Bacon and Green Onion Cheese Ball

Tip: Read directions completely before preparing.

Ingredients:

(For Cheese Ball)

1/4 cup brown sugar ham, finely chopped

1/4 cup green onion, finely chopped

1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 teaspoon Hidden Valley, Garden Green Onion Mix

(For Rolling Cheese Ball)

1/8 cup real bacon Bits, (I use Oscar Mayer)

1/8 cup green onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup Colby Jack or Mild Cheddar cheese, finely shredded/cut

Directions:

(For Preparing Cheese Ball)

In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine green onion, brown sugar Ham, cream cheese and Garden Green Onion Mix. When mixed well, form ball out of the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 3 to 4 hours, or overnight.

(For Rolling Cheese Ball)

Before serving, in a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the real bacon bits, green onion, and cheddar cheese, and roll the cheese balls in the mixture.  Enjoy!

 Tip: This cheese ball is great with buttery crackers!

Crispy Cheesy Baked Chicken

Tip:  Read directions completely before preparing.

Ingredients:

Chicken and Marinade Ingredients:

¼ cup, white vinegar

1 cup, whole milk

1/2 teaspoon, Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon, fresh ground pepper

4 large chicken breasts

Dry Ingredients:

1 sleeve, Ritz crackers

1 cup, Panko bread crumbs

1/8 teaspoon, Cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon, black pepper

¼ teaspoon, garlic powder

¼ teaspoon, onion powder

¼ teaspoon, sweet paprika

1/8 teaspoon, celery seed

¼ teaspoon, oregano, finely crushed

½ teaspoon, sea salt

Cheese Ingredients:

1 cup, cheddar cheese, grated

1 cup, Colby and Monterrey Jack cheese, grated

Creamy Chicken Sauce Ingredients:

½ cup, whole milk

]1  (10 ounce) can, cream of chicken soup

2 tablespoons, sour cream

2 tablespoons, butter

1 teaspoon, dried parsley flakes

Other Ingredients:

Non-Stick pan spray

¼ cup, melted butter

Directions:

Chicken and Marinade:

In a large bowl add first four ingredients. The vinegar, whole milk, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and let stand for 15 minutes.  Mix then add chicken breasts. Marinade the chicken for at least 3 hours.

In a small food processor grind up the ritz crackers.

Add the dry ingredients, spices, Panko bread crumbs, and ground Ritz crackers into a small pan.  Add the cheese into a separate small pan.

Do not rinse the chicken; dip each piece of chicken breast into the cheese. Press the cheese into the chicken with your fingers.

Press the cheesy chicken into the cracker crumbs and press it in. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray, pour the melted ¼ cup of butter into the pan and spread and lay the chicken inside the pan.

Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken.

Cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy.

Creamy Chicken Sauce:

Into a medium sized sauce pan combine the cream of condensed cream of chicken soup, milk, sour cream, parsley flakes, and butter with a whisk. Stir it over medium high heat until the sauce is nice and hot. Serve over the chicken.  Enjoy!

Serves: 4 – 8, if you cut each breast into two.

Tip:  You can also use this chicken marinate for fried chicken recipes!

Ham, Cheese and Tomato Panini with Garlic Pesto Mayo

Tip:  Read directions completely before preparing.

Ingredients: (per panini)

1 Hoagie bun

4 slices, provolone cheese

1/4 cup, large colossal black olives, sliced

3 slices, ripe tomato, thinly sliced

4, thin slices ham

1/4 cup, arugula leafs

Garlic Pesto Mayonaise 

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons pesto

1 large garlic glove, finely minced

Directions:

Prepare the garlic pesto mayonnaise spread by mixing the mayonnaise, pesto and garlic in a bowl thoroughly.  Set aside.

Preheat a stovetop panini grill, or preheat an electric panini grill according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Slice the hoagie buns lengthwise.  For each sandwich, place bottom bread slice, side down, on a work surface, spread 1 1/2 tablespoons of the garlic pesto mayonnaise on bottom and top slice.  Layer with 2 cheese slices, then 4 slices of ham, then 3 tomato slices, then a layer of sliced black olives, then 1 layer of arugula leafs, then add another 2 cheese slices, Top with the remaining bread slice.

Place the sandwich in the grill, or panini pan and close the top plate, or place in the sauté pan or grill pan and press down firmly with a flat, heavy pot lid.

Cook the sandwich, turning once at the halfway point if using a stovetop pan, until the bread is golden and toasted and the cheese has melted, about 5 - 8 minutes total.  Turn the panini pan over if using panini pan.  Keep checking to make sure your heat is NOT to high and over browning the bread to fast.

Cut the sandwiches in half and serve immediately.  Enjoy!!!!

Cheese Straws

Tip: Read directions completely before preparing.

Ingredients:
2 sticks of butter, softened
2 cups of grated white cheddar cheese
2 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of half and half

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.  Mix the cheese and butter together. Add the flour, cayenne, salt, and half and half and stir until it becomes a ball.

Roll out the dough into a rectangle that is 1/4 inch thick, and using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 1"x5" strips.  Poke holes in the top of each cheese straw with a fork.

Bake on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet for fifteen minutes, or until edges are light brown. Cool and then serve.  Enjoy!

Servings: 3 dozen

Tip:  Cheese Straws are usually served before a meal, though they are also delicious with soups, salads, wine, cheese and I have even been known to dip cheese straws into a bowl of queso.  Cheese straws can be formed up to two weeks ahead.  Freeze on baking sheets until solid, then transfer into sealable plastic bags and keep frozen until ready to bake!

Scalloped Potatoes with Ham and Cheese

Tip: Read directions carefully before preparing.

Ingredients:
1 large Buttery Gold potato, sliced thin
5 slices thin honey ham
1/3 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:
Using a mandolin or grater with slice side, slice potatoes thin as shown below.

Melt butter in a small 5"-6" pan, and then layer 1/2 the potatoes in the pan as shown below.

Layer 1/2 the potatoes in the pan.

Layer the ham on the potatoes.



Add the cheese.

Layer the other half of potatoes on top and let fry on low for 15 minutes. Watch to make sure it only brown's nicely and does not burn.

Once browned, place a plate upside down and flip the pan on the plate.  Slide the cake bake in the pan and let fry for 10 minutes.



Remove from pan and serve. You can top it with eggs, hot sauce or whatever you would like.