Southwestern Egg Rolls

I made these for our New Year's Eve celebration.  I found them on Pinterest and have been wanting to try them for a while.  These were easy to make and really delicious.  The flavors were really good and I was able to throw them in a freezer bag for good eats later on.

My plan for these is to incorporate them into Mexican nights and freeze batches for easy weekend meals.  I also think these would be great to make if you're bringing a meal to someone.

I served these with guacamole and salsa for dipping. 

Southwestern Egg Rolls:
(Emily Bites)

Ingredients:
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups reduced fat shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
4 scallions, chopped
1 (4 oz) can of green chiles, drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
24 egg roll wrappers (1 package)


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425. Lightly mist two baking sheets with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the egg roll wrappers and stir to thoroughly combine.

Pour some water into a small dish and set aside. On a flat surface, place an egg roll wrapper, corner facing toward you (like a diamond) and put ¼ cup of the mixture from the bowl on the center of the wrapper. Spread the mixture in a horizontal line from the left corner to the right corner of the wonton wrapper, leaving ½ inch or so of space on each side. Fold the bottom corner closest to you up over the ingredients and give it a 90 degree roll. Fold the side corners in and tuck them as you give the filled section another 90 degree roll. Dip your finger in the dish or reserved water and lightly wet the edges of the remaining top corner of the wrapper. Finish rolling the filled egg roll over the wet corner so that it adheres. Place wrapped egg roll onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

When all of the egg rolls are wrapped and on the baking sheets, lightly mist the tops with cooking spray. Bake for 14-15 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the wrappers are golden brown. Serve with salsa for dipping.

Broiled Chicken Wings

I love chicken wings.  Mr. T is responsible for that.  When we were younger we frequented many All You Can Eat wing nights, which are a staple of any college town.

I've been trying to learn how to make decent wings at home for a while.  I'm not going to fry wings at home so I was on a quest to find another option.  I saw this recipe on Skinnytaste's website and decided to give it a try for our New Year's Eve celebration this year.  

They turned out really well!!  These aren't fried wings and won't taste like fried wings but they do get crisp in the oven and the flavor is amazing.  I will be making these again.

Broiled Chicken Wings:
(Skinnytaste)

3 pounds chicken wings
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon Frank’s hot sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoon oregano
4 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
salt and fresh pepper


In a large bowl combine the chicken, 2 tablespoons hot sauce, vinegar, oregano, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper. Mix well and let marinate for 30 minutes.


Place wings on a broiler rack and broil on low, about 8 inches from the flame for about 10-12 minutes on each side. Be careful not to burn the wings and continue to turn the wings in order to get all of the sides crisp.  Make sure the chicken cooked before removing the wings from the oven.


While chicken cooks, heat the remaining hot sauce until warm. Toss the hot sauce with the chicken and arrange on a platter. Serve with celery and carrot strips and blue cheese or ranch dressing for dipping.

Mini Spinach Quiche

Quiche is so tasty and everyone seems to love it.  Making a mini version is just as easy as the large one and the tiny size is perfect for appetizers.

I like to go ahead and make them a day or two early and just reheat them quickly before it's time to serve. (A toaster oven works great)

Mini Spinach Quiche:

2 eggs
1 cup half and half
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
1 tablespoon corn starch, blended with the half and half
salt and pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
pie crust, store bought is fine

In a bowl blend the eggs, half and half, salt, pepper, and mayonnaise together.  Add the spinach and swiss cheese, mix well.

Take the pie crust, roll it out, and cut small circles out (I used a shot glass).  Spray a mini muffin pan with some non stick spray and place the circles of pie crust into the muffin tins.  Fill each little pie crust with the quiche mixture and bake at 350 until nice and golden, 20-30 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Dip

We had a football party recently.  I made a bunch of savory dips but I had a box of graham crackers around and some apples that I needed to use and decided to make a dessert dip for everyone.

I forgot to take a picture of this but it was a really big hit.  One of my friends took some leftovers home with him and I will more than likely make it next time we have a get together.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Dip:

1 box cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick of butter, room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup chocolate chips

Mix everything except the chocolate chips together.  Fold in the chocolate chips.  Chill until ready to serve.

Jackie's Chex Party Mix

Everyone makes Chex Mix during the holidays.  This is how I make it.

Jackie's Chex Party Mix:
(adapted from Chex cereal)

3 cups rice, corn, and wheat Chex Cereal

1 package of the pretzel and cheddar Goldfish crackers (there is a bag of them mixed)
1 small can of mixed nuts
1 package of garlic bagel chips
7 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon season salt

Mix the cereal, Goldfish crackers, mixed nuts, and bagel chips together in a bowl. In a small saucepan melt the butter.  Add the Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, pepper, and salt to the butter.  Pour over the cereal mixture and toss well.  I use a large wooden spoon so I won't break the cereal bits.

Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour.  Stir every 15 minutes and let cool before storing in an air tight container.

Bang Bang Shrimp

I love the "Bang Bang Shrimp" from Bonefish Grill.  It's good on it's own but it's awesome as a taco as well.  I found this somewhat slimmed up version online, thanks to Pinterest, and decided to give it a shot.

I just posted the recipe for the shrimp it's self below because I figure that you can all figure out how to make a taco.

Bang Bang Shrimp:

(Skinny Taste)

Sauce:

5 tablespoons light mayonnaise

3 tablespoons Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

1 teaspoon Sriracha (or more depending on how spicy you like it)

Shrimp:

1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon canola oil

3 cups shredded lettuce

1 cup purple cabbage, shredded

4 tablespoons scallions, chopped

In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, Thai sweet chili sauce and Sriracha. Set aside.
Combine lettuce and cabbage and divide between four plates. Set aside. 

Coat shrimp with cornstarch, mixing well with your hands.

Heat a large skillet or wok on high heat, when hot add oil. When oil is hot add the shrimp to hot pan and cook tossing a few times until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan and combine with the sauce coating well.

 

Place shrimp on lettuce and top with scallions.

Baked Pita Chips

Mr. T and I have been eating quite a bit of hummus lately.  Pita chips are the best thing to use when snacking on some yummy hummus.  I found this recipe online and it was seriously easy.  I don't think i'll ever buy pita chips again.

Baked Pita Chips:
(adapted from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
12 pita bread pockets
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut each pita bread into 8 triangles. Place triangles on lined cookie sheet.

In a small bowl, combine the oil, pepper, salt, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Brush each triangle with the oil mixture.  Bake in the preheated oven for about 7 minutes, or until lightly browned and crispy. Watch carefully, as they tend to burn easily!

Mushroom Cheese Bread

I would like to thank Publix for this idea.

Mushroom Cheese Bread:

1 loaf crusty bread, cut in half

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup italian cheese shredded cheese blend

1 cup of baby Portabello mushrooms, sliced

Preheat the oven to 350.  Brush olive oil on both pieces of bread (on the cut side, not the crust side).  Lay the mushroom slices on top of the bread and sprinkle with garlic and cheese.

Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Mom's Cheese Spread

My mom has a go-to cheese spread that she makes whenever she has to bring a dish.  It's super easy and takes almost no time.

Cheddar Cheese Spread:

1 package of cream cheese

1 package of cheddar cheese spread

1 package of powdered Italian dressing

Mix everything together and serve with pita chips.

Pimento Cheese

Pimento cheese is a staple in the south.  I've seen people serve it with veggies, on a slice of white bread, and grilled.  The Linda Blondheim Art Studio hosted an Art Lover's Salon recently.  I was responsible for lunch and brought a tray of homemade pimento cheese sandwiches over.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pimento Cheese:
(Martha Foose)

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped sage

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

8 ounces Colby cheese, grated (2 cups)

8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (2 cups)

1 (4-ounce) jar chopped pimentos, drained

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Pumpernickel bread, or bread of your choice

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sage, lemon juice, mustard, cayenne, and Worcestershire sauce with a rubber spatula. 

Add the two cheeses and pimientos, blending thoroughly to combine. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Spread between 2 slices of bread and grill if you want.

Parmesan Potato Fans

Potatoes are an easy side dish.  It's a good thing because we are still using some of the last batch of Yukon Gold potatoes from Mr. T's boss.  This dish is adapted from a potato dish that my mom made when I was a kid.

This dish would make a great appetizer if you used little new potatoes.

Parmesan Potato Fans:

(from my Mom)

4 potatoes- whatever kind you like

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon season salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375* F.  Mix the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder together in a bowl.

Cut the potatoes,about 3/4 of the way through.  Be careful not to cut them all the way through.  I make about 8 slices.

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and brush with the olive oil mixture.  Bake for about an hour, or until the potatoes are cooked all the way through.

Buffalo Ranch Hummus

I love hummus.  I can be a purist and tend to stick with the traditional flavor of hummus but this was a nice change.

Buffalo Ranch Hummus:
(adapted from Devon, who found it at abbynormally.com)

2 cans chickpeas, drained but keep the liquid
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tbsp hot sauce
1 packet of powdered ranch seasoning


Throw it in the food processor and add the chickpea liquid until it reaches your desired consistency.  If you'd like more heat or buffalo flavor, add more buffalo sauce.

Cajun Shrimp

I made shrimp and grits tonight for supper.  It's my favorite meal ever.  Here's how I usually make my shrimp.

Cajun Shrimp:

1 pound of shrimp, shells removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon Old Bay Blackened Seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

In a ziploc bag add the shrimp and all of the seasonings.  Mix around in the bag so all of the shrimp are covered with the spices.

In a skillet, heat olive oil and butter.  Add shrimp and cook until all the shrimp are pink and opaque, 5-10 minutes.

Sausage Balls

I love sausage balls.  They're really popular in the South, more so in Alabama than in my area of Florida.  Every family tweaks this recipe a little bit (I added some Old Bay) so feel free to experiment.  I have a friend that uses venison sausage instead of the pork.

Sausage Balls:
(Old Southern Recipe, but checked measurements from Paula Deen)

1 (1-pound) package ground sausage
3 cups baking mix (recommended: Bisquick)
4 cups grated sharp Cheddar
1/8 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon Old Bay

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  Combine all ingredients in a large glass bowl. Mix well with your fingers. The mixture will be very crumbly.

Form into 1 inch balls, squeezing the mixture so it holds together, then rolling it between the palms of your hands to form balls.

Place the balls on the baking sheet. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Print Me Out

Buffalo Chicken Dip

I don't know where I first found this dip recipe.  I think everyone in my social circle has had this dip at some point in their lives.  It's fantastic and really easy to make.


This has become my go to dish when someone tells me to bring something for a party.

Buffalo Chicken Dip:
(Frank's Red Hot)

1 8-oz package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup ranch or blue cheese dressing
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup buffalo sauce
2 cans chicken breast, drained

Mix softened cream cheese, shredded cheese, ranch dressing, and buffalo sauce.














Add 2 drained cans of white chunk chicken, mix it all in, and add more shredded cheese on top.

Stick it in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or put it in the crock pot.

Blue Cheese Bacon Bites

This is another quick and easy appetizer that you can make if guests show unexpectedly. 

Blue Cheese Bacon Bites:(Mom)


Cook six slices of bacon about half done and drain. Chop into small pieces.
1 can of biscuits cut into quarters. Arrange in a baking dish.
1/4 cup soft butter
4 oz blue cheese


Mix cheese with butter and spread evenly over biscuit tops. Sprinkle with chopped bacon.

Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

These are so good and seriously easy!  I love blue cheese so I usually add some extra when I pull them out of the oven.

Spicy Sausage Dip

I love dips.  I think they are always a good thing to have a party.  You can buy one type of chip and have multiple dips to go with them.  Talk about easy!

I'm not the biggest fan of sausage but Mr. T loves it.  The rest of my family loves it too so I pulled this out of my Grandma's recipe box and updated it a little bit.


Spicy Sausage & Cheese Dip:
Ingredients:

1 (16 oz.) package spicy sausage
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
½ red onion, diced small
1 jalapeno, diced small
Hot sauce, to taste

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the crumbled sausage until browned. Drain. Reduce the heat and add the tomatoes, onions, jalapeno, cream cheese, and hot sauce. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is warmed through.  Add shredded cheeses and continue to stir until the ingredients are well blended. Serve warm.

**The original dip is just sausage, tomatoes with chilies, cream cheese, and hot sauce.**

Spinach Artichoke Dip

I love spinach dip.  In my quest to find the perfect spinach dip I have uncovered this one.  I'd like to thank Mungee's Ma for it.  It was a big hit at our 4th of July picnic this year.

Spinach Dip:(Mungee and Me)

1 package of cream cheese (8 oz.)
1 package of Amish Country Havarti Cheese.
1 package of Green Giant frozen creamed spinach.
1 can of artichoke hearts (drained and chopped).
Dash of garlic powder

In a microwave safe dish, combine cream cheese and Havarti cheese. Microwave about 2 minutes until cheeses melt and you can stir them together.

Defrost spinach in microwave and then add to cheese mixture along with chopped artichokes and a dash of garlic powder.

Microwave all ingredients together for about 3-4 minutes or until desired warmth.


I served it with corn chips because we had a lot of dips and I didn't want to buy a gazillion different types of chips.  I also forgot to take a picture of the finished product.  It was really good and i'm planning on making this again and again.  Thanks Mungee!

Chili Con Queso

This came from one of the women I work with.  Thanks Marilyn!!

Chili Con Queso:
1 Spanish onion, chopped
2 small cans of diced green chilies
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1-2 diced jalapenos
American cheese, cut up into small cubes  (I used 2 small bricks)
2 cups of cheddar cheese
1/4 half-n-half

In a large pot heat up 2 tablespoons of bacon fat or vegetable oil.  Sauté onions. 

Add chilies, tomatoes, and jalapenos and stir.  Do not drain the chilis or tomatoes.

When that is hot start adding cheese a little at a time.  Keep stirring and adding more cheese.  Add half-n-half.

Stir until all of the cheese is melted and everything is combined.

I used Kraft American Cheese.  I found it in the same section of the store as Velveeta.  I tried to find a link to it but Kraft does not have it on their website anymore.  My coworker told me that she gets American cheese from our local wholesale store.  I also added cheddar to mine because I needed something to cut the richness from the american cheese.  I found that a little bit of half-n-half helped too.

This is really awesome and easy to make dip.  Make it the day before and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator so the chilies have time to heat up the cheese.  YUM!!

Mom's Bean Dip

Whenever we had friends coming over after school my mom would whip out this bean dip.  She would either layer it in a regular Pyrex mixing bowl so all of the layers would show or mix everything together with a topping of cheese and lettuce.  Either way, it was amazing.  She would always load it up with tons of veggies so we would end up getting our daily allowance in.

Mom's Bean Dip:


2 cans vegetarian refried beans
1/2 cup mayo
1 cup sour cream
2 diced fresh tomatoes
1-2 cups shredded lettuce
1 onion chopped
1 package taco seasoning mix
4 chopped seeded jalapeno peppers
2 cups shredded jack cheese

Mix up 3/4 cheese with beans,3/4 sour cream,mayo,taco mix, 3/4 onions and 3/4 tomatoes.

Place in a colorful bowl on a platter. Top the dip with remaining cheese,onion,sour cream,tomatoes, lettuce, and peppers.

Serve with tortilla chips and blue corn chips.