Warm bean dip

With football season and the start of fall soon this is the perfect dip to snack on.There is nothing better than warm bean dip with chips. I found the recipe on this site.




1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

2 {16 oz, each} cans of refried beans

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 cup {8 oz.} sour cream

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups shredded monterrey jack cheese

n a large bowl, mix together softened cream cheese, beans, and sour cream until well blended.Now add the packet of taco seasoning and mix well.
Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and spread the bean mix evenly on the bottom.Now sprinkle the cheeses evenly over the top of the bean mix.Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and gooey. Serve with the chips of your choice.

Zesty snack mix

I stumbled upon this recipe when i was reading a paula deen christmas cook book my brother had. I know that it is to late now to make as a christmas gift for people but it is on my list to make next christmas. Or you can just make this anytime for a go to snack ! Just store in an air tight container. This has a mild flavor so dont let the zesty title scare you away.

2 (9 ounce) packages oyster crackers

1 (1 pound) package cheese-flavored fish shaped

crackers

1 (1 pound) package miniature pretzel twists

1 cup butter, melted

2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning

1 teaspoon dried dill

1 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 (1 ounce) package dry ranch dressing mix

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

In a LARGE roasting pan, combine crackers and pretzels.
In a small bowl, combine melted butter, lemon pepper seasoning, dill, ground red pepper, and ranch dressing mix.
Pour over cracker mixture, tossing gently to coat.
Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool completely.Store mixture in air tight container for up to 2 weeks.

Makes 8 quarts.

pepperoni logs

I love trying new things ! These look so simple to make and very tasty . They would be the perfect appetizer at any party or just a snack ! This recipe comes from My Kitchen Apron !



1/2 package Egg Roll Wrappers (8)
40 Pepperoni Slices
2 cups Shredded Italian Cheese
Lay out egg roll wrappers on a clean, dry surface.
Place five pepperoni slices diagonally on the bottom left-hand corner of each wrapper.
Top each strip of pepperoni with 1/4 cup of cheese.
Stir 1 TBSP cornstarch into 1/2 cup water to make slurry.
Using fingers, wet the edges of an egg roll wrapper with the slurry.
Fold up bottom left corner over the pepperoni and cheese, tucking filling in tightly and sealing the edges.
Fold over sides of the wrapper to create an "envelope".
Rewet the top corner of the wrapper and roll up tightly, making sure edges are sealed tightly to prevent the filling from leaking out while frying.
Drop rolls into deep fryer, a few at a time so as not to crowd the basket.
Cook until golden brown, about five minutes.
Serve with pizza sauce for dipping.

BBQ chicken calazones

I made these for dinner tonight and they were super easy to make and got rave reviews from the hubby ! I loved them as well and will be adding them to my dinner menu rotation. I got this recipe from the life as a lofthouse blog

1 can (16oz) Pillsbury Grand's Homestyle Biscuits
1 large boneless skinless Chicken breast, cooked and diced - I used tyson grilled chicken breast strips that are already coooked .
1/2 cup Barbecue Sauce
1/2 cup Bacon, cooked and crumbled ( I used Oscar Mayers pkg of Real Bacon bits)
1/2 cup chopped Red Onion
Cilantro
Shredded Mozzarella


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together the cooked chicken and barbecue sauce.
Remove biscuit dough from can. Take one dough piece and lay out on a clean surface. Roll out flat into a 6 inch circle. Repeat with all dough circles.

In the center of a flattened dough circle, place 1/4 cup of barbecue chicken. Top with desired amount of red onion, bacon, cilantro and mozzarella. Take another dough circle and place over the top. Seal the edges by pressing them together. I also used a fork and gently pressed all around the edges. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. You will have 4 calzones total.

Bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately!

Sassy tailgate sammies

I came across these yummy looking sandwiches in a taste of home magazine. They look really delicious and would be the perfect party or tailgate sandwich.

Ingredients

* 1 pkg. (12 count) Hawaiian bread rolls
* 1 lb. shaved Black Forest ham
* 12 slices Gruyere cheese
* 1 tub (8 oz.) Philadelphia® Chive & Onion Cheese Spread
* 1/2 cup butter, melted
* 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
* 1/2 Tbsp. dried minced onion
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

* Cut all rolls in half. Place roll bottoms in 9x13-inch pan.
*
* Place equal amounts of ham on each roll bottom. Top with Gruyere.
*
* On each of the roll tops, spread a generous amount of the cream
* cheese spread. Return the tops to the bottoms making sandwiches.
*
* In a separate bowl, mix together the butter, Worcestershire sauce,
* onion and Parmesan cheese. Pour over your sandwiches and let sit for
* at least 20 minutes. (You can make these ahead of time and allow to
* sit in fridge overnight.)
*
* Place sandwiches, covered in foil, in a preheated 350°F oven.
* Bake for 20 minutes or until warmed through. Enjoy! Yield: 12

Buffalo chicken bites

Photo courtesty of pillsbury

These are the perfect snack to serve at parties or while you are watching the big game.They are so simple to make and very tasty !


1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

1/4 cup chili sauce

1/4 cup hot pepper sauce - I use franks red hot

1 1/4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 cup chunky blue cheese salad dressing

1 In small bowl, mix butter, chili sauce and hot pepper sauce. 2 In large bowl, mix chicken and half of the chili sauce mixture. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook chicken over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until well browned and no longer pink in center. 3 Add remaining half of chili sauce mixture; toss to coat. Serve chicken with toothpicks and blue cheese dressing for dipping.

* You can serve these with celery sticks on the side to balance out the heat of the chicken.

pinwheels

Super quick and easy appetizer and very cheap to make.

4 10 inch flour tortillas
8 oz pkg chive cream cheese
1 lb sliced ham or turkey
8 0z pkg shredded american cheese

Lay out tortillas: Spread with cream cheese and place several slices of lunch meat on each tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll up tortillas and place in fridge for 15 mins. Cut vertically into one inch pieces. Makes 40 appetizers


* Another variation i like to make is regular cream cheese,turkey and cranberry sauce.

Tortilla ham and cheese pinwheels

This is the perfect finger food to serve at any party or just as a snack. I got this recipe from mommy's kitchen


2 - packages (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 - packet (.04 oz) Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
6 - flour tortillas (12 in), room temperature
1 - package (12 ounces) thin deli sliced ham
10 - slices Swiss cheese
1 - cup shredded cheddar cheese or Colby jack
1 - 2.25 oz can chopped black olives

Mix cream cheese and dry salad dressing together. Spread mixture on each tortilla. Drain the sliced olives and set aside. Place two slices of ham on top of the cream cheese mixture. Add sliced Swiss cheese and sprinkle on shredded cheddar cheese and olives. Roll up tortillas tightly. Just like you would for cinnamon rolls. Chill at least 2 hours or overnight. Cut rolls into 1 inch slices. Makes 3 - 4 dozen pinwheels

Ham-cream cheese croissants

This simple recipe makes a great appetizer for any get together.

1 1/2 c cooked ham cubed - I just buy a ham steak at the store and warm it up
8 oz plg cream cheese softened
12 oz tube refigerated crossaints

In a medium mixing bowl combine ham and cream cheese.Unroll and separate crossaints. Place a dollop of ham mixture on each crossaint. Roll up and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 425 for 15-18 mins

Celebration cheese ball

This cheese ball is the perfect appetizer for any occasion. Serve with your favorite crackers for a great snack.

2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese softened
8 oz pkg shredded sharp cheddar
1 tbs worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp celery salt
1 cup chopped pecans

Blend together 1st 5 ingredients. Cover and put in fridge for 3 hours. Then shape into 2 balls and roll in pecans. Keep in fridge til ready to serve.

Sausage balls

These make a quick and easy appetizer.

2 cups bisquick baking mix with 1/2 c cold water
1 lb jimmy dean sausage cooked and crumbled
1 c grated cheese

Mix everything together and form into small balls and bake on a cook sheet until lightly brown @ 350

Asian lime wings with habaneros

I found this yummy recipe on chilebomb.com

* 1 package of 16 whole chicken wings, separated, tips discarded
* 3 limes juiced
* 3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
* 1/2 cup soy sauce
* 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
* 1/2 cup ketchup
* 2 tablespoons sesame oil
* 1/3 cup brown sugar
* 3 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
* 3 large cloves garlic, chopped
* 1 to 2 habanero peppers (lower heat by removing seeds)
* 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped


1.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix lime juice, vinegar, Kimlan Soy Sauce, hoisin, ketchup and sesame oil in a non-reactive bowl. (See tip below.)
2.
Add brown sugar. Stir until dissolved. Add ginger, garlic, habaneros and cilantro. Reserve half the sauce for dipping.
3.
Bake chicken wings on a roasting pan at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Dump wing in sauce and toss to coat. Heat remaining sauce in a saucepan over low heat. Transfer to pre-heated grill for 3 minutes on each side, turning once. The sauce is has a good bit of sugar in it so be careful to not burn the wings. You just want them to caramelize.
4.
Serve with sauce on the side for dipping.
Tips
Using a non-reactive stainless steel, glass or ceramic mixing bowl when cooking with acidic ingredients such as vinegar or juice is always a best practice. Acid can react with other materials and metals which can leave a metallic taste behind or discolor the food.
You could deep fry these wings before you sauce them and they'd be fantastic. I chose to bake them first to render some of the fat and then grill them in keeping with the spirit of nice weather and good company.

Homemade Pita Chips

These are a healthy alternative to regular chips. I know they don't taste the same as good ol lays but they aren't to bad.



1 pkg Greek style pitas
olive oil
fine sea salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cut pitas in half, then cut each half into 4. Place, in a single layer, onto a baking sheet, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until chips begin to turn a golden brown color. Dip in your favorite dip.

Recipe courtesy of hun whats for dinner

Meatball sliders

This recipe comes from the pioneer woman website.These sliders are perfect for a qucik dinner or as an appetizer.If you dont have time to make the homemade meatballs you can cheat and buy frozen.

Ingredients

* 1 pound Ground Chuck Or Ground Beef
* ½ cups Panko Or Other Bread Crumbs
* 1 clove Garlic, Minced
* ½ teaspoons Salt
* Freshly Ground Black Pepper
* ½ cups Milk
* 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
* ½ whole Medium Onion, Diced
* 1 jar (large) Marinara Sauce
* 12 whole Dinner Rolls (or Slider Rolls)
* 4 slices Provolone Cheese, Cut Into Four Wedges Each

Preparation Instructions

Mix meat with bread crumbs, garlic, salt, pepper, and milk. Knead together with hands. Roll into heaping tablespoon-sized rolls.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook for one minute. Add meatballs between the onions and brown for one minute. (You might have to do this in two batches, depending on the size of your skillet.)

Pour in jar of marinara; shake pan gently to mix. Put on lid and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

When ready to serve, cut each dinner roll in half. Place a wedge of Provolone on the top and bottom of each roll. Spoon a meatball with the sauce onto the bottom bun; top with the top bun.

Serve immediately!

Pepperoni pizza wheels

These would be great as an appetizer or a snack while watching your favorite tv shows!


1 can of refrigerated pizza crust
1 can of pizza sauce
pepperoni slices
cheddar cheese

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350. Roll out pizza crust, top with sauce and pepperonis. Roll up and then cut into equal sections. Place on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray and then top with extra cheddar. Bake for 20 minutes at 350. Warm up remaining pizza sauce for dipping. Enjoy!

recipe courtesy of :spendless2savemore.blogspot.com

Crescent roll dogs

My mom used to make these for me all the time as a kid.We called them weiner winks back than. But know that i am grown up I like to call them crescent roll dogs.

1 tube refidgerated crescent rolls
1 pkg cheddarwurst hot dogs - you can use any hot dog of your preference

preheat oven to 350
Unroll the tube of crescent rolls and seperate each triangle. Place a hot dog in the middle of the triangle and wrap it around the hot dog. Put on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown. about 10 mins or so

Cornmeal fried onion rings

If you like onion rings you will love the barefoot contessa's recipe. They are great !

* 2 large Spanish onions (or 3 yellow onions)
* 2 cups buttermilk
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/4 cup (medium) yellow cornmeal
* 1 quart vegetable oil

Directions

Peel the onions, slice them 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick, and separate them into rings. Combine the buttermilk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add the onion rings, toss well, and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes. (The onion rings can sit in the buttermilk for a few hours.) In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

When you're ready to fry the onion rings, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a large pot or Dutch oven. (A candy thermometer attached to the side of the pot will help you maintain the proper temperature.) Working in batches, lift some onions out of the buttermilk and dredge them in the flour mixture. Drop into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes, until golden brown, turning them once with tongs. Don't crowd them! Place the finished onion rings on the baking sheet, sprinkle liberally with salt, and keep them warm in the oven while you fry the next batch. Continue frying the onion rings and placing them in the warm oven until all the onions are fried. They will remain crisp in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Homemade mozzerella cheesesticks

I love mozzerella cheese sticks but sometimes they can be a bit pricey to order when we go out to eat. So i figured why not make them at home.They take a little time to make but so worth it !

Ingredients:
1 Package String Cheese
1 1/2 Cups Italian Breadcrumbs
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
2 Eggs, beaten
2 Cups Vegetable Oil
Marinara sauce or ranch to dip them in

Cut each string cheese in half and dip one at a time in the flour then the egg and lastly the breadcrumbs.Set them on a foil lined cookie sheet and place them in the freezer for about 20 mins. Heat your oil in a skillet and carefully fry the mozzerlla sticks until a golden brown and the cheese starts to ooze out. Drain them on a paper towel and serve with your dipping sauce of choice.

Homemade Pizza pockets

These pizza pockets are perfect for an anytime snack or an appetizer for a party. They are very quick and easy to make.

1 tube of crescent rolls
1 sm jar of pizza sauce
1 sm can diced olives drained
1 pkg pepperoni
1 pkg shredded mozzarella cheese

Take each individual crescent roll and place pizza sauce, cheese, pepperoni and whatever other toppings you’d like on the dough. Roll the dough up and seal the edges. Bake at 375 for about 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. (keep an eye on them, they brown pretty quickly)

Baked hot and garlic boneless wings

This is a healthier version of the good ol hot wings. The recipe is from aggies kitchen.

1.5 lbs chicken breast, sliced into strips
2 cups panko breadcrumbs (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper
olive oil
2 cups Frank’s Hot Sauce
butter, optional
2 tsp minced garlic (from jar)

You will need:
large cookie sheet
baking rack
Season chicken strips with salt and pepper, also drizzle a little olive oil over chicken and toss to coat. Pour panko in a large dish and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Dip each chicken strip into dish, pressing chicken into panko to coat well.

Place your baking rack into a cookie sheet. Place breaded chicken strips onto baking rack. Spray breaded chicken strips with olive oil spray or non stick spray (this helps to give them that crispy texture).

Bake in 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until golden brown and done.

In small saucepan, heat up hot sauce and garlic. If you want to tone down the heat of the sauce add butter. Start with 1 TB and go from there.

Using tongs, gently toss chicken strips with hot sauce and serve with celery, carrots and your favorite blue cheese dressing