The only thing that rivals “Oprah’s Favorite things,” the TV segment that spawned the famous “You get a car! And you get a car!” is Byrne’s Favorite Things, a New Year’s Eve tradition my parents created to make New Years Eve all about the Byrnes, and believe it or not, each of their favorite things.
My brothers, my parents and I each select our favorite refreshment and our favorite activity in late December. The snacks, drinks and activities are then plugged into a formal itinerary, so from noon to midnight on Jan. 31, at the top of each hour, a new treat is served, or a game begins.
An important rule of the evening is anything can be an hors d’oeuvre if it is cut into small pieces and served with fancy toothpicks. For this year, I chose the ultimate grilled cheese – a meal my mom always made, which I have started making, too.
It is as flavorful as a grilled cheese can possibly get. I always hated mayonnaise, until I found out this sandwich contains it. Now, I think it’s a genius invention. This year, I served it with tomato basil soup.
After a rousing game of charades, my family enjoyed a new treat this year: a crab rangoon dip.
My dad also made my favorite – chickenless chicken wing dip, which we ate after our midnight champagne. It can easily become chicken wing dip if you add four cups of shredded chicken, but no one seems to mind if it’s made the vegetarian way.
ULTIMATE GRILLED CHEESE SLIDERS
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. salt
24 King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls
4 Tbs. butter, melted
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth. Stir in cheeses, and seasonings.
Slice the unwrapped sleeve of rolls lengthwise. Spread cheese mixture in the middle of the two halves, and brush the top and bottom with butter.
Place in a glass baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the tops are brown.
Serve with your favorite tomato or tomato basil soup.
CHICKEN-LESS CHICKEN WING DIP
1 cream cheese brick, softened
12 ounces sour cream
1-1 1/2 cups of Red Hot sauce
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups shredded cheddar or mozzarella
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. brown sugar
Combine butter, brown sugar, lemon juice and Red Hot until smooth.
Add the remaining. Microwave a spoonful of mixture, and see if it is spicy enough and re-season.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes in a glass baking dish, or until it is bubbling. Serve with tortilla chips or celery.
CRAB RANGOON DIP
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 sour cream
12 ounces lump crab meat
1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. sriracha, optional
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425 degrees, and coat a 9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
Combine cream cheese, sour cream and mayo in a large bowl. Stir in crab meat, half a cup of white cheddar cheese, parmesan, green onions, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Spread crab mixture into baking dish, top with the rest of the white cheddar cheese. Bake about 20 to 25 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown.
Serve with dipper of choice.
