Entertaining

I hosted a Taste of Home Entertaining Party last night. (Anyone want to order something while my party is still "open"?) Because it was "Taste of Home," I decided to serve all Taste of Home recipes. I took pictures because it all turned out so pretty! (and tasty!)

--Lady Daja

Beautiful Baked Ziti

1 package (19.76 oz.) Sweet Italian sausage cooked according to package and sliced
1 package (8 oz.) penne or rigatoni pasta, cooked and drained
1 jar (26 oz.) pasta sauce
3/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh garlic
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 package (10 oz.) frozen garlic bread, thawed and cut into 12 slices
3 cups (12 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Roma tomatoes, cut into 12 slices
12 fresh whole basil leaves

In a large bowl, mix sausage, pasta, pasta sauce, water, basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and pepper. Toss to coat. Place mixture in a greased 13-in x 9-in x 2-in baking pan.

Place 12 slices of garlic bread on top of mixture and cover with mozzarella. Dip tomatoes slices in oil and place on each bread slice. Bake, uncovered, at 400F for 30 minutes or until heated through. Place one basil leaf on each tomato. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 9 servings.

Cranberry Bruschetta

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced into rings

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tablespoons minced fresh basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 unsliced loaf of French bread

Vegetable oil (I used olive)

Combine cranberries, sugar and vinegar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add onion and garlic; return to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer on low for 10 minutes or until cranberries pop. Pour into a glass bowl. Stir in basil and oregano. Cool at room temperature.

Cut bread diagonally into sixteen 3/4-in slices; brush both sides with oil. Broil each side for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. Top each slice with cranberry mixture. Yield 16 servings.

Italian Stuffed Appetizer Bread

1 package (16 oz.) ground mild Italian sausage

1 loaf (1 pound) frozen white bread dough, thawed
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar (7 oz.) roasted red peppers, well-drained and sliced
1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Swiss Cheese (but I used Monterrey Jack, because I don't like Swiss Cheese)
1 Tablespoon water
1 teaspoon poppy seeds

In a skillet, brown sausage until no longer pink; drain. On lightly floured surface, roll bread dough to a 16-in x 12-in rectangle. Combine cream cheese and garlic; spread lengthwise over center third of dough. Top with sausage, peppers, olives and cheese.

Fold dough over filling, pinching seam to seal. Make slits across top of dough every 2 inches. Brush lightly with water and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Yield: 16 appetizer sized servings. (Or less and make it a main course! YUMMY!)

Fruit and cheese platter

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cake

1 cup cold milk

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 package (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix

1 1/2 cups thawed whipped topping

55 Nilla Wafers, divided (Don't start snackin' out of the box until you've counted out 55! Trust me on this one!)

Chocolate curls, optional (But this is really what made it so beautiful!)

2 cups whole strawberries

Gradually add milk to peanut butter in a medium bowl, beating with wire whisk until well blended. Add dry pudding mix. Beat 2 minutes or until well blended. Stir in the whipped topping.

Reserve 5 wafers. Spread about 1 teaspoon pudding mixture onto the bottom of each of the remaining 50 wafers. Stack wafers together, standing them on the edge to form a ring around the out edge of a round serving platter.

Frost ring with the remaining pudding mixture. Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight. (Do NOT skip the step of refrigeration. This chilling turns the cookies into cake! It's magic!)

Crush remaining 5 wafers; sprinkle over dessert. Top with the chocolate curls. Fill center of ring with strawberries. Yield: 12 servings.

Biscotti to eat with our tea