Reuben Dip

Who loves a Reuben sandwich? Here it is in an appetizer dip form!




REUBEN DIP

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup thousand island dressing
8 ounces sauerkraut (rinsed and squeezed dry)
4 – 5 ounces shredded or chopped corned beef
8 ounces shredded Swiss cheese

In a bowl combine all ingredients. Mix well. Spread mixture into a small casserole dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.

I served this with cocktail pumpernickel bread. I toasted it in the oven during the last 10 minutes of cooking time for the dip.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

I know, everyone else in the world already has a recipe for Buffalo Chicken Dip. I have eaten this many times, but never made my own. This is a compilation of several recipes found around the internet, made with proportions to my liking.


BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP

1 (8 ounce) package of light cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup chunky blue cheese salad dressing
1/2 cup hot wing sauce (Frank’s)
2 (10 ounce) cans premium white chunk chicken (Tyson)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese with next 3 ingredients. Then stir in half of the shredded cheddar. Move mixture into baking dish.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, uncovered. Then top with remaining cheddar and bake 10 more minutes.

Serve with tortilla chips and celery sticks. It was surprisingly good with the celery sticks!

Bacon & Blue Cheese Crostini

A super simple appetizer to have before dinner (or as you are completing the dinner).


BACON & BLUE CHEESE CROSTINI

skinny loaf crusty bread, thinly sliced
cooked bacon pieces (like Hormel)
crumbled blue cheese

Place bread slices on aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 4 to 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix bacon pieces and cheese together.

Top bread slices with bacon/cheese mixture. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes, just enough to melt cheese.

Sausage Balls

Who doesn't love sausage balls??

I made these for a breakfast we had on the last day of school. They disappeared!

I used regular sausage instead of hot, and was a bit dissapointed. I wanted the extra flavor and spice. So, remember to get hot sausage.

SAUSAGE BALLS

3 cups Bisquick
1 pound hot breakfast sausage (the kind in the tube)
1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Mix all ingredients with hands. Shape into small (1 inch or less) balls. Place on baking sheets.

Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

Yield: I made about 90 this time.

Note: It works bette to grate a block of cheese. The pre-shredded cheese has ingredients to keep all the pieces from sticking together and therefore doesn't hold together as well.

Apricot Almond Chicken Salad

Here's the other dish I made for the Easter Picnic last weekend. Chicken salad or shrimp salad work great in these tiny pitas as an appetizer.



APRICOT ALMOND CHICKEN SALAD

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup apricot preserves
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
salt
black pepper
3/4 cup chopped or sliced almonds
3/4 cup chopped dried apricots
3 cups chopped cooked chicken (I used canned chicken this time)

Stir together first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Add almonds, apricots and chicken, stir some more.

The measurements here are just estimates, adjust to your taste. Serve in pitas, on crackers, on a salad, in a sandwich.....

Acapulco Shrimp Cocktail and Fish Tacos

So, I wanted a special side dish to go with my Fish Tacos... I usually serve black beans with them, but wasn't in the mood for that this time. I loooooovvvvvve avocados, so when I ran across this recipe, I knew I would love it. And I did!

ACAPULCO SHRIMP COCKTAIL
recipe found at What's Cookin Chicago?

1 pound cooked shrimp
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
3/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 ripe avocado, diced

Place the shrimp in a large bowl and add the lime juice.

In a small bowl, mix the ketchup, hot sauce, Worcestershire, onion and cilantro. Mix well; then pour over shrimp and stir.

Carefully fold in the diced avocado. Divide into 4 to 6 serving dishes.

You can find the recipe for my Fish Tacos here.

By the way, I am back to school tomorrow. That means less cooking and posting here, but I'll give it my best effort.

Mango Chutney Cheese Spread

I took this to a holiday party recently. It's an interesting mix of flavors, but so good. Try it out at your New Year's Eve gathering.



MANGO CHUTNEY CHEESE SPREAD

16 ounces cream cheese (from a tub, reduced fat)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup bacon pieces, cooked until crispy
1/4 cup sliced green onions
2 tablespoons sour cream
9 ounce jar mango chutney (Major Grey’s)

Stir together the first 5 ingredients. Spread mixture in a shallow dish or make a shape on a serving plate. Spread a thin layer of chutney on top. Serve with crackers. (I like Wheat Thins with this.)

Sundried Tomato Cheese Spread

More from our appetizer dinner last week.

SUNDRIED TOMATO CHEESE SPREAD

4 ounces cream cheese, softened (1/2 tub)
3 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 diced sundried tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped basil

Mix all ingredients and stir until smooth. Chill.

I used dry sundried tomatoes and re-constituted them in warm water for a few minutes. You can use the ones packed in oil, just be sure to drain well.

For the little toasts: Slice a baguette in 1/2 inch pieces. Spray both sides of slices with olive oil cooking spray, spread out on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes, turning once.

Toasted Ravioli

TOASTED RAVIOLI

frozen cheese ravioli
Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
1 or 2 eggs, beaten
olive oil cooking spray

Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Set aside.

Cook ravioli according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cool water.

Dip each ravioli in egg and then in bread crumbs. Place on prepared pan. Spray tops of each ravioli with cooking spray.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. Once, halfway through, turn the ravioli over and spray other side with cooking spray.

Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.

Chipotle Honey Roasted Peanuts

This is a recipe I ran across at FoodGawker, a great website devoted to pretty pictures of food. Of course, they link you to the website with the recipe. This recipe came from a blog called Recipe Rhapsody.

I've tried a few spiced nuts recipes in the past, they never worked out like I expected. This one came out perfectly and it's really, really good. Might be a bit spicy for some people, so adjust if you prefer less spicy.

CHIPOTLE HONEY ROASTED PEANUTS

1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound lightly salted dry roasted peanuts (16 ounce jar)

Stir together the sugar and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside. Stir together the butter, honey and salt in a large saucepan over medium heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in the peanuts until well-coated, then pour into a 9 x 13 x 2 baking dish. (I used a glass dish sprayed with a little non-stick spray.)

Bake at 325 degrees about 30 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times to ensure even cooking. Once done, pour the peanuts into a large metal bowl and sprinkle with the spice mixture; toss until well-coated. Pour onto a large baking sheet to cool completely; stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Note: I later tried with unsalted roasted peanuts, the spice mixture did not stick to the peanuts as well, so stick with the lightly salted or salted roasted peanuts (the salt provides a rougher surface for the spices to stick to). If you use salted, reduce the added salt by half.

Mango Chutney Cheese Spread

Sorry for the bad presentation and picture. I was trying out something new and I didn't want to make a full amount, just enough for me and Eddie to taste. But, it turned out really good, so I must share!

I'll make it pretty when I take it to a party or have guests.

MANGO CHUTNEY CHEESE SPREAD

cream cheese (from a tub, reduced fat)
golden raisins
bacon pieces, cooked until crispy (use the ones from a pouch)

green onions, thinly sliced
sour cream (a tablespoon or two per tub of cream cheese)
mango chutney

Use enough raisins, bacon and green onions so that you get some in every bite.

Stir together the first 5 ingredients. Spread mixture in a shallow dish or make a shape on a serving plate. Spread a layer of chutney on top. Serve with crackers.

Roasted Red Pepper and Almond Dip

I've had this recipe filed away for about five years. I finally got around to trying it. I originally found it in the Atlanta newspaper.

I know it sounds weird... roasted red peppers and almonds??

But, it is so good. If you like roasted red peppers, you are sure to like this!

ROASTED RED PEPPER AND ALMOND DIP

1/2 cup (3 ounces) whole toasted or oil-roasted almonds
1 (12 ounce) jar of roasted red peppers, drained
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 large garlic clove
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor, chop the almonds until very fine. Add peppers, vinegar and garlic; process until pureed, 5 to 10 seconds. Add olive oil and process until emulsified, about 5 to 10 seconds. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Don’t add salt if you use salted almonds.)

Serve with pita chips, tortilla chips or veggies.

I served with homemade Baked Pita Chips.

BAKED PITA CHIPS

3 (6 inch) pita bread rounds
olive oil cooking spray (like Pam)


Cut each pita into 8 wedges, then separate each into 2 pieces. Place on baking sheet inside side up in a single layer. Spray cooking spray evenly over wedges.

Bake at 400 degrees for 3 to 5 minutes or until crisp.

Pitas tend to have one side thinner than the other. I separate the thicker pieces and cook them for about 5 minutes, the thinner pieces for about 3 minutes.

Yield: 48 pita chips

Pineapple PepperJack Bites

I can't remember where I saw this recipe (it's hardly a recipe, just something you put together!). I just remember being intrigued by the odd combination of sweet and spicy. It was really good.


PINEAPPLE PEPPERJACK BITES

fresh pineapple, cubed
sugar (just sprinkle some over pineapple in pan)
PepperJack cheese, cubed

Over medium heat, sauté pineapple cubes and sugar until pineapple browns/caramelizes, turning pineapple cubes occasionally. Let cool.

Slide one piece of pineapple and one piece of cheese on toothpick or skewer. Repeat as needed.

So easy!

Smokehouse Quesadillas

Years ago, Chili's restaurant had Smokehouse Quesadillas on their menu. It was one of my favorite things to order there. When I found out this wasn't on the menu anymore, I came up with my own version.

This can be served as an entree for 2 or 3 people, an appetizer for about 6.

SMOKEHOUSE QUESADILLAS

2 tablespoons margarine
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
4 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1/2 pound thinly sliced smoked turkey
sweet and smoky barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons margarine, melted

Melt 2 tablespoons margarine in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and set aside.

Brush one side of 2 tortillas with melted margarine. Place buttered side down on an extra large baking sheet. Spread each tortilla with a thin layer of barbecue sauce. Sprinkle each tortilla with about 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Add onion and top with turkey. Add another layer of cheese. Top with remaining tortillas, pressing firmly. Brush tops of tortillas with melted margarine.

Bake at 450 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once halfway through. Cut each tortilla into 6 or 8 triangles and serve hot.

Note: You can use any kind of smoked turkey. I generally use smoked turkey from the deli shaved really thin so it's falling apart. It works just as well to use smoked turkey lunchmeat slices.

Mozzarella Crostini

Here's an easy appetizer you can put together quickly and if you're a little creative, I bet you can come up with many variations.

Just in case the first ingredient on the list is not descriptive enough, here's a picture.



MOZZARELLA CROSTINI

1 (2 foot long) loaf skinny crusty bread, thinly sliced
1/3 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup sliced green onions
5 to 7 Roma tomatoes, cut into about 36 slices (or however many slices you got from the bread)
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

Place bread slices on aluminum foil lined baking sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, combine olive oil and next 3 ingredients. Brush oil mixture on bread slices after the first 5 minutes of baking. Top each with green onions and a tomato slice. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for another 5 to 7 minutes or until cheese melts.




Of course, I was just cooking for two and didn't use the entire 2 foot loaf. Adjust according to your needs.

I also cheated and used garlic flavored oil instead of mixing garlic into the olive oil.

Even if the bread is a little stale, the baking will give it a nice, light crispiness again.