Appetizers

BLT Dip

Hot baked dip of bacon, cream cheese and two cheeses, showered with fresh tomato and shredded lettuce right before serving.

Caramel Corn

Popped corn tossed with a six-minute boiled brown sugar caramel, then dried out in a 200-degree oven for an hour.

Caramel Dip

Cream cheese beaten smooth with brown and powdered sugar, butter and maple flavoring, meant for dipping fresh fruit.

Cauliflower Ranch Chips

Grated raw cauliflower bound with parmesan and ranch-style herbs, baked in tablespoon rounds and flipped partway.

Cheesecake-Stuffed Strawberries

Hollowed strawberries piped full of no-bake cheesecake filling, dipped in graham crumbs and drizzled with melted chocolate.

“I used this box mix and it came with the graham cracker crumbs. This was good, but next time I think I'd try making my own filling - just to compare. I also used white chocolate for drizzling because I had some on hand, and I used just 1 block of the bark-type chocolate from Kroger for the milk chocolate drizzle.”

Chex Mix with a Twist

Pretzels, Cheerios, corn Chex, peanuts and M&M's tossed in melted white chocolate and spread on waxed paper to set.

“My family likes Pebbles cereal or Froot Loops better than Cheerios, so feel free to swap those in.”

Chili Con Queso

Seasoned ground beef folded into melted Velveeta with canned tomatoes and green chilies, served warm with corn chips.

Chili Queso Dip

Three ingredients — canned chili con carne and two kinds of Cheese Whiz — melted together in a crock-pot or fondue pot.

Chocolate Popcorn

A cocoa syrup boiled to the soft-ball stage, 235 degrees, and poured straight over popped corn.

Crispix Cereal Mix

Crispix and cashews tossed with boiled brown sugar syrup inside a paper bag, then microwaved four minutes and cooled on sheets.

Crispix Munchies

Cereal coated in boiled brown sugar and corn syrup, baked an hour at 200 degrees with stirring, M&M's added after cooling.

Dried Beef Dill Weed Dip

Equal parts sour cream and mayonnaise stirred with chipped dried beef, dill weed, beau monde and onion, served with pumpernickel.

Grandma Fischer's Peanuts

Sugar and water cooked down to a syrup, poured onto a buttered sheet, salted, and baked to set.

Guacamole Avocado

Avocados mashed by hand, not blended, with lemon juice, grated onion, fresh tomato and garlic powder.

Mexican Dip

Chopped tomatoes, jalapenos, black olives and onion marinated overnight in oil and vinegar, scooped up with Doritos.

Microwave Apple Butter

Quartered apples softened in the microwave with juice, pureed, then cooked again with sugar and spices until thick. Makes four cups.

Mushroom Crescent Snacks

Pastry crust spread with cream cheese, topped with buttery sauteed mushrooms and Parmesan, baked and cut into small squares.

Pampered Chef Fruit Pizza

Sugar cookie crust spread with sweetened cream cheese, covered in pineapple, mandarins, bananas and strawberries, then sealed with a cooked strawberry glaze.

Parmesan Garlic Dip

Shredded parmesan and Swiss bound with mayonnaise and sharpened with garlic, Tabasco and sliced green olives.

Puppy Chow

Crispix tossed in melted chocolate and peanut butter, then shaken with powdered sugar in a paper sack.

Quaker Squares Praline Pecan Crunch

Cereal and pecans baked an hour at 250 degrees in a microwaved corn syrup caramel, stirred every twenty minutes.

Reuben Dip

Corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss and Thousand Island melted into cream cheese in the crock pot, scooped up with pumpernickel.

Salmon Party Spread

Canned pink salmon blended into cream cheese with peppers, horseradish and a little liquid smoke, chilled overnight and served on crackers.

Salmon Strips

Strips of salmon fillet rolled into pinwheels around cream cheese, chives and shrimp or crab, then grilled or baked briefly.

Salsa - Fresh

Tomatoes, onions and peppers cooked down with tomato sauce, thickened with cornstarch, and processed in jars; makes about seven pints.

Smoked Salmon

A two-pound fillet cured several hours in brown sugar, salt and liquid smoke, baked, then chilled overnight before serving.

Spinach Dip

Crock pot dip built on jarred Alfredo sauce with artichokes, frozen spinach, mozzarella, parmesan and cream cheese.

Texas Trash Warm Bean Dip

Refried beans whipped with cream cheese and sour cream, baked under cheddar and Monterey Jack until browned, and scooped with tortilla chips.

Tomato Salsa

Chopped tomatoes, onion and pimento olives dressed with red wine vinegar and olive oil, left to stand half an hour.

Veggie Dip

Mayonnaise and sour cream whisked with lemon juice, paprika, garlic, parsley and dill for dunking raw vegetables.