Appetizers

BLACK BEAN LAYERED DIP

Black beans, rinsed & drained
Cream cheese
Chopped green onions (or red or yellow)
(Optional: mix corn with onions)

Sweet salsa (Paul Newman makes the best) - pineapple, raspberry, mango, etc.
Grated cheese

On a 10" or 12" platter pour rinsed and drained black beans.

Slice thin slices of cream cheese with a very sharp knife and lay slices over black beans until covered (cream cheese should be a room temp before slicing).

Sprinkle green onions (or red onion or even yellow onions) to well cover cream cheese. I even put a little corn mixed in with onions (optional).

Pour salsa on top, to cover.

Cover with grated cheese any choice. Sit it out and and serve with your favorite chips or crackers. This treat will be gone with four good eaters in 20 minutes. They keep coming back!

DRIED-BEEF CHEESEBALL

2 8 oz. packages cream cheese

6-8 green onions, chopped

2 two & 1/2 oz. jars Armour Dried Beef

2-3 tsp. Accent

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Soften cream cheese at room temperature. Chop onion and druied beef into small pieces. Combine all ingredients using about 3/4 of the beef. Roll ball in remaining 1/4 beef for outside coating. Refrigerate. Serve with assorted crackers.

TACO SALAD

2 lbs. ground beef

Chopped lettuce

Chopped tomato

2 packages taco seasoning

Taco Sauce

Grated cheese

Brown and drain beef. Add taco seasoning per instructions. Simmer. Chop lettuce and tomato. Layer beef, lettuce, tomato, cheese, taco sauce. Add chopped ripe olives if desired. Serve in tortilla shell or with tortilla chips.

MEXICAN 7-LAYER DIP

2 (9 oz.) cans refried beans

1 (8 0z.) pack guacamole dip
(or make fresh; see below)

1 pt. sour cream well-mixed with 1 package taco seasoning

1 lb. grated cheese

1 (8 oz) jar of Salsa or Picante sauce

1 can ripe olives (mince well)
1 can green olives (mince well)

1 bunch green onions (chopped fine)

In 9x13 dish, layer refried beans, guacamole dip, sour-cream/taco seasoning mixture, salsa, top with olives, onions, cheese. Refrigerate or not. Serve with tortilla chips.

CREAM CHEESE RESCUE

Company surprises you?
We've got you covered.

A block of cream cheese and whatever's handy.

SEAFOOD SPREAD

PICKAPEPPA SAUCE

Spread 1 small can of crab or shrimp over block of cream cheese, cover with favorite cocktail sauce.

With fork or knife, make diagonal cuts in cream cheese, 1/8 inch deep. Pour Pickapeppa Sauce over cream cheese.

Soften cream cheese at room temperature. Chop onion and dried beef into small pieces. Combine all ingredients using about 3/4 of the beef. Roll ball in remaining 1/4 beef for outside coating. Refrigerate. Serve with assorted crackers.

HAM CHEESE BALL

1 8 oz. package cream cheese

1/2 cup Miracle Whip

2 cups ham, ground in blender

2 tb. chopped parseley

1 tb. chopped onion

1 cup chopped pecans

Mix softened cream cheese and Miracle Whip together. Add other ingredients. Place in refrigerator until firm. Shape into ball, then roll in pecans. Serve with assorted crackers.

SHRIMP LOG

2 8 oz. packages cream cheese

1/4 cup chives

2 two & 1/2 oz. jars Armour Dried Beef

2 tb. sour cream or Mayonnaise

2 cups chopped shrimp, canned or fresh

Soften cream cheese and mix with other ingredients. Shape in form of log. Roll in finely chopped pecans. Chill. Serve with cocktail crackers.

ARTICHOKE DIP

1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained, chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup Parmesan cheese

Garlic powder to taste

Mix all ingredients. Heat in oven at 350° for 20 minutes. Spread on crackers. May be stored in fridge for up to 12 hours before heating.

BLACK-EYED PEA DIP

4 cups black-eyed peas, cooked and drained

5 jalapeno peppers

1 Tb. jalapeno juice

1/2 medium onion, chopped

4 oz. can green chiles

1 clove garlic

1/2 lb. Old English sharp cheese

1/4 lb. butter

Mix black-eyed peas, jalapeno peppers and juice, onions, chiles and garlic in blender. Work with 1 to 1/4 the measure at a time if the load is too much for blender. Heat cheese and butter in double boiler until melted. Stir in pea mixture. Serve in chafing dish with chips.

WORLD'S BEST CHEESE-DIP

1 pound sausage

1 pound ground beef

2 pounds Velveeta cheese

4 ounces taco sauce

1 ten & 3/4 ounce can cream of mushroom soup

Cook sausage and ground beef. Drain. Melt Velveeta cheese. Stir in taco sauce and mushroom soup. Add meat and heat until warmed through. Serve with stuff.

CRAB MEAT DIP

8 ozs cream cheese
1 Tb milk
1 six and 1/2 oz can crab meat
2 Tb chopped onion
2 pounds Velveeta cheese

1/2 tsp horseradish
1/4 tsp salt
Dash Tabasco sauce
1/2 cup roasted almonds

Blend all ingredients except almonds well. Spoon into oven-proof dish. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

ARMADILLO EGGS

1 lb. sausage
1/2-1 lb Monterey Jack sliced or shredded cheese
3 eggs, beaten

1 c. Bisquick
1 (12 oz) jar jalapeno peppers, sliced in half
1 box pork Shake 'n Bake

Spray cookie sheet with Pam. Mix first 4 ingredients together. Form ball around halved pepper (and cheese, if sliced - see pic). Roll in Shake 'n Bake. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes.

CHEESE & BACON YUMMIES ON RYE

1 (10 0Z) pkg. sharp cheddar
1/2 lb. bacon (uncooked)

2 medium onions
2 Tbsp chili sauce

Grind all ingredients and cover with chili sauce. Spread on party rye. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.

BEST PARTY MIX

1 box Cheerios
1 box Rice Chex
1 box Wheat Chex
1 pkg pretzels
1 pkg. peanuts
1 pkg. pecans
1 lb. butter

1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. savory salt
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. chili powder

Melt butter and spices together, then mix all of above together. Bake at 250° for 2 hours. Can be frozen and served later.

BEST GUACAMOLE DIP

2 medium avocados, ripened
1 Tb. green chiles, chopped
1 Tb. onion juice or grated onion
2 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. salt

1 clove garlic, crushed or 1/8 tsp garlic powder

Cut avocados in half; seed and peel. Sieve avocados, mash, or blend in blender. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Cover and chill. Makes about 1 1/4 cups. Serve as appetizer, meat accompaniment or salad. Top with chopped tomatoes, croutons, corn chips or grated Mexican cheese.

BEST COCKTAIL WEINERS

1 12-oz. jar plum jam 1 cup mustard	2 pkgs. all-beef weiners
Cook and stir jam and mustard over medium heat until jam is dissolved. Slice weiners into bite-sized pieces. Add to jam mixture and heat. To serve, place in serving bowl on warming tray and use cocktail toothpicks.