Recipe: Cheese Puffs (hot appetizer)

Cheese Puffs

1 (1 pound) loaf of unsliced sandwich bread
2 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 (8 ounce) package sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup margarine (I use butter)
4 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Trim crust from all sides of bread; discard crust. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes, and set aside. Combine cheese and margarine in the top of a double boiler; cook over boiling water, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Fold a small amount of the hot cheese mixture into the egg whites; fold this into remaining cheese mixture.

Use a fork to dip each bread cube into the cheese mixture, coating the bread on all sides. Place bread cubes 1 inch apart on a lightly greased baking sheet; cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator, uncover and bake at 400 for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately. Yield: about 8 dozen.

Cheese-coated bread cubes may be frozen instead of refrigerated and may be kept up to 2 months. Freeze coated bread cubes on covered tray until firm; remove from tray and place in plastic freezer bags. To bake, remove from freezer, spread on baking sheets and bake, while still frozen, at 400 for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Red pepper can be mixed in with the cheese mixture to add a little spice.