Hot Chicken Dip

We tried this at a wine tasting and it was excellent! I think I might try Rotel tomatoes, and I will certainly use finely chopped cooked chicken rather than canned. They served it with crackers. Mmmm.

HOT CHICKEN DIP

Ingredients:

1 can chicken
1 can diced tomatoes
12 oz cream cheese
1 Tbsp spices (Italian, Parmesan pesto, etc)

Method:

Use slow cooker, oven or microwave to heat.

Tzatziki Sauce

1 cup Greek yogurt
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 med cucumber

1 tsp salt, divided
Black pepper to taste

Drain yogurt if desired (I don't, because I don't care.)
Shred cucumber. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt, then wrap in clean towel and squeeze out liquid.

Mix all together and refrigerate. It's best if you let it sit for a couple of hours.

It's got a really great texture with the shredded cucumber, but if you want to save time, you can just chop them. If I'm really lazy I don't de-seed or drain them, either. It tastes great either way and is super healthy!

Jalapeno Popper Dip

6 strips bacon
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

1 - 4.5 ounce can diced green chilies, undrained3/4 cups Greek yogurt or sour cream
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
2  cups cheddar cheese, grated

Tortilla Chips for serving

Cook bacon until crispy. Crumble.

Stir together yogurt, cream cheese, and 1-1/2 cups cheddar cheese. Fold in peppers and bacon.

Put in an 8x8 baking dish. Bake at 350 until lightly browned around the edges, about 30 minutes.

Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for another 10 minutes.

Serve with chips or vegetables.

** Here is our favorite way to fix this! Prepare mini sweet peppers: cut off end, then cut in half lengthwise and de-seed. Stuff with cheese mixture and bake until browned. Yummm!!

Pumpkin Hummus

I happened on this while looking for pumpkin dessert recipes. It was wonderful! It's even better the next day - so much so that I would make it ahead from now on.

I personally like it a little chunky so I mixed it by hand. Use a food processor if you like it smoother.

I would add even more garlic and lemon juice, but that's just me. Taste it first and decide for yourself.

Makes about 2 cups.

INGREDIENTS

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree 

1/4 cup tahini

1 tsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice

1 Tbs fresh minced parsley

Mix all ingredients together. If you like it smooth, use a food processor. If you like it more chunky, do it by hand.

Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. This is SO much better the next day, that it's worth the wait to make it a day before you need it.

Tapenade

I need to come up with a catchy name for this.

It's a combination of several different recipes I found online the day I was looking for something made with olives to spread on crackers. It was adapted based on ingredients I already had, as well as my personal tastes (I don't like anchovies).  I think it lends itself quite well to adaptation, so play with it as much as you like! I will probably never follow this recipe exactly again, but wanted to get it down so I can use it as a base. it was a huge hit with adults and kids and I will definitely add it to my go-to list. it also keeps well - my last batch was in the fridge for 2 weeks and it may last longer, but we ate it up too fast to know. :)

I used plain, inexpensive olives and it was great. I don't see any point in using fancy olives, but maybe it will just be that much more awesome!

Olive Tapenade

1 cup pitted black olives
1 cup pitted green olives
1 clove garlic
1 tsp capers
1/4 cup roasted pepper

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Olive oil as desired, optional

Place in bowl of a food processor and pulse until garlic is chopped. Add feta cheese and stir to mix. If you like, add some olive oil.

Serve with crackers or small toasted rounds of french bread.

I put any leftovers back into the olive jar and refrigerate.

Baked Olives

I love olives! Straight out of the jar is fine with me. For our turn cooking last Thanksgiving I wanted to go a little fancier. This is so super easy to make. You can adapt it in any way you like. All the adults loved it and so did the kids! We put the leftovers back in the olive jar and they stayed delicious for spur-of-the-moment munching. I may never buy expensive flavored olives again!

Ingredients

1 cup stuffed green olives (with pimento)

1 and ½ cups large pitted ripe olives

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

Pinch of black pepper

Add seasonings as desired by the 1/4 tsp (dried). I used dried rosemary and thyme. Add pepper flakes if you want some kick.

Directions

Line a pan with heavy duty foil (about 12x12). Have enough foil to come back and seal up the olives in a package.

Drain olives and pour into lined pan. Top with garlic, olive oil, pepper, and seasonings of your choice.

Fold aluminum foil over top of olives and seal well.

Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Alternatively use the microwave, in a covered microwave-safe dish for 3 min. on high.

Rainbow Peppers

These were very good with jalapeno peppers as well. Be sure to not use too much cheese, it's much better with just a sprinkle!

1/2 each medium bell peppers, different colors, seeds removed (total 4 halves)

1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
2 Tbsp chopped ripe olives
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Cut each pepper half into 9 pieces. Place skin side down in an ungreased ovenproof skillet. Sprinkle with cheese, olives, and pepper flakes (if using).

Broil 3-4 inches from heat for 5-7 minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender and cheese is melted.

Yield: 3 dozen

Mexican Cheese Dip

I made this last year at Holiday time. It's a combination of several recipes I found through Google when I tried to duplicate one I tried at a party. That one was made with a packaged seasoning mix so I was on my own! This wasn't anything like that one but was worth the effort.

Mexican Cheese Dip
Serves: 16-20

Total Time: 6 mins

Recipe Ingredients

2 cups Cream cheese, softened
1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 cups Pepper jack cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Green onions, chopped
2 Tbl Serrano or jalapeno peppers, minced fine
1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper (adjust to your liking)
1 Tbsp. of dried chopped parsley
1 clove of garlic (pressed).

Recipe Directions

Combine all of the ingredients until thoroughly mixed and the lumps have been worked out of the cream cheese. Chill for several hours to allow flavors to meld. Before serving, remove from refrigerator for one hour to soften. Serve with your favorite crackers, veggies or thick chips.

You can also make a cheese ball with this:

Place 2 cups of crushed tortilla chips, flavored or plain, in a large bowl.

Lightly spray your hands with Pam or other vegetable spray and gather the cheese mix with your hands to form a ball.

Roll the cheese ball in the ground tortilla chips until completely coated.

* The recipe will make 2 cheese balls.
*Serve immediately after rolling in chips. The chips get soggy after an hour or so, so make as you need it. It does not store well this way.

I can't wait to try it again this year since I've discovered "5 alarm pepper jack" from Sam's. It has habanero peppers in it and adds lots of extra spice and flavor. Although it's very spicy, the kids love it and I have to hide it from them!