New Year's Eve Recipes: BLT Dip, Pizza Chip Dip and Ham Roll-Ups

By Kevin Williams

Often the Amish enjoy only muted celebrations of secular holidays.  I suppose because many of our holidays have militaristic or political overtones: Memorial Day, Fourth of July and even Labor Day.  But New Year's Day?  That's pure fun.  Many Amish stay up to that appointed hour of midnight to usher in the New Year.  They aren't watching Ryan Seacrest and the falling ball on TV, obviously.  But they are watching the clock and at the stroke of midnight it is not uncommon among the Amish for celebratory shots to be fired into the air outside (very unwise), firecrackers lit,  and horns blown.  The hours leading up to the New Year year are spent with snacks and playing games.   For more Amish, the New Year isn't really a time of reflection and resolutions, it's just a good excuse for an evening of well-earned fun.  Below are some classic "Amish party recipes."  For New Year's Eve, finger foods and dips are staples of the Amish menu.  These are some classics, incorporating bacon, pizza, and in the ham roll-ups, liquid smoke. Liquid smoke is favorite among many Amish cooks.  Enjoy these recipes that come to us from the Amish community of Chouteau, Oklahoma.

BLT DIP

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup chopped, seed tomatoes

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup chopped green onion

6 bacon strips, cooked

Mix all of the above and serve with your favorite crackers.

PIZZA CHIP DIP

1 pound hamburger or sausage, browned with onion

8 ounces of cream cheese, softened

16 ounces shredded Colby cheese

16 ounces sour cream

Mix sour cream and cream cheese.  Spread onto round pizza pan.  Spread evenly.  Put drained meat on top.  Then put cheese on top.  Heat at 250 degrees for 8 minuteso r until cheese is melted. Serve with tortilla chips.

HAM ROLL-UPS

6 large flour tortillas

8 ounces of cream cheese

1 /2 teaspoon seasoning salt

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 /2 teaspoon garlic salt

Set out cream cheese and let it get soft.  Add liquid smoke, seasoning salt, and garlic salt.  Spread onto flour tortillas.  Put onto shaved ham and roll up. Cut into 2 inch rolls and refrigerate.