something from leftover pork - filling can be made ahead of time and reheated
BARBECUED PORK QUESADILLAS
MAKES 4 TO 6 MAIN DISH SERVINGS OR 8 TO 12 APPETIZER SERVINGS
½ lb. shredded barbecued pork
½ c. barbecue sauce
¼ cup fresh parsley
5 green onions, minced
8 6-inch flour tortillas
1 c. Mexican four-cheese, shredded
2 T. butter or margarine, softened
Toppings: sour cream, sliced green onions, barbecue sauce
Combine pork, sauce, parsley and onions. Divide among shells; sprinkle with cheese; fold over; press to seal. Spread butter on both sides of shells; Heat in skillet.
SAVORY BREAD STICKS
Use a can of refrigerated bread stick dough. Coat with a mixture of Parmesan, minced garlic and sesame seeds. Place on lightly greased baking sheet to bake.
HOT & SPICY NUTS
MAKES 2 ½ C.
1 T. oil
2 t. sugar
½ t. pepper
½ t. cinnamon
½ t. ginger
½ t. red pepper
1 jar (11 oz.) mixed nuts (2 1/3 c.)
1/8 t. salt
Heat oven to 325* F. Heat oil and sugar in small saucepan over low heat until hot. Remove from heat; add spices and stir. Let stand 5 minutes for flavors to develop. Place nuts in medium bowl, add oil mixture and coat well. Spread evenly on baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes until nuts are toasted. Cool on wire rack.
Sprinkle with salt; toss to coat. Store airtight. Will keep for 2 months.
HOT PASTRY APPETIZERS
MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN
PASTRY:
1-2/3 c. flour
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t. salt
2/3 c. butter flavor crisco
3 to 4 T. milk
MUSHROOM FILLING:
3 T. butter flavor crisco
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, finely chopped (about 2-1/2 c.)
1/3 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. snipped fresh parsley
2 T. flour
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
CRAB FILLING:
1 T. butter flavor crisco
1/4 c. chopped green onion
1/4 c. finely chopped celery
1 pkg. (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. grated Swiss or Cheddar cheese
1 can (6-1/2 oz.) crab meat, rinsed and drained
FOR HAM FILLING:
1 T. butter flavor crisco
1/4 c. chopped green onion
1/4 c. finely chopped celery
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. grated Cheddar cheese
1 can (6-3/4 oz.) chunk ham, drained and flaked
In medium bowl combine flour, Parmesan cheese and salt. Cut in crisco to form coarse crumbs. Add milk, 1 T. at a time, mixing with fork until particles are moistened and cling together. Form dough into ball. Refrigerate while preparing desired filling. For mushroom filling, in small skillet melt crisco. Add mushrooms, onion and parsley. Cook and stir over medium heat until tender. Add flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Continue to cook and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat. For crab filling, in small skillet melt crisco. Add onion and celery. Cook and stir over medium heat until tender. Remove from heat and set aside. In medium bowl mix cream cheese, Swiss cheese and crab meat. Stir in onion and celery. For ham filling, in small skilled melt crisco. Add onion and celery. Cook and stir over medium heat until tender. Remove from heat and set aside, in medium bowl mix cream cheese, Cheddar cheese and ham. Stir in onion and celery. Preheat oven to 400* F. To prepare pastry, divide dough in half. Roll each half 1/8-inch thick on lightly floured board. Cut shapes with 2-inch round cookie cutter. Assemble according to directions at right. Bake at 400* F for 10 to 15 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool slightly on wire rack. Serve warm. Serve with dairy sour cream for dipping, if desired. Tip: Appetizers may be assembled and refrigerated overnight before baking. Bake at 400* F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until light golden brown.
CREAM CHEESE-VEGETABLE SQUARES
MAKES 20 SQUARES
1 pkg. refrigerated crescent rolls
8 oz. cream cheese
½ c. mayonnaise
1 env. Ranch dressing mix
1/3 c. finely chopped broccoli
1/3 c. finely chopped cauliflower
1/3 c. finely chopped celery
1 c. (4 oz.) finely grated Cheddar
Press dough into 13 X 9-inch pan; seal perforations. Bake at 350* F. for 20 minutes or until golden; cool. Combine cream cheese, mayo and dressing mix; spread over crust. Sprinkle with veggie mix and cheese; gently press into cream cheese mixture. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. Cut into squares to serve.
BOB'S FAMOUS STUFFED MUSHROOMS
1 lb. fresh mushrooms, 1 1/4 inch diameter or larger
1/4 lb. proscuitto, sliced paper thin
1/4 c. minced mushroom skirts
1/4 c. imported grated romano
1/4 c. seasoned Italian bread crumbs
1/4 c. grated sharp asiago
Prepare the mushrooms, removing the stems, and trimming the skirt, reserving 1/4 c. soft skirt trimmings for stuffing. Trim the proscuitto of fat, and cut pieces to fit the mushrooms. Save scraps and fat and see note below. Mix minced soft mushroom, bread crumbs, and Romano, spoon into mushroom caps. Sprinkle Asiago on top of stuffed mushrooms. Bake at 325* F. for 25 minutes, or full power in microwave for 8 minutes. Either way, continue until cheese is melted. Serve hot.
NOTE: Throw mushroom stems, and excess skirt in saucepan, plus proscuitto scraps with water, simmer for 1/2 hour. Strain the liquid. Freeze, and use as soup stock.
Keep fresh grated cheese in freezer. Mold develops quickly on these cheeses.
STUFFED MUSHROOMS
PARMESAN STUFFING:
1/2 c. grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. bread crumbs
2 T. parsley flakes
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 t. salt
Pinch pepper
SAUSAGE STUFFING:
1/2 lb. ground sausage
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1/3 c. water
Wash fresh mushrooms and remove stems, leaving only caps. Brush mushroom caps with cooking oil. Place mushroom caps (with cupped side facing up) in 13 X 9-inch baking dish. Fill mushroom caps with prepared stuffing.
If using Parmesan stuffing, drizzle cooking oil over filled mushroom caps. Bake until hot. Serve hot.
Almond Maple Granola
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup blanched slivered almonds
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 (14 ounce) package flaked coconut
1/3 cup unsalted sunflower seeds (optional)
6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
6 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins
1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Lightly grease a cookie sheet with sides, or a large cake pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, toss together the oats, almonds, wheat germ, coconut, and sunflower seeds. In a separate bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, brown sugar, oil, water and salt. Pour the liquid over the oat and nut mixture, and stir until evenly coated. Spread out on the prepared cookie sheet. If you want some chunky bits, squeeze some small handfuls into little clumps.
3. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally until evenly toasted. Mix in raisins. Cool, and store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Texan Cocktail Nuts
1/2 cup butter melted
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 to 3 dashes hot pepper sauce
3/4 cup unsalted shelled pistachios
1 pound raw cashews
2 pounds unsalted, raw pecan halves
Garlic salt to taste
White pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Mix butter, Worcestershire, chili powder and pepper sauce in glass measuring cup.
Combine nuts in large roasting pan and drizzle with butter mixture, stirring to coat. Bake 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread out on paper towels (labeled for use with food) to dry. Season with garlic salt and white pepper.
Cajun Pretzels
1 box sourdough pretzels, broken into bite size pieces
1 cup vegetable oil
1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
In a roasting pan, mix oil and all seasonings well. Add broken pretzels and stir well to marinate. Cover and bake for 2 hours at 200 degrees F, mixing well every 30 minutes. Lay on a brown paper bag to remove excess oil. Store in covered container.
Hot Dog and Bacon Roll-Ups
2 pounds (20) hot dogs, cut in thirds crosswise
1 pound bacon (20 slices), cut in thirds crosswise
brown sugar
Take a piece of hot dog and piece of bacon, wrap bacon around hot dog. Secure bacon to hot dogs with toothpicks. Place one layer of wrapped hot dogs in bottom of crockpot and sprinkle generously with brown sugar.
Repeat until all the hot dogs have been used, ending with more brown sugar. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or cook on HIGH 3 to 4 hours.
Makes 60 hot dog and bacon appetizers.
Sausage Appetizer
1 8 oz. jar prepared sweet and sour sauce
2 c. ketchup
1 pound bacon
2 cups brown sugar
2 rings kielbasa (or your favorite sausage)
Cut sausage into 1 1/4 inch chunks. Cut bacon strips in two, short way. Wrap each sausage chunk with bacon strip and spear closed with a toothpick. Place meat in 9" x 13" pan. Back covered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Stir sauce ingredients together and pour over meat. Bake one hour more uncovered. The sauce caramelized on the meat.Makes approximately 30 appetizers.
This recipe also works well with smoked bratwurst.
Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
24 fresh mushrooms
1 pound chub-packed pork sausage
1/2 pound of pepper cheese, grated
Clean mushrooms, remove stems. Place mushrooms on cookie sheet. Stuff with sausage and sprinkle with grated cheese. Place under oven broiler for six to eight minutes, or until sausage is crisp. Serve immediately.
Savory Chicken Bites
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 t. lemon juice
1/2 t. dried basil leaves, crushed
1/4 t. onion salt
1/8 t. dried oregano leaves, crushed
1 Cup finely chopped cooked chicken or canned chicken
1/3 c. finely chopped celery
1 2 oz. jar chopped pimiento, drained
2 8 oz. cans refrigerated crescent rolls
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 t. sesame seeds
Combine cream cheese, lemon juice, and seasonings. Mix until well blended. Stir in chicken, celery, and pimento; mix well. Separate roll dough into 8 rectangles; firmly press perforations to seal. Spread each rectangle with cream cheese mixture, leaving 1/2-inch of dough on one long edge. Roll up starting with the long edge that's spread with cream cheese mixture. Seal edges. Brush with egg; sprinkle with sesame seed. Cut each roll crosswise into four pieces. Place seam side down on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.
Stuffed Kielbasa
1/4 cup butter
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
2 tbsp parsley
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp prepared mustard
1 tbsp horseradish sauce
1 cup crushed Ritz crackers
1 lb. Kielbasa sausage
Saute butter, onion, and celery for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add parsley, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, horseradish sauce, and Ritz crackers to saucepan. Meanwhile, boil kielbasa in water for 5-10 minutes. Immediately after removing it from the water, make a slit down the middle the long way from one end to the other about half the thickness of the kielbasa. Stuff with cracker mixture and bake at 350 degrees about 25 minutes. Once finished baking, slice the kielbasa into 3/4" to 1" slices and stick a toothpick into each piece for easy serving.
NOTES: Sometimes I add some crushed Cheez-It crackers or a small amount of parmesan cheese to the mix for a little cheesier flavor.
Easy Crabbies
Easy-to-make ahead crab appetizers on English muffins that can be heated under a broiler.
1 Stick butter
1 jar old english cheese spread
1 1/2 tsp mayo
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1 can crab meat
6 english muffins
Soften butter & cheese. Mix with mayo and salts. Add crab meat. Spread on English muffin halves. Freeze until solid. Cut into pie wedges. Store in plastic bag until needed. Heat under broiler.
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