ENTERTAIN IN STYLE WITH SAVORY APPETIZERS

BEEF and BLUE CHEESE-STUFFED MUSHROOMS

Welcoming friends, family and neighbors for celebrations of all kinds demands delicious hors d’oeuvres for making guests feel right at home. Next time you invite loved ones for a special get-together, you can beef up the menu with a tasty appetizer that’s as easy to make as it is to enjoy.

Loaded with savory flavor and perfect for feeding a crowd, these Beef and Blue Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms from Beef Loving Texans offer a simple yet mouthwatering way to entertain in style. Just prepare button mushrooms by removing the stems then fill the caps with a ground beef-based mixture of minced mushroom stems, blue cheese, breadcrumbs, green onions and steak seasoning for a party-worthy platter.

Visit BeefLovingTexans.com to find more recipes for home entertaining and beyond.

• 2 packages (8 ounces each) button mushrooms

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 pound ground beef

• 1/3 cup blue cheese

• 1/4 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs

• 3 tablespoons green onions

• 1/2 teaspoon steak seasoning blend

• Chives (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Remove stems from mushrooms; reserve. Season mushroom caps with salt; set aside. Mince stems to yield 1/2 cup; discard remaining stems.

Combine ground beef, minced stems, blue cheese, breadcrumbs, green onions and steak seasoning. Spoon beef mixture evenly into mushrooms.

Place stuffed mushrooms on rack in broiler pan. Bake 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with chives, if desired.

SPINACH-HAM DIP

Perfect for afternoon snacking or as an appetizer, this Spinach-Ham Dip is warmed inside a bread bowl and can be served with bread cubes, crackers or tortilla chips.

Find more snack ideas at Culinary.net.

• 2 cups ricotta cheese

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

• 1/4 pound ham, cubed

• 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

• 1 round bread loaf (16 ounces), unsliced

Heat oven to 350 F.

In medium bowl, blend ricotta cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add spinach, ham, Parmesan cheese and green onions; mix until blended.

Cut 1-2-inch diameter circle out of top of bread loaf. Reserve top. Remove bread inside loaf, leaving about 1 inch along sides. Pour cheese mixture into bread bowl. Replace top. Cover bread loaf in aluminum foil and bake 60 minutes, or until warmed through.

Take bread removed from inside bread bowl and cut into dipping sized chunks.

Remove bread from aluminum foil and place on platter. Scatter bread chunks around bread bowl to use for dunking in cheese sauce.