Mushroom & Swiss Sliders

Ingredients:
⅓ cups Mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Ketchup
1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (less If You're Sensitive To Spice!)
4 Tablespoons Butter
½ whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
8 ounces, weight White Mushrooms, Chopped Finely
½ cups White Or Red Wine (optional)
4 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
Kosher Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 pounds Ground Beef
4 Tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream
4 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
4 slices Swiss Cheese, Cut Into Four Squares
8 whole Dinner (or Slider) Rolls, Split

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, ketchup, and cayenne. Stir together until totally combined. Set aside. (This is the spicy fry sauce.)
Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onions and cook over medium heat for five minutes, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms and toss around, then add wine (if using), Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Cook for several minute over medium heat, or until all liquid has evaporated. Transfer mushroom mixture to a separate bowl, scraping all contents from the skillet.
Mix ground beef, heavy cream, Worcestershire, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Use your hands to thoroughly mix ingredients. Form 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the meat mixture into patties, making an indentation with your thumb to keep the patties from plumping too much when they cook. In the same skillet as the one used to cook the mushrooms, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium to medium-high heat. Add four patties at a time, indented side face up. Cook for 4 minutes, then flip. Spoon generous portion of mushroom mixture on each patty, then top with one or two squares of Swiss, depending on your preference. Place lid on skillet and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until burgers are cooked through and cheese is melted. Remove to a place and keep warm while you repeat with the rest of the meat mixture.
Toast halved buns under the oven broiler. Spread generously with spicy fry sauce. Place patties between buns and serve immediately with fried onion strings.

Cheese & Ham Pretzel Bites

Ingredients:
For the dough:
1½ tsp. instant yeast
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
¼ cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
2½-3 cups all-purpose flour

For the filling:
½ cup small diced ham
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

To finish:
6 cups water
4 tsp. baking soda
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Kosher salt (or pretzel salt), for topping

Directions:
To make the dough, combine the yeast, brown sugar, water, milk, and 2½ cups of flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until a dough has formed. Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed until a soft, elastic dough forms. Add the remaining flour a 1-2 tablespoons at a time until the dough is tacky but not sticky.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place, until the dough has doubled in size and bubbles on the surface, about 1½ to 2 hours.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Stretch or roll one piece of the dough into a 12 x 4-inch rectangle. Sprinkle some of the diced ham and the shredded cheese over one third of the dough closest to an edge, lengthwise. Roll up tightly, filling edge first, so that the filling is tightly sealed inside. Slice the log into 12 pieces and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Repeat with the remaining 3 portions of dough, and the remaining filling.

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Bring the 6 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the baking soda and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Boil the pretzels in batches, cooking for about 2o seconds and turning once. They should be slightly puffed. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to transfer them back to the baking sheet.

Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Brush the warm pretzel bites with the melted butter and sprinkle with kosher salt.

PW Fried Mozzerella Sticks

Ingredients:
16 pieces String Cheese, Removed From Wrappers
½ cups All-purpose Flour
2 whole Eggs
3 Tablespoons Milk
2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs (I Used Kikkomans)
1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley Flakes
Canola Oil, For Frying
Marinara Sauce, For Dipping

Directions:
Slice string cheese pieces in half, for a total of 32 pieces.
Place flour in a small bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and milk.
In another separate bowl, combine panko bread crumbs with parsley flakes.
TO ASSEMBLE: One by one, roll mozzarella sticks in flour, then dunk in egg/milk mixture, then place in panko crumbs. Use your hand to sweep crumbs all over the mozzarella stick. Gently remove and place on a tray or cookie sheet. Repeat until all mozzarella sticks are coated.
***Place tray in freezer for 20 to 30 minutes to flash freeze.***
TO COOK: Heat 1 1/2 inches canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add mozzarella sticks 8 at a time. Watch closely and turn over to evenly brown, cooking less than 2 minutes. Do not allow cheese to bubble and leak.
Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
Serve immediately with warm marinara sauce.

Fruit Pizza

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
Zest of one lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt

Frosting:
1 package of cream cheese, (8 oz.)
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla
Optional: 1/2 tsp coconut extract
Optional: Zest of 1 lemon

Fresh fruit:
Strawberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Kiwi
Peaches
Blackberries
Pineapple
Banana
Mango
Canned mandarin oranges

Directions:
Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixer. Add the egg, lemon zest, and vanilla. Mix until well combined. Sift flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture on low speed, using the mixer. Mix just until combined. Roll into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap, then refrigerate for at least an hour to chill the dough. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface then press into a lightly greased pizza pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes. You want the crust to be just a light golden brown. Let the crust cool.

Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites

Ingredients:
Soft Pretzels
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 package active dry yeast
3 ounces unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil
3 quarts water
3/4 cup baking soda
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
Coarse sea salt

Cheddar Cheese Sauce
½ Tablespoon unsalted butter
½ Tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ cup milk
8 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:
For the Pretzels:
Combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.
Oil a bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Bring the water to a boil in a small roasting pan over high heat and add the baking soda.
Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 ounces each. Roll each piece into a long rope measuring 22 inches and shape. Cut the dough into one inch pieces to make the pretzel bites. Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution in batches. We did about 15 bites at a time. Boil for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon. Place pretzel bites on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure they are not touching. Brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt. Place into the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.
Remove to a baking rack and let rest 5 minutes before eating. Serve with cheese sauce, recipe below.

For the cheese sauce:
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and cook until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the Cheddar cheese until smooth and all of the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

*If you want to make cinnamon and sugar pretzel bites-instead of adding salt, sprinkle the bites with cinnamon and sugar. For the frosting mix-soft cream cheese-about 3 T, powdered sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a little bit of milk. Whisk together. Add more milk if it is too thick, if it is too thin, add more powdered sugar. I don’t measure. I just guess until the consistency is right.* Recipe makes a lot of bites-perfect for sharing!

Salmon Pecan-Crusted Tarts

Ingredients:

1 can (6 oz) premium skinless boneless pink salmon, drained
1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickle
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1/3 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/2 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese (2 oz)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
1/3 cup Fisher® Chef’s Naturals® Pecan Cookie Pieces or Fisher® Chef’s Naturals® Chopped Pecans, finely chopped
1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 dill weed sprig
2 lemon wedges

Directions:
1. In large bowl, mix salmon, pickle, onion, mayonnaise, cheese, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon dill weed. Refrigerate.
2. Heat oven to 400°F. On work surface, unroll 1 pie crust. Sprinkle half of the pecans over crust; gently press into crust. Cut with 3-inch round cookie cutter into 10 rounds. In ungreased nonstick mini muffin pan, gently press each round, pecan side down, on bottom and up side of muffin cup, folding edge under and rounding to shape. Repeat with remaining crust.
3. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese into bottom of each cup. Spoon 1 rounded tablespoon salmon mixture on cream cheese in each cup.
4. Bake 12 to 18 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool in pan on cooling rack 5 minutes. Remove from pan to serving platter; cool 5 minutes. Garnish with dill weed sprig and lemon wedges. Serve warm.

Stuffed Celery

Ingredients:
1 package cream cheese, softened
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. dill weed
2 tbsp. finely chopped red pepper
1 tbsp. finely chopped chives
1 head celery, root end cut off and leaves removed.
salt and pepper or a dash of Tabasco if desired
1 can of crabmeat, drained or 1 cups small shrimp

Directions:
Beat cream cheese, mayonnaise, chives and seasonings together.
Stir in Shrimp or crabmeat and peppers.
Separate celery stalks, wash each and dry with paper towel.
Fill each stalk with cream cheese filling. If it looks a bit messy use a small silicone spatula or damp paper towel to clean up the edges.
Cut each filled stalk into 2 or 3 inch lengths and place on serving dish.
Sprinkle with dill weed, or chopped fresh parsley and serve.

Monkey Muffins

Ingredients:
Leftover Bread Dough (or Refrigerated Biscuit Dough, Cut Into Thirds)
Butter
Sugar
Ground Cinnamon
Sweetened, Condensed Milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Add 1/2 teaspoon butter to muffin tins. Sprinkle in sugar and cinnamon.
Roll dough into walnut sized balls (or cut refrigerated biscuit dough into thirds). Place three into each muffin tin.
Top with 1/2 teaspoon butter. Sprinkle on more sugar and cinnamon.
Allow dough to rise, if applicable, or just go ahead and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.
Remove from oven and immediately drizzle plenty of sweetened condensed milk over the top of each one. Be generous! Allow rolls to sit for a little while to absorb sweet, sticky milk.

PW's Steak Bites

Ingredients:
1 pound Sirloin Steak (without much gristle) OR Pre-cut Beef Tips
Kosher Salt To Taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper To Taste
2 Tablespoons Butter

Directions:
Trim off the large obvious piece of fat that runs along the side of the meat. Next, cut strips less than 1-inch wide. Rotate the meat and cut into small bite-sized pieces. If you see any more large chunks of fat, gristle or long silvery membrane cut them off.
Sprinkle generously with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss the meat around a bit to thoroughly coat with the seasonings.
Next, turn on your ventilation fan overhead. Heat the skillet over medium high to high heat. As the pan heats, add about 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Allow the butter to melt, then brown, before you add the meat.
Place some of the meat in the pan in a single layer. It should sizzle loudly when it hits the pan – if it doesn’t, the pan isn’t hot enough. Don’t stir or disrupt the meat for 30-45 seconds. You want it to sizzle and brown on one side. Scoop as many steak bites as you can with your spatula and flip them over. Repeat until all the meat is turned. Cook for an additional 30 to 45 seconds—just long enough to sear the outside of the meat but NOT cook the inside.
Remove the meat to a clean plate. Add a little more butter to the pan and repeat the cooking process with the next batch just as before. Lastly, when all the meat is nicely browned and removed to the plate, pour all that browned/blackened butter all over the meat.

Quesadillas de Camarones

Ingredients:
Flour Tortillas
12 whole Large Shrimp, Peeled And Deveined
8 ounces, fluid Mexican Red Sauce
1 whole Large Onion
1 whole Red Bell Pepper
1 whole Green Bell Pepper
2 cups Cheese, Grated (Monterey Jack Is Best)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt To Taste

Directions:
Pour red sauce over shrimp. Set aside.Chop vegetables into large pieces. Heat skillet over high heat and add olive oil. Cook vegetables over high heat until they start to get brown/black. Remove from skillet and set aside.Return skillet to high heat, then dump in the shrimp with the sauce. Cook, stirring only occasionally, until shrimp is opaque. Add in a little water if the sauce gets dry. Remove from skillet and chop into bite-size pieces.In a separate skillet, heat butter. Place a tortilla in the skillet, then layer on ingredients: cheese, vegetables, and shrimp. Top with a little more cheese and a second tortilla. Cook on both sides, adding butter before flipping to the other side so the tortilla isn’t overly dry.Remove from skillet and slice into wedges. Serve with rice, beans, salsa, sour cream, guacamole—whatever you’d like!

Mushrooms Stuffed with Brie

Ingredients:
1 package White Button Mushrooms, Washed And Stems Removed
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped
4 whole (to 5) Green Onions, Sliced (up To Middle Of Dark Green Part)
Splash Of White Wine (optional)
1 slice (wedge) Of Brie Cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Melt butter in large saucepan. Add mushroom caps and toss to coat in butter. Sprinkle lightly with salt and cook for 1 minute. Remove mushrooms from pan and place upside down in a baking dish.
In the same saucepan (without cleaning it) throw in garlic, parsley, and green onions. Sprinkle very lightly with salt and splash in wine, if using. Stir around until wine evaporates, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Cut rind off of brie wedge, then cut pieces of brie to fit each mushroom cap. Place inside, lightly pressing to anchor each piece of brie.
Top mushrooms with parsley/garlic mixture.
Place into the oven for 15 minutes, or until brie is melted.
Note: mushrooms are best when they’ve been allowed to cool slightly. Delicious

Cheddar Puffs

Ingredients:
1 loaf Crusty French Bread, Cut Into 1-inch Cubes*
½ sticks Butter
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole Shallot, Minced
1-½ teaspoon Dijon Mustard
8 ounces, Cream Cheese, Sliced
1-½ cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
2 whole Egg Whites, Beaten

Directions:

Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots and saute for 1 minute. Add Dijon and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low.
Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Add grated cheddar and stir until melted. Turn off heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fold in egg whites.
Dunk bread cubes in cheese, coating thoroughly. Place on a nonstick baking mat or sheet of waxed paper and freeze for 20 minutes, uncovered. Remove frozen chunks from tray and place into a Ziploc bag. Store in the freezer.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place frozen cheese puffs on a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper, and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

*When I made these I had more bread than sauce. Next time, I'll use the cubes that have crust on them. They hold up much better with the sauce and are crunchier. Also, I cubed the bread and let it sit for a few hours so it got a tiny bit crusty.

Crab Fondue

Ingredients:
18 ounces (3 6-oz packages) cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon mustard (yellow or Dijon)
2 Tbsp powdered sugar (or 1 Tbsp corn starch if you want to skip the sugar)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1-2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning (or paprika with a little ground ginger and cayenne)
1/4 - 1/2 cup dry white wine or dry sherry (optional)
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3/4 lb to 1 lb of lump crab meat, fresh or canned
1/4 cup chopped green onion greens, chives, or parsley
Day old French or Italian loaf bread (best not fresh or will fall apart when dipped), cubed into 1-inch cubes

Directions:
1 Slowly heat the cream cheese, mayo, powdered sugar, garlic powder, Old Bay, lemon zest, and mustard in a double boiler until the cheese is completely melted. (If you don't have a double boiler, fill a saucepan a third of the way with water and bring to a boil, place a metal bowl over the saucepan. This will work as a double boiler.)
2 Slowly stir in the wine and lemon juice (adjust quantities to taste and desired consistency). Slowly stir in the crab meat and onion greens.
To serve, transfer to a heated chafing dish or fondue pot to keep warm. Present with bread cubes and forks for dipping.
Serves 8.

Zucchini Pancakes

Ingredients: 2 medium zucchini, grated 2 large eggs 2 T red onion, grated 6-8 T flour 1 t salt 1/2 t pepper unsalted butter and olive oil Directions: Combine ingredients and add the extra flour if batter is runny. Heat 1/2 T butter and some oil in a saute pan. When butter is hot but not smoking, lower the heat to medium low and drop a spoonful of batter ino the pan. Cook each side for about 2 minutes each, until browned.

Shrimp Tartlets

Ingredients:
18 slices white bread (picture used Peppridge Farm bread)
Refrigerated butter-flavored spray

Filling:
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup canned chopped green chilies
1/4 cup diced cooked shrimp
1 green onion, thinly sliced
18 whole small cooked shrimp
Paprika

Directions:
With a rolling pin, flatten bread to 1/8-in. thickness. Using a 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter, cut out a circle from each slice. (Save scraps for another use.) Spritz both sides of circles with butter-flavored spray. Press into ungreased miniature muffin cups. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
In a large bowl, combine the cheese, chilies, diced shrimp and onion; spoon into cups. Top with whole shrimp and paprika. Broil 5-6 in. from the heat for 2-4 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Nedra's Reception Brie

Buy the baby brie from Costco and the Pesto from Costco. Lay the brie on a sheet of filo or puff pastry dough. Puff pastry is easier to work with. Then pour about 1/3 of the jar of pesto on the brie. You can roast some pine nuts and sprinkle those (generously) on top as well. Then wrap it up in the dough and bake until dough is golden. (Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Pastry should be golden brown.)

Tangy Cucumber Cups

Ingredients:
1 large English cucumber (about 18-20" in length)
1/3 C rice wine vinegar
2 T honey
1/4 C sour cream
2 T mayonnaise
1/4 C chopped red onion
1/4 C crumbled feta cheese (1 ounce)
12 t dried dill weed
1/8 t salt

Directions:
Cut off and discard the cucumber ends. To make the cups decorative, peel off a stripe along each of three sides on the cucumber; then cut crosswise into 3/4" thick slices. Making sure to not go all the way through, scoop out and discard a little from the center of each slice using 1/2 t measuring spoon; set aside the slice cups.

Whisk together the vinegar and honey in a small bowl. Add the cucumber cups; cover tightly and marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, whisk together the sour cream and mayo in a medium size bowl. Mix in the red onion, feta cheese, dill and salt.

Remove the cucumber cups from the marinade and fill each with approximately 1 t of the dressing. Arrange on a serving plate, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cheese Toasts

Ingredients:
1/2 C mayonnaise
2 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated (1/2 C)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C sliced green onions
1 baguete, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

Directions:
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the mayo, cheese, garlic, and green onions in a small bowl. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown--8 to 10 minutes. Spread a couple teaspoonfuls of the cheese mixture on each slice and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly--2 to 3 mins more. Transfer to a serving plate and serve.

Caprese Salad Skewers

Ingredients:
Ciliegine (little cherry size fresh mozzarella)
20 Basil Leaves
1 Pint of Grape Tomatoes
6-8" skewers
Sea Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:
Skewer 1 Cherry Tomato onto a skewer. Roll 1/2 of a Basil leaf and skewer it on on top of the tomato. Skewer 1 Ciliegine on top of the basil. Arrange Caprese sticks on a platter and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Mix 1/4 cup of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and pour on top of the Caprese Sticks and serve.

Pizza Bites

Ingredients:
2 cans refrigerated pizza dough
1 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese
4 oz thin sliced pepperoni
2 tsp Italian seasoning (combine oregano, basil, parsley, and garlic)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
pizza or marinara sauce

Directions:
Prepare pizza dough and roughly chop pepperoni.If you are going to bake some (or all!) right away preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 3 pie pans.If using refrigerated pizza dough: roll one dough out into a large rectangle and cut into 24 pieces. Don't make them as rectangular as I did (see below). I should have made them more square, it would have made them easier to fold around the filling. Repeat with 2nd pizza dough. If using homemade dough just pinch off walnut sized pieces as you go.In each dough piece place a couple pieces of chopped pepperoni and a tablespoon of cheese. Seal dough around meat and cheese and place seam side down in pie pan.Repeat, placing approximately 16 dough balls in each pie plate. Once assembled, combine oil and spices and brush over the dough. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Now you can cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze or you can bake right away.When ready to bake: bake at 400°F for 16-20 min. Serve with warm pizza or marinara sauce.