Caprese Pops

I've made caprese pops 2 years in a row.  They are SUPER easy and sooo pretty. 

You'll need:

Grape tomatoes
Fresh basil leaves
Fresh marinates mozzarella balls from Trader Joes.
Sandwich picks

Assemble the pops in any pattern you wish.  Drizzle the extra marinade from the cheese over the plates to season the basil and tomatoes. 

Renee's Bruschetta

One of my favorites!! 

1 (32-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained
1 cup fresh basil leaves, washed and spun dry
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large French baquettes, sliced 1-inch thick (about 36 slices)
1 1/2 pounds fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced 1/4-inch thick


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In the bowl of a food processor, add drained tomatoes, 1 cup basil leaves, olive oil and 2 cloves garlic. Pulse until smooth, but somewhat chunky. Season with salt and pepper.
On a baking sheet, line up baguette slices. Toast in oven for about 3 minutes or until light golden brown. Working quickly, rub the remaining garlic on the toasted side of each slice and then lay a piece of mozzarella cheese on top. Place bread back in oven and melt cheese slightly, about 45 seconds. Remove from oven and spread one tablespoon of the tomato mixture on each piece.
Place bruschetta on decorative platter and garnish with basil leaves.

Callie's Veggie Pizza

2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury crescent dinner rolls

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup small fresh broccoli florets

1/3 cup quartered cucumber slices

1/2 cup sliced red pepper

1/4 cup shredded carrot

Heat oven to 375°F. Unroll both cans of dough. In ungreased 15x10x1-inch pan, place dough; press in bottom and up sides to form crust.




Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.



In small bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream, dill and garlic powder until smooth. Spread over crust. Top with vegetables. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours before serving.

Leigh's Veggie Pizza

2 packages of refrigerated pizza crust
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 package ranch seasoning and salad dressing mix (2 tsp.)
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1 medium carrot, sliced
1/2 cup black olives, sliced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Unroll both packages of pizza dough and place side by side on a baking sheet, pressing the seam to seal.  In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, ranch, and garlic. Mix well and spread over crust to within 1/2 inch of edge. Top with half of the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle broccoli, carrots, and peppers and olives over the pizza. Top with remaining mozzarella. Sprinkle Parmesan over the top. Bake 18-22 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven, cool 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

Herbed Shortbread Cookies

This is NOT your typical shortbread cookie, so get that outta your head right now. That said, oh my goodness, are these simply delightful! I put them with the appetizers, and not with the cookies for swappung.

It is a classic shortbread (flour, butter. and sugar) base, but the added flavors transform this from sweet to savory. They would be excellent for cocktail parties, bridal showers, garden parties, or even a baby shower when you want to serve something unexpected.

Herbed Shortbread (slightly adapted from Renee Chodkowski)
1 cup flour
1 stick butter, softened
2 Tablespoons ground Parmesan cheese
1-1/2 Tablespoons sugar, plus a little more to roll the cookies in later
1 teaspoon dried rosemary* or Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus a little more to roll the cookies in later

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Press mixture into a 1 inch diameter log.  Mix 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and sprinkle on a sheet of waxed paper. Roll the dough in the mixture and wrap in the waxed paper. Chill at least 1 hour.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice log into 1/3 inch discs and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 12-14 minutes or just until starting to brown. Cool at least 10 minutes before removing to cooling rack.

* I crushed my rosemary by putting it in a baggie and whacking it with a rolling pin.  I wasn't sure how "twiggy" it would be once baked.  :-)

Chicken Wontons

Hands down, my MOST requested recipe, and a Cookie Exchange staple.  One year I didn't make them and I got in trouble. My mom was given this recipe by a checker at the grocery store. It has been a family favorite and favorite of our guests ever since.  

Chicken Wontons
1 package wonton wrappers
1 lb shredded chicken breast ( I use 2 LARGE cans of cooked chicken from Costco)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise (BEST FOODS!!)
5 stalks of chopped green onions
8-12 oz shredded colby/ jack cheese
1 package dry Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix

Place wontons in mini-muffin tins, pressing down in the hole to form a cup.  Bake wrappers in a 350 degree oven until tips are slightly golden in color, 8-10 minutes. Immediately remove wrapper from tin, repeating until they are all baked.

Meanwhile... make filling by combining rest of ingredients.  Fill baked wontons with a spoonful of chicken mixture.  Bake filled wontons again in the mini-muffin tins for 10-15 minutes @ 350 degrees. Be careful not to overcook!

**Notes:  When I am making these for a party, I usually bake the wrappers the day before, and store them in Ziplock bags.  I also mix the chicken stuff up and keep it in the fridge.  Then before the party, I just have to fill the cups and re-bake.  :-)