Appetizers & Snacks

SPINACH DIP IN BREAD BOWL

1 c. Miracle Whip salad dressing
1 c. sour cream
1 pkg. (1.1 oz.) Ranch salad dressing mix
1 pkg. (10 oz.) chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1 can (8 oz.) water chestnuts, drained, chopped
1/2 c. chopped red bell pepper
1 (8 inch) round sourdough or white bread loaf

Mix salad dressing, sour cream and salad dressing mix until well blended. Add spinach, water chestnuts, and red peppers; mix well. Refrigerate. Cut top of loaf crust. Dip out inside of loaf. Before serving fill loaf with dip. Cut leftover bread in cubes or strips.




CREAMY AVOCADO-RANCH DIP

1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
1 (8 ounce) package Neufchatel cheese
1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix
3/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
2 avocados, peeled and pitted

In a food processor, mix the sour cream, Neufchatel cheese, ranch dressing mix, hot sauce, garlic salt, and celery salt. In a bowl, mash the avocados, and mix in the sour cream mixture until well blended. Cover, and chill until serving.




CREAM CHEESE SQUARES

2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan. Press one can of the crescent rolls into the bottom of the prepared pan. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Spread over the crescent layer. Unroll the second can of crescent rolls and lay them on top of the cream cheese layer. Do not press down. Pour the melted margarine over the entire pan. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is crisp and golden.




HAM BROCCOLI BRAID

2 cups cooked ham, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh broccoli
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large bowl, combine ham, broccoli, onion, parsley, mustard and cheese. Stir well. Unroll crescent roll dough, and arrange flat on a medium baking sheet. Pinch together perforations to form a single sheet of dough. Using a knife or scissors, cut 1 inch wide strips in towards the center, starting on the long sides. There should be a solid strip about 3 inches wide down the center, with the cut strips forming a fringe down each side. Spread the filling along the center strip. Fold the side strips over filling, alternating strips from each side. Pinch or twist to seal. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until deep golden brown.




SOUR CREAM, CUCUMBER & DILL DIP

1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
1 cucumber, peeled, grated and squeezed as dry as possible
1 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Mix the sour cream, cucumber, and dill together in a bowl until thoroughly blended. Stir in the lemon juice and salt. Adjust seasonings to taste. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.




MOLDED CRAB DIP

1 can crab
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 8-ounce cream cheese
1 small onion, chopped
¾ c. celery, finely chopped
1 envelope gelatin
¾ c. mayonnaise

Warm the cream of mushroom soup. Add cream cheese and stir well. Mix t Tbsp. water with gelatin, add to soup and stir. Remove from heat. Add onion, celery and crab. Stir. Add mayonnaise. Stir again. Pour into a mold and chill overnight.

To make this more attractive, add a couple drops of red food coloring. This dip goes well with vegetable sticks or on crackers.




AUNT JUDY MORGAN’S VEGETABLE DIP

1 quart real mayonnaise
1 16-ounce cream cheese
1 Tbsp. Bon Appétit
1 Tbsp. chopped olives
1 heaping Tbsp. dill weed

Chill and serve.




BLACK BEAN SALSA

2 cans corn nibblets
1 can black beams
2 – 3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 – 3 green onions, chopped
½ bunch cilantro, chopped
Dressing: oil
Italian seasoning
 




AUNT JUDY MORGAN’S SALSA

½ - 2/3 bushel tomatoes
7 yellow peppers (1 with seeds)
3 chili peppers (1 with seeds)
3 jalapeno peppers (1 with seeds)
6 large onions
6 green peppers
¼ c. salt
17 garlic cloves

Mix in food processor and simmer for 6 hours. Cold pack 20 minutes. Add: 2/3 c. apple cider vinegar and ¼ c. lemon juice




SWEET PUMPKIN DIP
Melinda Manley

15 oz. can pumpkin
2 pkg. cream cheese
2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger

Mix ingredients together and serve with sliced fruit, bite-sized cinnamon graham crackers, toasted mini bagels, toast slices, muffins or English muffins.




PINEAPPLE CHEESE BALL
Ann Manley

2-8 oz. cream cheese
1-8½ oz. crushed pineapple
¼ c. green peppers, chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped onion
1 Tbsp. Lawry’s seasoning salt
2 c. chopped pecans

Drain pineapple and squeeze out remaining juice with hands. Mix cream cheese, pineapple, green peppers onions and seasoning salt very well. Cool and roll into a ball. Roll ball in crushed pecans.
 



NANCY PIERCE’S SALSA

½ bushel tomatoes
4 medium onions
4 – 6 jalapeno peppers (mild)
6 – 8 jalapeno peppers (medium)
8 – 12 jalapeno peppers (hot)
24 long green Anaheim peppers
2 – 5 large bell peppers
2/3 c. apple cider vinegar
¼ c. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. salt
3 Tbsp. sugar

Peel tomatoes and cut into fourths. Drain as much of the juice as you can to minimize cooking time. Process tomatoes in food processor and pour into a large bowl. Remove seeds and stems from peppers. Process until fine, wearing rubber gloves to protect your skin. Add peppers to tomatoes. Process onions and add to tomato and pepper mixture. Add all remaining ingredients and cook 2 – 4 hours, uncovered. Cold pack within 10 minutes.



APPLE DIP

1 pkg. Cream cheese (8-oz), softened
3/4 c. Brown sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 c. Chopped pecans
Granny Smith Apples

Mix together all ingredients, except apples. Wash and slice Granny Smith apples and arrange on serving tray with a bowl of the dip on the side or on the tray.



LAYERED YOGURT RECIPE

1 QT. vanilla yogurt
12 Squares graham crackers, crushed
1 c Sliced strawberries (thawed if frozen)
1 c Blueberries (thawed if frozen)
1/4 c Chopped nuts
four 6-oz. Glasses milk

Spoon 4 oz. of yogurt into each of 4 large parfait glasses. Top w/ half of the graham crackers and berries. Repeat with a second layer of yogurt, graham crackers, and berries. Sprinkle with nuts. Serve each person one parfait with one glass of milk.