Fontina Mushroom Bruchette

Submitted by Joi Spencer (from the site: Robbie's Recipes)

6 mushrooms, sliced thin
1 Tbls. butter
1/4 c. butter, softened
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
6 slices Italian or French bread (sliced 1/2 inch thick)
6 slices Fontina cheese, trimmed to fit bread slices
extra virgin olive oil, to top
julienne fresh basil, to top

Saute mushrooms in 1 T. butter until soft.  Drain liquid from pan and set aside. 

Mix 1/4 c. butter with garlic and garlic powder.  Spread butter mixture over bread slices.  Place a slice of Fontina cheese on each piece of bread.  Spoon sauteed mushrooms over each slice of Fontina.  Place bread on a cookie sheet and bake in a 500 degree oven for 4 minutes, or until cheese has melted.  Remove from oven and drizzle olive oil over the tops.  Sprinkle basil over top.  Serve immediately.

Ham and Cheese Pastry Cups

Submitted by Melissa Maxwell

1 (17 1/4-oz. ) package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets)
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1 c. (4.0z) Swiss cheese
4 ham slices--finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 T. dried chopped chives or 3 T. fresh*
1 beaten egg
2 T. Hidden Valley Original Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Poweder

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

On a lightly floured surface unfold puff pastry.  (For best results, bring to room temperature first.)  Cut each triangle into 30 equal squares.  Stretch each square to make 2-3 inch square.  Place pastry squares in greased mini muffin pans.  (Corners will hang over the edge.)

Stir together cream cheese, Swiss cheese, ham, chives, egg, and ranch dressing powder until well blended.  Spoon about one heaping measuring teaspoon into each pastry cup.  Bake for 15-18 minutes at 425 until golden brown.

Makes 5 dozen.

*I didn't have any chives and left them out for the batch I made for cooking club.  If you liked them the way they were, just leave out the chives.

Classic Cheesecake

Submitted by Mandi Cooper

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

3 Tbsp. sugar

3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

5 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

3 Tbsp. flour

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1 cup sour cream

4 eggs



Preheat oven to 325. Combine crumbs, 3 Tbsp. sugar and butter. Press firmly into bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

Mix cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, flour, and vanilla on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed until just blended. Pour over crust.

Bake for 70 minutes or until center is almost set. Loosen cake from side of pan, but cool completely before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Southern Macaroni and Cheese

Submitted by Mandi Cooper

1 lb. twisty pasta (rotini, fusilli, etc.)

1 can evaporated milk

1/4 cup butter

3 eggs

cheddar cheese, to taste (2-4 cups)


Salt water and cook pasta, about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain some water out of pot so that the water line is about 1" below pasta line. Add the evaporated milk and butter. Stir until butter is melted. Meanwhile, mix the eggs together in a small bowl and temper the eggs with some of the hot milk from the pot, stirring the eggs constantly. Add egg mixture to pasta. Add cheese and stir until combined and melted. Pour into crockpot or casserole dish. Bake on low 2-3 hours in crockpot or 20 minutes in 350 oven. I also like to add ham to the casserole to make it more of a meal.