Thursday, January 28, 2010

Super Bowl Party Dips


Can't have a Superbowl Party without plenty of Dips for Chips, crackers or raw veggies. Try some of these for a great variety of "Chips & Dips"
Cheesy Burger and Bean Dip

•1/2 lb. lean ground beef
•1 small onion, finely chopped
•1 can (16 oz) refried beans - regular or fat free
•1 jar chopped chiles
•1 cup prepared chili sauce
•2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
•8 oz. sour cream
•thinly sliced black olives, optional
Preparation -
Saute the ground beef and onion in a skillet. Drain off the fat and place the beef mixture in a crockpot. Stir in the refried beans, chiles, chili sauce and shredded cheese. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. Just before serving, stir in the sour cream and black olives (if using). Serve warm with tortilla chips or corn chips.
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Sizzlin Santa Fe Dip
Ingredients
•1 pkg. (16 oz.) Johnsonville® Italian All Natural Hot Ground Sausage
•1 can (16 oz.) refried black beans
•1/2 cup salsa
•3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
•1 tomato, chopped
•1/4 cup sliced green onions
•Tortilla chips

Directions
Prepare sausage according to package directions and drain. Combine sausage, beans and salsa. Spread over bottom of 9" pie plate. Top with cheese. Bake at 400ºF for 12-15 minutes or until hot. Garnish with tomatoes and green onions; serve with tortilla chips.
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Creamy Italian Veggie Dip

•1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream - regular or lite
•1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese - regular or lite
•2 T. milk
•1 packet Italian salad dressing mix

Preparation -
Whisk all ingredients together until well blended. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.
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Pepperoni Pizza Dip

Here's a recipe for a great party appetizer... a tasty dip for pizza lovers.

•1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, regular or light
•1 tsp. Italian seasoning
•1/8 tsp. garlic powder
•2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
•1/2 cup prepared pizza sauce
•2 T. finely chopped red or green bell pepper
•1/2 cup diced pepperoni

Preparation -
Mix the cream cheese with the Italian seasoning and garlic powder... blend well. Spread the mixture in the bottom of an 8" or 9" glass pie dish or cake pan. Top with half of the mozzarella cheese, then with the pizza sauce, then with then remaining mozzarella cheese, then with the chopped bell pepper. Scatter the diced pepperoni on top. Bake in a preheated oven at 350º for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm with snack crackers, bread sticks or corn chips.
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Layered Taco Dip

•1 can (16 oz.) refried beans, regular or fat-free
•1 pkg.(4 oz.) taco seasoning mix
•1/4 cup green chilies - finely chopped
•1/4 cup black olives - finely chopped
•1 small onion - fineley chopped
•2 tomatoes - medium size, chopped
•8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
•1 avocado - medium size, mashed (optional)

Preparation -
In a mixing bowl, combine the taco seasoning mix with the refried beans. Mix together well. Spread the bean mixture in the bottom of a 9" glass pie plate or a similar shallow dish. Layer the other ingredients, in the order listed in this recipe, on top of the bean mixture. Microwave on full power for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes. Serve warm with corn chips or tortilla chips.
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Bacon, Cheese & Chive Ranch Dip

Serve this cheesy, delicious dip with potato chips, corn chips, snack crackers, or assorted fresh veggies.

•1 cup ranch salad dressing, regular or lite
•1/2 cup sour cream, regular or lite
•1/4 cup real bacon bits or cooked, chopped bacon
•1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
•2 T. chopped fresh chives

Preparation -
Whisk the salad dressing and sour cream together in a mixing bowl. Stir in the bacon bits, grated Parmesan cheese and chopped chives. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Serve with potato chips, corn chips, snack crackers, or assorted fresh veggies.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Super Bowl Party Recipes ... Mini Pizza Rolls

These mini pizza appetizers are the perfect party finger food for your next get-together with friends and family. Perfect hearty snacks for game day party!
www.apronmadness.com

1 (15-ounce) package BUITONI® Tomato Herb Parmesan Sauce
1/2 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
1/4 cup diced pepperoni
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 (8-ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease baking sheet.
Combine sauce, beef, pepperoni and cheese in medium bowl.
Separate dough into 12 rectangles and press seams together. Spoon about 2 tablespoons filling onto dough along the long side of the rectangle. Roll the dough lengthwise, like a jelly roll. Cut each roll into 3 pieces. Place seam-side-down on prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until hot and golden brown.
Makes 36 appetizer servings.

Estimated Times
Preparation Time: 25 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Superbowl Party Recipes ... Stromboli meal

Planning for that ball-game bash? Don't forget to stock your fridge with fan-favorite recipes!
www.apronmadness.com
Come back tomorrow for more superbowl menus

Sweet 'n' Salty Party Mix Recipe
53 Servings Prep: 10 min. Bake: 1-1/4 hours



Ingredients
1 package (12 ounces) Corn Chex
1 package (10 ounces) Cheerios
1 package (10 ounces) Honey-comb cereal
1 package (10 ounces) pretzel sticks, broken
1-3/4 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups vegetable oil
1-1/4 cups butter, melted
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons garlic salt
Directions
In a large bowl, combine cereal and pretzels. In another bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over cereal mixture and toss to coat.
Transfer to a large roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 275° for 1-1/4 hours or until crispy, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 10 quarts.

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Super Stromboli Recipe
8-10 Servings Prep: 30 min. + rising Bake: 20 min. + cooling



Ingredients
2-1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
6 thin slices deli ham
6 thin slices cheddar or Swiss cheese
6 thin slices summer sausage or salami
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup julienned green pepper
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 to 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, optional
Directions
In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and garlic salt. In a saucepan, heat water and butter to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a 14-in. x 10-in. rectangle. place on a greased baking sheet. Place ham down center of rectangle; top with cheese and sausage. Spread mustard over meat; sprinkle with green pepper.
On each long side, but 1-in.-wide strips about 2-1/2 in. into center. Starting at one end, folding alternating strips at an angle across filling. Pinch ends to seal. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Brush with egg white. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm. Yield: 8-10 servings.
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Slow Cooker Chili Recipe
12 Servings Prep: 15 min. Cook: 6 hours



Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef
4 cans (16 ounces each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (28 ounces) stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 ounces) pizza sauce
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1/4 cup chopped onion
4 to 5 teaspoons chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Directions
In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until vegetables are tender. Yield: 12 servings.
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Caramel Chocolate Cake Recipe
15 Servings Prep: 20 min. Bake: 35 min. + cooling



Ingredients
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup water
1 teaspoon red food coloring, optional
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

CARAMEL FROSTING:
2 cups packed brown sugar
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
15 pecan halves
Directions
In a small saucepan, melt chocolate in water. Stir in food coloring if desired. Remove from the heat; cool completely. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Add cooled chocolate mixture; beat on medium speed for 1 minute.
Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
For frosting, combine the brown sugar, milk, butter and salt in a large heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 234° (soft-ball stage). Remove from the heat; cool to lukewarm. Transfer to a small bowl; beat in confectioners' sugar, cream and vanilla until mixture achieves spreading consistency. Frost cake. Garnish with pecans. Yield: 15 servings.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Secret CopyCat Recipes ... not so secret anymore!

TOP SECRET RECIPES
Have you ever been to a restaurant & REALLY wanted a recipe for something that was SOOOO good? Well... I'm hooked on Todd Wilbur's Cook books.

Not only do I have the Clone recipe for a TON of Restaurant recipes... but brand name products as well! Candy ... Sauces ... Soups & a whole lot more.



Everything from Cherry Slurpees to Wendy's Chile

All of these cookbooks are FABULOUS!!! Want to make "Thin Mints" cookies at home? Yep... a clone recipe is in there!

So check out these books! Fun to cook your favorites AND the kid's Favs!!!

So get dad his BBQ Apron & recipes for Red Robin Burgers for your next cookout.

( I get nothing for blogging about these cookbooks.... I just LOVE them & wanted to share)

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Save That Turkey Carcass!


The best Turkey stock is made from that leftover turkey carcass!

I end up with at least 6 quarts of Turkey Stock that keep me "in soup" for about a year.

After cleaning off all the meat from the bones (freeze or pressure can your meat)... I use my big roaster ... add the carcus, lots of water, all the leftover celery (leaves & all), carrots (skins & all), onions & salt. All in large pieces so I can strain out easier.

I even add some poultry seasoning. Simmer...Simmer...Simmer till all the bits of meat are boiled off the bones & they are falling apart. Keep adding water if it gets too low. I usually simmer for several hours.

Then strain the broth into a large bowl. I also use one of those oil separators so I get a really clear broth. Let cool & you can do a few things, whichever is easier for you.

You can pressure can it in pints or quarts. Freeze in quart or gallon freezer ziploc bags OR... fill ice cube trays, freeze & then put cubes in ziplocs. You can then use a smaller amount in casseroles or small portions of soup broth.


So DON'T toss that carcass..... you can have Healthy & Delicious Broth for months to come!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Homemade Holiday Gift. Sugar and Spice Nuts

Bet you can't eat just one! These disappear quickly, so make plenty!

Buy a container from the dollar store or decorative ziploc bags & give to teachers, postman, neighbors or friends as a great Holiday gift.


Add a cute apron from apronmadness if you like!

Sugar and Spice Nuts by www.apronmadness.com

3 cups mixed unsalted nuts
1 egg white
1 T. Orange Juice or water
2/3 C sugar
1 T grated orange rind (optional)
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t ginger
1/2 t allspice
1/4 t salt

Heat oven to 275 degrees F. In a large bowl, place nuts & set aside. In a small bowl, beat egg white and orange juice or water until frothy. Add sugar, rind, spices & salt. mix well. Pour over nuts & stir to coat well.


On a greased jelly roll sheet or large roasting pan, spread nuts so they are separated. bake, stirring every 15 min till light brown & crispy. (45 - 55 min). Cool & store in cool place up to a month (they will never last that long)

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Thanksgiving changes to traditional recipes

Change up that "Traditional" Thanksgiving Dinner!
We all have our "traditional" menus for Thanksgiving Dinner.

Here is ours: Roasted Turkey, Stuffing (stove top), mashed potatoes, gravy, yams, cranberries & green bean casserole.

Now get on your Apron & start cooking.


Here are a few "change ups" to your traditional menu...

Turkey: BRINE it before roasting! This makes THE JUICIEST TURKEY EVER!!!
I do this in a double big Garbage bag (make sure it is NOT the scented ones)... keep in a cooler with ice.

Stuffing: Fry 1/2 to 1 lb breakfast sausage (depending on how many boxes of stovetop you are cooking)... chop onion, celery & mushrooms & saute with sausage. When boiling the water for stovetop, add the meat & veggies... sprinkle a little poultry seasoning & then cook the stovetop as directed. It does NOT taste like "Stove top". It is waaay better!

Mashed Potatoes... make twice baked. Bake potatoes till done, split in half the long way, scoop out cooked potato (Save the cooked peels) ... mash as you would normally with salt, butter & milk (add some sour cream for an extra "zip")... spoon back into the peels & add a dab of butter to top & bake a few minutes more. ** if you like, you can add shredded cheddar cheese & bacon bits if you like.)

Gravy: Add a little white wine (only the kind you would drink)

Yams: Either canned or raw sliced.... layer sliced of yams with slices of granny smith apples or pears. Pour over top with Orange juice & sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake till cooked.

Cranberries: Cook whole berry canned cranberries... in a cup, mix maybe 1/2 tsp cornstarch & about 1/2 cup Orange juice or your favorite Red Wine. Mix into cranberries till smooth & thickened a little. Cool & put in the middle of a decorative plate. Then slice jellied cranberries & put the slices around the edge of the plate.

Green Bean Casserole: Make just like the normal recipe HOWEVER instead of using cream of mushroom soup... use KNORRS Hollandaise Sauce. It is AWESOME!


So there are a few changes to that "traditional" menu for the Holidays.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Egg Nog Bread, Great Christmas Gift


Great Holiday Gift or perfect on a Christmas Buffet table during a Holiday party.







EGGNOG BREAD

3 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 beaten egg
1 3/4 c. canned or dairy eggnog
1/2 c. cooking oil
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. golden raisins
1/2 c. sifted powdered sugar
2 to 3 tsp. egg nog

In large mixing bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Combine the egg, eggnog and oil. Add to the dry ingredients, stirring just combined. Stir in the nuts and raisins. Turn into a greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 60 to 70 minutes. Cover with foil after 50 minutes if bread browns too quickly.
Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan. Cool on a wire rack. Wrap bread, store overnight. To serve, stir together powdered sugar an enough eggnog to make drizzling consistency. Drizzle over bread. Makes 1 loaf.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Ward off the Flu with a few foods

from http://www.apronmadness.com/


OK... I'm not a doctor so here are a few links to foods & vitamins that MAY help with Influenza, H1N1 & Colds. You be the judge... but it can't hurt.






Eggnog Bread Pudding


Again... perfect for leftover eggnog during the holidays. Holiday party dessert or a Christmas brunch! Be sure to have your holiday apron ready & start baking this scrumptious bread pudding!


Eggnog Bread Pudding

3/4 lb. loaf white bread
4 sq. semi-sweet chocolate
32 oz. container eggnog
2 c. Half & Half
1/3 c. sugar
4 tsp. instant coffee powder
6 eggs
2 tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces
Powdered sugar

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
Cut bread into 1 inch chunks. Coarsely chop chocolate. In baking dish, toss bread and chocolate.
In large bowl, with wire whisk or fork, beat eggnog, Half & Half, sugar, coffee powder and eggs until well mixed. Pour eggnog mixture over bread and chocolate; dot with butter. Set baking dish in large roasting pan; place on oven rack. Fill roasting pan with hot water to come halfway up side of baking dish. Bake bread pudding 1 hour or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve pudding warm with a little half & half. ENJOY!