Eggnog can be served hot or cold; after cooking, this mixture can be chilled for 4–5 hours; beat well again before serving.
EASILY DOUBLES
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 12
1 (14-ounce) can cream of coconut
2 (14-ounce) cans coconut milk
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups whole milk
Pinch salt
¾ cup white rum
¼ cup bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1. Combine all ingredients except rum, bourbon, vanilla, and cinnamon in 3½-quart slow cooker. Beat well with eggbeater. Cover and cook on low for 4–5 hours until hot.
2. Beat again, then add rum, bourbon, vanilla, and cinnamon. Stir well and serve. You can chill the nog at this point and serve cold.
Make It Healthy
Coconut oil, which makes coconuts taste rich, is actually good for you. It has saturated fat, but those fats are medium length, which the body digests easily, so it isn’t stored in the liver. You could use low-fat sweetened condensed milk in this recipe to reduce calories a bit.
Banana-Orange Punch
There is a lot of vitamin C in this punch. The bananas add a richness and smoothness to the mixture that is really delicious.
MAKE AHEAD
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 40
6 ripe bananas
1½ cups sugar
¼ cup lemon juice
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple
2 cups orange sherbet
1 (12-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 (12-ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
4 cups pineapple juice
3 liters ginger ale
1. In food processor, combine bananas, sugar, lemon juice, and crushed pineapple. Blend until smooth.
2. Pour into very large bowl. Add sherbet, concentrates, and pineapple juice and stir until blended.
3. Divide mixture into three 6-cup containers and freeze.
4. Take containers out of freezer 3 hours before serving; let stand in refrigerator to thaw slightly. Combine slush with 1 liter ginger ale in punch bowl and stir. Add remaining containers to punch bowl along with more ginger ale as needed to keep the bowl full.
Lemon Mint Punch
Stir in champagne instead of ginger ale to make this punch alcoholic.
INEXPENSIVE
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 12–14
2 cups sugar
6 cups water
3 cups fresh mint leaves
1 (12-ounce) can lemonade concentrate
½ cup lemon juice
1 liter ginger ale
1. In large saucepan, combine sugar and water; simmer over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Place mint leaves in large pitcher.
2. Pour hot syrup over mint leaves and muddle with a spoon. Cover and chill for 2–3 hours.
3. Strain mixture, discarding mint leaves. Add lemonade concentrate and lemon juice to mixture. Pour into punch bowl and add ginger ale; stir and serve.
Party Fun
Mint leaves are one of the best garnishes for drink or food. Pinch off the very end of the stem, rinse, and shake dry, then float some in the punch bowl. You can also garnish each glass with a sprig. There are several kinds of mint to choose from: plain mint, pineapple mint, and peppermint.
Frothy Hot Chocolate
This simple recipe for hot chocolate is rich, creamy, and smooth. And easy!
EASILY DOUBLES
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4
4 cups milk
½ cup sugar
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
1. In large saucepan, combine milk, sugar, chocolate chips, and cocoa powder. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently with wire whisk, until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth.
2. While the mixture is heating, beat cream until soft peaks form. Remove chocolate mixture from heat and whisk in vanilla. Then whisk in cream.
3. Immediately pour into mugs and serve.
CHAPTER 3
Appetizers to Share
Orange Fruit Dip
Roasted Garlic Spread
Glazed Pretzel Mix
Raspberry Fruit Dip
Potato Puffs
Flaky Pâté Rolls
Spicy Apricot Franks
Edamame Guacamole
Fresh Tomato Salsa
Shrimp Pizzettes
Garlic Crackers
Layered Taco Dip
Potluck Pita Pizzas
Mom’s Deviled Eggs
Bacon-Stuffed Tomatoes
Sausage Rolls
Swiss Fondue
Salmon-Stuffed Mushrooms
Ginger Turkey Meatballs
Mini Mexican Pizzas
Bacon Potato Skins
Updated Fondue
Spiced-Nut Mix
Onion and Garlic Jam
Super-Easy Pineapple Cheese Balls
Orange Fruit Dip
The tangy orange flavors mixed with the sweet ingredients make this a tantalizing dip.
EASY
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 12
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow creme
3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/3 cup orange marmalade
1 cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
Assorted fresh fruit
1. In large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add the sweetened condensed milk, beating until smooth. Add marshmallow creme, orange juice concentrate, and marmalade and beat well.
2. In small bowl, combine whipping cream with powdered sugar; beat until stiff. Fold into cream cheese mixture. Place in serving bowl and top with orange zest. Cover and chill for 2–3 hours before serving with fruit.
Roasted Garlic Spread
Garlic becomes sweet and nutty when roasted. Serve as-is for a healthy spread, or use in Swiss Fondue (page 40) or Bacon Potato Skins (page 44).
INEXPENSIVE
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 6–8
3 whole garlic heads
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons butter
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut the garlic heads in half, parallel to the root end. Remove excess papery skin from the heads. Place, clove side up, on heavy-duty foil.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and sprinkle with salt. Bring foil up around cloves. Place on cookie sheet. Bake for 45–55 minutes or until cloves are very soft.
3. Let cool for 20 minutes, then squeeze cloves out of the heads; discard skins. Place cloves in a small bowl and mash with thyme and butter. Serve as a spread or use as ingredient in recipes.
Glazed Pretzel Mix
Dried fruits are naturally sweet and have lots of fiber. Use any type you’d like in this fun snack mix.
HEALTHY
INGREDIENTS | YIELDS 12 CUPS; SERVES 24
2 cups miniature pretzels
2 cups pretzel rods
2 cups pretzel sticks
2 cups small pecans
½ cup butter
½ cup honey
½ cup brown sugar
1½ cups dried blueberries
1½ cups dried cherries
1½ cups dried cranberries
1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Combine all the pretzels and the pecans on a large cookie sheet with a rim.
3. Bake for 35–40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until mixture is
glazed. Remove mixture to foil or a Silpat sheet and let cool. Break apart and mix with dried fruit; store in airtight container.
Tipsy Meatballs
Beer adds rich and smooth flavor to this updated appetizer recipe.
MAKE AHEAD
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 8–10
2 onions, chopped
1 (16-ounce) package frozen meatballs
1 (12-ounce) can beer
1 cup ketchup
½ cup chili sauce
2 tablespoons mustard
¼ cup pickle relish
1. Place onions in 4-quart slow cooker. Add meatballs. In medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients and pour into slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low for 5–7 hours until meatballs are hot and tender. Serve with toothpicks.
Keep It Healthy
The alcohol in the beer will not cook out of the sauce, even after hours of cooking. You can use nonalcoholic beer, but even that contains a tiny amount of alcohol. A nonalcoholic substitute would be 1½ cups beef broth. Be sure to tell your guests there is beer in this recipe.
Raspberry Fruit Dip
This pretty dip has a nice balance of flavors because of the marshmallow crème and sour cream.
EASY
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 8–10
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow crème
½ cup sour cream
1 cup frozen raspberries, thawed
½ cup raspberry preserves
1. In small bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add marshmallow creme and sour cream, beating until smooth.
2. Stir in raspberries and place in serving dish. Top with raspberry preserves. Cover and chill for 3–4 hours before serving with fresh fruit and sugar cookies.
Keep It Healthy
You can easily substitute low-fat cream cheese and low-fat or nonfat sour cream in this recipe. Don’t use all nonfat products, because the texture isn’t as good. For best results, combine nonfat and low-fat products in any recipe. Serve this dip with apple and pear slices dipped in lemon juice, whole strawberries, and kiwi slices.
Potato Puffs
Crisp puff pastry is wrapped around smooth sour cream potatoes in this inventive and easy appetizer recipe.
INEXPENSIVE
INGREDIENTS | YIELDS 16
1½ cups cooked potato flesh
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sour cream
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
½ teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten
1 cup chunky salsa
1. Heat potato flesh if it’s cold. Stir in butter and sour cream and mix well. Add salt, thyme, and basil; let cool.
2. Roll puff pastry into a 12-inch square and cut into sixteen 3-inch squares. Place a generous 1 tablespoon potato mixture on each square. Gather all the edges together and seal to form puffs. Place, seam side down, on cookie sheet.
3. Brush with beaten egg. Bake at 350°F for 12–17 minutes until puffs are golden brown and hot. Serve with salsa.
Flaky Pâté Rolls
This appetizer is super-rich and perfect for a special occasion, but it’s easy to make.
EASY
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 12
1 cup Make-Ahead Pie Crust mix (page 251)
2 tablespoons water
1 (7-ounce) can chicken liver pâté
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine Make-Ahead Pie Crust mix with water; mix with fork until dough forms. Roll out Crust between waxed paper to a 4″ × 18″ rectangle. Remove top layer of waxed paper. Gently spread one edge of the long side with the pâté, then roll up, using the waxed paper to help, but not rolling paper in with the pâté, starting with 18-inch side.
2. Pinch edges to seal and place on cookie sheet. Beat egg with milk in small bowl. Brush over roll. Bake for 15 minutes at 400°F, then reduce heat to 350°F and bake for 10–12 minutes longer until crust is golden brown.
3. Let stand for 5 minutes, then cut into ½-inch slices and serve.
Spicy Apricot Franks
Apricot preserves, tomato sauce, and some spices make a delicious sauce for mini frankfurters in this easy slow cooker recipe.
EASY
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 8
2/3 cup apricot preserves
1/3 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
2 pounds mini cocktail franks
1. In 3- to 4-quart slow cooker, combine all ingredients except franks and mix well. Stir in franks.
2. Cover and cook on low for 7–8 hours, or on high for 3–4 hours, until sauce bubbles and franks are hot.
Edamame Guacamole
Edamame, or soybeans, are little green beans that have a rich, nutty taste. They add fiber and nutrients to guacamole.
QUICK
INGREDIENTS | YIELDS 3 CUPS; SERVES 12
2 cups frozen shelled edamame
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
3 tablespoons Roasted Garlic Spread (page 30)
2 avocados, peeled and chopped
½ cup sour cream
½ cup chunky salsa
2 tablespoons lime juice
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1. Cook edamame as directed on package; drain and place in food processor. Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat and cook onion and jalapeño until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Add to food processor along with remaining ingredients. Process until mostly smooth. Refrigerate for 2–3 hours, or serve immediately.
Make It Ahead
Like all guacamoles, this can be made ahead of time, as long as it is properly stored. Drizzle the top of the guacamole with lemon or lime juice, then press plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Just stir before serving to mix the juice into the guacamole.
Fresh Tomato Salsa
Your own homemade salsa tastes nothing like salsa from a jar. Serve this with any Tex-Mex recipe.
EASY
INGREDIENTS | YIELDS 4 CUPS; SERVING SIZE
½ CUP 4 red tomatoes, diced
3 nectarines, diced
2 avocados, peeled and diced
2 jalapeño peppers, minced
1/3 cup chopped green onion
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1. In large bowl, combine tomatoes, nectarines, avocados, jalapeños, and green onion; toss gently.
2. In small bowl, combine remaining ingredients; pour over tomato mixture. Cover and chill for 1–2 hours before serving.
Party Fun
For a big party, make several batches of salsa, each using different types of tomatoes. You can find many types and varieties of heirloom tomatoes in the market, especially at farmer’s markets. Brandywine, Green Zebra, Big Rainbow, Jubilee, Mortgage Lifter, and Cherokee Purple are all heirloom tomatoes.
Shrimp Pizzettes
You can use crab, chopped chicken, or sausage in place of the shrimp in this easy pizza recipe.
QUICK
INGREDIENTS | YIELDS 20 PIZZETTES; SERVES 10.
1 tablespoon butter
4 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1½ cups small frozen uncooked shrimp, thawed
1 (14-ounce) can refrigerated pizza dough
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup
shredded Havarti cheese
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Preheat oven to 450°F. In small skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add green onions and garlic; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add shrimp; cook and stir until shrimp turn pink. Remove from heat and drain.
2. Roll out pizza dough to 15″ × 12″ rectangle about ¼ inch thick. Cut into twenty 3-inch squares and place on cookie sheet.
3. Divide shrimp mixture among squares, then top with feta and Havarti cheeses. In small bowl, combine thyme and Parmesan cheese and sprinkle over Pizzettes.
4. Bake for 8–11 minutes or until crust is brown and cheese is melted and beginning to brown. Serve immediately.