2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 1/2 pounds mussels, cleaned and trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
1 (8 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cubed
1 packet dry taco seasoning mix
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in mussels and olive oil. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove mussels and olive oil and stir in garlic and salt. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 1 minute.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir mussels and oil into the butter and sprinkle with garlic and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Remove mussels and oil.
Return mussels to the saucepan and blend with cream cheese, taco seasoning, parsley, black pepper and tomato paste. Cover and simmer for 2 minutes.
Remove mussels from the saucepan and reserve the mussels, reserving them for garnish and for garnish, if desired.