In a bind and need a last minute appetizer to serve those holiday guests? What!? Your guests are already on the way!? Here, I’ll help. Here’s a recipe for cheese dip. It’s full of stuff that you probably already have in your fridge. It comes together in 15 minutes, you get to use the microwave, and has just enough spice to warm up your half frozen winter guests.
3 oz. VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut up
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) KRAFT Finely Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 jar (4 oz.) diced pimientos, undrained
3 oz. PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup milk
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tsp. minced jalapeño pepper
MICROWAVE VELVEETA in 2-quart microwavable bowl on HIGH 45 seconds or until melted, stirring after 30 seconds.
ADD all remaining ingredients. Beat with electric mixer until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with RITZ Crackers, if desired.
I’ve baked up so many sweets this weekend that I’m definitely looking for a change. A girl can only eat so many cookies before she’s in the mood for some artichoke dip, or something like this delicious Crab Rangoon.
Prep Time:20 min Total Time:40 min Makes:12 servings
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, softened
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup KRAFT Light Mayo Reduced Fat Mayonnaise
12 won ton wrappers
HEAT oven to 350°F. Mix crabmeat, Neufchatel cheese, onions and mayonnaise.
SPRAY 12 muffin cups with cooking spray. Gently place 1 won ton wrapper in each cup, allowing edges of wrappers to extend above sides of cups. Fill evenly with crabmeat mixture.
BAKE 18 to 20 min. or until edges are golden brown and filling is heated through. Serve warm. Garnish with chopped green onions, if desired.
This is the last weekend for pre Christmas parties, and I must say, my schedule is totally packed. I’ve got dinner and cocktail parties filling up my schedule, but what I’m most looking forward to is the casual pot luck dinner on Sunday night. With about twenty different friends coming with different items, the food is bound to range from delicious to hilarious. I’ve decided to bring this strawberry swirled cheesecake. It’s easy, delicious, and festive.
Philadelphia New York Style Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake
1 cup HONEY MAID Graham Cracker Crumbs
3 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
5 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 cup BREAKSTONE’S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
4 eggs
1/3 cup seedless strawberry jam
HEAT oven to 325°F. Line 13×9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Mix cracker crumbs, 3 Tbsp. sugar and butter; press onto bottom of pan. Bake 10 min.
BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, flour and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust. Gently drop small spoonfuls of jam over batter; swirl with knife.
BAKE 40 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours. Lift cheesecake from pan with foil handles before cutting to serve.
2 pounds potatoes, such as russet, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons sour cream or softened cream cheese
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup cream, for a lighter version substitute vegetable or chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 3/4 pounds ground beef or ground lamb
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup beef stock or broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire, eyeball it
1/2 cup frozen peas, a couple of handfuls
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Preparation:
Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine sour cream, egg yolk and cream. Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.
While potatoes boil, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to hot pan with beef or lamb. Season meat with salt and pepper. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. If you are using lamb and the pan is fatty, spoon away some of the drippings. Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. In a second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables. Stir in peas.
Preheat broiler to high. Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly. Top potatoes with paprika and broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned. Top casserole dish with chopped parsley and serve.
Who doesn’t love a delicious shrimp cocktail appetizer? Here’s a fairly traditional shrimp cocktail recipe, served over a bed of cream cheese. Dip your cracker in and come out with shrimp and cream cheese… in one dip! Now that’s a concept.
Prep Time:10 min Total Time:10 min Makes:3 cups or 24 servings, 2 Tbsp. each
I used to be one of those people that felt instantly deflated at the thought of having to decorate a cake. I swear, with just a little patience, I learned a few tricks so my homemade cakes don’t look like a complete atrocity. This Christmas, I’m going to try to whip up this beautiful ornament cake from Kraft. The recipe seems easy enough, and the best part is that they have a video to walk me through the scary decorating process. Christmas cooking just got a little easier.
Prep Time:20 min Total Time:1 hr 20 min Makes:16 servings, one slice each
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1-1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
1 ice cream cone
1 piece red string licorice (2 inch)
decorating gel
colored sugar
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Prepare cake batter as directed on package. Blend in dry pudding mix. Pour evenly into prepared pans.
BAKE as directed on package. Cool 10 min.; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar in small bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add whipped topping; stir until well blended.
PLACE one of the cake layers on serving plate; spread with one-third of the cream cheese mixture. Cover with remaining cake layer. Spread top and side of cake with remaining cream cheese mixture. Poke two small holes in bottom of ice cream cone; insert ends of licorice into holes leaving small loop at top. Place cone next to cake to resemble ornament hanger. Decorate top of cake with decorating gel and colored sugar as desired. Store in refrigerator.
No, we’re no where near talking about holiday cookies. I’m just trying to give you options for yourCookie Exchange.These delightfully delicate crescent cookies are flavored with a touch of almond extract and toasted slivered almonds. They’re baked crisp and them smothered in powdered sugar. These cookies are a treat to have on any self respecting cookie platter. Super simple. Extra delicious and wonderfully festive!
Prep Time:20 min Total Time:1 hr 2 min Makes:About 5 dozen cookies or 30 servings, 2 cookies each
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2-1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup finely chopped PLANTERS Slivered Almonds
3/4 cup powdered sugar
BEAT cream cheese, butter, granulated sugar, vanilla and almond extract in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add flour and baking soda; mix well. Stir in almonds; cover. Refrigerate 30 min.
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Shape 1-inch balls of dough into crescent shapes; place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets. Flatten slightly.
BAKE 10 to 12 min. or until lightly browned. Cool slightly on wire racks. Sprinkle with powdered sugar; cool completely.
Candy cane shaped soft chocolate cookies drizzles with a simple white chocolate glaze and sprinkled with crushed peppermint candy. They’re super simple to roll out and bake up, and they look just adorable gathered in a holiday basket as a homemade gift. These cookies would also be a great treat for the Cookie Exchange.
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2-1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
4 squares BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted
1 pkg. (6 squares) BAKER’S White Chocolate
12 hard peppermint candies, crushed
HEAT oven to 350ºF. Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add flour and baking soda; mix well. Blend in semi-sweet chocolate. (Dough will be stiff.)
ROLL tablespoonfuls of dough into 52 balls; roll each into 3-inch-long rope. Place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets, bending top of each slightly to resemble candy cane.
BAKE 10 to 12 min. or until puffed and set; cool 5 min. on baking sheets. Transfer to wire racks; cool completely. Melt white chocolate; drizzle over cookies. Sprinkle with crushed candies. Let stand until chocolate is firm.
The holidays bring out the best in me. I absolutely love that I get to bake to my heart’s content.
This year, to satisfy my love for baking and my love for cookies, I’m going to host a Cookie Exchange. Don’t know what a cookie exchange is? Here’s the deal. Invite over a handful of friends. Have each friend bring over a giant batch (6 dozen or so) of their favorite homemade cookies. Set out each person’s cookies on a beautifully decorated table with lots of empty holiday tins. Now each guest gets to go around and take about a dozen of the other guest’s cookies.
You walk in with 6 dozen of your favorite cookies and walk out with 6 dozen of every one’s favorite cookies! How awesome is that!?
Check out Kraft’s suggestions for the best way to host a Cookie Exchange. It’s super easy and such a blast!
If you’re anything like me, you’re feeling the tough economic time pinch tighter and tighter on your pocket book. Those penny pinching ways are totally a bummer when it comes to the holiday season, right? Not to worry, we can find ways to get out of this pickle. A lot of my friends and family are hosting giant pot luck dinners instead of bearing the brunt of the large grocery bill themselves. Great idea, don’t you think?
Sharing food, and sharing dishes is a great way to talk about friends, family and memories around the table. Go on, get sharin’ this holiday season!
Here are some of my favorite pot luck recipes. They’re easy, they’re cozy and sure to please a crowd of hungry people.
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas
2 cups instant white rice, uncooked
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
COOK and stir onions in dressing in large saucepan on medium-high heat 2 min. or until tender. Add mushrooms; cook 2 to 3 min. or until mushrooms are tender.
ADD broth and peas; stir. Bring to boil.
STIR in rice and cream cheese; cover. Remove from heat. Let stand 8 min. Stir in lemon peel and Parmesan cheese.
