Crack Bread

I am guessing this bread can be called "Crack Bread" for two reasons.

One, because you slice the crusty bread in an "X" pattern and stuff the cracks with yummy cheese goodness.

Two, because once you eat it, it's like crack, and you can't stop.
Well, it's not as bad as crack...but it's hard to leave alone!!
:)

I had run across many versions of this bread on Pinterest and couldn't choose just one.

There were elements from different ones that I liked and so I sort of combined what I thought looked and sounded good!

The two that gave me the most inspiration were from two bloggers, 

Joan's Food Wanderings and Working Mommy is Redundant.

Here's what I did:

Crack Bread

1 loaf of crusty french bread

1 stick of salted butter, melted

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

1/4 cup tops of green onions, sliced

3 cloves of minced garlic

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 teaspoon dried mustard

8 ounce block of each: Monterrey Jack and White Cheddar Cheese, sliced

1 package of real bacon bits

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

With a sharp bread knife, diagonally cut the bread, NOT ALL THE WAY THROUGH,  leaving about 1-2 inch spaces, then do the same going the other way to gt an "X" pattern.

Place bread on a large sheet of foil.

Slide the slices of cheese in between the cracks.

Sprinkle with bacon pieces and using your fingers make sure that some of them get pushed down in the cracks.

In a glass bowl or measuring cup, melt butter.

Add to it the oil, spices, onion and parsley.

Give it a good stir and drizzle it over the bread, taking care to get it down inside the cracks.

Here it is ready for the oven!

Wrap the foil around the bread and bake it for 10 minutes.

Unwrap the top and bake for another 10 minutes for cheese to get bubbly.

Serve warm.

It's a great pull apart bread, easy, and our company loved it!

I totally think you could make this on the grill with no problem.

I wrapped up the leftovers (what was left that is...) and popped it back in the oven for about 15 minutes and re-heated it.  We ate it with chili!!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

One of my favorite appetizers to get at a restaurant is "SpinArt" Dip.

My sister in law made a version of this recipe a whole lot of years ago and brought it to a family get together.

I have made it many times, and slowly changed some of the ingredients.  

Yesterday, I made it for a get together my friend, Gerry, was having at her house.

I took pictures of the "before" but she baked it and served it to her guests, 

I needed to wait to get her picture of the finished dip!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 - 14 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained

1 - 12 ounce package frozen spinach (thawed and drained, patted dry)

3/4 teaspoon minced garlic

2/3 cup Parmesan, Romano & asiago cheese blend

1 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup half and half

1/2 cup of sour cream (I use the one with chives)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Blend your artichokes, garlic and Parmesan cheese blend with a hand blender or food processor.

In another bowl, stir together your half and half with the sour cream.  Fold in the artichoke mixture, then the spinach.

Pour into shallow dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

I used a large deep dish pie plate, it fit perfectly.

Pour into dish, bake for 20-25 minutes, or until bubbly.

Serve with tortilla chips, crackers or baguette.

Broccoli Stuffed Mushrooms - One of my MOST FAVORITE appetizers

Every Christmas Eve my Mom makes these for appetizers.  

On the way to her house on Thanksgiving, one of my kids always asks

"is THIS the holiday that Grandma makes those mushrooms?!?!"

They are just plain a never fail yummy warm appetizer that is easy to love.

These would be a great addition to your New Year's Eve celebration!

broccoli stuffed mushrooms

Broccoli Stuffed Mushrooms

12 large mushrooms

1 very small onion, chopped

6 T butter or margarine

2 T Flour

3/4 t salt

dash of white pepper

2/3 c milk

1 pkg (10 oz size) chopped frozen broccoli, blanched and drained

2 T finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Remove stems from mushrooms and chop. 

(I have found that a strawberry huller works GREAT for this step!)

Quickly saute chopped mushroom stems with onion in 3 T of butter in a frying pan. About 2-3 minutes.

Reduce heat and stir in flour, salt and pepper.  Gradually add in milk and continue to cook, stirring constantly until thickened.  Add broccoli and heat thoroughly.

Melt remaining butter and brush the inside and outside of mushrooms caps.  Fill each mushroom with an equal amount of vegetable mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake stuffed mushrooms on a cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, until hot.

I love to prepare them the day before, and bake them when I am ready to serve them.

I have put them in a chaffing dish to keep them warm, but they tend to get a little watery.  It's really just best to bake them in the oven.