After all the sweets available at Christmas time, I look forward to some of my delicious savory favorites for New Year’s Eve!
Our annual party is a little unconventional, since it includes at least 15 kids ranging in age from infant – 10! We start our party around dinner time, have a fake countdown around 9:30 using a YouTube video of last year’s ball drop, then all the kids get in jammies and hopefully fall asleep on the ride home, and everyone’s safely off the roads before things get too nuts. Last year the kids all made it to “real” midnight for the first time–they’re growing up!
Wild and crazy it’s not, but it works for us, and we all get to celebrate together and enjoy some good food. Here are a few yummy, easy-to-prepare recipes that all the party-goers will enjoy!
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Serves: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 loaf frozen white bread dough (like Rhodes, or the Giant Eagle brand works fine too)
- 1½-2 cups cheese (mozzarella or a mix of your favorites)
- Pizza toppings of your choice: pepperoni, cooked sausage, olives, mushrooms, peppers, bacon, ham, onions, or whatever else sounds good
- Garlic powder
- Oregano
- Parmesan cheese
- Pizza sauce or pasta sauce for dipping
Instructions
- Completely thaw frozen bread dough and allow to come to room temperature and rise a little (this will make it much easier to work with).
- Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray, and stretch the bread dough to cover the pan.
- Top with cheese and other pizza toppings, just as you would for a pizza (but without the sauce). Sprinkle with a little garlic, oregano, and parmesan cheese.
- Starting on the long side, roll the dough, tucking in the ends as you go.
- Place it on a cookie sheet with the seam on the bottom. With a knife, make a few slits on the top to let steam out.
- Bake at 400° for 20 - 25 minutes–the more toppings you have, the longer it may need to bake.
- Let it cool for a few minutes before cutting into slices.
- Serve with sauce on the side for dipping.
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Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (1 Green Giant box)
- 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 1 15 oz. jar alfredo pasta sauce
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 8 oz. cream cheese (1 block)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Spread in a baking dish and top with a little extra mozzarella cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
- Serve with tortilla chips, bagel chips, or pita chips.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 tablespoon savory herb with garlic soup mix (or other favorite Italian seasoning mix)
- ¼ cup chopped pepperoni
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Combine the sour cream, ricotta, soup mix and pepperoni in a saucepan; heat through.
- Stir in mozzarella and Parmesan cheese just until melted.
- Serve warm with french bread, pita chips or the following bread stick recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 tube (13.8 ounces) refrigerated pizza crust
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out pizza crust to a 12-in. x 8-in. rectangle. Brush with oil.
- Combine the Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and pepper; sprinkle over dough.
- Cut into 3-in. x 1-in. strips; place on a greased baking sheet.
- Bake at 425° for 6-9 minutes or until golden brown.
Ingredients
- Chicken wing pieces (thawed if frozen)
- salt, pepper, and other seasonings of choice
- 1 bottle favorite BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Arrange wing pieces on a cookie sheet (one with sides to catch the juices).
- Season to taste with salt, pepper, and other seasonings of choice (poultry seasoning, Lawry's, garlic, dry rub, etc.)
- Bake in a 375° oven for 20-30 minutes, checking for doneness (juices will run clear with no pink when pierced by a fork).
- Place baked wings in a crock pot and cover with BBQ sauce. Simmer in crock pot on low for an hour or longer. Serve from the crock pot to keep them warm through your party.
This dip got its name because it's so easy and everyone likes it, so my mom kept bringing it to parties. My uncle said "You brought that Stupid Dip again?!"...and the name stuck!
Ingredients
- 1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
- 1 can Hormel Chili with no beans
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- taco seasoning
Instructions
- Spread softened cream cheese to cover the bottom of a 9-inch glass pie pan. (If the cream cheese is still firm, microwave 15-29 seconds to make it easy to spread.)
- Cover the cream cheese with the chili.
- Sprinkle a little taco seasoning to taste over the chili, then spread shredded cheese on top.
- Microwave for 5 minutes.
- Serve with tortilla chips or scoop corn chips.
Ingredients
- Wood skewers
- Fruit of your choice, cut into bite-sized pieces (grapes, strawberries, pineapple, melon, etc.)
Instructions
- Alternate types of fruit on skewers.
- Serve with assorted fruit dips (suggestions: caramel apple dip, chocolate Philly Indulgence, or whip together softened cream cheese, marshmallow fluff, and a dash of cinnamon!)
