Halloween Goblin Head

 

Halloween Goblin Head

Ingredients

• 1 8 oz. pkg. low-fat cream cheese

• 4 oz. shredded taco-flavored cheese

• 2 T. butter

• 1 T. milk

• 1 8 oz. pkg. low-fat cream cheese

• 1 pepperocini pepper

• 9 pimento-stuffed olives

• 1 carrot

• 1/4 green pepper

• 1 can whole beets

• Tortilla chips

• 8 arbol chiles

Instructions

1. Bring 1 package of cream cheese and butter to room temperature. Place 1 package of cream cheese, shredded cheese and butter in a mixing bowl. Add the milk to the bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined, stopping occasionally to scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula. Cover the bowl and chill from 4 to 24 hours. Bring the second package of cream cheese to room temperature. Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Form the refrigerated cheese mixture into a ball and place on a serving platter. Cover the ball with the softened cream cheese. Press in tortilla chips for ears. Drain the pepperocini, olives and 1 beet on paper towels. Place the pepperocini pepper in the middle of the cheese ball for a nose. Cut 1 pimento-stuffed olive and use for the eyes. Remove the pimentos from 8 of the olives and insert arbol Chile’s for the toes. Cut zigzag pieces of green pepper for eyebrows. Shred the beet to use for hair. Cut small pieces of carrot sticks to use for teeth. Serve with crackers.

Halloween 7-layer Dip

 Halloween 7-layer Dip

1 can (15 oz.) refried beans

1 packet taco seasoning mix

1 c. sour cream

1 c. mild or medium chunky salsa

1 c. grated cheddar or Mexican-blend cheese

1/2 can (15 oz.) black olives, drained

1 c. prepared guacamole

1 T. milk

In a small bowl, mix the taco seasoning with the refried beans.  Spread this mixture on the bottom of a 10 inch pie plate.  Spread 3/4 cup of the sour cream on top of the beans.

Add the salsa on top of the sour cream and spread.  Spread the guacamole in the center of the dip.  Sprinkle the grated cheese around the edge of the plate.  

Thin the remaining sour cream with the milk.  Put it into a plastic bag and cut off one corner.  Squeeze the sour cream into a spider web pattern over the guacamole.

Make olive spiders by cutting a few of the olives lengthwise and then cut a few olives into small strips for the legs.  Place the halved olives on the spider web using the strips to make the spider legs.

Slice the remaining olives and spread around the outside of the plate.

Serve immediately with tortilla chips.  

                                                                                  

Meatloaf Skull

 

Meatloaf Skull

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Ground beef

• 2 Eggs whisked

• 1/2 cup Breadcrumbs

• 1 tsp Dried oregano

• 2 tsp Garlic powder

• 1 tsp Salt

• 1/4 Onion

• 6 oz bacon

• 1/2 cup Ketchup

• 1/4 cup Brown sugar

• 2-3 tsp Hot sauce

• 8 slices Provolone cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine ground beef with eggs, breadcrumbs, and seasonings (oregano, garlic powder, and salt). Careful not to overwork the mixture, stir only until combined.

3. On a cookie sheet lined with foil, shape the meatloaf mixture into a skull shape. Dice onion to form teeth and eyes. Place onions on the meatloaf then wrap the other sections of the skull with bacon.

4. Whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, and hot sauce. Brush half of the mixture onto the meatloaf.

5. Bake until the bacon has rendered, approximately 45 minutes to an hour. Brush with remaining ketchup glaze. Cover the bacon with the slices of provolone and baked until slightly melted, roughly 10-15 minutes.

Halloween Bat Bites

 

Halloween Bat Bites

Ingredients

• 1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

• 4 oz. soft goat cheese

• 1/4 c. pesto

• 3 T. coarsely ground black pepper

• 3 T. poppy seeds

• 12 pitted black olives

• 48 pink peppercorns

• 48 triangular blue corn chips

Instructions

1. Soften the cream cheese and goat cheese to room temperature. Use an electric mixer to blend together the cream cheese, goat cheese and pesto. Chill the mixture for an hour. Shape the mixture into 24 balls, about 1 teaspoon each. Combine the poppy seeds and ground black pepper on a small plate. Roll each ball into the poppy seed and pepper mixture to cover. Cut the black olives in half. Press 2 olive slices into the balls for eyes and place a pink peppercorn in the center of the olive slice for the pupils. Insert a corn chip on either side of the ball for wings. Serve.

Bacon Peanut Popcorn Balls

Bacon Peanut Popcorn Balls

2 T. butter
3 c. miniature marshmallows
6 c. popped popcorn
3 T. real bacon bits
6 T. chopped salted dry-roasted peanuts

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over low heat.  Add marshmallows; cook until melted.  Remove from heat.  Stir in popcorn, bacon bits and peanuts.  Form into 2 inch balls.

Corn Chowder with Jalapenos

Corn Chowder with Jalapenos

3 1/2 c. frozen corn
4 c. chicken or vegetable stock
1 T. olive oil
2 T. butter
1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes
1 onion
1 rib celery
2 jalapeno peppers
2 Fresno peppers
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp. ground cumin
4 oz. cream cheese

Cut the cream cheese into 1" pieces and bring to room temperature.  Wash the potatoes and cut into 1" cubes.  Finely chop the onion and celery.  Seed and devein the jalapeno and Fresno peppers and finely chop.  Remove the skin from the garlic cloves and finely chop.
In a soup pot, heat the olive oil then add the butter.  Add the potatoes, onion, celery, peppers, garlic and cumin.  Reduce the heat to medium, partially cover, and cook until the vegetables soften, about 12 minutes.
Add the corn and the stock to the pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.  Stir in the cream cheese until melted.  Season with salt and pepper then serve.

If you want to make this even more delicious, cut fresh corn off the cob to use in place of the frozen corn then place the corn cobs into the broth while it simmers.

Sweet Potato Cornbread

Sweet Potato Cornbread 

 Ingredients 

1 c. flour 

1 c. cornmeal 

1/2 c. sugar 

1 tsp. baking powder 

1 tsp. baking soda 

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon 

1 c. whole milk 

2 c. mashed sweet potatoes 

1/2 c. melted butter 

1/3 c. honey

Honey Butter: (optional) 

1/2 c. butter softened 

1/2 c. honey 

 Instructions

 Grease an 9” round baking pan. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 

Microwave sweet potatoes, then peel and mash. 

Blend together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Combine the mashed sweet potatoes with the eggs, melted butter and honey. Then add the milk and stir to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. 

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 33 – 40 minutes. Use a toothpick to make sure the middle is done. Beat the softened butter with the honey and serve with the warm cornbread.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

 Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

1 pouch (17.5 oz.) oatmeal cookie mix

1/2 c. crushed gingersnap cookies

1/2 c. finely chopped pecans

1/2 c. cold butter

2 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature

1 c. sugar

1 c. canned pumpkin

2 T. flour

1 T. pumpkin pie spice

2 T. whipping cream

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grind the cookies then the pecans in a food processor until finely chopped.

In a large bowl, stir together cookie mix, crushed cookies and pecans. Cut in the butter, using a pastry blender, until the mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1 cup of the mixture for topping. Press the remaining mixture in the bottom of an ungreased 13" x 9" pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the pumpkin, flour, pumpkin pie spice, whipping cream and eggs. Beat until well blended. Pour over the warm cookie base. Sprinkle with the reserved topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until the center is set. Cool then refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Potato Corn Chowder

 

Potato Corn Chowder

Ingredients

• 1 T. butter

• 1 onion diced

• 1 clove garlic minced

• 1 c. whole milk

• 4 c. chicken broth

• 3 potatoes rinsed, peeled and cubed into 1/2" chunks

• 2 c. corn fresh or frozen

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

• Real bacon bits

• Shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Add the butter to a large Dutch oven and melt over medium-low heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook for 5 minutes until tender. Add the garlic and the corn and cook for 3 more minutes.

2. Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon flour and stir. Add the chicken broth and the milk. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the potatoes. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Simmer for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

3. Ladle into bowls and top with shredded cheese and bacon bits.

Maple-mustard Cocktail Sausages

Maple-mustard Cocktail Sausages
1/4 c. pure maple syrup
2 T. stone-ground mustard
1 tsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. black pepper
1 pkg. cocktail sausages (14 oz.)

Whisk together maple syrup, mustard, vinegar and pepper in a medium bowl.  Add the sausages and toss until coated.  Transfer to a slow cooker for 2 hours or until thoroughly heated.

Homemade Danish Rolls

• 2 sheets Puff Pastry
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 1/3 c. jam
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 2 T. milk
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 1/4 c. toasted almonds
• 
  
• Thaw the puff pastry in the refrigerator overnight.  Set out the cream cheese for about an hour to come to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Unfold and lay out the thawed puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface.  Cut each sheet into six equal parts by cutting into thirds; then in half; set on the parchment lined baking sheets.

In a mixing bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, vanilla and almond extract.  Mix until smooth.

Spread 1 heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture on each puff pastry square.  Spread one heaping teaspoon of jam on top of cream cheese on each pastry piece.

Bake for 15-17 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, make the glaze by whisking powdered sugar, milk and almond extract until smooth.

Remove the baked danishes from the oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.  Then lightly glaze each danish and sprinkle with toasted almonds.

Make sure to use jam and not jelly.  Jelly will spread out too much.  Some of my favorites are raspberry, cherry and apricot.  Apple butter is also delicious.