Pepperoni Bread

PEPPERONI BREAD

4 oz. chunk pepperoni
2 Tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1 tube (11 oz.) refrigerated crusty French loaf 1 egg, beaten
dough

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Quarter pepperoni lengthwise; cut crosswise into 1/4" thick pieces (you should have about 1 cup). Combine pepperoni cheese and parsley; reserve. Combine garlic, oil and seasoning. On work surface, unroll dough into 13" x 12" rectangle. Cut lengthwise in half to create 2 (13" x 6") rectangles. Dividing equally, spread garlic mixture, then reserved pepperoni mixture over dough to within 1/2" of edge. Starting with a long side, roll up each rectangle separately, jellyroll style, into a rope. Twist ropes together to create long loaf; press ends together to seal. Place on baking sheet, tucking ends under loaf; brush with egg. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until golden. Cool on rack 10 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.

Elegant Baked Brie

ELEGANT BAKED BRIE

1/3 cup red pepper jelly
1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/4 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 whole round Brie cheese, about 13 oz., 5" diameter
1 sheet (half of 17.3 oz. pkg.) frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten
Rosemary sprigs, optional
Apple slices, Champagne grapes, raspberries and star fruit slices, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat jellyroll pan with cooking spray. Combine jelly, cranberries and chopped rosemary; reserve. Trim and discard rind from top of Brie. On lightly floured surface, roll dough into 12" square. Transfer to pan. Place cheese, trimmed side up, in center of dough; spread top with reserved cranberry mixture. Bring corners of dough up and over top of cheese. Tightly press edges onto dough-covered side of cheese to seal completely. Pinch excess dough together in center of top of cheese and twist to seal. Pull corners of dough out to form decorative top. Brush with egg; insert rosemary sprigs into top. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Let stand 1 hour. Transfer to plate. If desired, garnish with rosemary sprigs and fruit. Makes 16 servings.

Wild Mushroom Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Fontina, and Rosemary

WILD MUSHROOM PIZZA WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS, FONTINA,AND ROSEMARY

7 Tbsp. butter, divided
2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. grapeseed oil
3 onions, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise (about 6 cups)
2 lbs. assorted wild mushrooms (such as crimini, oyster, chanterelle, and stemmed shiitake), cut into bite-size pieces
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. minced shallot (about 1 medium)
2 cups dry white wine
1 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary

Pizza Dough:

Cornmeal (for dusting)
Garlic oil
3 cups grated Fontina cheese (about 10 oz.)

Melt 3 Tbsp. butter with 2 Tbsp. grapeseed oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute until golden, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Melt remaining 4 Tbsp. butter with 1 tsp. grapeseed oil in another heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, garlic, and shallot. Saute 4 minutes. Add wine and simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently, about 13 minutes. Add rosemary; season with salt and pepper.

Position rack in bottom third of oven. Place heavy 17x11 inch baking sheet on rack (invert if rimmed). Preheat oven to 500 degrees at least 30 minutes before baking. Roll out 2 dough disks on lightly floured surface to 8 inch rounds, allowing dough to rest a few minutes if it springs back. Sprinkle another baking sheet (invert if rimmed) with cornmeal. Transfer 1 dough round to second baking sheet. Lightly brush dough with garlic oil. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Scatter 2 1/2 Tbsp. onions over cheese. Scatter 1/2 cup mushrooms over onions. Sprinkle with salt.

Position baking sheet with pizza at far edge of 1 side of hot baking sheet. Tilt sheet and pull back slowly, allowing pizza to slide onto hot sheet. Repeat with second dough disk, garlic oil, cheese, onions, mushrooms, and salt, and slide second pizza onto second half of hot baking sheet. Bake pizzas 6 minutes. Rotate pizzas half a turn. Bake until crust is deep brown, about 6 minutes longer. Using large spatula, carefully transfer pizzas to cutting board. Let rest 1 minute. Slice into wedges and serve. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Makes six 8 inch pizzas.

Stuffed Shells

This one is really quick and really good!! You could substitute the spinach for another vegetable if the family isn't spinach fans! Enjoy!

STUFFED SHELLS

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1 container (16 oz.) fat free cottage cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 egg white
1 med. red pepper, chopped
1 env. Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing & Recipe Mix
20 jumbo macaroni shells (for filling), cooked, drained
1 jar (13 1/2 oz.) spaghetti sauce

Mix spinach, cottage cheese, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, egg white, red pepper and salad dressing mix in large bowl until well blended. Fill each shell with 1 heaping Tbsp. spinach mixture. Spoon 1/2 of the sauce into 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Arrange shells in baking dish; spoon remaining sauce over shells. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Makes 5 servings.

Mississippi Mud Pie

MISSISSIPPI MUD PIE

Crust:

24 chocolate wafers, mashed fine, about 1 1/3 cups crumbs, divided
3 Tbsp. soft butter or margarine

Filling:

1/2 gallon coffee ice cream, slightly softened

Hot Fudge Sauce:

2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Whipped Cream Topping:

1 cup whipping cream
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Make the crust by combining crumbs and butter/margarine. Set aside 3 Tbsp. of mixture for pie garnish. Press remaining into bottom and sides of 9" pie plat. Bake at 375̊ for 8 minutes; cool. Pack softened ice cream into cooled crust. Freeze until firm. Make fudge sauce by melting chocolate with water in saucepan over low heat until blended. Remove from heat; gradually add syrup and salt. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add vanilla. Set aside. Whip cream; add sugar and vanilla. To serve, cut pie into wedges, place on dessert plates, pour fudge sauce over all, top with whipped cream and sprinkle with the reserved crumbs, if desired.

The Perfect Cheese Ball

THE PERFECT CHEESE BALL

1 tub (8 oz.) cream cheese spread
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 Tbsp. port wine
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup maple-flavored syrup

Mix cream cheese, cheddar cheese, cranberries and wine until well blended; cover. Refrigerate 1 hour. Shape into ball or other desired shape; coat with pecans. Place on serving plate; drizzle with syrup. Serve with an assortment of cut-up fresh vegetables, such as carrot and celery sticks, and crackers. 16 servings.

Touchdown Brownies

Just in time for football playoffs and the Super Bowl! These are really good!! Enjoy!

TOUCHDOWN BROWNIES

1/2 cup (3 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup (3 oz.) butterscotch chips
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 pkg. (21 to 23 oz.) brownie mix, batter prepared according to package directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine the chocolate and butterscotch chips, and the coconut; mix well and set aside. Place the brownie batter in a large bowl. Stir in half of the chip mixture and pour into the baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining chip mixture over the top and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool, then cut into bars. 15 to 18 brownies.