Cucumber Sandwiches

12 slices white bread

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 tsp dried dill

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly cracked pepper

2 Tbs lemon juice

1 green onion, sliced

1 large English cucumber, peeled and sliced finely

Lay the bread out on parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze for at least one hour.  (This will make slicing the bread slightly easier.)

Whip together the cream cheese, dill, garlic powder, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and green onion until everything is evenly mixed and the cream cheese is soft and spreadable.

Slice the crusts off the bread, then spread with cream cheese and layer cucumbers on top.  Cut into smaller sandwiches.  

From Budget Bytes

Bacon Jalapeño Popper Dip

Dip:

12 oz. bacon, chopped

16 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1/2 c mayonnaise

1/2 c sour cream

3-4 medium jalapeños, finely chopped and seeds removed

3-4 green onions, finely chopped

4 oz. can green chiles

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp sweet or smoked paprika

1 c (4 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 c (4 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Topping:

3/4 c panko bread crumbs

1/2 c finely grated Parmesan cheese

4 Tbs butter, melted

Additional chopped green onions, for serving

For serving:

Tortilla or corn chips

Baguette slices

Pita Chips

Fresh veggies like celery, bell peppers, cucumbers

Preheat oven to 350℉.  Lightly grease a deep dish pie plate and set aside.

Cook bacon until crisp, remove to paper towel lined plate to drain.  Chop finely, and measure out 1/4 c and set aside to be used for topping.

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, jalapeños, green onions, chiles, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika together until well-combined and creamy.  Add the shredded cheeses and bacon (except for reserved 1/4 c) and mix until evenly combined.  Spread the dip evenly in prepared pan.  

In a small bowl, toss the panko and Parmesan cheese together.  Add the melted butter and mix until even combined.  Spread the topping evenly over the dip.  Bake for 30-40 minutes until the dip is bubbly and topping is golden (tent with foil if it's browning too quickly).  Sprinkle with reserved bacon and green onions over the top.  Serve warm with chips, veggies, bread, etc.

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Levain Cookies Double Chocolate Knock Offs

1 c cold butter, cut into small cubes

1 c brown sugar

1/2 c sugar

2 eggs

1/2 dark baking cocoa

1 cup cake flour (or sifted reg. flour)

1.5 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp cornstarch

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/3 c semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 410℉.  In a large bowl, cream together cold butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Add cocoa, flours, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt and stir until combined.  Stir in semisweet chocolate chips.

Chill dough for 15 minutes.

Separate dough into large balls and place on lightly colored cookie sheet.  (You can lightly press on the dough to smooth it out, but this doesn't seem to be necessary.)  Each cookie should weight between 4.5-6 ounces.  4-6 cookies will fit on one cookie sheet, the dough will make 8-12 cookies total.  

Bake 11 minutes, or until golden brown on the top.  Let them rest for at least 10-15 minutes to set.

From ModernHoney.com

Mississippi Pot Roast

3-4 lbs boneless beef chuck roast

1 Tbs garlic powder

2 tsp dried parsley

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp dried dill weed

1 tsp coarse salt

1/4 c beef broth

1/4 liquid from jar of pepperoncini

2 Tbs cornstarch

1 Tbs soy sauce

1 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tbs beef bouillon paste

4 Tbs butter, cut into pieces

4-6 pepperoncini

Optional: mashed potatoes, rice, or buns

Place the roast in the insert of a 6- or 8-quart slow cooker.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, parsley, onion powder, dill, and salt.  Sprinkle evenly over the beef.  

In a small bowl, whisk together the beef broth, pepperoncini liquid, cornstarch, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and bouillon paste.  Pour over the beef.  Turn the beef once or twice to coat in seasonings and liquid.

Place the butter pieces and pepperoncini on top of beef.  Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or high for 4 to 6 hours until the beef is fall-apart tender.  Remove the pepperoncini and shred the beef with two forks, tossing the beef with the cooking liquid/gravy.  Keep warm until ready to serve.  Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or on buns.

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe