A few of us were discussing celebrating the holidays and we thought about doing an office potluck lunch but with so many different schedules here (we are not all in the same place at the same time) it wouldn’t work out well. And to be honest some employees are always asked to bring drinks, plates, or ice for a reason. So, we decided to do a virtual potluck and include our readers.
Welcome to our Virtual Christmas Potluck! From Debbie Nixon, one of our graphic designers, we have squash casserole. Our circulation manager, Christine gives us 2 sweet recipes, PB brownies and Chocolate Chip Cheeseball named after her grandkids. Brian Hoffman (the sports guru) and his wife Doris, shared this recipe for Strawberry Pretzel Salad. Betsy and I shared our recipes for ham sliders and meatball fondue. Pull up a chair, grab a virtual plate, and cruise the buffet to see what interesting offerings are on the table. We hope you enjoy these recipes.
Harlem’s Cookie Snowball
Ingredients
8oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 c. softened, unsalted butter
3/4 c. powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
In a large mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, brown sugar, salt & vanilla extract. Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips. Form into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours. In a small bowl, add the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips. Roll ball in chocolate chips until completely covered. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 1 week. Serve with vanilla wafers or graham crackers.
Boogie’s PB Brownies
Ingredients
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
2/3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chopped, salted peanuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Combine the peanut butter & butter in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth and we’ll blended. Add the brown sugar & vanilla extract and beat well, then add the eggs, and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Combine the flour, baking powder & salt, then stir and toss them together. Add to the first mixture and beat until completely mixed. Stir in the peanuts. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan & bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top appears dry and a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out barely clean. Remove from the oven & cool on a rack. Cut into 2-inch squares.
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
1-1/2 cup crushed pretzels
½ cup melted butter
3/8 cup sugar
Combine ingredients and pat into a 9×13 inch dish and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool.
Combine 1 (8oz) pkg softened cream cheese
¾ cup sugar
1 (9oz) pkg Cool Whip
Spread over cooled crust.
Dissolve: 2 (3oz) pkgs. Strawberry Jell-o
2 cups boiling water
Add two (10 oz) packages of frozen strawberries, thawed and drained. Mix well and let mixture become partially set. Spread over the other layers and refrigerate overnight. Serves 12-15
Squash Casserole
Ingredients
1-pound fresh yellow squash (about 4 medium) (4 cups sliced)
1 medium onion, sliced
2 medium to large eggs
½ cup whole milk or 2% milk or half and half
1 cup shredded Cheddar or Colby Jack cheese
½ teaspoon salt or garlic salt
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs, divided (or ⅔ cup dried breadcrumbs) (2 slices loaf bread, pulsed in
blender or food processor)
2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Slice the squash about ¼-inch thick circles. If some of the squash is large, cut those slices in half. Slice the onion into ¼-inch circles, then in half crosswise and break them apart. Cut them even a little smaller, if you like. Place the squash and onion in a medium-size pot and add enough water to almost cover them. (You can also steam them with a steamer basket.) Cover and bring them up to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or just until they have softened slightly. They will continue to soften and cook when baked in the casserole. Drain well in a colander. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a medium-size bowl with a fork or whisk. Gradually stir in the milk, then cheese and salt. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the fresh or dry breadcrumbs. (This helps to slightly thicken the creamy sauce). When cool enough to touch, pat the squash and onion dry with paper towels to remove the moisture. Then, add them to the egg mixture. Pour the squash mixture into an 8×8-inch baking dish or 1 ½-quart casserole dish that has been greased with butter or coated with oil spray. Add melted butter to the remaining breadcrumbs. Lightly sprinkle the buttered breadcrumbs over the squash mixture. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly around the edges and the top is crispy and golden.
Meatball Fondue
Ingredients
32 oz frozen, fully cooked meatballs – about 50 meatballs
18 oz jar grape jelly
12 oz Chili Sauce
pinch cayenne pepper
Instructions
In a large slow cooker add the grape jelly, chili sauce, and cayenne pepper. Whisk to combine. The sauce will be a tad lumpy because of the jelly but do your best to whisk it until smooth. Add the frozen meatballs to the sauce. Gently stir in the meatballs until fully coated by the sauce. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Or high for 2-3 hours. Serve as an appetizer or over rice for a main dish. A great variation would be to use BBQ sauce in place of the chili sauce. If using homemade meatballs, cook the meatballs before placing them in the slow cooker. If you don’t cook the meatballs, excess grease from the meat will be in the sauce.
Ham sliders
Ingredients
½ cup melted butter
1 tablespoon honey mustard
1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
8 Hawaiian rolls
16 thinly sliced cooked deli Ham
16 thinly sliced Swiss Cheese
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, honey mustard, Worcestershire sauce, poppy seeds, and dried onion flakes until well combined. Without separating the rolls, slice the entire slab horizontally to create a top and bottom layer. Place the bottom layer of rolls in the prepared baking dish. Layer half of the sliced cheese over the bottom layer of rolls, followed by the sliced ham, and top with the remaining sliced cheese. Place the top layer of rolls over the cheese and ham. Using a pastry brush or spoon, evenly brush or pour the butter mixture over the tops of the rolls, allowing the mixture to drip down the sides. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes until the rolls are lightly golden brown and the cheese is melted. Remove the baking dish from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes. Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, carefully slice through the rolls, separating them into individual sliders. Serve the ham and cheese sliders warm, and enjoy!
