Smoky-sweet Bacon Cheese Spread

Total Time: 2 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• 8 ounces neufchatel cheese
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1/2 cup)
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon chili powder, adjust to taste
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper, adjust to taste (smoked chile)
• 1/4 cup bacon, crumbled (i used hormel real crumbled bacon bits)
• 1/4 cup kalamata olive, pitted and minced
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries, minced
• 1/4 cup dates, pitted and minced
• 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1/4 cup)
• chile powder, smoked or paprika
• feta cheese, crumbled
• parsley, chopped
• cracker
• chips
• bagel chips
• pita chips
• assorted crudites
• egg, hard boiled
• flour tortilla
• mushroom

Recipe

• 1 in a small bowl, cream together neufchatel and feta, scraping the bowl until well combined.
• 2 beat in chili powder and ground chipotle powder and adjust to taste.
• 3 scrape bowl and beat in bacon, olives, cranberries, and dates until well combined.
• 4 stir in last 1/4 cup of crumbled feta cheese.
• 5 put in a covered container and chill for at least 2 hours. the flavors will develop more the longer it sits. you can mold it by pressing plastic wrap into a bowl and pressing the spread into it, cover and chill, then turn out onto serving platter.
• 6 to serve, spread into a pretty bowl on a platter or mound on a platter. sprinkle with feta, chili powder and fresh chopped parsley. surround with desired foods.
• 7 for tortilla wheels, spread this on flour tortillas, roll them up and tightly wrap in plastic wrap. chill for a few hours until firm. unwrap them, trim away ends and cut each roll into 8 slices crosswise to make wheels. you could try baking them too! i would try 400°f place wheels on baking sheets and bake 15-20 minutes until browned.
• 8 for stuffed mushrooms, hollow out mushrooms, you can add some chopped stems to the spread. fill mushrooms with spread and bake at 350f for 20-25 minutes.