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Tasty sides for your holiday roast beast

Story by Dana Davis

6:52 a.m. Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Cranberry and Cherry Crumble

For the cranberry and cherry mixture:

Watch Greg Fox, owner of RowHouse Restaurant in Topeka, whip up some beautiful, tasty and easy appetizers, including Parmesan cheese crisp with blue cheese, topped with BBQ bacon, homemade cracker with cream cheese and cranberry and orange relish with apple and cream cheese. Watch video

3 Cups fresh or frozen cranberries

3 Cups fresh or frozen cherries

1 Cup sugar

¼ Cup dried cranberries

¼ Cup dried cherries or blueberries

2 Tablespoons flour

1 Tablespoon corn starch

Mix ingredients together and place in a buttered baking dish.

For the crumble:

½ Cup slivered almonds, can also use pecans or walnuts

½ Cup quick cooking oatmeal

½ Cup brown sugar

Dash of nutmeg

Dash of cinnamon

Pinch of salt

1 Tablespoon vanilla or almond extract

2 Tablespoons diced cold butter

Toss ingredients together until crumbly.

Sprinkle crumble mixture over fruit mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until bubbly.

Cranberry and Orange Relish with Apple and Cream Cheese

A handful of fresh cranberries

¼ Cup sugar

½ of a fresh orange, peel and all, remove seeds

3 Granny Smith apples

Fresh lemon juice

¼ Cup cream cheese

-For the relish:

Place cranberries, sugar and orange in a food processor and pulse until mixture has small chunks. If you like it bit sweeter add more sugar.

-To assemble:

Slice the apples lengthwise. Cut slices into smaller squares. Rub with a little lemon juice to prevent browning.

Place cream cheese on apple, top with relish.

Serves 8

Parmesan Cheese Crisp with Blue Cheese, Topped with BBQ Bacon

1 Cup shreaded Parmesan cheese

1 Cup blue cheese dressing, can add additional blue cheese to make it thicker

1 1-lb package of bacon

Bottle favorite BBQ sauce

Line a pan with parchment paper. Place small piles of shreeded cheese on paper. Cook in 350 degree oven for about 3 minutes, until melted and slightly brown.

Cook bacon, slather with BBQ sauce just before it gets crisp. Put back in oven to finish cooking.

-To serve:

Top Parmesan cheese crisp with dressing, then the bacon.

Serves 8

Homemade Cracker with Cream Cheese and Pesto

Favorite pie crust recipe or store bought

2 egg whites

1 8oz container spreadable cream cheese

1 8oz container of pesto

Roll dough to ¼ inch thickness. Wipe with egg whites and sprinkle with salt. Cut into desired shapes. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned.

Dollop each cracker with cream cheese and pesto.

Serves 8