Category Archives: #appetizers&sides

Jalapeno bites

#appetizers&sides, #food4life, index

0 sugar calories

~Shopping List~

  • 2 jalapeno peppers, sliced in half lengthwise
  • 1 Tbsp creamy goat cheese
  • 1 Tbsp cream cheese
  • 1 Tbsp Parmesan, grated
  • 1 Tbsp tomato, chopped
  • 1/2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 4 slices bacon
  • 4 toothpicks

~To do~

Preheat oven to 375F.  In a bowl, mix together the goat cheese, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, tomato, and cilantro.  Fill the jalapeños with the cheese mixture.  Wrap each stuffed jalapeño with 1 slice of bacon and secure it with a toothpick.  Place stuffed and wrapped jalapeños in a small baking dish, sandpit in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes or until bacon is crispy.

Sharon’s dressing

#appetizers&sides, #familyRecipes, #food4life, #foodFAVS, index

~ Shopping List ~

  • Martha White’s white cornmeal mix (you’ll be making 2 9″ skillets for the full recipe)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 5-6 slices of white bread
  • Sage (dry)
  • Poultry seasoning
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1 Large Onion
  • 1/4 cup butter or margarine
  • Turkey stock (if you are making this with Turkey use the stock generated during cooking.  If not, any stock will work.  You will need enough to make your mixture “soupy” but not so thin that it does not set during baking.)

~ To do ~

  1. Make cornbread according to directions on the package (add sugar before cooking).
  2. Toast the bread.
  3. Crumble the cornbread and bread together into a very large bowl (should resemble bread crumbs).  Add at least 1 tablespoon each of poultry seasoning and sage.  You will adjust to taste later.  Add salt and pepper.  Mix together.
    * Up to the above points may be done the same day or up to 5 days in advance.  If done in advance, keep refrigerated until ready to use.  Remove from refrigerator enough in advance to bring it to room temperature before baking time.
  4. Melt the butter in a frying pan and sweat the onion until transparent.  Add onion and butter to the bread mixture until evenly distributed.
  5. Add broth until you reach a firm soupy consistency.
  6. Taste the mixture and adjust sage, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper to desire taste.
  7. Pour into a large non-stick (or glass) baking dish.  Bake in a low heat oven (in the neighborhood of 350) until brown on top and set.  Normally around 20 minutes.
  8. Serve hot.

Provençal White Bean Dip

#appetizers&sides, #food4life, index

~ Shopping List ~

  • 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 head roasted garlic
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • The leaves of 1 stem of fresh rosemary
  • The leaves of 3 stems of fresh thyme

~ To do ~

  1. Add all the ingredients to a food processor and puree until smooth.

* To roast garlic, slice off the top quarter of the garlic, wrap in foil, and bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour. Then, squeeze out all the flesh.

Broccoli casserole

#appetizers&sides, #familyRecipes, #food4life, #foodFAVS, index

No matter where I find myself, this dish always reminds me of home.  Maybe one day I’ll be able to make it like my mom.

~ Shopping List ~

3 cups broccoli
1 medium onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups grated cheese

1 tablespoon butter
2 cups Ritz Crackers

~ What to do ~

Boil or steam broccoli and onion until tender (if boiled, drain water after it is cooked).  While waiting for broccoli to cook, heat butter in frying pan, crush crackers and cook in butter until browned, set aside.  When broccoli is cooked, mix all ingredients except crackers together and pour into  a greased baking dish.  Top with crackers and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes.

Do like the spicy side of life?  Try adding a little cayenne with the crackers.

Squash casserole

#appetizers&sides, #familyRecipes, #food4life, #foodFAVS, index

~ Shopping List ~

  • 3 cups squash, roughly chopped
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 cups grated cheese (cheddar)
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 cups Ritz Crackers

~ What to do ~

  1. Boil or steam squash and onion until tender (if boiled, drain water after it is cooked).  
  2. While waiting for squash to cook, heat butter in frying pan, crush crackers and cook in butter until browned, set aside.  
  3. When squash is cooked, mix all ingredients except crackers together and pour into  a greased baking dish.  
  4. Top with crackers and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes.