New Year's Eve

Tasty appetizers, Cocktails and Desserts
Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions
Ranch Veggie Bruschetta
Chili Cream Cheese Dip

Shrimp Ceviche
Chicken Empanadas with Chili Cheese Dip
Festive White Wine Sangria
Beer Margaritas
Chocolate Fudge Cake
The Ultimate Coconut Cupcakes

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Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions

This is a simple yet elegant appetizer and it is so delicious. Creamy brie is topped with sweet caramelized onions and then wrapped in a flaky buttery crust. The sweet onion flavor pairs really well the cheese and salty crust.

I used my brother's method for getting nicely caramelized onions. Make sure you slice your onions really thin (this will allow them to brown nicely and release their sugars quickly). And you'll need just a bit of olive oil and some brown sugar.

Drizzle some olive oil in a pan, add onions and sprinkle with brown (not white) sugar. Cook on low, stirring occasionally and sprinkling periodically with brown sugar.

For accompaniments, roasted garlic, slices of pear, grapes, raw almonds and jam all go really well with the brie.

This is a festive and tasty appetizer to serve over the holidays. You can dress it up anyway you like. Serve with crackers and enjoy.

Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions
1 (8 oz) round of brie
1 onion, caramelized
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
Butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400'. Cut onion thinly and caramelize as stated above, let cool. Unroll thawed puff pastry and place brie in center (I cut the rind off of mine). Top with the caramelized onions. Wrap dough around brie and onions and pinch to seal. Brush with melted butter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until pastry is puffed and golden brown. I checked mine at 20 minutes and brushed it with more butter, then let it brown for the last five minutes.
You can pair the Brie with whatever you like. Sliced fruit, jam, crackers, caramelized garlic, candied pecans, grapes, red wine...

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Chicken Empanadas with Chili Cheese Dip

This is always a party favorite!

Thin rounds of pie dough are stuffed with a delicious mixture of chicken, red pepper, jalapeno, cream cheese and spices and then baked until crispy and golden brown. I serve them up with my Aunt's easy and delicious chili cheese dip. These are bit time consuming, but can be made ahead and are well worth the effort.

Chicken Empanadas
3 cups chopped, cooked chicken (I use whole cooked rotisserie chicken. It's quick and easy)
1 (8 oz) Pkg. shredded cheese
6 oz Cream Cheese
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper (I used canned red and yellow peppers)
1-2 Jalapenos, seeded and chopped (1 small can of green chilies are tasty too. Add a little red pepper flakes for heat)
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
2 (15 oz) pkgs. pie dough
Water

Preheat 400
Lightly grease a baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine the chicken and next 7 ingredients. Unroll 1 piecrust onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 15-inch circle. Cut out rounds, using a 3-inch cookie cutter. Re-roll dough as needed. Repeat procedure with remaining piecrusts. Arrange 1 round on a clean, flat surface. Lightly brush the edges of crust with water. Place 1 scant teaspoon of chicken mixture in the center of the round. Fold the dough over the filling, pressing the edges with a fork to seal. Repeat with the remaining rounds and chicken mixture. (Up to this point, the recipe can be made ahead and frozen for up to 1 month). Arrange empanadas on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

*This makes a ton of filling, so three to four pie crusts are needed. You can cut the filling mixture in half and use two pie crusts if you want.

* To spice these up a bit more, brush an egg wash on the top and sprinkle with chili powder.

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My Aunt's Chili Dip
1 (8 0z) pkg. cream cheese
1 can Nalley's Chili (regular, with beans, no beans, turkey or veggie are all delicious)
1 small can green chile's
Combined all ingredients in a bowl and heat in microwave, covered for 2 minutes. Stir and heat mixture in 30 second increments until combined. You can also heat this mixture in a crock pot or a pan on the top of the stove.

Serve empanadas hot out of the oven with warm chili dip. Yum!

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Ranch Vegetable Bruschetta
1/2 Cup Ranch Veggie dip

1 loaf french bread, cut diagonally into 1-in slices

1/3 cup olive oil
salt
1/2 an english cucumber, diced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup red onion or chives, diced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush each slice of bread with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Toast in oven for 4 to 5 minutes. Cool completely. Spread each toast with veggie ranch dip. Combine cucumbers, tomatoes and onion in a medium bowl. Spoon vegetable mixtures on top of ranch.

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Shrimp Ceviche
1 lb bay or salad shrimp
1/2 lb lump crab
1 small container pico de gaio, drained
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 - 1 jalapeno, diced fine
1 tsp. diced cilantro
Juice of one lime
salt and pepper to taste
cumin to taste
Any other spices you like

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and enjoy. Serve with crackers or thin slices of toasted baget.

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White Wine Sangria

This drink is refreshing and delicious. Everyone always really enjoys this.

White Wine Sangria

1 Bottle of white wine (Riesling, Albarino, Chablis, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc)
2/3 cup white sugar
3 oranges (sliced) or may substitute 1 cup of orange juice)
1 lemon (sliced)
1 lime (sliced)
1/2 liter of ginger ale or club soda (ginger ale for those with a sweeter tooth!) * Pierre is also tasty.

Preparation:
Pour wine in the pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the orange,lemon and lime into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) and add sugar. Chill overnight. Add ginger ale or club soda just before serving.If you'd like to serve right away, use chilled white wine and serve over lots of ice.

Addition ideas: sliced strawberries, peaches, handful of fresh blueberries, raspberries, kiwi, a shot or two of gin, brandy or rum, a cup of citrus-flavored soda pop.

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Too Much Chocolate Cake!

This fudgy chocolate cake would be perfect for any New Year's Eve Table. Decorate it with white edible pearls and set it on a pretty cake platter and you've got a delicious dessert and centerpiece all-in-one.

Too Much Chocolate Cake!

allrecipes.com

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I used mini chips and they were perfect)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into a well greased 12 cup bundt pan.
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least an hour and a half before inverting onto a plate If desired, dust the cake with powdered sugar.

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Coconut Cupcakes

Moist dense cupcakes loaded with coconut and topped with a generous amount of delicious cream cheese frosting.

Coconut Cupcakes
Ina Garten
Makes two dozen cupcakes
3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 large eggs
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 pound sweetened flake coconut

Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sift the dry ingredients together into a medium mixing bowl, and set the bowl aside. Break eggs into a small bowl, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. With the mixer running, carefully pour in eggs and vanilla and almond extracts. Mix in the flour mixture and buttermilk by alternating between 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup buttermilk; be sure to start and end with the flour mixture. Add half the coconut, and mix until just incorporated.Line a cupcake tin with paper liners.

Fill each cup with batter using an ice-cream scoop with a 1/4-cup capacity; the batter should nearly reach the tops of the cups. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the oven, and allow them to cool briefly in the tin before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, about 45 minutes. Generously ice them with cream cheese frosting, and sprinkle with remaining coconut

Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes about 2 cups
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DirectionsPlace cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, soften cream cheese. Gradually add butter, and continue beating until smooth and well blended. Sift in confectioners' sugar, and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla, and stir to combine.

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Beer Margaritas

Delicious, Addicting, Deadly

Pic Source

Beer Margaritas

1 can frozen limeade drink mix

8-12 oz tequilia (depending on how strong you like it!)

12 oz water

1 can light beer

Ice

2 limes, cut into wedges for garnish

Stir limeade, tequilia, water and beer together until limeade is dissolved. Stir in ice and squeeze in a few lime wedges. Taste and adjust as needed. Garnish glasses with extra lime wedges.

Caramel Turtle Pretzels

How can you beat a delectable treat that only takes three ingredients to make? Pop these in the oven for a minute or two and in no time, you'll have a cookie platter worthy treat. They're always a party favorite!

Caramel Turtle Pretzels

Ingredients
20 small mini pretzels
20 chocolate covered caramel candies
20 pecan halves

Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

Arrange the pretzels in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place one chocolate covered caramel candy on each pretzel.

Bake for 2 minutes or until chocolate looks shiny and is slightly melty (be careful, if the chocolate gets too melty it will run all over the place and when you put the pecan on top the caramel filling will ooze out). Remove from oven. While the candy is warm, press a pecan half onto each candy covered pretzel. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Tips:
I use Dove chocolate covered caramels. So yummy!
Square pretzels work well with the Dove chocolate.
Toast the pecans to bring out the flavor.

To jazz these up you can drizzle milk or white chocolate over the top.

Green Chili and Egg Bake

This egg casserole is super simple to make and bakes up so light and fluffy. The combination of green chilies, shredded cheese and eggs is delicious. You can also make this the night before, refrigerate and then bake it in the morning. What's not to love?

Green chilies are lined in the bottom of a buttered glass dish. I halved this recipe as it was only my husband and I enjoying this and used an 8x8 dish. Use whole green chilies if you can find them. If not, diced chilies work too.

Top the chilies with shredded cheese

And pour over a creamy mixture of eggs, sour cream, salt and pepper.

At this point, it can be wrapped with plastic and refrigerated.

Or, bake it in a 350 degree oven until fluffy and light golden brown on top. Mine came out of the oven with a large puffy center that deflated as it cooled. 

This slices up really easy and pops right out of the pan. Serve this with salsa, fresh guacamole or a dollop of sour cream. Yum!

Green Chili and Egg Bake

Source: Tara/Foodnetwork
Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) can whole mild green chilies, drained and stemmed
1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated
12 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sour cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Salsa, additional sour cream, and guacamole for serving, optional
Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the chiles in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Arrange in 1 layer on the bottom of a buttered 13 by 9-inch baking dish Cover with the cheese. Whisk the eggs with the sour cream in a large bowl until blended. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the eggs over the cheese, smooth the top, and bake in the middle of the oven until golden, about 45 minutes. Serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole on the side, if desired.

Hot Chocolate Bar

I attended a cookie exchange last night and the hostess had a hot chocolate bar setup. I thought it was such a cute idea. She had a large pot of Ghirardelli hot chocolate simmering on the stove top and next to that, marshmallows, peppermint candies, cinnamon sticks and fresh whipped cream for accompaniments. She also served Irish cream on the side. Yum.

A fun idea if you're hosting a holiday party!

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

A simple mixture of sausage and cream cheese is stuffed into mushroom caps, topped with shredded cheese and baked to golden brown perfection.

Sausage and cream cheese makes a yummy filling, but I like to add a sauteed onion and fresh garlic for a bit more flavor. Sage sausage is delicious in this too.

A delicious variation is to wrap the stuffed mushrooms with a piece of partially cooked bacon. Yowzers! Maybe only enjoy one of these.

Once the mushrooms are topped with cheese and/or wrapped in bacon they go into a hot oven and bake until the mushrooms soften and the cheese browns. 

I never have any of these leftover when I take them to parties. There's just something so tasty about a stuffed mushroom.

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Makes 63 

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 package ground sage sausage (I used Jimmy Dean)

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

4 small packages button mushroom, cleaned with stems removed and chopped.

1 cup mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions

In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add onion and cook until starting to soften. Add garlic, cook 1 minute. Add sausage and cook until evenly browned, breaking up meat as you go. Mix in cream cheese and a 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese and stir until melted and blended.

Place mushrooms in a buttered 13x9 dish and one 8x8 dish. Stuff each mushroom with sausage mixture and top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 25-35 minutes. Once cheese starts to brown, remove mushrooms and place on a patter. Serve immediately.

Bacon Wrapped Version

Follow all directions, but after stuffing mushrooms with sausage mixture, wrap a half a piece of partially cooked bacon over tops and sides of each mushroom. Secure with a tooth pick and bake according to above directions.

Caprese Bites

This is a quick and tasty appetizer that's full of flavor and healthy too!

These caprese bites come together in a snap. Tomato halves, mozzarella balls and basil are threaded on a toothpick and drizzled with a balsamic glaze. The best part is, these can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator. The longer they sit, the more the mozzarella soaks up the yummy balsamic flavor.

I served mine on my Himalayan salt block that I chilled in the freezer first. It made for a nice presentation.

Caprese Bites

Source: myrecipes.com

Ingredients
1 pt. grape tomatoes, halved
10 to 14 fresh small mozzarella cheese balls, cut into thirds*
32 (4-inch) wooden skewers**
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Thread 1 tomato half, 1 piece of cheese, and another tomato half onto each skewer. Place skewers in a shallow serving dish.

Whisk together oil and next 3 ingredients. Drizzle oil mixture over skewers; sprinkle with basil and salt and pepper to taste.


* 1 (8-oz.) package fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, may be substituted.
**Wooden picks may be substituted


*** I threaded one half of a basil leave on each skewer instead of sprinkling chopped basil on top. I also used mini mozzarella balls and cut them in half instead of thirds.