Recipes may not be reprinted without permission from the publisher.

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Holiday Hors 'doeuvres
A supplement to the food article in the December / January 2005 issue of Decatur Magazine.

Members of the University of Illinois Extension, Macon County, recently compiled their favorite recipes in a publication entitled, "Home For The Holidays." Following are a few "samples."

Sausage Snack Wraps

2 8-oz. cans Pillsbury Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
48 fully cooked cocktail smoked sausage links, or hot dogs

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Separate dough into eight triangles. Cut each triangle lengthwise into thirds. Place sausages on shortest side of each triangle. Roll up, starting at shortest side and rolling to opposite point. Place on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with catsup and mustard, if desired. Makes 48 snacks.

Water Chestnuts with Bacon Appetizers

1 can water chestnuts, whole
1 lb. Oscar Mayer bacon
1 cup catsup
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. soy sauce

Wrap bacon around water chestnuts and secure with a toothpick. Brown on jelly roll pan under broiler until bacon is crisp. Combine catsup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Put drained water chestnuts into sauce and cook on low for 30 minutes in a crock pot.

Pickle Wraps

1 8-oz. package cream cheese
2 2.5-oz. packages Budding Smoked Sliced Beef
1 jar of kosher dills (not too big)

Soften the cream cheese. Spread two slices (stuck together) of sliced beef with the cream cheese, and roll up the pickle. Repeat with each pickle, and place them in a container overnight. Slice to make circles.

Cocktail Meatballs

1 to 1-1/2 pounds ground chuck
2 eggs
1 tube crackers, crushed
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
Salt and pepper
1 1-lb. jar grape jelly
2 12-oz. bottles chili sauce

Moisten cracker crumbs with milk or water and work together with meat. Add spices. Beat the eggs slightly and mix as you would for meat loaf. Form into meatballs (makes about 40, one-inch balls). Brown on all sides in small amount of oil at medium to medium-high heat. Drain. Melt grape jelly and chili sauce in large saucepan. Drop in meatballs and finish cooking on very low heat. Can be frozen.

Publisher's Note:
These recipes may be printed for personal use only.

This is an online supplement to an article which originally appeared in the December / January 2005 issue of Decatur Magazine.
It may not be reproduced or redistributed in whole or in part without the publisher's consent.
© Copyright 2004 Decatur Magazine - First String Productions. All rights reserved.