Parmesan Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half horizontally to make 8 thin pieces
3/4 c. mayonnaise
6 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 c. Panko

Prepare chicken pieces. Combine mayo and Parmesan. Spread each piece of chicken with the mayo/cheese mixture (like you're frosting a cookie). Dip in Panko and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Stuffed Jalapenos

9-10 large jalapenos
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. dry Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing seasoning
9 slices of bacon, cut in half

Slice jalapenos in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, remove seeds and ribs, set aside. Combine cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, and ranch seasoning. Fill each jalapeno half with cream cheese mixture. Wrap each jalapeno with a half slice of bacon. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.
* If you would prefer to not have bacon, sprinkle the tops with a little Panko bread crumbs instead.

Beef Croquettes

This is a traditional Dutch Christmas dish that my husband craves this time of year.
I cook a 2-3 pound chuck roast in the crock pot on low for 8 hours to get the meat. Save 1 cup of beef broth for the sauce. Put left over pot roast in your food processor and shred until you have 4 cups. I had about 2 cups of leftover meat that bulked up to 4 cups processed.
Sauce:
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
1 c. beef broth
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Continue to cook, stirring, for a minute or two to combine the butter and flour. Whisk in beef broth and cook, stirring continually, until thickened into a paste. When thick, combine with beef and mix until it is all combined and the consistency of cookie dough. Spread in a 1/2 inch thick layer on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with the seasonings you like. We like to use a little ground nutmeg, black pepper, onion powder and garlic salt. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Shape into logs, about 1/4 c. each. Dip in a beaten egg and then roll in bread crumbs, we prefer Panko. Deep fry. Enjoy!

Pot Roast

2-3 lb. chuck roast
Salt
Pepper
Seasoning Salt
3 bay leaves
5 beef bouillon cubes
2 c. water

Sprinkle both sides of the roast liberally with salt, pepper, and seasoning salt. Put into a Crock pot with bay leaves, bouillon, and water. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Peppermint Meltaways

1 c. butter, softened
½ c. powdered sugar
½ tsp. peppermint extract
1 ¼ c. flour
½ c. cornstarch

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in extract. Combine flour and cornstarch; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
Shape into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Frosting
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 ½ c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
¼ tsp. peppermint extract
2 to 3 drops food coloring (optional)
½ c. crushed peppermint candies or candy canes

Beat butter until fluffy. Add the sugar, milk, peppermint extract and food coloring. Beat until smooth. Spread over cooled cookies; sprinkle with crushed candies. Store in an airtight container.

Turtles

grid shaped pretzels
Rolos
pecan halves

Place pretzels on an ungreased cookie sheet and top each with a Rolo. Bake at 350 degrees for 4 minutes. Quickly place a pecan half on each pretzel and Rolo. Chill until set.

Peanut Butter Kisses

1 c. peanut butter
1 egg
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
24-30 milk chocolate kisses, unwrapped

Combine first four ingredients. Shape into 1 inch balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 11 minutes. Remove from oven, place a kiss in each cookie center, then move to a wire rack to cool.