Olive tree is ‘gem’ of a recipe among Christmas appetizers

We asked for Christmas appetizer recipes and we got them– so many in fact, that we held some for this week.
Angie Burns sent a gem– Olive and Cheese Christmas Tree, with a photo included.
She said she actually had to make the recipe to remember everything she did.
The Olive and Cheese Christmas Tree really “wows” guests.
“It looks fancy and is easy to make,” she said.
Raven Tillman said she used the Aged Artichoke Dip for a private party and it was a crowd favorite.
Barbara Winter likes to serve her marinated cheese with the spicy crackers.

Bacon Crackers
Haley Mitchell Gross
1 package butter crackers (Ritz/Club)
8-10 slices of bacon
1 cup brown sugar
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pinch black pepper
Heat oven to 350°
Line baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Align crackers on wire rack set on the lined baking sheet. (Leave a little space between crackers for bacon, it will hang over edge of crackers.) Slice bacon into thirds or fourths. Place a piece of cut bacon lengthwise on each cracker. Sprinkle a generous amount of brown sugar on top of bacon topped crackers (1 heaping teaspoon per cracker). Lightly sprinkle with cayenne pepper and black pepper. Bake 15-20 minutes or until brown sugar begins to melt and bacon becomes crisp. Allow crackers to cool on wire rack before eating.

Crispy Parmesan Toasts
Kimberly Watkins Ruth
Ingredients:
4 pita bread rounds
1 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Cut each bread round into six triangles, place on baking sheet. Whisk together Parmesan cheese and remaining ingredients. Spread mixture on triangles. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Serve immediately.

Skillet Queso
Kimberly Watkins Ruth
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 lb. Velveeta Cheese
3/4 package taco seasoning
8 oz. taco sauce
1/2 small can of tomato sauce
Brown ground beef and drain. Transfer beef to crock pot and add remaining ingredients. Cook on medium or high heat until cheese melts. Turn heat to low for serving. Great with corn chips or tortilla chips.

Jalapeno Bites
Raven Jackson Tillman
4 oz. (half of 8 oz. container) of cream cheese spread (plain or savory flavored)
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 small jalapeno chile peppers, sliced in half lengthwise and seeds removed
1 (8-ounce) can crescent rolls, each triangle sliced in half lengthwise
1 egg, beaten
Poppy seeds
Preheat oven to 375° and spray baking sheet with cooking spray or grease. In small bowl, stir together cream cheese spread and shredded cheddar cheese to combine well. Stuff each jalapeno pepper half with cream cheese mixture. Place stuffed jalapeno pepper on shortest side of crescent roll triangle and wrap. Place onto greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining peppers and crescent roll triangles. Brush each crescent roll with beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until rolls are golden brown. (Breakfast or ground Italian sausage can be added to recipe.)

Aged Artichoke Dip
Raven Jackson Tillman
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
4 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup heavy cream
2 (14-ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
1/2 cup shredded Fontina cheese
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
Deep fried or grilled pita triangles sliced for dipping
Preheat oven to 375°. Heat butter in medium skillet over medium heat. When it foams, add onion and garlic, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook until onion and garlic are beginning to turn brown in color, about 6 minutes. Stir in flour and cook stirring constantly until no longer raw tasting, about 1 minute. Sprinkle in 3/4 cup of the Parmesan, pour in cream, and stir to incorporate. Add artichoke hearts, sour cream, and 1/2 cup of the Gruyère and fontina and stir until cheese begins to melt. Evenly spread the mixture in the skillet so it’s in a uniform layer and top with remaining Parmesan, Gruyère, Fontina and the panko. Bake until heated through, bubbling on the edges, and the cheese is melted, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes.

Olive & Cheese Christmas Tree
Angie Burns
Cream Cheese Mixture:
2 blocks cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup green onion, chopped (or 2 Tablespoons chopped chives)
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley (or 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley)
1 teaspoon dried rosemary (slightly more for fresh)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon chile powder
Decorations:
1 cup pitted mixed olives, dried with paper towel (Raid Kroger’s Olive bar and especially stock up on the Kalamatas!)
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped, dried with paper towel
rosemary sprigs to decorate
1/4 cup pine nuts, slightly toasted in skillet to bring out flavor
Small slice of sharp cheddar to make star topper with toothpick
Combine all ingredients for cream cheese mixture. Tear off a piece of plastic wrap and place on countertop. Plop the mixture down in a pile. Completely cover pile with another piece of plastic wrap and shape into a tree/upside down cone formation. Carefully pick up tree and peel plastic wrap off bottom, placing the tree in its serving plate. Remove the other piece of plastic wrap. Then use spatula to smooth edges. Decorate with olives, sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary and pine nuts, sprinkling some pine nuts around tree on serving plate as well. Brush outer decorations with a bit of olive oil and marvel at your creation!
Serve with: Salami, prosciutto, various crackers
Recipe Notes: If your cream cheese mixture is too soft to work with, just place your plastic covered tree in fridge for about half an hour. Make sure to pat dry the olives and sun-dried tomatoes so they won’t slide off the tree.

Marinated Cheese
Barbara Winter
3-8 oz. cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, cream cheese)
1 jar sun dried tomatoes
1/2 to 1 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. parsley
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper black pepper
Whisk all together. Pour over cheese. Marinate at least 8 hours. Serve with spicy crackers.

Spicy Crackers
Barbara Winter
1 box saltine crackers, unsalted
1 pkg. dry Ranch dressing mix
1 3/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 1/2 Tbsp. crushed red pepper
Stack crackers in large bowl or container with lid. Mix oil and all spice with Ranch dressing mix in a bowl. Stir well and pour over crackers. Cover and let set for 24 hours. Turn bowl or container over every so often.