Pepper Jack Cheese Spread

 

So the big game, or in our case, the race will be on today. Cheese, crackers and maybe some summer sausage would be good to snack on while watching.

I was at an upscale grocery store this week, and in the deli they had several “in-store” made cheese spreads. The one that caught my eye was Pepper Jack. After a quick glance at the ingredients, I thought, no problem I can make this at home.

You can make this as spicy as wish by adding more crushed red peppers.  I wrote the recipe so it is extremely mild, my husband would say "why even bother if you do not feel it burning." I actually made this, I added 2 teaspoons of crushed red peppers and let it “age” for a few days in the fridge.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with this as an additive. I made ramen noodles the other night for dinner, added cooked chicken and veggies. I drained off the liquid, and stirred in ¼ cup of this spread, turning it into a spicy, creamy, and inexpensive meal.

 

Ingredients

1 pound cream cheese, softened at room temp

1 pound pepper jack cheese

2 Tablespoons, roasted red peppers, chopped

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

 

Directions

Using food processor, grate cheese

Switch to a chopping blade; add remaining ingredients to the bowl.

Run food processor until mixture is smooth. You may have to scrape the side of the bowl, to make sure all ingredients are blended.

Serve with crackers or celery ribs.  Place any left overs in container and store in the refrigerator

Minestrone Soup, Crock-pot style

It is time to grab you crock-pot! This week seems like it has overly busy and the weekend isn’t looking much better. Nothing is simpler than making a pot soup in the crock-pot. I can start this Saturday morning and by the time we get home from the kids bowling, it will be waiting with minimal effort on my part.

This soup is veggie packed and full of flavor and color. I would not say this is a minestrone soup since there is no spinach, zucchini or pasta. The spinach has been replaced with cabbage, which will hold up better to cooking in the crock-pot. The zucchini is the same way it will become mushy.

If you are not in a hurry to eat and want minestrone, omit the potatoes and cabbage.  Add the spinach, zucchini or cooked pasta a half hour before serving.

28 ounces crushed tomatoes

28 ounces cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

3 cups green cabbage, sliced thin

1 pound white potatoes cut into ½ inch cubes

1 onion, diced

5 garlic cloves, minced

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon dry parsley

1 teaspoon of dried thyme

1 teaspoon of dried basil

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

Directions

Combine all ingredients in crock-pot, cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or 3-4 hours on high temperature