I frequently pull out and file recipes for yummy looking appetizers and then have no excuse to ever try them out. For this reason I was ecstatic when my friend, Molly, invited us to her home for New Year's Eve and announced that it would be an "appetizer party", asking if I'd be willing to contribute to the menu. WOULD I?? I immediately ran to my recipe file, pulling out much anticipated recipes which yielded amazing results.
Blue Cheese and Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms1 cup crumbled blue cheese
4 green onions finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup Hormel REAL bacon bits, divided
Remove stems from mushrooms using a metal measuring teaspoon to scoop out a small indentation and set caps aside; discard stems. In a small bowl combine the cream cheese, blue cheese, onions, garlic and 1/4 cup bacon bits. Stuff into mushroom caps, a scant tablespoonful in each.
Place in a greased baking pan and sprinkle with remaining bacon bits. Bake, uncovered, at 375 for 18-22 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.
Spinach Cheese Triangles
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 Tbsp butter
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp. soft bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
12 sheets phyllo dough
Butter-flavored cooking spray
In a large skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in spinach; cook over medium-low heat just until spinach is warmed. Transfer to a large bowl; add the cheeses, eggs, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Place one sheet of phyllo dough on a work surface with a long side facing you. Keep remaining dough covered to prevent drying out. Spray sheet with butter-flavored cooking spray; cut into 4 (9 x 3.5 inches) equal strips.
Place 1 Tbsp filling on lower corner of each strip. Fold dough over filling, forming a triangle. Fold triangle up then over, forming another triangle. Continue folding, like a flag, until you come to the end of the strip. Spritz end of dough with cooking spray and press onto triangle to seal. Turn triangle and spritz top with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
Place triangles on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
