Jalapeno Popper Dip

PLEASE don't judge this dip based soley on it's looks! This boring, blah looking little dip packs some serious flavor. I was looking for a last minute appetizer for Christmas, and this one was listed on allrecipes.com as one of the top 20 appetizers. It had 663 reviews and a 5 star rating. My husband loves anything jalapeno, so it was an easy choice. I knew my husband would like it, but I was surprised how much I loved it. I'm pretty sure I ate most of it myself. Apparently I want to see how much weight I can possibly gain over the holidays. Anyway, forget about the calories for a day and enjoy!

Jalapeno Popper Dip
Source: allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
• 2 ounces canned diced jalapeno peppers, drained (I used most of the 6 ounce can and did not think the dip was too spicy)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Stir together cream cheese and mayonnaise in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in green chiles and jalapeno peppers. Pour mixture into a microwave safe serving dish, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
• Microwave on High until hot, about 3 minutes. (you can also bake it in the oven to brown the cheese - bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes).
  
  
  
  
  

Texas Caviar

This looks like a boring, unassuming bean dip. A coworker brought it for a potlock at work, and I almost didn't try it, but I'm SO glad I did. It is spicy, sweet, and full of delicious flavors. And it's VERY addicting. To make it a little healthier, you can easily substitute Splenda for the sugar. My coworker gave me the recipe, but I don't know what the original source is. Enjoy!


Texas Caviar

Caviar:

• 1 can Black beans - drained and rinsed
• 1 can Black eyed peas - drained and rinsed
• 1 can Shoe peg corn – drained and rinsed
• 1 jar Pimentos (or roasted red peppers chopped)
• ½ jar jalapeños chopped fine (use more or less to taste)
• 1 red onion chopped fine
• 2 stalks of celery chopped fine

Marinade:

• 1 cup olive oil
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup sugar

Directions:

• Mix all caviar ingredients together in a bowl.
• Heat all marinade ingredients on stove, stirring until sugar dissolves.
• Let mixture cool before pouring over caviar.
• Cover and let flavors marinate overnight for best results.
• Strain caviar in a colander to remove excess liquid.
• Serve with Tostitos Scoops or Fritos Scoops.

Mmmmm Chicken Wing Dip

This is one of my favorite snacks to make for parties. In the food blog community, it's also referred to as "crack dip" because it's just that addicting. One of the things I like about making this is that it can be put together the night before and just popped in the oven before the party. I think everyone has their own verison of this dip, but if you haven't tried it yet, I definitely recommend it.

Chicken Wing Dip

Ingredients:

• 2 packages of cream cheese (8 ounce each)
• ¾ cup Frank’s Red Hot
• 1 cup creamy blue cheese dressing
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°
• With a mixer, mix together cream cheese and Red Hot, until smooth
• Mix in blue cheese
• Stir in chicken and cheddar cheese
• Pour into 9x13 pan
• Bake for 30 minutes
  

Stuffed Strawberries

I saw this recipe on Amber's Delectable Delights months ago and tucked it away until strawberry season. I hosted a baby shower for my sister in law this weekend, and figured these would be perfect. They were really easy to make, and everyone raved about them. Unfortunately, I didn't get a good picture of them, this picture is cropped out of a picture of the whole food table, hence the poor quality. Amber has a great picture in her blog, you should look at hers instead.



Stuffed Strawberries

Source: Amber's Delectable Delights

Ingredients:

• 1 pint fresh strawberries
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons orange flavored liqueur, or to taste (I used vanilla extract instead)

Directions:

• Cut the tops off of the strawberries and stand upright on the cut side.
• Make a cut 3/4 of the way down from the tip of the strawberry towards the bottom.
• Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and liqueur until smooth in a mixer or a food processor. Place into a piping bag with a star tip.
• Pipe into each strawberry and arrange on a serving platter.

Fiesta Pinwheels

Fiesta Pinwheels
Source: Land O' Lakes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup chopped pitted ripe olives
• 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
• 4 ounces (1 cup) cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 (2-ounce) jar diced pimento, well-drained (I could not find pimentos, so I used roasted red pepper instead)
• 1 tablespoon chopped mild green chiles, well-drained
• 3 large (10-inch) spinach-flavored flour tortillas

Directions:

• Combine sour cream and cream cheese in small bowl. Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl often, until smooth.
• Stir in all remaining ingredients except tortillas.
• Place about 2/3 cup cream cheese mixture onto each tortilla. Spread mixture evenly to within 1/8 inch of edge. Roll each tortilla up tightly; wrap with plastic food wrap.
• Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. To serve, cut each tortilla into 1-inch pieces. Serve with salsa, if desired.