Red Hot Ranch Meatballs

Just in time for the Superbowl - Red Hot Ranch Meatballs. I suggest using pretzel sticks instead of toothpicks to serve these as appetizers, so that your guests don't have to worry about what to do with the toothpicks. These are hot! Serve a side of ranch for dipping.

Red Hot Ranch Meatballs

1 lb ground chicken or turkey
.4 oz packet of ranch salad dressing mix
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/2 cup finely diced onion
2 tsp minced garlic
3/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Form into equal sized meatballs. Bake for 25 minutes.

Serve with celery sticks and ranch dressing for dipping.

Tangy Lemon Pepper Crab Salad Dip with Tortilla Crisps

A foot of snow this weekend has me thinking towards summer. We met the little guy above on Assateague Island several years ago.
This summery recipe was a Dannon yogurt contest winner for me awhile back.

2 cups canned or fresh crab, drained and cartilage removed
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped sweet pickles
1 cup Dannon plain yogurt
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tbsp lemon juice, divided
1 1/2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning, divided
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder, divided
6 Burrito size flour tortillas
4 tbsp butter


In a large bowl, combine crab, onion, pickles, yogurt, sour cream, 1 tbsp of lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning, old bay & 1 tsp garlic powder. Combine thoroughly and refrigerate.
In microwave safe bowl, melt butter in microwave (30-45 seconds). Add remaining tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp lemon pepper & 1/2 tsp garlic. Mix. Brush tortillas with butter mix. Cut tortillas into wedges with a pizza cutter, and Bake in 400 degree preheated until they reach desired crispness (approx 10 minutes).

Easy Focaccia Bread

This is one of those recipes that tastes/looks like you put a whole lot more effort into it than you actually did. You can use either homemade pizza dough (my favorite crust recipe is listed under pizza in the label section) or refrigerated dough. I never have any leftovers when I make this!

Fresh or refrigerated pizza dough
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup Italian salad dressing
2 tsp Italian seasoning
3/4 fresh grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly oil a pizza stone with the olive oil. Spread the dough on the stone, and made indentations in it with the tip of a wooden spoon. Pour on the dressing and spread it over the crust. Sprinkle with italian seasoning, then the grated cheese.
Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Slice into wedges and serve.

Baked Potato Crab Cake Appetizers

This recipe was a recent runner up winner for me in a contest sponsored by Wisconsin Potatoes (the photo is from their website). Doing some experimenting, I discovered that baked potatoes are a great way to stretch expensive crab meat, the mild potato flavor combines well with the crab and seasonings, and it really helps to hold the crabcakes together.
Serve with lemon slices, tartar sauce and cocktail sauce if you like.

http://www.winwithwisconsinpotatoes.com/rbook/recipe/view/2768

3/4 cup	finely diced sweet onion
1 tbsp	minced garlic
2 tbsp	olive oil (divided)
3 cups	crabmeat (canned or fresh)
2	large baked potatoes, peeled & mashed with fork
2 tbsp	dill pickle relish
1 tsp	salt
1/2 tsp	pepper
2 tbsp Old Bay	seafood seasoning
1/2 cup	mayonaise

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. In med. skillet, heat 1 tbsp of oil, sautee onion and garlic over medium heat until soft. Approx. 5 minutes.
   
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine crab, potato, relish,old bay, mayo , salt/pepper, & onion/garlic mix.
4. Form into 24 crabcakes
5. Place on nonstick or lightly sprayed cookie sheet. Drizzle with remaining olive oil.
   
6. Bake approx. 15 minutes until they are lightly brown.

Grape Jelly Turkey Meatballs

Some version of this recipe can be found in almost every church/local organization cookbook from the late 60s and early 70s. Unlike many of the icky sounding recipes in some of those books, these actually taste a lot better than they sound.
I make them for parties all the time, because it's something that everyone (especially kids) seems to eat, and there are rarely leftovers. Most people probably have no idea that the recipe contains grape jelly. You can also use ground beef, but I don't eat/cook red meat so I use turkey.

3 lbs ground turkey
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tsp garlic powder
32 oz jar grape jelly
2 12 oz jars chili sauce

Combine turkey, bread crumbs and garlic powder. From into 1" meatballs and place on nonstick baking trays. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the jelly and chili sauce in a crockpot (or a large pot on the stove). When meatballs are cooked, add them to the sauce mixture and simmer on low for at least 20 minutes.

Crabcake Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Recipe

This recipe earned me an honorable mention and publication in Country Woman magazine. It can be adapted for smaller mushrooms, and the filling would fill approximately 2 12 0z packages of regular sized mushrooms. The other directions would remain the same.

Crabcake Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

3/4 cup finely diced sweet onion
2 tbsp olive oil, divided, divided
2 cups canned lump crabmeat
1/2 cup Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs
1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 egg
1 cup Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
6 large portobello mushroom caps

Preheat oven to 400. In small skillet, sautee onion in 1 tbsp of olive oil until soft.
In a large mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients except portobello caps. Add sauteed onions and combine. Stuff portobello caps with filling mixture. Top with paprika, grated parmesan and drizzle with remaining olive oil. Bake on nonstick or lightly sprayed cookie sheet for approx 14 minutes until lightly browned. Serves 6.