Another Appetizer Night!

You know, sometimes it is just fun to ditch the main course and have appetizers for dinner. We do this every couple of months in our extended family just for fun.

Here is our most recent edition!

Prosciutto and Parmesan Pinwheels

Ingredients:

1 (17.5 ounce) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
5 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
5 ounces Parmesan cheese, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons prepared Dijon mustard

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Roll the thawed pastry out onto a flat surface. Spread Dijon mustard, to taste, on the pastry sheets. Cover pastry with a layer of prosciutto, then cheese. Roll the sheets, beginning at the long side. Cut into 1 inch thick sections. Arrange the sections on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by MOONSEEME. You can find it here.

Notes: These were really tasty. They were a big hit.

Cheesy Ranch Bacon Potato Nuggets with Ranch Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

Nuggets:

1 bag (28 oz) frozen potato nuggets (tater tots)
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8 oz)
1 cup cooked real bacon pieces (from a jar or package)
2 tablespoons ranch dressing mix buttermilk recipe; from 0.4-oz package)
Salt and pepper to taste

Dipping Sauce:

2 containers (5.3 or 6 oz each) plain Greek yogurt
1 package (0.4 oz) ranch dressing mix (buttermilk recipe)

Directions:

Bake potato nuggets as directed on bag.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl, toss cheese, bacon pieces, and 2 tablespoons dressing mix.

Set oven control to broil. Top baked potato nuggets evenly with cheese-bacon mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Broil 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

In small bowl, stir together yogurt and 1 package dressing mix. Serve potato nuggets with dipping sauce. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Source: Betty Crocker. You can find it here.

Notes: What a great way to dress up tater tots! These were great, and especially a big hit with the kids. They are great on their own, but don't forget to dip them in the sauce!

Ryan's Reverse Popper Dip

Ingredients:

8 slices bacon
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 teaspoon minced sweet onion
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
2 (8 ounce) packages Neufchatel cheese, at room temperature
2 cups shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
10 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped (you can use bottled jalapeno peppers for a milder dip)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; place a baking rack atop the aluminum foil.

Lay bacon strips in a single layer on the baking rack.

Bake in the preheated oven until crisp, 25 to 35 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

Heat canola oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion in the hot oil until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Coarsely chop 4 slices bacon; mix with bread crumbs in a bowl. Coarsely chop the remaining 4 slices bacon to mix with dip.

Mix Neufchatel cheese, Cheddar cheese, onion-garlic mixture, chopped bacon, jalapeno peppers, cumin, and oregano in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle. Spoon mixture using a rubber spatula into an 8-inch pie pan. Sprinkle bread crumb-bacon mixture over dip.

Bake in the preheated oven until dip is bubbling and topping is lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Cat Hill. You can find it here.

Notes: I liked this, but it was spicy. I would substitute the 10 jalapeno peppers with a large bottle of sliced jalapeno peppers, chopped, in the future. Just my personal preference.

Tex-Mex Jalapeno Cheese Ball

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. (8 oz) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped red onions
1 fresh jalepeno pepper, seeded, minced (bottled chopped jalapeno pepper to taste can be substituted)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided

Directions:

Beat first 3 ingredients in medium bowl with mixer until blended.

Add onions, peppers, cumin, and 1/4 cup cilantro; mix well. Shape into ball. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Roll in remaining cilantro until evenly coated.

Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

Source: Kraftrecipes.com. You can find it here.

Notes: Tasty stuff! I think I would use bottled jalapeno pepper in the future though, just to make it a little less spicy.

Red Velvet Cake Batter Dip

Ingredients:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup dry red velvet cake mix
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix until smooth and creamy.

Serve at room temperature with graham crackers, vanilla wafers, or fruit.

Source: Jen's Favorite Cookies. You can find it here.

Notes: This was fantastic. Really rich though, so beware! A little goes a long way.

BLT Dip

Ingredients:

2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
2 cups mayonnaise
2 pounds sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
6 plum tomatoes, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
Crumbled cooked bacon or thinly sliced green onions, optional
Assorted crackers or chips

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, bacon, tomatoes, and onions. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with bacon and green onions, if desired. Serve with crackers or chips.

Yield: 6 cups.

Source: Taste of Home. You can find it here.

Notes: The flavor combination was so good. However, I felt that there was more sauce than needed. I would keep all of the ingredients/amounts the same in the future, but I would only use 1 cup of sour cream and 1 cup of mayonnaise.

Roasted Garlic Dip

Ingredients:

3 heads garlic, unpeeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 tablespoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Cut off the top of the heat of garlic to expose the cloves, trimming about 1/4 inch off the top of each clove. You may need to trim individual cloves along the sides of the head. Brush the cut cloves with a small amount of olive oil, then nestle the head into a piece of aluminum foil.

Bake in the preheated oven until the cloves are tender and nicely browned, about 1 hour. Remove, and allow to cool to room temperature.

Once cool, squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins and into a mixing bowl. Mash well with a wire whisk, then add the sour cream, mayonnaise, green onions, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Whisk until evenly blended, then refrigerate 2 to 4 hours to allow the flavors to blend.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by chase. You can find it here.

Notes: My opinion? This is the perfect dip to serve with regular ruffled potato chips!

Slow Cooker Curry-Mustard Glazed Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz) jar pineapple preserves
1 (8 oz) jar Dijon mustard
1 (8 oz) can pineapple tidbits in unsweetened juice, undrained
1/2 cup firmly packed darm brown sugar
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 1/2 lb. frozen cooked Italian meatballs (about 80 meatballs)

Directions:

In small saucepan, combine all ingredients except meatballs. Bring to a boil. Place meatballs in slow cooker. Stir in preserves mixture.

Cover; cook on High setting for 4 hours, stirring twice. Stir well before serving.

Makes 40 servings.

Source: Betty Crocker. You can find it here.

Notes: These were very tasty and flavorful!

Smoked Sausage Appetizers

Ingredients:

3/4 cup red currant jelly
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
3 tablespoons prepared mustard
2 packages (1 pound each) miniature smoked sausages, drained

Directions:

In a large saucepan, combine the jelly, barbecue sauce, and mustard.

Cook, uncovered, over medium heat, for 15-20 minutes or until jelly is melted and mixture is smooth, stirring occasionally.

Add sausages; stir to coat. Cover and cook 5-6 minutes longer or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve with toothpicks.

Yield: 8 dozen.

Source: Taste of Home. You can find it here.

Notes: These were really tasty, and were a big hit with the kids. These went fast!