Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey or beef

1/2 onion, diced

2-3 Tbsp. taco seasoning (or 1 package)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 lime, juiced (or 1/8 cup bottled)

1/2 cup salsa

1/2 cup fresh cilantro (minced)

*1/4 cup dried if fresh is not available

Tortilla chips (your preference)

Garnishes:

Chopped tomatoes, onions or green onions, avocados

Sliced black olives

Shredded lettuce and cheddar cheese

Sour cream

Taco sauce

Directions:

Brown hamburger and onion in skillet over medium-heat high. Combine salsa and seasoning (and dried cilantro, if using) and mix into meat, turning heat down to a simmer. Add lime juice.  While meat and seasoning simmer and thicken (add water if it becomes too thick for your liking, chop garnishes and set out in individual bowls for service. Add fresh cilantro just before you transfer the meat from skillet to a serving dish.

Spread chips on a plate (either whole or crush, your choice), spread cheese, meat, and preferred garnishes. Top with sour cream, taco sauce, or both and enjoy!

Variations:

Use hard shells or corn/flour tortillas as the base.

Vary your tortilla chip flavor (Tostitos’ Hint of Lime is a favorite for us)

Substitute rice for meat for a vegetarian option.

Add a can of kidney beans.

Cut top off of individual bags of Doritos, crush the contents, and have guests spoon toppings into the bag (á laWalking Tacos).

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup plain panko crispy bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup finely shredded Cheddar cheese (2 oz)
• 1 package or jar (3 oz) cooked real bacon bits or pieces
• 1 package (14 oz) uncooked chicken tenders (not breaded)
• Chive and onion sour cream potato topper, if desired

 Directions
Heat oven to 400°F. Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray. In shallow bowl, beat egg. In large resealable food-storage plastic bag, place bread crumbs, cheese and bacon. Dip chicken into egg. Place in bread crumb bag; seal and shake to coat. Place chicken on cookie sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until chicken is no longer pink in center and bread crumbs are golden brown. Serve with topper.

• 1 Pre made pie crust
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 4 or 5 ripe tomatoes, cut in 1/2-inch slices
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Chopped fresh basil for garnish

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Line a 10-inch loose-bottom tart pan with pie crust. (If you don’t own a tart pan you can use a 10-inch round pan.)
• Cover the bottom with cheese and sprinkle with basil.
• Arrange the tomato slices to cover the cheese as evenly as possible.
• Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.
• Bake 30 to 40 minutes.
• Garnish with chopped basil.
• Slice in wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 8-10

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/2 pound 80/20 ground beef
• 3 slices fresh bread, crumbled
• 2 eggs
• 3/5 blue cheese crumbles
• 1/4 buffalo wing sauce
• 3/4 cup celery, finely diced

Directions:

• In a large bowl, mix all ingredients well. Form into 1 inch balls (these are a bit gooey) and bake at 400 degrees F for about 15 minutes.
• Remove from oven and brush with more sauce. Place three on a wooden skewer and serve with extra buffalo wing sauce and ranch or blue cheese dressing.

• 1 can crab meat
• 1 can of small shrimp
• 2 large packages cream cheese
• 1 cup ripe black olives, chopped
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp Miracle Whip
• dash of Worcestershire
• small onion, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp chili sauce
• Crushed pecans or almonds, optional

Directions
Cream cheese is easier to work with at room temperature. Drain cans of seafood well.
If there is too much liquid, spread /cheese balls can get mushy. They will firm up a little more after putting them back in the refrigerator.

If you do make cheese balls from the spread, you should have two good sized ones.
You can put crushed nuts on the outside to help hold them together.

Serve with assortment of crackers.

• 1 (3oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 2 ½ Tbs. Half & Half, cream or milk
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. curry powder
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• 4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

Directions

• In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and Half & Half until smooth.
• Add seasonings; beat until blended.
• Stir in eggs; cover and chill to blend flavors.

Spread on crackers or cocktail rye bread as an appetizer. Use as a sandwich filling or as a stuffing for tomatoes or celery sticks.

Ingredients

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce
• 1 cup pepper flavored vodka
• 2 tablespoons lemon pepper
• 2 tablespoons celery salt

Directions

1. Remove the stems from the tomatoes, and place them in a shallow bowl.
2. Pour vodka over them so that they are covered. Stir in the hot pepper sauce.
3. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
4. To serve, mix together the lemon pepper and celery salt in a small dish.
5. Serve tomatoes floating in vodka. Provide toothpicks so that guests may pick up tomatoes and dip them in the seasoning before eating.

• 4 medium ears of corn, husked
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese
• 1 TB fresh minced cilantro
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 TB butter, melted
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

• Cut kernels off of the corn. Easiest way to do this is hold the ear straight up in a large bowl & cut down- the bowl catches all the kernels and they don’t scatter everywhere. Discard cobs.
• Stir in cheese, cilantro, milk, eggs and melted butter into the corn until smooth.
• Fold in the flour, baking powder and salt, stir until no flour streaks remain.
• Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and lightly grease it.
• Fill a 1/4 cup measuring cup with batter and pour the batter into the pan to make a round cake.
• Repeat until pan is filled (you should have 3-4 in pan) Cook, flipping the griddle cakes once, until lightly browned on both sides, about 5 minutes total.
• Keep finished cakes on warmed plate in the oven.
• Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with salsa, sour cream or honey.

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 12 ounces fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 2-4 Tbsp canned, drained, chopped jalapeno chilies
• 1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 8 oz. cream cheese, cut into ½ inch cubes, softened
• 1 cup half & half
• 2 (2 oz) cans sliced black olives, drained
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
• Tortilla chips

Directions

• In a heavy medium skillet, sauté the onion in the heated oil over medium heat for about 4 minutes or until tender.
• Add tomatoes and jalapeno chilies. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Press the spinach to remove the excess moisture. Add to the skillet with the Monterey Jack cheese, cream cheese, half & half, olives and vinegar.
• Mix well. Season with salt & pepper.
• Spoon into a shallow bakingdish.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until top is brown.
• Serve with tortilla chips.

Yield: 16 servings

You may prepare the dip in advance and chill for up to 2 days before baking: bake for 35 minutes.

• 6 or 7 slices of bread
• Butter
• 8oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tsp minced green onion
• 1 tsp seasoned salt
• 6 oz. of crab meat, drained
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Old Bay seasoning

Directions

• Using a 1-1 ½ inch biscuit cutter, cut 30 rounds from bread. Place bread rounds on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 3-5 minutes or until lightly toasted; remove from oven and turn rounds over. Butter untoasted side.
• In a mixer bowl, beat cream cheese until very smooth. Add egg yolks, onion and seasoned salt. Mix well. By hand, fold in crab meat and lemon juice. Spoon crab mixture onto buttered side of bread rounds. Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until brown and heated through. Sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning.

Yields: 30