This recipe was submitted by John Williams of Sun City West, Arizona and was selected as our September Recipe of the Month!

Here's what John had to say "I came up with this recipe for dinner guests one rainy Saturday afternoon. Not only did my guests rave about this recipe, but also my wife told me I was in charge of appetizers from now on!"

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless chicken breast
10 slices of bacon
2 Tbsp. Cherchies® Champagne Mustard
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Preparation:
Cut chicken into thin strips (20 pieces). Place mustard, honey and lemon in a bowl and mix.

Cut bacon strips in half and wrap around the chicken strips. Place chicken on a roasting tray (you can line tray with foil for easy clean-up if you prefer). Brush chicken with 1/2 of the marinade.
Bake 10 - 13 minutes in a 425 degree oven until bacon is crispy. Flip chicken over and brush with remaining marinade.
Continue cooking for about 10 - 13 minutes until bacon is crispy. Keep an eye on chicken so it does not dry out.

Serves 6 - 8 people.

Enjoy!

Yum

Pepper Jam Cream Cheese Recipe

August 11, 2016appetizers, snacksSheri SpalloneComment

Prep Time: 5 Minutes Difficulty: Easy

PRINT RECIPE

This is my favorite go-to appetizer recipe! It's delicious, easy, elegant, and with only two ingredients (three if you count the crackers), entertaining doesn't get any simpler.

At any given time our pantry is stocked with at least one of our mouth-watering Hot Pepper Jams. Aside from appetizers, Hot Pepper Jams can be used in a variety of recipes, such as glazes for meat, kabobs, candied bacon, meatballs, etc.

So if you're looking for something quick, easy, and tasty, grab a jar of Cherchies® Hot Pepper Jam, (Cherry, Cranberry, or Strawberry), a block of cream cheese, your favorite crackers, and voila, instant entertaining. We dare you to try just one bite!

Can't decide? Try them all:)

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1/2 jar Cherchies® Cherry Hot Pepper Jam, Cherchies® Cranberry Hot Pepper Jam, or Cherchies® Strawberry Hot Pepper Jam
Crackers of choice

Preparation

Spread the cream cheese onto a plate. Spoon the Hot Pepper Jam over top the cream cheese. Or, be daring and dollop one third of the cream cheese with each of the Hot Pepper Jams and let your guests decide their favorite:)

Serve with crackers. Easy Peasy...done! Enjoy!

Yum

Tomato Basil Cups Recipe

August 8, 2016appetizers, snacksSheri SpalloneComment

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

PRINT RECIPE

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.

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.

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!

Yum

Seared Citrus Cilantro Scallops Recipe

June 7, 2016appetizers, entrees, lunchSheri SpalloneComment

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.

PRINT RECIPE

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.

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!