(A little late) Holiday appetizers and dessert recipes for anytime of the year

As always, the holidays rushed in and out faster than we could enjoy them. I was anxious to make all sorts of new foods and appetizers, but didn't seem to have enough time to get them all done. However, there are several that I made for our Christmas party that are definitely worth sharing. Unlike my husband, who can whip up a gourmet meal from milk, eggs, and butter, (not exaggerating, I don't know how he does it! ) I have to follow a recipe and like many, I like scrolling through the pictures on Pinterest to see what looks appetizing and worth trying. If I do have an idea of what I want to cook, allrecipes.com is a great place to find delicious recipes that others have already tried and many even add their own twist and share it in the comments. You have to check it out.

The appetizer recipes that I have to share with you have been tried and approved by friends and family and I'm sure that you will enjoy, too.

Bacon-Jalapeno Cheeseballs

6 slices bacon
1/4 C chopped pecans
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
2 TB chopped fresh parsley
1 garlic clove or a Tb ready minced garlic
1/4 ts ground cumin
pinch cayenne pepper
1 ts lime juice
1/2 tn Worcestershire sauce
2 jalapeños (ribs and seeds removed), finely chopped and divided; however, if you like spicy food, leave in some seeds for a good kick
Buttery crackers (for serving)

Cook the bacon until crispy then transfer to drain excess oil. Allow to cool slightly, then crumble and divide in half.

While the bacon is cooking, preheat oven to 350 F. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 5-7 minutes, or until fragrant.

In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, parsley, garlic, cumin, cayenne, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, half of the minced jalapeños, and half of the crumbled bacon until well combined. Season the mixture to taste with salt.

On a large plate, stir the toasted pecans, remaining minced jalapeños and remaining half of the crumbled bacon together until evenly distributed. Shape the cream cheese mixture into a ball (the mixture will be sticky, I found it easiest to shape if I just barely wet my hands first). Roll the ball in the pecan mixture until coated on all sides.

Now, the following was not written in the recipe, but I found was a good way to refrigerate.  I cut two large pieces of Saran Wrap, sprayed each with spray butter and then placed a cheese ball in each piece. I wrapped them, placed them on a plate and refrigerated them until ready to serve; at least an hour.

When you are ready to serve, line the plate with crackers and center with the cheese ball.

Courtesy of http://traceysculinaryadventures.com/2012/10/bacon-jalapeno-cheese-ball.html

Ready for a couple of more great recipes? Click on the pictures below:

Ham Rolls, Wheat & Flour Tortilla PinWheels

Sea Salt Chocolate Caramel covered pretzels  

Feel free to leave a comment to share your experience making and tasting this delicious recipe. If you added your own twist, please let me know, I love trying variations of the same recipe!
Have a great day!

I love sharing pictures of what I've done, so if you'd like to share my pictures, please give me the credit for my pictures by adding a link to my page. I do not take credit for any recipes posted unless I specify that I created the recipe. I will give credit and post links to the sites where I found the recipes I tried and hope you will do the same.