Line large cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper; set aside.
Cut each sweet pepper in half lengthwise, leaving stem intact.
Remove seeds and membranes.
Place halved sweet peppers on cookie sheet, cut side up.
In medium bowl, mix refried beans, cheese, sour cream and taco seasoning until well blended.
Place mixture in resealable food-storage plastic bag.
Cut ½ inch off one corner of bag.
Pipe mixture into pepper halves.
Top each pepper half with crushed corn chips.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender.
Cool on cookie sheet 10 minutes.
Top with cilantro.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Make-Ahead MagicTo speed up the final prep, make as directed through Step 3. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate up to 6 hours until ready to bake. Top with corn chips, and bake as directed.Festive TouchTake these over the top by sprinkling a couple pieces of crisply cooked, crumbled bacon on top of the peppers along with the corn chips.
½cupchopped drained roasted red bell peppersfrom a jar
¼cupchopped ripe olives
¼cupchopped fresh basil leaves
¼cupshredded Parmesan cheese1 oz
4spinach-flavor flour tortillas8 to 10 inch
Additional ripe olive pieces
Instructies
In medium bowl, mix cream cheese, roasted peppers, chopped olives, basil and Parmesan cheese.
Spread mixture evenly over tortillas, spreading to edges; roll up tightly.
Press each tortilla roll into triangle shape, using fingers.
Wrap in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
To serve, cut rolls into ½-inch slices.
Place olive piece at bottom of each triangle to look like tree trunk; secure with toothpick.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Kitchen Secrets Short on time? Or making this appetizer for an occasion other than Christmas? Don’t shape the rolls into triangles. Simply cut into round slices and serve, skipping the olive pieces and toothpicks. This recipe can also easily be cut in half for a smaller group.
2ozcream cheese or chèvregoat cheese, softened (½ cup)
1tablespoonchopped fresh thyme or oregano leaves
Instructies
In 2-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat.
Cook onions and garlic in oil 10 minutes, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes.
Add salt, brown sugar, vinegar and broth.
Heat to boiling; reduce heat.
Cover; simmer 30 minutes.
Uncover; increase heat to medium-high.
Cook 2 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid is reduced and the mixture is the consistency of jam.
Remove from heat; set aside.
Heat oven to 325°F.
Place baguette slices on ungreased cookie sheet; spray lightly with cooking spray.
Bake 6 to 9 minutes or until crispy.
Spoon 1 teaspoon caramelized onion jam on each toasted baguette slice; top with 1 teaspoon cream cheese.
Sprinkle with thyme.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Make-Ahead Magic You can cook the caramelized onion jam and toast the bread up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate the jam (allow it to come to room temperature before using, 1 to 2 hours). Store the cooled toasts in a resealable food-storage plastic bag.
3tablespoonskirschdry sherry, brandy or nonalcoholic white wine
1loaf1 lb French bread, cut into 1-inch pieces
Instructies
In resealable food-storage plastic bag, place cheeses and flour.
Shake until cheese is coated with flour; let stand 30 minutes at room temperature.
Rub garlic on bottom and side of fondue pot, saucepan or skillet; discard garlic.
Add wine.
Heat over low temperature setting in fondue pot or over low heat in saucepan or skillet just until bubbles rise to surface (do not boil).
Stir in lemon juice.
Gradually add cheese mixture, about ½ cup at a time, gently stirring constantly with whisk over low heat until melted.
If the mixture is stirred too vigorously, the cheese could become stringy.(To keep fondue creamy and smooth, it’s important to make sure all cheese is melted before each new addition of cheese. )
Stir in kirsch.
Keep warm over simmer setting.
If made in saucepan or skillet, pour into a fondue pot or heatproof serving bowl and keep warm over low heat.
Fondue must be served over heat to maintain its smooth, creamy texture.
Spear bread pieces with fondue forks; dip and swirl in fondue with stirring motion.
If fondue becomes too thick, stir in ¼ to ½ cup heated dry white wine or nonalcoholic white wine.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Festive Touch This recipe makes a great partner to Herbed IPA Fondue (see recipe). After you cook the meat and veggies as directed in that fondue, dunk them in the cheese of this one. Delicious!
1round uncut loaf16 oz Hawaiian or sourdough bread
SPINACH DIP
1box9 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1cupmayonnaise or salad dressing
1cupsour cream
1package1.8 oz vegetable soup and dip mix
1can8 oz water chestnuts, drained, chopped
1mediumgreen onionchopped (1 tablespoon)
GARNISHES
Rosemary sprigsif desired
Red bell pepper piecesif desired
Instructies
Cut and hollow out 3-inch-wide ring on top of bread loaf to within ½ inch of bottom, leaving center of loaf intact.
Reserve scooped-out bread.
Squeeze thawed spinach to drain; spread on paper towels and pat dry.
In large bowl, stir spinach, mayonnaise, sour cream, soup mix (dry), water chestnuts and onion until well mixed.
Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours to blend flavors and soften soup mix.
Spoon about 1½ cups of the spinach dip into hollowed-out ring. (Cover and refrigerate remaining spinach dip for another use. )
Arrange rosemary and bell pepper pieces on dip to look like sprigs of holly.
Tear remaining bread into bite-size pieces.
Use torn bread and reserved scooped-out bread for dipping.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Make-Ahead Magic Make it easy by prepping this festive appetizer the night before. Make the spinach dip (or purchase already made dip from the refrigerated section of the produce department) and cut the bread. When ready to serve, simply spoon the dip into the bread ring and arrange the garnishes and dippers.Festive Touch Stir about 1 cup dried cranberries into the spinach dip for a jolly touch of sweetness and color. You can also decorate the “wreath” or serving platter with yellow or red cherry or grape tomatoes.Kitchen Secrets You can easily adapt this recipe to suit your taste! Just substitute another flavor of dip for the spinach dip, and serve with cut-up veggies along with the bread pieces.
In small bowl, mix yogurt, cheese, parsley, lemon juice and salt.
Into each of 8 (2- to 3-oz) glasses or jars, layer 2 tablespoons hummus, 1 heaping tablespoon yogurt mixture, 1 tablespoon tomato, 1 tablespoon chopped cucumber, 1 tablespoon olives and slightly less than 1 teaspoon green onions.
Serve with pita chips, sliced cucumbers and bell peppers.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Make-Ahead Magic You can prep this recipe ahead to make it a breeze to put together. Mix the ingredients in Step 1; cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours in advance of serving. Everything but the tomatoes can be chopped and refrigerated in small bags or containers up to 24 hours ahead as well. When ready to serve, chop the tomatoes and layer the dip as directed.Festive Touch These individual dips are perfect for a buffet—no worries about double dipping! But you can also do a platter presentation if you like: Spread the hummus on a serving platter, and spoon the yogurt mixture over the hummus. Arrange the toppings in rows over the yogurt mixture.
1box9 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain
½cupAlfredo pasta sauce
½cupmayonnaise
¾teaspoongarlic salt
¼teaspoonpepper
1cupshredded Swiss cheese4 oz
1loaf20 inch baguette, cut into 40 slices
Instructies
Spray 1- to 1½-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
In slow cooker, mix all ingredients except bread.
Cover; cook on Low heat setting 2 to 4 hours.
Serve dip with bread.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Make-Ahead Magic You can make the dip ahead of time in a bowl; cover and refrigerate up to 2 days before serving. When ready to heat, transfer the dip to the slow cooker and heat as directed.Festive Touch For an extra holiday “pop,” serve this dip with red and green tortilla chips instead of bread. Look for them near the deli at your grocery store during the holiday season.
2boxesfrozen baby Brussels sprouts and butter sauce
1package8 oz ⅓-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened
½cupreduced-fat sour cream
¼cupplus 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
¼cupfat-freeskim milk
1tablespoonspicy brown or stone-ground mustard
2teaspoonsfresh lemon juice
¼cupfinely chopped bell pepperany color
Multigrain sea salt–sweet potato chipsif desired
Assorted raw vegetablesif desired
Instructies
Heat oven to 350°F.
Spray 1½-quart shallow glass baking dish or 9½-inch deep-dish glass pie plate with cooking spray.
2 Cook Brussels sprouts as directed on box.
Meanwhile, in large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth.
Beat in sour cream, ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese, the milk, mustard and lemon juice on low speed until well blended.
Stir in bell pepper.
Chop Brussels sprouts; stir Brussels sprouts with butter sauce into cream cheese mixture until well blended.
Spread evenly in baking dish.
Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese.
Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Serve with chips and raw vegetables.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Make-Ahead Magic Cover and refrigerate the unbaked dip up to 24 hours. Uncover and bake as directed.Festive Touch Use both red and green bell peppers in the dip for a holiday look. Garnish with additional red and green peppers after baking.
In large bowl, stir together cream cheese and Cheddar cheese; divide in half.
Stir pesto into one portion; stir onion, mustard and 2 or 3 drops pepper sauce into other portion.
Cover; refrigerate about 4 hours or until firm enough to shape.
Place cheese mixtures on large plate.
Shape each into cone shape to look like a pine tree.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Make-Ahead Magic After shaping the trees, wrap tightly and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw in wrapper in refrigerator 12 hours before serving. Continue as directed in Step 3.Festive Touch Cut a star shape from a piece of lemon peel to place atop the tree. Place the tree in the middle of a platter covered with a cloth napkin “tree skirt,” and surround it with crackers of all shapes and sizes for the “gifts.”
