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Showing posts with label appetizers and party food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label appetizers and party food. Show all posts

Cheeseburger Quesadillas!


As you all know, I love Mexican food!  My family likes it also, but because they are picky eaters in some ways, they like it to be sort of Americanized or scaled down in the spiciness and ingredients.

 I have even gotten Mr. Sweet Tea, who is my biggest challenge, when it comes to new things, to eat several recipes with a Mexican flair to them!   This makes me happy, because then I don't end up cooking two different meals as much!!!   

These "Cheeseburger Quesadillas" was an idea I had that I thought would please everyone and it did!!!    These are so easy and they are perfect for feeding picky husbands, teenagers, or kids of any age really!!!    I mean who doesn't love a cheeseburger??? 

 These are great served with soup or serve them with fries like you would a cheeseburger!  They are great for lunch or supper!   They are quick, easy and yummy!!! 

Here is what you will need:

2 lbs. ground beef or chuck, browned
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tsp. yellow mustard
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
seasoned salt to taste
black pepper to taste
8  (8 inch) flour tortillas
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese or a cheddar jack blend
4 Tbs. butter, divided


In large skillet, brown the ground beef until completely browned.  Drain excess grease.  Add the ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt and black pepper!   Stir to combine and bring to a boil for just a few minutes.  Simmer until the mixture thickens.  Be sure to stir so it doesn''t stick. 


Melt one tablespoon of butter in a large flat skillet or on a griddle.  Place one flour tortilla on the pan.  Your heat should be on about medium. 


Sprinkle with 1/4 of the ground beef mixture and then top with 1 cup of cheese.
Lay another flour tortilla on top and press down with a spatula to help melt the cheese so they stick together and make turning easier.


When it's brown on one side, carefully flip it over with a wide spatula and brown on the other side.


When it's nice and brown, remove to a plate or cutting board and cut in fourths.  This is really easy if you use a pizza cutter!   Repeat with the rest of the ingredients until you have 16 wedges!!! If you are cooking for  two or three people, you could cut this recipe in half!


Top with dill pickles if you are a pickle lover!!!  These are really yummy with chili!!!  


Hot Dog Chili Sauce!!!


Sometime there is nothing better than a good chili dog!  However, I find the canned chili dog sauces available to be lacking for the most part.   That is why I usually make my own.  It's so easy and tastes so much better.  This sauce can be doubled and then froze for future use also which is nice.

 Here is what you need:

1 lb. ground chuck or ground beef
1 small sweet onion, diced fine
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbs. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1  (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbs. brown sugar
dash of hot sauce to taste
1 (15 oz.) can chili beans (optional)


Brown the ground chuck along with the diced onion in a skillet.  Drain excess grease.  Add the seasonings, tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar and hot sauce.   Mix well and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer.  If you are adding the beans add them now.  Beans are optional.  Some people like a plain, beanless hot dog chili.  We like the beans in it so I add them.  Leave this uncovered and simmer until it thickens up, then it's ready to use.   

This sauce is great on hot dogs, brats, smoked sausages, whatever.  I also use it on nachos, baked potatoes, tater tots, and chili cheese fries!   It's very versatile.  

Toffee Chip Cheese Ball!


This "Toffee Chip Cheese Ball" is a little different as far as 'cheese balls' go!  It's a sweet cheese ball that is great served with fruit slices or graham crackers or even something like vanilla wafers or shortbread cookies!   This goes over really well with those who might not care for the savory cheese balls!   We served it a few weeks ago at my niece's bridal shower with apple slices and graham crackers.  With the apples it reminds me of a caramel apple and it's great for a Fall party or gathering!

Here is what you will need:

 2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
4 Tbs. butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1  (8 oz.) pkg. Heath milk chocolate English toffee bits
2 cups dry roasted peanuts, chopped fine

apple slices, graham crackers, vanilla wafers or shortbread cookies for serving

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until well blended with an electric mixer.   Blend in the brown sugar, confectioners sugar and vanilla.  Stir in the mini chocolate chips and the Heath toffee bits.    This will be very soft.  Pull as much as you can away from the sides of the bowl into a ball shape.  Cover with plastic wrap, leaving it in the bowl and place in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours or overnight.   This needs to be very cold or you won't be able to form the cheese ball. 

Place the finely chopped dry roasted peanuts on a large piece of wax paper.  Remove the cheese ball from the bowl and with your hands form into a smooth ball shape.  Lay it in the peanuts and roll it to coat all sides.   When it is all coated in the peanuts lay it gently on a serving plate.   This is a semi soft cheese ball, so it must be very cold and you have to work fast.    

Place apple slices and graham crackers around the edges for serving!  Or you can use whatever you like for serving!   If you do not have time to chill this or don't want to take the time, you can place it in a serving bowl and serve as a dip instead of a cheese ball. Just sprinkle the top with the chopped nuts.   I think the cheese ball makes a prettier presentation, but they both taste the same!  

Mini Party Quiches!


These "Mini Party Quiches" are yummy little bites of sausage and cheese quiche baked in a cream cheese crust!  They are so good and really very easy!  They are perfect for parties, wedding or baby showers, graduation parties, teas, or wedding receptions!

They are also good to make up and freeze part of them to keep on hand for a quick breakfast on the go!  Just pop them in the microwave or oven and warm them up.  They heat back up real well.  

Here is what you will need for these:

Crust
1 cup butter softened
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt

Filling
8 oz breakfast sausage
3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3 green onions, sliced thin including some of the green blades
3 eggs
1 cup half and half cream
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
dash of hot sauce (I used Tabasco, but if you used hot sausage you can omit this)

In a mixing bowl beat the cream cheese and butter together, gradually beat in the flour and salt.  If the dough seems too stick add just a little more flour.  Shape into a large ball in the bowl.  Cover the bowl and refrigerate while you make the filling.  This is a sticky dough and works better if it's really cold.

Brown the sausage over medium high heat.  Drain any excess grease.  

When the dough is cold, after about 30 minutes to an hour, remove to make the crusts.  Spray 36 mini muffin tins with nonstick baking spray.  Take out about a tablespoon of dough for each crust and roll it into a ball.  Press the ball into the mini muffin tin working it up the sides of the tin.  Make it thin enough to leave room for the filling.  

When you have made the crusts, fill each one with sausage, Swiss cheese, and Parmesan cheese dividing it all evenly between the 36 muffin tins.   

In a bowl, whisk the eggs and cream together.  Add in the black pepper, salt and dash of hot sauce.  
Pour the egg filling evenly over the sausage and cheese in each tin.   

Place in a preheated 375 degree oven for 17 - 20 minutes or until the top is slightly browned.

Slow Cooker Party Meatballs!


These "Slow Cooker Party Meatballs" are great to serve for parties, on game day, or just any time you have a bunch of people over!  We hosted a bridal shower for my nephew and his bride to be a few weekends ago and served these!  They are delicious and so easy!  I like to serve things like this for parties, because they pretty much just take care of themselves and they are easy for your guests to eat!

 Here is what you will need:

1 cup grape juice
1 cup apple jelly
1 cup ketchup
1 (8 oz.) can of tomato sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
1 (64 oz.) bag of fully cooked frozen Italian meatballs

***You can make your own homemade meatballs.  Just brown them really well before you put them in the slow cooker and cut the time to 4-5 hours!

Combine all of the ingredients except the meatballs in a saucepan, cook on medium low just until the jelly and the brown sugar have dissolved.  The cayenne is optional, because I know some don't care for any heat at all.  I like just a touch in these.  

Place the frozen meatballs in a slow cooker.  Meatballs usually come in two sizes, 1 ounce and 1/2 ounce.  For this, I prefer the 1/2 ounce size, because it's  just the right size bite and it stays on a pick or fork easier!   Pour the sauce over all and set the slow cooker for 5-6 hours on low!  All slow cookers tend to vary, so use your judgment, but they really don't overcook if you go to the six hours!  


For casual get-togethers, serve right from the slow cooker to keep them warm.  For more formal affairs, you might want to place them in a chafing dish!  These will disappear fast!  

BLT Dip!


My Aunt Mary, Aunt Ann, and I hosted a bridal shower this past weekend for my nephew, Sumner and his fiancee,  Ana so you know we had a lot of really yummy food!  Our family is all about the food!  This "BLT Dip" my Aunt Ann made was so good!  Everybody just loved it!  This would be great for game day or any type of gathering and it's really easy!

 Here is what you will need:

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened 
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded lettuce
3-4 green onions, sliced and including the green blades
4 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 lb bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Mix the cream cheese with the mayonnaise until smooth.  Stir in the Parmesan cheese.  Spread in a shallow dish.  A pie plate works well for this.  Sprinkle the shredded lettuce on the cream cheese evenly.   Sprinkle the lettuce with the green onions.  Next add the diced tomatoes.  Sprinkle the bacon evenly next.  To finish, top with the shredded cheddar cheese!  


Serve with toasted French Bread slices, crostini, or assorted crackers!

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