Bacon Cheese Pops

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It's time for the "Big Game" and that means lots of food, drinks, and fun. Oh yeah....and some football! To help you celebrate I made these Bacon Cheese Pops! They are so good! They are kind of like your own little cheese ball, all to yourself. Plus they are cute! I used straws, that I cut in half, for my sticks. That way you can make them with team colors to show your spirit! I used an Herb and Spices Cream Cheese Spread, but if you have a favorite, use it!
These Bacon Cheese Pops are based on a recipe from my favorite grocery, Lowes Foods, with some small changes. Make these a day ahead of the game and be sure to refrigerate them!

Bacon Cheese Pops
(printable recipe at end of page)
1 tub Herbs and Spices Cream Cheese Spread
2 ounces chopped Bacon 
2 1/4 ounces chopped Pecans
Various Crackers
Sticks to place in pops

Cook and chop bacon. To get the necessary 2 ounces you will need to cook  pieces of raw bacon. You could also use bacon bits.

Chop pecans. If you buy them in the 2 1/4 oz. package, you still need to chop them smaller. They should be as small as the bacon bits.

Mix the bacon and pecans together in a bowl. Use a small scoop to form the cheese spread into balls. Roll the cheese ball into the bacon and nuts mix. You will have to help the pecans and bacon stick to the cheese. Patting the mix on helps it to stay.

I used straws for my sticks. Cut them in half for the appropriate size. Refrigerate the balls until you are ready to serve. I used this basket to make sure they did not flat. You could also place the straws in rice so they are elevated.

Serve on a platter with crackers. 

Thanks for stopping by today! Enjoy the Big Game! 

yield: 18-20 pops Author: The Freshman Cookprint recipe

Bacon Cheese Pops

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tub Herbs and Spices Cream Cheese Spread
• 2 ounces chopped Bacon
• 2 1/4 ounces chopped Pecans
• Various Crackers
• Sticks to place in pops

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook and chop bacon. To get the necessary 2 ounces you will need to cook pieces of raw bacon. You could also use bacon bits.
2. Chop pecans. If you buy them in the 2 1/4 oz. package, you still need to chop them smaller. They should be as small as the bacon bits.
3. Mix the bacon and pecans together in a bowl. Use a small scoop to form the cheese spread into balls. Roll the cheese ball into the bacon and nuts mix. You will have to help the pecans and bacon stick to the cheese. Patting the mix on helps it to stay.
4. I used straws for my sticks. Cut them in half for the appropriate size. Refrigerate the balls until you are ready to serve. I used this basket to make sure they did not flat. You could also place the straws in rice so they are elevated.
5. Serve on a platter with crackers.

http://www.thefreshmancook.com/2017/02/bacon-cheese-pops.html

Created using The Recipes Generator

 


 

St.Patrick's Day Food, Craft, and Party Ideas!

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If you are looking for some last minute St. Patrick's Day Food, Craft and Party Ideas check out these two collages. These are some creative and inspired ideas from cooks, crafters, bakers, and party givers who have linked up to Celebrate It! Blog Link Party! Just click on the links right below the collages and you will be taken right to their creative web site!

Homemade Sushi/#SundaySupper

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I am sushi lover, so when I heard that the theme of this weeks #SundaySupper was Asian Cuisine, I was super excited! Asian food is one of my favorites. I have made homemade sushi several times in the past, but it has been a while, so I was a little rusty on technique, but it came back quickly, and it was very tasty! It was also a lot of fun, and it is a great activity to do for a family meal or party with friends. When we have friends over we always end up at the kitchen counter anyway! So have fun with this ~ that's what it's all about!

Final Four Buffalo Chicken Meatballs!

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One of my favorite times of the year is March Madness! I love the excitement and fun of the Final Four tournament, and watching the players play for the love of the game! There is nothing better than a Final Four Party, and this year I am serving one of my favorite dishes: Final Four Buffalo Chicken Meatballs! These are cooked in the crock pot; so easy, and so tasty. The blue cheese sauce is the perfect addition. You're gonna love 'em!

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

with Tangy Blue Cheese Sauce

1 Egg
4 teaspoons Hot Sauce, divided
1 pound Ground Chicken Breast
2 tablespoons plain dry Bread Crumbs
1/4 cup diced Onion
1-2 teaspoons vegetable Oil

Blue Cheese Sauce
1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup crumbled Blue Cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped Celery
1 tablespoon mayo

Whisk your egg and 2 teaspoons of the hot sauce in a
medium bowl until smooth and blended well.

Add chicken, bread crumbs, and onions.

Mix the ingredients together well.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Form the mix into round meatballs, and place in
frying pan with 1-2 teaspoons of vegetable oil.
Brush the meatballs with the remaining 2 teaspoons
of hot sauce. Brown the outsides of the meatballs.

Once the meatballs are browned,
 place them in your crock pot.
Add the sauce from your bowl to the crockpot.
Add more hot sauce if you would like to turn up the heat.
Let the meatballs and sauce cook for 2 hours on high
or 4 hours on low.

Stir together the yogurt, cheese, celery, and mayonnaise
in a small bowl. Blend together and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Serve your meatballs with a side of the sauce
and enjoy the game!

Thanks so much for joining me today!

I am so happy to be back blogging, and I appreciate

you reading this!

4 Cheese Stuffed Shells

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I love Italian food, so when I was assigned the blog, Cookin' with Moxie, for this months Secret Recipe Club, I was thrilled. Cookin' with Moxie is a wonderful blog written by Jamie, whose blog is stuffed as full as these pasta shells of delicious sounding and beautiful looking foods. What to make was a difficult decision, but I finally decided on Jamie's 4 Cheese Stuffed Shells. They were so delicious, and cheesy and just yum!!

4 Cheese Stuffed Shells

1 pound Jumbo Pasta Shells

30 oz. Ricotta Cheese

2 1/2 cups Mozzarella, divided

1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1 cup Provolone Cheese

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 Egg

2 tablespoon minced, flat leaf Parsley

2 tablespoon chopped, fresh Basil

Salt and Pepper to taste

3 cups Marinara Sauce, preferably homemade

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta.

Cook the shells until soft but not cooked through

(about 1/2 the cooking time on the box)

Drain pasta and set aside until the filling is ready.

Place the ricotta in a bowl.

Add 1 cup of the mozzarella and the Parmesan.

Add the provolone.

Mix together.

Add the garlic powder, egg, parsley, basil, salt and

pepper. Mix thoroughly.

In a 13X9 casserole dish, pour in half of your

marinara sauce. 

Fill your partially baked shells with the cheese filling.

Place the shells in your dish on top of the marinara.

The shells should be open side up.

(I used a smaller dish)

Place the rest of your marinara on top of the shells.

Top the marinara with 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese.

Garnish with minced basil and parsley, if desired.

Cover your dish with foil, and bake for 30-40 minutes.

Uncover and continue to bake for an additional 15-20 minutes,

or until the sauce starts to bubble.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Thanks for joining me today!

Stop by and see what all my fellow Secret Recipe Club members made:

Black Forest Mini Cupcakes and a Giveaway!

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It's Tuesday of our "Mini Week" and today we having Black Forest Mini Cupcakes for dessert! It's also Day 2 of our giveaway. You can sign up everyday until the drawing on Sunday! There is a picture of the giveaway at the end of this post! Check it out and enter everyday! Leave me a comment telling me what your favorite mini dessert is, and for 2 extra entries, like us on facebook, and follow The Freshman Cook. Leave me a comment about that too. Enter every day this week until Sunday!

Black Forest Mini Cupcakes 

 Cupcakes

(cake from Cake Dr)

1 box Duncan Hines Devil's Food Cake Mix

3 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1 1/3 cups Buttermilk

1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

3 Eggs

1 teaspoon Vanilla

Fresh Cherries 

Chocolate Frosting

8 tablespoons Butter

2/3 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

3 cups Confectioner's Sugar

1/3 cup Milk

2 teaspoons Vanilla

1/4 teaspoon Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pit your cherries. You will need 2 cherries per cupcake 

for the filling, and 1 cherry, pitted, but with the stem on

for the garnish on top.

Combine the mix, 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder,

buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in mixing bowl. 

Mix for 1 minute on low. 

Scrape the bowl, and mix again on medium for 2 minutes.

I used 2 ounce souffle cups for cupcake wrappers.

Put a small spoonful of batter in the bottom of the cup.

Place 2 pitted cherries on top of the batter.

Cover the cherries with more batter.

Fill the cups about 3/4 full.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Cool on a cooling rack.

While your cupcakes are cooling, make your frosting.

Place 8 tablespoons butter and 

2/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa in bowl. 

Blend on low until combined.

Add confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla and salt.

Beat on low for 2-3 minutes. If the icing is too thick, add

more milk. If it is too thin, add confectioners' sugar.

Using a Wilton #5 tip, pipe the chocolate frosting

on top. Garnish by pitting the cherry, but keeping it

in as good a shape as possible. Top cupcake with cherry.

Enjoy!

Thanks for joining me today!

Stop by tomorrow and see what we are making

for tomorrow's mini!

This is our mini giveaway I mentioned above.

You can enter every day until Sunday. The giveaway 

ends Sunday at 11:59 pm PST.

Enter by leaving me a comment telling me what your favorite

mini dessert is. You can enter once a day! Get 2 extra entries

by liking us on facebook, and following The Freshman Cook.

If you enter everyday, and like us on facebook, and follow us

you will have 9 entries!

 

Red, White and Blue Party Centerpieces!

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I don't think I have ever posted a craft on this blog. After all, we are all about cooking. It kinda says that in the title; The Freshman Cook. But today I wanted to post a tutorial on this centerpiece.  About 20 years ago, my mother in law turned 75, and my husband and I threw her a huge party. There were about 150 guests, and she had a wonderful time. For the tables, which were banquet tables, I made these centerpieces. They were a little different because the candles each had hurricane glasses around them and they were all done in metallic colors of blue, green and purple. After the party, anyone who wanted one took them home. The thing is, they were truly festive! So, I made some for the 4th of July because it deserves to be festive!

  Red, White and Blue Centerpieces

Red, White and Blue Curling Ribbon

E6000 Glue

Dollar Store Clear Candlestick

Dollar Store Candle Plate

Straight Pins with balls at the end

Styrofoam (cut into 1" squares)

I made 5 of these centerpieces for the 4th of July,

so I needed a lot of ribbon. To speed up the cutting, I 

wound the ribbon around a piece of cardboard about 30 times.

Then I cut the ribbon at the end of the cardboard on one end,

and then cut it at the other end.  I put the ribbon in

a bag with a bottom that stands up. I accessed my

ribbon from the bag easily.

To begin, glue the candlestick on to the bottom of 

the candle plate. Let dry.

Glue the pieces of styrofoam onto the top of the

candle plate, like the picture.

I curled the ribbon and attached it before curling anymore.

There is no wrong way to curl it. Some of mine was loose,

and some very tight.

Attach the curled ribbon by placing the pin in the center

of your curled ribbon, and then sticking the pin into the

styrofoam. I used the pins with the balls in the top

 because the ones without the balls rip through the ribbon

and don't hold it well. Attach ribbon in the front, 

the sides and the top. Don't attach the ribbon to the inside

of the styrofoam square. You need to leave room for 

the candle. 

Keep attaching ribbon to fill in each of the squares. 

There is no point of perfection with this project.

At the end, I went back and added ribbon where

I thought it might be a little low in puffiness.

Also, don't worry about the pins showing. They will 

get covered up by the ribbon.

See how the blue ribbon is long and the red ribbon is short.

It should look that way.

Continue until your foam is full of ribbon!

Add your candle.

There are lots of ways to make this centerpiece.

You could make it less full than I did.

You could also attach a 4th of July sign to it,

or maybe some flags.

The best thing about this design is that you can change it

to match any party decor.

Thanks for joining me on Day 13 of

"15 Days of Red, White and Blue"!

Have fun and Happy 4th!

We are partying at the following fun spots:
Tasty Tuesday