Tomato Basil Cups Recipe

Tomato Basil Cups Recipe

Cook Time: 30 minutes  Difficulty: Easy  Yield:  30 servings

I love easy-peasy recipes! A few years ago, a friend shared this recipe with me, and I had forgotten how addicting these mini morsels were: Swiss cheese, bacon, tomatoes, basil, oh my! I recently served these cuties for our family's birthday celebration, and the joy of seeing them being devoured was priceless! It was as if I hadn't fed my family in days—they disappeared so quickly!

The combination of flavors in this recipe is truly unique and worth a try! In addition to fresh juicy tomatoes from our garden, Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz is the star ingredient in this recipe. And while you can certainly use your favorite biscuit recipe, I chose refrigerated biscuits from the grocery store for ease. The unique blend of Swiss cheese, bacon, tomatoes, and basil will tantalize your taste buds.

You need to have this mouth-watering appetizer in your recipe cache, but grab a few for yourself—they will vanish before your eyes! Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have tried this tasty recipe. Return for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

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Ingredients

• 1 package bacon, cooked and crumbled

• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 6 oz. shredded swiss cheese

• 1 cup light mayonnaise

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz

• 2 (16 oz. cans) reduced-fat refrigerated biscuits

• cooking spray

• mini muffin pans

Preparation

Cook bacon in oven at 400 degrees  until bacon is cooked.  Drain bacon on a paper towel lined plate and crumble when cooled.  Add crumbled bacon to a medium bowl and add the tomatoes, onions, swiss cheese mayonnaise, and Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz.  Mix together.

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Slightly grease mini muffin tins with cooking spray.  Cut each biscuit into fourths (in half and half again) and place in muffin tins.  Mold the dough to make little cups in the muffin tins.  Place enough tomato mixture into the tins to create a little mound of filling.

Sprinkle tomato cups with a little more Basil Pizzazz.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cups are golden brown.  Tangy, salty, savory Tomato Basil Cups, the perfect easy appetizer or snack!  Enjoy!

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Seared Citrus Cilantro Scallops Recipe

Seared Citrus Cilantro Scallops Recipe

Cook Time: 20 minutes  Difficulty:  Easy

One food my family avoids like the plague is scallops...even with the one-bite rule (oh well, more for me).  I guess I really don't blame them as I too had quite the aversion to the slimy little suckers growing up, but boy how my tastes have changed.

I absolutely love them now, and on occasion, I will cook them for myself as a nice lunch treat, but I've also served them to guests as appetizers!! Huge hit!

I love when a recipe comes together from experimenting (playing with food). Many of the recipes I researched had heavy sauces, and some had lime as the featured ingredient. I wanted light, flavorful, and different and wondered how three forms of citrus would taste with these little beauties, so I got cracking. 

The result? Amazing! Fresh succulent scallops, bursting with citrus flavor, tinged with a hint of cilantro, with flavors that will make your taste buds sing. So treat yourself or delight your guests with this fresh and flavorful dish.

Comment below and let us know if you made this tasty recipe. Thank you for visiting. Please come back again.

Ingredients

• 1 pound jumbo sea scallops (12 to 15)

• 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning Blend

• Pepper to taste

• 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) canola oil or olive oil

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) low-sodium soy sauce

• Juice of 1 lime wedge, 1 orange wedge, and 1 lemon wedge

• 1 Teaspoon (tsp), or to taste Sriracha sauce (optional)

• 2 Tablespoons citrus zest (here we used lime, Clementine, and lemon zest, for color and flavor)

• Chopped fresh cilantro as a garnish (optional)

• Lime wedges, for serving (could also use orange and lemon for a pretty presentation)

Preparation
Rinse the scallops with water and pat dry with a paper towel.  Gently remove the side muscle from the scallop if still attached.  It looks like a flap on the side of the scallop. Season both sides with Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro and pepper.  Set aside.

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Next, with a Microplane, zest a lime, a Clementine orange (you could use regular oranges), and a lemon.  If you don't have a zester, no worries, you can simply use a knife.  (Check out our blog on "To Zest or Not to Zest").  

Mix the zest together and set aside.  Since you'll only need a couple of Tablespoons, freeze the rest in a plastic bag for later use.

Now for searing the scallops.  Don't let the word "sear" intimidate you.  It's really very easy.  It's simply using a good skillet, such as a cast iron skillet and browning food with high heat.  You'll also want to make sure you do not crowd the scallops, they like their "space", so cooking in batches is preferable. -Better Home & Gardens

Add the oil to the skillet and turn on the skillet to medium-high heat.  Add the seasoned scallops to the skillet and sear on one side until the bottom begins to brown, about 5 minutes.  Turn the scallops over and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, until the bottom is browned and scallop is opaque.  Remove the first batch and place on a plate and proceed to cook the remaining scallops in the same manner.

Allow scallops to rest briefly while you make the sauce.  Add the soy sauce and the juice of the citrus wedges to the hot pan, scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate the flavor, and cook for about 2 minutes on high.  Plate the scallops on a platter and drizzle them with the pan sauce. Garnish the scallops with the citrus zest and serve.  Oh my!  Prepare to have your taste buds tantalized.  Enjoy!

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Hot Pepper Cream Cheese Recipe

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Pretty Hot Pepper Cream Cheese Recipe

I'm sure many of you have heard of serving hot pepper jelly over cream cheese as an easy appetizer.  How about sweet and spicy Pretty Hot Peppers over cream cheese?  Easy, elegant, and only two ingredients (three if you count the crackers).  Like it sweeter?  Try our Pretty Peppers.

My children hate peppers, I try to disguise them as best as possible when I'm cooking, but they LOVE LOVE LOVE Cherchies® Pretty Hot Peppers and/or Cherchies® Pretty Peppers, especially served this way as an appetizer. They're perfect in eggs, casseroles, salads, crab cakes, dips, and so much more.  You need to try them too!  

Can't decide?  Try them both:)

Ingredients:  

• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
• 1/2 jar Cherchies® Pretty Peppers or spice things up with Cherchies® Pretty Hot Peppers
• Crackers

Preparation

Spread cream cheese onto a plate.  Spoon the Pretty Hot Peppers or Pretty Peppers over top the cream cheese.  Or, be daring and dollop one half of the cream cheese with Pretty Peppers and the other half with Pretty Hot Peppers and let your guests decide:)  Enjoy!

Serve with crackers.  Easy Peasy...done! 

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Garlic, Balsamic & Herb Goat Cheese Pizza

This recipe is perfect for a quick and easy gourmet lunch, dinner, or savory-sweet dessert.  The Balsamic Garlic Herb Jam enhances the pear and goat cheese in this rustic dish.  A definite must-try!

Ingredients

• Boboli or other packaged pizza dough
• Olive oil
• 1/2 cup Terrapin Ridge Farms Balsamic Garlic Herb Jam
• 1 D'Anjou pear, sliced thin
• ½ cup pecans chopped
• Goat Cheese about 3 ounces, crumbled 

Preparation

Brush top surface of pizza dough with olive oil. Spread a layer of Balsamic Garlic Herb Jam on top of oil. Add goat cheese, sliced pears and pecans.  Bake in a 400 degrees F oven for 12-15 minutes.  Enjoy!