Kelley's Taco Salad Dip

 Ingredients:

- 2 lbs ground beef (I use a lean beef)

- 2 8oz blocks cream cheese, softened

- 1 8oz container sour cream

- Taco seasoning 

- 1 small jar of Taco sauce

- 1 Ranch dip mix packet

- 1 jar of medium chunky salsa

- Shredded lettuce

- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese

- Chopped tomatoes

- Chopped green onions

Directions:

1. Cook ground beef until done; drain any grease fat

2. Add taco seasoning to cooked ground beef until thoroughly mixed (I like a lot of seasoning but add to taste)

3. Spread beef in bottom of dish and press down to create first layer; set in fridge to cool

4. Mix together the cream cheese and taco sauce with hand mixer until incorporated and smooth

5. In a separate bowl mix the ranch dip mix with the sour cream

6. Time to layer - carefully spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the beef layer. Then spoon the sour cream mixture over the cream cheese. Next add the jar of salsa over the sour cream. Top that with the shredded/chopped lettuce and green onions. Next cover with shredded cheddar, and finally add the diced tomatoes.

7. Chill in fridge for at least 1/2 hour and serve with tortilla chips.

Pigs in a Blanket Wreath

•  2-3 

  tubes refrigerated crescent rolls

• 24 

  mini hot dogs (2 packages)

• 1/4 c. 

  Dijon mustard

• Egg wash

• 2 tsp. 

  poppy seeds

• Rosemary sprigs (for decoration)

• Ketchup, for serving

 Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper. Slice crescent rolls lengthwise into thirds. Brush all over with dijon mustard. Place a mini hot dog on the thick end of each triangle and roll up.
2. Step 2Arrange the pigs in a blanket, side by side, in a circle on the baking sheet. They should be touching! Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with salt and poppy seeds.
3. Step 3Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the crescents are golden. Let cool for at least 20 minutes.
4. Step 4Lay rosemary sprigs around the inside of the wreath and place a small bowl filled with ketchup in the center.

Jalapeno Poppers with Bacon

 

• -10 large jalapeños
• ▢-8 ounce cream cheese softened
• ▢-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• -▢-1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢-1/4 teaspoon pepper
• ▢-1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ▢-1/2 pound bacon cooked and crumbled
• ▢-1/4 cup green onions sliced

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wearing gloves, slice each of the jalapeños in half lengthwise and use a spoon to remove the seeds and veins.
• In a medium-sized bowl, combine the cream cheese, garlic powder, salt, pepper, cheddar, bacon, and green onions.
• Spoon the mixture evenly in the jalapeños and place it on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until the jalapeños are tender.

Spicy Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread

-Canola oil spray
-One 16-ounce tube refrigerated flaky biscuits (8 biscuits)
-2 cups grated low-moisture mozzarella (about 1 pound)
-4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
-2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions, white and green parts
-1 tablespoon minced garlic
-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
-1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Special equipment: a 6-inch cast-iron skillet

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 6-inch cast-iron skillet with canola oil spray.

Remove the biscuits from the package and lay them out on a clean work surface. Gently pull the layers apart at the middle to divide the biscuits in half. Gently pull each of the halves apart so you are left with four thin, round biscuits each (32 in all). Don't worry if any biscuits tear: just press the torn pieces back together.

Place 1 teaspoon of the mozzarella in the center of each biscuit round; you will use about 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella for this. Fold the dough around the cheese and roll into balls. Arrange the balls in a circle around the edge of the prepared skillet, then work your way in until you have completely filled the cast-iron pan with the dough balls. If you start to run out of room as you get closer to the center of the skillet, gently push the dough from the center towards the edges of the pan to make more space.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Once melted, stir in the scallions, garlic, red pepper and salt. Cook until the butter is just beginning to brown and the garlic is lightly toasted and very fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vinegar. Pour the melted butter evenly over the top of the dough and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.

Bake until the dough is cooked through and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Serve in the skillet.

Brie Dip with Honey and Walnuts

-7 ounces brie
-honey
-walnuts


Slice brie and layer in a 8X8 glass dish. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons honey and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of chopped walnuts.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Serve with club crackers.

Hanky Panky

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 lb. Mild sausage
• 1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. garlic
• 1/3 small. onion, chopped
• 1 T ketchup
• 1 t Worcheshire 
• 3 loaves Pepperidge Farm party rye bread

1. Brown meats and onion.  Mix in cubed cheese and seasonings and cook over low heat til melted.
2. Place approximately 2 tablespoons of the mixture on each slice of cocktail rye bread.
3. Arrange cocktail rye bread slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated 350 degree oven 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and crisp
   .

Cowboy Caviar

-1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

-1 can black eyed peas, rinsed and drained

-1 pound roma tomatoes, chopped

-1 can sweet corn, drained (or 2 cups frozen corn)

-1/2 – 1 red onion, chopped

-1/2 cup diced green bell pepper

-1/2 cup diced red bell pepper (or orange or yellow)

-1 cup chopped cilantro

-1/2 cup pickled jalapeno peppers, chopped

-avocado

Dressing:

-1/2 cup olive oil

-1/3 cup white wine vinegar

-1 tsp salt
-lime juice

Whisk ingredients for dressing together.

In separate container, combine all ingredients and stir dressing over top.

Avocado Hummus

-30 ounces Chick Peas/Garbanzo Beans (2 cans), rinsed and drained
-1 avocado
-1/2-1 cup cilantro
-1 tsp garlic
-1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 small limes)
-1/2 cup olive oil
-3 tsp salt


Blend in blender until smooth slowly adding the lime juice and olive oil as you go.


From the kitchen of Andreia Waggoner.a

Tortilla Pinwheels

- 1 pack of 10 flour tortillas

-16 oz of whipped cream cheese

-8oz of sour cream or jalapeño dip made with sour cream.

-Chives chopped.

-8oz shredded cheese

-1 can of diced black olives

-8-16 oz of finely diced or pureed ham....finer the ham is diced the easier to spread.

Mix all ingredients together and spread thin over tortillas. Roll tortillas.  Fill ends of tortillas with some of the mix. Refrigerate for 1 hour to stiffen rolls.  Remove and slice.  Tip - 50% more cream cheese will make mix stiffer.

From the kitchen of Kristi Eberhart.

Asian Cole Slaw Salad

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this stuff and finally got my hands on the recipe!

-1 bag (8 ounces) cole slaw (I use a larger bag...I think 12 ounces)
-1 bunch green onions, chopped
-2 packages Ramen noodles chicken soup (break up the noodles, uncooked)
-1 cup sunflower seeds
-1 cup chopped walnuts

Combine all the above ingredients.

Dressing:
-1 cup sugar
-2/3 cup white vinegar
-1/2 cup olive oil
-1 1/2 packages of the chicken soup seasoning mix

Combine dressing ingredients by shaking together in a container.  Mix desired amount of dressing (may not need it all) into the salad and serve.

Pasticcio di Spinaci

Since there are NATO operations at our current base, we have friends from various parts of the world.  From time to time we have the pleasure of sampling authentic food from their respective country.  One of Scott's fellow instructor pilots (from Italy) brought this in for him to sample the other day.  Scott loved it so much that the guy's wife made an entire pie for our family to enjoy for dinner the following day.  This recipe doesn't sound like much, but I promise you....it is DIVINE.  Pasticcio di Spinaci translates into Spinach Pie. 

-2 sheets puff pastry
-1 pound bag baby spinach
-Ham, thin slices
-Swiss cheese slices, thin slices
-Parmesan cheese, as much as desired
-1 lightly beaten egg

Cook spinach on low heat in a pan with some butter and a pinch of salt. Once the spinach is tender, mix it in a bowl with egg and Parmesan cheese.  Lay one puff pastry sheet on parchment paper sheet in a baking pan. Spread the spinach mixture over the puff pastry, put one layer of ham and one of cheese on top of the spinach and cover with the second sheet of puffy pastry.  Wrap together the two sheets along the sides.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the puff pastry turns golden. Let cool and cut in 3x3 inch pieces to serve.

From the kitchen of The Trebisonda Family.

Shrimp Chip Dip

I love this dip! It's super salty and great with chips or crackers. It reminds me of holiday events at my Aunt Chris' house when I was younger. I don't really like seafood, but still crave this dip.

-1 can cream of shrimp soup
-1 (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
-garlic salt to taste

Mix ingredients thouroughly and then chill. Serve with chips or crackers. The trick to no lumps in your dip is to blend the cream cheese well before adding in the soup.

From the kitchen of Christine Allman.

Raspberry Walnut Baked Brie

I am obsessed with Brie.  I could eat an entire round of it in one sitting.  I just tried this baked Brie recipe off of allrecipes.com last weekend.  Loved it and it's super simple!

-1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed
-1 (8 ounce) round of Brie cheese
-1/3 cup raspberry jam (I used raspberry preserves)
-2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (I used a little more than this)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and grease with cooking spray.  Lay the puff pastry onto the prepared baking sheet. Center the Brie wheel onto the pastry.  Spread the jam over the top of the Brie.  Sprinkle the walnuts over the jam.  Fold the puff pastry over the top of Brie, sealing the openings.  Bake in preheated oven until the pastry is golden brown, about 20 minutes.  Serve with crackers (my favorite for Brie are Table Water Crackers).

Restaurant Style Salsa

My friend, Katie, brought this PERFECT salsa over the other night.  She snagged it off the Pioneer Woman's website (I love the Pioneer Woman!!) and said that she never eats jarred salsa anymore.  It's super easy and I have a feeling I will be doing the same thing.  I love me some chips and salsa!

-1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice
-2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies)
-1/4 cup Chopped Onion
-1 clove Garlic, Minced
-1 whole Jalapeno, Quartered And Sliced Thin
-1/4 teaspoon Sugar
-1/4 teaspoon Salt
-1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin
-1/2 cup Cilantro (more to taste)
-1/2 whole Lime Juice

Note: this is a very large batch. Recommend using a 12-cup food processor, or you can process the ingredients in batches and then mix everything together in a large mixing bowl.

Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you'd like---about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.  I haven't tried this yet, but I think I will add in a rinsed jar of black beans and a rinsed can of sweet corn and gently stir before serving.

Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or cheese nachos.

From the kitchen of Katie Talbert

Blue Cheese and Honey on Baguettes

My husband recently came home from a trip up in Canada where he tasted this yummy appetizer one evening.  It didn't sound tasty to me but once I tried a bite, I could not stop eating!!!  Very simple and so good.

-Honey
-Large hunk of blue cheese
-A baguette, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

Slather some blue cheese onto a piece of bread.  Drizzle with a few dots of honey (not too much...just a smidge for a little sweetness).  Eat.  Pure heaven!  Goes great with a glass of wine.

Fruit Dip

Here are a few more recipes that were inspired by Katie's shower. One of my favorite appetizers is fruit and dip so of course I had to prepare some for the shower. Enjoy a few of my favorite fruit dip recipes. Remember, the key to a smooth and lump free dip is to thoroughly blend the cream cheese alone before adding the other ingredients.

Kim's Go To Fruit Dip
-8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
-3 T sugar
-1 cup sour cream
-1 t vanilla extract

Blend well and serve with fruit.

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Pizazzed Fruit Dip
-8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
-1/4 cup powdered sugar
-1 T sherry
-1 t vanilla
-1/2 cup cool whip

Blend well and serve with fruit.

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No Guilt Fruit Dip
-1 container fat free Cool Whip
-1 big box of sugar free vanilla pudding mix

Thaw cool whip and mix until well blended. Serve with fruit. This is a Weight Watcher's recipe.

Fried Cauliflower

I haven't had this for YEARS and have been completely craving it lately. I remember eating this all the time growing up. Made it tonight with dinner tonight...so yummy!!!

-1 head of cauliflower
-Bisquick or pancake batter mix
-Salt and pepper
-Oil (I always use olive oil even though I know you aren't suppose to fry with it)

Core cauliflower. Steam head of cauliflower for 5-10 minutes or until tender (not too soft though since you will still fry it later). Refrigerate cauliflower for 2 hours or even overnight. When you are ready to fry, cut cauliflower into bite size (1-2 inches) pieces. Pour 1/4 cup or so of oil in a fry pan and pre-heat over medium heat. Meanwhile, prepare some pancake batter. You don't need the egg...just the pancake mix and water. Add more water than it calls for...you will want a runny consistency. Add a generous amount of salt and pepper to the batter to your liking. Dip cauliflower pieces into batter, generously coating them. Shake off excess batter and then carefully place in hot oil in fry pan. Continue with the rest of the cauliflower (you will have to do a couple fry pans full as all the pieces won't fit in one round), turning after each sided is lightly browned and crisp (tongs work well for this). Place on a paper towel lined plate to drain and then serve warm.

Growing up, we would eat this as a side dish or sometimes as an appetizer at a party.

From the kitchen of Cheri Midagliotti.

...didn't realize that my Stella made it into the picture. I will say that these do taste great with a beer!

Fire-Roasted Salsa

My friend, Libby, brought her amazing homemade salsa over for our Super Bowl party and I finally snagged her recipe. I love this stuff!

-1 can fire-roasted tomato
-3-4 cloves garlic
-1-2 jalapenos
-small hunk of onion
-small handful cilantro
-salt

Blend in food processor and enjoy!

From the kitchen of Libby Chapman.

Pineapple Cheeseball

-1 block of cream cheese, softened
-1 medium onion, diced small
-1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
-chopped pecans

Mix all and leave some pecans for rolling on the ball for decoration. Refrigerate overnight or much longer for better taste! Serve with crackers.

From the kitchen of Angela Smith.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This is an appetizer that my friend made for our Super Bowl party a couple months ago. It was so tasty that I just had to get the recipe. It tastes like buffalo chicken wings dipped in blue cheese...need I say more?

-1, 8-ounce package cream cheese
-2 cups cooked chicken (a store-bought rotisserie chicken works best), shredded
-1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce, recommended brand = Texas Pete
-2 tablespoons butter, melted
-1/2 cup blue cheese dressing (eyeball it) **you can substitue ranch if you don't like blue cheese
-1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (eyeball it)

Preheat oven to 300°F. Cover the bottom of an 8x8" dish or pie plate with cream cheese. In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, wing sauce and butter, and pour over the cream cheese-filled dish or pie plate. Top with just enough blue cheese dressing and mozzarella cheese to cover (adding too much cheese will cause a thick skin to form that will make eating the dip difficult once the cheese cools). Heat the dip in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve with Scoops (Tortillas or Fritos) alongside for dipping.

From the kitchen of Katie Talbert.