Open Crab Rangoon

Oh yes!  I am making good use of my mini-muffin pan these days!!

When I figured out how well it worked using the wonton wrapers for the Breakfast Bites - I had to try it with the Crab Rangoon recipe.  This turned out to be a very successful experiment!!

Ingredients:

• 1 package cream cheese, softened
• 1 small can crab meat, drained
• 1 TBS minced garlic
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 3-4 green onions, chopped with tops
• 24 wonton wrappers

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Prepare mini-muffin pan with non-stick spray.
3. Tuck one wonton wrapper into each mini-muffin well. 
4. In a small mixing bowl:  combine cream cheese, drained crab meat, minced garlic, soy sauce, half of the chopped green onions.
5. Spoon cream cheese mixture into wonton wrappers.
6. Top each filled wrapper with additional chopped green onion.
7. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-15 minutes, depending on desire crispness.  (The longer they bake, the crispier - and browner - they will become.)

 

Baked French Toast

Ingredients:

• 1/2 loaf day old bread, torn into bite-size pieces
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1-1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1-1 1/2 tsp vanilla sugar
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2-1 cup golden raisins

Directions:

1. Tear bread slices into pieces and place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar, cream cheese, and raisins - mix well.
3. Turn mixture into a prepared baking dish and cover to refrigerate overnight, or for at least an hour prior to baking.
4. When ready to bake: preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 35-45 minutes until fully set.
5. Serve with syrup and fresh fruit if desired. Enjoy!!

Hints: This is a great recipe to prepare the night before for an easy breakfast the next day. Have a part of a loaf of bread that needs to be used up? Make good use of that bread! No vanilla sugar? Regular sugar works well too! The added bonus is how delicious the house will smell as this is baking. Enjoy!

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

• 4 potatoes, baked and mashed
• 1/2 cup cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• bacon crumbles
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• salt & pepper as desired

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare baking dish with non-stick spray.
3. In a mixing bowl combine: mashed potatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, onion, and skim milk.
4. Top with shredded cheese and bacon crumbles.
5. Cover dish with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Hint: Whenever we make boiled or mashed potatoes for a meal, I try to make extra so we will have leftovers. In the back of my mind I always plan on making potato pancakes with the leftovers...but I usually find another way to use them up before we ever get around to making the potato pancakes. This casserole is a great example! I used leftover boiled potatoes to make this dish for my husband and me for lunch. His favorite part? No potato skins :) Enjoy!!

Seafood Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb cooked shrimp, peeled & deveined
2 (6 oz) can crab meat, drained & flaked
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
4 TBS butter, divided
1 large white onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (4 oz) can mushrooms, drained
1 tsp garlic powder
3/4 hot sauce
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cups cooked rice
1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or colby blend)
1 cup butter crackers, crushed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Gather all needed ingredients and utensils.
2. Combine the cream cheese with 2 TBS of butter in a small sauce pan over low heat, stirring until smooth.
3. In a separate large skillet: saute onion, celery, and green pepper in 2 TBS butter until tender.
4. Add the smooth cream cheese mix to the sauteed vegetables in the large skillet, mixing well. Add shrimp, crab meat, cream of mushroom soup, drained mushrooms, garlic powder, hot sauce, cayenne, and cooked rice. Mix well.
5. Transfer combined ingredients to a prepared (use cooking spray) baking dish.
6. Mix crushed butter crackers with shredded cheese. Cover the mixture in the baking dish with the crushed cracker and cheese blend.
7. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until center reaches 165 degrees F.
8. (Best served hot.)

Hints: I was first introduced to this dish at a work potluck dinner. The cook used seafood paella mix instead of only shrimp and crab meat. I prefer that combination, but my boys do not. (I'm sure it's a visual thing - but whatever.) Another way to up the nutritional value is to substitute wild rice for the regular white rice. Definitely, definitely one of my all time favorites!!

*Also linked up to Food on Friday over at Carole's Chatter - go check it out!!*

Orange-Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
3 TBS butter or margarine, at room temperature
4 TBS orange juice
2 1/2-3 cups confectioners sugar

* Combine ingredients using a mixer until smooth and creamy.

* Pour over bundt cake, or use to glaze cookies or breakfast donuts...scones....shortbreads - use your imagination.

Hints: I used a carrot cake mix from a box. It was wonderful! I topped it with chopped walnuts, and waited too long to get a piece of cake. So I licked the icing off the plate! The 16 year old wanted to know when I was going to make more icing. The cake he said was "Okay," but the icing was "Amazing!"