My friend Jenn was a domestic goddess back before being a domestic goddess was cool. During our days at UNC-Chapel Hill, while the rest of the student body was doing keg stands and pulling all-nighters at the undergrad library, she was roasting turkeys and baking blueberry muffins. Needless to say, her bubbly personality wasn’t the only reason I thoroughly enjoyed our friendship.
Since she was such an outstanding cook, I knew any recipes she shared with me would be money. This one, for example, is a hit every time. It’s a creamy blend of cheeses, sausage, and vegetables, baked in a buttery crust. It’s an obvious choice for brunch, but I’ve also served them as hors d’oeuvres for parties and showers, always to rave reviews.
Cheesy Sausage Bites
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You’ll notice there’s quite a lot of grating in this recipe. A food processor makes short work of it.
Serves: 8
Ingredients
1 pound breakfast sausage
1 medium zucchini, grated
1 medium yellow onion, grated
8 oz. fresh white mushrooms, grated
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 (8 oz.) cans crescent roll dough
12 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
In a medium large pan, brown the sausage over medium-high heat, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. When there’s no pink left, transfer the sausage to a mesh strainer to drain the fat. Return the sausage to the pan. Add the zucchini, onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until most of the liquid from the mushrooms and zucchini has evaporated. Stir in the salt and pepper, then set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray. Remove the crescent roll dough from the can and lay it out in one big rectangle, pressing the seams together to seal. Cut it into 1- to 1½-inch squares, depending on the size of your mini muffin tins.
Lay a square of dough into each muffin tin, then lightly press the dough onto the bottom and sides to make a little cup. The corners of the square should be at or above the top of the tin.
In a large bowl, combine the sausage mixture with the cheddar and cream cheeses. Mix well (clean hands are the best tool for the job). Add about a tablespoon of the sausage mixture to each cup (a #70 cookie dough scoop is the perfect tool for this).
Bake at 350° for 9 to 10 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before lifting each bite gently from the pan with a spoon.
3.2.1215
Too Easy Fruit Dip
nprivetteAppetizers, Cold Dips, Dessert, Fruit Desserts, Recipesappetizer dips, fruit dip, sweet dips0 Comment
I have a handful of recipes that I’m a little embarrassed to share. Why? Because they’re too easy.
Here’s how it goes: someone tries your food, goes nuts over it, tells you you’re a fabulous cook, says they wish they could be more like you, and asks how in the world you made it. Then you give them a recipe that a trained monkey could make. It’s like pulling back the curtain on the Wizard of Oz.
This is one of those recipes. This stuff is flippin’ delicious. And every single time I make it – every single time – someone asks me how I pulled it off. I blush a little, then gladly share.
Too Easy Fruit Dip
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It’s really important that the cream cheese is at room temperature. Otherwise the dip will be lumpy.
Ingredients
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
14 oz. marshmallow cream
3 tablespoons juice from a jar of maraschino cherries
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and marshmallow cream with an electric mixer until combined.
Stir in the cherry juice.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
That’s it. That’s all the steps. Enjoy your free time.
Now that I have your undivided attention, let’s talk about this dip. Some say pungent blue cheese is an acquired taste, but believe me when I say you don’t have to be a blue cheese aficionado to appreciate the deliciousness of this awesome recipe. Everything you might not like about blue cheese – namely the bold flavor and, um, potent smell - is somehow toned down and tamed in this creamy, bubbly dip. It’s quick, easy, unique, and make-ahead… it’s the perfect party appetizer.
As you can see, my favorite way to serve this dip is to spread it thin in the bottom of a pretty pie plate.
Bacon and Blue Cheese Dip
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Serves: 6
Ingredients
½ pound bacon
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz. crumbled blue cheese
1 green onion, green part only, minced
Instructions
Dice the bacon, then cook in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until crispy. Layer 4-5 paper towels on a plate, then use a slotted spoon to scoop out the bacon and transfer to the paper towels to drain.
In a large bowl, stir together the cream cheese, milk, and garlic until smooth. Stir in the cooked bacon, blue cheese, and onion.
Spread mixture evenly in a baking dish or pie plate. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes, or until browned on top.
This dip is always a huge hit at parties, and people who’ve asked me for the recipe can’t believe how easy it is to make. Just goes to show you don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen to turn out a winner!
Easy Cheesy Bean Dip
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This easy dip is perfect for game day.
Serves: 8
Ingredients
16 oz. sour cream
16 oz. refried beans
4 cups (16 oz.) shredded colby-jack cheese blend
16 oz. jar of salsa
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°.
Set aside a cup of the shredded cheese. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl until well blended.
Transfer mixture to a baking dish and top with reserved cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving with tortilla chips.
