I looked at my calendar today and realized Thanksgiving is next week! Holy cow!!! This month has flown right by me! We are having Thanksgiving with my in-laws and I always enjoy cooking with Lisa and helping out.

There is nothing worse than your guests sitting around waiting, with nothing to munch on!  Avoid the starving Zombie stampede! You know what I’m talking about!! It happens the minute that crispy, golden brown, juicy, butter and garlic drenched turkey comes out of the oven. It’s like the running of the bulls to see who can get that first piece of drool-inducing morsel and then it’s all out war. By this time, the masses have endured hours of that savory turkey smell, their stomachs knotting and twisting, turning them into crazed sustenance-driven manics – i.e. Zombies! I’ve seen it and it’s not pretty. If you’re lucky, you have a leg or two left to put on the table. Here’s a couple of fast and easy Zombie slayers you can set out while your turkey cooks to perfection.

Holiday Cheese Ball:

~Serves 10 people~

Food Stuffs:

3 Pkg Neufchatel Cheese
1/2 Green Pepper-minced
1/4 Purple onion-minced
1/2 Cup sharp cheddar cheese
4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Pkg Buddig original deli thin corned beef- chopped
Cracker or flatbread wafers

Grab your mixer. Put all the ingredients in the bowl and turn mixer on medium. Once  the ingredients are mixed completely, turn your blender off and dump mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap. Using the wrap, form a ball or log. Place in fridge for 20min or until it firms up. Remove wrap and arrange on a plate with crackers and veggies. You can sprinkle the top with extra cheese or sliced almonds, or you could roll your cheese ball in the almonds – this makes for a nice presentation. I make this every year for Christmas and it usually doesn’t make it to the living room snack table – Zombies!

Hummus:

~Serves 10-15 people~

Food Stuffs:

2 Cans chickpeas
1 Can cannellini or white beans
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Tahini-to taste
Cracked pepper, garlic powder, salt, cayenne pepper to taste (sorry, I NEVER measure when I make this)
Flatbread and Triscuits

Drain and rinse the chickpeas and beans. In the food processor, blend until you get a nice creamy consistency. Add Lemon juice and Tahini. Blend and taste. Start adding seasonings until you get the flavor you like. There are many variations of hummus out there. You could add roasted peppers or roasted garlic – or even cilantro and cheese. This is one of those easy fun dips that you really have a lot of freedom when it comes to ingredients. I’d LOVE to hear some of your favorite hummus recipes, if you wouldn’t mind sharing.

Hot Mexican Bean Dip:

~Serves 10-15 people~

Food Stuffs:

2 Cans fat free refried beans
2 Pkg Neuftachel cheese
2 Cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 Pkg taco seasoning
1 Tomato-Diced
2 Cups of your favorite salsa (we like to use spicy to add a little zip and zing)

Spread the beans on the bottom on a 9 x 13 cake pan. Sprinkle 1/3 of the Monterey Jack and diced tomatoes. In your mixer, blend Neuftchatel and taco mix till everything is creamy. Pour into pan and spread, creating and even layer. Top with salsa and remaining cheese. Pop it into the oven at 35o for 20 min. Serve with tortilla chips. This is a rich and creamy appetizer that is sure to keep your guests warm and happy.

There you have it folks! 3 super easy, super fast, zombie-slaying recipes. I hope you’ll share your thoughts and recipes with me. Next week, I am going to give you my “it’s impossible to ruin” pie crust recipe; along with how to’s on 2 of my favorite pies. See you in the kitchen! Have a great weekend!