Ranch Cheddar Cheeseball

shared by Dara P.


Ingredients:
1 (4 oz.) package buttermilk ranch dressing
1 T. sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 lb. shredded cheddar cheese
2 T. jalapeno relish (this is my addition)
enough chopped pecans to roll the ball in.
Directions:
Mix ranch packet and sour cream.  Add cream cheese.  Mix well and add cheese.  Roll into a ball and then roll in pecans.

Butterfingers

shared by Billi Mohney (who says these are hard to resist!)
Ingredients:

1 lb. candy corn
16 oz. jar peanut butter (I used Peter Pan Honey Roasted peanut butter)
16 oz. pkg. chocolate candy coating

Directions:

1. Melt candy corn in microwave on high 1 minute.
2. Stir and continue cooking in 15-second intervals until melted, stirring after each interval.
3. Stir in peanut butter.
4. Spread mixture in an 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper.
5. Cool completely. Cut into squares.
6. Dip in melted chocolate candy coating. Lay on waxed paper to set.

Puffy Caramel Corn

shared by Nancy H. (and to quote her: You will have to fight the urge to put your face in the bowl and graze!)

Directions:

1. Dump two bags of Chester's Puffcorn in a big bowl.
2. In a heavy skillet or pan put 2 cups packed brown sugar, 2 sticks butter and 1/2 cup white corn syrup.
3. Melt down, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Pour over puffcorn in bowl and coat completely.
5. Dump on an ungreased cookie sheet with sides and put in preheated 225' oven for one hour.
6. Take out and dump in a big bowl. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Fluff Dip

shared by Patty H.

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
1 (16 ounce) container Light Cool Whip
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 (5 ounce) package  instant  vanilla pudding
1 box cinnamon graham crackers

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the pudding mix, pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spice. 
2. Fold in the Cool Whip topping and chill for 10-15 minutes. 
3. Serve with cinnamon flavored graham crackers.

Serving size: ¼ cup; makes approximately 32 servings

Caramel Cream Cheese Dip

shared by Nancy H.(who confesses that she can almost eat all of this by herself)

Ingredients:
1 pkg. softened Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. vanilla

jar of caramel ice cream topping
Heath Bar toffee bits
apple slices

Directions:
1-Beat cream cheese, brown sugar and vanilla together until smooth.
2-Place mixture in a circle on a plate.
3-Drizzle with caramel ice cream topping.
4-Sprinkle Heath Bar toffee bits on top.
5-Serve with cut up apple slices for dipping.

Beef Taquitos

shared by Patty H. easy & very tasty
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for brushing on the taquitos
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced (I used ¼ tsp. dried minced garlic)
3/4 pound lean ground beef
½ cup salsa, plus more for dipping
1 teaspoon chili powder (or more, to taste)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
10 (6-inch) flour tortillas
½ cup shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
sour cream, optional
additional salsa for dipping, optional

Instructions:
1.Heat the oven to 400º. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook them for 3 minutes, stirring often.
2.Add the beef and use a wooden spoon or a spatula to break it up while it cooks, until it is no longer red, about 3 minutes.
3.Stir in 1/2 cup salsa, chili powder and salt and pepper. Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
4.Place the tortillas on a plate and cover them with damp paper towels. Microwave them until warm and pliable, about 45 seconds. Top each tortilla with 1/4 cup of the beef mixture, spreading it to an inch from the edges. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the beef.
5.Roll up the tortillas and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet with the seam sides down.
6.Brush the taquitos lightly with olive oil, then bake them until the filling is heated through and the tortillas are lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.
7.Serve hot with sour cream and/or salsa, if desired.

Chocolate Marshmallow Pops

shared by Patty H. (Danielle, Corinne and I had fun making these.)

Ingredients:
3-4 squares of chocolate almond bark
15-20 marshmallows
colored sprinkles
15-20 lollipop sticks (you can find these at Michael's, Hobby Lobby, WalMart)
Directions:
1. Follow the directions on the almond bark to melt the chocolate (30 seconds in microwave, then stir and repeat until fully melted).
2. Place marshmallows on the end of the lollipop sticks.
3. Once chocolate is fully melted, dip half of the marshmallow into the chocolate.
4. Sprinkle with colored sprinkles.
5. Repeat until all of the lollipops are made, then place in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes for chocolate to harden.
Note: We used a piece of styrofoam to stick the lollipops in until the chocolate hardened. It made it a lot easier.

Chocolate Bugs

shared by Patty H. (These are not healthy snacks but they are tasty. Joshua, Dawson and I had fun making them.)
Ingredients:
16 oz. chocolate-flavored candy coating, cut into pieces
1 package (1 lb) peanut-shaped peanut butter-filled sandwich cookies
32 small pretzel twists
4 tsp. miniature candy-coated chocolate baking bits (I used M&M mini's)
Directions:
1. Line cookie sheets with waxed paper.
2. In 1-quart saucepan, melt the chocolate candy coating over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. (I used the microwave and it worked great!)
3. Dip cookies in chocolate coating, dipping and decorating a few cookies at a time as coating sets up quickly.
4. For each bug, place cookie in coating; lift out with fork, letting excess drip off. Place cookies, coated side up, on cookie sheets.
5. Cut or break pretzels into curved pieces for legs. Dip one end of each curved piece in chocolate coating; place 3 legs on each side of each cookie. Cut 2 short pieces for antennae. Dip one end of each pretzel piece in coating; place 2 antennae on top of each cookie. Place 2 candy-coated baking bits near antennae for eyes. Let stand 10 minutes until set.

Sunflower Sandwiches

shared by Patty H. (This is a fun, kid snack that they can make themselves. Isaiah, Elijah & Gabriel thought they were pretty tasty.)
Ingredients:
4 split English muffins (or hamburger buns)
peanut butter for spreading
4 canned pineapple slices, cut into 8 pieces, or canned pineapple tidbits
Raisins
Sunflower seeds
Directions:
1. Use a table knife or sturdy plastic knife to cut the English muffin into half and spread the bread slice with peanut butter.
2. Arrange the pineapple pieces on top of the peanut butter into a circle to look like the petals of a flower.
3. Fill the center of the flower with raisins.
4. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds.

Cucumber Sandwiches

shared by Patty H. (One of my favorite summer sandwiches is a cucumber sandwich. It can be simple with just cream cheese, chopped cucumbers, a little salt and a lot of dill; or, you can try this fancier version which was shared with me by a fellow teacher a long time ago.)
Ingredients:
6 oz. soft cream cheese
2 T. mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
1/2 tsp. dill weed (or amount to taste)
2 1/2 cups finely chopped cucumbers (seeds removed)
4 green onions, finely chopped

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Spread on buttered bread
3. Sprinkle with paprika.