Appetizer Night!!!

We were few in number but there were many delicious appetizers shared! Here are the recipes. Hopefully we'll see more of you in March!!!


Artichoke Dip
Shared by: Destiney

1 can artichoke hearts, cut up
1 cup parmessan cheese
8 oz mayonnaise
8 oz cream cheese
dash of lemon juice
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Mix together and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Can be prepared the night before, but serve warm. Serve with ritz crackers.

Hot Pizza Dip
Shared by: Mandee
1 - 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1 tsp dried Italian Seasoning
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, grated
3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 - 8oz can Pizza Sauce
1/4 cup diced bell pepper, sliced green onions or sliced olives

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine cream cheese and Italian seasonings, spread onto an 8" mini baker.

In a small bowl, combine mozzarella and parmesan. Sprinkle 1/2 on top of the cream cheese. Spread pizza sauce over the cheese mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Top with bell pepper and green onions.

Bake for 15-18 minutes. Serve with French Bread of fresh vegetable dippers!!

Spinach Dip
Shared by: Diana
1 pkg (10 oz) chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 (16 oz) sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 pkg Knorr Vegetable recipe mix
1 can (8 oz) water chestnuts, drained and chopped (optional)
3 green onions, chopped (optional)

Combine all ingredients and chill about 2 hours. Serve with your favorite dippers such as vegetables or French bread (baguettes sliced)
Makes 4 cups dip, prep time 10 minutes, chill time 2 hours.
Serving Tips: Hollow out cucumber slices and cherry tomatoes. Fill vegetables with Spinach dip and garnish with a sprig of dill. You can also hollow out a round of sourdough bread all filled with dip.

Fruit Dip
Shared by: Peggy
2 (8oz) pkgs Cream Cheese
1 (15oz) jar Marshmallow Creme
2 Tbsp Orange Juice

Bring cream cheese to room temperature. Combine cream cheese, marshmallow creme and orange juice. Serve with your favorite fruits.

Caramel Dip
Shared by: Peggy
3 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
7 oz jar marshmallow creme
12.5 oz jar caramel topping

In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese and marshmallow creme until smooth. Thoroughly blend in caramel topping. Cover and refrigerate until serving time. Serve as a dip for fresh fruit.

Crab Dip
Shared by: Kanani

1 - 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup green onion, sliced
1 - 8oz package crab meat, shredded
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Mix ingredients together and refrigerate at least a day prior to serving. Serve with your favorite crackers!

Panini Night

Turkey Cranberry Cream Cheese Panini:

Sliced Turkey
Cream Cheese
Whole Berry or Jellied Cranberry Sauce
Sprouts
Sourdough Bread, sliced

Spread softened cream cheese on sourdough bread. Spread cranberry sauce on top of cream cheese. Layer sliced turkey. Top with slice of bread. Lightly butter outside of bread. Press in panini press. May add fresh sprouts when sandwich done. Enjoy!

Turkey Brine:

1 cup Kosher Salt
1/2 cup Dark Brown Sugar
1 Gallon Vegetable or Chicken Stock (I used chicken and like it better)
1 Tablespoon Black Peppercorns
2 teaspoons Allspice Berries
2 teaspoons Candied Ginger
1 Gallon Iced Water

Combine ingredients, except ice water in a stock pot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in a cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours. Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine. Roast turkey as directed. Here's how I do mine:

Brine recipe and cooking instructions courtesy of Alton Brown, The Food Network, modified by Laura Lee.

A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees. Place bird on roasting rack inside a wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. (At this point you may place aromatics--apple, lemon, rosemary, etc. in cavity.) Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil.

Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees F. Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours or roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.

Brine recipe courtesy of Alton Brown, The Food Network, modified by Laura Lee

See you in January!

Thanks so much for making Fall Recipe Club so much fun and so delicious!!! Feel free to continue to post or contribute other favorite recipes!!!

Since the holidays are so busy, we won't meet again until January.
Here's what we have to look forward to in 2009!!!

January 13th: Pasta!!! (All cooks will prepare a Pasta dish - there will NOT be an appetizer/side or dessert dish)
Host/Main Dish:Jane Ellen
Also cooking:Amber, Becky, Molly

February 3rd: Panini Night!!! (again, no appetizer/side/dessert)
Host/Main Dish: Laura Lee
Also cooking: Shadley, Angie

March 3rd: March Madness!!!! Appetizers are back by popular demand!!!!
Host/Main Dish: Jodie **EVERYONE bring an appetizer to share

April 14th: Eggsellent EGGS!!!!
Host/Main Dish: Erica
Also cooking:Peggy, Jolie

May 5th: Cinco de Mayo!!!
Host/Main Dish: Destiney
Side: Kanani
Dessert: Monica

June 2nd: Salads!!!
Host/Main Dish: Shadley
Additional Salads: Jodie, Mandee, Kanani
Dessert Salad: Laura Lee

Cafe Rio Chicken & Dressing

(Shared by Erica)

Cafe Rio Chicken:
3-4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup Kraft Zesty Italian dressing
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder

Put all ingredients in your crockpot and cook for 3-4 hours. Remove chicken and cut up/shred, then return it to your crockpot for another hour. The chicken is great on salad, in tacos, enchiladas, or whatever you like! Enjoy!!

Cafe Rio Dressing:
1 buttermilk ranch recipe packet (made according to package directions)
2 tomatillos
1/2 bunch cilantro
1-2 cloves garlic
Juice of 2 limes
1 jalapeno (add seeds for spicy flavor)

Blend the tomatillos, cilantro, garlic, lime juice and jalapeno in your food processor with about a cup of the dressing. Add the mix into the rest of the dressing and mix well to incorporate all the flavors together.

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken with Mushrooms

(Shared by Angie)

5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs
2pkgs cream cheese
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 medium diced yellow onion

Cook chicken and onion in crock pot on medium heat for 2-3 hours. Add remaining ingredients and turn heat to lowo stirring occassionally to mix cream cheese with soup. Cook 1-2 hours more and serve over rice or your favorite pasta.
Pairs well with grilled asparagus or eggplant.

Crock Pot Chocolate Cake

(Shared by Mandee)
1 package chocolate cake mix
1 container of sour cream (8oz)
1 cup chocolate morsels
1 cup water
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 package instant chocolate pudding mix

Spray crock pot with nonstick cooking spray. Mix cake mix, sour cream, chocolate morsels, water, eggs, oil and pudding mix in a bowl by hand. Pour into crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Makes about 12 servings.

Crock Pot Apple Crisp

(Shared by Destiney)
6 cups apples, peeled, cored, sliced
1/2 cup quick dry oats
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp margarine
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Place apples in a slow cooker sprayed with non-fat cooking spray. Combine remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl until crumbly. Sprinkle mixture over apples.
Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours.