Lemon Raspberry Fruit Nachos

Lemon Raspberry Fruit Nachos

Recipe from Studio 5

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces fresh or frozen thawed raspberries (about 2 cups)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 10 medium sized (8 to 10 inch diameter) flour tortillas
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 8 ounces Neufchatel or light cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup lemon curd
• 6 cups diced fresh fruit, such as raspberries, blueberries,
• Strawberries, peaches, kiwi fruit, etc.
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Method:

Serves 4 to 6; Total time 60 minutes

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a small saucepan, bring raspberries, water and sugar to a boil. Stir and boil until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and strain through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing firmly with a rubber spatula so as to leave only seeds in strainer. Stir in lemon juice and salt. Taste and add a little additional sugar if desired for sweetness. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 1 hour.

3. Meanwhile, cut each tortilla into eight triangles with a pizza cutter. Hold each triangle under running water, wetting each side. Place wet tortilla triangles on a sheet of wax paper. Mix together sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle tortilla triangles generously with sugar mixture. Turn tortilla triangles over and sprinkle other side generously. Place coated tortilla triangles in a single layer on a wire rack that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and placed on a baking sheet. (You will need to bake in two batches.) Bake 5 minutes, then turn triangles over. Cook another 5 to 8 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy, watching closely the last few minutes so as not to burn. Remove from oven and cool.

4. Remove raspberry syrup from refrigerator and stir, adding a little water if necessary to make a medium syrup. In a separate bowl, mix together cream cheese and lemon curd, adding a little water if necessary to make the consistency of sour cream.

5. Spread tortilla crisps on a large serving platter. Drizzle first with cream cheese mixture and then with raspberry syrup. Sprinkle diced fruit over top. Sprinkle with a little powdered sugar as a garnish. Serve immediately.

Funeral Potatoes

Funeral Potatoes
Recipe by Our Best Bites (and church kitchens around America)

1 small-medium onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 Tbsp. butter
1 28-oz. bag shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 c. sour cream
1 10-oz. can cream of chicken (or cream of mushroom) soup
2 1/4 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
OPTIONAL: Crushed cornflakes, seasoned bread crumbs, crushed potato chips, or crushed Ritz or saltine crackers

Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Remove from heat. Add the thawed hash browns, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, cheese, salt, and pepper and combine well. Add additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Spread the mixture into a 9×13″ (or similar) dish and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the casserole is hot in the center and the cheese is bubbly throughout. Serve as a main dish with a salad and fruit or alongside roasted ham, turkey, chicken, or beef. Makes 6-8 main dish or 10-12 side dish servings.

Creamy Berry Goodness!

Creamy Berry Goodness!
Recipe from www.bcomingbetty.blogspot.com

Frozen mixed berries (I used two smaller bags from Walmart)
1 tub Cool Whip*
1 large container of vanilla yogurt (I used Stoneyfield french vanilla)
1 small package of cheesecake pudding mix

Pour berries into a large bowl. Add the Cool Whip and yogurt and then sprinkle on the pudding mix.
Stir together really well until it's all combined and looks pretty. Chill before serving.

Turkey Cheese Ball

Turkey Cheese Ball
Recipe from www.brandyscrafts.blogspot.com

Here is a fun appetizer that I made for Thanksgiving last year. It was a HIT!

I used felt to create a turkey head. I used 2 pieces, sewed all the way around

with a small hole in the bottom, then slid a skewer in the bottom to attach the turkey to the ball. You could make a head out of cardstock as well and glue a toothpick or skewer in between the layers of cardstock).

Then I added crackers and pretzels in it for the feathers and loaded up the platter with more crackers.

This makes a lot!

But since it is made from cream cheese, it will store for a while in the refrigerator.

Easy Cheese Ball

3 packages of cream cheese

1 package of dry ranch mix

3 1/2 c. shredded cheese, whatever you like

1/3 c. diced green onions

2 c. almonds (toasted)

Mash cream cheese in a bowl. Add next 3 ingredients. Form into a ball shape and roll in nuts. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 8 hours (to allow ranch to distribute evenly...otherwise it'll be too salty).

Serve with crackers.

Make sure to let the cheese ball chill for the 8 hours, then add the crackers right before serving. Do not refrigerate the crackers and the assembled turkey for 8 hours. The crackers will get soft.


*Should of posted this last week. But I guess it will be good for next year :)

Layered Pasta Salad

Layered Pasta Salad
Recipe from Kraft Recipes

3 cups medium shell pasta, cooked, drained

1 large Red onion, sliced

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen peas, thawed, drained

1 pkg. (6 oz.) OSCAR MAYER Smoked Ham, chopped

1/2 cup KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise

1/2 cup KRAFT Ranch Dressing

1 cup KRAFT Natural Three Cheese Crumbles

1 cup halved grape tomatoes

LAYER first 4 ingredients in 3-qt. clear serving bowl.

MIX mayo and dressing; spread over salad to seal. Top with cheese and tomatoes; cover.

REFRIGERATE several hours or until chilled. Toss gently before serving.

Fruit & Poppy Seed Salad

Fruit & Poppy Seed Salad
Recipe from www.beckyhiggins.com

1 pkg. baby spinach or mixed greens (about 8 oz.)
1 pkg. strawberries, hulled & quartered
2 apples, diced
1 medium cucumber, cute in half & sliced
craisins
sliced toasted almonds
bottle of poppy seed dressing (we like Briannas brand)

Put the greens in a large bowl. Add all of the sliced & diced fruit. Add a little dressing at a time so it’s not too much and then top with the sliced almonds just before serving (to keep them crunchy).

Restaurant Style Salsa

Restaurant Style Salsa
Recipe from www.thepioneerwoman.com

Ingredients

• 1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice
• 2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies)
• ¼ cups Chopped Onion
• 1 clove Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Quartered And Sliced Thin
• ¼ teaspoons Sugar
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• ¼ teaspoons Ground Cumin
• ½ cups Cilantro (more To Taste!)
• ½ whole Lime Juice

Preparation Instructions

Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like—I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.

Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or cheese nachos.

Strawberry Romaine Salad

Strawberry Romaine Salad
Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 head romaine lettuce - rinsed, dried, and chopped
• 2 bunches fresh spinach - chopped, washed and dried
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
• 1 Bermuda onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Directions

1. In a large salad bowl, combine the romaine, spinach, strawberries and sliced onion.
2. In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, milk and poppy seeds. Shake well and pour the dressing over salad. Toss until evenly coated.

Stuffed Strawberries

Stuffed Strawberries
Recipe from allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 pint fresh strawberries
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons orange flavored liqueur, or to taste (optional)
  

Directions

1. Cut the tops off of the strawberries and stand upright on the cut side. Make a cut 3/4 of the way down from the tip of the strawberry towards the bottom.
2. Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and liqueur until smooth in a mixer or a food processor. Place into a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe into each strawberry and arrange on a serving platter.

Homemade Croutons

Homemade Croutons
Recipe from Amber Hendrix

Cut whole wheat bread into 1 inch cubes.
Coat with spray butter or olive oil & garlic salt.

Bake at 300 for 10 minutes or until dried out.

Fiesta Noodle Salad

Fiesta Noodle Salad
Recipe from Lindsay Kelly

1 12oz. pkg of noodles
1 can corn
1 can spiced Olives
1 can kidney beans
1 can garbanzo beans
2 cups mayo
2 cups buttermilk
1 pkg. fiesta ranch package

Cook pasta. Mix all together. Serve chilled.

Add tomatoes, avacados or cheese.

Green Enchilada Sauce

Green Enchilada Sauce (Kate's Knockoff Cafe Rio Recipe)
Recipe by Our Best Bites

2-3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, minced
5-6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 green peppers, chopped
1-2 jalapenos, seeded and membranes removed if desired (and I desire. Always.)
1 1/2 lb. tomatillos, husked and quartered or halved
1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
4 c. chicken broth
2-3 Tbsp. sugar (optional and to taste; the sauce Cafe Rio uses seems to be slightly sweet, so if I'm using this sauce for enchilada-style burritos, I generally add a little sugar, but for everything else, I leave it out.)

In a large saucepan or stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic until tender and fragrant.

While onions are sauteeing, combine tomatillos, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, and cilantro in your blender. Process until smooth; you may have to do it in batches and/or add some chicken broth to make things blendable.

Pour the tomatillo mixture over the onions and garlic and add chicken broth, salt, pepper, and cumin. Simmer 15 minutes-1 hour, depending on the consistency you want. I usually turn the heat to high and boil it uncovered until I reach the consistency I want; it makes things go a lot faster. The sauce can also be simmered in a slow cooker all day.

Serve over tacos, as an enchilada sauce, inside burritos, or as a dip for chips.

Roasted Vegetable Salad

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Vinaigrette Dressing

Serves: 3 to 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes


• 8 small carrots, sliced into rounds
• 6 small zucchini, sliced into rounds
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
• 3 squash, sliced into rounds
• 1 (15.5-oz.) can chickpeas
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 heads romaine lettuce, washed and torn into small pieces
• 1 cup cucumbers, sliced
• 2 ripe red tomatoes, sliced
• Vinaigrette dressing of your choice


1. Preheat oven to 425º
2. Toss together carrots, zucchini, peppers, yellow squash and chickpeas on a large sheet pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and lightly spray with olive oil. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring once. Let cool.
3. In a large bowl, combine lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes. Add grilled vegetables and toss with dressing.