Super Bowl Saturdays: Italian Pinwheels

The Super Bowl is tomorrow! Is everyone excited? I hope you have all gotten some good ideas from this little series. My favorites were the Party Meatballs and the Buffalo Chicken Dip. I actually made these pinwheels because they were requested by my husband. He loves these little things and really enjoyed having them for dinner!

Italian Pinwheels

Source: slightly adapted from Pillsbury

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup sliced pepperoni, finely chopped

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/4 cup pizza sauce, plus extra for serving

1 egg yolk

1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

1 egg white, beaten

Preheat oven to 375º. In a small bowl, mix cheese, pepperoni, oregano, garlic salt, pizza sauce, and yolk. Unroll dough and separate into 4 triangles Firmly press the perforations to seal.

Spread each rectangle with 3 tbsp of the pepperoni mixture. Starting at the shortest side, roll up each rectangle and pinch edges to deal. Cut each roll into 6 slices. Place, cut side down, 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush with beaten egg white.

Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with extra pizza sauce. Enjoy!

Super Bowl Saturdays: Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Jalopeno Bites

I recently started a new job! I'm working for a nearby resort, at the pool, developing a recreation program for their guests. I'm so excited to finally have a job but it's slightly exhausting! Yesterday was my first day off this week and I just relaxed. And cleaned. Our house has slightly suffered from me getting a job. It wasn't until last night at 6:00 that I remembered I needed to make two more appetizers for today. I had work today so there was no way they were getting made. I whipped both recipes up, quickly wrote my blog post, searched for my camera cord, gave up, and decided pictures would be posted whenever I got off work if I could find my cord. The hubs and I then enjoyed an incredibly delicious, albeit unhealthy, dinner of these guys along with the Italian Pinwheels.

I've always been scared of jalopenos because I picture myself accidentally touching my eye and burning the crap out of it. But no eye mishaps occurred this time! These were awesome. Jalopenos with cream cheese are always pretty good but when you add bacon, they become even better.

Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Jalopenos

Source: Doughmesstic

8 oz cream cheese, softened

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp Old Bay

pinch of salt

12 jalopenos, halved and seeded

24 six-inch pieces of bacon, uncooked

Preheat oven to 350º. Combine cream cheese and spices in a bowl. Spoon mixture into each pepper half, until level. Wrap each in bacon and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove and enjoy!

Makes 24

Queso Blanco Dip

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before or not but Southern California has some great Mexican food. There are a ton of little hole in the wall places that may look a little scary from the outside but produce the best Mexican food. But, not a single place out here serves queso. Not one. The closest I've seen is a white cheese sauce over a burrito at a chain Mexican place that didn't come close to tasting like queso blanco dip that you get back home in Georgia.

So, every time we go home to Georgia I always want to eat at one of the Mexican restaurants. Sure it might be considered "fake" Mexican food by anyone from Southern California but it's delicious to me. It's always sooooo good but only getting it twice a year isn't enough. I finally decided I wanted to try it at home and figured what better time than now with my Super Bowl Saturdays? Queso has been sitting there on my 23 x 23 list for awhile so I finally made it.

This recipe was perfect. I upped the heat by adding a second jalopeno but you can choose how spicy you want it to be. This also heats up nicely in the microwave.

Queso Blanco Dip

Source: Annie's Eats

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

1 jalopeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

12 oz. white American cheese, shredded (can be found at the deli counter)

4 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1/4 -2/3 cup milk

1 tomato, seeded and finely diced

2 tbsp cilantro, minced

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and jalopeno to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add both of the shredded cheeses and 1/4 cup of the milk. Whisk or stir until completely melted. Mix in the tomato and cilantro, and add additional milk gradually as necessary to achieve desired consistency. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Turkey Pesto Sliders

Whenever I think of sliders, I think of White Castle and when I think of White Castle, I think of wisdom teeth. Weird connection? Maybe. My older sister and I both got our wisdom teeth out at the same time. All I remember from the few days following it is being slightly drugged out on pain medicine, laying on the couch bed together, eating Dairy Queen ice cream and watching Harold and Kumar go to White Castle. And laughing. Because everything was funny.

White Castle's little mini burgers are so delicious but I wanted to go with slightly healthier version. So I found these turkey pesto sliders. Sliders are a perfect appetizer because they are hand-sized but very filling. These would be a great pick for the Super Bowl!

Turkey Pesto Sliders

Source: Annie's Eats

6 slider buns

6 slices of turkey deli meat

6 slices of provolone cheese

3 tbsp pesto

3 tbsp mayonnaise

2 tbsp butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 400º. Line a baking sheet with foil. Split the slider buns and lay a folded slice of turkey on the bottom half of each bun. Layer each with a slice of provolone. In a small bow, combine the pesto and mayonnaise in a small bowl and mix until blended. Spread a thin layer of the pesto mayonnaise on the inner side of the top half of each bun. Replace the top bun over the cheese to assemble the sandwiches. Brush the tops of the buns lightly with melted butter. Bake 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sandwiches are warmed through. Enjoy!

Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls

I love cooking, I really do. But sometimes, I want a break. Especially after I try out a new recipe that seems promising but after an hour and a half of constant work in the kitchen I end up with something that sucks. That happened a few days ago. So to recover from it the next night I needed something easy. Easy is usually fast food for us but we're attempting to eat out less this year. Instead of going the drive through route I made these crescent rolls with things I had in my fridge.

These come together in less than 25 minutes and go great with spicy mustard. You could also serve these as appetizers. The best thing about them, according to my husband who is now interested in tracking every calorie, is that they are only 200 calories apiece! They are so easy to make and are kind of a recipe that isn't even a recipe but I figured I would share them anyways!

Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls

Source: Pillsbury

1 can (8oz) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

8 thin slices of cooked ham

4 thin slices of Cheddar cheese, each cut into 4 strips

Heat oven to 350º. Separate dough into 8 triangle. Place 1 piece of ham on each triangle; place 2 strips of cheese down the center of the ham. Fold in edges of ham to match the shape of the dough triangle.

Roll up each crescent, ending at tip of triangle. Place with tips down on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 15-19 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet and serve warm. Enjoy!

Super Bowl Saturdays: Crack Dip (Buffalo Chicken Dip)

Crack Dip. Doesn't sound very appetizing. But it is. If you are going for the white trash vibe, feel free to refer to it as "Crack Dip." If you like to keep it on the classier side, you can refer to it as "Buffalo Chicken Dip."

This recipe made the blog rounds awhile back and was dubbed "Crack Dip" because of how addicting it was. I made this to try out for the Super Bowl and was hooked. Luckily, we had an appetizer pot luck at our Growth Group that night so I was able to bring this along with the meatballs and not eat it all by myself.

It tastes just like buffalo chicken but in a dip form. We served it with chips but you could also serve it with celery (or other vegetables), bread chunks (you could scoop out a bread bowl and place this inside and use the extra bread to dip), crackers, pretty much anything that sounds good to you.

I modified the recipe from Frank's Red Hot Website because the original called for canned chicken chunks and Blue Cheese Dressing and Crumbles. Taking the extra time to cook and shred chicken breasts will definitely make this dip taste better. If you like Blue Cheese, feel free to substitute or mix with the ranch and mozzarella.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Source: Frank's Red Hot Sauce

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup ranch salad dressing

1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

Preheat oven to 350º. In a deep baking dish, mix cream cheese, ranch dressing, buffalo sauce, and cheese. Stir until combined and then add in chicken and stir.

Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until heated through. Serve with whatever you like. Enjoy!

Super Bowl Saturdays: Party Meatballs

Picture from TasteofHome.com- I forgot to take one in my rush to get to GG

Meatballs are one of my favorite appetizers to have at a party. They're very filling and usually covered in some kind of delicious sauce. And when your guests will most likely be a bunch of young guys, you want appetizers that are heavy and filling. As much as I love chicken salad in phyllo cups, that won't cut it for a bunch of Marines watching the Super Bowl.

This recipe caught my attention because it's just a slight change from the usual meatball sauce that uses grape jelly and Heinz Chili Sauce. The BBQ sauce makes a nice substitute and the grape jelly only gives it a touch of sweetness-there's no overwhelming grape jelly taste.

You can make your own meatballs for this but I would go with the prepackaged ones. They hold together better and it makes it much easier on you.

Party Meatballs

Source: The Country Cook

1 (32 oz) bag frozen meatballs

1 (18 oz) jar grape jelly

1 (18 oz) bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

Pour the meatballs, grape jelly, and BBQ sauce into the crock pot and stir until combined. Cook the mixture on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 2-2.5 hours, until completely cooked through, stirring occasionally

When they are cooked through, set the crock pot on "warm" and let guests serve themselves. Just place toothpicks next to the meatballs. Enjoy!

Super Bowl- Are you ready?

I don't like football. Well, I can watch the Dawgs play any day but that's about it. It just kind of bores me if I don't know the team or anything about it. I do like the Super Bowl though. Mainly for the commercials. And the food. I love how everyone breaks out the grills and brings all the appetizers to a Super Bowl Party. Appetizers are just fun and usually always delicious. I am going to start a short little "series" on here with appetizers you could use for the Super Bowl. It will be called Super Bowl Saturdays and I'll be posting 2 different recipes each Saturday for you to try out for the Super Bowl.

This year we're taking a different approach to the Super Bowl, or should I say "Souper Bowl." :) I'll be making a variety of soups using my new three-piece crock pot to serve along with a buffet of toppers for the soup and some select appetizers. I'm really excited about this but I'm glad I'll be getting my appetizer fix with this little series!

Below are some appetizers I've already made that would be great to try out for the Super Bowl.

Dips

Texas Cavier-a cold dip made of a mixture of veggies and marinated in Zesty Italian

Rotel Dip-my favorite warm dip

Finger Foods

Baked Chicken Empanadas-You can make the filling ahead of time

Sausage Balls-these are good served warm or cold. You can make them in advance and then cook on the day of.

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs-best served warm

Mozzarella and Pesto Crescent Tarts-these are great served warm or cool

Meatballs with Peppers and Pineapples-Asian inspired meatballs. Use a toothpick to make into an appetizer

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pulls

One of the many things I love about my mom is how at ease she is with entertaining. I love having people over to our apartment for dinner or game nights but I'm usually a big stressball beforehand since I worry about everything. My mom, on the other hand, can host 10 people over for dinner with hardly any notice and have no problem with it.

She also doesn't stress about trying out a recipe before serving it to company. I like to make things beforehand so I can have a little taste test and give it my stamp of approval before I serve it to our guests. My mom sees something she wants to try and puts it on the menu for when we have company over.

She made this dish while I was back in Georgia when my in-laws came to dinner. I got my mom hooked on Pinterest awhile back and that's where she found this recipe. It was delicious and would make the perfect salty snack to serve the next time you have company over.

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pulls

Source: Plain Chicken via Pinterest

1 unsliced loaf of sourdough bread (preferably round)

8-12 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

3 oz bag of bacon bits

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 tbsp Ranch dressing mix

Preheat oven to 350º. Using an electric knife, cut the bread going both directions. Do not cut through the bottom crust. Place sprinkles of cheese in between cuts. Sprinkle the bacon bits on the bread, making sure to get in between cuts. Mix together butter and Ranch dressing mix. Pour over bread.

Wrap the entire loaf in foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 50 minutes. Unwrap and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Meatballs with Peppers and Pineapples

Does anyone else feel like Asian food is kind of addicting? I think it's the sauce. The sauce is always delicious and makes me want to eat more rice. Although it's not a traditional Asian recipe by any means, I was definitely addicted to these sauce-covered meatballs.

This was really easy to make but tastes like it took awhile. If you like spice, up the crushed red pepper.

Meatballs with Peppers and Pineapples

Source: The Pioneer Woman

1 1/4 lb ground beef

1/2 onion, diced

1 whole egg

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 tsp salt

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper, more to taste

1/4 cup All-Purpose flour

canola oil, for frying

2 whole green peppers, seeded and diced roughly

1 1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks

2 cups beef stock

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 cup sherry or wine vinegar

1/3 cup sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch

salt to taste

crushed red pepper to taste

extra beef stock, if needed

rice, cooked (optional)

Combine ground beef, diced onion, egg, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, and crushed red pepper. Mix well with hands until combined. Roll meat mixture into small balls and place on a cookie sheet. Freeze on the pan for 15 minutes to firm.

Mix together beef stock, soy sauce, sherry (or vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch.

Heat canola oil over medium-high heat. Roll meatballs in flour, then fry in two batches until nice and brown, about 2 minutes per batch. Remove meatballs and set aside on a separate plate.

Pour off oil from pan and return pan to medium-high heat. When pan is hot, throw in the chopped green peppers and cook for one minute. Add pineapple to pan and cook for one minute, stirring gently. Pour in stock/soy sauce mixture, then add meatballs. Stir gently to combine and cook for one minute, or until sauce is thickened. Add salt and crushed red peppers to taste.

Serve over cooked rice. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Week: Homemade Pumpkin Butter

I'd like to welcome you to Pumpkin Week! Pumpkin is my favorite Fall flavor so I decided to devote a whole week to it on the blog. That's right. 5 days full of pumpkin flavors with some extra pumpkin fun tossed in. I've got appetizers, drinks, dinners, and desserts packed with pumpkin flavor so make sure you check back every day this week for a new one!

The first recipe this week isn't one that I've made, but I can vouch for its deliciousness. Last Friday, we had some friends over for our traditional (can it be called traditional if it was our first but we plan on making a tradition out of it?) pumpkin dinner. Don't worry- that delicious recipe is coming at you tomorrow. Being the sweet person that she is, Karisa brought us a jar of homemade pumpkin butter. Being the pumpkin lover that I am, I couldn't wait too long to try it out.

The hubs and our roomie with the delicious breakfast they cooked. And yes, this is the best picture out of the four I took. I decided the hubster looked better with his eyes closed rather than open with a vacant creepy stare. He hates pictures. It's kind of his only fault.

This past weekend was the perfect lazy weekend. Temperatures actually dropped below 65º and it was rainy! I can't even remember the last time we had rain in San Diego, probably last March. Karisa recommended trying the pumpkin butter with pancakes, toast, or straight from a spoon. I decided to start with pancakes and the boys were all for that. They whipped us up a delicious brunch of pancakes (my hubby's "secret" recipe-he adds cinnamon and vanilla but they taste different each time and they're always delicious), bacon, sausage, and eggs (our roomies recipe added just a hint of cinnamon, and it was good). The pumpkin butter earned a spot amidst all the food on the table.

It was good. So good. As in screw the pancakes and hand me the spoon good. You need to make some of this. Now. You can make the pancakes too but I guarantee you won't be able to resist slipping a spoonful of this butter inside your mouth.

Homemade Pumpkin Butter

Source: Recommended by Karisa, made from Oh She Glows

1 (29 oz) can pumpkin puree

3/4 cup apple juice

1.5 tsp ground giner

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 cup Sucanat (or brown sugar)

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

juice of half a lemon

Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and sugar in a large saucepan and stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until thickened. Cover and stir frequently.

Remove from heat. Adjust spices to taste. Stir in lemon juice and add more to taste. Once cool, pumpkin butter can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge.

Canning is not recommended. This recipe makes enough to fill one large mason jar.

Chili Nachos

Have you ever shared a plate of nachos with someone? Inevitably, as you get near the bottom of the nachos, you spot the one nacho that is overloaded with cheese and just as you are reaching for it, the other person grabs it first. This happens all the time with Neil and I whenever we share food. I usually shoot him a dirty look and then try and scrape some cheese off the side to enjoy with my last chip. If you look at the photo below, you'll realize that nacho platers could save us married folks some dirty looks by just using a simple layering method!

All they have to do is put a layer of chips, a layer of cheese (or this delicious chili mixture), and then repeat. Then you won't be stuck with all of the leftover chips at the bottom and no cheese to enjoy them with. Does this happen to anyone else?

Anyways, these were delicious. Not an every day meal kind of thing but fun if you are watching the football game or just want a dinner that doesn't feel like dinner.

Chili Nachos

Source: The Piggly-Wiggly

1 lb ground sirloin

salt and pepper

1 small onion, diced

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

1 (8-0unce) can tomato sauce

1 sack of yellow corn tortilla chips

10 oz shredded yellow cheddar cheese

sour cream, optional garnish

salsa, optional garnish

2 scallions, chopped, optional garnish

Heat a medium skillet over high heat. Brown the beef and then crumble with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper, then add onions, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, and cumin. Cook another 3-5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and simmer 5 more minutes.

Preheat broiler. Arrange corn chips in a single layer in a casserole dish. Top the chips with a layer of chili topping and then a layer of cheese. Repeat layering until you've used all the chili mixture. Melt the top layer of cheese under the broiler until melted and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Garnish with sour cream, salsa, and scallions. Enjoy!

Mozzarella and Pesto Crescent Tarts

These were supposed to be for a baby shower. We were all asked to bring something and I thought I would bring these. Unfortunately, I absentmindedly put white instead of red onion on the grocery list and completely forgot to buy pesto. I brought a fruit platter instead and Neil and I enjoyed these with our spaghetti bolognese. These were delicious!

Mozzarella and Pesto Crescent Tarts

Source: Pillsbury

1 8oz can Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

2 tbsp basil pesto

2 medium tomatoes, seeded, sliced

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1-2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary leaves

1/2 cup diced fresh mozzarella cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 425º. Unroll the dough into 2 long rectangles. Place 3 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Firmly press the perforations to seal. Spread each rectangle with 1 tbsp of pesto. Top each with tomatoes, onion, and rosemary. Sprinkle each with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Bake 10-14 minutes or until edges are golden brown and cheese is melted. Cut each into crosswise slices. Serve warm or cool. Enjoy!

Feta Baked in Olive Oil with Marinara, Red Onions and Oregano

Most of the recipes I blog about come from hours of just looking around the internet and finding something that looks good. When I find something, I'll add it to my "To Make" list and I usually pick 3-4 things off of the list when I make our weekly meal lists. When I saw this recipe from Oishii, I wrote down the ingredients and sent Neil out to buy them so we could have it for dinner that night.

This was delicious! It was so simple to put together but it was honestly one of the best things I have made. It's not often that the hubs is okay with a block of cheese for dinner but this is definitely one recipe he'll be okay with.

1 block of feta

extra virgin olive oil

jarred marinara sauce

red onion, diced

fresh oregano, chopped

salt and pepper

red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 375º. Place the feta in a shallow baking dish. Pour olive oil on and around the feta so that it almost covers the feta, but leaves the top uncovered. Add spoonfuls of marinara around the feta. Top the feta with the onion and oregano and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Bake for 20 minutes, until the oil is bubbling and cheese is softened. Serve with sliced crusty bread. Enjoy!

Fried Pickles

Something happened with my blog and the posts I had scheduled for this past week, including my Super Bowl post, deleted themselves. I'm not sure why or how but they did. So the nest few recipes won't have pictures since the pictures deleted themselves as well. Luckily, I hadn't posted these guys yet.

Fried Pickles. Yum. Back in Georgia, there was a restaurant that brought out free appetizers including sweet potato fries and fried pickles. I love love love pickles. They are my favorite salty food. And fried pickles are no exception. This recipe was delicious. It's no exact Hooters or BDubs replica but it's still delicious. I consumed way too many the night I made these and I'm selfishly glad hubby doesn't like pickles. Recipe from the Food Network.

1 pint sliced dill pickles, undrained (spears, slices, or chips work)

1 large egg, lightly beated

1 tbsp all-purpose flour, plus 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp hot sauce

1 1/2 to 2 tsp ground red pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

Vegetable oil

Drain pickles, reserving 2/3 cup of the juice. Press pickles between paper towels to dry. Combine 2/3 cup pickle juice with the egg, 1 tbsp flour, and hot sauce. Stir well and set aside.

Combine 1 1/2 cups of flour with ground red pepper, garlic powder, salt and paprika. Blend well. Dip pickles in egg mixture, then dredge in flour mixture. Fry the coated pickles in 375º oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

I followed the recipe exactly for half the batch and for the other half I dipped twice in both the flour and egg mixture. The ones that were dipped twice had a thicker coating which I personally liked more. Also, make sure to place the coated pickles in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This makes the coating crispier when you fry it. Enjoy!

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

(Image from thecuttingedgeofordinary.blogspot.com. I was in such a hurry I forgot to snap a picture)

Today has been a long, long day. It was the first day of classes so after dropping hubby off at work at 6:45 and our pup off at Doggy Day Care (yes-we're those kind of people(: ), I had to drive the 50 minutes down to San Diego for class. Luckily, I didn't have an early class like last semester so my drive time was cut in half. After 3 long classes, driving home, grocery shopping, and picking up Lucy from day care, I arrived home to a messy house. I thought about cleaning and cooking dinner but decided leftovers would be okay and laid down on the couch for a quick nap.

An hour later, Neil comes home and wakes me up to remind me that we have our Growth Group (Bible Study) tonight and that I volunteered to make apps for this weeks meeting. I immediately freaked out because I had less than an hour and a half to put together something for 10-12 people and I hadn't planned anything. I spent about 5 minutes staring at the contents of the fridge before I remembered this recipe found on Easy as Pie. All of these ingredients are pretty much common household food items other than pepperoni but we just happened to have some in the fridge. I set to work whipping up a double batch and we made it with two minutes to spare to the meeting.

Everyone enjoyed them, especially Neil who decided these would make a perfect dinner. They were so easy to throw together and I'll definitely be making them again. I'm thinking a Hawaiian version would be delicious. One of the best things about these is how you can personalize them to whatever flavor pizza you what. Add some garlic, some onions, some peppers-anything you want! The Superbowl is coming up and these little guys will definitely be making an appearance on our menu!

*No picture but I'll be making more soon*

3/4 cup flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup whole milk (I used 1% and it worked fine)

1 egg, lightly beaten

4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

4 oz pepperoni, cut into small pieces (about 1 cup)

Preheat the oven to 375º. Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan. (A 12-cup works fine you will just have to cook 2 batches). In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Whisk in the egg and milk. Stir in the mozzarella and pepperoni. Let stand for 10 minutes. (I skipped the standing part since I was in a rush).

Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through, then stir in 1 tablespoon of basil. Sprinkle the puffs with the remaining basil. Serve the puffs warm with the pizza sauce for dipping.

To freeze: Bake completely and then freeze the baked puffs in a single layer on a baking sheet in a freezer bag. To reheat, bake the frozen puffs on a baking sheet in a 35º oven for 8-20 minutes.

Sausage Balls

Recently, I hosted a cookie exchange (more posts coming on that soon). We had ten girls RSVP so I knew we would have lots of sweets at the party. I wanted to have a few appetizers set out that were more substantial/salty/etc than cookies. While brainstorming, I immediately thought of sausage balls!

Sausage balls are a staple at our house during Christmas. It never seems like they are served during a meal or set out as appetizers. Instead they're made, put in little cookie tins, and then people just munch on them throughout the day. They're yummy, bite sized, and can be prepared ahead of time- a perfect appetizer!

3 cups Bisquick baking mix

1 lb italian sausage (I bought the spicy kind because I like a little heat to mine)

4 cups shredded cheese

1/2 cup milk

pinch of Cayenne Pepper

Preheat oven to 350º. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. If you have a kitchen-aid mixer, this is easy with the dough hook. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the balls are golden brown. Cool completely and serve.

Rotel Dip

This dish is one of my staples during the holiday season. There are so many parties and events to attend and I'm usually assigned to bring an appetizer. It requires hardly any preparation and can transport easily. We had this for Thanksgiving and I prepped the sausage the night before and the day of I just placed it in my crock-pot and left it alone until the guests arrived!

This is another simple recipe!

1 small box of Velveeta, cut up

1 can Rotel

3 spicy Italian sausages

Fry the sausages until cooked through and no pink remains. Grind the sausage up in your food processor. Mix the Velveeta, sausage, and rotel into a small crock pot. Set on high for 2 hours and then switch to warm. Serve with chips and enjoy!

Texas Caviar

This recipe is so easy because all it involves is opening up a few cans and cutting up a few ingredients. It's a perfect dip for a party with a large amount of guests because it makes a ton and it's super addicting! Recipe from here.

2 cans white shoepeg corn

1 can black eyed peas

1 can black beans

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1/2 red onion, chopped

8 Roma tomatoes, chopped

1 jalapeno, chopped (optional)

16 oz bottle Fat Free Kraft Zesty Italian dressing

Mix all together in a large bowl. Store in the fridge for at least 4 hours to let flavors marinate.

It's as easy as that! You can also add some chopped avocado if you like!

Pesto Palmiers

This recipe appealed to me not only because I love pesto but also because it's so quick! When I have company, I hate spending lots of time in the kitchen. I'd much rather make a quick meal and spend time talking while dinner cooks. This recipe would also work if you had unexpected company and needed something to share.

The recipe is from Confections of a Foodie Bride.

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

1/2-3/4 cup pesto

1 egg

1tbsp water

Preheat oven to 375º. Roll out the puff pastry on a piece of parchment into a 12x12 inch square. Spread the pesto within a 1/2 inch of each side of the pastry. Using your spatula, make three indentions on the top edge of the dough at 3 inches, 6 inches, and 9 inches to divide the sheet into quarters.

Fold the left and right edges of the puff pastry halfway to the center of the dough (to the closest quarter-mark indention). Fold the sides to the middle again until they're almost touching. Fold the two halves together like a book.

(You can stop here and freeze for later use. Just let the logs thaw a bit and then proceed)

Cut into 1/2 inch slices and place onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Whisk egg and water together and brush over the palmiers. Bake for 8 minutes, flip, and bake for an additional 6-8 minutes. Palmiers are best the day of baking.