Baked Goat Cheese Bruschetta Dip

I love me some goat cheese and a good bruschetta. That said, I think my homemade bruschetta would have been better than the pre-made stuff I used on this. I'll have to try again. 

• 8 oz goat cheese, softened to room temperature
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt
• 2 grated garlic cloves
• 1 cup homemade or jarred tomato bruschetta
• 1-2 Tbsp balsamic glaze
• 2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves
• grilled crostini or pita for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the goat cheese, cream cheese, mozzarella, Greek yogurt, and garlic. Mix well. Transfer to a greased 1 quart baking dish or ovenproof skillet, and spread into an even layer.

Bake until warmed through and bubbling, about 20-25 minutes. Spoon bruschetta over the top, and finish with a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Garnish with fresh chopped basil leaves. Serve with crostini or pita.

NOTES: I left the goat cheese and cream cheese out for at least a half hour to soften and it was still pretty difficult to stir. Granted, it was a cooler time of year when I made this recipe, so ambient temperature was pretty cold. But still, I would have thought 30 minutes would be enough.

Also, I know my basil looks weird on the top. It was some I had frozen and so it was a bit discolored. Still tasted fine.

Serves 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Recipe from DishingOutHealth.com

Crispy Party Bites

Ignore the fact I forgot to drizzle with ranch
until I'd already taken the photo

I made these for our life group and everyone really liked them. They were super flavorful, easy to make. The only drawback that I can't figure out a solution for, is how to get the toothpicks to stand up straight. With the holes in the pretzels, there's nothing to anchor them firmly. I think the cheese is supposed to hold it, but mine didn't do it that well. Oh darn....I need to add more cheese....haha 

• 60 waffle pretzels
• 1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 10 pieces ready-to-serve fully cooked bacon, cut into thirds
• 5 slices deli turkey, cut into 1 inch strips
• 1/2 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
• 2 Tbsp ranch salad dressing

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Layer pretzels on parchment-lined baking sheets; top each with 1 tsp cheddar. Bake for 4-5 minutes or until bubbly and melted. Cool completely.

Heat bacon according to package instructions. Place a piece of bacon, turkey, and avocado each on half the cheddar pretzels. Top with the remaining cheddar pretzels; secure with a toothpick. Drizzle with ranch dressing.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen

Total Time: 20 minutes

Recipe from Taste of Home

Artichoke Phyllo Cups

I had never cooked with phyllo cups before, but they were super easy to use. And this recipe turned out really well. For some reason I was thinking it would be bland, but they were not! Very portable and delicious. Highly recommend.

• 3 pkg (1.9 oz each) frozen miniature phyllo tart shells
• 1 can (14 oz) water-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained, and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup whipped cream cheese
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp sour cream
• 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place tart shells on a baking sheet. In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; spoon into tart shells. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned, 10-15 minutes. Serve warm.

You can make these and freeze them ahead of time. Just store them in layers separated by wax paper and reheat at 350 degrees until warm.

NOTES: The biggest thing on this recipe is to remember that these cups are tiny and have to fit a lot of good things in them. So when the recipe says "minced" or "finely chopped," it means it.

Makes 3 1/2 dozen

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Recipe from Taste of Home

Goat Cheese & Fig Pinwheels

These were fairly simple to make, don't take a lot of time, and don't need weird ingredients. It's also a nice vegetarian recipe. They work great for appetizers or a little party treat.

• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed if frozen
• 1/2 cup soft goat cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup fig jam or preserves
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1 egg, beaten

Thaw puff pastry in the refrigerator for several hours or at room temperature for about 30 minutes, until pliable but still cool. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to remove creases and thin it slightly. Aim for a rectangle approximately 10x12 inches.

Using a spatula, spread an even layer of goat cheese over the puff pastry, leaving a 1/2 inch border on the long sides. Go all the way to the edges on the short sides. Spread the fig jam evenly over the goat cheese layer. Drizzle honey over fig layer and sprinkle thyme leaves. Add chopped nuts.

Roll the puff pastry tightly from one long side to the other, forming a log. Use a sharp knife to slice the log into approximately 20 evenly sized pinwheels.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Arrange the pinwheels on the prepared baking sheet and brush each with the beaten egg for a golden finish. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden brown and flaky. All pinwheels to cool slightly before serving. 

Serves 10

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Recipe from ourbalancedbowl.com

Marinated Olives

If you have met my husband, Doug, you know he can be an olive fiend when out at restaurants. If they have some kind of olive plate or charcuterie board, watch out! He will eat ALL the olives before you can even think about it so this recipe was for him. This is a very simple way to fancy up some less expensive ingredients for your next get together. 

• 2 cups large pimiento-stuffed green olives, drained
• 1 cup pitted kalamata olives, drained
• 1 cup pitted medium ripe olives (black), drained
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp minced fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• 2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 4 cloves garlic, slivered
• pepper to taste

Place olives in a bowl. Combine the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl; pour over olives and stir. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 days before serving, stirring several times each day.

Olives may be refrigerated for 2 weeks. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Serves 8

Total Time: 5 minutes plus marinating

Recipe from Taste of Home

Chicken Piccata Meatballs - People magazine edition

The original recipe was too lemony. I know, something you never thought you'd hear me say. But it was too much. So I adjusted the recipe down from 2 Tbsp to 1. We also served ours over Pasta Roni to add a little something. 

• 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1-2 soft white bread slices, crusts removed, slices torn into small pieces
• 1 large egg
• 2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (1/2 cup), plus more for serving
• 2 Tbsp whole milk
• 2 small shallots, finely chopped, divided
• 3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
• 2 Tbsp drained capers, chopped, plus 1 1/2 Tbsp drained whole capers, divided
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups lower sodium chicken broth

Preheat oven to 450 degrees with rack in upper third position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; drizzle with 1 Tbsp of the oil and set aside. 

Stir together bread, egg, cheese, and milk in a large bowl using a fork until thoroughly combined. Set aside for 5 minutes, allowing bread to absorb liquid. Add 1/4 cup of the shallots, 2 Tbsp of the parsley, 2 Tbsp of the chopped capers, lemon zest, and 1/2 tsp salt; stir together using a rubber spatula until mixture is smooth. Add chicken, breaking up into chunks. Using your fingertips, gently combine chicken with bread mixture just until blended. With damp hands, form mixture into 16 balls (about 1 1/2 Tbsp each); arrange 1 inch apart on baking sheet. 

Bake meatballs until tops are golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 Tbsp oil in a large deep skillet over medium. Add remaining shallots and 1/2 tsp salt; cook, stirring often, for 1 minute. Add flour, whisking until smooth. Continue to whisk, adding chicken broth and lemon juice; whisk until smooth. When sauce begins to bubble, reduce heat to low, and add 1 1/2 Tbsp whole capers; simmer for 5 minutes.

Add meatballs to skillet; cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 Tbsp parsley. Serve with additional cheese.

Serves 4

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Goat Cheese-Stuffed Jalapenos

If you know me, you know I'm not a spicy foods person. I really like the flavor of jalapeno, but if it's spicy, I die. I saw this item on a menu in Orlando and it just sounded too amazing so I had to try it and it did not disappoint (though it was, in fact, spicy). My variation turned out pretty well though it has been so long since I tried the original that I don't remember how close they tasted. What I can say is that their plating was way prettier than mine. 

• 1/4 cup tequila
• 4 slices uncooked bacon
• 4 jalapenos
• 4 oz goat cheese
• 1/3 cup cilantro 
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 5 cloves garlic
• Balsamic vinegar for drizzle

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, soak the slices of bacon in the tequila. Meanwhile, rinse the jalapenos and split in half lengthwise. Remove stem and seeds, taking care not to touch your face after handling the pepper.

Divide the cheese among half the slices of jalapenos and stuff it down the center as best you can. If needed, you can stuff all halves of jalapeno to use all the cheese. Place the halves of jalapenos back together, wrapping in bacon to hold in place.

Arrange jalapenos on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. While baking, assemble the cilantro garlic salsa. Using a blender, mix cilantro, mayonnaise, and garlic until smooth. Drizzle over cooked jalapenos with a little balsamic. Serve warm.

Serves 2

Total Time: 25 minutes

Recipe from Agave Azul Cocina

Air Fryer Steak Bites

I think we could have done better with this one. Maybe our bites were too small, but they got overcooked in my opinion. I think the recipe is there, just needs some tweaking on timing or size of things.

• 1 lb sirloin steak, cubed
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tsp garlic powder
• 1 Tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

Garlic Butter Sauce

• 2 Tbsp melted butter
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp parsley

In a large bowl or zip top bag, marinate the steak with all non-garlic butter sauce ingredients for 1 hour or more. Air fry at 390 degrees for 6-7 minutes, or until cooked through.

Combine garlic butter sauce ingredients in a small bowl and serve over or on the side of the steak bites. 

Serves 3

Prep Time: 5 minutes, plus marinating

Total Time: 15 minutes, plus marinating

Recipe from Instagram @FlavorsByFrangiPane

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers

I mean, you can't go wrong with chicken, garlic, and parmesan, right? These were pretty good! 

• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 lb chicken tenders, thighs, or breasts
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 stick butter
• 8-10 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 Tbsp hot sauce or more to taste
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced

Soak wooden skewers in water for a few minutes before cooking. Combine paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl or zip top bag and set aside. Cut chicken into 3 inch pieces. Place them in the bowl or zip top bag with olive oil, coating well on all sides. Thread chicken onto skewers, packing tightly. Set aside.

Add butter and garlic to a microwave-safe bowl and heat until partially melted. Add red pepper flakes, hot sauce, parsley, and Parmesan. Whisk together until combined. Reserve 1/3 of the sauce for mid-cook basting. 

Heat air fryer to 400 degrees and cook skewers for 5 minutes. Remove and flip the skewers, basting with the reserved sauce and then cook an additional 2 minutes. Flip skewers and baste again, cooking another 5-6 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Serve with remaining 2/3 unused sauce and sprinkle with additional Parmesan.

NOTES: This recipe can also be made on the grill or in the oven. Oven at 450 degrees for 14 minutes total, or grill on medium-high for 10-12 minutes total.

Serves 2

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Recipe from Bad Batch Baking

Greek-Style Pita Bread Pizza

This was actually pretty good. I wasn't sure because I had trouble finding the right ingredients (more on that in the notes section). Basically, if you like the individual ingredients, you will like this. Fairly simple to make. 

• 1 large (9-inch) pita bread
• 1 Tbsp pesto
• 1 Tbsp black olive paste
• 3.5 oz feta cheese, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• 3/4 oz kalamata olives

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the pita bread on a baking sheet. Spread the pesto and olive paste over the bread. Arrange the cheese and olives on top. Bake for 10 minutes, or until crisp. 

NOTES: So I ended up having to play fast and loose with a lot of these ingredients, just based on what I had or could find. I used Nature's Own garlic artisan flats because I couldn't find any large size pita bread anywhere. The recipe book points you to a homemade pesto recipe but we already had a small jar of some store-bought at home so that's what I used. I also used a bruschetta olive spread that included capers and numerous types of olives instead of straight black olive paste because I couldn't find straight black paste/tapenade. And has anyone ever seen a block of feta? The stuff I always see is already crumbled so that's what I went with.

Serves 2

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Recipe from The Little Guides - Pizzas cookbook

Festive Shrimp Appetizer Spread

I'm not really sure why it's call "festive" other than it's green, white, and red, which could look Christmas-appropriate at a party? The cocktail sauce made it a little runny so it was hard to just dip chips in it. I ended up spooning the dip onto a cracker.

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp minced onion
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 4-oz cans shrimp, drained
• 1 cup seafood cocktail sauce
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1 medium tomato, seeded, chopped

Combine the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, onion, and Worcestershire sauce in a medium mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy, scraping the bowl occasionally. Spread evenly in a 10-inch round shallow dish.

Top with the shrimp. Spread cocktail sauce over the top and then sprinkle mozzarella cheese. Top with with green pepper, green onion, and tomato.

Chill, covered, for several hours. Serve with assorted crackers and/or fresh vegetables.

NOTE: There is a small amount of minced onion at the beginning of the recipe and then 3 more green ones mentioned later. I didn't want to buy a whole other onion (probably white) for this recipe so I just used green onion for the whole thing. It tasted fine.

Serves 32 (about 8 cups)

Total Time: 10 minutes, plus chilling

Recipe from The Pampered Chef The Kitchen is the Heart of the Home Cookbook

Crunchy Potato Appetizer Balls

So I misunderstood some of the instructions on this recipe and made a mess because of it. Learn from me. When the first ingredient says it wants "2 cups mashed, cooked potatoes," that is literally what it means. Do not make your normal mashed potatoes with cream and garlic and whatnot and THEN make this recipe. You add all that later in the recipe. Just cook potatoes and mash them.

• 2 cups mashed cooked potatoes
• 2 cups finely chopped cooked ham
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise-type salad dressing
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 tsp prepared mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3 1/2 cups crushed cornflakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients but cornflakes in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Shape into 1-inch balls. Roll in the cornflakes. Arrange the balls on a greased 11x17-inch baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until brown.

Serves 15

Prep Time: 20 minutes (including cooking the mashed potatoes)

Total Time: 50 minutes

Recipe from The Pampered Chef The Kitchen is Heart of the Home Cookbook

Bacon Cheese Dip

Only question I had about this one was: is dried minced onion the same as onion powder? Because that's what we used. I need to check the spice rack at the store to see if there's something else that could have been. Otherwise, this is AMAZING.

• 2 8-oz packages cream cheese, cubed
• 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup half and half
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dried minced onion, or onion powder
• 1 tsp prepared mustard
• 16 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• tortilla chips and/or French bread slices

Combine first 6 ingredients in slow cooker. Cover, cook on low 2 hours, or until cheeses are melted. Stir occasionally if you're home and able to do so. Just before serving, stir in bacon. Serve warm with tortilla chips and/or French bread.

NOTE: Does anyone else sound out all the letters in Worcestershire as they write it? Just me? Ok. :-)

Makes 6 cups

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes

Recipe from Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

So I saw "pasta" in the name and thought warm dish. Nope! This is a pasta salad recipe. Cold. Which is fine, but it sort of changes the vibe of a meal. So I added "salad" to the end of the name, just so others wouldn't have the same issue. 

I like pasta salad a lot, and I like Caesar salad. This one was lacking a little flavor though. I think it comes down to the chicken. If the chicken was cooked with some seasoning and then stirred into the pasta, I think it would be a lot better. Or maybe try stirring in some kalamata olives?

• 1 lb penne or other pasta
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed, cooked
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 3/4 cup bottled Caesar dressing

Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain and toss with butter and vinegar. Add chicken, tomato, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Stir in Caesar dressing and toss. Refrigerate several hours or overnight to allow flavors to blend.

Serves 4-6

Total Time: 30 minutes, plus chilling

Recipe from 30 Minutes or Less - For People Who Don't have Time to Cook

Crab and Spinach Pasta with Fontina

Ewwww. Or, to be exact, my note I wrote down on this one was "Yuck. Threw away leftovers. Smelled fishy. No flavor." I don't know that there's very many recipes Doug and I have had that reaction to. And this one had potential with all the ingredients. You all know I post all the recipes, good and bad, so maybe someone can tell me where we went wrong?

• 3 1/2 cup uncooked bowtie pasta
• 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• 12-13 oz canned crabmeat, drained, flaked, and cartilage removed
• 26 oz jar tomato-based pasta sauce
• 1 1/2 cup shredded Fontina cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine spinach and crabmeat. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover the bottom of a 2-quart square baking dish with 1 cup of the pasta sauce. Top with pasta. Top pasta evenly with crab mixture. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. 

Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until sauce is bubbly around edges and cheese is slightly golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. 

Serves 6

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

Creamy Artichoke Dip

I am most definitely a fan of artichoke stuff. The artichoke has to have good flavor to go along with it and the ingredients on this recipe were perfect for that. Plus: crockpot! This is basically a dump dip where it's very little work and you can go about making your other food while this does its thing. So nice. 

• 2 14-oz cans water-packed artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped (drain one can; stir juice from other can into dip)
• 2 cups (8-oz) shredded, part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp plain yogurt
• 1 Tbsp seasoned salt
• 1 Tbsp chopped, seeded jalapeno pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• dippers: tortilla chips or crackers

In slow cooker, combine artichoke hearts, cheeses, mayonnaise, lemon juice, yogurt, salt, jalapeno, and garlic powder. Cover. Cook on low 1 hour or until cheeses are melted and dip is heated through. Serve with chips or crackers.

Makes 7-8 cups

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Recipe from Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook by Phyllis Pellman Good

Praline-Topped Brie

This can make for a really pretty snack for a party. You'll notice I left the pecans on the side because I made it for a gathering where we had some nut allergies, but still pretty good. I mean, you can't go wrong with Brie, in my opinion. However, I'm not a huge fan of orange marmalade. I would swap it for some fig jam next time. 

• 13 oz round of Brie or Camembert cheese
• 1/2 cup orange marmalade
• 2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
• baguette slices, toasted and/or assorted crackers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the round of cheese in a shallow ovenproof serving dish or pie plate. In a small bowl stir together orange marmalade and brown sugar. Spread on top of cheese. Sprinkle with toasted pecans.

Bake about 15 minutes or until cheese is slightly softened and topping is bubbly. Serve with toasted baguette slices.

Serves 10

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

Hot Crab Dip

No super crazy ingredients for this one, which is nice. It didn't have a ton of taste, but I bet you could switch things up by using different mustards, adding more Lawry's or additional mustard. It sounds fancy, but doesn't have to be. 

• 2 (6 oz) cans crabmeat
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese
• dash of Lawry's seasoned salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Soften cream cheese in microwave. Add cream cheese and other ingredients to a large bowl and blend with electric mixer until well mixed. Place in a 8x8 inch ovenproof dish and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Serve warm with fresh veggies, bread cubes, or crackers. 

Serves 12

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Recipe from Favorite Recipes of Sparta Friends & Neighbors Club

Cheesy Spinach and Bacon Dip

Ok is it just me or do they not sell the 10-oz bricks of frozen spinach anymore? I shop at WinCo and used to be able to find them, but now all they have are the 16 oz bags of lose, frozen stuff and I have to eyeball it to get the right amount for my recipes. Not fun.

That said, who doesn't like an easy and large recipe you can throw on for a party?

• 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 lb Velveeta or your favorite soft cheese cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 3 oz cream cheese, softened
• 14.5 oz can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
• 8 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• crackers and/or chips

Combine all ingredients but bacon, crackers, and chips in the slow cooker. Cover, heat on low for one hour, or until cheeses have melted and dip is heated through. Stir occasionally if you're around to do so.

Just before serving, stir in crumbled bacon. Serve warm with crackers and/or chips.

Makes 3 1/2 cups

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Recipe from Fix-It and Forget It Christmas Cookbook

Chicken Club Brunch Ring

Who doesn't love a classic ring recipe from Pampered Chef? I don't think I've made one I don't like yet. This is a nice variation on the pizza rings and taco rings we've seen in the past. This is also ripe for an opportunity to make it your own with some extra flair. 

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, snipped
• 1 Tbsp red onion, finely chopped
• 1 can (10 oz) chunk white chicken, drained and flaked
• 4 slices bacon, crisply cooked, chopped
• 1 cup (4 oz) finely shredded Swiss cheese, divided
• 2 packages (8 oz each) refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1-2 large plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 2 cups shredded lettuce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In 1 quart bowl, combine mayonnaise, mustard, parsley, and onion. In a 2-quart bowl, combine chicken, bacon, 3/4 cup cheese, and 1/3 cup mayonnaise mixture. Unroll crescent dough; separate into 16 triangles. 

Arrange triangles in a circle on a 13 inch round baking stone, with wide ends overlapping in the center and the points toward the outside (there should be about a 5-inch diameter opening in the middle of the stone). Scoop chicken mixture evenly into the widest end of each triangle. Bring outside points of triangles up over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at center of ring. The filling will not be completely covered. 

Cut tomato slices in half and place 1 tomato half over filling between openings in ring. Bake 20-25 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup a cheese. 

Cut top off bell pepper, removing membranes and seeds. Fill with remaining mayonnaise mixture and place in center of ring. Arrange lettuce around pepper.

Serves 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Recipe from Season's Best Recipe Collection Pampered Chef cookbook