Cranberry Almond Spread

1 (8-ounce) container strawberry cream cheese
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese (you can find this with the specialty cheeses at Maceys)
1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped almonds, toasted
2 teaspoons lemon zest

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, and refregerate until time to use. Serve with any kind of sweet bread or muffin. You can use any kind of dried berry or nut if you prefer something else. I have also made it with cherries and pecans.

Trisha Burk

Tapenade with Toast (From YW progressive dinner)

1 baguette style French Bread
1/2 cup pimiento stuffed green olives
1/2 cup kalamatta olives (or any kind of dark olive)
1 Tbsp. capers
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 Tbsp. tomato, finely chopped and seeded
2 Tbsp. thinly sliced green onion


In the food processor, combine olives, capers, olive oil, mustard, vinegar, and garlic. Pulse until almost smooth (I do it 3 times), scraping sides as you go. Stir in tomato and onion, and chill.

Slice baguette into 1/2 inch thick slices, brush with olive, and sprinkle with pepper on both sides. Place on cookie sheet and toast in 425 oven for 2-3 minutes on each side.

Trish Burk

Veggie Dip

Kaleena Jensen

8 oz sour cream
8 oz mayo
1 TBSP dillweed
1 TBSP Bon appetit
2 TBSP minced onions

Mix together and serve with vegetables

South of the Border Salad (aka blackbean salsa)

2 cans corn drained
1 can blackbeans rinsed
2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilles
3/4 c. chopped green onions
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/3 c. lime juice
1 Tbsp cilantro
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cumin

Combine all ingredients. Tastes best if the flavors marinate overnight. Eat with tortilla chips. PS, I used to have a cookie addiction until I got this recipe from Jen Bastian. Now I seriously make this salsa once a week!
Annai

Spinach Dip

1 pkg frozen chopped spinach
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
1 pkg dry Ranch mix
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. sour cream (I use reduced fat and it tasted just as good)

Thaw spinach and drain liquid. Chop the water chestnuts. Combine all ingredients, mix thoroughly. Chill You can eat this with veggies, crackers, and my favorite tortilla chips. Be careful it's possible to each the whole bowl full in one sitting!
Annai Smith

Hot Cheesy Bean Dip

16 oz. can refried beans
1 c. salsa
2 c. grated Jack and Cheddar Cheese
1 c. sour cream
3 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1 Tbsp. chili powder

Mix together in crockpot and heat on high for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Posted by Michelle Davis

Parmessan Cheese Bites

2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup sliced almonds, finely chopped
1 tsp Italian seasonings
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pkg (8 ounces) cream cheese, well chilled
spaghetti sauce, warmed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put Parmesan cheese, almonds, and Italian seasoning in a small bowl, mix well. In a separate small bowl, combine egg and garlic. Unwrap cream cheese. Slice in half width wise, then each piece in half horizontal, then vertically into 24 pieces. Dip cream cheese into egg mixture then coat with Parmesan mixture. Arrange on baking stone (or cookie sheet) Bake 20 mins or until lightly brown. (If using cooking sheet, I would check after 15 mins) Serve with sauce. Adapted from a Pampered Chef recipe. Yummy!
Posted by Rachel Swanton

Carmel Surprise

1 8oz. package cream cheese (I use Neufchatel cheese)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat together and serve with fruit. Apples taste best.

-Marla

Crispy Crab Rangoon

Kristi John

1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped imitation crabmeat
1 teaspoon minced garlic
16 wonton wrappers
oil for frying
sweet and sour sauce

In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add the onions, crab and garlic; mix well. Place about 1-1/2 teaspoons in the center of each wonton wrapper. Moisten edges with water; fold opposite corners over filling and press to seal.
In an electric skillet, heat 1 inch of oil to 375 degrees. Fry wontons for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Serve with sweet and sour sauce. *Tip: fill wonton wrappers a few at a time, keeping the others covered until ready to use.




Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 cup sugar
½ cup vinegar
½ cup chicken stock
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water to thicken

In a medium saucepan combine everything but the cornstarch and water mixture. Bring to a boil and add the cornstarch mixture to thicken.

BBQ Little Smokies

Kristi John

1/4 cup minced onion
2 teaspoons butter, optional
½ cup ketchup
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon dry mustard


Saute onion in butter. Add rest of ingredients and bake with 2 packages of little smokies at 325 degrees for approximately 1 hour.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Posted by Melanie G.

**I think everyone has their favorite version of this recipe. This is mine and I love it so much I could eat it as a main dish.**

5 garlic cloves

1 10 oz. bottle store-bought alfredo sauce

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 14.5 oz. can artichoke hearts (non-marinated), roughly chopped

1 8 oz. package cream cheese (softened)

Wrap the garlic cloves in tin foil and bake them at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. When they are cool to the touch, squeeze them out of their skins and finely chop. Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl. It's ok to have clumps of cream cheese. The mixture won't be completely smooth. Spread the mixture into an 8X8 pan and bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and hot. Serve with chips or baguette slices. And please, please try not to eat the entire dish yourself (and if you do, destroy all evidence and get your bum on the treadmill NOW!).

Black and White Bean Dip

Posted by Melanie G.

**Yum. That is all I can say. I could eat this entire dish. Can you tell I love to eat??**

1 can of black beans

1 can of white beans (I used Great Northern beans)

1 can of shoepeg corn

1 7oz can of Herdez salsa verde

2 cups of shredded Colby Jack cheese (I used 1 cup monterey jack, 1 cup sharp cheddar)

4-6 chopped roma tomatoes (squeeze liquid out of tomatoes before chopping)

garlic salt to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon)

Avocado-optional

Rinse and drain both cans of beans. Also drain the can of shoepeg corn. Make sure to squeeze liquid out of tomatoes before chopping so the dip doesn't turn runny. Put everything (except for the avocado) in a bowl and mix together. Spray a shallow baking dish (I used a glass pie plate) with nonstick spray before spooning in the bean mixture. Sprinkle a little cheese on top and pop into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and it is all warm and bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with diced avocado and serve with tortilla chips.

Spicy Pretzels-Katie E.

2/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 oz. pkg Ranch Dressing Mix
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp chayene pepper(red pepper)-add as much as you want for desired hotness....
(2) 10 oz. bags of pretzels

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, then put pretzels in a large zip lock bag and pour the mixture over and seal bag and shake until coated real well. Bake on 200 degrees for 1 hour.

Cheddar Fondue

Lesli Dustin
One night our family had a fondue party and this is the one that I've had requests for again.

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground mustard
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups milk
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
French bread cubes

In a small saucepan, melt butter, stir in flour, salt, mustard, pepper, and W. sauce until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat and add cheese; cook and stir until cheese is melted. Keep warm and serve with bread cubes.

Hot Crab Rangoon Dip

posted by Melanie G.

**I have only ever made this recipe halving it because we can't eat the entire thing. Ok, so I could, but then I'd need to run to my treadmill and stay there for a long time. It works great halved - I mix all the ingredients together and split them between two ramekin dishes and bake them that way. If you don't want to fry wonton chips, serve with tortilla chips or crackers.**

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, cut into cubes
2 (6-ounce) cans lump crabmeat, drained and shredded
1 (10-ounce) can condensed shrimp bisque
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 scallion, finely chopped

For the Won Ton Chips:
Canola Oil
1 package won ton wrappers
Salt, to taste

Preheat broiler.
Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl and stir to combine. Place in a broiler-proof serving dish and broil for 10 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

For the Won Ton Chips
Heat 2 inches of canola oil in a Dutch oven or fryer to 350 degrees F. Add won ton wrappers in batches to fry lightly. Remove from oil and let drain on paper towels before serving. Season with salt.