Melissa’s Best Deviled Eggs

In my opinion these are the simplest, best deviled eggs ever!

Melissa’s Best Deviled Eggs

7 large eggs, hard boiled and peeled
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
Salt and pepper, for taste
Paprika, for garnishing

Halve 7 eggs lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in a small bowl. Mash yolks with a fork and stir in mayonnaise and pickle relish. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Fill egg whites evenly with yolk mixture. Garnish with paprika. Store covered in refrigerator.

Tip: Often, I will boil a couple of extra eggs and treat my dog to the whites and add the extra yolks to the mixture to make the stuffed eggs even fuller. Add extra mayonnaise and relish to taste.

Apple BBQ Sauce for Canning

I am still canning all those apples we bought back a few months ago. Who knew life would be so crazy the last few months? I’ve hardly had more than one day a week (if that, some weeks) to work on the canning. Thankfully I only have about 5 bushels of apples left and seven pumpkins left that need preserving.

So, since we have enough apple sauce and apple butter to last us a few years, I was racking my brain trying to come up with a new recipe for the apples. I get bored easily.

This original recipe is what I came up with:

Apple BBQ Sauce

8 cups applesauce

6 cups brown sugar

32 oz. tomato sauce (or two 15 oz. cans)

1 1/2 cups vinegar

4 tsp. salt

4 tsp. garlic powder

3 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. liquid smoke

2 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. black pepper (optional)

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Mix all ingredients together in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil, simmer for 1 1/2 – 2 hours or until thickened. It smells wonderful!

Fill sterilized pint jars with the hot BBQ sauce, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Process 20 minutes in a hot water bath. Be sure to add five minutes for each 1000 feet elevation. I have to process mine for 25 minutes because we live at about 1600 feet.

Yield: 6 – 7 pints

Creamy Dill Cucumber Toasts

Creamy Dill Cucumber Toasts

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 French baguette, cut into 1/2 inch thick circles
1 cucumber, sliced
2 teaspoons dried dill weed

In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, dressing mix and mayonnaise. Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture on a slice of bread, and top with a slice of cucumber. Sprinkle with dill. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Candy Cane Popcorn

This recipe would be perfect for gift bags. Make up a batch, divide them into baggies and pass them out to children at church, school, or put them on the buffet at your Christmas party!

Candy Cane Popcorn

1/2 cup popcorn kernels
4 ounces vanilla-flavored confectioners’ coating, or as needed
6 peppermint candy canes, crushed

Using an air popper, pop the popcorn, place into a large bowl, and discard kernels that didn’t pop. Melt the confectioners’ coating according to the package directions. Pour the melted coating over the popcorn, and sprinkle the crushed candy canes over the mixture. Using your hands, work the candy coating and crushed candy canes all through the popcorn. Let the mixture cool, and break apart into bite-size pieces.

Holiday Wreath Appetizer

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sour cream

Remove crescent dough from packaging (do not unroll). Cut each tube into eight slices. Arrange in an 11-in. circle on an ungreased 14-in. pizza pan.

Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing to a serving platter; cool completely.

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, dill and garlic powder until smooth. Spread over wreath; top with broccoli, celery and red pepper. Form a bow garnish with celery leaves. Yield: 16 servings.

Artichoke and Spinach Dip

Artichoke and Spinach Dip

4 cloves garlic
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (10 ounce) container Alfredo-style pasta sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place garlic in a small baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven 20 to 30 minutes, until soft. Remove from heat. When cool enough to touch, squeeze softened garlic from skins. In an 8×8 inch baking dish, spread the roasted garlic, spinach, artichoke hearts, Alfredo-style pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and cream cheese. Cover and bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until cheeses are melted and bubbly. Serve warm.

Delicious Dipping Sauce

Delicious Dipping Sauce

1 cup grated Romano or Parmesan Cheese

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 cup olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 loaf Italian Bread, cubed

Whisk together all ingredients except bread in a small bowl; mix together until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Bring sauce to room temperature before serving with bread. Make 1 1/2 cups.

Yummy Cheese Ball

Yummy Cheese Ball

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

4 oz. crumbled blue cheese

6 oz. pkg. dried cranberries

Assorted Crackers

Place all ingredients except for crackers into a food processor. Process until well combined. Shape cheese mixture into a ball on a length of plastic wrap. Wrap well and refrigerate overnight. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Serve with crackers. Makes about 3 cups.

Holiday Spread

1 cup plus 1 tbsp. chopped almonds, divided

8 oz. pkg. crumbled feta cheese

7 oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (8oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened

10 oz. pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and drained

Assorted Crackers or Pita Wedges

Line a 2 quart bowl with plastic wrap; sprinkle in 1 tbsp. almonds. In a separate large bowl, mix together 1/2 cup almonds, feta cheese, peppers, garlic, cream cheese, and spinach. Blend well. Press mixture into bowl over almonds. Cover and chill overnight. To serve, invert onto a serving dish. Remove plastic wrap. Press remaining almonds onto the outside. Serve with crackers. Makes about 7 cups.

Turkey Veggie Platter

This would be so much fun for the Kids Table at Thanksgiving Dinner. Serve with homemade Ranch Dressing. Yum!

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