My Favorite Appetizers {recipe}

Traditions....they are what make the holidays, well, the holidays!  We are not headed home for Christmas this year, which makes me sad and is a relief all at the same time.  There are some traditions I'd like to start with my little family of four, and others I'd like to keep going from when I was a child.  Food is a tradition that I don't want to change :)

Christmas Eve is a night of homemade pizza and yummy appetizers for as long as I can remember.  And we never left Santa milk and cookies (we thought he got sick of that), and left him some of our leftover pizza and a Coke or Pepsi!  The appetizers are my favorite part.  Today I'd like to share two of my favorites I've had for as long as I can remember...

The first one is a slight adaptation of a 'back of the box' recipe.  The fact that it comes from the back of a box doesn't make it any less special!  It is addictive and great as a leftover the next day on a roll :)

 Broccoli Bread Dip

1 pkg. chopped frozen broccoli
1 ½ c. Best Foods may
1 can water chestnuts, diced
Sliced green onions (2-4 depending on taste)
1 pkg. Knorr vegetable soup mix 
1 (16 oz) sour cream

Mix together and let set at least 2 hours.  Tear off pieces of challah bread and dip away! (We also have used a big loaf of shepherd's bread, hollowed it out and served the dip right in the loaf, using the bread we hollowed out to dip)

Recipe Source:  adapted from Knorr's Spinach Dip

Next up is a spicy hot dip that is great on bread or with some tortilla chips.  It not only is great at Christmastime, but any get-together!

Creamy Hot Sausage Dip

1 lb. ground pork sausage (get spicy sausage if you like it hot!)
1 1/2c. chopped onion
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, drained (I use rotel)
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese 
1 (16 oz) container sour cream
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

Place pork sausage in large deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain. Stir in onions. Cook until slightly tender, about 2 minutes. Mix in diced tomatoes with green chile peppers. Stirring occasionally, let simmer about 15 minutes. Blend cream cheese and sour cream into sausage mixture. Season with crushed red pepper flakes.

Recipe Source:  unsure of origination....got it from the fam :)

Merry Christmas To All!
Britni
http://myrecipeboxx.blogspot.com/