Superbowl!

Superbowl Sunday is coming up on February 5th, so here are some fun and unique appetizers from around the web to get your creative juices flowing!

Greek 7 Layer Dip

A fun and delicious twist on the traditional 7 layer dip!

Source: Closet Cooking

Greek 7-Layer Dip
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups hummus
1 cup tzatziki (cucumber yogurt dip)
1 cup tomato (diced and mixed with 1 tablesoon lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon oregano)
1/2 cup cucumber (cut into small pieces)
1/4 cup red onions (diced)
1/4 cup feta (crumbled)
1/4 cup kalamata olives (pitted and coarsely chopped)
1 handful mint (chopped)
4 whole wheat pitas (cut into triangles and toasted until just crispy)

Directions:
1. Assemble dip starting with the hummus and stacking each ingredient on top of the last

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Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots
A tater tot, wrapped in bacon? Yes, please! If only to see the curious looks of guests as they ask what these are and eagerly try one!

Source: Recipegirl.com

Some funky, but tasty variations

Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots

Yield: 24 appetizers

Prep Time: 25 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Yield: 24 appetizers

ingredients:

24 tater tots, partially defrosted (about 15 minutes at room temperature)
12 strips of center-cut bacon, cut in half
24 small chunks of sharp cheddar cheese (1/2-inch x 1/4-inch)
Tabasco sauce
toothpicks

directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray.

Lay a piece of bacon on a flat surface. Place a tater tot on top. Using a sharp knife, gently cut a slit down the center of the tater tot. Wiggle a piece of cheese into the slit. Sprinkle Tabasco sauce on top. Wrap bacon tightly around the stuffed tater tot and secure with a toothpick.

Bake 15 minutes, or until they appear to be cooked through and the bacon is crispy. Serve immediately.

tips:

*Tater tots are found in the frozen section- Ore Ida makes them.
*Variations: add a piece of pickle on top of the cheese. Roll the bacon-wrapped tater tot in brown sugar before baking to add a little sweet flavor to this (my favorite way to make these)- just make sure you don’t over-bake them though or the sugar will make them burn. Or try replacing the cheddar cheese with cream cheese and a piece of pepperoncini.
*Make ahead tip: Assemble these a few hours ahead, place them on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and bake when ready.
*Try serving them up with a spicy sour cream dip- sour cream mixed with a little bit of Tabasco sauce.

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Buffalo Chicken Dip
Always a hit! And you can make this as spicy was you want.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

3 cups cooked chicken, shredded

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup Ranch or blue cheese dressing

1 cup pepper sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot®)

1 1/2 cups freshly grated Cheddar cheese

1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4 inch pieces

1 (8 ounce) box chicken-flavored crackers

Directions

Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to an 8 x 8 baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with celery sticks and crackers.

• You can transfer this mix to a crockpot to keep it warm if needed.

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Soft Pretzel Bites

This is one of the most popular recipes on twopeasandtheirpod. A bit of work, but well worth the effort.

twopeasandtheirpod.com

Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites
Soft Pretzels:
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 package active dry yeast
3 ounces unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil
3 quarts water
3/4 cup baking soda
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
Coarse sea salt

For the cheese sauce:
½ Tablespoon unsalted butter
½ Tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ cup milk
8 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated
directions:

For the Pretzels: Combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.

Oil a bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Bring the water to a boil in a small roasting pan over high heat and add the baking soda.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 ounces each. Roll each piece into a long rope measuring 22 inches and shape. Cut the dough into one inch pieces to make the pretzel bites. Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution in batches. We did about 15 bites at a time. Boil for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon. Place pretzel bites on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure they are not touching. Brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt. Place into the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.

Remove to a baking rack and let rest 5 minutes before eating. Serve with cheese sauce.

To make the cheese sauce:
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and cook until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the Cheddar cheese until smooth and all of the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

*If you want to make cinnamon and sugar pretzel bites-instead of adding salt, sprinkle the bites with cinnamon and sugar. For the frosting mix-soft cream cheese-about 3 T, powdered sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a little bit of milk. Whisk together. Add more milk if it is too thick, if it is too thin, add more powdered sugar. I don't measure. I just guess until the consistency is right.*

Recipe makes a lot of bites-perfect for sharing!

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Chicken Enchilada Roll-Ups

These are a nice change up from the usual white tortillas smeared with cream cheese and filled with turkey and lettuce. Make plenty, they'll go fast!

annies-eats.com

Chicken Enchilada Dip Roll-Ups
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, Mexican blend, pepper jack, etc.)
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
2 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt, to taste
Handful of cilantro, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
10 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained well
4-6 8-inch tortillas

Directions:
Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Cook in a skillet over medium-high heat until lightly browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and let cool.

In the meantime, combine all of the remaining ingredients except tortillas in a large mixing bowl. Mix until well blended. Once the chicken is cool, transfer to a cutting board and chop or shred into small pieces. Add the chicken to the filling mixture and stir well to incorporate.

Spread a thin layer of the filling mixture over a tortilla, leaving a small border clear around the edge. Roll the tortilla up tightly into a spiral. Place the rolled up tortilla on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut into 1- to 1½-inch thick segments. Transfer to a serving platter and serve chilled or at room temperature.

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Pizza Dip

Does this look tasty or what?! Everything you love about a hot pizza served in dip form. Yowzers!

Source: Closet Cooking

Pizza DipIngredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup mozzarella, grated
• 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
• 1 cup pizza sauce
• 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded/grated
• 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
• 2 ounces pepperoni, sliced
• 2 tablespoons green pepper, sliced
• 2 tablespoons black olives, sliced

Directions

1. Mix the cream cheese, sour cream mayonnaise, mozzarella and parmigiano reggiano and spread it across the bottom of a pie plate.
2. Spread the pizza sauce on top and sprinkle on the cheese, pepperoni, green pepper and olives.
3. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the cheese has melted, bubbling and golden brown, about 20 minutes.

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More Dips:

Caramelized Onion Dip: Saute 1 large minced onion in oil until a rich, golden brown. Cool to room temperature, then stir into 1 cup of sour cream. Season with salt and pepper.

Roasted Red Pepper-Almond Dip: In a food processor, combine 1 cup roasted red peppers (fresh or jarred, rinsed and drained), 1 small peeled and seeded plum tomato, 1/4 cup natural almonds, 1 garlic clove, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 1 teaspoon paprika and puree until smooth. Season with salt.

Greek Yukon Gold Dip: Boil 1 pound peeled and sliced Yukon gold potatoes along with 6 garlic cloves until the potatoes are tender. Mash potatoes and garlic with a potato masher along with 1/2 cup Greek yogurt and 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

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Sausage and Cheddar Pinwheels

Source: Stolenmomentscooking.com

Buttery pastry crust, salty sausage and cheese...now that's a winning combination!

Sausage and Cheddar Pinwheels 
3 c. flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. butter or margarine, cut into pieces
1/3 – 1/2 c. milk
1 lb. bulk pork sausage, cooked, drained and crumbled small
2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter or margarine until crumbly. Add milk as need until a soft but not sticky dough forms. Knead dough one minute.

 
Divide dough in half and roll out. Top with a layer of sausage and a layer of cheese. Roll up jelly roll style and slice into pieces, about an inch thick. Place onto a cookie sheet lined with foil and greased. Repeat with second batch. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 – 18 minutes, until golden brown.

Super Bowl Appetizers, Sweet Treats and Sips

Click here for 2012 Superbowl Food Recipes


Here are some tried and true favorites of mine that are always crowd pleasers. 
(This post is mix of old and new recipes)

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Appetizers!

Fried Raviolis

Crispy and salty on the outside and cheesy and gooey on the inside, these fried raviolis make for a unique and delicious appetizer. Serve them with marinara for dipping.

Recipe

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

and

Bacon Wrapped Mushrooms

These savory bites of goodness are what I'm taking to a super bowl party this year. The filling is a simple mixture of cream cheese and sage sausage that gets stuffed into mushrooms caps and either topped with cheese or wrapped with bacon. It is super bowl after all!! Both are heavenly and I never have any left.

Recipe

Chicken Empanada's

These are a great party snack. Buttery pastry dough is stuffed with a cheesy, green chili chicken mixture and baked. These are little time consuming to assemble, but can be made ahead and refrigerated! Just pop them in the oven when you need them. This is another appetizer that gets rave reviews and is gobbled up quickly.

 Recipe: Click Here

Tomato Basil Mozzarella Bites

These are tasty, fun and healthy. What more could you want in an appetizer? Oh, and they are super simple and quick to assemble. Plus, they can be made ahead!

Recipe

Mini Pizza Bites

Everyone loves pizza and this tasty mini version makes them finger friendly. No plates or napkins (they're not greasy!) required. And as pizza goes, you can customize them anyway you like.

Recipe

Chicken Taco Salad Bites

Shredded moist chicken (or ground beef or turkey), tomatoes, olives and chives are layered in a warm, flaky pastry shell and topped with a roasted red-pepper cream. The prefect all-in-one bite size snack.

Recipe, Click Here
(Use this recipe as a guide and make them with ingredients you like)

*For more tasty super bowl recipes, like wings, finger sandwiches, pretzels and pigs in a blanket, Click here.
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Dips


Chili Cheese Dip
So simple and always a hit. I serve this as a dip or alongside the Chicken Empanada's.


1 can veggie or meat chili 
1 (8 oz) block cream cheese, softened
1 small can diced green chilies
Opt. 1/2 tsp cumin


Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Microwave for five minutes, stirring every two minutes until cream cheese is melted. Heat and stir in 30 seconds increments if needed. This can also be made on the stove top or in a crockpot.




Cucumber Dip
Here is another staple that our parties are never without. My family makes this tasty dip for gatherings all year long.


Source


Recipe
2 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese, softened
2 cucumbers, peeled and diced small
juice of half a lemon
garlic salt to taste


Beat cream cheese, half of the cucumbers, lemon juice and garlic salt until creamy and no cream cheese lumps remain. Taste. Add more juice or garlic salt if needed. If cucumbers are dry, add a splash of milk to get a creamy consistency. Stir in remaining chopped cucumbers. Serve with potato chips and bbq chips.
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Treats

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

This recipe got five stars on allrecipes.com. Everyone that makes it, loves it. Cut down on the sugar and add any fruit that you like.
Recipe, Click Here.

Caramel Corn

This is so addictive!

1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
3 bags, popcorn

Preheat oven to 200.

Over medium heat combine first four ingredients and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda. Pour over three bags of popped corn (make sure to pick out all of the un-popped kernels!). Stir to coat well. Bake in a lined (I use a silplat mat, but parchment is fine), rimmed baking pan for 30 minutes, stirring caramel corn halfway through. Spread on waxed paper to dry. Serve in parchment or wax paper lined bowl.

Gooey Chocolate Cookies
These cookies are chocolatey and super soft. I bring these everywhere and they always disappear quick!

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1 (18 oz) box moist chocolate cake mix
powdered sugar

Preheat 350
Beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Stir in cake mix. Wrap dough and refrigerate 2 hours. Roll dough into balls, roll in powdered sugar to coat. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 11 minute. Cookies will appear gooey. Let cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar, if desired.

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Orange Brownies

These unique and tasty brownies go quick. I would recommend cutting the frosting recipe in half as it makes a ton. You can also make an orange glaze for these that is yummy too.

Recipe, Click Here 

For more tasty cookies like soft snickerdoodles, oatmeal raisin and zesty lemon sandwiches, Click Here. 
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Sips

Beer Margaritas
Be careful with these. They're tasty and go down easy. Maybe a little too easy :)
1 can limeade
1 can water
3/4 can tequila
1 can / bottle light beer ( I use corona)
one lime cut into wedges
Ice

Mix first four ingredients in a pitcher until limeade is dissolved. Squeeze in fresh lime juice and add wedges. Stir in ice. Serve immediately. Can be doubled, tripled...depending on party size.

Mai Tai’s
Mix Equal parts, rum, O.J, cranberry juice and pineapple juice. Chill and serve

Simple White Wine Sangria
Delicious and festive, everyone always raves about this fruity cocktail. 1 Bottle of white wine
1 cup orange juice
2/3 cup white sugar
1 lemon (sliced)
1 lime (sliced)
1 package strawberries
1/2 liter club soda or Pierre

Pour wine, OJ and sugar into the pitcher, stir. Squeeze the juice from the lemon and lime wedges into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible). Stir in strawberries. Chill overnight. Add club soda or Pierre just before serving.
If you'd like to serve right away, use chilled white wine and serve over lots of ice.

Addition ideas: sliced peaches, handful of fresh blueberries, raspberries, kiwi, a shot or two of gin, brandy or rum, a cup of citrus-flavored soda pop.

Ultimate Game Day Chili

Sometimes a big pot of simmering chili just sounds good (especially when it's 30 degrees out and snowing here. Brrrrr!). I made this chili recipe last week and had my parents and my parents-in-law over for dinner (Both my husband and I lucked out and got fabulous in-laws that we enjoy hanging out with. Rare I think.). 

This chili recipe is basic, but comforting and sooo delicious! It has great flavor and spice and everyone that tried it loved it and had seconds. Just for fun, I decided to make corn bread and crumble it for the top of the chili and that turned out really well. It was a great topping!  

I doctored a standard box of corn bread mix with diced jalapenos, Parmesan cheese, a pinch of salt and pepper and frozen corn. Once the corn bread was baked and cooled I coarsely crumbled it and placed it in a bowl uncovered to dry out a little. The corn bread crumbles were slightly sweet and spicy and made for a tasty addition to the chili. I also served sour cream, chives and shredded Monterey cheese on the side. It doesn't get much better than that!


Another good idea for the corn bread would be to bake it in mini muffin tins and serve them on the side. For super bowl, you could place the mini muffins in a basket or bowl and set them next to the chili!

Ultimate Game Day Chili
serves 4 (can be doubled)
inpired by bush's beans
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds coarsely ground chuck*
1 ½ teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
3 cups tomato sauce
2 cups water (could sub. some beer for this)
2 cans (16 ounces) red kidney beans, drained 
Tabasco sauce
Shredded cheese
Crackers 

In heavy saucepan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat until warm. Add onions and garlic and sauté until soft. Add beef and salt. Cook until beef is browned throughout. Drain excess fat. Add chili, cumin, Worcestershire, tomato sauce, sugar and water. Bring pot to low boil and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add red kidney beans and simmer 15 minutes. Add Tabasco sauce to taste, and more salt if desired.


* I asked the butcher at my local grocery store for 2 pounds of coarsely ground chuck instead of getting a 2 lb pack of chuck (which has a lot of fat making up the two pounds) from the meat section. If the butcher grinds it from meat they have on hand, you get a full two pounds of meat with less waste and fat.


** I added one chopped green pepper and substituted chopped tomatoes for some of the tomato sauce to give the chili more texture.


*** I prepared the chili up to the point before the beans went in and then poured the chili into a crock pot and simmered it on low for 4 hours. I added the green peppers and beans about a half hour or so before serving.

Little Piggy

Forgive the haneous photos, I didn't have adequate lighting.

For the U of U Sugar Bowl game yesterday, I decided to stick with traditional football fare and make some pigs in a blanket. I've never made these before and I didn't have a recipe, but they were pretty straight forward and turned out really yummy.

The first time I tried these were at a super bowl party last year in San Diego. The cook was putting them out by the bowl fulls and everyone was just devouring them. They're so easy to assemble and who doesn't love salty sausage wrapped in dough?

I served mine with honey dijon mustard and BBQ sauce. Very tasty appetizers indeed.

Two pkgs, precooked Hillshire Farm Mini Sausages *
Two pkgs, crescent dough

Unroll dough and press two triangle pieces together at the seam to form a rectangle. Roll out dough slightly; cut into strips. Rinse and pat dry sausage. Roll up each sausage in one strip of dough and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 375F for 12-18 minutes or until tops are puffed and golden brown. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

* Found in the bacon section, not the freezer isle.