Just Baking

Every once in awhile, we find ourselves surprised by food. It could be that you try something that you never thought you’d like … and actually find yourself liking it. It could be something that you grew up hating the taste of, you now love. Or it could be something simple that you don’t expect much from … and get surprised. Such was the case with the Bacon Cheese Crescents that The Neighbor Husband made this weekend.

We ended up having a LOT of food at the dinner table, and getting a late start making these, so by the time they appeared, everyone’s bellies were nearing full capacity, if not already there. I popped one in my mouth and was totally taken aback. A recipe he found in Yahoo!’s food section, it originates from Kraft. Honestly, dough, cream cheese and bacon, I was expecting something good, but not quite this good. It’s almost an OMG recipe, but in a quiet, unassuming way.

He stashed the leftovers in our fridge and it was a good thing, because I’ve been feasting on two a night ever since, nuking them for 30 seconds, making them perfectly warm, soft, melty and ever so slightly gooey. Wednesday I actually woke up thinking about them, enough so that I wondered if they would be appropriate for breakfast. Deconstructed, I don’t see why not since bread, cream cheese and bacon certainly make appearances at the morning table, but I restrained myself.

Yesterday, I heated up the last two, fully intending to give one to my mom to have, since we were having lunch together, but I ate them both before she even arrived. Now they were all gone, but still occupying my mind - what to do? Make more!

Luckily for me, The Neighbor Husband left extra ingredients behind, and I had the rest on hand, and in no time, another batch was baking away. And this time, I promise to get one over to my mom before I gobble them all up.

Bacon Appetizer Crescents
Recipe courtesy of Kraft Foods

Prep Time: 30 min
Total Time: 45 min
Makes: 8 doz. or 24 servings, four crescents each

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
8 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
1/3 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. milk
2 cans (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

Preheat oven to 375 °F. Mix cream cheese, bacon, Parmesan cheese, onions, parsley and milk until well blended; set aside. Separate each can of dough into four rectangles; firmly press perforations together to seal. Spread each rectangle with 2 rounded tablespoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture. Cut each rectangle into 12 wedges. Roll up wedges, starting at short ends. Place, seam-sides down, on greased baking sheet. Bake 12 to 15 min. or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Cate’s Notes: We didn’t get quite as fiddly in the assembly, nixing the crescent shape.  We just stuffed and rolled.  Nice and easy.

KRAFT KITCHENS TIPS

Substitute
Prepare as directed, using PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese.

Jazz It Up
Sprinkle lightly with poppy seed before baking.