Hot Swiss Cheese and Bacon Ball (a Favorite Christmas Eve recipe)
2 blocks of cream cheese (room temperature)
1/2 cup mayo
2 cups shredded swiss cheese (I can only find the bags of shredded swiss at Winn Dixie)
5 slices of bacon (cooked crisp and torn into small pieces)
1/2 cup onion (not necessary, but some prefer)
Place all of the above ingredients in a bowl and mix well. The easiest way is with your hands. Kids love this part. Get down and dirty. After all of the ingredients are well mixed, roll them into a ball. It will be about the size of a softball. Then, crush 1 sleeve or Ritz Crackers (very fine) and pour over the ball as a shell. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Serve with Pita chips, club crackers, fritos scoops, or breton crackers.
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Irish Soda Bread
4 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
4 tbsp butter
1 cup raisins
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sift together flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda into a large mixing bowl.
2. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, work butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal, then stir in raisins.
3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add beaten egg and buttermilk to well and mix in with a wooden spoon until the dough is too stiff to stir. Dust hands with a little flour, and then gently knead dough in the bowl just long enough to form a rough ball. If the dough is too sticky to work with, sprinkle in a little more flour. Do not overknead! Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and shape into a round ball.
4. Transfer dough to a lightly greased baking sheet. Using a serrated knife, score top of dough about 1/2 inches deep in an X shape. Transfer to oven to bake until bread is golden and bottom sounds hollow when tapped with a knife (about 35-45 minutes). Check for doneness by inserting a long, thin skewer into the center. If it's clean, it's done!
Our family prefers serving the bread warm and toasted with Land O' Lakes Butter on top!
Mark's Family Famous Cocktail Sauce
2 - Regular bottles (Heinz or other major brand cocktail sauce)
1 - tbsp Prepared Horseradish
1 - tsp Worstershire Sauce
Juice of 1/2 a Lemon
Mix well
Chill until ready to serve
Serve with 100 to 200 shrimp (or choice of shellfish)
(Caution! This may have too much of a bite for some, but I have received more compliments from those who normally do not like a cocktail sauce of any kind)