Sweet Red Pepper Cheese Appetizer

Still looking for an appetizer to bring to a New Years Eve party? This recipe is perfect. My family served it at our Christmas party and everyone loved it. Happy New Year!

• 1 8-oz. package Philadelphia Cream Cheese
• 3 Tablespoons jarred Diced Sweet Red Peppers
• 1 box Crackers

Directions

Soften the cream cheese in the microwave for 30 seconds. Add 3 Tablespoons diced sweet red peppers to the cream cheese. Stir until red peppers are incorporated into the cream cheese. The recipe is very easy to double for a larger party. Serve with the crackers of your choice.

Servings: 10

Christmas Pasta

I found this recipe and thought it would be perfect for a Christmas Pasta dish. It will look beautiful on your Christmas dinner table incorporating all the Christmas colors: red, green and white. Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

• 12 ounces Dried spinach pasta
• 1 small Cauliflower head; cut into florets
• 1/2 cup Olive oil
• 1 Onion; sliced into thin half-moons
• 1/2 cup Dry white wine
• 1 jar (7 oz size) Roasted red peppers; drained, and cut into thin strips
• 4 ounces Hazelnuts; toasted, skinned, and chopped
• Salt; to taste
• Freshly-ground black pepper; to taste

Directions

Bring water to a boil for pasta. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Steam cauliflower florets separately. When done chop into small bits and hold until later.

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add sliced onions and saute a minute just to start them cooking. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat, and cook until tender about 5 minutes. Add the wine and reduce by half. Add the peppers and saute a moment just to heat through. Season to taste with salt and freshly-ground black pepper.

Add cauliflower bits just to rewarm. When pasta is done, drain it and transfer to a bowl. Top with sauce and blend the two together. Garnish with toasted hazelnuts.

To toast and skin hazelnuts: Set unskinned nuts in a baking pan and roast at 375 degrees until they emit a roasted aroma. Rub the skins off between two cloth towels and discard skins.

Servings: 4

Source: http://www.cdkitchen.com%20/

Fettuccine With Artichoke Sauce

Any of my friends or family will tell you that I have a great love for artichokes. If a recipe calls for artichokes, I have to try it! This recipe is an excellent alternative to marinara or alfredo sauce for pasta.

• 4 ounces packaged dried fettuccine or linguine
• 1/2 of a medium onion, chopped (1/4 cup)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil or oregano, crushed
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 of a 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and cut up
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese
• 1 tablespoon snipped parsley
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk (optional)
• Snipped parsley (optional)
• Coarsely ground pepper (optional)
• Tomato wedges (optional)
• Parsely sprigs (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, for sauce, in a medium saucepan cook onion and garlic in oil until onion is tender. Stir in flour, basil or oregano, and salt. Add 1 cup milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Stir in artichoke hearts, Parmesan or Romano cheese, and 1 tablespoon parsley; heat through. If necessary, stir in enough additional milk to make of desired consistency.

Spoon pasta onto individual plates or a large platter. Ladle the sauce over the hot pasta. If desired, sprinkle with additional snipped parsley and pepper and garnish with tomato wedges and parsley sprigs.

Servings: 4

Source: http://www.recipe.com/

Chicken MacRanch Salad

Just to change it up a little, I decided to do a salad this time. This recipe was very easy to make and tastes delish!

• 1 pound macaroni, cooked
• 1 cup chopped cooked chicken breast
• 4 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
• 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup Ranch-style salad dressing

Directions

In a large bowl toss together the macaroni, chicken, vegetables, cheese and dressing. Chill for 20 minutes and serve.

Servings: 8


Source: www.allrecipes.com