Appetizers for Dinner

My family loves when we have appetizers for dinner.  I make some homemade and buy some yummy frozen apps.  Everyone loves building their own plates of appetizer yumminess.

Appetizer spread:

Reheated pizza

Homemade pico & chips

Mini Tacos from Sams + toppings

Chips & Queso

Mozzerella sticks

Breadsticks

Fruit & veggies

A few other ideas:
Spinach artichoke dip

Meatballs

Pulled pork sliders

Taquitos

Quesadillas

All of these combos would be delicious!

This would be the perfect menu for game day or fun dinner for your family on a regular night!

What an election night!  Kevin and I stayed up way too late (just like we did in 2016) to enjoy the election highlights.  I'm heading to bed optimistic and so excited for the days ahead.

I put together a USA treat board for our Election Night watch party last night.  The kids were thrilled!

Mild Buffalo Chicken Dip

I have the yummiest appetizer recipe to share with you today!  It would be perfect for a Super Bowl party or any gathering where you need to bring an easy appetizer.  A friend shared her Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe with me and then I made it my own.  We loved it when she made it for us.  Kevin, please skip the net two sentences.

Don't tell Kevin that this recipe contains cream cheese AND ranch dressing because he hates both.  But somehow the combo of flavors tricks him and he loves this stuff :)

Ingredients:

1 block of cream cheese softened

1/2 c ranch dressing

1/2 c Mild Frank's Red Hot Wing Sauce

1 10oz can drained shredded white meat chicken

1 c freshly shredded cheese - (I did a mix of pepper jack, sharp cheddar and mozzarella)

1/2 c sliced green onions

Tortilla chips

Combine all ingredients on low in your crock pot.  Stir it all until well combined once it all gets warm in the crock pot.  

You can easily double or triple this recipe if you are making this for a crowd.  My measurements worked well for serving my family.  This dip is delicious right out of the crock pot and it is delicious reheated as leftovers.  I think it would also make a delicious quesadilla.  

I just learned that you could buy Frank's Red Hot Wings sauce in MILD.  I can't handle spicy food so this was such a fun find.  I just assumed all Franks Red Hot sauce was HOT.  It has the best flavor without any heat.  Win win for me.  And maybe some of you!

I'm working on my Super Bowl menu and I think this recipe is a definite!  My family requested chili and I love some potato skins or mozzarella sticks.  Football food is my favorite.

Must Make Appetizers

I really love appetizers and I would put these at the very top of my list.  They're easy to make and so good.  Must makes for sure - Bacon Wrapped Smokies & Baked Potato Sliders.  I made both of them for my family for New Year's Eve and we loved them.  They'd be perfect for any gathering or the upcoming Superbowl.

This is probably the best appetizer I make.

Bacon Wrapped Smokies

The ingredient list is small and they're simple.  People always ask me for the recipe and rave about them when I make them for an event.

Ingredients:

1 pkg of little smokies

1 pkg of thick cut bacon

brown sugar

tooth picks

 

Directions:

Cut entire package of bacon into fourths.  It is easiest to just open the package and cut the whole slab of bacon into fourths at once.  Then wrap each little smokey in bacon and secure it with a toothpick.  Line a 9x13 glass pan with all of the smokies.  Sprinkle brown sugar on top of all of them.  Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes until they crisp up.  I like to check on them about half way through and pour off any liquid.  This really helps them to crisp up.  Let cool and enjoy!

Baked Potato Sliders

I love potatoes in any form.  I also love a good loaded baked potato.  These were easy to make and really easy to eat.  I customized them to work for my family and you can customize them for your crowd.

Ingredients:

6 of Your favorite big potatoes (I used Russet and would like to try red potatoes)

salt/pepper/your favorite seasonings

olive oil

toppings: Sliced green onions, your favorite cheeses (I used grated Parmesan cheese & sharp cheddar), bacon and sour cream

Directions:

Wash your potatoes well and slice them uniformly.  Lay them out on a greased baking sheet.  Top them with olive oil and your favorite seasonings.  Let them bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes.  Check on them half way through and flip them.  Pull them out of the oven when they start to brown and are soft - check with a fork.  Top them with your favorite toppings.  Serve with a side of sour cream.  Yum!

Baked and ready for toppings!

I loaded my potatoes up with every topping.  The kids requested plain to dip in ketchup, just cheese and bacon + green onions.  We all loved them!  I like to buy the squeeze containers of sour cream and it worked perfectly to top each slider with a dab of sour cream.

These are both so good - I hope you have a reason to make them soon!

Personalized Nachos

Kevin and I love nachos!  We've ordered them to share ever since we were dating.  I have really fond memories of date night at Chili's sharing nachos.  I love making them at home for a great game day dinner or for an extra delicious taco night meal.  They make taco night feel extra special.

The adults love all the toppings!  The kids do not.  They want meat and cheese only with a little salsa on the side.  I found a way to do nachos that work for all of us.  You can customize them to work for anyone in your family without too much extra effort.  I rarely fix different food for the kids.  This is my way of making one meal work for everyone.

Almost too pretty to eat!?

Can you see 3 different types of nachos?

Have you ever squeezed fresh lime juice on top of your nachos?  It's an amazing burst of flavor.

The kids get taco meat, cheese and a little crumbly queso fresco cheese.

Kevin's section is on top - sauteed peppers and onions, purple onions, black olives, fresh jalapenos that he grew!, taco meat, cheese queso fresco and lettuce.

My section is on the bottom - I swap out olives for fresh tomatoes, guacamole and sour cream and just add a jalapeno or two to my plate.

I like to bake most of the ingredients on the nachos until the cheese melts.  Then I add the cold ingredients - guac, sour cream, fresh tomatoes, lettuce, jalapenos and queso fresco crumbles to the top of the nacho pan once it is out of the oven.

Would your family enjoy customized nachos?

You should add them to your menu ASAP.

This is probably my #1 favorite way to do Taco Tuesday!

I'm going to sign off for a few days - the kids some sweet Veteran's Day programs followed by some fun plans for our long weekend.  We're thankful for all of our Veterans and to live in the wonderful USA.  I'll see you back here next week!

Salami Chips

I've got something new for you today!  I love charcuterie boards and am always on the hunt for new things to make them feel special.  Enter: Salami Chips!

I usually add salami to my boards so it was something I couldn't wait to try out.  It was easy and the salami chips were great!  They'd be perfect for any Fall boards you put together.

Look at these yummy salami chips!

Ingredients & Directions:

There is only one ingredient needed: Salami!  I like this Appleton Italian Dry Salami from Aldi.  The quality and price are great.  It easily feels us two dinners.  You don't have to use parchment paper, but it makes clean up a lot easier if you do.  Line your baking sheet with parchment paper and then salami on top.  Try to space them out as much as possible.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.  I kept an eye on them and when I noticed the salami start to crisp up and curl at the edges I knew it was done.

Let them cool and pat off the grease with a few paper towels.  Let them cool and add these salami chips to your board.

The adults loved these salami chips!  I also included some regular salami.  I probably prefer the salami chips, but my husband loved having both options on our board.

This was a dinner board that I put together for my family.  They totally devoured it.  I included a loaf of homemade crusty bread, our favorite cheeses, meats and a mix of our favorite salty snacks and fruits and veggies.  It's our perfect combination board that has something for everyone in our family.  If I have time, I chop the cheeses, fruits and veggies ahead of time and refrigerate them.  That way when dinner time rolls around, it doesn't take too long to assemble the boards.

Do you think your family or friends would like to try salami chips?  You'll have to introduce them at your next gathering, game day or family dinner!  Let me know if you have any questions!

Baked Cheese Dip

Happy Monday!  I've got another game day food recipe to start off the week!  It's been a fun month of football and football food here.  Notre Dame has figured out how to win and that's been wonderful.  This baked cheese dip recipe is really easy and it's inspired by a recipe my mom makes.  It is delicious on your favorite crackers or pretzels.

Ingredients:

2 blocks of regular cream cheese softened

4 oz sour cream

1 jar of Armour Dried Beef chopped finely

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1 t Minced onion

1t Your favorite seasoning - I used the seasoning salt above, but Montreal steak seasoning would be good.

1t garlic salt

1/2 c chopped pecans

2 T melted butter

*Green onions would be a yummy addition!

Directions:

Mix things together in one bowl.  Start with the cream cheese and seasonings.  Then add in the beef and green onions if you want them.  In a separate bowl combine the melted butter and the pecans.  Spread the cheese mixture in a greased baking dish and then top it with the buttered pecans.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.  Let it cool completely and then serve with your favorite crackers or pretzels.

Enjoy!!  This would be a yummy addition to any game day spread.

Cheesy Pulled Pork BBQ Nachos

I've got another game day recipe for you!  Cheesy Pulled Pork BBQ Nachos.  We are loving all of these game day foods and college football.  Notre Dame finally figured out how to win with their new QB and new coach.  Yay!

These nachos are delicious and really easy to make!  And they are the perfect 2nd dinner to make when you have leftover pulled pork from dinner another night.  I grabbed a package of Member's Mark pulled pork from Sams for an easy dinner.  We loved that it doesn't have sauce on it so that we could add our own BBQ sauce.  We didn't love that it was so finely chopped up.  I'd probably buy it again and just know that it doesn't pull apart like regular pulled pork in strings.

 

Ingredients:
1-2 cups pulled pork w BBQ sauce on it

Any 3 cheeses - shredded sharp cheddar, shredded pepper jack cheese and queso fresco cheese crumbles - any combo of cheese will do!

1/4 c BBQ sauce

1 T diced purple onions 

1/2 sauteed yellow onion

Tortilla chips

Top with sliced jalapenos, extra BBQ sauce & sour cream

Directions:

Grease your pan.

Put on a layer of tortilla chips.

Spread out pulled pork evenly.  Top with onions.  Add cheese.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or so until the cheese is melty.  Remove from the oven.  Drizzle on some extra BBQ sauce on top and add any toppings you'd like.  Let them cool for just a few minutes and serve.  

 

I loved using up leftover meat to make another delicious dinner!  Full disclosure: The kids thought these were poison and only the adults loved them.  Crazy kids.

Game Day: Homemade Pico and Family Traditions

I hope you had a really nice, long weekend!  We had a really rainy holiday weekend in Indiana.  Our new trees and our grass was thankful for that.  We also got to kick off the college football season.  Although Notre Dame lost, we were proud of how they played.  It was awesome to see our new coach in action.  We loved cheering for our favorite team and eating all the game day food.

The kids were excited to put on all their ND gear and watch the game with us.  They weren't so sure that they wanted to watch a 4 hour game, but they were excited to celebrate any time we scored.  I made a nacho bar and cookies for a fun game day at home.

Do you ever make homemade pico??  

It is so simple and so much better than the store bought stuff.  I have a mix of thing we grew, things friends have grown and store bought things for this recipe.

Chop all the tomatoes.  Any kind will do.  I pour in all the seeds and juice.

Add in your favorite chopped onions - I like purple and yellow.  And add in 2 cloves of garlic.

Salt and pepper to taste.  Chop and add sweet peppers.  Green would be the prettiest, but I added yellow and orange because that's what I had on hand.

The juice and zest of one lime.

Stir it all together and let it sit for at least an hour in the fridge.  It tastes better when all the flavors blend together.  Our jalapenos were really hot so I chopped them and left them on the side.  If you like the heat or have more mild jalapenos, I would add them right into the pico.

We all built our own nacho plates and loved this meal!  Sour cream, guacamole, queso fresco cheese, taco cheese, black beans, sauteed sweet peppers and taco meat made a yummy nacho plate.  The kids opted for hard shelled tacos and everyone else did nachos.

I made some game day cookies of course!

The kids were hoping to get to do more touch down push ups with Leo instead of just one.  Hopefully, that'll happen in the games to come. 

Week 1 is in the books and we can't wait for next Saturday!  I have a whole game day Pinterest board of recipes that I'm hoping to try out for football games this season. Stay tuned!

Crockpot Lasagna

I always go for crock pot recipes when the weather starts to turn cool.  Anyone else do that!?  It just seems right for Fall and Winter.  I have two crock pots - a vintage 2004 wedding gift one and a new one with a timer, a clip on lid and a travel case.  I love them both.  I have a really yummy Crockpot Lasagna recipe to share with you today.  I heard someone mention crock pot lasagna and I had to tweak my favorite lasagna recipe for it.  

Look at this Crockpot Lasagna!

I'll be honest.  I wasn't so sure it was possible to make a yummy lasagna in a crockpot.  I'm so happy to tell you that it's definitely possible!  My whole crew licked their plates.  This recipe is a winner! 

 

Crockpot Lasagna Recipe:

1/2 lb cooked ground beef

1/2 chopped onion

3 garlic cloves

salt and pepper to taste

& 1 t your favorite seasoning (I'll post a pic of the local favorite spice blend that I used)

2 24oz jars of your favorite pasta sauce

1 c water

1 bag shredded mozzarella

1 container ricotta cheese

1/2 t oregano

1/2 t basil

Parmesan cheese

1 box oven ready lasagna noodles

 

 

Cook your meat, onions, garlic and spices all together.  Drain off fat.  Add in the pasta sauce and water.  Let that all simmer together.  Stir ricotta. oregano, basil and a dash of salt and pepper together in a separate bowl.

 Here's the Seasoning Salt I used.  It's AMAZING.  If you're local - grab some from Simply Sons.  You can swap it for an Italian seasoning, some Montreal Steak seasoning or anything else you have on hand.

 

Spray your crock pot with a nonstick spray and begin layering.  Start with meat sauce.  Break noodles apart into chunks to make serving and eating easier.  I broke each long noodle up into 5 or so pieces.  Add a layer of noodles.  Add ricotta, shredded mozzarella and parm.  Repeat layers until finished and add mozzarella on top.

 

 

 Half of my family doesn't love cheese (crazy to me!?) but I just extra cheesed my side of the lasagna and under cheesed their side.  It worked out perfectly.  Customize the layers to work for your crew.

 

This will cook up nicely in your crockpot in about 4 hours.  Set your crock pot on high for 2 hours.  Check on it and adjust temp for the final 2 hours of cooking.  If the noodles are softened, switch down to low for the last 2 hours.  If not, keep it on high.  After 4 hours, switch your crockpot to warm.

4 hours later!  Look at this bubbly lasagna goodness.

 

The layers stayed in tact and it was just like a real lasagna.  Just much quicker and much more scoopable.

Spoon out and serve!  It was so nice not to have to carefully slice our pieces.  Jut scoop and go.  We ate it with big salads one night and roasted broccoli the next night.

This was SO good the first night and even better leftover.  I hope you enjoy this really easy way to make lasagna for your family or friends.  It would be perfect for family dinners, tailgating, football parties or any holiday gathering.

Enjoy!!