Rotel Cups

Think for a minute...what do you have coming up that you need to make an appetizer for? Supper club? Snack for spring break beach trip? Bunko night? Well...this is it. You MUST make these.

I found this recipe courtesy of Kendall Boggs, and I took them to my friend's annual Oscar Eve party this past weekend. I'm glad these little cups of heaven only had a few ingredients, because I was asked for the recipe repeatedly.

I was worried about the transport, so I made the mixture ahead of time, and then filled and baked the cups at the party. I should have doubled this, as I had people literally waiting for the second batch to come out of the oven.

One over-eager friend grabbed one off the plate as I was photographing them, and was rewarded with a nasty burn on the top of his mouth. (Sorry, Randy.) These are equally delicious hot or room temperature, but I guarantee they won't make it long enough to be cold. These were ultimately dubbed "The Jillys" by one sweet friend.

Printable recipe

1 cup mayo
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or Swiss)
1 can Rotel, drained
1 bag bacon bits
3 packages mini phyllo shells, thawed


Mix together first four ingredients and spoon into shells. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Pinterest Party: Mozzarella Cheese Ball + Craft!

 

My friend Jenny had a great idea to host a Pinterest party this past weekend, with each guest bringing a dish from one of their boards, along with a craft they had pinned, with supplies for the whole group to make. I decided to bring Stephanie's Mozzarella Cheese Ball, as it had gotten great reviews from a friend at work.

I have a confession....this was my first time to make a cheese ball. I know...how is that possible? It's possible because I have a favorite one that I always pick up from a local bakery to take to events.

I'm pretty much a fan of anything with ranch dressing...it adds such a great and distinct flavor. I also liked the twist of using mozzarella cheese. This was a big hit!

Printable recipe

8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 package dry ranch dressing mix
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Finely chopped pecans

Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Refrigerate to firm up. Form mixture into a ball and roll in chopped pecans.  Refrigerate again before serving with crackers.

As far as the craft...let it be noted that I'm not the first in line to participate in these kinds of activities. I wasn't able to stay at the party long, so I only made one of the selections. It was a photo of my nieces attached to a canvas with Modge Podge glaze and bordered with scrapbook paper. Now I just need to decide where to hang it in my house!

Here's a collage from the day...great idea, fantastic group of girls, delicious food...and craft supplies everywhere!

Feta-Artichoke Dip

I wanted to make a new dip for the SEC championship (it was a great first half....and that's it) and I had found this recipe over at Deep South Dish. It's your basic artichoke dip recipe, but the feta definitely brings a different element to it. The crumbles add a unique tang to a standard dish. Great party recipe...and easy as pie!

I wish I had paid more attention to how this dip was originally served. I used Frito Scoops...but she spread hers on little slices of bread. That would have been delicious!

Printable recipe


1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 2-ounce jar chopped pimientos, drained

Stir together all ingredients and pour into greased pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Deviled Egg Dip?

I found this recipe over on the Tasty Kitchen site, and I was immediately intrigued. I wanted to take it to a gathering this past Saturday night, but I knew I needed to crowd-test it first. I took it over to my parents' house that morning, and we tried it with a) Ritz crackers, b) Wheat Thins, and c) Frito Scoops.

We really struggled because all of the chips/crackers overwhelmed the dip and, in my dad's opinion, made it too salty. The flavor itself was fantastic...a deviled egg fancied up with bacon and cheese. How could it not be good?

I went with the Fritos, but it still wasn't a huge success that night. But, one of the guests, before sampling, said, "Oh, I love egg salad." So....

On Sunday, I scooped some onto a hamburger bun and ate it like "deviled" egg salad sandwich. And it was perfect. The bread was the ideal vehicle, as it let the flavor shine.

Printable recipe

5 large eggs 
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons French's Mustard
1 tablespoon Frank's Red Hot Original Hot Sauce
1 tablespoon vinegar 
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 slices bacon

Put eggs in a sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. When the water starts to boil, turn off the heat and cover for 20 minutes. Allow eggs to cool enough to peel.

While the eggs are cooking, fry four slices of bacon until crisp. Drain and crumble bacon into small pieces.

In a large bowl, mix together mayo, mustard, hot sauce, vinegar, cheese, and crumbled bacon.

In a small bowl, use a fork to mash the eggs into small chunks. Add the eggs to the mayo and mustard mixture and stir together.

Spicy Sausage and Black Bean Dip

It's the most wonderful time of the year...SEC football season! I had zero reason to celebrate on Saturday, with a horrible UGA loss, but that doesn't mean we still didn't eat well. I spend the weekend on the Gulf coast, along with Tropical Storm Lee, so we hunkered down and settled in for a great day of games.

I found this recipe at Plain Chicken, one of my favorite food bloggers (and fellow Birmingham gal!). I made some adjustments to the quantities, upping/rounding off the sausage and cream cheese to full packages to make it easier. I scooped individual servings into Frito Scoops and served on a platter. This isn't the prettiest dip (it looks kind of messy), so doing that at least helped with presentation.

While it may not be pretty...it sure does taste good. It was creamy and cheesy with just the right amount of heat from the sausage and Rotel. And, it uses ingredients you probably already have on hand. I think you could use sour cream in place of the yogurt if you're so inclined.

It was definitely a great way to kick off the return of football Saturdays!

Printable recipe

1 pound hot sausage, cooked and crumbled
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
7 ounces plain Greek yogurt
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded 
1 can Rotel tomatoes, drained
1 can black beans, drained

Mix together all ingredients and pour in baking dish. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips.