Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pull-apart Bread

1 unsliced round of sourdough bread

8 oz block of cheddar cheese, sliced into thin slices

1/4 lb bacon, cooked & crumbled

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter melted

1/4 tsp dried chives

1/4 tsp dried parsley

1/4 tsp dill weed

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp seasoning salt

Pinch of black pepper

Cut the bread in a cross hatch pattern without cutting all the way through the bottom of the loaf.  Place it on a large piece of foil (large enough to cover & close it).  Place the thin slices of cheese in between the cut slices of bread.  Sprinkle the top with crumbled bacon.  Melt the butter in a large bowl then add the dried herbs & spices.  Mix everything together  and let it sit for a minute.  Pour the butter/herb mixture over the bread.  Wrap the foil all the way around the bread and put it on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes..  Uncover the bread and continue to cook for 10-15 min or until cheese is melted.  Let cool slightly and enjoy!

Cowboy Caviar

Ingredients

2 (15oz) cans black beans, rinsed

1 (17 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 large avocado, diced

1/2 red onion, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Dressing

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

3-4 Tbsp lime juice

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in bowl.

2. Cover and chill.

3 Garnish with avocado slices or cilantro sprigs.

3. Serve with tortilla chips

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

Ingredients


2 kiwis, peeled and diced
1 Golden Delicious apple - peeled, cored and diced
1 Crisp red apple  - peeled, cored and diced
1 Pomegranate - seeded
8 ounces raspberries
1 pound strawberries
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor
10 10" flour tortillas
butter flavored cooking spray
2 T cinnamon sugar

Directions


In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, apples, raspberries, strawberries, pomegranate  white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray.

Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.

Easy Cheesy Sausage Dip

1 lb. of Jimmy Deans Pork Breakfast Sausage
2 boxes cream cheese
2 cans Rotel Tomatoes (and onion/peppers)

Cook sausage, add cream cheese and stir until melted.  Add in Rotel and stir.  Serve w/ bread or chiops.

Grilled Corn Dip

Ingredients

• 6 medium ears sweet corn, husks removed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
• 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
• Tortilla chips

Directions

• Grill corn, covered, over medium heat for 10-12 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally.
• Cut corn from cobs. In a large skillet, saute the onion and jalapeno in butter for 2-3 minutes or until almost tender. Add corn and garlic; saute 1-2 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat.
• In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream and chili powder. Stir in cheese and corn mixture. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish.
• Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Sprinkle with olives and green onions; serve with chips. Yield: 5 cups.

Pizza Factory Twisted Breadsticks

Ingredients:
1 T. yeast

2 T. sugar

1 1/2 C. warm water

1 T. oil

1 tsp. salt

3 1/2 C. flour

3/4 C. melted butter - divided

3/8 tsp. granulated garlic

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary leaves

1/4 tsp. Season All

1 T. Parmesan cheese
8 - 1/4 inch wooden dowels cut into 18 inch lengths coated in vegetable oil

Directions:

Mix the yeast, sugar and water and let sit for a couple of minutes to dissolve the yeast. Add the oil, salt and flour and knead by hand or with your mixer with a dough hook for about 5 minutes.

Cover and let rise until double.

Divide dough into 8 equal parts, about 4 oz. each if you want to use a kitchen scale. Lightly flour your hands and roll the dough into about an 16-18 inch

long "snake". Moisten the top of your dowel or skewer and begin wrapping the dough around loosely. Moisten a little where the breadstick will end too. Pinch to secure the dough at the top and bottom. Leave about 5 inches at the end of the dowel, if you are using the longer dowels.

Hang over the edge of a 9x13 inch cake pan with all of the dough inside the pan. Let them rise until doubled. Brush with 1/4 C. melted butter.

Heat oven to 375. Bake at 375 for about 15- 20 minutes or until just golden.

Meanwhile mix the remaining 1/2 C. melted butter, seasonings and parmesan cheese.

When the breadsticks come out of the oven, brush them with the seasoned melted butter mixture.

Strawberry Fruit Dip

Ingredients
1 large container strawberry yogurt

8 oz strawberry cream cheese

1 pint whipping or heavy cream

strawberry or berry jam to taste (about 1/4-1/2 cup)

Directions
Beat cream cheese till smooth. Add yogurt and beat till smooth again. In a separate bowl beat whipping cream with 1 tsp vanilla and 2 Tbsp sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold into yogurt mixture. Add jam to taste. Chill in refrigerator. Serve with sliced fruit.

Grilled Corn Dip

Ingredients

* 6 medium ears sweet corn, husks removed
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
* Cayenne pepper (to taste)
* 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
* 1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
* 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
* Tortilla chips

Directions
Grill corn, covered, over medium heat for 10-12 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally. Cut corn from cobs.

In a large skillet, saute the onion and garlic in butter for 2-3 minutes or until almost tender. Add corn; saute 1-2 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, cayenne pepper and chili powder. Stir in cheese and corn mixture. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Sprinkle with olives and green onions; serve with chips. Yield: 5 cups.

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Ingredients
2 1/2 C Bisquick
1 C finely grated cheese
3/4 C milk
2 T melted butter
1/8 t garlic powder

Topping
1/4 C melted butter
1/2 t garlic
1/2 t parsley flakes
dash salt

Instructions
Mix first five ingredients until well combined. Shape into dough balls and place on baking sheet. Mix topping ingredients and brush onto dough balls. Bake at 400 degrees for 14-16 minutes, until tops are brown.

Cheese Straws

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
6 Tbls frozen butter
1 cupt grated chedar cheese (4 oz)
1 cup grated parmesean cheese (4 oz)
¼ cup ice water
Coarse salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400º. Butter a large baking sheet.
In medium bowl, combine flour and butter. Add cheeses
And mix with forks or pastry blender until well combined.
Gently stir in water. Shape in rectangle. Roll out to for a
large rectangle about ¼ inch thick. Cut in ½ inch strips.
Place on sheet and sprinkle with salt. Bake 15 min.

Makes 3 Dozen

Avocado Egg Rolls

From the California Avocado Commission. This recipe is similar to the "The Cheesecake Factory" version

Ingredients
1-1/2 lbs chopped red onion
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1-1/4 cups fresh lime juice
6 oz chopped dried tomato (packed in oil)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1-1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
1-1/2 tablespoons salt
12 medium California Avocados, seeded and
peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 6 lbs)
24 egg roll wrappers (6 inches)


Directions
Saute onion in oil until soft, about 5 minutes.
Stir in garlic; cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in lime juice, tomato, cilantro, cumin, and salt; fold in avocado.

Cool to room temperature.

For each roll, lay an egg roll wrapper on a work surface with corner at top.Put 1/2 cup cooled filling in a line from left to right on the center of the egg roll wrapper, leaving a 1-inch border on each side. Pull top corner over filling; fold in sides.
Roll once toward bottom corner. Moisten remaining corner with water; press firm to roll. Reserve on a lightly floured sheet pan, sealed side down.

Cover and refrigerate until service.

Note:
Egg rolls may be prepared to this point a few hours before service.

Per Serving
Deep fry 2 egg rolls at 375 degrees F until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Cut on the diagonal. Serve immediately.


Cheesecake Factory Tamarind-Cashew Dipping Sauce

Ingredients
1/4 c. chopped cashews
2/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, quartered
2 green onions, chopped
1 T. sugar
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cumin
4 tsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. tamarind pulp
1/2 c. honey
Pinch ground saffron
1/4 c. olive oil

Directions
Combine 1st 7 ingredients in food processor. Blend with
short bursts until the mixture is well blended, and the
cashews and garlic have been chopped into pieces about
half the size of a grain of rice. Combine the vinegars,
honey, tamarind, and saffron in a small bowl. Heat the
mixture for about 1 minute in microwave then stir until
tamarind pulp dissolves completely. Pour mixture into
blender or food processor and mix with cashew mixture
(about 20 seconds). Pour sauce into bowl. and the oil and
stir by hand. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Cream Cheese Bacon Rolls

Ingredients
1 pkg crescent rolls
1-8oz package of cream cheese
crumbled bacon

Directions
Roll out the crescent rolls flat onto a cookie sheet. Spread on a alyaer of cream chesee and sprinkle with bacon. Roll up and slice. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes.

PF CHang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients
Filling
3 T oil
1 lb ground chicken or ground turkey
1 C water chestnuts
2/3 cup mushrooms
3 T chopped onions
1 tsp minced garlic
4-5 iceberg lettuce leaves

Stir Fry Sauce
4 T soy sauce
4 T brown Sugar
1 tsp rice wine vinegar

Special Sauce
1/4 C sugar
1/2 C water
4 T soy sauce
2 T rice wine vinegar
2 T ketchup
1 T lemon juice
1/8 tsp sesame oil
1 T hot mustard
2 tsp hot water
1-2 tsp garlic and red chili paste

Directions
Make special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice, and sesame oil. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Combine hot water and hot mustard and set aside as well. At time to serve add desired amount of mustard and chili paste to special sauce to pour on wraps.

Bring oil to high heat in wok or large frying pan. Saute chicken until fully cooked. Meanwhile, prepare stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar and rice wine vinegar together in a bowl. Add garlic, onions, water chestnuts, mushrooms, and stir fry sauce to chicken. Saute mixture until mixture is heated through and sauce starts to thicken. Serve in lettuce leaves and top with special sauce.

Honey Dijon Chicken Spread

Ingredients
1 package cream cheese
1/2 Cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons honey dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves minced
1 Cup cooked chicken diced
2 green onions chopped

Directions
mix cream cheese, mayo, mustard (using electric mixer) until blended. Add garlic, mix well, add chicken and green onions, mix using spoon or spatula. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.