Recipe-of-the-Month

Artichoke Dip

1 15 oz. can un-marinated artichoke hearts
1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese
1 4 oz. can chopped green chilis or 1 Tbs. canned chopped jalapenos
½ c. mayonnaise
4 oz. shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350º. Mix all ingredients together except 1 oz. of parmesan cheese. Heat in oven for 25 minutes or until warm. Sprinkle remaining parmesan cheese evenly over warm dip and cook 5 more minutes. Serve warm with pita chips.

Recipe-of-the-month

Pasta Fagioli Soup
by Suzanne Marshall

Makes 9 quarts of soup:

3 tsp. oil
2 lbs. ground beef
2 cups carrots, slivered
1 ½ cups chopped onions
2 cups diced celery
2 large cans diced tomatoes
2 regular cans red kidney beans
2 regular cans white beans
88 oz beef broth
3 tsp. oregano
2 ½ tsp. pepper
5 tsp. fresh chopped parsley
1 ½ tsp. Tabasco sauce
48 oz spaghetti sauce (I use Hunts)
1 cup dry small pasta

Saute ground beef until it starts to brown. Add onions, carrots, celery and tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain and rise beans and add to the pot. Add beef stock, oregano, pepper, Tabasco, spaghetti sauce and pasta. Simmer until celery and carrots are tender, about 45 minutes.

Makes 9 quarts of soup. Cut it in half for about 5 quarts, or cut the recipe into quarters for a smaller family. I cut it in half and have enough for a couple of meals and some to give away, and some to freeze in containers for lunches.

Recipe-of-the-month

Pigs-in-a-Blanket

By Jennifer Ward

Our traditional Halloween dinner

1 bag frozen dinner rolls, Rhodes or Bridgeford dough

1 package Lil’ Smokies - my family prefers the Beef Smokies

butter

Place package of frozen rolls on the counter to thaw for one hour. When dough is soft, wrap one Lil’ Smokie in each roll. (FYI: The Lil’ Smokie is the pig and the roll is the blanket.) Place wrapped pigs on a greased cookie sheet about one inch apart. Let the rolls rise until double in size (about 5 hours in the winter and 2-3 in the warmer months). To speed up the rising process: place the pan of wrapped pigs on top of your preheated oven – this cuts rising time in half. Preheat oven to 350°. Cook pigs-in-a-blanket for 15 – 18 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven. While they are fresh from the oven spread butter over the tops of the rolls. Serve with ketchup and mustard. Enjoy!

Recipe-of-the-Month

Sopapilla Cheesecake
By Jennifer Ward

2 cans refrigerated Crescent rolls
1 ½ c. sugar
1 stick butter, melted
½ c. granulated sugar
2 8oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
1 ½ tsp. Vanilla
1 ½ tsp. Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Open one can crescent rolls and lay triangle pieces across bottom of pan to form a crust. Press triangle pieces together. Beat cream cheese until fluffy, add 1 ½ c. sugar and vanilla. Spread over crescent rolls. Unroll 2nd can of rolls over cream cheese mixture, pour butter over top. Mix cinnamon with ½ c. sugar and sprinkle over butter. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool then chill in refrigerator.

Serves 12

September 2008 Recipe-of-the-month

Monkey Bread
from Caralee
10-12 servings
Preheat oven 325º

1/2 Cup Butter
1 Cup Brown Sugar
3 Tbs Cinnamon Divided
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 12oz tubes refrigerated biscuits but into quarters

Instructions:
Melt Butter, brown sugar and one Tbs cinnamon in a small pan. Heat until bubbly. Set aside. Blend white sugar and remaining cinnamon in small bowl. Roll biscuits in white sugar mixture; then arrange in a greased bundt pan. Pour brown sugar mixture over top of biscuits. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for several minutes to set before turning bread out. Serve warm.

**Add thinly sliced Granny Smith apples for added zip!

Here is a recipe that we should have used last month at Pismo:

Raccoon Kabobs
(Also known as "Ringtail Surprise")

from Jonathan

Two pounds, reasonably fresh raccoon, cut into one-inch cubes; one-half cup homemade French dressing; two green peppers, cut into squares; one large onion, cut into one-inch pieces; one-third pound mushroom caps.

Place raccoon cubes in a ceramic bowl and pour dressing over cubes. Let marinate two or more hours. Remove cubes, reserving marinade. Alternate raccoon cubes with pepper squares, onion pieces and mushroom caps on skewers. Brush all with reserved marinade and broil over hot coals until done to desired degree. Turn frequently and baste with marinade as needed.

Serves six.