Grape Jelly Meatballs

Grape Jelly Meatballs

Ingredients:

2 (12 oz) bottles Heinz Chili Sauce

1 (32 oz.) jar grape jelly

1 pinch cayenne pepper 

3 (5 lb) bags frozen cocktail meatballs

Instructions:

Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl. Stir well. Pour meatballs in a slow cooker. Pour jelly mixture over the meatballs. Cook on low for 3-4 hours.

Hot Crab Dip With Capers

Hot Crab Dip with Capers

Hot Crab Dip with Capers

Ingredients:

2 cups crab meat

1 cup sour cream

1 oz. package cream cheese, softened

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese

1/2 cup capers, drained

2 (8 oz.) cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

2 tablespoons minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon dried dill, or to taste

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning, or to taste

Tortilla chips for dipping

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. In a large bowl, combine crab meat, sour cream, cream cheese, buttermilk, mayonnaise, Monterey Jack cheese, cheddar cheese, capers, artichoke hearts, garlic, salt, pepper and dill. Stir until well mixed. Spoon dip in prepared pan. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and Old Bay Seasoning.

Bake in preheated oven until top is crusty, about 15-20 minutes.

Serve with tortilla chips. 

Crab and Oyster Bisque

This rich seafood soup is so velvety and decadent! I found the crab meat and the fresh oysters in the seafood department at HyVee. It only takes a little over 30 minutes to make it. 

Crab and Oyster Bisque

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 shallots, finely chopped

3 tablespoons flour

8 oz. clam base (I used the brand "Better Than Bouillon") or you can use 1 (8 oz.) bottle of clam juice

1 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, add more if you want more spice

salt and pepper to taste

1 quart heavy whipping cream

1 12 oz. container fresh oysters, drained and pick any shells out

1 lb. lump crab meat

Instructions:

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and shallot, and saute' until tender. Add flour, cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add clam base (or clam juice) and wine. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and next 3 ingredients. Cook until thoroughly heated, about 10 minutes. Stir in oysters and crabmeat, cook just until edged of oysters start to curl.  Yield: 10 cups.

Smoked Salmon Pinwheels

Smoked Salmon Pinwheels

I love smoked salmon. This is an incredible recipe--great to take to a holiday party and super quick and easy to make!

Smoked Salmon Pinwheels

Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese

1 tablespoon fresh dill weed or 1 teaspoon dried dill weed

2 tablespoons diced red onion

1 pack 4 1/2 oz. smoked salmon, skinned and finely chopped

16 spinach leaves

2 tablespoons red bell pepper, diced

2 tablespoons capers, drained

4 flour tortillas (8-10 inch in diameter)

Instructions:

• Mix cream cheese and dill weed. Spread about 1/4 cup of the cream cheese mixture over each tortilla. Sprinkle each with 1/4 cup salmon. Place 3 or 4 spinach leaves, bell pepper, onion and capers evenly spaced on each tortilla.
• Roll up tortillas tightly; seal edge of each tortilla by spreading with additional cream cheese mixture. wrap securely with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
• To serve, cut into 1-inch pieces. Place cut side up on serving platter.

Miss Cindy's Italian Meatballs

Miss Cindy's Italian Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 lb. Italian sausage

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2/3 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup beef broth (I used the brand "Better Than Bullion"

3/4 cup chopped onions

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the egg, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, broth and onion. Add sausage to the bread crumb mixture. Mix well. Shape into meat balls. Arrange meatballs on a greased shallow baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes, then pull out of oven and turn, place back in oven and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve with your favorite sauce and pasta. 

Barbecue Shrimp

This shrimp isn't really barbecued on a grill, but sauteed in a Worcestershire butter sauce...make sure not to over cook the shrimp, because it will  make it tough and rubbery. 

Barbecue Shrimp

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons Creole seasoning

2 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper

1/2 stick butter

1 pound shrimp, peeled

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup white wine

Instructions:

Mix the  Creole seasoning and pepper together.  Add shrimp to the mixture, and toss to coat evenly. Set aside. 

Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add garlic, stirring constantly for 1 minute, making sure it doesn't brown. Add the shrimp and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are almost cooked, but still opaque in spots, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and wine. Cook for about 2 minutes more. Serve.

Banana Bread

Banana Bread

I had 4 really, REALLY ripe bananas on the counter yesterday, so I thought I'd turn them into something my son LOVES....banana bread! This is such an easy recipe, and the bread turns out so moist and so scrumptious! My son says it's one of his favorites, trust me, this doesn't last very long, so you might make 2 loaves!

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional) I didn't use any in the picture.

INSTRUCTIONS: No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.