil, black pepper and red pepper flakes in a large bowl. Add chicken wings and bread crumbs; toss to coat. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. 

Bake in the preheated oven until browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Recipe can easily be cut in half.

Spicy Ritz Crackers

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    I found this recipe somewhere floating on the internet and saved it to try sometime. Well sometime turned out to be at the last girls poker game. If you like a little heat, this will do you well. It's not your typical Ritz cracker.

Spicy Ritz Crackers
1 stick melted butter
1 packet Ranch dressing mix, dry
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 T. red pepper flakes (less if you wish)
1 tsp. garlic powder.
1 box Ritz crackers

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss box of Ritz crackers gently with all 5 ingredients.

Spread on a sprayed baking sheet or two.

Bake in 300 degree oven for 15 minutes, stirring after 7 minutes to prevent over browning.

Holiday Cheese Spread

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner

    My department at work is great when it comes to sharing and that includes recipes. One of my crew brought in this cheese spread to share and it quickly became a favorite of everybody in the office. Now we'll share it with you.

Holiday Cheese Spread

Recipe courtesy of Diana Spear

2 pkg. 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 jars Old English cheese spread

1 jar Roka Blue cheese spread

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 T. parsley flakes

crushed pecans

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended.

Refrigerate in a covered dish for at least a few hours to blend flavors. 

Serve with crackers, chips or broken bread.

Spicy Stuffing Balls

Recipe and photo courtesy of Mark Short, Mt. Carmel, IL

      Anyone who really knows me would probably also know that my standard go-to dish for any group occasion is sausage balls. I make these appetizers yearly for the Christmas potluck at work and have toted them off to poker night with the girls. I serve them at almost every holiday meal. 

     Over the years I've tried a number of combinations of meats, cheeses and spices. Italian sausage and mozzarella will taste very different than a mild sausage and sharp cheddar. Chorizo sausage and taco cheese adds a Mexican flare, but hot sausage and pepper jack cheese with a sprinkle of crushed red pepper will light you right up. 

    With all of the substitutions that I've done over the years, never once have I thought of substituting the baking mix. However, one of the guys at work told me that's just what he did. Instead of your standard Bisquick, he used pork flavored "Stove Top Stuffing."  This never even occurred to me. But why not?

    He even brought me a sample. Wow, was he right. The stuffing gives it a slightly different texture, somewhat lighter, and the herbs in the stuffing mix add much more flavor. I was impressed.

Spicy Stuffing Balls

1 lb. ground hot sausage

1 lb. shredded pepper jack cheese

2 cups pork flavored Stove Top Stuffing mix (dry)

In a large bowl mix all ingredients. Form into walnut size balls and place on baking sheet.

Bake in preheated 350 oven 20-25 minutes.

Cooked sausage balls can be frozen and reheated for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Sausage balls out of the oven.

Italian Sausage Bites

Photos courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    After taking the summer off for vacations and multiple activities the girls and I finally got back together for a round of cards. It had been awhile, a long while. We had all kinds of things to catch up on. 
   One of our daughters had posted online a recipe for Crescent Sausage Bites - three ingredients and bake for 20 minutes. With too much to do and not enough time, this sounded good to me. This appetizer turned out to be easy, traveled well to the party and was given a thumbs up by the girls.
 
Italian Sausage Bites
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
1 tsp. roasted garlic
1/2 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1/2 (8 oz.) pkg. shredded Colby Jack or mozzarella
2 pkg. Pillsbury garlic butter crescent rolls
dash salt and ground black pepper
3 T. grated Parmesan cheese for topping

In a small pan, brown sausage; drain. Add roasted garlic and a dash of salt and pepper. Stir. Blend in cream cheese until it's melted. Add shredded cheese and stir to blend. 

Remove from heat. (This will look like a gooey glob, but that's OK.)

Unroll one package of crescent rolls and put on a baking sheet. Press the seams together to seal them. Spread the sausage/cheese mixture evenly over the crescent roll dough, leaving about a 1/4-inch border around the edge.

Unroll the other package of rolls and place on top of the sausage mixture. Press the edges together to seal and then press the seams on top together. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese.



Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until crescent roll dough is golden but not brown.

Mexicorn‬ Dip

‪

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    While looking through my files of saved recipes that I'd like to get around to trying, I came upon this recipe for a dip using just 6 ingredients. One of my friends had shared this and I tucked it away for a rainy day. With a girls poker game coming up, this seemed like the perfect time to try it. I needed something easy, simple and that would travel well without having to be kept warm or reheat. This worked out great and the girls all gave it a thumbs up.

Mexicorn Corn‬ Dip
2 cans Mexi-corn
1 can Rotel
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 green onions, sliced
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream

Drain corn and place in medium mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients and mix well.

Place covered in fridge for 1-2 hours to chill and combine flavor.

Serve with scoops, crackers or chips.

Makes 4 cups.

Cheesy Garlic-Herb Pull Apart Bread

Photo courtesy Cooking Corner

   A good bread is my weakness and appetizers are my favorite, so it wasn't hard at all to love the taste of this chewy, herb-flavored bread. The smell of garlic and herbs was heavenly and it was easy to tear off a chunk of this cheesy bread to munch on while mingling. 
  This dish was so good that it won best appetizer award at a recent holiday recipe contest. Congrats and thanks for sharing.

Cheesy Garlic-Herb Pull Apart Bread

Nora Miller - Patoka

Nora Miller, Patoka, IN

1 - 16 oz. round sourdough bread loaf

1/2 cup butter softened

2 T. chopped fresh parsley - divided

1 T. chopped fresh basil

2 tsp. white wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350º. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Using a serrated knife, cut bread into a crisscross pattern, cutting to but not through bottom of bread. Place on prepared pan.

In a small bowl stir together butter, 1 tablespoon parsley and next 3 ingredients until combined. Sprinkle cheese between all cuts in bread, and spread butter mixture between all cuts and on top of bread.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is crisp. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon parsley. Serve while hot.

Taco Bites

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

   At this year's Holiday Recipe Contest, one of the appetizers that made it to the finals was a snack by Brenna Crooks of Mt. Carmel - Taco Bites. They are a little meatball cradled in a tortilla scoop between salsa and sour cream that's topped with shredded cheese. It's a hand-held appetizer that would be perfect as a game day nibble. This is a recipe I'll be tucking away for football playoffs.

Brenna Crooks, Mt. Carmel, IL

Taco Bites

Brenna K. Crooks - Mt. Carmel

28 oz. bag frozen meatballs (such as Farm Rich brand)

1 pkg. scoop style tortilla chips

16 oz. finely shredded cheddar cheese

1 pkg. shredded lettuce

8 oz. sour cream

16 oz. salsa

Cook meatballs per package directions.

While they cook arrange scoops on serving plate. Fill bottom of each chip with shredded lettuce, then top lettuce with small spoonful of salsa. 

When meatballs are finished, top salsa with one meatball. Add small dollop of sour cream, then add shredded cheese. 

Serve immediately. 
Makes approx. 50 bites. 

*For a spicy version you can add a sliced jalapeno ring ring on top of the salsa layer.

Asian Meatballs

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

     The girls were coming over for cards and I picked an Asian theme for the appetizers that night. I thought finger foods such as egg rolls, wontons and chicken wings would be fun or at least different. 
     I came up with the idea of meatballs coated in an Asian sauce. The meatballs turned out very moist, easy to make and they reheated well. It was also nice to keep them warm throughout the night.

Meatball ingredients.

Asian Meatballs
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 cup Panko crumbs
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 T. parsley

Sauce
1/3 cup Hoisin sauce
1/8 cup rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minces
1 T. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Preheat oven to 400. Spray coat a baking sheet.

In medium bowl combine all meatball ingredients until well blended.

Shape into 1 to 1-1/2 inch balls and place apart on baking sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes.

Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stir to mix well. Set aside.

When meatballs are done place in sauce bowl, working in batches and stir to cover. Place in slow cooker on low to keep warm. Pour remaining sauce over meatballs and keep warm until ready to serve.

Makes 16 meatballs. Recipe easily doubled.

Meatballs out of the oven.

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

David Cordray, Shelter Insurance

    Appetizers are one of my favorite parts of a meal. I love nibbling and these little bacon wrapped water chestnuts are just perfect. The water chestnuts offer a slight crunch but the bacon with a simple sauce add the flavor. These little morsels were the award-winning appetizer at a local fundraiser and everybody raved about them. Since the "chef" was nice enough to share, we can make them, too.

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

1 pound smoked bacon

1 8 oz. can whole water chestnuts

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup brown sugar

20-25 toothpicks

Partially fry the bacon, it should still be limp but cooked. Cut bacon in half. Drain chestnuts.

Wrap bacon around chestnuts. Pierce chestnut and bacon with toothpick. Arrange on a lipped cookie sheet.

Mix ketchup and brown sugar. Pour mixture over bacon wrapped chestnuts. 

Bake at 225 degrees for 1 hour. The mixture should caramelize when completely cooked.

Shrimp and Sausage Bites

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    Last weekend for the "Big Game," I tried a new shrimp idea. I marinated and then skewered them with sausage slices. The flavors of garlic with a hint of Italian oregano seemed like a good combination with the sausage. This dish turned out so good that it made me want to try other flavor variations. It was also nice that this was easy to do and cooked quickly.

Shrimp and Sausage Bites
1/2 lb. medium fresh shrimp (about 30), peeled and deveined
5 links smoked sausage, sliced in 1/2 inch pieces
1 tsp. garlic powder (or 1 clove garlic, minced)
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 T. sherry
1 T. red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil, plus 2 T. for cooking
2 T. parsley

In plastic container with lid, combine all ingredients except parsley and reserved 2 T. olive oil. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes to marinate.

Skewer shrimp and sausage alternating so that shrimp wrap around sausage slices.

In a large skillet, heat oil. Working in batches, place 3-4 skewers in skillet and cook 3-4 minutes on each side until shrimp is cooked through (pink) and sausage is lightly browned.

Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle with parsley. 

Serves 4-6.

Note - Best eaten right away. When reheated too long the shrimp get rubbery.

Chili Cheese Dogs in a Blanket

Little dogs just out of oven. Photo courtesy the Cooking Corner.

    Do you have football food leftovers? It seems as though there is always just a little of this-and-that remaining from game day. With an extra roll of crescent dough, a bit of chili and some of those little smokies, I came up with an idea of how to make 4 simple ingredients into a whole new dish. 
   This idea takes a little chili cheese dog and puts that piggy into a blanket. What fun. It's a hand-held, two-bite snack that would make a nice side for a bowl of soup on a chilly night.

Chili Cheese Dogs in a Blanket

1/2 cup coney sauce, thin without beans

16 little smokies

1/3 cup shredded cheese

Dogs ready to roll.

1 pkg. crescent dough sheet

Preheat oven to 350. Spray cookie sheet.

Roll crescent dough onto cookie sheet. Cut to form 8 rectangles.

Place 1 smoky on each square, top with 1 tsp. coney sauce and a sprinkle of shredded cheese. 

(Note: resist the urge to overfill or the filling will leak out.)

Carefully roll dough around smokies pinching edges together. 

Bake for 15-17 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. 

Makes 16.

Ready for oven.

Green Chili Wraps

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

     Some of my girlfriends have put different mixtures in soft shells and made a variety of wraps with meat and cheeses. I've always found this interesting, so I tried it with ranch dressing, olives and peppers and was surprised at how mellow these little snacks tasted. These are nice and easy bite-sized snacks that travel and store well.


Green Chili Wraps

1 cup mayonnaise

1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 packet ranch style dressing mix (powder form)

1 (4 oz.) can chopped olives 

Filling spread on soft shell.

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies

6 bunches green onions (finely chopped)

1/4 cup diced jalapeno peppers*

1 pkg. (8 count) large flour tortillas 

Mix all ingredients together until well combined.

Spread an thin coat evenly on tortillas and roll up making sure there are no air pockets.

Refrigerated for at least 1 hour or overnight. They cut easier when chilled and flavors have time to blend.

Cut into half-inch slices and serve or store in refrigerator for when needed.

* I used tamed jalapenos that were in a jar (Mezzetta).