Bridesmaid Beach Weekend Eats

~Bridesmaid Beach Weekend '10~

I just got back from the best weekend in the Outer Banks with all 7 of my awesome bridesmaids, hosted by my Matron of Honor, Allison! For 2 days, we noshed on some yummy food, and I just had to share some of the recipes. Allison Y. made Baked Ziti for dinner on Friday night, with Feta and Artichoke Dip as the starter.

Feta and Artichoke Dip
Ingredients

1 - 15.5 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained
1 - 8 oz. container crumbed feta cheese
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 - 2 oz. jar pimientos, drained
1 garlic clove, minced
crackers



Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Chop artichoke hearts. Combine all dip ingredients and pour into an 8 or 9inch pie plate. Bake for 20-25 minutes or heated until tightly browned. Serve warm with crackers!

On Saturday morning, while painting pottery with the bridesmaids at Glazin-Go Nuts, Allison brought everyone individual servings of Overnight Blueberry French Toast Casserole. This was as sinful as it looks!

Allison's Blueberry French Toast Casserole

This recipe was adapted from AllRecipes.com. In our February posts, Allison made a Peach French Toast Bake. She had a hard time finding the right kind of bread. Be sure to check the bakery for a large loaf of French bread. The bread used in this recipe was found at the very affordable Walmart for less than 2 dollars. Use a serrated knife to cut the bread into one inch thick slices and then cube the slices to make this easy and delicious recipe.


Ingredients
Part 1 (night before)
12 slices french bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 (8 oz.) packages light cream cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh blackberries
12 eggs, beaten
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon maple syrup (light is fine)


Part 2 (in the morning)
1 cup white sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup fresh blueberries (in addition to blueberries used night before)
1 Tablespoon butter



Directions:
Part 1 (night before)
Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange half the bread cubes in the dish, and top with cream cheese cubes. Sprinkle 1 cup blueberries and 1 cup blackberries over the cream cheese, and top with remaining bread cubes. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and syrup. Pour over the bread cubes. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Part 2 (in the morning)
Remove the bread cube mixture from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover, and bake 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue baking 25 to 30 minutes, until center is firm and surface is lightly browned. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in the remaining 1 cup blueberries. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, until the blueberries burst. Stir in the butter, and pour over the baked French toast.

After a lazy afternoon, we all enjoyed dinner at The Black Pelican...but not before happy hour at the beach house!

Island Cheeseball

Ingredients
2 - 8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese
1 - 8 oz. can unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
crackers

Directions
In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, pineapple, green pepper, onion and seasoned salt. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour. Either shape into 1 large (3 cup) cheeseball, or split into two or three smaller cheeseballs. I've found that the best way to shape cheeseballs is to use a piece of wax paper to roll it into a ball. It keeps your hands nice and clean. Finally, cover your chopped nuts all over the cheese ball to coat. You can serve immediately with crackers, or chill for a while and serve once the flavors meld. This is also a great freezable recipe. If you're entertaining later in the week, pop in the freezer, but make sure to put it down in the fridge a day or two before you're planning to serve it.

Good friends...good food....good times!

Enjoy! xoxo,
Alison J.