Baked Brie Bites

Brie is a new love of mine.  I don't have many recipes to make with Brie so I was excited to see these on Plain Chicken's website.  I also love the mini phyllo tarts!  Such a great ingredient.  These couldn't be any simpler, hope they taste as great as they look.

The case:

mini phyllo tarts

Ile de France brie, cubed

brown sugar

chopped pecans

honey

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Place a cube of brie in each phyllo tart.  Sprinkle each tart with approximately 1/2 tsp brown sugar.  Top with approximately 1/2 tsp chopped pecans and a dollop of honey.  
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until brie is melted. (use more or less of each ingredient according to your preference)

The ruling:
Okay I liked these at first, but they left a funny taste in my mouth.   I won't be making these again but I still like the idea of the brie in the phyllo cups...

Mahogany Chicken Wings

I can't believe I've never posted this recipe!  When Michael and I first got married, I was obsessed with finding wing recipes.  We love ALL kinds of wings- spicy, sweet, and savory.  This was one of the first recipes I tried and has remained one of our favorites!  The recipe came from All Recipes.  I use dark Karo instead of molasses simply because I don't keep molasses on hand.

The Case:
Ingredients
3 pounds chicken wings, split and tips discarded
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons chile sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Directions
1.  Place chicken in a shallow, medium dish.  I cover with aluminum foil for easy clean up.
2.  In a medium bowl, mix soy sauce, honey, molasses, chile sauce, ground ginger and garlic. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate approximately 1 hour, turning occasionally.
3.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4.  In a large baking dish, arrange chicken in a single layer. Bake in the preheated oven approximately 50 minutes, brushing with remaining soy sauce mixture often and turning once, until meat is no longer pink and juices run clear.

*I make extra sauce and boil it with a little cornstarch and pour it over the finished wings.  And of course serve with ranch!

Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed Mushrooms are another one of my favorite appetizers. I've tried lots of recipes and this one is my favorite!

The case:
Ingredients
3 slices bacon
1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 drops Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes ground black pepper
1 pound mushrooms, stems removed
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until crisp and evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate; crumble the drained bacon into a bowl. Stir in the cream cheese, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper until evenly mixed. Spoon the filling into the mushroom caps and place into an 8x8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Hooters Style Hot Wings

These are pretty much my favorite hot wings of all time.  When Michael and I first got married I made a list of all of our favorite foods and set out to try and make them.  One of the first dishes I tried were these.  The original recipe is from All Recipes.  It is still one of the highest rated recipes on the whole site.  I've tweaked it a bit to what I call "The Ultimate Restaurant Style Hot Wings."

Ingredients:
Oil for frying
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup hot sauce
10 chicken wings, cut into wing and drum

Breading: 
1/2 cup all purpose flour
dash pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus some to sprinkle over wings

Directions:
Mix breading ingredients.  Cover wings with breading and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Heat the oil to 375.  Fry wings in batches for 10 minutes.  Make sure to not over crowd pot.

 Heat butter, hot sauce, and garlic powder until combined over low heat.

Drain wings on a paper towel.  Sprinkle salt over hot wings.

 Put wings in another large bowl.  Pour sauce over top and shake bowl to cover.

Cheesy Spinach and Bacon Dip #8

I recently got this recipe in an e-mail and thought I'd seen it before.  I got out my cookbook scrapbook, which is what I call my binder that I cut out recipes from magazines and glue into.  I knew I recognized the picture.  I've had this recipe since I was in college.  It was in one of those small Kraft cookbooks that you find in the checkout line at the grocery store.  It's about time I tried it! :) 

The case:

Ingredients:

• pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained 
• 1 lb.  (16 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 
• 4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed 
• 1 can  (10 oz.) RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained 
• 8 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, crumbled 

Directions:
MICROWAVE ingredients in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 5 min. or until VELVEETA is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 3 min.

The ruling:
First, I forgot to take a picture of this until I had already sat down.  Don't judge a book by it's cover or food by the way it looks.  I loved this dip!  I made it in the crock pot instead and it turned out perfect!  I also used a full block of cream cheese simply because I didn't want to end up wasting the rest.

Hot Pizza Dip #7

The whole reason I chose appetizers as my February category was because of the Super Bowl.  Little did I know how sick I would be.  I haven't been off the couch or bed in 3 days, but I managed to make a couple of dips.  This is the first one.  It came from All Recipes.

The case:

Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup pizza sauce
2 tablespoons chopped green bell pepper
2 ounces pepperoni sausage, chopped
2 tablespoons sliced black olives

Directions
In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, oregano, parsley, and basil.
Spread mixture in the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate, or a shallow microwave-safe dish. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese on top of the cream cheese mixture. Spread the pizza sauce over all. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, then top with green pepper, pepperoni and olive slices. Cover, and microwave for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

The ruling:
I just used regular pepperoni on top.  I also did make this the day before after reading many reviewers say that enhanced the flavor.  This was good.  Everyone liked it.  I just served it with regular tortilla chips, but I think it would be better with bagel chips.

Bacon Cheddar Pinwheels #6

 I love crescent rolls.  They are almost magical with all the different things they can do- desserts, appetizers, main dishes, breakfast- everything!  They are even good by themselves!  There aren't that many things that can do sweet and savory so well.  I'm always on the lookout for new recipes for crescent rolls.  I got this in a Pillsbury e-mail a while back and am finally getting around to making it.

The case:
Ingredients:
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
2 tablespoons ranch dressing
1/4 cup cooked real bacon pieces or 4 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
1/2 cup finely shredded Cheddar cheese (2 oz)
1/4 cup chopped green onions (4 medium)

Directions:
1.  Heat oven to 350°F.
2.  If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough; separate into 2 long rectangles. Press each into 12x4-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; cut lengthwise into  long rectangles. Press each into 12x4-inch rectangle.
3.  Spread dressing over each rectangle to edges. Sprinkle each with bacon, Cheddar cheese and onions.
4.  Starting with one short side, roll up each rectangle; press edge to seal. With serrated knife, cut each roll into 8 slices; place cut side down on ungreased cookie sheet.
5.  Bake 12 to 17 minutes or until edges are deep golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

The ruling:
First, I omitted the onions and doubled the ranch and bacon.  Second, what's not to like? Bacon, ranch, cheese?  These didn't quite have the pop the Bacon Cream Cheese Crescents have, but they are still good.  I added some ranch on the side for dipping.

Parmesan Chicken Wings #4

 I love wings.  Since Michael and I've been married, I've probably made at least a dozen wing recipes.  Not sure how Parmesan is going to be as the main ingredient, but this has good reviews on Food.com so I'm willing to try it.

The case:
Ingredients
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt, to taste
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
20 frozen chicken wings, & drummettes, unthawed
1/2 cup butter, melted ( 1 stick)

Directions
Combine first 6 ingredients (cheese through pepper).
Set the melted butter in a bowl and dip the chicken wing pieces first into the butter, then into the cheese mixture to coat.
Set on a foil lined baking sheet with edges.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 F for about 45 minutes or until fully cooked.
NOTE: To use raw chicken wings- you will need about 2 pounds of whole fresh wings, cut into 3 pieces each and discarding the wing tips.

The ruling:
I feel like these are really one-dimensional.  Not a huge fan.  I think a combo of Parmesan and Panko would be better.

Ranch Snack Mix #105

One of my friends once made the best ranch snack mix from Taste of Homes magazine.  I was trying to find it.  I came upon this one, which is also from Taste of Homes, but it isn't the one she made.  I once had it and I remember baking it.  Since I can't find it, I'm going to go ahead and try this one.

The case:
Ingredients
1 package (12 ounces) miniature pretzels
2 packages (6 ounces each) Bugles
1 can (10 ounces) salted cashews
1 package (6 ounces) bite-size cheddar cheese fish crackers
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions:
In two large bowls, combine the pretzels, Bugles, cashews and crackers. Sprinkle with dressing mix; toss gently to combine. Drizzle with oil; toss until well coated. Store in airtight containers. Yield: 6 quarts.

The ruling:  
It's so hard to make snack mix and not bake it, but there really isn't any need in this recipe!  I'm not saying this recipe is perfect, but it's so simple and has a good flavor.  I still think it can be improved upon but until then I will be making this one!  I made it to snack on for Christmas and everyone kept munching!

Charleston Cheese Dip #101

Here is another recipe from Trisha Yearwood. 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
2 green onions, finely chopped ( I omit)
Dash of cayenne pepper
8 Ritz or butter crackers, crushed
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled








Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350*.
2.  In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise, cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, green onions, and cayenne pepper.
3. Transfer mixture to a shallow baking dish.
4. Top the mixture with the cracker crumbs and bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through.
5. Remove from the oven and top with bacon.
6.  Serve immediately with corn chips, crackers, or bagel chips.

The ruling:
Another winner from Trisha.  I'm officially asking for both of her cookbooks for Christmas.  I served this with Ritz cracker chips and corn chips.  It was absolutely divine with the Ritz cracker chips!!!

Saucy Island Sandwiches #97

I've done a horrible, horrible job of posting the new recipes I'm trying.  I've tried some good ones too!  The biggest problem I've had is taking the pictures before the food is eaten.  Urgh! Oh well I guess I can just pledge to start fresh.

This recipe was given to me from a good friend from church, Alberta Floyd.  She brought them to a Christmas party.  My mom made me try them even though I typically don't eat ham.   Boy, was I glad I did.  These are some of my favorite sandwiches I've ever had!  In fact I'm making them two days later if that shows you how much I like them.

My friends and I once had a Hawaiian recipe exchange.  If I could do that over I would definitely take these! 


The case:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter
- 6 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp. yellow mustard
- 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
- 2, 12 oz Hawaiian sweet rolls, split
- 2,  8 oz Swiss cheese slices
- 1 lb sliced honey ham
- 2, 8 oz Provolone cheese slices

Instructions:
1.  Melt butter in a saucepan.  Stir in brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire, honey, and poppy seeds.  Stir all ingredients over medium heat well combined.
2.  Arrange roll bottoms cut side up, on a rectangular baking sheet.  Brush with about half of butter mixture.
3. Top rolls with Swiss cheese, tearing to fit.  Do the same with ham and then provolone. 
4.  Brush cut side of roll tops with butter mixture.  Place over sandwiches.
5.  Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until heated thoroughly. 

The results:
Yes, even when I made these, they were just as good.  The honey mustard butter mixture is out of this world delicious.  The flavor of the two cheeses just pushes this recipe over the top!  These are the perfect appetizer potluck dish!

Cheese Sticks #95

I have been wanting to try homemade mozzarella sticks for forever, but every recipe I've seen says to place the sticks on a cookie sheet in the freezer before cooking.  Well, last week I got a new refrigerator that has the freezer in the bottom.  Finally, enough room to place a cookie sheet inside.  This particular recipe is the Pioneer Woman's and came from her new cooking share site, Tasty Kitchen.  Later this week, I'm going to try Giada De Laurentiis's.

The case:
Ingredients
16 pieces String Cheese, Removed From Wrappers
½ cups All-purpose Flour
2 whole Eggs
3 Tablespoons Milk
2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs (I Used Kikkomans)
1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley Flakes
Canola Oil, For Frying
Marinara Sauce, For Dipping

Instructions:
1.  Slice string cheese pieces in half, for a total of 32 pieces.
2.  Place flour in a small bowl.
3.  In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and milk.
4.  In another separate bowl, combine panko bread crumbs with parsley flakes.
5.  TO ASSEMBLE: One by one, roll mozzarella sticks in flour, then dunk in egg/milk mixture, then place in panko crumbs. Use your hand to sweep crumbs all over the mozzarella stick. Gently remove and place on a tray or cookie sheet. Repeat until all mozzarella sticks are coated.
6.  ***Place tray in freezer for 20 to 30 minutes to flash freeze.***
7.  TO COOK: Heat 1 1/2 inches canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add mozzarella sticks 8 at a time. Watch closely and turn over to evenly brown, cooking less than 2 minutes. Do not allow cheese to bubble and leak.
8.  Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
9.  Serve immediately with warm marinara sauce.

The ruling: 
Yummy!  I think the breading could use a little more flavor; maybe garlic powder and salt.  I loved the crispy texture of the panko bread crumbs.  Another winner Pioneer Woman! 

Garlic Herb Spinach Artichoke Dip #94

Another game day inspired dish.  I found this on Allrecipes this morning, and just happened to have all the ingredients on hand.  I love garlic herb Alouette cheese, so I can't wait to try this recipe. 

The case:

Ingredients
8 slices bacon
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 (14 ounce) can quartered marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1 (5 ounce) container garlic-herb flavored cheese spread
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2.  Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain and crumble into a medium bowl.
3.  Mix spinach, artichoke hearts, garlic-herb flavored cheese spread, Parmesan cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise into the bowl with bacon.
4.  Scoop mixture into a 7x11 inch baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven 20 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

The ruling:
Michael loved this dip!  I really liked it, and if I still wasn't in my first trimester, I think I would love it.  It is definitely creamy and garlicky.   

Mini Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

These are quick to make and delicious!

Ingredients:
- Rolls
- Deli ham
- Swiss cheese
- 2 Tablespoons Honey Mustard
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1-2 Tablespoons poppy seed

Directions:
1.  Cut rolls lengthwise. 
2.  Spread honey mustard over tops of rolls.  Lay down ham and then Swiss cheese. 
3.  Bake rolls at 400 for 10 minutes. 
4.  Melt butter and mix together with honey mustard and poppy seeds.
5.  Brush mixture over rolls.

Sweet and Spicy Meatballs #91

I never liked meatballs until a few years ago.  Randomly, I tried one at a banquet catered by the UT dining department of all places.  They were delicious.  I've been trying to find a good recipe for them ever since. 

The case:
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
2 eggs
1 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons dried minced onion flakes
9 drops hot pepper sauce
seasoning salt to taste

3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons dried minced onion flakes
1 teaspoon mustard powder
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
6 drops hot pepper sauce

Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2.  In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, eggs, rolled oats, minced onion flakes, hot pepper sauce and seasoning salt. Mix well and form into 1 inch meatballs. Place into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 30 minutes.
3.  Meanwhile, in a separate medium bowl, combine the ketchup, water, vinegar, brown sugar, minced onion flakes, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce. Mix together well and set aside.
4.  Remove meatballs from oven and pour reserved sauce over them. Cover with foil and return to oven.
5.  Bake, covered, in a preheated oven for 1 hour.

The ruling:
I was in a hurry so I just made the sauce with frozen meatballs.  I threw it all in the crockpot for about 3 hours.  These were delicious!  I loved the sweet and spicy flavors together.  I'm sure they would have been much better with homemade meatballs.

Sausage Wontons

I can finally announce why I haven't been blogging.  It's because I am nauseous just about 24/7.  I'm proud to announce Michael and I are expecting our first child in April!  While I am very excited about this, the thought of most foods, especially having to cook them, is enough to send me running to the bathroom.  I finally decided to fight it out today.  I love cooking tailgating foods for football season.  I made a few of my regular favorites and even tried a new one!    My friend Lindsey Spencer gave me this recipe, and I've made it over and over again ever since. 

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lbs sausage
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- 4 cups cheese (I use 2 cups cheddar and 2 cups Monterrey jack)
- Wonton wrappers

Directions:
1.  Brown sausage; drain.
2.  Mix with with cheese and ranch.
3.  Put wontons in muffin tin, creating a bowl.  Bake at 350 for 5 minutes, until hardened.
4.  Fill wonton with mixture and bake for an additional 7-8 minutes until cheese is melted.

Crock Pot Honey Hot Wings #70

After reading 4 hot wing recipes, I have made up my own.  I had wings in the fridge and was craving something sweet, but spicy.  I didn't feel like frying, so I pretty much made up this on the whim!  I love, love my crock pot.  It is amazingly simple to use and there is hardly any clean up.  I have no idea how these are going to turn out, but I can't wait to see.

The case:
Ingredients:

• 20 winglettes
• salt
• pepper
• cayenne pepper
• garlic powder
• 1 cup hot sauce
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup honey
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Directions:

1. Sprinkle both sides of wings with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.
2. Broil wings for 5 minutes on each side.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan combine butter with honey, hot sauce, and garlic.
4. Place hot wings in bottom of crock pot and pour sauce over.  Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.

The ruling:
I thought these were really good.  Are they the best wings ever? No, but they are still really good!  And so easy.  I would make these again.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

I made this on the spur of the moment for a Mexican recipe exchange.  It had tons of great reviews on allrecipes.com.  After reading all the reviews, I changed it up a bit.  Now it is one of our favorite dips!  I know the ingredients sound weird and it isn't the prettiest, but the final taste is delicious!

Ingredients:

• 2 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 4 oz can green chilies
• 2 oz can chopped jalapenos 
• 1/2 Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• Tortilla chips for dipping.

Directions:

1. Mix together cream cheese, sour cream, and mayo.
2. Blend green chilies and jalapenos into a food processor,if desired, and mix with cream cheese mixture. Or add straight to cream cheese mixture. 
3. Spread dip in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
4. Mix Parmesan and Panko bread crumbs.  Sprinkle over cream cheese mixture.
5. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.  Serve with tortilla chips.

 Printable Jalapeno Popper Dip Recipe

Honey Mustard Grilled Wings #62

I love the Neely's!  In case you don't know, they are a couple from Memphis that appear on Food Network.  I've made lots of their recipes, and almost every one has become a favorite.

The case:
Marinade:
1/4 cup Neely's Barbecue Sauce
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
1/4 cup hot sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
3 pounds chicken wing drumettes, patted dry with paper towels

Glaze:
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 thinly sliced green onions, for garnish

Directions
1.  Mix the barbecue sauce, orange zest, hot sauce, honey, and Dijon together in a large bowl. Add the chicken wings and toss to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight in the refrigerator.
2.  Prepare the grill to medium direct heat.
3.  Drain the wings from the marinade and pat dry. Grill until crisp and golden, about 8 minutes per side.
4.  While the wings are grilling, melt the butter in a small saucepan on the grill. Whisk in the honey and mustard. Brush the glaze on the wings and allow to cook for another 2 minutes. Serve the wings mounded up on a platter sprinkled with green onions.

The ruling:
 These were a good change from the typical hot wing.  They were sweet and tangy.

Stuffed Mushrooms #59

I love stuffed mushrooms and am always on the lookout for a new recipe!

The case:

Ingredients
6-8 portabella mushrooms
4 tablespoons butter
8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
4-5 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, cooled and crumbled
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese (or Cheese of your choice)

Directions
1.  Saute mushrooms in 4 T butter for about 5 minutes, save remaining butter (in saute pan).
2.  Place caps in an oven-proof dish.
3.  Mix Cream Cheese and Bacon and top mushroom caps, heaping the mix a little.
4.  Top with grated cheese. Pour remaining butter (from saute pan) around mushrooms and bake for about 8-12 minutes at 375 degrees. Cheese on tops should be melted.

The ruling:
I only had enough filling (using large portabellas) for 3 mushrooms.  I added some Parmesan to the mozzarella cheese.  These were pretty good.  I would make them again.