Two Delicious Appetizer Recipes

January is not a very good time to be sharing delicious recipes.  Most folks have New Year's resolutions which include making good food choices and cutting down on calories.  

OK, yes, that includes me too, but, before I forget how delicious these appetizers were during the holidays,  I wanted to share them with you.  So,  if these recipes sound good to you, just copy/paste/print and store away until you are looking for a really good appetizer recipe.

We were visiting a friend's home for dinner one evening when she served the recipe seen in the first photo below.   She is a great cook and always shares her recipes.  This one is so good my husband requests this just about any time we are in need of an appetizer for a get-together.  And, you will not believe how EASY it is to make.

We were given the option to bring appetizers to our neighborhood Christmas party this year and, of course, I thought of this recipe right away.

ONION DIP 

 

I'm not too good at presentation of a recipe ...  In retrospect, it would have been nice to have added a pretty large themed-napkin in the bottom of the serving dish, or possibly some ruffled-edge lettuce or greenery of some type in the bottom of the serving dish.  But, the recipe was very good anyway.

ONION DIP RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:  

• 1 cup onion, diced
• 1 cup no-fat mayonnaise
• 1 cup lower-fat Swiss cheese, grated  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix one-cup each of onion, mayonnaise and Swiss cheese.
2. Mix all together until well blended.
3. Place in a pretty baking dish.
4. Bake 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until top is slightly browned and mixture is bubbly. 
5. Serve hot with crackers or chips of your choice. 

 

In the below photo you will see a photo of the second appetizer we took to the neighborhood Christmas party.  This recipe is also a favorite and I have been making it for so many years for different events.  This recipe was given to me from a friend many years ago.

If you use your imagination, this is supposed to look like a Christmas tree.  The original recipe is called a  "Cheese Ball Ring" but I tried to shape this one into a Christmas tree.  I used a yellow pepper and cut out the star for the top of the "tree" and used small cherry tomatoes (on toothpicks) for the "tree ornaments."  And, of course, a little parsley for the "tree greenery."

Shaped into a Christmas Tree ... almost!

CHEESE BALL RING

 

CHEESE BALL RING RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 small onion, finely grated
• black pepper
• dash cayenne
• 1 cup pecans, finely chopped
• strawberry preserves
• crackers of your choice 

 DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine cheese, mayonnaise, onion, black pepper, and cayenne.
2. Mix well and place in a 5 or 6 cup lightly greased ring-mold.
3. Refrigerate untio firm for several hours or overnight.
4. To serve:  Unmold and if desired, fill center with strawberry preserves.
5.  Sprinkle chopped pecans over cheese ball.
6.  Serve with crackers.
7.  In recent years I no longer use a ring-mold but just shape mixture into a ball and then add preserves on top and sprinkle with pecans.

One year at a Halloween Party for the children we turned this cheese ball recipe into a edible spider ...  We placed olives for the eyes and mouth.  Then we placed 4 L-shaped pipe cleaners on each side of the cheese ball for the spider legs.  Then we circled the spider with crackers ... He was really cute and just another way to use this recipe.

 

 

If you decide to use either one of these recipes I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

 

I surely do hope all is well for you and that you and yours have many blessings as we travel on into this New Year.  

 

If you happen to be in the path of the huge Winter storm coming across the United States tonight, we wish you warmth and safety wherever you may be.