5 WAYS TO USE STRAWBERRY SALSA
- Warm "Sweet Heat" Strawberry Salsa and pour over a wedge of warmed brie cheese. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Serve with assorted crackers.
- Use "Sweet Heat" Strawberry Salsa as a baste over chicken, pork or ham.
- Warm "Sweet Heat" Strawberry Salsa and use as a dip for chicken fingers.
- Pour "Sweet Heat" Strawberry Salsa over a block of softened cream cheese. Top with sliced green onions and black olives. Serve with crackers or corn chips.
- Warm "Sweet Heat" Strawberry Salsa and serve with fresh cooked asparagus.
Source: The Future Begins Today
There was no shortage of strawberry treats last weekend at the annual Troy Strawberry Festival. In fact, the lines seemed longer than ever for some of the hot-sellers — from the Troy Music Boosters' strawberry donuts to the Future Begins Today's "Sweet Heat" Strawberry Salsa.
If you were lucky enough to get your hands on a few jars of the salsa, here are four recipe ideas provided by festival organizers. If you weren't so lucky, information on how to order the famous salsa can be found at www.thefuturebeginstoday.org or by calling 937-332-0467. Proceeds support grants for Troy students pursuing post-secondary education.
“SWEET HEAT” STRAWBERRY SALSA FIESTA SPREAD
In an oven-proof baking dish, layer the following in order:
1 ( 8-ounce) package of softened cream cheese
1 onion, diced
1 jar “Sweet Heat” Strawberry Salsa
1 package shredded pepper jack cheese or cheddar
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.
“SWEET HEAT” STRAWBERRY SALSA DESSERT SPREAD
8 ounces whipped topping
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ jar “Sweet Heat” Strawberry Salsa
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add salsa and whipped topping and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve as a spread on bagels, or as a dip with pretzels, fruit or pieces of pound cake.
"SWEET HEAT" STRAWBERRY SALSA CHICKEN QUESADILLAS
4 large flour tortillas
½ cup canned refried beans
½ cup “Sweet Heat” Strawberry Salsa
½ to ¾ pound cooked chicken meat, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
½ cup sour cream
2 cups lettuce, shredded
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
Preheat broiler. Arrange tortillas on a cookie sheet. Spread the beans over the tortillas. Add salsa, then layer with chicken, onions and cheese. Place under broiler for 1 to 2 minutes until cheese melts and tortillas are crisp. Remove from broiler and serve with sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes and additional salsa.
“SWEET HEAT” STRAWBERRY SALSA CHEESEBALL
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup “Sweet Heat” Strawberry Salsa
2 tablespoons onion, chopped
Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Cream together the first 3 ingredients and chill about 1 hour. Shape into a ball, and then roll in the cheese. Keep chilled until ready to serve. You can make this up to two days ahead of time. Serve with assorted crackers, pretzels, bagel chips or corn chips.
All recipes from The Future Begins Today.
About the Author