Cream Cheese Shrimp Ball

Love shrimp?

Serve  this cream cheese shrimp ball, a little on the Cajun side, with assorted crackers at your holiday party. If you prefer, roll the mixture with walnuts or pecans instead of toasted sesame seeds.

• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup minced garlic
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/4 pounds uncooked shrimp, peeled and cut into small pieces
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds

Directions

In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add to the melted butter the garlic, onion, cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until the onion has softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until shrimp is no loner transparent, about 5 minutes. Remove mixture from heat and drain excess; set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, liquid smoke, and lemon juice. Stir in the cooked shrimp and mix until evenly distributed.. Roll into a ball. Cover the ball and refrigerate until firm, about an hour.  Mix parsley with the toasted sesame seeds in a bowl. Roll the ball in the parsley/sesame seed mixture. Cover and refrigerate the cream cheese shrimp ball until completely firm, at least one hour.

Mashed Potatoes With Cream Cheese

My daughter taught me that mashed potatoes should never be eaten without the addition of cream cheese. One word only is needed to describe the taste - WOW! Make mashed potatoes with cream cheese just once, and you will never never make them any other way!

Ingredients
5 or 6 medium size potatoes, peeled and baked or boiled until done
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick butter, melted
milk
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Mash the potatoes, whip with butter, cream cheese, milk (start with 1/4 cup), salt and pepper until smooth.  

Cream Cheese and Strawberry Jam Muffins

Cream cheese and strawberry jam are a great duo - especially when placed inside muffins.

Enjoy these at breakfast with a tall glass of milk or a hot cup of coffee.

If you wish, after removing them from the oven, dust with confectioners' sugar.

Ingredients:

6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 egg
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup strawberry jam

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375° F.

In a bowl, using electric mixer, beat the cheese and the confectioners' sugar until creamy.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder.

In a third bowl (batter), beat on low speed, the egg, milk, brown sugar, butter and vanilla extract. Stir into the dry ingredients.

Spoon the batter into muffin cups - 1/2 full.

Top with approximately 1 1/2 tablespoon of the cream mixture; top 1 teaspoon of jam over top of cream mixture; spoon more batter over jam (2/3 full).

Bake for 20 minutes or until muffins tops are lightly golden brown. Cool in pan. Remove muffins and cool on a wire rack.