Bacon and Cheddar Toasts

YIELD

Makes 56 hors d'oeuvres

ACTIVE TIME

25 minutes

TOTAL TIME

1 hour

INGREDIENTS

1. • 1/2 lb extra-sharp white Cheddar, coarsely grated (2 cups)
   • 1/2 lb cold sliced lean bacon, finely chopped
   • 1 small onion, finely chopped (1/3 cup)
   • 1 1/2 tablespoons drained bottled horseradish
   • 1/2 teaspoon salt
   • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
   • 14 very thin slices firm white sandwich bread

PREPARATION

1. 1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
   2. Stir together cheese, bacon, onion, horseradish, salt, and pepper in a bowl with a rubber spatula until blended well.
   3. Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons mixture evenly to edges of each slice of bread with a small offset spatula or butter knife. Arrange slices in 1 layer on a large baking sheet and freeze, covered with wax paper, until firm, about 15 minutes.
   4. Trim crusts off bread and reserve for another use (see cooks' note, below), then cut each slice into 4 squares. Bake toasts on baking sheet until beginning to brown on edges, about 20 minutes.

Cooks' Note

• Reserved crusts (with some of topping still on them) can be baked at 375°F until lightly browned, about 10 minutes, then cooled. Break up crusts and sprinkle over salads.
• Toasts can be prepared and cut 2 weeks ahead and frozen, layered between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container. Thaw before baking.

 From Epicurious

How To Make Oven-Fried Pickles

How To Make Oven-Fried Pickles

Serves 4

What You Need

Ingredients

• For the pickles:
• 1 (16-ounce) jar dill pickle slices
• 1 large egg white
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• For the dipping sauce:
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• Equipment
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Rimmed baking sheet
• Gallon zip-top bag
• Thin, flat spatula
• Mixing bowls
• Whisk

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F and preheat a baking sheet. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 425°F. Place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack to preheat while you prepare the pickles.
2. Drain the pickles well and pat dry. Drain the pickles well. Place them in a single layer on paper towels, then pat the tops of the pickles dry with more paper towels.
3. Whisk the egg white. Place the egg white in a medium bowl and whisk until foamy, white, and soft peaks form, about 5 minutes.
4. Coat the pickles in the egg white. Add the pickles to the egg white and gently stir with a spatula to coat.
5. Coat the pickles in the flour and cornmeal. Place the flour, cornmeal, and Creole seasoning in a large zip-top bag. Seal the bag and gently shake to combine. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pickles to the bag. Seal again and shake the bag to coat the pickles evenly in the cornmeal mixture.
6. Bake the pickles on the preheated pan for 10 minutes. Pour the olive oil on the preheated baking sheet. Working quickly, remove the pickles from the bag, shaking off any excess cornmeal mixture, and place on the baking sheet, making sure they are spaced evenly and not touching. Bake until golden-brown and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce.
7. Mix up the dipping sauce. Place all the dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stir until smooth.
8. Serve the pickles warm with the dip. Using a thin, flat spatula, transfer the pickles to a serving platter. Serve warm with the dipping sauce.

Recipe Notes

Make ahead: The dipping sauce can be made and refrigerated up to 1 day ahead.

HY’S CHEESE TOAST

From blog post: Hy's Cheese Toast

Ingredients

4 thick slices white bread

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Grana Padano

1/4 cup grated aged Gouda or Swiss

1/3 cup grated old cheddar

a few drops of Worcestershire

Directions

Preheat the broiler. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until golden.

Meanwhile, stir together the butter, cheeses and Worcestershire. Take the toasted bread out of the oven, flip them over, and spread the butter-cheese mixture thickly over the untoasted side. Return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the toast is golden around the edges.

Cut into whatever sized pieces you like and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Lightened-Up Buffalo Chicken Phyllo Turnovers

Lightened-Up Buffalo Chicken Phyllo Turnovers

 

Print

Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

12 mins

Total time

37 mins

 

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Serves: Serves 18

Ingredients

• 3 oz. light cream cheese, softened
• 4½ tbsp nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1½ cup diced cooked chicken breast
• 3 tbsp (or more) hot sauce, to taste
• 3 tbsp crumbled bleu cheese
• 3 tbsp minced flat-leaf parsley
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1½ rolls Athens Fillo Dough (3/4 box), defrosted
• Cooking spray

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, using a fork, mix together the cream cheese and Greek yogurt until smooth.
3. Stir in the diced chicken breast, hot sauce, bleu cheese, parsley and salt. Taste and add more hot sauce, if desired.
4. Lay 1 sheet of the fillo dough on a large cutting board and lightly coat with cooking spray. Top with another sheet fillo dough, coat with cooking spray and repeat with one more layer of fillo dough and cooking spray.
5. While working with the individual sheets of fillo dough, cover the rest with a damp towel so it doesn’t dry out.
6. Cut the dough lengthwise in thirds. Place a scant 2 teaspoons of the buffalo chicken mixture about 1 inch from the bottom of section of dough. Fold the dough over top of the chicken mixture to form a triangle. Continue to fold, maintaining the triangle shape until the end of the dough is reached. Repeat with the other two strips of dough. Place on an ungreased baking sheet.
7. Repeat with the remaining dough and chicken mixture.
8. Bake until the turnovers are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve.

Notes

Weight Watchers Points: 3 (Points+), 2 (Old Points)

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 2 turnovers | Calories: 105.5 cal | Fat: 1.7g | Saturated fat: 0.8g |Carbohydrates: 16.0g | Sugar: 1.3g | Sodium: 207.3mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Protein: 5.6g |Cholesterol: 10.9mg

Hot Crab Puffs

Hot Crab Puffs

Serves 24 (Makes about 48 puffs)

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 pound crab meat
26 ounces puff pastry (3 sheets), thawed in the refrigerator overnight
Finely chopped chives, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a medium bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, butter, salt, celery seed, and Old Bay until smooth. Add the crab meat and stir to combine.

Cut the puff pastry sheets into 2-x2-inch squares. Gently press the squares into a mini muffin tin. Add a scant tablespoon of crab mixture to each square. Bake until the puff pastry just begins to brown at the edges, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with chives and serve hot.

Recipe Notes

• Make-ahead puffs: The puffs can be assembled the day before, covered in plastic wrap, refrigerated overnight, and then baked off the following day. They reheat well, in a warm oven, the same day they were cooked, but once cooked, the texture declines overnight.
• I prefer backfin crab meat over lump in this recipe because it fits better in the mini tarts.
• I have made these with two different brands of puff pastry and both required 3 sheets, with some scraps discarded. You can measure a sheet of puff pastry ahead of time to determine how many 2-x2-inch squares it will make.

Crab Rangoon Dip

Crab Rangoon Dip

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Yield 8 servings

A take-out favorite made into the creamiest, cheesiest dip of all, served with the easiest homemade wonton chips!

Ingredients

• 1 (12-ounce) package 2-inch won ton wrappers, halved diagonally
• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 12 ounces lump crab meat
• 1 cup shredded Black Creek Sharp White Cheddar Cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place won ton wrappers onto a baking sheet; coat with nonstick spray. Place into oven and bake until golden brown and crisp, about 5-6 minutes; let cool and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9-inch baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
• In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream. Stir in crab meat, 1/2 cup white cheddar cheese, Parmesan, green onions, Worcestershire, soy sauce, sesame oil, Sriracha and garlic powder; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Spread crab mixture into the prepared baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup white cheddar cheese.
• Place into oven and bake until bubbly and golden, about 20-25 minutes.
• Serve immediately with won ton wrappers.

Bang Bang Shrimp

Bang Bang Shrimp

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Yield 4 servings

This tastes just like Cheesecake Factory's version, except it's way cheaper and so much tastier!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, or more, as needed
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup Panko*
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
For the sauce
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Instructions

• To make the sauce, whisk together mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, honey and rice vinegar in a small bowl; set aside.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
• In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, flour, cornstarch, egg, hot sauce, salt and pepper, to taste; set aside. In a large bowl, combine Panko, onion and garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt and pepper, to taste; set aside.
• Working one at a time, dip shrimp into buttermilk mixture, then dredge in Panko mixture, pressing to coat.
• Working in batches, add shrimp to the skillet and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Serve immediately, drizzled with sweet chili sauce.

Notes

*Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb and can be found in the Asian section of your local grocery store.

2.6

http://damndelicious.net/2014/10/18/bang-bang-shrimp/

The post Bang Bang Shrimp appeared first on Damn Delicious.

Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken Wings

Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken Wings

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 7 hours

Total Time 7 hours, 10 minutes

Yield 6 servings

The easiest wings you will ever make. Just throw everything into the crockpot and you're set for the most tender, fall-off-the-bone chicken wings!

Ingredients

• 3 pounds chicken wings
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
For the sauce
• 1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha, or more, to taste
• 1 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Instructions

• In a large bowl, whisk together soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, honey, garlic, Sriracha, ginger powder, pepper and onion powder.
• Place wings into a slow cooker. Stir in soy sauce mixture and gently toss to combine. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-7 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours.
• In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water. Stir in mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
• Serve immediately, garnished with sesame seeds and cilantro, if desired.

Notes

Adapted from Six Sisters' Stuff

2.6

http://damndelicious.net/2014/10/01/slow-cooker-sticky-chicken-wings/

The post Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken Wings appeared first on Damn Delicious.

Sausage Balls

Ultimate Balls, Sausage Style

In a bowl, thoroughly mix the following:

•
  One pound Miss Bertie’s Pride Ground Sausage. The package at Rosewood was a pound and a half. I saved the half-pound for a pancake breakfast.

•
  4 cups shredded cheddar, aged seven years, from Happy Cow Creamery. This was about a pound of cheese.

•
  2 cups (one package) “Ya Mama’s Buscut Mix” by Gullah Gourmet. (Incidentally, that is not a typo. That’s how they spell it.) 

I recommend using plastic gloves to mix the ingredients and handle the balls, because you don’t want your hands to get all greasy. This combination is very hard to remove from underneath the fingernails. The size of the balls is up to you. I thought I preferred bigger balls, about two inches in diameter, but as I experimented with dozens of balls, I found I preferred slightly smaller ones, about one inch in diameter. One-inch balls are bite-sized and easier to eat. And eat them you will — each Sausage Ball tastes like an entire sausage biscuit, without all the crumbs.

Place the rounded balls on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil and cook them for about 15 minutes in a preheated 400-degree oven. Let them cool a little before transferring them to a paper towel, which will soak up some of the grease. Overly greasy balls are a travesty. 
This recipe makes four to six dozen balls, depending on your size preference, so you might want to freeze some for later. They hold up nicely when thawed and reheated.

Sausage balls are like pizza: always good. And with South Carolina’s own superior ingredients, they are even better. But be prepared: When you whip out these balls at a party, your guests will go nuts. - See more at: http://www.free-times.com/archives/its-time-for-sausage-balls#sthash.bKt3mlky.dpuf

SAVOURY CHEESE COOKIES

SAVOURY CHEESE COOKIES

Ingredients:

Flour - 1 cups

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Paprika - 1/2 tsp (or chilli powder)

Butter - 1/2 cup / cold

Cheddar cheese - 75 gms / grated

Egg - 1 beaten lightly with a fork with 1 tsp of mustard

Chilled water - 1-2 tbsps

Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds to decorate

Method:

• Sift the flour + salt + paprika.
• Cut in the butter into the flour mix to make a breadcrumbs like mix.
• Fold in half the beaten egg mix with a fork. (Reserve the other half of the egg for the glaze)
• Sprinkle water, a tbsp at a time, & bring the mixture together to form a soft, firm dough. Knead lightly until smooth.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Grease 2 baking sheets.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4" thickness and cut into desired shapes.
• Place on greased trays. Paint the reserved egg mixture over the cut-out cookies, sprinkle with sesame &/or poppy seeds.
• Bake till golden brown. ( Approximately 12-15 minutes)
• Remove from oven & cool on racks.
• Store in an airtight box.
• Makes 4-5 dozen cookies.

Rosemary Blue Cheese Ice Box Cookies

Rosemary Blue Cheese Ice Box Cookies

SUBMITTED BY: Real Butter

"Now here's something different. A buttery shortbread-like cookie infused with Blue cheese and fresh rosemary leaves. Serve with a full-bodied red wine and these savory cookies will have people talking through the new year."

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 ounces Blue cheese, softened*
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups nuts (pecans or walnuts), chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/2 tablespoon White or natural sanding (coarse) sugar

DIRECTIONS

1.     Whisk together flour, cornstarch and salt in a bowl; set aside. Cream together Blue cheese and butter with an electric mixer. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Slowly add flour mixture to butter and cheese mixture; beat to combine. Add cranberries and mix on low just until evenly dispersed.

2.     Divide the dough into two pieces and use parchment paper or plastic wrap to form the dough into two 1 1/2-inch diameter round or square logs. Set out two fresh pieces of plastic wrap and sprinkle the chopped nuts evenly over both. Roll the logs of dough in nuts until covered. Tightly wrap and seal the logs; refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours).

3.     Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Working with one log at a time, unwrap and slice logs into 1/4-inch discs. Place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Gently press about 3 small rosemary leaves on each cookie. Sprinkle each cookie with sanding sugar.

4.     Bake on a middle rack until bottoms begin to brown and tops just begin to turn from pale to golden; 12 to 18 minutes. Cool on sheets 1 to 2 minutes before removing cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

FOOTNOTE

• *Domestic Blue cheese gives cookies a clean flavor, color and texture. Use less flour with a Stilton-style cheese and more flour with a French-style Roquefort.