Loaded Baked Potato Dip

This weekend's college football dip recipe was this baked potato dip.  I named off several dip recipes and Brent said "oh, that one sounds good"...so I made it.  You can serve it with potato chips or pretzels.....definitely go with the chips and make sure they are thick potato chips because the dip is thick.

This dip will last a few days...it made a large batch!

INGREDIENTS:

• 16 ounces sour cream
• 1 (12-ounce) package bacon, cooked and finely chopped
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving to allow flavors to meld together. Garnish with extra shredded cheese, crumbled bacon, and chopped green onions. Serve with your favorite potato chips or pretzel crisps.

Reuben Dip

As I've mentioned before, each Sunday during football season I serve a different chili recipe.  It's been a fun tradition over the years that we always look forward to.

This year, since we have Sunday NFL football covered with chili, I kept thinking I wanted to serve something for Saturday College football too.  That's when I decided I would serve a different DIP on Saturdays to enjoy during the college football games.  

I have pinned multiple dip recipes on Pinterest, and this week we started with Reuben Dip.

Excellent!

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1½ cups (6 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese

4 ounces deli sliced corned beef, chopped

½ cup Thousand Island dressing

½ cup drained sauerkraut

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl mix together the cream cheese, 1 cup of the Swiss cheese, the dressing and corned beef. Spread in a pie plate or other shallow serving dish. Top with the sauerkraut and the remaining ½ cup of Swiss cheese.

3. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until bubbly around the edges. Serve hot with pretzel crisps or cocktail-size rye bread squares.

 *This dip was really good.  In the future, Brent said he would prefer less cream cheese and more corned beef, though.  And that can easily be done!*

Pepperoni Caprese Bites with Basil Vinaigrette

These have become a hit in our household.  Between the kids getting home from school, and Brent getting home from work, everyone wants to snack, snack before dinner.  A few times a week I will make these and have them sitting out to snack on before dinner.  Sometimes I use pepperoni, sometimes I will use salami.  Either way, everyone states how much they love snacking on these!

The recipe below is to make 24 of these appetizers.

But I just have the ingredients on hand and make around 6-8 of them a few nights a week.

(recipe courtesy of AuthenticSuburbanGourmet)

Pepperoni Caprese Bites with Basil Vinaigrette

Makes 24

24 Mini Mozzarella Balls
24 Basil Leaves
24 Slices of Pepperoni
24 Small Cherry Tomatoes
24 Toothpicks

Thread the mozzarella ball first then fold the pepperoni in half and half again and thread onto the toothpick.  Next add the basil leaf then the tomato.

Basil Vinaigrette

1/3 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon White Balsamic Vinegar
¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Scallion, finely minced
6 Basil leaves, chopped fine
Pinch of salt
6 Grinds of Black Pepper


In a medium glass jar, add all of the above ingredients and shake well.  Let sit at least 30 minutes to let the flavors develop.

Broccoli, Bacon, and Pasta Salad

I made this salad this weekend for myself....because it was Mother's Day and I love cold pasta salads.

recipe and photo courtesy of MandysRecipeBoxBlog

You will need:

12 oz. package Rotini pasta (I used the tri-color)
1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup Pompeian Red Wine Vinegar
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 cups raw broccoli, chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, cubed
½ cup roasted sunflower seeds, salted or unsalted
½ cup crumbled , cooked bacon (I used turkey bacon)
¼ cup diced red onion

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions.
Drain and rinse in cold water.
Drain again.
Place pasta in a large bowl and add the broccoli, cheese, sunflower seeds, bacon and onion.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, red wine vinegar, sugar and salt.
Pour over the salad and toss to coat.
Refrigerate, covered, until chilled, at least one hour.
Serve.

 Again, I love having fun salads in my fridge during the days to snack on.

Right now, this one is currently in my fridge...and I may or may not have already had two bites this morning before 9:30am.

Greek Orzo Salad

If I see a greek salad on a menu, I can almost guarantee you I'm going to order it. 

So it's no surprise that when I came across this greek salad using orzo, I jumped on it.

recipe and photo courtesy of CookingClassy

Ingredients

Dressing
1/3 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad
1 1/4 cups (8 oz) dry orzo
1 cup (5 oz) crumbled feta
1 medium English cucumber, diced
1 (10.5 oz) pkg. grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup sliced kalamata olives or 3/4 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup chopped red onion, rinsed under water to removed harsh bite
3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Directions

In a jar mix together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste (don't add too much salt because the feta and kalamata olives are pretty salty), set aside.
Cook orzo according to directions listed on package.
Drain and let cool (about 5 minutes. They'll start to stick to each other a bit but that's fine the dressing will break it up).
Add all of the salad ingredients, including cooked orzo, to a large bowl and toss.
Pour dressing over top and toss to evenly coat.
Store in refrigerator, serve within a few hours for best results.

 This salad is currently in the fridge and I've been snacking on it for two days now.  

I love the orzo in the salad!

Kinda wishing someone will arrange a fun potluck gathering soon, so I can bring this salad.

It's that good!

Sweet Kielbasa Bites

I had some girlfriends over this week to plan for an upcoming event, and I prepared some appetizers to share with the girls.  This appetizer went so fast that I didn't have a chance to snap my own picture.  But I need to share it with you, because your guests will love this dish!

Photo and recipe courtesy of MostlyHomemadeMom

Ingredients
14 oz kielbasa sausage, sliced
3/4 cup Canada Dry® Ginger Ale
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Cooking Directions
Place sliced sausage in the bottom of a square baking dish.
In a separate bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients.
Pour over sausage in dish.
Bake at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.
Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Fried (Baked) Pickles

When we go out to eat, if there is a certain option on the menu for appetizer, we always order it…

And what is that option?

Fried Pickles

(or in my kitchen at home, Fried (Baked) Pickles)

(photo courtesy of Pinterest)

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 7-10 min

Serves: 1 selfish fried pickle lover or 4 picky eaters

Ingredients:

3 Large Kosher Dill Wholes (I bought the jar of pickle chips)

3 Eggs

3 TBLs Milk

1 cup Flour (All Purpose)

1/2 cup Bread Crumbs

1/4 cup Panko Crumbs

1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese (Finely Shredded)

Prep & Cooking Directions -

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Slice your Dills into “chips” about 1/4 inch in thickness.
3. Take 3 small mixing bowls and put the flour in 1, the eggs and milk in the second(and beat them together), and combine the bread crumbs, panko crumbs, and the shredded cheese in the third bowl.
4. Coat each pickle chip with flour, then the egg/milk mixture, and then the cheesy bread/panko crumb mixture, and place on to an oiled cookie sheet.

1. Bake @ 425 degrees for 7 – 10 minutes or until desired “crispiness” is reached.
2. Add a side of ranch to dip into and ENJOY!!

I thought these were just as good as any restaurant for the most part.

I can see myself making these again.

Crack-tastic Crackers

We spent the entire weekend on the other side of town for Ashlan's soccer tournament.

Not only was watching their team play to win so awesome, but one of the mother's brought Crack-tastic Crackers to share which was truly awesome, too!

What are Crack-tastic Crackers?  

Well, you may have seen them all over Pinterest.  I know I had seen them before on there (and probably even pinned them), but never made or had them before.

They are so very good, with a bit of spice!

Here is what you need:

1 – 1 1/4 cup canola oil (you decide how much you want to use)

1 packet Ranch dressing mix

2-3 Tbs. red pepper flakes (I used close to 3…a little warm)

4 sleeves of Saltine crackers (give or take…however many you can fit in your mixing bowl)

1) Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl for a good long while (5-10 minutes), to really get the crackers coated. Eat a few if you want.

2) Lay them out on a cookie sheet and drizzle the yummy, ranchy, peppery oil that’s in the bottom of the bowl, over the top of the crackers.  Bake at 250 degrees for 15-20 minutes, stirring them around about halfway through.

 3) Let them cool and store in a big ol’ baggie. Or a few little baggies.  My husband has his bag ready to take to work.

Zucchini Bites

Last night for dinner we had meatloaf, but it was the little side dish that stole the show. While I was on Pinterest, I came across Zucchini Bites, which are basically like a tatar tot, just healthier! They were so good. The recipe only made 12 mini bites, but we could have eaten double that!

1 cups zucchini, grated
1 egg
1/4 yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup cheese (cheddar or Parmesan work the best)
1/4 cup bread crumbs - I used Italian style
Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a mini-muffin tin with non-stick spray, set aside.
2. Grate the zucchini and then place in a dish towel to squeeze out the excess water- like when using frozen spinach; if you skip this part, the middle of the zucchini tots will bereally soggy while the outside gets crispy and no one wants that.
3. In a bowl combine, the egg, onion, cheese, bread crumbs, zucchini, salt and pepper.
4. Using a spoon or a cookie scoop, fill the muffin cups to the top. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the top is browned and set.

Sausage Balls

One of my favorite things to make in the kitchen are Sausage Balls. Every event or party I go to that requires bringing food, I almost always bring sausage balls. They are easy to make and a delicious finger food!


Here's the recipe I always use...

1 pound ground pork sausage
2 cups biscuit baking mix
1 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, combine sausage, biscuit baking mix and cheese.

Form into walnut size balls and place on baking sheets.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, until golden brown.