This time of year I truly like to indulge on
various types of cheese balls. It is one of my favorite go to snacks. Do
you have a favorite cheese ball, cheese spread or topping for crackers
or veggies? If so share your recipe.
A friend of mine
Toni Summers started bringing in beef and onion cheese ball for food
pitch ins at work. She had tweaked her recipe a few times and knowing
that I liked horseradish she started incorporating that into the recipe
as well. Cheese ball recipes are nice because you can tweak them to your
own preferences. I switch out the type of onion I use in recipes.
Sometimes I use green spring onions other times I might use a sweet or
just a plain yellow or white onion. That is the beauty of cooking...the
sky is the limit! Here is the recipe I currently use when making a beef
and onion cheese ball.
Beef and Onion Cheese Ball
8 ozs cream cheese, soften ( I use reduced fat)
4 ozs chipped beef I use Buddig (chopped into small pieces)
1 tsp Seasoned salt
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 bunch green onion (chopped tops too)-This is where you
switch out your onions for different taste profile
1/4 c shredded cheddar cheese - optional
1 T horseradish (prepared)- optional
Mix all ingredients together. Shape into a ball or you can just leave in covered container. Refrigerate for an hour at least.
Serve with your favorite cracker or veggies.
Enjoy!
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls...A favorite in this house.
Many recipes that I have come across in the last couple of years of
making cabbage rolls vary just a tiny bit on the ingredients that are
utilized. You can use ground beef, veal, Italian sausage.
I am guessing you could use game meat too like venison. I haven't
personally tried making them with venison but I wouldn't mind giving it a
try if I got my hands on some.
There are many ways you can
cook them too. You can put them in a crock pot, simmer on the stove, or
you could bake them. I prefer to bake them.
Below is my basic recipe for making cabbage rolls.
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients-
1 head of Savoy Cabbage
2 lbs of ground meat (I use Italian Sausage)
1/2 c. of uncooked instant white rice
1/4 c bread crumbs (seasoned or unseasoned)
1 medium finely diced onion
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground pepper (freshly ground)
2 large eggs slightly beaten
1 - 2 jars of your favorite Tomato sauce (homemade or store bought)
Directions-
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Remove the entire core of the cabbage. A paring knife does a good job
of this. Immerse the head of cabbage in the boiling water for a few
minutes, peeling off each leaf with tongs as soon as it s flexible. Set
the leaves aside. You will need at least 14 leaves depending on their
size.
In a large bowl you will make the filling. Combine the
ground meat, eggs, onion, breadcrumbs, rice, oregano, basil, thyme,
salt, and pepper.
If you want your rolls to have more of a
tomato taste you can add 1 cup of the tomato sauce to the meat mixture
and mix lightly with a fork. I don't do this regularly , but it does
help if your meat mixture appears to be a bit drier than normal as well.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
To assemble,
place 1 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish (or crock
pot if you decide to go that route of cooking).
Remove the
hard triangular rib from the base of each cabbage leaf using that handy
paring knife. Place 1/3 cup of filling in an oval shape (small cigar
shape) near the rib edge of each leaf and roll up toward the outer edge,
tucking the sides in as you roll (kind of like a burrito). Place half
the cabbage rolls, seam sides down, over the sauce. Add more sauce and
more cabbage rolls alternately until you have placed all the cabbage
rolls in the baking dish or crockpot. Pour the remaining sauce over the
cabbage rolls. Cover the dish with foil or just put the lid on your
crock pot and bake for 1 hour or until the meat is cooked and the rice
is tender. If using crock pot, cook on low for 6-7 hour. Internal temp
should be 160 degrees F. Serve hot.
I must confess, I find these very addictive.
Enjoy,
Michelle
Saturday I made homemade cinnamon rolls for the first time. Happy to say they turned out wonderfully.
The recipe was shared with me from one of my direct reports on my configuration audit team at work. Thank you Sheryl Rounds. It was passed to her from a friend. I encourage you to try this recipe. Delicious and very easy.
Cinnamon yeast rolls
Ingredients:
1 box yellow or white cake mix
4 1/2 c flour (all purpose)
7 tsp yeast (4 pkgs)
1 tsp cinnamon more for sprinkling
2 1/2 c water @ 120 degrees F
1 c brown sugar
Directions:
Whisk together cake mix, flour, yeast and cinnamon. Add water.
Mix until combined.
Flour counter top knead until soft.
Put back in greased bowl, cover and let rise for 1/2 hour.
A great hint to use less bench flour when rolling out dough, spray your
counter with cooking spray then dust with flour and smooth out flour.
Roll dough out to about 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle with brown sugar and
cinnamon. Roll up dough then cut into 2 to 2 1/2 inch pieces.
Set in greased 9 x 13 cake pan.
Let rise 15 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 min.
I made a maple cream cheese icing for mine.
I used: 2 T milk, 4 T maple syrup, 4 oz cream cheese (softened) and 1
1/2 c confectioners sugar. Blended until smooth then drizzled over warm
rolls.
I can't believe I am saying this but I confess that they were so decadent that I could only eat one and I was full!
Enjoy!
