Baked in the South

  We served these at a birthday party recently and they were a huge hit!     Ingredients: 2 boxes prepared tortellini (I used Buttoni, found in the refrigerator section) 1 Jar of prepared Vodka Sauce ( I used Prego) skewers   Directions: Boil Tortellini according to package, but leave them slightly al dente.  You don't want them to be mushy.  Skewer 8 tortellini on each skewer and stack on a serving tray.  Heat the vodka sauce gently and serve along side the skewers!

   These make a fabulous appetizer!  I serve them at parties and people rave about them.  They are very easy to make and can be pre-made and frozen ahead of time. Ingredients:  1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed 1/2 cup crumbled feta 1/4 cup minced onion 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon chopped dill 1 teaspoon minced garlic Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 large eggs 1 package of phyllo dough thawed   Directions: Squeeze out as much liquid from the thawed spinach until dry. Mix spinach and next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, beat 1 egg to blend; fold into spinach mixture. Place 1 sheet of phyllo on work surface, keeping remainder covered with a damp towel to prevent drying out. Brush lightly with some of the butter and pile 2 Tablespoons of spinach mixture in bottom right corner. Fold over diagonally into a triangle shape and continue folding up until you have a triangle ...

Ingredients: 1/4 cup chopped pecans 2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon bourbon 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 package puff pastry thawed 1 lb brie 1 egg Directions: Heat butter in medium saucepan and add the pecans and bourbon. Toast pecans slightly and then set aside to cool.    Cut puff pastry into 3 equal strips. Cut each remaining strip into 3 squares for a total of 9. Grease muffin tin. Place a square in each muffin cup, pressing into bottom and up sides and leaving corners pointing up. Place about 1 tablespoon round of brie in the middle of each pastry. Top with the browned pecans and some sugar. Fold pastry over filling, pressing corners together to meet in center.  Brush with egg wash.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until brown.     

I almost ate the whole tray.  If you like spanakopita, you will love these little bits of goodness.  They are also much easier to make than the traditional spanakopita with layers of phyllo and they taste just as good!     Ingredients:  1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed 1/2 cup crumbled feta 1/4 cup minced onion 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon chopped dill 1 teaspoon minced garlic Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 large eggs 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17.3-ounces package), thawed, rolled out to a 12" square, kept chilled   Directions: Squeeze out as much liquid from the thawed spinach until dry. Mix spinach and next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, beat 1 egg to blend; fold into spinach mixture. Cut puff pastry into 3 equal strips. Cut each remaining strip into 3 squares for a total of 9. Grease muffin tin.  Place a square in each muffin cup, pressing into bo...

I could have literally eaten the whole dish.  They call this "Crack Dip" because most people can't stop eating it:)  I took this to a Birthday Party and everyone loved it!  It is super easy to put together and only has a few ingredients Ingredients: 3/4 lb. cooked & drained ground sausage (I used Jimmy Dean, but hot italian sausage would be good) 1 block of cream cheese (softened) 1 cup cheddar cheese 1 can Rotel (diced tomatoes & chilis) 1/2 can corn (drained) Mix the ground sausage with the cream cheese, rotel, corn and half a cup of cheddar cheese.  Top with remaining cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until hot & bubbly.  Garnish with chopped green onions and serve with tortilla chips or fritos!