Thank you to everyone who submitted recipes for our contest. With all the great options, it was really hard to choose just three! We enjoyed making them, especially because now we have new dishes to show off to our friends and family. Here are the winning recipes:
Logan’s Holiday Mini Goat Cheese Balls
8 oz. goat cheese
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs (basil & Italian parsley)
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped & toasted
1-2 Tbsp. black sesame seeds, toasted
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. granulated onion
Smoked sea salt to taste
Place herbs, sesame seeds and nuts in 3 separate bowls.
Combine cheeses, garlic, onion, lemon zest, salt and pepper into a mixing bowl, mix.
Roll mini balls in the palm of your hands.
Roll each ball into whatever bowl you desire. Chill for at least 1 hour.
Tip: May need to oil hands to make rolling cheese into balls easier. Serve with toast points, salami, fresh veggies, olives, etc.
Sweet Potato Cheesecake
1/2 lb. sweet potato
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 Tbsp. unflavored gelatin
4 oz. graham crackers
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
Crush graham crackers finely in a food processor. In a bowl, combine crushed crackers and melted butter and mix well. Transfer to 9-inch pie pan and press the mixture into bottom and up the sides of the pan with hands.
In a small bowl, combine gelatin and 1 Tbsp. of water. Stir well and set aside.
Peel and cut sweet potato into small cubes. Boil sweet potatoes in water in a saucepan. Cook until tender, drain and puree in blender. Add granulated sugar, cream cheese and whipping cream. Blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl.
Heat gelatin in a microwave for 20-25 seconds or until gelatin is dissolved then add to the filling bowl. Mix well.
Pour the filling into the crust. Refrigerate for a couple of hour or until set. When ready to serve, decorate with whipped cream on top and serve.
Praline Crescents
1/3 c. butter
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp. sour cream
1 c. Rice Krispies
1/2 c. chopped pecans (very small)
1/2 c. coconut
8 oz. can crescent rolls
3 oz. package cream cheese
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
Melt butter over low heat. Add brown sugar and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add sour cream and cook 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Mix cereal, nuts and coconut together and add to butter/sugar/sour cream mixture. Stir together thoroughly. Combine cream cheese and powdered sugar together; mix and set aside.
Separate crescent dough into 8 triangles and cut each of those into 3 small triangles. Place each triangle in ungreased mini muffin cup pan.
Press to cover bottom and sides with points extending out. Spread a small amount of cream cheese mixture on the bottom of each crescent (divide it out so you will not run short).
Spoon a rounded teaspoon of cereal mixture over the cream cheese mixture. Bring triangle ends together to form a little basket.
Bake at 375 degrees for 11-16 minutes (depends on your oven) or until deep golden brown. Serve warm or cool. Yield: 24
