Bacon and Cheese Pinwheels

 

Ingredients:

• 8 slices bacon
• 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 green onions
• salt and pepper
• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry (from a 17.3-ounce package), thawed
• Flour, for dusting
• 4 ounces Cheddar, shredded
• 1 egg

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat
until crispy, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and allow to cool slightly, then finely chop. Set aside.
In a small bowl, stir together the cream cheese and scallions. Season with salt and pepper. Unfold the pastry sheets on a lightly floured work surface. Lightly roll each piece of pastry into a 10-inch square. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the entire surface of each piece of pastry, leaving a slight border around the edges. Sprinkle the Cheddar and bacon in an even layer over the top of the cream cheese mixture. Tightly roll each pastry sheet into a log (jelly roll style), then pinch the seam closed and place seam-side down on the work surface. Using a sharp knife, cut both logs crosswise into 12 pinwheels each, approximately 1 inch thick. Transfer 12 pinwheels to each prepared baking sheet, spiral-side up. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and 1 tablespoon water until combined to make an egg wash. Brush the tops and sides of the pinwheels with the egg wash. Bake the pinwheels until puffed and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.

 

Cream Cheese Wontons

 

Ingredients:

24 wonton wrappers
8 ounces cream cheese softened
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 egg beaten
oil for frying
2 teaspoons minced chives optional

 

Directions:

Combine the cream cheese, sugar and onion powder. Stir until well mixed. Place a wonton wrapper on a flat surface and drop a teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture into the center. Brush the edges of the wonton with the egg. Bring 2 opposite corners together in the middle of the wonton and pinch. Repeat with the other 2 corners and pinch to form a package shape. Repeat with the remaining wontons and cream cheese until all are filled. Heat 4 inches of oil in a deep pan to 350 degrees F. Fry 5-6 wontons at a time, turning them as needed to make sure they brown evenly. This process should take about 3-5 minutes. Drain the cooked wontons on paper towels and repeat the frying process with remaining wontons. Sprinkle with chives and serve immediately with dipping sauce of choice.

 

Brown Sugar Smokies

Ingredients:

• 1 pound bacon
• 1 (16 ounce) package little smokie sausages
• 1 cup brown sugar, or to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut bacon slices into thirds and wrap each strip around a sausage. Secure the wrapped sausages on wooden skewers, several to a skewer. Arrange the skewers on a baking sheet and sprinkle them liberally with brown sugar. Bake in the preheated oven until bacon is crisp and the brown sugar is melted, about 20 minutes.

 

3-Cheese Cheese Dip

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
• 1 cup cup Miracle Whip
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions 
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a bowl, Cover and chill overnight. Served with choice of crackers or bread.

 

Honey and Hot BBQ Wings

 

Ingredients:

• 2-3 lbs chicken wings
• 2 tbsp. butter or margarine
• 1 cup BBQ sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray's) 
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/4 cup diced onions
• 1/8 cup honey
• 1 tsp. Siracha or other hot sauce (more if you like it hot!)

 

Arrange wings on greased cookie sheet and brush with butter or margarine. Bake 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl. When the wings have cooked for 15 minutes, top them with BBQ mixture, covering all the wings and bake for 15 minutes longer.  Serve hot with ranch or blue cheese dressing.