Appetizers, Dips and Drinks

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Thanks for stopping to check out a few of my favorite recipes.
Sherry's Jalapeno Popper Spread is a great dip you will want to make again and again.

Ellen’s Snack Mix

1 large box Rice Chex

2 boxes Cheese Nips

1 bag oyster crackers

2 bags Ritz sour cream chips

2 bags Bugles

2 bags pretzels

2 cans nuts

1 tsp garlic powder

1 TB onion powder

12-oz Orville Redenbacher’s Butter Flavored Popcorn Oil

Add onion and garlic powder to popcorn oil, shake to mix well.

Add rest of snacks to large garbage bag. Pour oil mixture over chips. Continue to pour and mix every 15 minutes for one hour. This tastes better after it has been frozen for several days. Keeps well in freezer.

Quick and Easy Spiced Apple Cider

Cinnamon Dolce Syrup (Starbucks recipe):

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup water

Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

Add 1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Make syrup ahead and store in quart jar in  refrigerator till needed.

I triple the recipe and keep extra in the refrigerator.

For cider, mix one gallon apple cider and 1/2 can (46-oz.) pineapple juice

Add Cinnamon Dolce Syrup and mix.

Works great for warm cider or cold.

Kara’s Cheese Dip

1 package cream cheese

1 cup cheddar cheese

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoons chopped onion

2 Tablespoons chopped green pepper

2 Tablespoons chopped pimiento

Mix and serve chilled.

Kara Frey

Beckie’s Dried Beef Dip

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese

1 T sour cream

Small amount onion, chopped fine

Accent salt to taste

Garlic salt to taste

Worcestershire to taste

Dried Beef

Throw in Kitchen Aide bowl and beat till mixed.

Beckie Gutzmann

Spiced Nuts

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups unsalted mixed nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and almonds
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon salt
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix the spices and set aside.
In a large dry skillet, place the nuts and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until they begin to toast, about 4 minutes. Add the butter and cook, stirring, until the nuts begin to darken, about 1 minute. Add the spices, the sugar, water, and the salt and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens and the nuts are glazed, about 5 minutes.  Transfer the nuts to the prepared baking sheet, separating them with a fork. Let the nuts stand until cooled and the sugar has hardened, about 10 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

I used the ingredient list, for the most part, but not the method.  I bought low salt mixed nuts (the more variety of nuts the better), maybe throw in some extra pecans, walnuts, shelled pistachios, almonds if you have them….. spread them on a foil lined baking sheet and toast in the oven for a few minutes.  While they were toasting I took the spices, butter and brown sugar (no salt and no water) and made a glaze in a large skillet.  I threw in the toasted nuts, cooked for a few minutes to coat with the glaze, then spread out on the foil lined sheet to dry.  You need to keep separating them as they cool to keep them from sticking together.  As an FYI, the second time I made these I cut the butter to 2T (4T left them too greasy) and the brown sugar to 4T.  These were SUCH a hit at the shower and at Thanksgiving.  It's a great mix of sweet and spicy, perfect for the holidays! 

Maureen Cutler

Sherry's Jalapeno Popper Spread

(I cut Sherry's recipe in half as it makes a big batch.

I get the grated Parmesan cheese at Dollar General as it is so much cheaper...same brand.

I usually get a jar of jalapeno peppers at Dollar General also and chop them up and use them in place of the canned chilies and peppers.)

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained

2 ounces canned diced jalapeno peppers, drained

Stir together cream cheese and mayonnaise in a large bowl until smooth.  Stir in Parmesan cheese, green chiles and jalapeno peppers.

Pour mixture into a microwave safe serving dish and microwave on high until hot, about 3 minutes.

Sherry Frey

Easy Cheese Spread

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

2 to 3 T. Kraft original BBQ sauce

Mix well and serve with crackers.

This is the Watkins Cheese ball recipe that uses Watkins BBQ sauce concentrate, but because it's hard to find Watkins products, I decided to try it with just regular  BBQ sauce from the store.  I used Kraft original, but another brand might work just as well.  For a cheese ball, roll it in crushed pecans or walnuts or Produce Partners salad crunchies which should be available in the produce aisle of the grocery store.

Nancy Shandrew


Salsa Fresca

4-6 tomatoes, diced

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped

1/4 C. fresh cilantro, chopped

Juice of 1 lime

1 tsp. kosher salt

Combine all ingredients in medium sized bowl.  Refrigerate covered for a few hours.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Pat McKenzie


Cheese Spread

1 (8 oz.) jar cheese spread

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

1/2 c. mayo.

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 t. garlic powder

Combine all ingredients, mix with electric mixer for about 3 minutes.  Store in refrigerator. 

Serve at room temperature with crackers, celery, etc.

(Add a little chopped pimento to this)

Nancy Shandrew

Cheese Ball ««««

8-oz. Mozzarella cheese, shredded

8-oz. sharp natural Cheddar, shredded

3 or 4 1-inch slabs Velveeta cheese, diced

1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened

2 or 3 Tablespoons margarine

2 tsp. chopped pimiento

2 tsp. chopped green pepper

1 tsp. onion flakes, moistened

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Mix all ingredients together.  The food processor works really good for this.  It will make one large cheese ball or two small ones.  They can be rolled in peanuts or parsley flakes. 

Sandy Frey


Braunschweiger Dip ««««

3/4-to-1-pound braunschweiger

1 carton sour cream

1 small pkg. onion dip

Blend together.

Doris Vandewalle


Tortilla Rollups «««««

2 8-oz packages cream cheese

cheddar cheese

2 8-oz. pkg. dried beef

1/4 cup green onion, chopped

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 small can olives (1/2 black and 1/2 green)

Mix all ingredients together and spread on 6 large tortilla shells.

Roll up and cut in 1-inch slices.  Serve with salsa as a dip.

Caree Frey Cielocha


Knorrs Spinach Dip «««««

1 pkg. Knorrs Vegetable soup mix w/o noodles

1 10-oz. pkg. chopped spinach, thawed, water squeezed out

1 1/2 cup sour cream

8 oz. water chestnuts

2 Tablespoons green onion, chopped

Mix together.  This can be used as a dip or scoop insides out of a loaf of bread and put mixture inside bread.
Really delicious.

Joleen Frey


Crock Pot Dip ««««

2  #2 1/2 cans Hormel chili with beans

2 lbs. Velveeta, cut in chunks

1 1/2 lb. hamburger, browned with small amount of onion, drained

Put ingredients in crock pot and turn on medium heat till cheese is melted.  This works well to put in microwave till cheese is melted and then to serve in a crock pot.   

Sandy Frey


Beau Monde Dip

1-pint real mayonnaise        

1 8-oz carton sour cream

1 Tablespoon minced onion           

2 Tablespoon dill weed (fresh is best)

1 tsp. beau monde spice

Mix and chill overnight.  This is a good dip for raw veggies, chips, etc.

Ellen Frey


Yummy Dills

8-oz. cream cheese

2 1/2 oz. pkg. dried beef, thin squares

1 pint jar baby dill pickles, whole

Soften cream cheese to room temperature.  Spread cream cheese on dried beef slices carefully so as not to tear beef.  Wrap 1 or 2 slices dried beef around each whole baby dill pickle.  Chill.  Slice and serve.

Ellen Frey


Fruit Dip

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together and serve with apples, bananas, pineapple and strawberries.

Ellen Frey

Butterscotch Dip

2 12-ounce pkgs. butterscotch chips

2 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk

2 T butter

2 T white vinegar

1 T cinnamon

1 T vanilla flavoring

Combine all ingredients in double boiler (I use small glass bowl over pan of boiling water.) over medium heat.  When melted, transfer to a bowl and serve with fresh fruit.  This is also good over ice cream.

This works to add peanut butter to also.  Just add peanut butter to your taste. 

Sandy Frey

Portuguese Bread

1/2 to 3/4 cup Miracle Whip

2 cups chopped onion

2 tsp. oregano or to taste

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 loaf French bread

Combine all the above.  Slice bread and spread a generous amount on each slice.  Place on cookie sheet and broil until brown and bubbly.

Joleen Frey


Cheese Bread

(This is something the mothers made for the volleyball girls when we served suppers before games.  This works great with spaghetti or lasagna.)

¾ cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip

2 cups mozzarella, shredded

1 tsp Salad Supreme

½ tsp garlic powder

1/3 cup margarine, melted

1 loaf French bread, cut in half

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Sandy Frey

Lee & Marie Kramer's Wedding Punch

1 (6 oz.) can frozen limeade

1 (6 oz.) can frozen lemonade

1 large can orange juice

1 bottle ginger ale

Mix limeade, lemonade and orange juice in punch bowl.  Pour in ginger ale just before serving.

Nancy Shandrew