The Lady and Sons (2 page)

Hot Asparagus “Dip

Hot Crab Canapé

Mini Onion Quiches

Sausage Balls

Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms

Sesame Chicken Strips

Oysters in the Patty Shell

Brie en Croûte #1

Brie en Croûte #2

South of the Border Mason-Dixon “Dip

Bacon Wraps

Artichoke and Spinach “Dip

Shrimp Butter

Italian Roasted Red Peppers

Southwestern “Dip

Pickled Okra Sandwiches

Herbed Cream Cheese Round

Quick Guacamole-Spinach “Dip

Garlic Cheese Spread

Creamy Roquefort “Dip

Strawberry Cheese Ring

‘Black Bean Salsa Bobby's Pimento Cheese

YIELDS APPROXIMATELY 30

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stuff each date with a pecan half. Cut each slice of bacon into 3 pieces. Wrap 1 piece around each stuffed date and secure with a toothpick. Bake until bacon is crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain and serve.

YIELDS 2 CUPS

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Dissolve sugar and salt in water in saucepan over medium heat. Add peanuts. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until peanuts are completely sugared (coated and no syrup left). Pour onto ungreased cookie sheet, spreading so that peanuts are separated as much as possible. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, stirring at 5-minute intervals. Let cool and serve.

YIELDS 3 TO 4 CUPS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain and chop asparagus. Add to remaining ingredients and mix; pour into baking dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until slightly brown and bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese. Serve hot with lightly toasted French bread rounds.

SERVES 6 TO 8

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With an electric mixer, mix all ingredients in a bowl. Place mixture in a shallow ovenproof casserole dish. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or microwave until warm (2 to 3 minutes). Serve with crackers. This may be frozen for future use.

YIELDS 2 DOZEN

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine cracker crumbs and melted butter. Divide crumbs among mini muffin tins that have been sprayed with no-stick cooking spray. Sauté onion for 10 minutes in 2 tablespoons butter. Cool, then divide evenly on top of cracker crumbs. Beat eggs; add milk, salt, pepper, and Swiss cheese. Pour by spoonfuls on top of onion in tins. Do not fill to top, as they will run over. Bake until set, about 15 to 20 minutes. Do not overbake. May be stored in refrigerator or freezer. Warm in oven before serving.

YIELDS APPROXIMATELY 3 DOZEN

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. If not moist enough, add a little water. Form mixture into 1-inch balls. Bake for 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm. This freezes well before or after baking.

YIELDS 2 DOZEN

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wipe mushroom caps clean with a damp paper towel. Thaw spinach in colander; squeeze out as much moisture as possible. In mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except mushrooms and Parmesan cheese. Mix well. Fill mushroom caps with mixture and place on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.

SERVES 8 TO 10

Lightly grease a 15 × 10-inch jelly roll pan. Cut chicken crosswise into ½-inch strips. In a large bowl, combine sour cream, lemon juice, celery salt, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and garlic. Mix well. Add chicken to mixture, coat well, and cover. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, combine bread crumbs and sesame seeds. Remove chicken strips from sour cream mixture. Roll in crumb mixture, coating evenly. Arrange in single
layer in prepared pan. Spoon butter evenly over chicken. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until chicken is tender and golden brown. Serve with honey mustard.

YIELDS 30 PIECES

Sauté mushrooms in butter until tender. Blend in flour and cook until bubbly. Gradually add milk; cook until smooth and thickened, stirring constantly. Add salt, celery salt, pepper, lemon juice, and oysters. Cook over medium-low heat until oysters start to curl up (about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally. Serve in mini-piecrusts or patty shells. If desired, garnish with parsley.

SERVES 8

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Defrost one sheet of puff pastry for approximately 15 to 20 minutes and unfold (place remaining sheet in freezer for later use). Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté walnuts in butter until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes.

Stir in cinnamon, coating nuts well. Place mixture on top of wheel of Brie. Sprinkle brown sugar over the mixture. Carefully place pastry sheet over wheel of Brie (make sure Brie is centered). Gently pick Brie up with pastry hanging over edge and fold the pastry under Brie. Trim excess pastry with scissors so Brie lies flat, and seal all edges to prevent leakage. To give an extra-special look to the Brie, I like to cut the leftover pastry into heart shapes, flowers, etc., and place them onto the pastry on top of the Brie. Brush beaten egg over top and sides of Brie, then place cutouts on top (the egg will secure them); brush cutouts with egg. Place wrapped Brie on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes until pastry is golden brown. Serve with top-quality crackers.

SERVES 8

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Defrost one sheet of puff pastry for approximately 15 to 20 minutes and unfold (place remaining sheet in freezer for later use). Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté nuts in butter until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes. Place nuts on top of Brie and spread jam on top of nuts. Gently roll pastry with a rolling pin to increase the size of the sheet 1 to 2 inches in each direction. Brush both sides of the sheet with beaten egg. Center the wheel of Brie on top of the pastry sheet. Bring all four corners of the sheet together above Brie and twist slightly to form a “bundle.” Tie gathered pastry with kitchen/cooking string (tie string in the form of a bow). Work with pastry until you are satisfied with the “bundle” shape. Place “bundle” on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until pastry is golden brown. Serve with top-quality crackers.

YIELDS 4 TO 5 CUPS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat chili in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes (or microwave for 2 to 3 minutes). Press softened cream cheese into the bottom of a 1½-quart casserole dish. Pour heated chili over cream cheese and sprinkle grated cheese over top. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, until mixture is hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and top with chopped green onion tops. Serve immediately with tortilla chips.

YIELDS 2 DOZEN

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix Parmesan cheese with garlic salt or powder in a shallow bowl and set aside. Cut the slices of bacon in half so that each is approximately 5 inches long. Wrap one piece of bacon around a breadstick, starting at one end of breadstick and finishing at other end (I find that bacon adheres to sesame breadsticks better than plain breadsticks). Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat this process, using all of breadsticks. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until bacon is browned. Remove from cookie sheet and immediately roll bacon wraps in cheese mixture. Let cool and serve at room temperature.

YIELDS 3 CUPS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain all water from spinach. Mix all in gredients and bake in greased casserole for 30 to 40 minutes. Serve with butter crackers or bagel chips.

The Lady & Sons