New Mexico Conejo dip

The luncheon recipe New Mexico Conejo given earlier † can be simplified somewhat into appetizer form by mere reduction of its ingredients. One could have just added some beer to the RO*TELŽ-Famous Cheese Dip † recipe, but then that would have been too thin for a rabbit. Besides, a real rabbit deserves a sharper cheese flavor than obtained from VelveetaŽ.

  • 1 lb sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 can pale ale
  • ½ cup green chile, diced
  • ¼ tsp ground cayenne chile
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • flour tortillas, toasted, and cut in quarter rounds

Combine cheese, chile, cayenne, and all but ¼ cup ale in a saucepan and heat slowly (preferably in a double boiler), stirring constantly until the cheese is melted and incorporated into the ale. Combine cornstarch and the ¼ cup of ale and stir into a slurry. Add sparingly to the cheese mixture until the latter is thickened enough to coat a spoon.

Serve with corn chips (scoops are best) as an appetizer, or, for a lunch or light supper, layer two tortillas with the cheese mixture on each plate.

dill buttery oyster crackers

This is one of the appetizers brought to the family Thanksgiving’s Day Dinner of in 1988 †. When I make this now, I use <butter> to reduce the calorie count.

  • 16 oz plain oyster and soup crackers
  • 1 package ranch buttermilk salad dressing mix
  • ¼ tsp lemon pepper seasoning
  • 2 tsp dried dill weed
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted

Combine all dry ingredients except crackers. Melt the margarine and mix thoroughly with the other ingredients. Pour over crackers, and stir to coat. Place in warm oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Cool and store in an air-tight container until served.

Serves 8-10 people.

Maudie Redfield’s Cheese Circles ☆

I found a small, yellowing, notepad-sized piece of paper among my long-tucked-away recipe box, probably written and came into our possession, I would guess, in the late 1950’s. It was inscribed in that beautiful cursive style only taught and astutely practiced in those long-since days when people took great pride in their penmanship. The author was Maudie Redfield, my children's maternal great-aunt. The recipe, given below, was for her much-admired Cheese Circles that she made on special occasions, such as Christmas.

  • 2 cups Rice Crispies®
  • 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 sticks <butter>, melted

Mix all ingredients, form into balls, put the balls on a greased cookie sheet, dip a fork in flour, and flatten each ball with the fork.

Bake 20 minutes in a 350°F oven. Remove and let cool. Serve to guests when cool.

Makes about 25 1-oz circles.