I don’t think it will come as a huge surprise to many of you who regularly read my blog, but I am a big fan of semi-homemade recipes. As much as I LOVE making items 100% from scratch, if there is a product that can help me to get the job done in a shorter amount of time, I am probably going to check it out. Especially if I’m preparing for an evening of entertaining!

Have you spotted Kraft’s new product: Fresh Take? They can be located in the refrigerated section of your grocery store, and they come in an array of different flavor options, from Spicy Chipotle Cheddar to Chili Lime and Panko to Rosemary and Roasted Garlic (and more).

Now, the first and most obvious use for these Fresh Take packages is to use them to coat chicken, pork, etc. with them and bake in your oven. As much as that sounds delicious, I decided to try out two alternate uses for the Fresh Take as I was prepping to serve appetizers and dinner to my family. And would you believe it, one package of Fresh Take (paired with my added ingredients) made enough for two dozen stuffed mushrooms and a pie plate filled with spinach artichoke dip??? It was enough for a party. I used a Rosemary and Garlic Fresh Take package for my recipes, but you could switch it up with other flavors if desired!

And guess what: the folks at Fresh Take want to make sure my readers have the chance to try their products out too. Scroll down to the bottom of the post to enter to win one of two $10 Publix gift cards: SCORE!

First up: spinach artichoke dip! You’ll want to try this version out, not just for how easy it is to create, but because it involves goat cheese. Yep. I decided to shy away from “traditional” dip with mayo and/or sour cream and opted for my beloved goat cheese. It’s a good choice, trust me.

Semi-Homemade Spinach Artichoke Dip with Fresh Take

Ingredients

4 oz cream cheese, softened

4 oz goat cheese, softened

5 oz chopped spinach leaves, wilted or steamed

7 oz artichoke hearts, diced

1 medium tomato (or about 10 cherry tomatoes), diced

1 cup shredded cheese from Fresh Take package (1/2 the envelope)

1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs from FreshTake package

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a pie plate with nonstick cooking spray (or, 4 small ramekin dishes for individual servings).

2. Combine softened cream cheese and goat cheese in a medium sized bowl. Stir in the steamed/wilted chopped spinach leaves (if using frozen spinach, steam the package and then drain excess liquid), artichoke hearts, tomato, and the shredded cheese from the Fresh Take package.

3. Spread the cheese mixture evenly inside the pie plate or ramekins. Sprinkle with the seasoned bread crumbs on top. Bake for about 25 minutes until heated through. Serve with tortilla chips – enjoy!

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We can’t forget about the stuffed mushrooms, now can we? I think these little beauties disappeared in 5 minutes flat, so make sure you get your hands on one when they come out of the oven!

Semi-Homemade Stuffed Mushrooms with Fresh Take

Ingredients

24 white mushrooms, cleaned

5 oz chopped spinach leaves, wilted or steamed

6 slices cooked bacon, chopped small

1 cup shredded cheese from Fresh Take package (1/2 the envelope)

3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs from Fresh Take package

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Gently clean mushrooms, then pop the stem of each mushroom out of the cap and set aside. Place mushroom caps on a tin foil lined baking sheet, leaving space between each cap.

2. Dice the mushroom stems and place in a medium sized bowl, along with the chopped spinach leaves (if using frozen spinach, steam the package and then drain the excess liquid), bacon, cheese, and bread crumbs. Use a spoon to combine ingredients thoroughly.

3. Scoop about a tablespoon of filling into each of the mushroom caps. I like my stuffed mushroom filling to overflow the top of the cap, but you can use as much or as little filling as desired. Apply gentle pressure to allow the filling to stick to the mushroom cap (but not enough to split the mushroom in half). Repeat for all mushroom caps.

4. Place stuffed mushrooms in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until stuffing is melty and browned. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

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