Enjoy LABOR DAY!
Published on 30 Aug 2007 at 3:55 pm.
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I’m sure all of you are starting to look ahead to a three day week-end. Labor Day is a Holiday that celebrates the “working person.” You should all take great pride in the role you play in helping people land opportunities that help them fulfill their dreams. Since it’s going to be one of the last week-ends of summer - thought I’d share some Labor Day Recipes with you:
Strawberry Pretzel Squares
2 cups finely crushed pretzels
1/2 cup sugar, divided
2/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1-1/2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. milk
1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
2 cups boiling water
1 pkg. (8-serving size) JELL-O Brand Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
1-1/2 cups cold water
1 qt. (4 cups) strawberries, sliced
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Mix pretzel crumbs, 1/4 cup of the sugar and the butter. Press onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake 10 min. Cool.
BEAT cream cheese, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the milk until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping. Spread over crust. Refrigerate until ready to use.
MEANWHILE, stir boiling water into dry gelatin mix in large bowl at least 2 min. until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water. Refrigerate 1-1/2 hours or until thickened (spoon drawn through leaves definite impression). Stir in strawberries. Spoon over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm. Cut into squares to serve. Store leftovers in refrigerator.
S’MORE BROWNIES
10 whole HONEY MAID Honey Grahams, broken crosswise in half (20 squares), divided
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine
4 squares BAKER’S Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
2-1/2 cups JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows
1 cup BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending beyond sides of pan; grease foil. Place 15 of the graham squares in bottom of pan, overlapping slightly. Break remaining 5 graham squares into large pieces; set aside.
PLACE butter and chocolate in large microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Stir in flour until well blended. Spread over graham squares in pan.
BAKE 30 to 32 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.)
SPRINKLE evenly with marshmallows and chocolate chunks. Bake an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until marshmallows begin to puff. Press reserved graham pieces gently into marshmallows. Cool in pan on wire rack.
LIFT out of pan onto cutting board using foil handles. Cut into 36 bars.
Zesty New Potato Salad
Prep Time: 25 min
Total Time: 3 hr 25 min
Makes: 8 servings, about 1/2 cup each
2 lb. new potatoes, quartered (about 4-1/2 cups)
1/2 cup MIRACLE WHIP Light Dressing
1/4 cup green onion slices
4 tsp. GREY POUPON Dijon Mustard
2 tsp. honey
1/8 tsp. black pepper
COOK potatoes in boiling water until tender; drain. Rinse potatoes with cold water until cooled.
MIX dressing, onions, mustard, honey and pepper in large bowl. Add potatoes; mix lightly. Cover.
REFRIGERATE several hours or until chilled.
Simple Italian Pasta Salad
Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 3 hr 15 min
Makes: 6 servings
3 cups rotini pasta, cooked in unsalted water, drained
6 slices OSCAR MAYER Smoked White Turkey, chopped
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup KRAFT FREE Shredded Non-Fat Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup chopped pitted ripe olives (optional)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3/4 cup KRAFT FREE Italian Fat Free Dressing
TOSS all ingredients except dressing in large bowl.
ADD dressing; mix lightly. Cover.
REFRIGERATE several hours or until chilled.
Cool Veggie Pizza Appetizer
Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 2 hr 33 min
Makes: 32 servings
2 cans (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup MIRACLE WHIP Dressing
1 tsp. dill weed
1/2 tsp. onion salt
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup chopped seeded tomato
1/2 cup sliced pitted ripe olives (optional)
1/4 cup chopped onion
PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Separate dough into 4 rectangles. Press onto bottom and up side of 15x10x1-inch baking pan to form crust.
BAKE 11 to 13 minutes or until golden brown; cool.
MIX cream cheese, dressing, dill and onion salt until well blended. Spread over crust; top with remaining ingredients. Refrigerate. Cut into squares.
10-Minute Appetizer Spread
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 10 min
Makes: 24 servings, 2 Tbsp. each
Take 1 pkg. (8 oz.) softened PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese and 1/2 cup MIRACLE WHIP Dressing and mix & match your recipe from these options…
FOUR TOPPING OPTIONS…..
#1
1/2 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick ‘N Chunky Salsa, 1 cup chopped tomatoes, 1 cup shredded lettuce
CHEESE: KRAFT Four Cheese Mexican Style Shredded Cheese
#2
1 cup chopped tomatoes, 1 cup chopped cucumbers, 1/4 cup chopped black olives
CHEESE: ATHENOS Crumbled Feta Cheese with Garlic & Herb
#3
1/4 cup pesto, 1/4 cup chopped artichokes, 1 cup chopped roasted peppers
CHEESE: KRAFT Finely Shredded Italian Style Five Cheese Blend
#4
1/2 cup spaghetti or pizza sauce, 1/4 cup sliced pepperoni, 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
CHEESE: KRAFT Finely Shredded Italian Style Five Cheese Blend
Then follow our 3 simple steps:
MIX cream cheese and dressing until well blended. Spread on dinner plate or serving platter.
LAYER toppings over cream cheese mixture.
SPRINKLE with 1 cup cheese. Serve with NABISCO Crackers and cut-up fresh vegetables.
BBQ Pork Ribs
This classic spareribs recipe is cooked entirely on the grill. You can buy a barbecue sauce instead of making your own, if you like. Make sure to boil the remaining sauce after you finished brushing it on the ribs; then serve with the ribs along with lots and lots of napkins!
INGREDIENTS:
• 4 lbs. pork loin back ribs
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp. celery seed
• 1/2 tsp. tabasco sauce
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1/8 tsp. white pepper
PREPARATION:
Prepare grill for indirect cooking, placing drip pan directly under the cooking area. Do not cut ribs into serving pieces. Rub ribs with oil and thyme. Place ribs on grill, cover, and grill 4-6″ from medium coals for 60-70 minutes, until meat is no longer pink near the bone.
Beer Can Chicken
This recipe must be cooked with indirect grilling. The beer adds wonderful flavor and moistness to the grilled meat.
INGREDIENTS:
• 12 oz. can beer (non alcoholic is fine)
• 4 lb. whole chicken
• 2 Tbsp. grill seasoning rub
PREPARATION:
Remove giblets from inside chicken, rinse well inside and out and pat dry. Sprinkle outside of chicken with 1 Tbsp. of the barbecue rub or use Creole Seasoning Mix.
Sprinkle 1-1/2 tsp. of the rub inside the chicken. Wash the beer can thoroughly and dry. Open the beer can and punch two more holes in the top. Pour off half of the beer. Sprinkle remaining 1-1/2 tsp. of the barbecue rub into the beer.
Hold the chicken upright, with the opening of the body cavity at the bottom, and lower it onto the beer can so the can fits into the cavity opening. Pull the chicken legs forward so it stands upright. Tuck the tips of the wings behind the chicken’s back.
Set up the grill for indirect grilling (see Direct and Indirect Grilling). When ready to cook, stand the chicken in the center of the hot grill, over the drip pan, not over the coals. Use the chicken legs and the beer can to stabilize the chicken to make sure that it stands upright on the can. Cover the grill and cook until the chicken skin is crisp and dark brown. The meat will be cooked through (180°F on an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, not touching the bone) in about 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours. If using a charcoal grill, add 12 fresh coals on each side of the drip pan after 1 hour. If the chicken starts to brown too much, loosely cover with aluminum foil.
Using tongs and fireproof gloves, hold the bird by the can and carefully transfer it in an upright position to a platter. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift it off the beer can, being very careful not to spill the hot beer or burn yourself. Carve the chicken and serve. Serves 4-6
Vegetable Packets
You can use any herb for this recipe. If you don’t like a certain vegetable, you can leave it out. It’s very versatile.
INGREDIENTS:
• 2 ears corn, each cut into 4 pieces
• 4 small red potatoes, halved
• 2 carrots, cut into 1″ pieces
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
PREPARATION:
Combine vegetables in large bowl. Mix butter, mustard and seasonings and add to vegetables, stirring to coat. Divide evenly among four 18x12-inch sheets of heavy duty foil. Seal with a double fold. Grill, uncovered, 4-5 inches from medium high heat 25-35 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
HOPE YOU TRY AND ENJOY THESE RECIPES WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY!
HAVE A SAFE, RELAXING HOLIDAY SEASON…… Barb Bruno, CPC, CTS
