Appetizers

Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Cheesy Sausage Dip

April 4, 2017 by Amy Leave a Comment

Hello y’all! I can’t believe we are finally officially in SPRING! It’s time to plant new flowers, have the semi-annual fight with pollen (ha), fork out the warm weather clothes, and well…have more parties!

When it comes to hosting family and friends in our home, I’ve learned that simpler is better. I used to make elaborate meals for parties, but it’s hard to enjoy a party when you’re stuck in the kitchen the whole time! I really only go all-out for Christmas or Easter. Other than that, I prefer to stick with easier recipes. I especially love spring, because typical spring parties = crawfish boils in Louisiana. However, sometimes the guests come hungry (way before the crawfish are finished), so a quick/easy dip recipe that stays warm in the slow cooker is just the ticket!

I like to make this dip just before the guests arrive, so the cheese on top is nice and melty for everyone to enjoy. It’s ridiculously simple to make and it’s always a crowd pleaser! 🙂

Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Cheesy Sausage Dip
Source: adapted from Southern Bite

Ingredients:

16 oz. sweet Italian sausage

16 oz. Velveeta, cubed

8 oz. cream cheese, cubed

10 oz. can RoTel Diced tomatoes and chiles, drained

11 oz. can Mexican corn, drained

1 tsp. taco seasoning

1 cup shredded taco blend cheese

Directions:

Brown the sausage fully in a pan. Once the sausage has fully cooked, drain and discard the leftover fat.

Add the cubed Velveeta and cream cheese to the pan with the sausage, and cook/stir on low heat until the cheeses have melted.

Add the drained tomatoes, corn and seasoning to the pan, and mix until fully incorporated.

Transfer the dip to your slow cooker and set the slow cooker to warm. Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the dip. Cover, and serve with tortilla chips after the shredded cheese starts to melt.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Margaritas + Blue Cheese Guacamole!

May 5, 2016 by Amy Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, on behalf of Corralejo Tequila and Cheese of Europe. I was compensated for this post, and all opinions are 100% my own. Please drink responsibly.

Happy Cinco de Mayo, y’all! I’m not sure how we got to May, but I’m not complaining! We’re so close to summer, and while I’m no longer in school, I’m looking forward to no more school traffic and a happy thing for food bloggers — more sunlight!

When it comes to Cinco de Mayo, I have to have something tex-mex. It just feels right. So, I made some guacamole and not just any guacamole…I made blue cheese guacamole!

I just love a good, chunky guacamole. This recipe is a twist on a classic — just crumbling in some tangy, slightly-spicy Roquefort (blue) cheese brings this guacamole to a whole different level! It’s fantastic, and it couldn’t be easier to make.

Blue Cheese Guacamole
Source: an original

Ingredients:

2 large Hass avocados, peeled and pitted

1 medium roma tomato, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup chopped red onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup crumbled Roquefort cheese

juice of one lime

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

Place the avocados in a medium-sized bowl and mash the avocados with a fork. Place the rest of the ingredients in the bowl with the avocado, and mix until everything is well-combined.

Enjoy!

Since it’s Cinco de Mayo, you know I was itching to make a margarita. Since I was already working with BLUE cheese, my silly self thought…why not make BLUEberry margaritas? (Get it? I crack myself up!) And to give it a little extra kick, I added in a little jalapeno. 🙂

This is the first time I’ve ever had Corralejo tequila, and their Reposado paired really well with blueberry. Confession time: I didn’t really know much about how tequilas were made until recently. Corralejo Reposado is aged four months in barrels, which are made from three types of wood including French, American and Mexican Oak. Corralejo Silver is bottled fresh from the distillery.

Now, as far as the margarita goes, this margarita didn’t have a jalapeno flavor…rather, it just gave the drink a slightly spicy kick. To make the drink, I made a blueberry simple syrup, and added that to the tequila/triple sec/lime/jalapeno. That way, you can easily control how sweet/blueberry-ish you want your margarita to be.

Blueberry Jalapeno Margarita
Source: an original

Ingredients:

To make the blueberry simple syrup:

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

To make the margarita:

4 oz. Corralejo Reposado Tequila

2 oz. Triple Sec

1/4 to 1/3 sliced jalapeno (depending on how much of a kick you want)

juice of 3 limes

2-3 oz. blueberry simple syrup (depending on how sweet you want the drink to be)

Optional: salt for the rim, fresh blueberries and lime slices for garnish

Directions:

To make the simple syrup, heat the blueberries, sugar and water together in a medium saucepan, stirring and mashing the berries as the mixture cooks. Cook the simple syrup until the sugar has fully dissolved. Turn off the heat and set aside until fully cooled. Once the mixture has cooled, put the blueberry simple syrup through a strainer and into a large jar. Discard the blueberries that strain out.

Place the tequila, triple sec, jalapeno slices, lime juice, and blueberry simple syrup into a cocktail shaker over ice. Cover the shaker and shake the mixture well. Pour the margarita into glasses over ice and enjoy! (Please drink responsibly.)

Easy Sweet and Salty Party Mix

April 2, 2015 by Amy 7 Comments

Disclosure: I was provided with samples of G.H. Cretors products, in exchange for a post. G.H. Cretors is also supplying the prize for the giveaway. All opinions are 100% my own.

When I was a kid, I had an adorable wooden, handmade Easter basket. I fondly think about it every year around this time, and it brings back lovely memories of Easter Day. The Easter Bunny 😉 was so creative and thoughtful with our baskets…they would contain our favorite candies, as well as a couple of fun trinkets/toys. They were beautifully wrapped in colorful cellophane, complete with the perfect bow. So much attention to detail…I can only hope my kids one day get that level of creativity in their baskets. 🙂

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Wholly Stuffed Jalapenos and a GIVEAWAY

July 18, 2013 by Amy 115 Comments

I used to be an avocado hater. There…I said it. When I was a kid, I thought they had a weird texture and tasted kind of bland. It took me until college to give these a try again, and it was in the form of guacamole. Avocado quickly became one of those foods that I learned to love as an adult. If something has sliced avocado or guacamole in it, chances are I’m gonna go for it.

As easy as it is to throw together some guacamole, I have to admit that I was stoked to find out about Wholly Guacamole’s products. I first discovered Wholly Guacamole products on a whim at the grocery store. When I started calorie counting, I basically walked all of the aisles of the grocery store to find snack ideas, and I came upon their 100 calorie guacamole packs. While I could definitely eat a whole batch of guacamole, I loved the idea of having it pre-portioned in a small amount. It’s the perfect dip for baked tortilla chips and veggies!

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Turkey Tex-Mex Sloppy Joe Quesadillas & Calphalon GIVEAWAY

July 2, 2013 by Amy 211 Comments

Well, HELLO JULY! So many wonderful things going on this month: July 4th, my best friend’s wedding (OMG…hope my bridesmaid dress still fits after the 4th haha!)…well, that’s basically it. However, those are two HUGE events to me. I love the 4th of July. LOVE. The fireworks, the smell of the grills going crazy in our neighborhood and celebrating the holiday with All-American classic dishes. It’s just great. I’m pretty sure I wake up on July 4th craving food from the grill. Wonder if my husband would grill breakfast for me….LOL!

One of my favorite All-American dishes is sloppy joes. My Mom used to make sloppy joes a lot when we were kids, and the klutzy person in me loves the fact that the food is naturally sloppy. Whenever I go out to eat, I end up with a line of food around my plate. I’m not a neat eater at all. I’m sort of a disaster in public…I’m surprised people take me anywhere. Any food that says it’s sloppy means no judgement if I make a mess, right? Right.

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Garlic Fridge Pickles

September 11, 2012 by Amy Leave a Comment

I’m sure I’ve mentioned that my parents’ green thumbs never passed down to me. My mom is a horticulturist, and even teaches courses at a local college. My dad is a pro veggie gardener (learned from growing vegetables for years), and can grow a mean crop of tomatoes. My parents make gardening look easy, but for me? I’m the plant killer.

My mom will bring me plants and seeds from time to time, and even the plants that are supposed to be kill-proof, die. I give ’em water and plenty of sun, but they just fizzle. I like to think of gardening like cooking. When I started cooking, I could barely scramble eggs. However, with a few years of cooking and baking under my belt, I’m proud to say that I definitely can follow recipes, and I’m starting to experiment with writing my own! I’m in my 4th year of having a veggie garden, and while the bugs took over the tomatoes (AGAIN), I was SO excited to see these monstrous cucumbers growing in my garden. MY GARDEN..growing cucumbers…crazy y’all. I’m hoping this is a sign that I’m starting to catch on to this whole gardening thing. 😛

I really wanted to make my own pickles out of these cucumbers, and since the cucumbers were just ridiculous, it only took 1 to fill up 3 pint sized mason jars. I especially love the idea of making fridge pickles, because I could leave the canning supplies in the pantry and basically throw these together very quickly.

These pickles are just so flavorful, and the wonderful thing about fridge pickles is that they are just unbelievably crisp. They lend an awesome crunchy texture to an otherwise average sandwich, and are also a pretty awesome snack on their own.

Garlic Fridge Pickles
Source: Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:

2 whole cucumbers (make sure to use cucumbers with no waxy texture on the peel)

2 cloves garlic

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup water

1/3 cups sugar

1 tbsp salt

1 tsp. dried dill

pinch of red pepper flakes

pinch of coriander

6 whole peppercorns

Directions:

Slice the cucumbers in 1/4 in.-1/8 in. thick slices and add them to mason jars or a large bowl. Cut the garlic cloves into quarters and using a knife, gently smash them. Evenly add the garlic pieces to the jars or bowl.

In a small pot, heat the remaining ingredients until the sugar and salt are dissolved.

Pour the liquid over the cucumbers and garlic and cover the containers. Refrigerate the pickles for at least 2 hours before eating.

Spicy Spinach Artichoke Dip

April 16, 2012 by Amy Leave a Comment

I love hosting big family holidays. I have a blast choosing a menu, shopping and waking up early to start the cooking festivities. It’s really rewarding when you see all of your loved ones gathered around and enjoying the food that YOU made! Never in my college day Lean Cuisine eating dreams did I think I could ever host a family holiday, but we have…quite a few times.

One of the big perks to cooking up a huge holiday meals is that you can sneak a taste or two of a few dishes as you’re cooking them up without getting smacked on the wrist by your momma. Sadly, I actually end up filling up on appetizers and taking small tastes before serving everyone! (whoops!) By the time everyone has their huge plates of food, I find myself sitting down and struggling to eat one plate. Oh well…

This past Christmas and Easter, I had this spinach artichoke dip to blame for the pre-meal full feeling. My friend, who blogs at Wine and Shoes, gave me this recipe after trying this dip at a party, and it’s just fabulous! I like to have this in a crockpot (to help the dip stay warm) where the appetizers are, which is sadly my kitchen island. All I have to do is take a step or two to sneak a cracker full of this stuff every couple of minutes. I’m not the only one who found it dangerous, either. As people started arriving, I noticed a little crowd was forming, and it certainly wasn’t for the cheese tray. 😛

I especially love this dip, because there is no mayo. 90% of you will disagree with me, but I think mayo is gross. It smells terrible, looks nasty and because of that, I just can’t stomach the idea of eating ANYTHING containing mayo. Sorry to the mayo lovers…

Spicy Spinach Artichoke Dip
Source: Wine and Shoes (originally from Tabasco)

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

1 med onion, chopped finely

2-10 oz packs frozen spinach, thawed and well drained

1-14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

8 oz cream cheese

8 oz sour cream

1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded & divided

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated & divided

2 tbsp. Tabasco sauce

salt, to taste

Directions:

Melt the butter in large saucepan on medium-low heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté the butter and onions until they are translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add in the spinach, artichokes, cream cheese, sour cream, ¾ cup of the parmesan and ¾ cup of the Monterey jack, Tabasco and salt (to taste). Cook until well mixed.

Pour the mixture into a smaller crockpot and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Add the lid to the crockpot and heat on low for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is just melted. Then, keep the crockpot on low throughout serving.

Favorite Party Recipes

February 2, 2012 by Amy 2 Comments

Part of me cannot believe that the Superbowl is Sunday. I mean, that’s the end of football season until next Fall. I have to wait at least six months to watch another game after this. Sad. (If you know me, you know I’m being dead serious about how sad this is to me. Crazy football fan here!) A perk of Superbowl Sunday? Watching Millie run up to the TV when I randomly switch over to the Puppy Bowl.

To ~~mourn~~ celebrate the end of another football season, here’s some great recipes that will definitely disappear if you serve them at your Superbowl parties.

Restaurant Style Queso Blanco

Restaurant Style Salsa

Crawfish Pies

Crawfish Cheesecake

Pork and Sausage Jambalaya

Berry Mash Bruschetta

Sugar Cookie Bars

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies

Oreo Cupcakes

Oh, and if you have an occasional puppy bowl break, I’m pretty sure the dogs at your party would love you for these!

Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Dog Treats

Restaurant Style Salsa

October 11, 2011 by Amy 2 Comments

Greetings from our new kitchen! We’re still unpacking boxes around the house, but the kitchen is completely set-up! The kitchen was definitely a priority for us when it came to unpacking, because take out was definitely starting to get boring. Since we moved a little further from the city, our choices are VERY limited. So yeah, it was time to turn on that stove!

Since I was in the mood to make tex-mex (and H didn’t really mind that craving either), we made chicken enchiladas one night and then chicken taquitos with this salsa the next night. Tex-mex two nights in a week? Heck yes!

This salsa is really a big favorite in our house, and I’m really not sure why I haven’t shared this recipe with y’all until now! We’ve made it quite a few times, because it’s ridiculously easy to throw together and way tastier than anything you can buy in a jar! While this salsa makes a lot (and I mean A LOT), it’s really not difficult to go through this stuff fairly quickly. 🙂 It’s addictive, for sure!

Restaurant Style Salsa
Source: Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes with juice

2 10 oz cans of Rotel

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 whole jalapeno, quartered and sliced thin (remove seeds if you don’t want as much heat)

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 cup cilantro

1/2 of a lime’s juice

Directions:

Take all ingredients and put them in a blender.

Pulse the blender until you reach your desired consistency.

Enjoy!

Restaurant Style Queso Blanco

July 11, 2011 by Amy 10 Comments

My husband and I really love a good bowl of queso blanco. Whenever we go to a tex-mex restaurant, we have to order the queso, and it never fails to just hit the spot. Sometimes, I even wonder why I order a dinner…it’s the queso that I’m really after!

I really wanted to know what type of cheese was in the queso, so I’d research and various folks would mention mexican cheeses that I’ve never worked with, so I was intimidated. Plus, I tend to have trouble trusting people on random forums, like Yahoo! Answers. Why waste my time. Then, I saw a post on Confessions of a Foodie Bride about making this infamous queso, but the cheese totally threw me for a loop. White American? Really…that’s it? So, I had to give this a try, because I love Shawnda’s blog, and I knew she wouldn’t steer me wrong here.

Y’all, this is restaurant queso blanco. I’m not lying. If you want queso blanco at home, make this…you won’t regret it. We definitely loved this recipe and it couldn’t be easier to make!

Restaurant Style Queso Blanco
Source: mildly adapted from Confessions of a Foodie Bride

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp cooking oil (veggie, olive, canola – whatever you have)

1/4 cup white onion, diced

1 large jalapeno or serrano, seeds and stem removed; diced

12 oz white American cheese, shredded

4 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded (not pre-shredded…grate this yourself)

1/4-2/3 cup cream, half-and-half, or whole milk

Directions:

Heat the oil in a pot. Add the onion and pepper and cook until until softened and reduce heat to medium-low.

Add the shredded cheese and 1/4 cup of the cream. Stir until well combined and mostly melted.

Add in additional cream a little at a time until you reach desired consistency.

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