Stuffed Jalapeno Bites

As the summer flies by, our patio garden is just flourishing. While we're still waiting for our tomatoes to ripen, our jalapenos are getting along just fine...we've picked 4 so far and the rest are just growing more every day. Though I don't like a ton of heat, one thing I love is Jalapeno Poppers, but didn't want to drag out the fryer or the hassle of breading them, so I whipped up a filling and baked them. They turned out great! The heat really mellowed out and the filling was delicious.

Stuffed Jalapeno Bites

Ingredients

• 4 jalapenos, sliced in half, ribs and seeds removed
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.
• Cut a very thin strip off the back of each jalapeno half so they will sit flat on the baking sheet.
• Mix the last 5 ingredients together until well combined.
• Spoon mixture to fill each jalapeno half & lay onto baking sheet.
• Bake for 15 minutes, until jalapenos are just tender & the filling is bubbling & brown on top.

Makes 8.

Spinach & Feta Stuffed Mushrooms

I had my parents over for a nice dinner today of Lasagna Rolls, Pillow Soft Dinner Rolls & cheesecake with strawberries for dessert. Inviting them over early in the day, I wanted to provide a little appetizer for everyone to snack on before dinner. I found some button mushrooms on sale at our local grocery store & picked up a few packages. I am slightly obsessed with Feta cheese lately & since the Lasagna Rolls had spinach in them, I had a lot left over, so these fit the bill perfectly!

A little tricky to "stuff", they might have worked better with larger portobello mushrooms, however, they tasted so good, they were gone in no time...even my mom, who isn't a Feta fan, thought they were delicious.

Spinach & Feta Stuffed Mushrooms
Recipe courtesy of Food Geeks

Ingredients

• 15 to 18 mushrooms, depending on size
• 1 bunch fresh spinach-stems removed, washed well & chopped
• 4 oz. feta cheese
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Stem mushrooms & place cup up on a cookie sheet. Blanch spinach 1 minute in boiling water & plunge into cold water to stop cooking. Squeeze out all water. Crumble feta and mix with spinach and remaining ingredients.Stuff mushrooms & bake for 15 minutes or until bubbly.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

*Forgive the picture, I didn't snap it until the dip was almost gone!*

I am a wuss when it comes to spice & heat in my foods....but for some reason, I love the Jalapeno Poppers with the cream cheese in them...but those aren't usually TOO hot. I made this dip after seeing it on AllRecipes & on Cooking This and That and it was a huge hit...I really thought it had the perfect amount of heat to it & I liked the baked version of it to serve warm. It was great with either crackers or tortilla chips!

Jalapeno Popper Dip
Recipe seen on Cooking This and That, originally from AllRecipes

Ingredients

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
• 2 ounces canned diced jalapeno peppers, drained (I used jarred and minced finely)
  
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used Monterrey Jack cheese - 1 cup)
  

Directions

• Stir together cream cheese & mayonnaise in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in green chiles & jalapeno peppers. Pour mixture into a microwave safe serving dish & sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. (I stirred the Monterrey Jack cheese in with the dip)
  
• Microwave on high until hot, about 3 minutes OR bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, which I would recommend.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Since I was having some family over today, I wanted to make sure everyone had something that they liked...I know my husband and his brother love hot sauce and Buffalo wings, so this dip was my first choice...I am not a fan of chicken wings or hot sauce, but I will admit that this was an awesome dip! It wasn't TOO hot, but it definitely had a kick to it. I doubled the recipe below, but it reflects the original measurements.

Franks Redhot Buffalo Chicken Dip
Recipe courtesy of Frank's Hot Sauce Website

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup blue cheese or ranch salad dressing (I used 1/2 c. blue cheese & 1/2 c. ranch)
1/2 cup any flavor FRANK'S® REDHOT® Sauce
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese (I used mozzarella & cheddar mix)
2 cans (9.75 oz. each) SWANSON® White Premium Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained (I used 1/5 lbs. of chicken breast, boiled, shredded & cooled)

DIRECTIONS: (I just mixed all ingredients in one bowl, then poured into the baking dish - topped with cheese)

1.HEAT oven to 350°F. Place cream cheese into deep baking dish. Stir until smooth.
2.MIX in salad dressing, Frank's RedHot Sauce and cheese. Stir in chicken.
3.BAKE 20 min. or until mixture is heated through; stir. Garnish as desired. Serve with crackers or vegetables.

Soft Pretzels

This is again, one of those things I never really thought about making at home...like bagels, the process is similar, but let me tell you, these blow all other soft pretzels out of the water. Seriously, these were a big hit at my Red Wings Watching gathering today, Paul and his brother gave them two big thumbs up, so I knew they must be good, because by the time I got to try one, Paul was on his second and I think my brother-in-law was on his way...Sure, they were a tad time consuming, but most good things are, right? Try these, you will not be sorry at all.

Soft Pretzels
Recipe courtesy of Smitten Kitchen, which she adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes 16 full-sized or 32 miniature

2 cups warm water (100°F to 110°F)
1 tablespoon + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 packet active dry yeast
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons canola or other neutral oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1 large egg
Coarse or pretzel salt
Vegetable-oil cooking spray

1. Pour warm water into bowl of electric mixer fitted with a dough hook*. In a small bowl, combine water and 1 tablespoon sugar, and stir to dissolve sugar. Sprinkle with yeast, and let sit 10 minutes; yeast should be foamy.

2. Add 1 cup flour to yeast & mix on low until combined. Add salt and 4 cups flour & mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Beat on medium-low until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup flour & knead on low 1 minute more. If dough is still wet & sticky, add 1/2 cup more flour (this will depend on weather conditions); knead until combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a lightly floured board & knead about ten times, or until smooth.

3. Pour oil into a large bowl; swirl to coat sides. Transfer dough to bowl, turning dough to completely cover all sides. Cover with a kitchen towel & leave in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in size.

4. Heat oven to 450°F. Lightly spray two baking sheets with cooking spray (parchment paper, ungreased, also works). Set aside. Punch down dough to remove bubbles. Transfer to a lightly floured board. Knead once or twice, divide into 16 pieces (about 2 1/2 ounces each) or 32 if making miniature pretzels & wrap in plastic.

5. Roll one piece of dough at a time into an 18-inch-long strip. Twist into pretzel shape; transfer to prepared baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel. Continue to form pretzels; eight will fit on each sheet (you may need a third sheet if making miniatures). Let pretzels rest until they rise slightly, about 15 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, fill large, shallow pot with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Add baking soda slowly & remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Reduce to a simmer; transfer three to four pretzels to water. Poach 1 minute on each side. Use slotted spoon to transfer pretzels to baking sheet. Continue until all pretzels are poached.

7. Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush pretzels with egg glaze. Sprinkle with salt (I used coarse Kosher salt). Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on wire rack, or eat warm. Pretzels are best when eaten the same day, but will keep at room temperature, uncovered, for two days. Do not store in covered container or they will become soggy.

Baked Tortilla Chips

Baked Tortilla Chips

Ingredients

• 6 flour tortillas
• Salt
• Non-stick spray (I used Olive Oil Non-stick Spray)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray tortillas on each side with non-stick spray and stack up all tortillas on a cutting board. Cut into small wedges and arrange in a single layer on 1-2 baking sheets. Sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10-12 minutes until browned and crisp.

Hot Broccoli Dip

Seeing this Broccoli Dip on Erin's blog made a light bulb go off over my head...I love broccoli, I love dips...bingo. The perfect dip. I cut this recipe in half and it made the perfect amount for the two of us on this sunny Sunday afternoon.

Check out Erin's Food Files, it's full of great things!!

Hot Broccoli Dip
Recipe courtesy of Erin's Food Files, from Pampered Chef

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped broccoli florets
• 1/4 cup red onion
• 2 Tablespoons chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup mayo
• 1/4 ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Chop broccoli, onion and bell pepper; place in bowl. Grate Parmesan cheese; add 1/4 cup to vegetable mixture. Press garlic using garlic press, or mince; add to vegetables, along with remaining ingredients, mixing well. Spoon into baking dish. Bake 30 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese over top and surround with pita chips, tortilla chips, or pita bread.

Crustless Mini Quiche Lorraine

I'm hosting my lovely mother-in-law's birthday dinner and am trying to prepare ahead of time as many things as possible to make things flow smoothly! I made a few appetizers ahead of time and will just reheat these just before everyone arrives!
Crustless Mini Quiche Lorraines
Recipe courtesy of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
Ingredients

• 2 Tbs. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! (R) Mediterranean Spread - I used butter
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese - I used Mexican blend
• 1/2 cup all-purpose baking mix
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• pinch ground nutmeg - I omitted
• 8 slices of bacon, crispy & crumbled - I used the pre-cooked microwave bacon

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°. Grease mini nonstick muffin pans; set aside.

In 10-inch skillet, melt I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® Mediterranean Blend spread over medium-high heat and cook onion, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes or until tender; set aside and cool slightly.

In medium bowl, with wire whisk or fork, beat eggs, milk, cheese, baking mix, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in onions and bacon. Evenly pour into prepared muffin pans. Bake 15 minutes or until set. Serve warm.

Spinach Dip Mini-Bites

I was inspired to make this appetizer by the Pillsbury website. I found a recipe for Spinach Dip Crisps and decided to tweak it a bit to suit my tastes and they came out fabulously! Paul said "Aren't you getting fancy!?!" when I brought them out for a lunch for myself and a snack for him. I'll take that as a compliment, as these were a cinch to make!!
Spinach Dip Mini-Bites
Recipe Inspired by Pillsbury.com

Ingredients

• 24 Wonton Wrappers
• 1 brick cream cheese, softened
• 1 box of frozen chopped spinach, cooked to directions, drained & wrung out
• 1 4 oz. can green chiles
• 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 1/3 cup mayo
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix cream cheese, spinach, chiles, cheese, mayo, and seasonings in a medium sized bowl.
• Line non-greased mini-muffin pan with wonton wrappers, lightly pressing into place (ends will stick up/out).
• Using a small scoop or tablespoon, fill each cup with mixture almost to the top.
• Place in oven and bake for 7-10 minutes, until edges are browned and crisp and the filling is hot and melty.
• Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving, filling is very hot!

Mmmmmm...Guacamole

We had 4 avocados that were needing to be used, what better way to use them up than by making guacamole?!

I found this recipe on Cooking with Court's blog...it is for Chipotle's Guacamole. Anything close to Chipotle's anything must be good! It turned out sooooo good. It was delicious, easy, flavorful and I will definitely be making this again soon!!

Chipotle's Guacamole
Recipe courtesy of Cooking with Court

Ingredients

• 2 large ripe Hass avocado, peeled and pitted
• 2 tsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
• 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
• 1 Serrano chili, seeded and chopped *I omitted*
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions
Mash up avocado with a fork or food processor. Add lime juice. Add all other ingredients and blend well. Serve with tortilla chips.

**Also, Courtenay posted a wonderful tip that if you put the avocado pit back into the guacamole and cover well, it will prevent it from browning! It worked like a charm!!! Awesome tip!!!!

Creamy Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms

This recipe is a Shawna original...I try lots of ways to change up the typical stuffed mushroom recipe and these were flavorful, creamy and delicious! It was a great way to use up some pesto from the giant batch I made! Of course, Paul is always a willing guinea pig!

I would change up this recipe a little bit...I would add in Italian bread crumbs to make the filling more stable. I forgot that the mushrooms would release liquid while cooking, so they came out just a little watery...I think the addition of bread crumbs would help tighten it all up while it cooked!

Creamy Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms
Recipe courtesy of me

Ingredients

• Button mushrooms, wiped clean, stems removed & reserved
• 1/2 brick of cream cheese, softened
• 3 Tbs. fresh Pesto sauce
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• *In the future, I would recommend adding 1/2 cup or so of bread crumbs here*
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Goat cheese to top

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix cream cheese, pesto, parmesan cheese, *bread crumbs*, salt & pepper in a small bowl.
• Using a spoon or scoop, fill each mushroom with a scoop of cream cheese Pesto filling.
• Set each mushroom on a baking sheet that has been drizzled with olive oil.
• Slice a small piece of goat cheese (YUM) and set on top of each mushroom.
• Pop in oven and cook for 10-12 minutes until hot.

Homemade Tortilla Chips

I got the idea for making my own tortilla chips on Carrie's blog (Carrie in the Kitchen) and again, it was one of those moments when I said to myself "Why haven't I ever done this???" Easy, fresh and much better than store bought, these were just like the good ones at your local Mexican place! I'll definitely be doing this again and next time adding in some homemade salsa!

Tortilla Chips
Inspired by Carrie

Ingredients

• As many corn tortillas as you would like, I cut each stack into 6 wedges (cutting them like a pizza into equal wedges), you could do 8 wedges if you'd like
  
• Salt to sprinkle to taste
• Enough oil to cover a skillet or pot about 1/2 inch

Directions
Heat oil until very hot...I tested one and if it didn't fry aggressively instantly then I knew I needed to crank up the heat a little more. If the heat is too low, the chips will turn out soggy.
It should only take about 5 seconds per side.

Fry in small batches, flipping after about 5 seconds, let fry another 5 seconds then remove to a plate waiting nearby lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt to taste when still hot and ENJOY!

Cream Cheese Wonton

I remembered today that I had a package of wonton wrappers in my fridge that needed to be used fairly quickly...after a little searching, I came up with Cream Cheese Wontons, but didn't end up using any recipe in particular, so here is what I did. The dipping sauce I made didn't exactly turn out like I wanted, it was too strong and bitter, I believe from too much rice wine vinegar...so I won't include the recipe, but you can make your own sweet & sour or hot mustard sauce to dip...or they were great plain!

Ingredients

• Wonton wrappers
• 1 block of cream cheese - softened
• 3 scallions, sliced thin
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ginger powder
• small bowl of water - for wetting wonton edges
• Vegetable oil for frying

Directions

• Mix all ingredients together and let sit for about 20 minutes for the flavors to meld.
• Meanwhile, heat your oil (as much as needed for about 2 inches in your pot) to about 350-375.*
• Lay out individual wonton wrapper, fill with a medium line of the cream cheese filling...you can fill any way you want, I just make "bars" out of them, but you could make purses, triangles, etc...
• Wet the edges of the wrapper in order for the edges to stick together and not fall apart.
• Fry in batches until crispy and golden brown in color.
• Scoop out with a slotted utensil and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain while you fry the rest.
• Serve with a dipping sauce of your choice or plain!

*I totally winged this part, I just filled my dutch oven and put it over medium-high heat....I tested one, it didn't begin to fry, so I adjusted the temp. a little higher and it worked after that. :) Not very technical on my part, however, we do have a deep fryer in our basement still in the box from our wedding shower, however, we have no where to store it (and the oil) when we do use it, so it's waiting for a new kitchen one day when we have more space!

Cream Cheese Chili Dip

This is another one of my go-to recipes for entertaining, since it involves 3 steps and can even be microwaved in a hurry!!! It is creamy, a little spicy from the chili and cheesy...what more could a dip ask for? My future brother-in-law came over to hang out with Paul and I last night after our first wedding shower, so after a long overwhelming day, I wanted to put something together for us to snack on - this definitely hit the spot!

Ingredients:
1 block cream cheese
1 can no-bean chili
Shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions: (Preheat oven to about 325 if you are going to heat in oven)
Spread cream cheese in a layer on the bottom of an oven- (or microwave-) proof dish or plate. Open can of chili and spread that in a layer on the top of the cream cheese.Sprinkle mozzarella cheese (as much as you wish) on the top of the chili. Voila! That's it.Pop it in the oven until warmed through and cheese is melty (I did 15 minutes at 325 degrees, then broiled on low for a couple minutes). OR you can put it in the microwave and nuke for a minute or two at a time until the cheese is melted and the ingredients are warmed through. Serve with tortilla chips!

Hot Crab Rangoon Dip

We had my nephew stay the weekend with us and I needed to have some snacks on hand to feed the boys while they played video games! I know that we would all like this dip because we love Crab Rangoon in Chinese restaurants, so I decided to give this one a shot. It turned out to be delicious. I didn't have a scallion on hand, so I subbed chives for it, which didn't give it as much onion flavor as I would have liked...but that can be corrected next time. And though the recipe called for Won Ton chips, I served this with crackers and it was a big hit.

Recipe courtesy of Sandra Lee, 2007, Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee: Heirloom Linen and Lace episode.

• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, cut into cubes

• 2 (6-ounce) cans lump crabmeat, drained and shredded (I used one can of lump crab and 3 legs of imitation crab, chopped fine)

• 1 (10-ounce) can condensed shrimp bisque (I used Campbell's Condensed Cream of Shrimp soup)

• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

• 2 teaspoons soy sauce

• 1 scallion, finely chopped (I used 4 chives chopped fine)

• (When the dip was heated through, I added a thin layer of shredded mozzarella cheese on top and let it melt before serving)

For the Won Ton Chips:
Peanut oil
1 package won ton wrappers
Salt, to taste

Preheat broiler.

Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl and stir to combine.

Place in a broiler-proof serving dish and broil for 10 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

For the Won Ton Chips
Heat 2 inches of peanut oil in a Dutch oven or fryer to 350 degrees F. Add won ton wrappers in batches to fry lightly. Remove from oil and let drain on paper towels before serving. Season with salt.

Mexican Dip

Courtesy of Shelley - aka McVayDesigns on the Detroit Knot website. Thanks Shelley!

I made this dip the other day and it was delicious!! Easy and quick to throw in the crockpot, it would be perfect for any get together or family gathering. It made a ton so we were able to put it in the fridge and enjoy it again the next day.



Ingredients:

• 1 Block Velveeta
• 1 Block of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
• 1 Jar Salsa
• 1 can Hormel Chili (no beans)
• Splash of Milk

Cube up Velveeta, cream cheese and put into crock pot with other ingredients. Turn on the crockpot to low (if cooking for a while) or I used high (cooked for about 30-45 minutes). While it's melting, stir occasionally. When all melty and hot, serve with tortilla chips.