2014. január 31., péntek

2014 Super Bowl Recipes



It's that time of year - Super Bowl 2014!  Who do you want to win?  I have a soft spot for Peyton Manning, so I'm rooting for the Broncos.  Here are some of my favorite appetizers for the big game.  

Click on the recipe name below to view the recipes!  



Buffalo Chicken Dippin' Balls with Spicy Cheddar Cheese Sauce


These buffalo chicken dippin' balls are delightfully crispy on the outside and deliciously buffalo-y (that's a word, right?) on the inside.  The easy homemade spicy cheddar cheese sauce just puts them over the top.  I could seriously dip anything into the sauce and be in heaven!  


Crab Rangoon Dip & Homemade Wonton Chips

This dip is creamy, delicious and tastes just like my favorite Chinese takeout's crab rangoons.  The homemade wontons are airy, crisp and super easy to make. 


Deep-Fried Green Pepper Rings


Move over, onions... bell peppers are taking over!  These fried pepper rings are so easy to make and they can be done in under 15 minutes.  Try them - you won't be disappointed!  Bet you can't just eat one!


Easy Beer-Basted Baby Back Ribs

Juicy, tender baby back ribs are so easy to make, all you need is a little bit of time!  Throw them in the oven in the morning and they'll be ready by kickoff.  The ribs are slowly cooked in the oven, basted in beer, and slathered in your favorite barbecue sauce.

Quick & Easy Queso
We love our queso!  This recipe may not be "authentic" but it's quick, easy and oh, so tasty!  

Buffalo Deviled Eggs

These Buffalo Deviled Eggs are so good and can easily be adjusted to suit your spice level.  The recipe as written yields a mild spice level. 

Baked Buffalo Broccoli Bites

Opt for a healthier choice for your Super Bowl festivities this year without sacrificing flavor!  I came up with these buffalo broccoli bites after feeling guilty about my lack of healthy snacks.  These bites are breaded in Panko crumbs, baked in the oven and then drizzled with a delicious, spicy buffalo sauce.  Yum!

Blooming Bacon Cheddar Ranch Bread

This is absolutely sinfully delicious!  It's obviously not the healthiest of snacks, but everything in moderation.  This recipe made Aol.com's front page two years ago.  


Sliders with Bacon, Cheddar, BBQ & Homemade Onion Rings

If you're not in the mood to go to the trouble with making these sliders, at least try the homemade onion ring part of the recipe!  They are the easiest and best onion rings you'll ever have!  These sliders are dude food at its finest!  Cheesy, smoky, crispy, sweet, tangy, chewy - so many wonderful things going on in this little slider!  


Deep-Fried Seasoned French Fries

These are the best and easiest french fries ever.  They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside with wonderful flavor.  If you would prefer to bake them, check out my homemade baked french fries recipe.


Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Crushed Doritos


Dorito-crusted macaroni and cheese - need I say more?  Sometimes it's good to live a little!  


Italian Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Fingers


The name speaks for itself.  Because the bacon helps to lock in the moisture of the chicken, every bite is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.  My favorite sauce to serve this with is honey mustard but BBQ and Ranch are great options, too.  For a slightly healthier spin, bake the strips...  

Blooming Pizza Bread

Remember the Blooming Bacon Cheddar Ranch Bread that hit the front page of AOL.com back in February?  Well, I decided to go along with a pizza theme this time.  The results?  Amazing! 


Crispy Chicken Wings

We made these wings two ways: Breaded and non-breaded.  They both rendered perfectly crispy-on-the-outside and wonderfully tender-on-the-inside wings.  The sauce is simple and delicious and can easily be adjusted to your spice tolerance  


2014. január 30., csütörtök

Crock Pot Chipotle Steak Taco Salad Bowls


Dump it, set it, forget it!  These chipotle steak taco bowls are not only easy to make, but they're bursting with flavor and require very little effort on your part.  Simply add the ingredients to your crock pot in the morning, turn the heat on low, and come home to the ahh-mazing smell of chipotle steak.  Your mouth will be happy - I promise!  

Note:  I remove the seeds from the chipotle peppers because my little sous chef and I have a low spice tolerance.  However, if you like heat, leave the seeds in!




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2014. január 28., kedd

Buffalo Chicken Dippin' Balls with Spicy Cheddar Sauce


Super Bowl Sunday is quickly approaching!  While I am a die-hard Eagles fan, I do happen to have a soft spot for Peyton Manning.  Who do you think will win?

My little 9-year-old sous chef told me that she is really excited to watch the Super Bowl with us.  Her reasoning?  "We get to eat really good food ...in the living room while we watch TV!"  If you happen to be one of those people who are just as excited about the food as the game, I'll be sharing some of my favorite super bowl eats with you in a couple of days.  In the meantime, I wanted to highlight these delectable treats that we'll be indulging in for the big game.  These buffalo chicken dippin' balls are delightfully crispy on the outside and deliciously buffalo-y (that's a word, right?) on the inside.  The easy homemade spicy cheddar cheese sauce just puts them over the top.  I could seriously dip anything into the sauce and be in heaven!  

Go Broncos! 

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2014. január 22., szerda

Southwestern Stuffed Pork Tenderloin


I don't know where you live, but out here in the suburbs of Philadelphia, I'm pretty sure I measured 10 inches of snow!  Yesterday was a school snow day, today is another snow day... these kids are going to be attending school well into July at this rate!  I work out of my home as a transcriptionist, so I can thankfully stay home with my little sous chef while working in my sweatpants and I don't have to venture out into the cold.  I had a nice pork tenderloin waiting in the fridge that I had planned to use for dinner along with some leftover corn.  I decided to give my pork a little Mexican flare and came up with this healthy dish.  I served this over brown rice with a side of green beans from the garden.

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2014. január 12., vasárnap

Quick Bolognese Sauce


It was Friday evening.  I asked my little sous chef, "If you could have anything in the world to eat, whether I cook it or we go out, what would it be?"  Within a split second, her answer was, "Spaghetti and meat sauce!"  Unfortunately, my favorite recipe takes about 3 hours from start to finish and it was already 4:00 PM, so I asked her for a second option.  As she was contemplating what she wanted, I thought to myself, why don't I just come up with a quick version of the recipe?  I got to work and came up with this gem.  It not only cuts down time (it was ready in under 30 minutes!), but we all agreed that we enjoyed this version even more!  Hooray for small victories!

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2014. január 7., kedd

5 Minute, 5 Ingredient Microwave Chocolate Mug Cake


Baby, it's cold outside!  I don't know about where you live, but it was 0 degrees this morning in Pennsylvania!  Even schools were calling off because of the cold.  I decided to treat myself for braving the bitter cold weather today, so I made this warm chocolate cake... in  a mug, in the microwave, in 5 minutes.  Talk about instant gratification!  It's rich, delicious, incredibly easy to make, and takes just 5 ingredients.  Give it a try - you won't be disappointed!  


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2014. január 3., péntek

Affogato with Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream & Kahlua


Sometimes, it's the simple things that are the best!  Just three ingredients go into this Italian dessert.  Well, it's technically a drink, but I say it's both!  The word affogato means "drowned" in Italian.  Simply drown a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream in hot espresso and a splash of Kahlua.  Voila!  You have a delicious dessert that will send coffee lovers to heaven!

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