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Let's ring in the new year - whether your throwing a house party or attending one (does anyone even go out anymore?) here are my top 5 recipes for delicious appetizers (most include my favorite of some sort of cheese-sorry dairy-free fans) to share among your guests or bring to a party!
2-8 oz blocks of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup of blue cheese dressing
1/2 cup of ranch dressing
1 cup of Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wing sauce
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 375.
In a large bowl combine softened cream cheese, ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, and buffalo wing sauce. Using a hand mixer, mix until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Fold in shredded chicken and 1 cup of shredded cheese. Pour into a baking dish. Top with remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until dip is warmed through.
Serve with tortilla chips, bread, crackers, pretzels, and celery. Note: You can substitute one cup of either dressing or split between the two.
10 ounces fresh Mozzarella, cubed or Whole Milk Mozzarella
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and juiced
3 tablespoons freshly chopped basil (or about 1 tablespoon dried) + more for garnish
Preheat oven to 375.
Make sure tomatoes have as much juiced squeezed out of them as possible – this will prevent the dip from becoming soupy or watery. In a small baking dish, combine chopped cheese, tomatoes and basil and mix. Bake for 15 minutes, then broil for 2 minutes so cheese becomes bubbly and golden. Serve immediately with crackers, melba toast, or french bread.
Note: dip may appear “watery” which is why it is VERY important to get as much moisture out of the tomatoes as possible. Also make sure dip is consumed immediately, as the longer it sits, the more juice that develops. Don’t worry if there is a little bit of juice – it is still delicious!
4 inch round-Brie cheese with rind
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup sliced almonds or pecans
1 French baguette
Additional sliced almonds to garnish
Slice brie horizontally, set aside. Mix together brown sugar, Dijon, and almonds. With cut side up, place half of mixture on brie. Top with second half of brie-cut side up (this is so that it doesn't melt all over itself when heating up) and layer with rest of Dijon mixture and sliced almonds on top. Bake @ 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes until brie just softens. Remove from oven and serve immediately with slices of the baguette and fresh fruit.
1 container of Gorgonzola cheese
1 small wedge of domestic Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated
1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
3/4 - 1 cup of mayonnaise (not fat-free)
1-2 garlic cloves, pressed
cracked pepper
1 French Baguette
fresh parsley chopped for garnish
Slice baguette in 1/2 inch slices and place on baking sheet. Combine the cheeses, mayonnaise, onion, garlic, and cracked pepper together. Generously spread mixture on bread slices and bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Remove from oven to a platter and garnish with parsley.
Note: This mixure can be combined up to a few days before using. Just remove from refrigerator and place on bread and cook.
1 can of condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 – 1 ½ cups Cheddar/Swiss shredded cheese
¼ cup beer/wine/apple juice
1-2 clove garlic, pressed
1/8 tsp. Tabasco
Dippers- bread cubes, assorted veggies, apples, pears, ham cubes
Combine all ingredients except dippers in a microwavable bowl. Stir together and microwave for 3-4 minutes or until smooth. Pour into heat proof dish with sterno or a lit candle underneath. Serve immediately with dippers. Enjoy-EASY!
Some other favorites are:
- Bloomin' Onion Bread - this is super yummy!
- Apple-Berry Salsa (It's Strawberry season here in FL)
- Cranberry-Apple Baked Brie
- Tropical Pineapple Black Bean Salsa (page through the listed recipes to find-so worth it!)
