Cool Veggie Pizza

Ingredients:

• 1 package (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1 tbs. mayonnaise
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 1 tsp. dried dill weed
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cups assorted fresh vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, green or red bell pepper, green onions, tomato, mushrooms, carrot, yellow summer squash or zucchini

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Unroll crescent dough: separate into eight triangles. Arrange triangles in a circle with points in the center and wide ends toward the outside. Roll dough to a 12 inch circle, pressing seams together to seal. Bake 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic, and dill weed. Season with salt and pepper; mix well. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over crust.

To prepare vegetables, coarsely chop broccoli or cauliflower and/or dice or slice remaining vegetables.

Sprinkle vegetables over pizza. Cut into squares using a pizza cutter.

Yield: 10 servings

Recipe: The Pampered Chef- Season's Best Fall/Winter 2003

Touchdown Taco Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 can (9 oz) bean dip
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tbs. taco seasoning mix
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 plum tomato, seeded and diced (1/2 cup)
• 2 green onions with tops, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup pitted ripe olives, sliced
• 1 tbs. finely chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
• additional sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread bean dip over bottom of 9x9 pan. Combine cream cheese, sour cream, taco seasoning mix and garlic; mix well.

Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over bean dip. Grate cheddar cheese over top. Bake 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Dice tomato and onions, slice olives, finely chop cilantro. Sprinkle over dip.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Serves: 8

Recipe: The Pampered Chef- Season's Best Fall/Winter 2003

Banana Pudding

Ingredients

• 2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
• 6 to 8 bananas, sliced
• 2 cups milk
• 1 (5-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream
  

Directions

Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.

In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves: 12

Recipe: Paula Deen (introduced to me by Lauren Losie)