Graduation Party Recipes

Appetizers

Fruit Kabobs

Ingredients:

Skewers

Seasonal Fruit (blueberries, strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelon and pineapple)

Directions:

Cut fruit into small cubes

Assemble randomly onto the skewers

Place in the fridge until ready to serve

Almond-Bacon Cheese Crostini

36 servings  Prep: 30 min  Bake: 15 min.

Ingredients:

1 French bread baquette (1 pound), cut into 36 slices

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

1 green onion, chopped

Dash salt

Additional toasted almonds, optional

Directions:

Place bread slices on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 8-9 minutes or until lightly browned.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cheese, mayonnaise, almonds, bacon, onion and salt. Spread over bread. Bake for 7 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with additional almonds if desired. Serve warm.

Yield: 3 dozen.

Dessert 

Mini Strawberry Tarts

Serving Size: 70 min tarts   Prep: 30 min.   Cook: 18 min.   Ready in: 1 hr. 18 min.

Ingredients:

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

2 cups butter

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 (3 ounce) packages strawberry flavored gelatin mix

1 cup white sugar

3 drops red food coloring

3 1/2 cups boiling water

1/4 cup cornstartch

1/4 cup water

3 pounds fresh strawberries, sliced

1 1/2 cups whipped topping (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease mini muffin pans.

Place cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in flour, one cup at a time, until all is incorporated. Roll dough into 70 small balls, and press each into a mini muffin pan cup to form the pastry crusts. 

Bake crusts in preheated oven until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven, and allow to cool. Stir gelatin, sugar, and food coloring into the boiling water. 

Place over high heat; bring back to a boil. Stir together cornstarch and water to make a paste. Stir the cornstarch mixture in the boiling gelatin until dissolved. 

Remove from heat and allow to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Spoon cooled gelatin mixture evenly into tart shells. Push a strawberry half down into each tart. If desired, top each tart with a small amount of whipped topping just before serving.

Beverage

Bubbly Cranberry Punch

Servings: 14  Prep: 10 min.

Ingredients:

2 cans (16 ounces each) jellied cranberry sauce

1-1/2 cups orange juice

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 bottles ( 1 liter each) ginger ale, chilled

Ice cubes

Directions:

In a large pitcher or punch bowl, whisk cranberry sauce until smooth. Whisk in orange and lemon juices. Just before serving, slowly stir in ginger ale. Add ice cubes. Yield: 3-1/2 quarts.