Bacon, Broccoli & Spinach Stuffed Spinners

Think cinnamon roll, minus the cinnamon - add a savory gooey, cheesey, heart-warming filling (plus broccoli and spinach to justify the bacon and cheese)!  This is it, folks.  Nothing touches my soul like carbs and cream cheese.  Good enough for a main dish, bad enough for you to eat the entire pan straight from the oven.  And I practically did.  I left the bacon out of some of these, which were fabulous and vegetarian friendly too!

Inspired by Mel (thank you very much, these rolls have changed my life!).

1 recipe roll dough, I used this recipe using half whole wheat flour.
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups chopped bacon
1 1/2 cups finely chopped fresh broccoli
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh spinach
1 cup shredded Swiss
1 cup shredded Cheddar
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup finely chopped green onions

Follow the recipe for your roll dough until the dough has risen. Punch down the dough and roll the dough out into a large rectangle about 1/2-inch thick (using the french bread roll recipe, I rolled my dough to about 13 inches by 17 inches).

In a small bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese. Spread the rolled out dough with the butter/cream cheese mixture. Top with the bacon, broccoli, cheeses, and green onions (for pictures on how to do this, again refer to the genius of  Mel). Roll the dough up, pinching the seam to seal. Slice the roll into about 1-inch segments. Place the rolls on a lightly greased baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise until nearly doubled and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbly.  This made about 20 rolls for me.  I made 12 (then ate them all), then froze 8 before the second rise, so that I could have them fresh AGAIN (and again and again and again)...

Mexican Wedding Cookies

I love these little powdered sugar delights!

1 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
2 t. vanilla
2 t. water
2 c. flour, sifted
1 c. almond or pecans (I used pecans)
1/2 c. powdered sugar

Cream butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla and water. Add sifted flour and nuts, mix until blended. Cover and chill for 3 hours. Preheat oven to 325. Shape dough into balls or crescents. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 15-20 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Roll in powdered sugar. (the powdered sugar sticks better if the cookies are still slightly warm when you roll them.)

Cheddar Cheese Fondue

2 cans cheddar cheese soup
1 8oz. block of velveeta (or any other brand of block processed cheese), cut in cubes
1 Tbs. worcestshire sauce
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 TBS. dried snipped chives (optional)
2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Mix all ingredients EXCEPT shredded cheddar in greased crock pot, heat on low for 2 hours. One hour before serving, add shredded cheddar, stir until incorporated, and keep on low until time to serve. Serve with cubed bread, roasted baby potatoes, blanched broccoli, cubed cooked chicken, or whatever other crudites you like!

Swiss Cheese Fondue

Made this for book club and it was a hit!

Ingredients:
1 garlic clove, halved or 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
2 cups white wine, chicken broth or unsweetened apple juice, divided
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
7 cups (28 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese (if you don't have enough Swiss, you can substitute some with Gouda, Mozzarella or Gruyere)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Cubed French bread

Rub garlic clove over the bottom and sides of a fondue pot; discard garlic and set fondue pot aside. In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, bring 1-3/4 cups wine and nutmeg to a simmer. Gradually add cheese, stirring after each addition until cheese is melted (cheese will separate from wine). Combine cornstarch and remaining wine until smooth; gradually stir into cheese mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and mixture is blended and smooth. Transfer to prepared fondue pot and keep warm. Serve with bread cubes. Yield: about 4 cups.