Cookie Cutter Veggie Bites

What You Need:

 

2 prepared pie crusts

1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 TBSP milk

½ tsp. onion salt

½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Cucumber slices

Tomato, sliced or diced

Radish slices

Carrot curls or shredded

Pimiento slices

Green onion slices or diced

Cookie cutters

 

How to Make It:

 

Lightly flour a flat surface.

Lay the pie crust on the floured surface.

Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes in the dough.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place the cutouts on an ungreased cookie sheet and prick slightly with a fork.

Bake 7 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove and allow cooling.

In a mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, milk, onion salt and Worcestershire sauce mixing until smooth.

Spread each cut out with the cream cheese mixture.

Decorate with the vegetables.

 

Let the kids have some fun helping with these.  Use whatever veggies you like and their imagination. 

Swiss Spinach Samplers

What You Need:

 

1 ½ Swiss cheese, shredded at room temperature

½ cup red bell pepper, chopped fine

1 C spinach, chopped

¼ C mayonnaise

8 English muffin halves

 

How to Make It:

 

Stir the cheese, peppers, spinach and mayonnaise together in a large mixing bowl.

Spread each English muffin half with the mixture.

Microwave on high for 30 seconds or until heated through.

 

Use mushrooms instead of the spinach and some mozzarella cheese instead and you have pizza samplers that are also sure to please. 

Pumpkin Bites

What You Need:

 

1 lb. pumpkin

¼ C canola oil

¼ tsp. sugar

½ C water

 

How to Make It:

 

Peel the pumpkin with a very sharp knife.

Remove the seeds.

Cut the pumpkin pulp into 2 inch squares.

Place the oil in a skillet over medium high heat.

Add the pumpkin and cook for 10 minutes or until just starting to soften.

Add the water and sugar.

Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

 

These make a great Sunday afternoon snack.  Instead of the sugar try cinnamon or even pumpkin pie spice.  It won’t be as sweet but they will like them just as much. 

Cheesy Corn Triangles

What You Need:

 

1 unbaked pie shell

4 large eggs

½ C heavy cream

1 C Cheddar cheese, shredded

1 (8 oz) can cream style corn

1 large tomato, chopped

 

How to Make It:

 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place the pie shell in a pie plate.

Prick the bottom of the shell with a fork.

Bake 8 minutes or just until the shell begins to harden.

Remove the shell from the oven.

Place the eggs in a large mixing bowl.

Beat with an electric mixer just until eggs turn a light color.

Add the cream and continue to beat until completely mixed.

Add the cheese, corn and tomatoes and stir to mix well.

Pour into the prepared pie shell.

Reduce oven heat to 425.

Return the pie to the oven and bake 8 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Continue to bake for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove and allow cooling.

Cut into triangles and serve.

 

Experiment with different types of cheese to find just the flavor you kids will like.  Try adding chopped onions for an added taste.  

Pimento Potato Dippers

What You Need:

 

4 baking potatoes

¼ C margarine, melted

¼ C canola oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

1 C half and half

1 ½ TBSP cornstarch

2 TBSP pimentos, chopped

 

How to Make It:

 

Clean the potatoes well.

Cut each potato into thick slices.

Spray a large baking dish with a non stick cooking spray.

Layer the potatoes into the dish overlapping each other.

Stir together the melted margarine and oil in a small bowl.

Add the garlic and mix well.

Brush over the top of the potatoes.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bake the potatoes slices 25 minutes or until fork tender.

In a saucepan over medium heat combine the half and half and cornstarch.

Whisk to remove any lumps and bring to a boil.

Place the heat on low and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens.

Remove from the stove.

Stir in the pimento.

Serve warm over the potatoes.

 

Try adding a little shredded Cheddar or Mexican blend cheese to the sauce for a little different taste. 

Baked Potato Rounders

What You Need:

 

2 large eggs

2 TBSP water

¼ tsp. salt

1 C seasoned bread crumbs

2 (16 oz) cans whole white potatoes

 

How to Make It:

 

Place the eggs in a mixing bowl.

Beat slightly.

Add the water and salt and mix well

Place the bread crumbs in a separate bowl.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a large shallow baking dish with a non stick cooking spray.

Place the potatoes in the egg mixture.

Allow to drain off slightly and then place them in the bread crumbs.

Cover the potato completely with the bread crumbs and place them in the prepared baking dish.

Bake 25 minutes, being sure to turn often, until the potatoes are light brown and tender.

 

Serve these with a little sour cream, salsa or catsup on the side for a great afternoon snack. 

Cauliflower Poppers

What You Need:

1 head of cauliflower

1 C seasoned bread crumbs

3 TBSP olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced fine

¼ tsp. chili powder

How to Make It:

Wash and trim the cauliflower.

Cut the cauliflower into bite size florets.

Place 2 TBSP olive oil into a large mixing bowl.

Add the cauliflower pieces into the oil and toss to cover well.

Lay the pieces on a baking sheet in a single layer.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roast the cauliflower for 15 minutes.

Place the bread crumbs into the bowl that contained the olive oil.

If there is not enough oil to coat the crumbs add 1 TBSP.

Add the garlic and chili powder and toss.

Remove the cauliflower from the oven and turn each piece.

The cauliflower should be turning a light brown.

Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the cauliflower.

Return to the oven and continue roasting another 10 minutes.

The bread crumbs will be slightly toasted and the cauliflower tender when done.

Remove and serve immediately.

Have some fun with these poppers. Find different types of seasoning to make them taste a little different each time. Also be sure to serve them as soon as they come out of the oven. If they set too long they become mushy and not very tasty.

Magic Puffs

What You Need:

 

1 pkg. puff pastry dough

Lemon zest

1 C ricotta cheese

1 egg

1/4 tsp. salt

1 TBSP olive oil

10 thin slices of butternut squash

5 slices of low fat mozzarella cheese

1 egg yolk

 

How to Make It:

 

Allow the dough to come to room temperature.

Flour a flat surface the roll the dough out to 1/8 in thickness.

Spray a cookie sheet with a non stick cooking spray.

Lay the dough on the cookie sheet so ¼ to ½ of the dough hangs over the edge.

Cover the dough with the lemon zest.

Place the ricotta cheese and whole egg into a large mixing bowl.

Mix until completely combined.

Spread over the entire piece of dough.

Place the squash slices in a large pan with the olive oil.

Cook them on low heat 3 minutes.

Place the cooked squash slices on the part of the dough that is lying on the cookie sheet.

Cover the squash with the mozzarella cheese slices.

Fold the part of the dough that is over the edge of the cookie sheet over onto the mixture and press to seal.

Heat the oven to 375.

Slightly beat the egg yolk in a small bowl.

Brush the egg yolk over the puff.

Bake 25 minutes or until the filling is set and the puff is a light brown.

Remove and allow to cool before cutting into smaller puffs.

 

For a sweeter puff mix a little fruit in with the ricotta cheese mixture 

Squash My Muffin Please

What You Need:

 

1 C butternut squash, steamed and mashed

2 ½ C flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

2 TBSP canola oil

1 C brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten

 

How to Make It:

 

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl beat together the butter and sugar with an electric mixture until creamy.

Stir in the squash.

Add the eggs and stir well to combine.

Pour the flour mixture into the squash mixture and stir only until moistened.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Line a muffin tin with paper muffin cups.

Fill each cup ¾ full of the batter.

Bake 15 minutes or until when touched lightly the tops bounce back easily.

Allow to cool slightly before serving. 

 

Serve these muffins with some honey and the kids will love them. 

Creamy Cucumber Stackers

What You Need:

 

½ C margarine, room temperature

½ C creamy cucumber salad dressing

1 C watercress, chopped

30 slices white bread, thin sliced

Sweet pickles, chopped

 

How to Make It:

 

Place the margarine in a large mixing bowl.

Add the dressing and stir until smooth.

Stir in the watercress just until blended.

Lay the slices of bread out flat.

With a biscuit cutter cut the center out of each slice of bread.

Spread each round with the dressing mixture.

Stack each round on top of each other.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled.

Remove the wrap and separate each round.

Sprinkle with the chopped sweet pickles.

Stack again with as many as 3 or 4 per stack.

 

These little stackers will have your children coming back for more.  Try different types of salad dressing and chopped vegetables, such as Thousand Island and tomatoes, for a little different taste each time.

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