Cheese Stuffed Bacon Meatballs

I like a good meatball recipe, but this marinara is AWESOME!

Ingredients

Meatballs:

• 8 to 10 slices applewood smoked bacon
• 1 pound ground chuck
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 package onion soup mix
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon coarse black pepper
• 1 tablespoon beef stock
• 8 to 10 bocconcini mozzarella balls

Marinara:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped oregano leaves
• 1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
• 2 (14-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 (14-ounce) cans diced tomatoes in puree
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon

Directions

Meatballs:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange the bacon slices on a sheet pan. Put in the oven and bake until crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan to a cutting board and chop. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the beef, Worcestershire, onion soup mix, bread crumbs, black pepper, stock and the chopped bacon.

Form portions of the meat around bocconcini to make smooth balls. Arrange the meatballs on a sheet pan with a rack and bake until thoroughly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Marinara:

Add the oil to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add the onion, garlic, basil, oregano and pepper and saute for a few minutes. Stir in the crushed and diced tomatoes, red pepper flakes and the bouillon. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the meatballs from the pan to a serving platter and serve with the marinara sauce.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- You can buy the special mozzarella balls at Whole Foods, but save yourself some money and just cube a block of mozzarella into 1/4 inch cubes.

- The marinara makes A TON!! Be prepared to have something with marinara the next day too! :)

-

Bacon Bleu Cheese Dates

OH MY GOODNESS!! Was at a party ate one of these without knowing what they really were… DELICIOUS!! And I didn’t even think I liked dates or bleu cheese. :) Super easy appetizer. Enjoy it for the holiday season!

Ingredients:

- 1 pound sliced bacon, cut in half

- 1 pound pitted dates

- 4 ounces bleu cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Slice dates in half, and open them up. Pinch off pieces of blue cheese, and place them into the center of the dates. Close the halves of the dates, and wrap a half-slice of bacon around the outside. Secure each one with a toothpick. Arrange in a baking dish or on a baking sheet with sides to catch any grease.
3. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bacon is crisp. Turn dates over after the first 20 minutes for even cooking.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- Let the dates rest out of oven to cool off before serving. They will be HOT!

- I had to broil them for a few minutes to get the bacon crisp. Just watch them carefully.

Roasted Corn Salsa

My friend Jenny made this recipe for us last year and I loved it. Never got around to making it last summer but have made it twice in the last few weeks! YUM!! Great reason to hit up the local Farmers Martket! Enjoy.

Ingredients

• 3 ears corn, shucked
• 4 medium tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lb.), chopped
• 2 onions, diced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• salt and black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (or to taste)
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. Grill corn, turning often, until kernels have softened and are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then cut off kernels from each ear (you'll have about 3 cups).
2. In a large bowl, combine corn kernels, tomatoes, onions, olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce. Add parsley and stir well. Chill until ready to serve.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality

- The last time I made this I actually used frozen corn. Cooked it in the microwave according to directions, drained it to remove as much water as possible and then threw it in a hot frying pan with a little bit of oil until it browned up. Not as good as fresh corn on the grill, but still really good, and a great time saver.

**Original recipe from www.myrecipes.com**

Ham & Swiss Rolls

1 pkg King's Sweet Hawaiian Bread

1 pkg Sliced Ham

1 pkg Sliced Swiss Cheese

tub of butter

Mustard

Poppy Seeds

Aluminum Foil

I do this the easiest way I know. Cut the bread in half (tops and bottoms). Spread butter on the bottom portion of the bread. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. (I put my poppy seeds in the sandwich, but you can put them on top of the bread too if you would like!) Next put on as much ham as you would like. Then the swiss cheese on top of the ham. Finally, spread mustard on the top portion of the bread and put the tops on the sandwich. This will look like one large sandwich. Wrap entire thing in aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes (until cheese melts). Open aluminum foil, slice into individual sandwiches and serve!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas

Two things that I love:  Chili's and Cheap food!  And this is both.  I love the Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas from Chilis.  And this week, Harris Teeter has a Meal Deal that is perfect to make them.  If you don't know about the Meal Deals at Harris Teeter you need to.  Here are the details of this week's meal deal:

BUY ALL 4 FOR $5.99:

• One (1) 9 oz. Perdue Short Cuts Chicken;--> precooked chicken in deli section
• One (1) 17 oz. Mission Soft Taco Tortillas;
• One (1) 7-8 oz. Kraft Shredded Cheese; and
• One (1) 16 oz. Harris Teeter Sour Cream 

It's super easy to find these items, because HT puts a white "meal deal item" sign below each item that qualifies.  So there are several varieties of each of the above to choose from.  We like Lite Sour Cream so that's included.

Now for the recipe!

All of the above plus:  Spray butter, bacon bits and Ranch dressing.  I always have these on hand.  I buy the Sams club bag of Hormel Bacon pieces.  We use it in a lot of recipes, baked potatoes, and salads. 

Instructions:
1.  Place Perdue pre-cooked chicken on a microwave safe plate and per the instructions on the box, microwave 45 seconds until warm.
2.  Preheat to Medium heat a non-stick skillet to big enough for your tortilla to fit flat in.
3.  Spray your tortilla with butter and lay down flat.
4.  Spread about a 1/2 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese on the bottom.
5.  Layer 1/3 of the chicken pieces.
6.  Sprinkle with about a Tablespoon of bacon pieces.
7.  Squirt small dots of Ranch around the whole tortilla.  Less is more here.
8.  Place top tortilla on.  Spray with butter.
9.  KEY:  Take a smaller skillet and put on top with a few cans of fruit or veggies on top to weigh it down.  This is what gives you the crispy tortilla like restaurants serve you.  Check after a minute and turn when the bottom tortilla is golden brown.  Put weight back on and cook until bottom is crispy.
10.  Cut in wedges and serve with sour cream.

Delicious and our entire families meal cost us $5.99.  ONE of these at Chili's is at least $8.00.  This makes 3 whole quesadillas.  Matt and I each ate one and the boys split the third.  And if both boys eat it, it's a keeper recipe at our house! 

This meal deal only lasts through Tuesday so rush to your local Harris Teeter and make this yummy meal or appetizer for your family! 

Warm Spinach and Artichoke Cups

A good friend of ours, Cindy, made these for a Thanksgiving Day appetizer. She sent me the recipe to post. Hope you enjoy these like we did!

Ingredients:

36 won ton wrappers (look for these in the produce section of the supermarket)

14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained, finely chopped

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

10 oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry

1/3 cup Kraft Mayo with Olive Oil Reduced Fat Mayonnaise

1/3 cup grated (or shredded) parmesan cheese

¼ cup red bell peppers, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

Heat oven to 350°. Place 1 won ton wrapper in each of 35 mini muffin tins sprayed with cooking spray, with edges of wrapper extending over top of cup. Bake 4 min. Meanwhile combine remaining ingredients.

Spoon mixture into won ton cups.

Bake 12 to 14 min. or until filling is heated through and edges of cups are golden brown.

Marinated Cheese

Another recipe I dug out that I'd never made. Great party food!! YUMM!

Ingredients
1 (0.7-oz.) envelope Italian dressing mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons minced green onion
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 (8-oz.) block Monterey Jack cheese, chilled
1 (8-oz.) block Cheddar cheese, chilled
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, chilled
1 (4-oz.) jar chopped pimiento, drained
Assorted crackers

Directions

1. Whisk together first 6 ingredients. Set aside.

2. Cut Monterey Jack cheese in half lengthwise. Cut each half crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Repeat with Cheddar cheese and cream cheese.

3. Arrange cheese in 4 rows in a shallow 2-qt. baking dish, alternating Monterey Jack cheese, Cheddar cheese, and cream cheese. Pour marinade over cheese. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.

4. Drain marinade; arrange cheese on a platter in rows. Top with pimiento, and serve with assorted crackers.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- I didn't use the green onions, forgot to buy them.
- The smaller the container the better. That way the marinade is actually soaking all the cubes, not just the bottoms of them.
- The cream cheese can be a little challenging, but I got a process going and it worked fine. Just takes some patience.

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

A SWEET cheese ball-- definitely a great variation on a classic party food!

Ingredients:
- 1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese (softened)
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips, plus more for outer coating
- Graham Crackers or Chocolate Wafer cookies to serve

Directions:
- beat cream cheese and butter in mixer until well blended
- add vanilla, sugar, brown sugar, and chocolate chips
- scoop into a ball shape on a large piece of foil
- wrap and refrigerate about an hour
- unwrap cheese ball and roll in leftover chocolate chips to coat the outside
- serve with graham crackers or chocolate wafers

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- The original recipe calls for the cheese ball to be rolled in pecans... but we have the nut allergy family so we avoid that.
- I have always found that my cheese ball is never quite hard enough to "roll" in the chocolate chips, so I just take handfuls and press them against it. Otherwise I end up with a HUGE mess. .

Rhina's Tomato Basil Salad

4 medium tomatoes, sliced
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil or 2 tsp dried basil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tsp shredded or grated Parmesan cheese

Arrange tomatoes on plate. Sprinkle with basil.

In small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, sugar and pepper - pour over tomatoes.

Sprinkle Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses on top. Cover and refrigerate.

CHEX Pumpkin Pie Crunch

¼ cup brown sugar
1 Tbs pumpkin pie spice
¼ cup butter
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups Cinnamon Chex
2 cups Wheat Chex
2 cups Honey Nut Chex
8 oz. pecans

• Combine brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice
• Melt butter and add vanilla, combine with sugar and spice
• Mix cereals and pecans in large microwavable bowl.
• Pour spice mixture over cereals and mix to coat.
• Microwave 5 minutes, stirring after every minute.
• Spread on paper towels to cool.
• Store in an airtight container.

This is a nice change from regular Chex Mix. Great around the holidays.

Bacon Appetizer Crescents

1 pkg. cream cheese (8oz)
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
2 T fresh chopped parsley
1 T milk
2 cans crescent rolls

• Heat oven to 375°.
• Separate rolls and form 4 rectangles, pressing seams to close.
• Cream together all ingredients, except rolls.
• Spread cheese mixture on rolls and roll up.
• Slice into wheels and bake until golden~about 15 minutes.

This recipe comes from KraftFoods.com. They call for you to make small wedges with a lot of folding over instructions, but doing the roll up thing works great.

If you're in a hurry, you can use real bacon bits instead.

Pecan Pie Mini Muffins

1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup pecans, chopped
2/3 butter (not margarine), melted
2 eggs, beaten

In a bowl, combine brown sugar, flour and pecans and set aside. In another bowl, combine butter and eggs; mix well. Stir into flour mixture just until moistened. Fill greased and floured mini muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes, or until muffins test done. Remove immediately to cool on wire racks. Yield: 2 dozen

Roasted Pepper Cheese Dip

Love this dip!
Great for parties or on a lazy Sunday with crackers and a glass of wine!
Enjoy!!

Ingredients:
2 large red bell peppers
2 large unpeeled garlic cloves
1 block (8 oz) cream cheese
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
Prepare Peppers & Garlic
- Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds.
- Place peppers, skin side up, on foil-lined baking sheet.
- Flatten with hand.
- Add garlic to baking sheet.
- Broil 4 minutes.
- Turn garlic over.
- Broil 4 more minutes.
- Remove garlic and set aside.
- Broil peppers an additional 2 minutes or until blackened.
- Place peppers in Ziploc bag and seal; let stand 15 minutes.
- Peel peppers and garlic; discard skins.
Making the Dip
- Place peppers and garlic in food processor, process until smooth.
- Add cheese, process until smooth.
- Spoon mixture into bowl and add salt and vinegar.
- Serve immediately or cover and chill.

Tips from Kitchen of Reality:
- You can save some time by buying the roasted red peppers in a jar at the store-- it is easier but the flavor isn't as good as fresh. (The red pepper process is much easier than it sounds.)
- This dip is great with crackers or with fresh vegetables.

Buffalo Chicken Spread

This is a great appetizer for parties, the recipe comes from my friend Annie.
The guys will LOVE this one!

Ingredients:
3 10-ounce cans chicken
2 8-ounce pkgs of cream cheese
3/4 to 1 cup hot sauce (I use Frank's)
1 cup ranch dressing
2 cups cheddar cheese
2 loaves baguette bread

Directions:
- In medium saucepan on the stove, heat chicken and hot sauce.
- Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing until well melted and blended.
- Stir in 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese.
- Pour into crock pot and top with remaining cheese.
- Keep on low and serve with sliced baquettes.

Fresh Salsa

8 large tomatoes (peeled - if you put in boiling hot water for ~5 minutes, they will crack open to peel easier)
3 bell peppers
1 medium onion
2-3 jalapenos (remove seeds)
1 bunch fresh cilantro
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
salt to taste

Chop individually in food processor and combine. Can keep in fridge for ~ 1 week (this is not a canning recipe).

Reality Notes: I never follow the amounts exactly - I just make it to taste. If you like hotter salsa, add more peppers. If you like the taste of cilantro, add the whole bunch. If you like oniony salsa, add more onion. Or less of course. Sometimes I add in some hot banana peppers instead of a few jalapeno peppers.

Taco Dip

This looks nasty but is so good! And you can make it in about 5-10 minutes.

1 pkg of taco seasoning
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 can Frito Lay bean dip
spoonful of sour cream (healthy spoonful is best!)

Mix & serve warmed with tortilla chips.

Reality Notes: I have used refried beans instead of the bean dip - it's much cheaper and tastes just as good. Also, I just nuke it.