White Bean Dip

I really wish there was another name for this dip.  It's a lot like hummus and very creamy, like it has dairy in it, but it doesn't.  White Bean Dip just sounds so boring.  Maybe AMAZING White Bean Dip?

Ingredients
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
- Combine ingredients in food processor until smooth.

Hints
- You may use different types of fresh herbs in this dip but it's important to use fresh parsley as opposed to dried, it affects the color, texture and flavor.
- Serve with warm flat bread

Pumpkin Dip

Ingredients 
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
15 oz can of pumpkin
16 oz box powdered sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Nilla Wafers
Ginger Snaps
Graham Crackers

Directions
- Mix all ingredients.
- Serve with Nilla Wafers, Ginger Snaps and Graham Crackers.

Hints
- You could also add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of ground cloves if you like that flavor.

Submitted by Ann

Queso

Ingredients:
1 large block Velveeta
1 can Rotel
1 small onion
1 shot beer

Directions:
- Cut the block of Velveeta into approx. 1" cubes.
- Mince the onion.
- Slowly melt the Velveeta, onion, beer and Rotel together in a saucepan over medium heat.


Hints:
-  I used to make this recipe with just the cheese and rotel but got the most compliments when I added minced onion and a shot of hard cider.  I like it better with beer but the cider adds a little sweetness that's pretty nice.
- Don't use low fat or generic Velveeta, it messes up the texture.

Submitted by Amy

Fresh Hot Salsa

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped 4 jalapeno chiles, seeded and chopped
6 hot roasted hatch chiles, seeded and chopped,
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (more or less to taste)

1 garlic clove, minced
2 (14 oz) cans tomatoes
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
Juice of 1 lime (more or less to taste)


Directions

- Add all ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix until desired consistency.

Hints
- You should be able to find hatch chilies in the produce section by the jalapenos, they are red.
- If you can't find hatch chilis you can substitute 1 - 8 to 10 oz can hot green chilies

Submitted by Michelle

BLT Bites

Ingredients
20-30 cherry tomatoes
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup mayo or salad dressing
1/3 cup chopped green onion
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

Directions
- Cut a thin slice off of each tomato top.
- Scoop out and discard pulp.
- Invert the tomatoes on a paper towel to drain.
- In a small bowl, combine all remaining ingredients; mix well.
- Spoon into tomatoes.
- Refrigerate for several hours. Enjoy!

Crab Rangoon Dip

Ingredients
1 8oz package cream cheese
1 garlic clove (smashed in garlic press)
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
8 oz crab meat
3/4 cup sweet and sour sauce
1 green onion
Wonton Chips

Directions
-  Bring cream cheese to room temp
-  Mix cream cheese, garlic, cheese and crab meat
-  Spread cream cheese mixture in bottom of small baking dish
-  Top cream cheese mixture with sweet and sour sauce
-  Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until bubbly
-  Top cooked dip with chopped green onions
-  Serve with wonton chips

Hints
-  If you can't find wonton chips in the store you can make your own by baking or deep frying wonton wrappers.
-  You can substitute imitation crab meat but it's not recommended.

Submitted by Amy

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients
12 oz cream cheese
1 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup Buffalo (hot wing) sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 large chicken breast cooked and shredded 
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (optional)

Directions
-  Mix cream cheese, ranch dressing and wing sauce, chicken and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese.
-  Spread mixture in small baking dish (stoneware works perfectly)
-  Top with blue cheese.
-  Bake at 375 until bubbly - 20-25 minutes
-  Serve with tortilla chips and celery sticks

Hints
-  You can always add more wing sauce if you like your dip extra spicy.
-  If you don't like blue cheese you can sprinkle an additional 1 cup of shredded cheddar on top of the dip before baking.
-  This also tastes good on bagel chips and toasted bread rounds

Submitted by Amy

Pampered Chef Hot Pizza Dip

Ingredients
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 can (8 oz.) pizza sauce
2 tablespoons sliced green onion
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3/4 cup (3 oz.) shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
Breadsticks, Canape bread slices, or tostitos for dipping

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a bowl combine cream cheese and Italian seasoning; mix well.
- Spread in bottom of pie plate
- Combine cheeses and sprinkle half of cheese mixture over cream cheese.
- Spread pizza sauce over cheese.
- Top with remaining cheese, peppers and onions.
- Bake 15-18 min. or until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbling around edges.

Hints
- The dip can be heated up in the microwave as well. Just microwave on High 2 min. Turn. Microwave on High 2-3 min. more or until mixture is bubbly around edges.

Submitted by Julie

Bavarian Fondue

Ingredients
1 cup Pilsner beer
1/2 cup dark beer
21 ounces Cheshire or Cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
black pepper
2 Tbsp. brandy

Directions
- Bring beer to a boil in fondue pot, stirring constantly.
- Add cheese to beer, a handful at a time, stirring until melted.
- Dissolve cornstarch in cold water.
- Add dissolved cornstarch and lemon juice to cheese mixture
- Cook until bubbly.
- Stir in pepper and brandy.

Hints
- It may be easier to make this on the stove top and then pour it into your fondue pot.
- You can use 1 1/2 cups of Guinness instead of two different beers.
- It still tastes great if you omit the brandy.

Submitted by Holly

Crab Melts

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. crab meat
8 oz. cheez whiz
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 stick butter or margarine
6 pk. english muffins

Directions
- Cream cheez whiz, butter and garlic powder.
- Add crab meat and mix well.
- Cut each muffin in half and each half in quarters.
- Spread 1 heaping tsp. of mixture on each quarter.
- Put on cookie sheet(s) in a single layer and cover lightly with wax paper or paper towel and chill until set.
- Put in baggies and keep frozen until ready to use.
- To serve... broil frozen melts until lightly brown and bubbly.
- Serves 8-10.

Hints
- You can use canned crab meat but make sure you drain it well and check for shells.

Submitted by Arlene

Savory Parmesan Bites

Ingredients
1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup 100% grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 8oz cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 cup chopped red pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix cream cheese and 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese with and electric mixer on medium speed until will blended
- Separate crescent rolls into 8 rectangles; press perforations together to seal.
- Spread 3 tbsp of cream cheese mixture onto each rectangle; top with red pepper and parsley.
- Fold long end of dough up over filling to center; fold up opposite side to enclose filling.
- Press lightly to seal.
- Cut each into 6 bite-sized squares
- Place seam sides down on baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.
- Bake 13-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Submitted by Erin

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients
2 14 oz cans artichoke hearts packed in water
2 cups finely shredded white cheddar cheese - divided
1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach - thawed
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1/2 tsp minced garlic

Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Drain and roughly chop artichoke hearts
- Squeeze water from spinach
- Set aside about 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese
- Mix together all ingredients
- Spread into small baking dish and top with remaining cheddar
- Bake until heated through and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Submitted by Amy

Christmas Morning Kielbasa

Ingredients
2 16oz pkg Polish Kielbasa
1 large yellow onion

Directions
- Cut kielbasa on the diagonal into 1/4" ovals
- Roughly chop onion
- Put a few pieces of kielbasa in a large skillet on medium-high heat and cook until juices and fat begin to cook out of meat
- Add onion and rest of meat
- Cook for 35-45 minutes until meat and onion have both caramelized

Submitted by Amy

Chicken Croissants

Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (cooked and shredded)
1 8oz pkg cream cheese (softened)
3/4 cup mayonnaise
salt (to taste)
2 pkg. croissant rolls
flour

Directions
- Mix the chicken, cream cheese, mayonnaise, and a little salt (to taste) in a large bowl and set aside.
- Preheat oven according to croissant roll directions.
- Prepare croissant rolls in squares
- To make squares, leave 2 triangles together in a rectangle and press seams
- Cut the rectangle in half to make 2 squares.
- Using a little flour to keep the dough from sticking, roll out each square to make them larger and thinner.
- Place a large spoonful of the chicken mixture in the center or the square.
- Fold each corner in to meet in the center.
- Lightly press dough corners together in the center.
- Place filled croissants on a non stick baking sheet.
- Bake according to croissant roll instructions or until the croissants are golden brown.

yields: 16 Croissants

Submitted by Christy