Appetizers, Beverages, and Dips

Cut loaf of bread into halves, lengthwise. Put a half loaf on cookie sheet. Mix mustard and butter and spread on cut side of bread. Combine beans, onion and brown sugar; spread on buttered surface and sprinkle with grated cheese. Place on broiler rack about 6 inches below broiler burner; broil for 5 minutes.

Place wieners, cut side up, on beans; top with remaining cheese and pickle slices; broil for 5 minutes longer. Cut and serve immediately. Serves 6.

Beer Nuts

Carol Brede

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp. maple flavoring

12 to 16 oz. raw peanuts

Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan or skillet and bring to a boil. Stir on low heat until all liquid is absorbed. Spread on buttered cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 325° for 20 minutes. No need to stir.

Cheese Ball

Kathy Voelz

2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese

1 (8 oz.) can drained and crushed pineapple

1 lg. green pepper

2 tbsp. chopped onion

2 tsp. seasoned salt

1 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Mix together softened cream cheese and other ingredients. If you want to form "cheese ball," roll the mixture on waxed paper lined with 1/4 cup of nuts.

Chicken Nut Puffs

Tasha Treptow

1 1/2 cup cooked chicken, chopped finely

1/3 cup almonds, slivered

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp. parsley flakes

1 tsp. seasoning salt

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 cup flour

4 eggs

Combine chicken and almonds; set aside. In a large saucepan, combine next 6 ingredients; bring to a boil. Add flour and stir until smooth ball forms. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Beat until smooth. Stir in chicken and almonds. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 450° for 12-14 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm.

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

Kathy Voelz

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

1/2 cup butter (no substitutions)

1/4 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 tbsp. brown sugar

3/4 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Graham crackers

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually add sugars and beat just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. (If using a dip, mix in nuts at this time and refrigerate.) If using as a cheese ball, refrigerate for 2 hours. Place mixture on plastic wrap and shape into a ball. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Just before serving, roll ball in nuts. Serve on graham or chocolate graham crackers.

Cocktail Wieners or Meatballs

Rachel Boerst

1 cup ketchup

3 tbsp. mustard

1 jar peach or plum baby food

Mini hotdogs or Meatballs

Water chestnuts

Bacon

Mix together ketchup, mustard, and baby food. Heat. Take mini hot dogs or meatballs and chestnuts and wrap in bacon. Bake in oven for about 15 minutes or until bacon is done. Put mix over top and serve.

Cucumber Sandwiches

Ruth Van Pay

6 cucumbers

8 oz. cream cheese

Garlic powder, to taste

Lemon juice

Cayenne pepper

Chopped onion

Bread (rye is best)

Slice cucumbers thin and soak in salt water for about 12 hours. Drain very well. Add the cream cheese, garlic powder, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and chopped onions to the cucumbers. (For spices, lemon juice and onion, use amounts to taste.) Spread both sides of bread with cream cheese to prevent bread from becoming soggy. Then spread the cucumber mixture.

Cucumber Spread

Marilyn Hanson

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

1 large cucumber

2 tbsp. Miracle Whip

2 tbsp. chopped onion

Dash of salt

Let cream cheese soften. Add Miracle Whip, onion, and salt. Peel cucumber and cut into quarters the long way so you can cut out the seeds. Chop up the cucumbers very fine; add to cream cheese mixture. Mix well. Delicious on crackers.

Fruit Dip

Debbie Polzin

1 cup sour cream

1 cup vanilla yogurt

1 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding

Pineapple juice

Fruit for dipping (apples, strawberries, oranges, pineapple pieces, bananas)

Mix together sour cream, vanillas yogurt, and instant pudding; add in pineapple juice and blend until smooth.

Fruit Punch

Debbie Polzin

1 small can frozen lemon juice

1 small can frozen orange juice

1 (46 oz.) can pineapple juice

Lemons

Maraschino cherries

3 large bottles Sprite

Put all liquid ingredients together. Put a little punch in a Jello ring mold and arrange lemon slices and maraschino cherries in it and freeze. Fill the ring with punch and freeze for ice.

Fruit Slush

Kris Popp

1 pkg. fruit punch Kool-Aid

1 cup sugar

1 qt. water

1 (12 oz.) can frozen white grape or cranberry juice

1 (12 oz.) can frozen orange juice

White soda

Mix all ingredients together (a plastic ice cream pail works well for this). Add vodka or water (to your taste, liking) to achieve a slushy consistency. Freeze overnight. Use ice cream scoop to measure slush into glass (usually one or two scoops). Pour white soda of your choice over the slush.

Hot Kielbasa Dip

Tasha Treptow

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1/3 cup milk

1 tbsp. mayonnaise

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

8 oz. cooked Kielbasa, finely chopped

1/2 cup green onions, sliced

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

In a 1 1/2 quart microwave safe bowl, heat cream cheese in microwave, uncovered, for 1 minute. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix well. Microwave uncovered on high for 3-4 minutes; stir once. Serve hot with crackers.

Layered Tortillas

Margie Beck

1 (6 oz.) cream cheese

4 tsp. mayonnaise

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

2 tbsp. green onions

1/2 lb. shaved ham or turkey (chopped fine)

4 (8 in.) tortillas

Green and ripe olives

Toothpicks

Mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, and garlic salt. Fold in green onions and finely chopped meat. Spread one-third of mixture on tortilla and top with second tortilla. Continue layering, ending with the fourth tortilla on top.

Chill at least 2 hours before cutting into small squares. After squares are cut use toothpicks to put an olive on top of each square.

Meatballs with Cranberry/Kraut Sauce

Laurie Kraus

2 lbs. ground beef

1/4 cup chopped onions

2 beaten eggs

1 cup cracker crumbs

1 pkg. Lipton soup mix

1 can sauerkraut

1 jar chili sauce

1 cup brown sugar

1 can cranberry sauce (whole or jellied)

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. salt

Combine eggs, cracker crumbs, onions, pepper, salt, and Lipton soup mix. Add ground beef; mix well.

Shape beef mixture into 3/4 inch meatballs and bake at 350° for 12 minutes on a cookie sheet.

Sauce: In a saucepan, combine the sauerkraut, chili sauce, 1 jar of water, brown sugar, and cranberry sauce. Heat through.

Add meatballs to sauce and cook in slow cooker for a couple of hours to let flavors blend.

Orange Milkshake

Jennifer Muck

1 (6 oz.) can frozen orange juice

1 cup milk

1 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients in blender on high speed. Add 12 to 20 ice cubes, one at a time, and blend until smooth.

People Food/Puppy Chow

Irene Mayer

1 (17 oz.) pkg. Crispix or Chex

1 (12 oz.) pkg. chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar

Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter. Stir in Crispix cereal. Put powdered sugar in a paper or plastic bag, add coated Crispix and shake.

Sausage-n-Cheese Squares

Linda Boerst

1 lb. pkg. Jimmy Dean pork sausage

1 sm. loaf sq. cocktail rye bread

1 jar Cheez Whiz

Brown sausage. Add Chees Whiz; heat until cheese is melted. Spread on rye squares and put on cookie sheet. Heat about 15 minutes or until toasty. Serve.

Shrimp Spread

Margie Beck

2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup ReaLemon lemon juice

2 (4 1/2 oz.) cans tiny shrimp (drain and rinse well)

1 to 2 tbsp. finely chopped green onion

1 tbsp. prepared horseradish sauce

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

In a small mixer bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy; gradually blend in lemon juice. Stir in remaining ingredients. Chill to blend flavors. Garnish as desired. Serve with crackers. Refrigerate leftovers.

Smoked Fish Spread (Salmon, Trout, etc.)

Midge Olson

3 cups flaked smoked fish

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

2 tbsp. horseradish sauce

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp. chopped onion

1 cup chopped nuts (almonds, macadamia, pecans, etc.)

Little sour cream, to taste

1/2 tsp. chopped parsley

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Use as spread on crackers. Can be frozen in small plastic containers.

Spinach Dip

Ruth Van Pay

1/2 pkg. frozen spinach, grated

2 cups Hellmann's mayonnaise

1/2 cup dry parsley flakes

1/2 cup grated onion

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients together. May be used for veggies and fish.

Sweet & Sour Smokies

Marge Beck and Debbie Polzin

1 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp. flour

1 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup vinegar

2 tsp. dry mustard

1 1/2 tsp. soy sauce

2 lbs. cocktail franks

Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Add franks and simmer for 30 minutes or more. Serve on toothpicks.