Egg and Cheese Puffs

INGREDIENTS:

* 1/2 package of morning star sausage or morning star bacon
* 10 eggs, beaten
* 1 (16 ounce) container cottage cheese
* 1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
* 1 (7 ounce) can diced green chile peppers, drained
*
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup butter, melted
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt


DIRECTIONS:

1. Place bacon or sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine eggs, cottage cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, chile peppers and bacon. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Remove cheese mixture from refrigerator; stir in flour, butter, baking powder and salt. Spoon batter into 24 lightly greased muffin cups.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until puffs are slightly golden on top.

Jalapeño Poppers

"Sharp Cheddar cheese is the rich, delicious filling for these spicy favorites! They are baked rather than deep fried. You'll want to pop them down one after another!"


INGREDIENTS:

* 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
* 1 (8 ounce) package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
* 1/4 cup mayonnaise
* 15 fresh jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1/2 tablespoon milk
* 1 1/2 cups crushed corn flake cereal



DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking sheet.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, sharp Cheddar cheese and mayonnaise. Stuff jalapeño halves with the mixture.
3. Whisk together eggs and milk in a small bowl. Place crushed corn flake cereal in a separate small bowl.
4. Dip each stuffed jalapeño half into the egg and milk mixture, then roll in corn flake cereal to coat.
5. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until filling is bubbly and lightly browned.

Mouth Watering Stuffed Mushrooms

INGREDIENTS:

* 12 whole fresh mushrooms
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 1 tablespoon minced garlic
* 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Carefully break off stems. Chop stems extremely fine, discarding tough end of stems.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chopped mushroom stems to the skillet. Fry until any moisture has disappeared, taking care not to burn garlic. Set aside to cool.
3. When garlic and mushroom mixture is no longer hot, stir in cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, onion powder and cayenne pepper. Mixture should be very thick. Using a little spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of stuffing. Arrange the mushroom caps on prepared cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the mushrooms are piping hot and liquid starts to form under caps.

Mushroom Tortellini

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 pound cheese tortellini
* 2 large portabella mushrooms
* 1/4 cup white wine
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 8 ounces Alfredo-style pasta sauce
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese


DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Meanwhile, prepare mushrooms by rinsing and thinly slicing the mushroom caps; discard the stems.
3. In a medium skillet over low heat, combine wine, parsley, garlic and mushrooms; stirring frequently, saute for approximately 5 minutes or until mushrooms are cooked through.
4. Remove skillet from heat and slowly add Alfredo sauce, stirring to blend; season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Separate hot pasta into four portions and spoon sauce over pasta. Garnish with cheese and serve immediately.

Cranberry Spinach Salad

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 tablespoon butter
* 3/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered
* 1 pound spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces
* 1 cup dried cranberries
* 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
* 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 2 teaspoons minced onion
* 1/4 teaspoon paprika
* 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
* 1/4 cup cider vinegar
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil


DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook and stir almonds in butter until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and let cool.
2. In a large bowl, combine the spinach with the toasted almonds and cranberries.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, onion, paprika, white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, and vegetable oil. Toss with spinach just before serving.

Double Tomato Bruschetta

INGREDIENTS:

* 3 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
* 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
* 1-1/2 cloves minced garlic
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
* 2 tablespoons fresh basil, stems removed
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/2 French baguette
* 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven on broiler setting.
2. In a large bowl, combine the roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.
3. Cut the baguette into 3/4-inch slices. On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly brown.
4. Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.
5. Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Spinach Dip with Water Chestnuts

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
* 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 1 envelope dry vegetable soup mix
* 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
* 3 green onions, chopped


DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, dry vegetable soup mix, water chestnuts and green onions. Cover and chill in the refrigerator approximately 2 hours before serving.